Bringing in the last box into her new apartment, Elena starts to feel herself relax for the first time in a very long time. Moving so quickly on top of everything else that had happened in the last few weeks was taking its toll.
"Please tell me that's the last one. My arms are killing me." Caroline whines as she sees the box in Elena's hand and sits down on the couch.
"Yea Care it's the last one." Elena giggles as she sits beside her friend.
Caroline was the last person Elena had left in this world and she was so thankful to be moving in with her. Caroline and Elena met in their earlier years of college and ever since then they've stayed close chatting via e-mail and constant phone calls but deep down Elena always wished her best friend lived close by. So when things got rough and Elena needed a place to stay Caroline was more than excited to invite Elena to come stay with her.
"Care, thank you so much for letting me come stay with you. This really means a lot"
"Will you stop thanking me? I've been dying for a roommate! I feel like we're back at VSU again!" Caroline shouts out of sheer excitement.
"I know but after everything you've done for me I feel like I owe you my life. Especially after everything with-" Elena began to get teary-eyed as anxiety and terror started to build inside her as her mind flashed back to horrible nights she was leaving behind.
"No, no mentioning of the dark ages and no waterworks Lena. If you start crying, I'll start crying, then we'll both be giant messes getting so caught up that you'll miss your interview Monday morning. You are safe here, Elena. Please don't worry about anything. You are going to love Mystic Falls! It's a fresh start and you of all people need one of those."
Elena looked at her friend in awe. In all of her 28 years she had never met anyone as confident and kind as Caroline. Her words gave her the reassurance she needed to relax again. But as quickly as the relief filled her it left her as soon as she remembered her interview.
"The interview! Oh my god I had almost forgot!" Elena jumped up and started to pace. She had nothing prepared! No directions, no preparation, no anything. She had been so wrapped up in the move she had completely forgot.
"No worries I have you covered. I picked out your outfit and the directions are on the kitchen counter." Caroline said confidently always seeming to be prepared for anything. Caroline currently worked as a receptionist for some of the best marriage and family counselors in the entire region and somehow landed Elena an interview for a partner position.
"You are amazing." Elena sighed with relief once again. God what would she do without this woman?
"I know, I know I'm wonderful now get to bed! We've got an early morning young lady." Caroline tried to stay with the conviction of a mother but was ruined by her fit of giggles.
"Goodnight, mom." Elena deadpanned trying her best to give her a typical teenager attitude but was ruined when she too joined her friend in laughter.
"Sweet dreams, Lena. And please don't worry, you're safe now."
MONDAY MORNING
"Ms. Gilbert I must say your credentials are very impressive for someone as young as you are"
The office was spacious and comforting. The large desk was positioned in the corner of the room while two nude colored love seats took the center space of the room facing each other. A coffee table sat between the love seats with a vase filled with beautiful carnations. Portraits of happy couples and smiling families covered one wall while degrees and achievements covered another. The warm atmosphere in the office had kept her nerves at bay throughout the whole interview.
"Thank you Mr. Salvatore that means a lot coming from someone like you" Elena said slightly blushing at the compliment.
"Please call me Stefan" he smiled. Stefan spoke with such compassion. Every statement he made made her feel more and more at ease. Elena returned his smile wholeheartedly. "Alright well I've asked all of my questions. Do you have any questions for me, Ms. Gilbert?"
"No I think we have covered everything. And please call me Elena." giving him a small, polite smile.
His returning smile was positively radiant. Stefan stood and held his hand out. "Well I guess we are all done. It was a pleasure, Elena."
"Thank you again, Stefan." She gave him a shy smile and nodded. She turned and headed for the door.
"Oh I almost forgot! I would like to introduce you to my colleagues before you leave." Stefan says. Silently scolding himself for forgetting his colleagues.
"Lead the way." Elena said calmly although her nerves started to kick back up as they left his office.
Stefan and Elena politely chatted as they strolled down the hall and into an enormous meeting room where two men were having their lunch along with a deep discussion.
"Gentleman," Stefan said to announce his and Elena's presence in the room since the two men clearly had not heard them enter. Both men glanced at the door then quickly stood once they noticed that Stefan was not standing alone. "Gentleman, this is Elena Gilbert." Stefan smiled and put his hand on Elena's shoulder.
Elena calmed again at Stefan's small gesture of kindness and politely smiled at the two rather attractive men. Both men were of similar height and build and seemingly close in age. The man with sandy brown hair approached Elena first and smiled.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Gilbert. I am Dr. Alaric Saltzman." Alaric said giving her a warm smile.
Alaric definitely could turn a head or two. Although his authoritative nature made him feel more an a parental figure than someone of interest she still thought he was still a rather attractive man. Elena took his outstretched hand and shook it firmly like her dad had taught her to do when making a first impression. His smile widened at her handshake, "Got one hell of a grip there, Ms. Gilbert." he let out a small chuckle and Elena immediately turned red.
"Sorry a wise man once told me that a strong handshake was the foundation to a strong career." Elena flushed yet again completely embarrassed thinking she might of come off a little too strongly. Alaric nodded commending her honesty.
"Well he was definitely right about that," Alaric let out a hearty laugh and turned to the dark-haired man beside him. "I like her already."
Alaric smirked but his face fell once he realized the dark-haired man's ice cold stare. The stare was completely fixated on Elena who seemed to have almost the same expression once she caught his gaze. Curiosity aside he smiled again and properly introduce the two.
"And this is Mr. Damon Salvatore" Alaric said gesturing in the direction of Damon.
Damon and Elena both stood there staring at one another completely lost in the moment. Once Elena noticed she nor Damon had made a move she promptly snapped back into reality and held out her hand to properly introduce herself. His piercing, bright blue eyes still bore into hers as she tried to speak. She coughed attempting to compose herself enough to speak to this beautifully horrifying man.
"Excuse me Mr. Salvatore your last name threw me by surprise. I had no idea you and Stefan were brothers. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Elena said smoothly trying to hide whatever the hell this feeling was towards this beautiful, raven-haired man. It certainly wasn't a feeling she had ever experienced before. Damon finally seemed to snap back as well and took her outstretched hand. The tension between them clearly felt on both ends of the handshake.
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Gilbert" Damon said coolly, sounding as if his politeness had been forced.
His tone hurt Elena immensely but she refused to show it. Had she said something wrong? She had never encountered someone who would be this cold to her without good reason. Elena suppressed the thought for now and gave him the best smile she could muster up.
"Well it was very nice to meet you Elena. We will have our decision by the end of the week." Stefan said as if he too could feel the tension radiating from the moment between these two.
"Thank you all." After another round of handshakes Elena smiled and left the meeting room slightly nervous. She really thought the interview itself went really well and that Stefan and Alaric had really liked her. The only thing that made her nervous was her encounter with Damon.
What was that? she thought to herself. She considered asking Caroline but soon thought against it. After all he could be like this with everyone, couldn't he? But then maybe she really did offend him? Would it cost her this job? I mean what other explanation was there for his iceberg like tone? Anxiety and regret for her words immediately filled her. She had gone from confident about the job to completely sure she had blown it.
It was all because of those damn eyes! she thought angrily.
If she wouldn't have gotten so completely lost in them maybe she wouldn't have blown her chances. Now she was dreading the end of this week. She knew that she would definitely not get the job of her dreams now.
THURSDAY NIGHT
"What about Cindi Kerrington?"Stefan suggested while flipping through his notes from the interviews of all possible employees as Damon and Alaric sat across from him at their favorite booth at Mystic Grill.
They had a drink after work here every Thursday night to unwind and drink off the week. Today however, they were discussing who would be their next partner in the business. They had been pressed to get a female into the office to get a bigger client list and to make some of their clients feel a little more comfortable. The process of finding someone qualified enough had already been a struggle and now the pressure was on with a decision needing to be made by Monday.
"Cindi Kerrington?" Damon scoffed, "She barely as her undergrad finished. There's no way she can handle being a partner." Damon had been in a particularly foul mood all week.
"Come on Damon you've managed to shoot down every person we've interviewed with. We have to find somebody." Alaric said as he finished his beer.
"Alaric's right Damon, you can't keep this up our deadline is Monday." Stefan urged.
Damon shrugged, "I just don't think any one of those women has what it takes."
"What about Elena Gilbert? I thought she had amazing credentials." Stefan said seeing her name in his notes. Stefan recalled that he had really enjoyed interviewing with Elena. Her passion for others and as well as her career was exactly the kind of attitude they needed in order to keep rising in success as the best marriage and family counselors in the region.
"She definitely has that spark. I read her dissertation on the effects society still has on biracial and multi-cultural marriages. The girl really knows her stuff." Alaric chimed in.
"Still finding amusement in goggling people, Ric?" Damon smirked as he finished his third glass of bourbon. He'd been trying not to remember the Gilbert girl all week. Her eyes lit a fire inside him like no one he has come across before and to be honest it scared the hell out of him. She stirred up emotions in him he hasn't or wanted to feel in a very, very long time. He gestured to the waitress to bring another round to drown out those rising feelings before they got too out of hand.
"She's a little young to be a partner." Damon pushed trying to make sure he wouldn't have to see her again.
"Elena is the perfect candidate for the job. She has all the qualifications we wanted and then some. She's even currently nearing the end of her doctoral studies." Stefan said determined to win over Damon.
"Well we are running out of time and at this point there's no way we'll ever be unanimous with Mr. Sour puss over here," Alaric grinned over to Damon who in return gave him a death glare. "So I say we put it up to a vote. Best two of out three wins. All in favor of hiring Ms. Gilbert say I, all who oppose, Nay."
"I" Stefan spoke with certainty in his decision.
"Nay" Damon muttered.
"I" Alaric said then banged on the table like a judge would a gavel. "The votes are in and counted for. Gilbert will be our new partner."
"That means this meeting is over and I'm out of here." Damon bolted up right out of his seat and headed for the door before either man could respond.
Damon really wanted to be angry at the decision but deep down a part of him was elated which really just pissed him off even more. He had no idea why this one little girl had such a big effect on him but he knew he didn't like it at all. And now he would have to see her every freaking day at the one place in the world he'd felt most comfortable' work.
But then I'll be able to see those big, beautiful, chocolate brown eyes again.
Whoa! Where the hell did that come from? No way, Salvatore! Do NOT go there! You don't need that kind of distraction. He thought angrily at himself. He couldn't afford another distraction like this. His job was to mend and build happiness for couples who deserved to be happy and in love. He knew that he didn't deserve happiness. His only job was to give that happiness to his clients, the ones who truly did deserve it. But Damon couldn't help but feel that Elena was going to be a bigger distraction than he was prepared for. He already knew that this was not going to be good.