Ch. 3
Another week flew by with Elena going through the motions in Paris. She knew she needed to find a way to fit in to try and make this trip bearable. So she did the only thing she could think of to do, which was cater to everyone's needs around her. She jumped when they called for anything from a hairdryer to a tube of lipstick.
Every day was filled with what seemed an endless supply of demands for her to fill. Today was no exception. Their photo-shoot location at the moment was by another surrounding fountain deep in the city. Art sculptures were displayed to play on the growing culture, while more water was added by means of sprinklers and water hoses. Now, it was Elena's job to make sure the models had towels to dry off with after, or during the shoot. Most of them were in transparent raincoats with little else underneath. She assumed it was for advertising a vogue underwear line, but of course had been too uncomfortable to ask.
The photographer, Jean Luke was giving out demands as often as he drew breath. He wanted the model to raise her hands, then turn her head, and finally lift her leg. He also wanted Elena in and out of the shot to help dry the models. It was exhausting for Elena just running back and forth from the women. She didn't doubt they were weary of his commands as well.
After putting down his camera, Elena took command running to the center model to dry her off. After all, even if it looked warm, she knew the girl must have been freezing under her plastic covering.
Madame yelled for her to return, and she came back behind Jean Luke, kneeling beside him in a crouch in case she needed to go again. She took in a breath ready for another long hour filled with flashes and orders.
"Have a drink with me." Came Jean Luke's voice from behind the camera. She automatically assumed he had been speaking with Madame, or one of the models. That was until he turned his rich brown eyes onto hers. She glanced up at him in shock and pointed to herself, as if to ask 'me?' he simply nodded in approval. She of course consented. No one had befriended her yet in Paris, and although she was learning to enjoy being apart of something important, she found it was becoming a very lonely occupation.
Later that afternoon they found a small café at the corner of a busy street. He ordered them both some white wine, and introduced himself. He explained, in his best English, that he had been a photographer for 10 years, and Elena was mesmerized.
"I love beauty in everything I see. I believe it to be found in anything. A smile, a look, a moment can be beautiful. You simply have to pay attention, and when you do you must capture it. You see this beauty too Elena I have seen it."
"Seen what Jean Luke?"
"No, don't call me Jean Luke, that is my, how do you say, screen name. My real name is Elijah. I came from the Netherlands originally, and then eventually made my way to Paris."
"Oh I see. Elijah, I think that name suits you much better." Elena spoke in quiet approval.
"I think you're name is breathtaking, Elena. Did you know it means bright one? I think it is only fitting for a beauty such as yourself…" he said drifting off.
Elena blushed, remembering the French were very different with boundaries. They were passionate and forthright, something she was not accustomed to being. The rest of their time was easily spent. She found Elijah was a comforting soul and before she knew it they found themselves lost in conversation.
Elena loved how he saw the world in such beauty, and life. Somewhere into the conversation he promised to show her Paris' beauty, explaining he only way to experience it was to go out and live it.
They suddenly found themselves at the restaurant club Prive'. Elena was nervous, but relaxed when she realized that being in a group of people she didn't know could be just as freeing as being by herself. She decided to move to the music with Elijah and got lost in her emotions. Finding herself for the first time and finally taking pleasure in feeling alive. She gave herself over to the joy of dancing, and smiling, finding a new way to live, and loving every minute of it.
Later that evening, after Elijah dropped her by her apartment. She took the napkin she had taken from the club, a token of her night, and pinned it to the board. She hesitated as the napkin drifted next to the portrait of Stefan. Slowly, she unpinned the napkin and covered the lower half of the picture. Deciding, finally, that it was time for a change.
A world away, Damon Salvatore walked brazenly outside toward the town car. He was almost late for work, and he knew his father wouldn't be pleased with his delay.
"Gilbert," Damon stated handing Grayson his briefcase and reaching into his pocket for his cellular phone.
"Good morning sir," stated Grayson Gilbert, taking Damon's briefcase and opening the door for him.
"Morning." Damon replied curtly, ready to get going. He bent down to enter the car when he heard someone shout out,
"Damon wait! You have a second?" it was Stefan, running out of the door and heading straight toward him.
Damon paused, hating Stefan's annoying sense of timing.
"What do you want Stefan?" he said, throwing the phone into the car and crossing his arms in protest.
"Does it ever occur to you that you have a position at the Salvatore cooperation?"He said noticing Stefan's state of dress. He was decked out in sports wear, ready for a game of Lacrosse. While Damon was wearing a three piece silver suit, with a matching tie.
"Listen, Damon, I've met someone."
"Do you even remember the address of our building? Its 12029 Park Lane."
"Hey!"
"Our offices, along with our father's, are on the 49th floor."
"Listen to me Damon this girl is really something."
Damon sighed continuing to try and ignore his brother's persistence banter. Stefan was in and out of love constantly. He knew he was too, but at least he managed to keep his provocative prospects as one night stands. Always making sure to keep them at arms length for his protection, along with theirs. He also never got involved with a woman who wasn't the soul of discretion. After all, he didn't have time for the press, or a relationship, not with his father breathing down his neck all the time.
"I'm late Stefan, and father's already going to tear me a new one about punctuality. This had better be good."
"Oh it is, this is really somebody I mean I think she could be the one."
"Stefan, you've said that about the last fifteen girls you've drug in and out of our estate. What makes this one any different?"
"She's smart, I mean really smart."
"Smart? Wow! Does she know how to add and everything?" Damon said reaching for the door to the car.
"Listen," Stefan said, ignoring his brother's tactics to try and avoid this conversation. "She's a real woman, she's not a..." Stefan drifted off.
"A prostitute?" Damon embellished, attempting to enrage his brother enough so he could leave.
"She's not a floosy ok? She's a doctor, a pediatrician actually."
"How did you manage to find time to meet a doctor in between all of you're lying around time?" Damon asked sarcastically.
Stefan ignored him and continued on, "I was at some party, and the host's daughter got sick with something and we rushed her in to Mystic Falls General, and she was the attending on duty and we hit it off."
"How'd the sick kid make out?" Damon asked, knowing his brother would never have even considered looking into it.
"Listen Damon, I'm not kidding." Stefan said overlooking Damon's remarks, "I've invited her over for dinner Friday night and I want Dad to like her. Can you just make me look good?"
Damon stopped to stare at Stefan. How on earth was he supposed to make a gambling, procrastinating, lush of a man look good?
Stefan, sensing the long pause continued trying to urge his brother, "I know I look good, but I mean try to make me sound good, tell her my accomplishments, my qualities. Make something up…lie ok?"
Damon scoffed, but nodded knowing he would try to do this for his brother, as long as he would let him leave.
"She says her parents know you." Stefan added.
"What's her name?" Damon's ears perked up at that, while he noticed their mother coming out of the door and walking towards them.
"Forbes. Caroline Forbes."
"As in Forbes magazine Forbes?" Damon said in disbelief. Jesus could his brother be thick or what?
"Forbes, I don't know…"Stefan stammered off.
"There are my two boys, although only one who works for a living." Said Laura coming towards them in a stunning blue dress and matching scarf set.
"Damon, I'm going to need to catch a ride with you to the office. Seems your father needs me for a business luncheon with the council."
"Of course mother," Damon said leaning in to kiss her cheek, and dismissing Stefan, making his way to the other side of the car. He'd heard enough from Stefan for one day.
"Hello green eyes," said Laura leaning in to embrace Stefan before getting into the car.
"Have a good lunch mother, see you later Damon. Remember what we discussed." Stefan said before promptly making his way towards the house.
Damon told Grayson to drive, and they took off down the road.
Later Damon announced to his mother, "Guess what? Stefan is taking out Bill Forbes daughter."
"Well that's interesting," said Laura, catching on to Damon's general meaning. She knew her son, and his past history with women. She really didn't have much confidence in any particular union Stefan was in to begin with.
Damon quickly pulled out the car phone and dialed. If Stefan was going to be dating the heir of the Forbes industry he was going to find some positive way of using it.
"Sir?" Came Matthew Donovan's voice, he was Damon's assistant and more than capable of doing Damon's dirty work. "Donovan, I need you to start buying up Forbes stocks. Not so fast that anyone would notice. That's all." Damon hung up the phone and looked at his mother.
"I hope she doesn't look like Bill." Said his mother.
The weekly plans for Stefan went on as arranged, and Damon soon found himself meeting the infamous Caroline Forbes. She was beautiful, a blonde bombshell, and for once Damon felt confident in his brother's decision. Not only did he think his brother might have actually trapped someone into liking him, but it might also work out for the benefit of the company. Damon was all about the success of Salvatore Industries, especially if it meant him coming out smelling like a rose in front of his father.
Giuseppe entered the study room where Stefan and Caroline waited, taking Caroline's hand he exclaimed, "For once your father didn't lie. You are absolutely beautiful."
"Thank you Mr. Salvatore." Caroline replied shaking his hand.
"This is my brother Damon." said Stefan gesturing towards him. Caroline held out her hand and Damon lifted it to his lips for a kiss.
"Pleasure." he said looking into her eyes.
"My father's spoken highly of you, and of you Mr. Salvatore." Caroline stated taking back her hand and placing it around Stefan's waist.
"That's very generous of him." said Giuseppe, unwilling to believe anyone would praise Damon for his worn-out abilities.
"I understand you are a physician at Mystic Falls General," said Laura approaching Caroline as well and attempting to steer the conversation away from Damon. She knew Giuseppe's favor of Stefan, and she tried to spare him whenever she could.
"No, Stefan made that up." She said in jest causing everyone in the room to erupt in nervous laughter.
"Caroline is the new resident physician of Pediatrics." Interjected Stefan towards his family, "She just got promoted last week," he claimed, bragging and grabbing her waist to pull her in for a quick smooch. "And I told her the hospital could count on us for a small contribution of a million dollars."
"Stefan." Laura said in a warning tone. She couldn't believe he would be giving away the family money so freely.
"What a wonderful idea!" said Giuseppe grabbing Stefan's head and kissing his cheeks. "That's my son, always being as generous as his mother."
Stefan laughed, glad to have pleased his father, while Damon tried his best to hide his grimace. He was the one to keep the books after all, and he knew what that would truly cost the company.
Playing along he grabbed Stefan, and held him in a playful headlock stating, "Is he not a world class jackass or what?"
"Damon!" warned his mother.
"What it's a compliment!" cried Damon, releasing his brother, and causing everyone erupt into nervous laughter again. His father glared at him, and Damon grabbed his drink from the mini bar, announcing his departure to dinner. The rest of the family followed in suite, and spent the rest of the evening politely ignoring him.
Later that evening, after dinner, Damon found himself wandering the pathway outside the mansion. Holding his crystal tumbler of bourbon in his hand and sipping on it leisurely as he walked along the courtyard.
He had himself excused from the dinner table, explaining the need to retire early for work in the morning. He, and everyone else had known it had been a lie but had let him go nonetheless. He figured it was just as well; he knew he was irreplaceable to them as long as he did what was expected of him.
He sighed as he passed a familiar tree outside the courtyard grove, and his thoughts drifted to Elena.
He found he missed her presence, and even though it haunted him, he felt like he had replayed her last night at the pool over and over again in his mind until it was obsolete.
Damon had always liked Elena, even when they were kids together. He liked her quiet nature, the way she could see the beauty in life, and in others, even the beauty she saw in his harebrained irresponsible brother.
He took another sip of his bourbon deadening the pain in his heart, remembering her words:
'...know that someone far away is remembering you. Loving you from a distance.'
And for one fleeting impossible moment, he let himself believe as he leaned against her tree, that those words had been said for him. Only him.