"Come on Elena! Come dance with us!" Caroline Forbes, my best friend since pre-k, calls out to me from the crowded dance floor.
Caroline and her fiancee Stefan Salvatore were out in the large crowd of people who had gathered for tonight's "Santa's Merry Funmas Eve" Party at our favorite local bar, The Cloister. Everyone was wearing nothing but red, white, green, silver, gold, and brown; dressed as either one of Santa's elves, Santa, or Mrs. Claus, all of the outfits skimpy and sexy. Hell, even Stefan was in with the crowd, wearing a pair of dark green skinny jeans that Caroline had adorned with little bells and gold cuffs sewn around the bottom of the jeans, Stefan's green and gold "Santa's #1 Elf" shirt glittering and jingling with everyone elses outfits. Caroline was dressed as a Christmas Angel, wearing a silver mini dress that had white fur around every hem, was low cut, and even had fake angel wings and a fake halo to complete the look. The two of them were damn near shit-faced, thankfully they were staying in the hotel right next door. I had been dressed up and drug out tot he party in an attempt by Caroline to cheer me up.
Sighing, I shook my head and downed my sixth shot of peppermint shnops, staring listlessly at my untouched glass of Jack and Coke. Caroline was lucky, her fiancee was here, and wasn't stuck in another state, over a thousand miles away, in a different time zone, on Christmas Eve; like mine was. How Stefan had got out of going to the meeting with he and Damon's higher up is beyond me. I had texted Damon "Merry Christmas Eve" hours ago, before Caroline dressed me up as a sexy Mrs. Claus and drug me out to the party. I look down at my outfit, feeling over exposed in the white fur rimmed red tube top and matching red mini skirt, a pair of white knee high stockings and my favorite black strappy stilettos, my makeup done in silver and red, and my hair curled and left down. I played with the white ball on the end of my Santa hat, the word "Naughty" written across the front making me feel like I was being punished. I declined yet another dance from some drunk guy dressed as a reindeer, instead checking my phone for the umpteenth time that night, looking for an answer from Damon, sitting in one of the dark corner booth's. I alternated between staring at my phone, the crowd of dancers, and the entrance to the bar, wishing Damon would walk through the door and take me in his arms. Caroline had even made Damon an outfit, though it only consisted of a pair of red skinny jeans Caroline sewed fur on to and a Santa hat like my own.
The music changed from "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" to a more upbeat, sexier song, "Temperature" by Sean Paul booming through the speakers. With one last glance at my phone, I shove it back into my top and down half of my drink and another shot of peppermint shnops, this time mixed with fireball, then make my way out to the dance floor. Every time I looked at the crowd, I swore I saw Damon trying to make his way through the crowd to me, but that was just wishful thinking on my part. I close my eyes and slowly begin to move to the beat of the music, swaying from side to side as I try to have fun, to forget that Damon wouldn't be here to celebrate our first Christmas together being engaged. As the song goes on, someone comes up behind me, placing their hands on my hips and pulling me flush against their body. It doesn't take me long to realize it's a guy; hard muscle pressed flush against my back. I keep my eyes closed, stilling myself and praying that the man would just leave once he realized I wasn't gong to dance with him. Instead, the man stilled as well, his fingers lightly brushing my exposed hip bone. I unintentionally shiver, instantly reminded of Damon doing the same to me when we first danced together.
"Give it Up to Me" by Sean Paul began to play next, and the man moved in time with the beat of the music, moving my hips to encourage me to dance with him. The man pressed his lips to my shoulder, his breath smelling of peppermint shnops and... Fireball? Wait a minute, only one person besides myself loved to mix peppermint shnops and fireball together, and there was no way he could be here, he was over a thousand miles away, in a different state and time zone. Deciding enough was enough, I turn around to tell the guy off, well try to, but it was now almost impossible to move with how packed the bar was. I catch a glance of the clock on the wall, five minutes to midnight, five minutes til Christmas, and I was getting felt up in a bar by a guy that wasn't my fiancee, instead of dancing with my fiancee. The lights in the club dim and the song changes to "Gimme That" by Chris Brown, and I have to wipe a tear from my eye. This was the first song Damon and I had ever danced to together, and it was the last song I wanted to dance with anyone at the moment.
"Now, why the tears? You know Santa can always see when you're crying." The man whispers, his voice deep, sultry, and sounded so much like Damon's.
God, I must be crazy if I was hearing Damon's voice. That or someone had spiked my drink and I was hearing what I wanted to hear. Or maybe I was just drunk.
"I should be in the arms of my fiancee, dancing and having fun, not here getting felt up by some drunk jackass just looking for a quick fuck on Christmas Eve." I half growl, half sob. "Now let go of me so I can go home. Maybe there I can stop hearing his voice, stop thinking I see him every time I look around."
"Check your phone, maybe your Christmas wish came true." The man whispers, his warm breath in my ear making me shiver once again.
"It's on vibrate, so I would know if I got anythi-" I start to growl, having every intention of elbowing the jackass behind me in the ribs if he didn't soon let me go, when my phone vibrated between my breasts.
I pull my phone out and unlock it, seeing a picture text message from Damon. Confused, I open the message, my breath leaving me in one big woosh of air. The photo was of my right hip, and a pair of red skinny jeans and a black belt pressed against my ass; a man's hip bones exposed by how low the red skinnies set on his hips, and I could just make out my snowflake belly button ring, and the crowd of dancers to the left of me.
Locking my phone, I shove it back in my top and spin around, both pissed and freaked out.
"How in fucking hell did you get my fiancee's phone? What did you do to him, I swear to god if you hurt him I'm gonna fucking ki-" I curse, raising my fist to take a swing at the jackass who had to be playing games with me, because there was no way in hell I was that drunk or that Damon could possibly be here, when soft, warm lips crush against mine, hands grabbing my wrists as I attempt to shove away whoever was kissing me.
I close my eyes and struggle, only to have my arms pushed down to my sides as the man continues to kiss me, my head beginning to spin from lack of oxygen. The man's lips leave mine and I take a huge gulp of air.
"Open your eyes, Elena." The man whispers.
I shake my head, wanting this to just be a really lucid nightmare.
"Please, Elena, look at me." The man pleads.
I open my eyes, and damn near fall as I take a step back, tears in my eyes as I try to take in the sight in front of me. Damon stood in front of me, dressed in nothing but the red skinny jeans with white fur, his black boots, and a Santa hat that read "Naughty" across the front, just as mine did. Damon gives me one of his heart stopping grins and I wrap my arms around Damon, being crushed in a massive bear hug. The bar clock chimes Midnight just as Damon claims my lips in a hot, soul searing kiss. When he finally pulls away, I'm breathless, my heart doing flips in my chest, but happier then I've ever been in my entire life.
"I made it back for Christmas." Damon murmurs against my lips as I kiss him, tears of joy running down my cheeks.
"You made it just in time. Merry Christmas Damon. I love you."
"I love you too Elena, Merry Christmas my beautiful fiancee."