"Care, we don't have time to go through baggage claim," the brunette sighed. She held onto her purse tightly as they made their way through the hoards of people. "Tell Bon to get it when she arrives," she added as the pair made their way through Heathrow Airport.
"Elena, I look like a mess. We can't just meet a new client looking like I just survived a zombie apocalypse," the blonde spat as she matted down her hair. She slipped out the compact mirror that was in her rear pocket. "I can't believe the flight was that delayed."
"You don't look that bad," Elena offered with a small smile. She slapped her phone open and dialed for the car.
"Speak for yourself, Miss-I-can-get-out-of-a-twelve-hour-flight-and-sti ll look-like-a—fucking-super-model."
"That has got to be the longest surname ever," she giggled at her friend's frustration. She pressed a finger to her lips as she listened to the voice on the other line. "Yes, we need a ride to Wolf Tech." Caroline rolled her eyes and attempted to reapply some of her makeup with one hand and the miniature mirror in the other. She put on some blush to bring out her rosy cheeks and decided to pull her hair up into a classy ponytail. "Okay, thanks!" Elena replied cheerily and ended her phone call. "They'll be here in ten."
"It takes fifteen minutes to get there. Think we'll make it on time?" Caroline asked as she smoothed over her pale pink, silk blouse. She straightened out her beige blazer and dusted off whatever dust settled on her during the tortuously long flight. She tilted her head and squinted at her friend.
"What?"
"You have a little something…" Caroline trailed as she took rubbed her thumb on her friend's forehead. Elena stepped aside and rolled her eyes. The blonde furrowed her eyebrows. "This is the Mikaelsons we're talking about Elena. We have to look perfect. It's the biggest wedding of the year in London."
"Good thing we're the best wedding planners then, huh?" Elena tried optimistically. She earned a giggle from her business partner as the girls exited through the sliding doors. They were automatically hit by the chilly weather of London. "Good thing you made me pack a billion blazers."
"It's never a bad thing to be over prepared." She pushed the stray blonde curl to the side and waited impatiently until the car strolled its way over to them. Elena got in first and scooted in once Caroline made her way in. They both retrieved their iPads from their respective purses and scrolled through today's expected events. "Speaking of being prepared- just sent Bonnie a text to get our luggage when she lands," Caroline beamed.
"So, Mr. Mikaelson is paying for Rebekah Mikaelson's wedding arrangements," Elena concluded after a couple of beats of silence. She looked over the brief notes that Caroline had written in during her past phone calls.
"Yup, he's not the father, though, he's her older brother. The father is out of the picture or something so her brothers are chipping in for the wedding. Kind of sweet, I guess, I mean if you're into the whole big family thing. I think she has like three or maybe four brothers-I forget," Caroline rambled on as she ghosted through her checklist. "The ceremony is set for June 17th. I sent her some snaps of the church and the venue and she loved it."
"Of course she did. You picked them out."
"Well, I mean, I do have spectacular taste." The girls giggled. Elena rolled her eyes and took back to checking out their arrangements for the day. "You know, we've been to London multiple times in the last couple of years, but we haven't really seen it," Caroline sighed as she gazed out the window. She checked her phone once again to double check that they were going to arrive at Mr. Mikaelson's office on time.
"Yeah, we should get on that some day," the brunette quipped and began to store away their belongings. The car began to slow down and approach Wolf Tech, a startling skyscraper located in the center of London's skyline. Caroline took the first step out and let out a breath of relief as she took a final look at her cell phone. They had made it on time.
"Hurry up, Elena," she sighed as Elena paid the carfare.
The briskly made their way through the glass doors of the building. The lobby was decorated lavishly with a sizable waiting room, filled with beige plush couches. Over the seating area hung large painted landscapes that were hung across the off-white walls. Above the reception area, hung a portrait of what Caroline assumed was the Mikaelson family. She took a quick double take as she summed up the fact that practically all the members of the family were strikingly…beautiful- a regal type of beauty. She tilted her head as she looked up at the only women in the painting, as she assumed it was Rebekah. The girl had straight golden locks that went past her shoulders. She barely had a smile on her face as she took a rather stiff pose in the picture. In fact, Caroline noticed that none of the people in the picture were sporting friendly faces. She furrowed her eyebrows as her gaze landed on the other blonde in the painting. He held a more intimidating look than the others, but his face seemed to be sculpted to perfection. Caroline bit her lip as she thought of how he would look in real life.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist finally snapped at the two girls, effectively getting Caroline's attention.
"Yes, we're here to see Mr. Mikaelson" Caroline gave the girls a tight-lipped smile.
"You are?" the receptionist raised her eyebrows. She tapped her pencil on her desk impatiently, waiting for an answer.
"We are Miss Mikaleson's wedding planners and she's expecting us. So, if you don't want to lose your pathetic job, I suggest you drop the attitude and ring us up," Caroline huffed. The comment earned her a hardened glare, but it did the job. Within minutes, Caroline and Elena had made their way to the top floor of the office building. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, a blonde girl with a pleated skirt and a dark blue, satin blouse was waiting for them.
"I'm Camille," she stated, holding out her hand for a firm handshake. Caroline took it politely and motioned for Elena to do the same. "Mr. Mikaelson is running late, but Miss Mikaelson and Mr. Mikaelson are in his office so you can go in now if you like."
"Meaning one of his brothers?" Elena asked to clarify the information. Camille nodded and gave her a bubbly smile as she motioned the way towards the office. The main office sat at the back end of the floor and was paneled with glass walls. She could see a large oaken desk that seated two figures, staring out into the city of London.
"How late is he running?" Caroline questioned as they followed Camille through the cubicles.
"He should be here soon." It was a terse reply, but Caroline did not question for more.
They walked through the secretary area of his office and made their way into the main portion. The front walls of Mr. Mikaelson's office were glass that held some shades, in case of privacy. The walls on the side, however, were the same off white that they had seen in the lobby and were lined up with numerous small paintings. On the right corner of the office sat couches and a simple mahogany coffee table. The left side held a space for a canvas and an easel. In the very middle, as to be expected was a large desk. Caroline's eyes focused on the two people that were lounging in the chairs. She caught sight of Rebekah Mikaelson first who was wearing a pair of dark washed designer jeans with a pair of white Jimmy Choo heels to complement her dress shirt. The man sitting next to her had on a crisp suit and looked to be a few years older than Caroline. She squinted her eyebrows and guessed that this was Mr. Mikaelson's older brother- Elijah.
"Well, hello," Rebekah pronounced, barely looking up from the bridal magazine she was skimming through.
"I'm Caroline Forbes," Caroline introduced herself.
"Elena Gilbert," Elena gave a quick nod to Elijah as he turned his head to take a look at the two. He gave a tight smile.
"You have to excuse my brother. He is running a tad late," Elijah voiced up, sounding regal as he got up. His posture was straight as he took quick strides over to greet the girls. Everything about him was crisp, sharp and to the point.
"Yes, Nik tends to run late," Rebekah stated dryly from her seat. "We can go over the money details later if you want," she offered.
"Yes, of course, we have some other stuff to straighten out that he doesn't need to be here for," Elena smiled. "I love that magazine," Elena cooed, walking over to Rebekah.
"We can take a seat at the couches," Elijah motioned. All three girls nodded and made their way over.
"So, who runs the show," Rebekah asked once she made herself comfortable.
"Both of us," Caroline answered quickly.
"I'm sure that works," she snorted back. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw Elena bite her lip, holding back the words she desperately wanted to say.
"It does," Caroline replied evenly. Rebekah ignored the last statement and flipped her magazine open. She held the page down on the table and pointed at the picture she was staring at before.
"I liked the fit of the dress you sent pictures of but I was hoping we could put this design on the bodice."
"Yeah, it should be fine," Caroline took a careful look at the picture, estimating the detail of the design. "The designer only finished the sketches of the dress so we can talk to her while we're in Paris to check out your reception hall. "
"So, about this week's schedule," Elena took out her iPad to reveal what the plans were. "We were hoping to check out the church with you to make sure that's what you really want. There's an opening for an appointment tomorrow, depending on your brother's availability. He needs to be there to hand over the rest of the payment."
"Yes, he will be accompanying us throughout the planning. He's curious to see what he's paying for," Rebekah replied sarcastically.
"Yes, Niklaus is very particular," Elijah added. Caroline almost forgot he was in the room as the girls were discussing the details. Elijah remained collected on his side of the couch.
"And we also want you to check out the reception hall that we booked in Paris," Elena added.
"Yeah, we have to go over the menu while we're there so bring an empty stomach," Caroline quipped.
"Anything else you have planned for the trip?" Elijah casually questioned.
"No, we will travel back later in a couple of months for your dress fitting. We don't want that too far from your wedding date," Caroline directed her statements towards Rebekah. "We're staying this full week mostly to make sure you are happy with the venues, the colors, and the food selection."
"Have you selected the invitations from the pack we sent you?" Elena asked.
"Yes, I believe I sent the email to one of you."
"I received it last week. I just need your guest list finalized so I can print them and start mailing them out."
"Of course, I just need Nik to add in his people and we're set on that front."
Caroline nodded. Rebekah proceeded to pull out some more magazines from her purse. She had a bunch of notes concerning the table settings that she wanted to go over. A little while later, Elena shifted a little and looked at her cellphone to take a look at the time. Curious, Caroline slipped her phone out and sighed. He was running an two hours late at this point.
"Where is he?" Caroline asked, trying to hold back the frustration that was evident in her voice. They pretty much covered must of what they needed to cover, except the finances.
"He should be here…" Elijah trailed, looking over his shoulder. He motioned for Camille to come in once again. The blonde made her way into the room. "When is Niklaus coming in?"
"I haven't heard a word from him since the meeting started three hours ago, Mr. Mikaeleson," Camille politely replied. Caroline huffed and started to pack her things. She'd be damned if she was going to wait any longer. She was in dire need of a hot bath.
"Miss Forbes," Elijah extended his hand. "I am quite sure he will be here at any minute."
"Well, we have been waiting two hours ago," Caroline replied, trying to keep her tone as polite as possible. She was jet lagged for god's sake. Elena got up, following Caroline out the door.
"Miss Forbes- " Elijah followed the two women out the door, but was cut off as he caught sight of his brother walking briskly towards the office with a phone in hand.
Caroline's eyes landed on the familiar face that she had inspected in the portrait earlier. The painting did him no justice. He held the same stern look but his features were even more beautiful in person. He had a finely cut jaw and a light, blonde stubble grazing his chin. His eyes, though, were what completely drew her in- an electrifying blue (as cliché as it sounds). If the technology industry did not work out for him, he could easily usurp the modeling world.
"Yes, I understand, I understand that if you don't take my deal, it'll be pretty much the end of your company as you know it," she heard him speak in his heavy British accent as he snapped his phone shut. He abruptly stopped in front of Elijah and let out a frustrated sigh. He took a good look at Caroline and squinted his light blue yes. "Who are you?"
"Caroline Forbes. She's the wedding planner," Camille spoke up before Caroline could get a word in. "They've been waiting for a couple of hours."
"Oh, yes Rebekah's wedding. Well let's get on it with it," he motioned to enter his office, but stopped when he saw that neither of the girls would budge.
"Let's get on with it?" Caroline questioned incredulously.
"You are the wedding planner and I'm the pocket full of money, sweetheart. What don't you understand," he said impatiently. Elijah shifted uncomfortably beside him.
"Brother- "
"What about an apology?" Caroline asked, letting her anger get the better of her. She normally could keep her calm, but something about the man was getting to her.
"An apology, love?" The endearment struck another chord of resentment.
"Well, love, " Caroline sneered. "Normally, when I make people wait for two whole hours, I apologize." She placed a hand on her hip for further emphasis.
"You are a wedding planner, love, not the Prime Minister of England," he waived her off impatiently and stalked into his office.
"I am a human being," Caroline snapped, trailing behind him; she was determined to get the last word. No one was going to treat her like this. He spun around on his heal and cocked an eyebrow.
"Yes?" he asked impatiently, waiting for her to make her point.
"Meaning my time is also valuable."
"Okay, let me put it this way, love, I've had a rather bloody wretched meeting and I'm in no mood for your dramatics."
"I was just on a twelve hour flight, which by the way was delayed for four hours so I didn't get a chance to stop by the hotel and take a damn shower. I have a pounding headache because I literally have three weddings to plan in the matter of a couple days while I'm in London to show your sister my plans, so far, for hers. And I've been waiting for two hours for a complete dick to show up to his damn appointment. Which, may I add, you scheduled for a time that was convenient for you," Caroline scoffed. She crossed her arms at the end of her tirade.
He stayed silent for a second before a round of mischief overtook his eyes.
"It hardly seems fair that you call me a dick while I refer to you as love or sweetheart," he replied, his tone a lot lighter than moments before.
"That's all you took out of my rant?" Caroline turned her back and headed towards the door, but he walked swiftly in front of her to block her path. He was a few inches in front of her and she could clearly make out the frame of his toned body. His proximity was causing her to breathe a little faster than normal. She steadily moved her gaze up to his eyes- his damn blue eyes.
"Sweetheart, I can fire you. Do not turn your back on me," he spat with a hardened glare. She bit her tongue, forcing herself out of her daze.
"So, do it. I don't want a client that doesn't respect my time. You could have at least called ahead."
"Nik," Rebekah finally cut into the conversation. Everyone was just staring at their fiery altercation. "She's the best in the business." The comment seemed to get to her brother. He straightened his stance and took a good look at the blonde in front of him.
"Fine, I'll compensate you for your time," he relented, based solely on the advice of his sister.
"I don't need the money. I just wanted an apology," Caroline pushed, even though she was pushing her luck. She stood still, with her arms crossed. Her determined stance made him chuckle. He gave her an amused look that lasted for a couple of seconds before turning towards his coffee table.
"Alright sweetheart, I apologize. Now, can we get to the meeting," he stated with a small smirk. Her shoulders slightly lowered and she nodded. "Excellent." His British accent lingered through Caroline's thoughts, unsettling her a little more than she would be willing to admit to.
"Well, now its obvious who the boss is," Rebekah scoffed as everyone settled back into the office.
"I agree with everything Caroline said. If she didn't cover something I would have said it myself," Elena stood her ground, giving Caroline the support she needed.
"Elena and I are partners," Caroline defended, taking a seat and propping open the financials.
Niklaus took a good look at the two new women before taking his seat on his recliner. He focused his gaze on the blonde that had given him so much trouble just few moments prior.
"Well, Miss Forbes, it seems like we will have an interesting week," he grinned. He leaned in forward and gave her a mischievous smirk. "Well, interesting six months." Caroline narrowed her gaze and gulped. There was something about his presence that made her quite uneasy.
A/N So, sorry if this has a bunch of grammatical stuff. I just wrote it on a whim. Let me know what you guys think. Should I continue? Bunch of this is descriptions because it's setting everything up. And they're might seem a lot of unnecessary stuff like the whole Caroline getting defensive when Rebekah asks which one of them is the boss, but there's a back story to it. Let me know your ideas/criticism so I can address them in the next chapter if there's a good following to the story.