Prologue-
"Damon just sign it." Alaric Saltzman, the proud owner of SaltzLake Records sighed at one of his most prized acts and his best friend.
"You honestly think that I'm even going to consider it?" Damon Salvatore, the biggest male country singer in the world shouted back.
"I know that you two have history but-"
"Don't start. You know I'd do anything to help you out Ric, but not this. Never this. It was Damon's turn to sigh now.
Alaric had done a lot for him in the past, and Damon would always feel the need to repay him, but he couldn't do this.
"Listen, just hear me out okay? Mikealson Studios are currently earning more than us-" Alaric started to explain,
"How? Don't try to guilt me into this. You have the biggest country stars in the world!" Damon shouted, exasperated.
"I have no idea how. But we need something big right now. Something that the music world is never going toforget. With each of you separately we could sell out one night at the Madison Square Garden, with the two of you? At least three."
Damon understood now. Honestly he did. That still didn't mean he wanted to do it though.
"Why us two? How do you know this won't be the label's death?" He asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
"I saw you both together. That very first time, remember? When you were just starting to make it. You went into the Bluebird and sang together. And even though you barely knew each other, you looked like you had known the other for years. You looked in love. It was special and you know it. I never saw the Bluebird so full as when you sang together. You had chemistry, and I'm willing to bet you still do." Alaric argued, trying desperately hard for Damon to see what he saw.
"And look where that chemistry got us." Damon quipped and rolled his eyes.
"Damon, the label could go bust if Mikealson Studious are top by the end of the year." The older man said softly.
"That's not possible and you know it." The blue eyed man protested, trying not to see the truth.
"Believe it or not Damon, we only have a few global success stories. And right now, I need my two biggest ones to join together."
"Fine. I'll do it. But I swear to God, if I kill half the crew on this thing you'll know who to blame." Damon growled as Alaric handed him over a pen, trying to contain his smile.
"You weren't innocent in the whole thing, Damon." Ric reminded him.
"I don't want to remember my past with her."
"You're going to have to."
"Let's get this over with shall we?" Damon mumbled as his friend chuckled.
"All done." He sighed as he signed his name on the dotted line.
"Get your ass off the chair, we're going to go see her now." Ric replied and clapped Damon on the back.
"Oh goodie," Damon said back sarcastically.
"She might slap you for even suggesting it, you know." He added as an afterthought.
"She won't slap me. You, on the other hand, might get one." Alaric knew she wouldn't though.
She wasn't bad as Damon thought she was. Well, she wasn't as bad.
"You might like her," Ric chuckled.
"Oh I doubt that." Damon said smoothly.
Hoping to God that Ric was wrong, he couldn't deal with actually liking her.
"Elena Gilbert better be ready. Because I'll be the one to let the pampered princess know that the world doesn't revolve around her." He added,
Because if he was going to get something out of this. He was going to show Elena exactly what she was missing.
"Elena! We're ready for you." Caroline Forbes, publicist to the most famous music star in the world shouted into the hair and make-up room.
"I'm comin'" Elena Gilbert drawled in her southern accent.
"How do I look?" She asked her best friend with a smirk on her face.
"Stunning as always. Very sexy." The blond winked and took her by her arm.
"You'll go in for the shoot now and Ric called to say he's popping in with a guest in a while." Caroline added looking at her clip-board.
"What kind of guest?" Elena asked suspiciously.
Alaric Saltzman was like an uncle to her, would be in fact very soon. But he never brought anyone to her without running it by her. He knew her better than anyone apart from Caroline, they were the only two people who saw her for what she really was. And not the spoilt country bitch she portrayed to everyone else.
"He didn't say," Caroline trailed off while Elena glared at her.
"And you didn't ask?" The brunette spat out.
"Of course I did 'Lena. He wasn't giving away anything." She replied trying to sooth her aggravated friend.
Needless to say when Elena Gilbert was in a bad mood nothing was going to pull her out of it.
"Let's just get this over with." The dark eyed girl rolled her eyes while her publicist just took her hand and led her to the set.
Elena knew she looked pretty. Especially right now in her silver dress that was emphasising her assets. Somehow her chocolate coloured curls and her big brown doe eyes had always got her attention. But despite how she acted, she never felt beautiful. She had only felt like that when she was with him. But he had ripped her heart out.
And she'd been cold to everyone ever since.
But she knew one thing, she never wanted to see him again.
"Okay Elena, turn you head just a little- There we go!" The photographer said happily while the smiled and laughed in the direction of the camera.
She always had been good at acting.
"There's my little superstar!" Ric's voice called out over the photographer's directions and the low hums of everyone else.
"Ric!" Elena said happily and swung her legs over the sofa she was currently perched on.
She walked as fast as she could in her heels over to him, not noticing the man stood behind him.
"What's with the surprise visit? Usually you don't have the time during the week." Elena pulled back and crossed her arms over her chest.
Unknowingly making the blue eyed man behind her soon-to-be uncle very uncomfortable.
"Can't I just drop in and say hi?"
"Not today you can't. I've got a shoot for the next tour, and you're always the one who tells me 'to never mix business with pleasure'." Elena rolled her eyes at him and he smiled back uneasily.
"Well, what if I take those words back?"
"What do you mean?" She questioned.
"I have a proposition for you." He said slowly,
"I'm listening."
"Well it's about-" But Alaric never got to finish his sentence.
"It's about me." Damon said, stepping out from the shadows.
Elena didn't answer, she just stared at the man who had once been her whole world. She could only look at him, and she was reminded of the girl she used to be.
The young, sweet, carefree girl who worked at the Bluebird and was completely happy with singing to herself and never letting anyone hear her songs.
But she wasn't that girl. That girl was weak. And in this business being weak meant getting destroyed. So she glared at the gorgeous man in front of her as her eyes went cold.
"Look what the cat dragged in." She said snidely as he smirked a little wider.
"Having fun being a skank?" He replied smoothly.
"What's he doing here Ric?" She asked, ignoring Damon.
"The proposition. I want you two to combine your tours. You'll bring in three times the amount of people." He said tentatively, watching as Elena's eyes grew a shade darker.
"What?!" She screamed while the whole room went quiet.
"I see you've arrived Alaric. Damon." Caroline said with a quick nod and placed a hand on Elena's back.
"What's going on?" She asked her best friend with worried eyes.
"He wants me to cancel my tour, and then go on a new one with that!" Elena answered angrily.
"That has a name, you know." Damon butted in,
"Shut up." Elena growled at him and turned her attention back to Alaric.
"Why? I've sold out completely in nearly every state! And of all the people on this earth why on earth pick him!?" Everyone's attention was on the beautiful girl screaming murder at her manager.
"Elena listen to me," Alaric whispered to her, not wanting everyone to hear.
"Mikealson Studios are currently earning a whole heck more than us and if we're not top by the end of the year we could go bust. All the work that we're done to get to the top will go down the drain."
"You've got to be kidding me." Elena said, her eyes widening.
"I wish I was. But I need you to do this for me, Elena. I need you to do this for all of us." He replied, taking her small hands in his.
"And what did he say about it?" She asked flicking her gaze to Damon for a small time while she glared at him.
"He's willing to do this if you are." Alaric said softly.
"Come over tomorrow to go over the details. Remember Ric, I'm doing this for you. I couldn't care less about what happens to him." She said venomously.
"Don't pull the drama queen act already, princess." Damon quipped and she spun around to face him.
"Watch your back, Salvatore. If you think I'm going to back down easily then you clearly don't know me very well." She said stepping forward before she went to walk away.
Damon grabbed her arm before she could get away from him, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I know exactly what you're like 'Lay. Don't think for a moment I've forgotten." She melted for a moment. Just a moment. 'Lay was always his affectionate little nickname for her.
She ripped her arm away then and walked away, slamming the door behind her making sure everyone knew that she had left.
If he thought that she would go back to being the girl he knew then he was wrong. God, he was wrong. She was going to show that self-centred dick what he was missing.
A/N: Hey guys! My other story 'The Petrova Twins' is almost finished and I've had this idea bouncing around my head since I first saw Nashville. Really kind of based on the show ;). I'm really excited about this so please review if you think I should continue! Thank you for reading. Xxx