Chapter 4
A/N: Thank you so much for the nomination for the Klaroline awards for best dark author. I'm honored. Love you all to the moon and back.
Special thanks to the lovely Tatia, also known as 'immortalgod'. She helped me a lot with writing this chapter. A damn talented one, this one is.
Okay. Another heads up, I've uploaded two new stories. Yes, I said two! So check them out if you're interested. ;)
Caroline pulled on her black blazer and checked her appearance in the mirror again. She had chosen a white ruffled top with a high-waisted black pencil skirt that ended just above her knee. She quickly got into her black Louboutin pumps and walked out of the room. "Rebekah I'm heading- she started but was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. It was strange. No one came this early.
She quickly hopped to the door and opened to see a delivery guy holding a large bouquet of her favorite white roses and two gift bags in his hand. Caroline took the ridiculously large bouquet from him and took it inside, opening the door for him completely. "Just put them on the table" she said gesturing to the coffee table in the living room while she walked into the kitchen to find a vase large enough to put the beautiful flowers in.
"Miss Forbes?" The delivery man read off the list as he put the gift bags on the table. Caroline mumbled a 'yup' in response. "Does Miss Mikaelson live here as well?" he asked, looking around.
Caroline dusted her hands off as she came out of the kitchen and grabbed the clipboard to sign it. "Yeah. She's my roommate. Um, who sent these?" she asked eyeing the gift bags and the flowers curiously even though a little part of her suspected the culprit, already.
"Mr. Mikaelson" the guys answered and then took the clipboard back. "The white one is for you and the black one is for Miss Mikaelson" he told her and Caroline nodded. "Have a good day ma'am" he said, walking out of the door.
"Rebekah!" Caroline called out loudly, hoping her lazy ass roommate would come out already. She bent down and took ahold of Rebekah bag first. Normally, she would've just opened it but now she felt hesitant for some reason so she put it back and went for the white one.
She pulled out a wooden box. She opened it and found two bottles of vintage red wine nestled inside. It was the same wine bottle that she had shared the day before with Klaus. The thought made her smile, a little. He remembered.
"What is it you bloody wanker?" Rebekah cursed as she came into the room rubbing her eyes and flopped down onto the couch lazily. "Why are you up so early?" she questioned eyeing her friend, up and down. "I don't remember you having a job interview" she commented dryly.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I have an interview with your brother for the college magazine" she reminded her and then gestured towards the black gift bag. "Your brother sent us gifts this morning" she told her.
"Us?" Rebekah asked surprised. Her brother rarely ever got her gifts. Of course, she had expected that he would give Caroline something but her… it was a surprise. A pleasant surprise. When Caroline nodded, she schooled her expressions into nonchalance. "Well then open it. What are you waiting for?" she asked, surprised her nosey roomy hadn't opened it yet.
"You sure?" Caroline asked unsurely.
Rebekah frowned. "Of course. When have I ever stopped you from opening my stuff?" she asked, confused. She sat up straight when she noticed her friend's wary expression. "Caroline what is this really about?" she questioned straight forwardly.
Caroline sighed. "I don't know. Okay? I don't know anything anymore. It's just that… Before everything, you were just my best friend Bekah but now you're you. You're Rebekah Mikaelson!" she exclaimed dramatically. "I don't know how to act around you" she murmured quietly and twisted her fingers nervously.
Rebekah's eyes widened and her mouth parted in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that she would lose another friend now because of her name. She went forward on her knees without thinking of the consequences and grasped Caroline's hand in her own.
"No Caroline. I'm still Rebekah. Bekah. Your best friend. My name changes nothing. I swear I wouldn't have lied to you…" she started nervously and when she looked up at her friend she saw Caroline pursing her lips together. "Care?" she asked anxiously.
Caroline burst into a fit of laughter and doubled over, giggling. "You should've seen your face Rebekah" she gasped out. Rebekah groaned when she realized that she had fell for her roommate's pranks and took the cushion from the couch and started hitting her friend with it. "Hey! Stop! You're messing up my hair" Caroline protested and lifted her arms to protect herself.
Soon, the other blonde exhausted herself and slumped down on the ground. "You're such a bitch" Rebekah commented rolling her eyes, but she had a small smile on her face indicating that she wasn't really angry. Actually, she was very happy on the inside that Caroline still treated her the same. She didn't want to be treated differently among her friends just because she was Rebekah Mikaelson. For once, in her life, she just wanted to live her life as Bekah.
"Aww… I love you too" Caroline said, hugging the other reluctant blonde. "Why didn't you open the gift?" Rebekah asked, pouting.
Caroline stood up and soothed the wrinkles in her clothes. "Because I just opened mine and then I was about to check for a tag on the flowers" she said brushing off the dust off her clothes before heading towards the kitchen and bringing the huge flower arrangement she had placed in the vase.
"Wow" Rebekah breathed out. Talk about extravagance.
Caroline nodded. "I know" she mumbled distracted as she searched the flowers for a card. When she found a little folded piece, she quickly plucked it out and began reading it.
Thank you for your lovely company yesterday, Caroline.
I look forward to spending some more quality time with you.
Yours truly,
Klaus Mikaelson.
"Ooh! I think my brother is in love with you" Rebekah's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She looked behind her to see Rebekah peering over her shoulder and reading the card. She quickly flipped the card and eyed the chocolate treat in Rebekah's hand. "Yours truly. Quite romantic if you ask me" she commented stuffing her mouth.
"What are you eating?" Caroline asked, almost salivating at the aroma of the baked good.
Rebekah held a small basket in her other hand and held forward her empty one. "Brownies" she answered simply. "Card for the brownies" she offered flickering her fingers. "Hand it over" she ordered bossily.
Caroline rolled her eyes but handed over the card in her hand and took hold of the brownies. She grabbed a chocolate brownie and took a bite of it, moaning at its exquisite taste. She looked down and saw so many different types of brownies. Klaus really took gifts to a whole new level.
"Ignoring me? Well, keep doing it. It only proves that you're in your denial phase" Rebekah goaded as she placed the card on the table and opened to box containing the red wine. "See? Another proof that you two belong each other. You both have horrible taste in wine" she said, slightly disgusted.
"I have to go. I'll be late otherwise" Caroline said as she grabbed her bag and stuffed the notes and recorder inside of it. "I'll see you later. Bye!" she called out before she shut the door. Once she got down, Stefan was already waiting for her there. She got in the car and passed him a small smile. "Hey" she said.
"Hi" he replied back with a smile and started driving off. They drove in silence till they reached their first stop. Caroline gathered her bag and her stuff and got out of the car. "Thanks for dropping me off" she said before shutting the door.
Before she could go, however, she heard Stefan's footsteps behind her. She turned and gave him a questioning look. "What?" she asked.
But he just hugged her tight. "I'm here for you if you want to talk" he murmured quietly, rubbing her back affectionately. "I know Enzo leaving wasn't easy for you and it's okay to be hurt" he told her softly.
Caroline hugged him back and pulled back, only to give him a smile. "I know and I'm grateful that you're here Stef but I'm fine. Honestly" she reassured him positively and squeezed his hand upliftingly. "How about we all go out to my family's lake house this weekend? It'll be fun. Besides my dad just went there recently so we won't have to do much cleaning or maintenance" she suggested with a bright smile. "Like old times. Us three against the world" she added with a fond smile.
"Sure thing" Stefan said and leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Do you want me to pick you up?" he asked glancing at his watch. "I can be here in an hour" he offered.
Caroline shook her head. "No it's okay. I'm kind of supposed to meet Elena for lunch" she said sheepishly. Stefan nodded stiffly before scratching his head and turning to his car. "I'll see you later then" she snorted after him as he awkwardly drove away.
Elena and Stefan were high school sweethearts and had been so in love that everyone thought they would end up married. Caroline had even imagined herself as the bridesmaid. But they both had broken apart when Damon had come into the picture with his stupid bad boy personality and stolen Elena's heart.
Caroline shook her head and glanced at her phone to check the time. She still had a good fifteen minutes before her appointment with Klaus. She shrugged and walked inside the tall building. Just as she was about to head to the reception, a man in a suit came straight to her.
"Miss Forbes?" he inquired very formally.
Caroline nodded, unsurely. "Yes that's me" she answered lamely.
"Please come right this way. Mr. Mikaelson's been expecting you" he said and held out his hand for her to proceed towards the elevators. As they entered the elevator, he pressed the button for the top floor and stood quietly with his hand tied in front of him.
The elevator stopped three times during the ride. "Yes. She's coming right up" she noticed the guard speaking into an earpiece and raised her eyebrows. Talk about security.
Before she could think more comments about this little security detail, the elevator made a sound indicating their arrival. The guard stepped outside and led her past another reception table. The women behind the counter peered curiously over to Caroline and whispered back to each other.
Caroline frowned and quickly checked her reflection on her phone's screen. She didn't have smudged makeup or anything then why was everyone looking at her like that?
"Andrea, this is Miss Forbes. Please let her through to Mr. Mikaelson in five minutes" the man said to a blond woman who wore a plain yet very professional gray pantsuit and her hair pulled into a chignon.
She nodded and gestured towards the seats in the waiting area. "Of course" she said and once Caroline was settled, the man left. "Would you like something to drink while you wait?" Andrea asked politely.
Caroline shook her head. "No thank you" she said and tucked a lock behind her ear.
A small buzz came through and Andrea took that as signal to fly off to the door. She poked her head inside and nodded to whatever Klaus barked at her. She turned and gestured for Caroline to come forward. "You can go in now" she said stiffly and Caroline nodded before walking inside the office.
The door closed behind her but she didn't turn. Her eyes were focused on the huge office she was currently stepping into. There was only one word to describe it.
Magnificent.
His office was way too big for just one man. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, there was a huge modern dark-wood desk that six people could comfortably eat around. It matched the coffee table by the couch. Everything else was white - ceiling, floors, and walls except, on the wall by the door, where a mosaic of small paintings hung, thirty-six of them arranged in a square. They were exquisite - a series of mundane, forgotten objects painted in such precise detail they looked like photographs. Displayed together, they were breathtaking.
Apart from the paintings, the rest of the office was cold, clean, and clinical.
"You're late" his husky voice pulled her out of her thoughts as she looked over at him, gazing out of the glass paned window giving his back to her. His voice was tight, stern and controlled. Almost like he was angry.
She frowned and glanced at her wrist watch. "I'm pretty sure I'm here five minutes early" she commented with a nervous chuckle as she glanced at the electronic wall clock just to confirm her thoughts.
"I've been waiting for you since half an hour" he remarked as he swiveled in his chair and gave her a stern glare. He motioned for her to take the seat in front of him. She frowned but moved forward and sat down, knowing that she couldn't really give him a piece of her mind right now when she was going to interview him.
But that certainly didn't mean she was going to take his shit.
"Yeah well my appointment was for ten so I came at ten" she replied just as tightly. Was she over his mood swings or what? Her earlier opinion about him had totally changed. He was a jerk. Knowing that it would be rude for her to not thank him for the gifts, she sighed. "I received your gifts this morning. Thank you. You didn't have to- she started but his booming voice cut her off.
"Did you drive here by yourself Miss Forbes?" he questioned formally, probably warning her to stay professional.
She narrowed her eyes at him and sat straighter. "No. A friend dropped me off" she replied vaguely. "Can we get on with the interview please?" she asked directly.
Klaus pursed his lips and regarded her intently, making her squirm slightly. Could this be categorized as harassment? "I haven't finished asking my questions yet" he told her, almost amused.
"Yeah well I'm here for asking the questions. Not the other way Mr. Mikaelson" she snapped at him irately, before she took out her notes, recorder, pen and set them on the table. "I hope you don't mind if I record this" she mumbled more as a formality than anything.
"And if I say I do?" he questioned playfully, making Caroline clench her jaw tightly. She was having a whiplash with his mood swings.
"Then I guess I don't really care" she told him, in a biting tone, giving him a sarcastic smile. Klaus raised his hands up in surrender at her snarky tone, knowing that he had already pushed her limits for the day.
Taking a deep breath, Caroline forced herself to calm down. She had been aiming for this interview since forever and she would be damned if she let this asshole's moodiness ruin it.
"You're really young to have achieved so much success- she started but was cut off when Klaus chuckled dryly.
"I'm really young to have achieved so much success. What is the secret to it? To what do I owe my success?" he guessed halfheartedly. "I'm sure you can do better than that, love" he taunted, leaning back in his leather, office chair.
Caroline glared him and slammed the pencil on her notebook a bit too forcefully. "No. Actually I was going to say that we all know that you inherited millions from your family and just managed to turn them into billions so do you honestly think that you're as big a hotshot as you pretend to be but obviously you know my questions better" she snapped at him, gritting her teeth together in an effort not to pull her own hair out.
"Just for your information, sweetheart, I did not inherit millions from my family. When I did take charge of this company, it was sinking and deep in debt. Sure the Mikaelson name did give it a boast but the rest of it was all because of my effort, planning and hard work" he told her in all seriousness. "So to answer your question, yes I do think I am the… hotshot I pretend to be" he answered a little more coolly than before.
Caroline opened her mouth to say something but then closed it back again. Sighing, she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… I just read that- she stammered unsure of what to say but he cut her off again.
"You read correctly, love. There's not a lot of people who knew the truth about the condition of the company though" he replied swirling in his chair and looking away from her towards the large glass windows that overlooked the city in a beautiful manner. He looked down and could see people walking around on the pavement in tiny dots. He didn't know why but it reminded him of the struggle he had to face to achieve the success he had today.
Mikael had done nothing but leave the company to ruins before it was handed over to Klaus.
"So you let people believe that you had a sound company handed to you on a silver platter when it was practically drowning and you saved it?" she asked, hoping she had gotten all of the facts correct.
"When you say it like that, it doesn't sound like a very smart move but- Klaus started a little embarrassed but he didn't why he was so embarrassed or why he had even told her that. He hadn't even told Rebekah about their financial condition of years ago. He didn't want anyone to give him sympathetic, pitiful glances even when he was at his lowest.
But, somehow, with Caroline everything spilled out of his mouth before he even realized it.
"No. I didn't mean it like that" Caroline pulled him out of his thoughts. "It was a good move. A really smart one actually. But you obviously knew that" she snorted a little embarrassed by her burst out.
Klaus smirked at that. Why was she so nervous and fidgety today? "Did you like the flowers I sent?" he asked suddenly ignoring their previous conversation.
Caroline looked up at him, surprised by the question but nodded. "Yes. They were lovely. Thank you but totally unnecessary" she said, squirming uncomfortably.
Klaus shrugged. "I'm glad you did, sweetheart" he answered back, totally ignoring her comment about them being unnecessary. He didn't need her consent to spoil her. If he wanted to gift her something, then he would spoil her rotten.
"Um… Back to the questions" Caroline said as she broke the awkward silence that fell over them. "I know you don't have much time anyway" she commented glancing at her wrist watch to see that only ten minutes had passed.
"Nonsense, love. I'd much rather spend the whole day with you than anyone else really" he remarked with a wide smirk on his face.
She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What will it take to make you answer my questions seriously?" she asked tiredly.
"A question for a question love" he suggested simply. That way maybe he could uncover more secrets about her.
Caroline gave him a pointed look at that. "No" she simply uttered.
"No?" he questioned incredulously. He raised his eyebrows, amused by her quick refusal. "Afraid I'll ask something you won't be able to answer?" he asked challengingly.
She, however, scoffed in return. "Hardly" she remarked with narrowed eyes. "I just want to remind you that this is a professional interview and we are not playing twenty questions" she cemented, glaring him.
"Come on, love. Live a little" he challenged her, playfully. "I dare you" he added cunningly, knowing that she would never turn down a dare.
"Fine. You can ask your questions" she said, sighing but before Klaus could say anything she pointed a warning finger at him. "But" she added, cautiously. "Only after I've finished my interview" she declared sternly.
"Alright, love. Go ahead" he said with a smirk as he leaned back in his chair and watched her with amused eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Caroline forced her gaze on the questions jotted on her notebook. She had been preparing for this interview for months. "So my first question was going to be how you started off your company but I know that… so I'll just skip that part" she mumbled distractedly as she gazed at her questions.
"You can't publish what I told you" Klaus told her in all seriousness. He wasn't even sure why he had told her in the first place but he wasn't going to let her share this information with the world.
"Understandable" Caroline said with a nod. "Why don't you answer the question then? How did you get your start?" she questioned with a small smirk, knowing that whatever he was about to say would be a fat lie.
"It is a matter of public record that I inherited this company from my father" he said and stiffened at the mention of Mikael but after that brief moment of hesitation, he easily launched into the well narrated details of how he inherited the business from his father and there was burden on his shoulders to make sure he would make the company's name flourish twice as much as Mikael had.
Caroline barely registered his words, though. Her focus was stuck on the confidence and determination in his voice and expression as he talked about his work. It made her smile, a little, in awe. Anyone who had passion for their work had great respect in Caroline's eyes.
"How do you see this company evolving in the next three years?" she asked automatically as he finished his speech and patiently waited for her question. He seemed to take a little time to think about this question and eventually started again about how he would like the company to progress even more.
"What about yourself?" Caroline blurted out before she could stop herself. Damn her curiosity and lack of mouth filter. "I mean where do, you see yourself in the next three years?" she questioned, trying to gain her momentum.
Klaus raised an eyebrow at the question and leaned forward with his elbows on the desk between them. "I see myself trying to make way into uncharted territory" he answered coyly with a smirk playing his lips.
Caroline frowned at the ambiguous answer. "Uncharted territory?" she asked, confused.
Klaus nodded, certainly. "Yes. New relations. New people" he said, rolling his eyes dramatically but the dimpled smile on his face easily confirmed that he was joking.
After catching meaning of his words, Caroline's head shot up and she locked her wide, shocked eyes with his.
Did he-? Or was she-?
"Next question, sweetheart" he told her teasingly and leaned back in his seat comfortably.
Taking a moment to gather her wits, Caroline glanced at her notebook and chose a less risky question. "If there's one thing you could change about the company. What would it be?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Klaus watched her and resisted the urge to jump over the desk and run his fingers through her soft tresses himself. "Nothing" he answered back, immediately, as her question finished.
Caroline rolled her eyes and mumbled a quick. "There's that arrogance I was missing so much"
Klaus chuckled, wholeheartedly. He was a self-conceited, arrogant bastard, he knew. But she had only seen so little of him as of now.
"What is the most frustrating part of working here?" she asked, moving forward with the interview.
You're not here. He thought to answer but knew that it would be too much. "Lack of new faces" he answered instead. "I value loyalty and those who promised their loyalty to Mikaelson Corporation in the beginning have never one been fired or replaced. Therefore there are less new faces around" he explained with a sly smirk.
"Oookay" Caroline said, not really understanding his answer. There was too much about this guy that she did not understand. "If there is something troubling you and it keeps you up at night. What would it be and why?" she asked, moving on.
You
He thought immediately with a wolfish grin on his face and he had just opened his mouth to spin her into another tale of confusion when she caught the look on his face and shook her head. "Okay. Never mind. Don't answer that" she muttered irately.
Klaus raised his eyebrows, bemused by her behavior but chose to remain quiet.
"You're the CEO of your company. Obviously, while it has its perks, it must have some disadvantages too" she started and unconsciously bit the end of her pencil. "What is the thing that you dislike the most about this attention? And what is the aspect you enjoy most about your job?" she said and looked up at him to watch him gazing at her intently with his fists clenching the arm rests of the chair.
Klaus took a deep breath before answering this question. "I don't mind the attention, to be honest. My family has been in the spotlight for years, love and it's simply part of routine now" he said, shrugging. "As I said earlier, I enjoy every aspect of my job though the control and influence it provides me, are definitely the perks that I enjoy most" he told her and watched her roll her eyes. "You don't agree?" he questioned, curiously.
Ignoring his question, she moved forward. "Speaking of routine. Tell me about yours? What is your daily routine? How do you manage being a CEO and being yourself all day?" she recited from the notebook. She held back a scoff. If she had known his arrogance before, she would've never added this question. He was the CEO. There was no other Klaus in there.
Only Klaus Mikaelson, the CEO.
Again, he fell into an easy speech about his routine. To Caroline, it was all really boring. Even though, she had the same subjects as him, she could never imagine herself sitting on a desk the whole day, simply signing files and ordering people around.
Well, she would love ordering people around but not if she would do nothing by herself and simply sit behind a desk.
As Caroline kept thinking in her mind, Klaus finished his speech and looked over at her. She truly looked stunning today and she looked even better when she was lost in thought, using that pretty little head of hers.
He had been waiting for her even before the appointment. She had even haunted his dreams the night before and now, seeing her in front of him in those tempting clothes, it was testing his patience and restraint. He had half the mind to push her against the wall and shove that tight skirt up only to push his length inside of her.
While, answering her questions, Klaus' gaze travelled along his office. He could almost count all of the surfaces he would take her once she was truly his.
"Next question?" he prompted, snapping her thought of her thoughts and trying to take his mind off the tightness in his pants.
Caroline's head snapped up to him and a faint blush made its way on her cheeks. "Oh? Sorry I got caught up" she mumbled quietly. Clearing her throat, she started again. "What do you like to do outside work?" she asked and now, she was genuinely curious.
"I have my own chain of casinos and nightclubs so naturally I enjoy clubbing out with my brother, Kol every once in a while" he answered with a small smirk tugging his lips. "Though I truly enjoy running and jogging. It helps clear my mind" he answered confidently, not knowing why he wanted to share everything with this girl.
Caroline silently raised her eyebrows in surprise and bit her lip to conceal her smile. She quickly glanced down at her notebook, pretending to scribble something down but Klaus noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes.
"You don't agree, love?" he asked with his own eyebrow arched.
"No. I didn't say anything" she replied, shaking her head.
Klaus raised his arms and leaned forward on the desk. "Come on love! You can say it. You were clearly thinking something else" he pointed out, smugly.
Caroline kept scribbling on her notebook and shrugged, elegantly. "Fine. I half expected you to say that you stalk your siblings, hobby sake" she answered with a small smirk.
"Looking after them isn't stalking, sweetheart"
She shrugged again, letting him know that she didn't believe a word she said. "If you say so" she said, unconvincingly.
"Whatever I do is for their benefit and their wellbeing" he defended himself, feeling the need to prove that he was innocent.
Caroline slapped the pencil on her notebook and looked up at him. "What I say to you now stays between us. Okay?" Even though, it was a question, she didn't give him the moment to answer. "I get that in your weird, overprotective way you care for them and are trying to look out for them but there's a way to do everything. Like today for example, sending brownies is a good way to show that you care. But threatening to get Rebekah's trust fund frozen, not a good move" she explained as nicely as she could.
"She's clearly incapable of taking decisions for herself. I am merely trying to look out for her" he argued, agitated that no one understood his point of view. "If I have to use other means for motivation, I won't hesitate. Simple as that, love" he stood his ground.
"All I'm trying to say is that if you keep doing things the way you do now, they'll end up fearing you instead of loving you" Caroline countered with raised hands as a sign of withdrawal.
Klaus leaned forward as his eyes twinkled roguishly and his lips curved into an impish grin. "Maybe I want them to fear me" he retorted swiftly, taking her by surprise. By the look of shock and disbelief on her face, he knew he had succeeded in silencing her.
"I assume you still have one question" he said with raised eyebrows and a challenging smirk on his handsome face.
Closing her gaping mouth, Caroline gained her momentum back and gave him an indulgent look. "How does your working routine affect your personal life?" she asked as her voice drowned in confusion. She was totally and utterly disorganized. Why would any sane person want their own siblings to fear them? What was loyalty if there was no love and only fear?
Then again, maybe Klaus wasn't exactly a sane person.
"My work takes up a lot of my time. Consequently, I must admit that the communal group I travel in is very restricted" he self-confessed, almost sheepishly. For the first time since entering his office, Caroline found that Klaus looked truly uncomfortable and even a little embarrassed. "My social circle as people say consists of very few people and those too are close in terms of family" he told her and shrugged to show as if he didn't care. But he did.
Under all his façade of self-confidence, arrogance and smugness, Klaus was just an apprehensive person trying to hide his flaws.
Like her.
They were both the same, she concluded in her mind as she kept analyzing all of his words in her head over and over again.
"Thank you for taking your time out for this interview Mr. Mikaelson" she replied, a little softly as she ticked the last of her questions. She stuffed the notebook and pencil into her bag and then reached for the recorder on the table but he reached forward and grabbed her wrist.
She looked up at him questioningly and a bit alarmed.
He smirked at that but didn't loosen his grip on her wrist. "You seemed to have forgotten our deal, love" he said, almost playfully, forgetting all the shyness and embarrassment from a few minutes ago. "It's your turn to answer my questions" he reminded her.
She tried to snatch her hand back and glance at her wrist watch but he had a tight hold on her so she turned her gaze to the digital clock on the wall. "Fine. What do you want to know?" she asked impatiently.
Klaus let go of her hand and stood up, straightening his suit. "Not like this. Let me take you out for lunch where I can grill you for some answers" he suggested as he began to pack up everything around them. He walked over to her side and looked at her. "There's a restaurant here just around the corner. Let's go" he said in his no nonsense attitude.
"I can't" Caroline spoke up, realizing he was going to keep ordering her around if she didn't speak up now.
He frowned and looked back at her with stern eyes. "Why?" he asked sharply.
"I have to be somewhere else" she said and glanced at her wrist watch to see that she was going to be late if she didn't leave now.
Klaus raised an eyebrow at that but his posture remained tense. "With Stefan I presume?" he asked dryly, trying not to let the jealousy overcome him. First Enzo, now Stefan. How many men would he have to get rid of to get her?
Caroline shook her head. "No. Another friend from high school. Can't you ask these questions later?" she asked almost pleadingly. She didn't want to be rude and to tell him straight that it wasn't any of his business especially after the eye opening interview she had taken.
"Of course" he said, a little disappointed, but held out his arm like a gentleman and showed her the way before retreating towards his chair. Now, it was Caroline's turn to frown.
"You're going to work again?" she questioned a bit confused. Was he busy and just decided to drop everything for her? If so, could she really say no, now?
Klaus smirked playfully at obvious observation. "Since you're unwilling to go out for lunch with me, what other option do I have, love?" he asked cunningly tripping her into a pool of guilt. "Have a wonderful time with your friend though" he wished enthusiastically.
Caroline rolled her eyes at his attempt – successful attempt – to lull her into the sense of guilt and then placed her hands on her hips. "Fine! Come on then. Let's go" she reluctantly agreed, mentally slapping herself. She'd have to call and reschedule with Elena now.
But what choice did she honestly have when he guilt-tripped her like that?
He stood up again and took his sweet time, straightening his suit jacket. "Are you sure sweetheart? You seemed so determined to meet this friend of yours just moments ago" he teased again smugly and then walked over to her.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yes. I'm sure. Now let's just go before I change my mind" she answered back immediately, walking ahead of him towards the door.
As Klaus walked behind her with a smirk on his face, he observed the way her hips swayed as she walked ahead of him and he had half the mind to let her walk ahead of him the whole way. The way the tight skirt hugged her hips he could almost imagine how tight she would be.
Taking a few quick steps, he quickly joined her at her side with his hand on her back, steering her out of his office. Once they were out of the office, the receptionist and his assistant quickly stood up. "Tell the driver to get the car" he told them, without actually gazing at them but watched Caroline instead.
Caroline tried to shrug off his hand from her back but it remained there and he even went as far as to caress her back with his thumb which made shivers run down her spine.
Once they were in the elevator, Caroline noticed that he was standing much closer to her than needed and his hand still lingered on her waist. There were only two other people other than them until the elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor and an elder looking gentlemen in a navy blue suit stepped in with two more people behind him. The space that seemed too wide was now constrained and she was pushed closer to Klaus.
She glanced at the numbers discreetly, praying that the lift would just move faster. The constant brushing of Klaus' chest against her back was making her shiver intensely.
As Caroline avoided looking her in the eye, Klaus immensely enjoyed being stuck in an elevator with Caroline. He would be ecstatic, though, if the whole bloody thing stopped functioning right now.
"Klaus?" the older man called out his name and it was only then that Klaus realized that this man was an old associate of his.
He held out his hand and shook the older man's hand firmly. "Mr. Harrison" he greeted with a polite smile.
The man chuckled warmly. "I've seen you in your diapers Mikaelson. You can call me by my first name" the older man, a family friend of his father's, teased as he looked over at Klaus. "And who is this lovely young lady with you here?" he asked almost amused as he glanced at Caroline, Klaus' arm on her waist and then again Klaus.
Klaus rolled his eyes but didn't bother to hide the smile on his face. "This is Caroline Forbes… an acquaintance of mine" he answered smugly, ignoring the slight pain he felt when Caroline elbowed him deliberately in the process of holding out her hand. "Sweetheart, this is Andrew Harrison. He's a family friend and has been working with me at Mikaelson Global since I started" he introduced, leaning in close to her ear to whisper.
Caroline kept the polite smile plastered on her face as she greeted the old man. The ding of the elevator indicated their arrival on the ground floor which was seemingly only Klaus and Caroline's destination.
"Sorry to cut the introductions short but Caroline and I have somewhere to be" Klaus said and urged Caroline out of the elevator with his hand on her lower back. "I'll see you around though" Klaus said as a farewell but just as the duo had gotten out of the lift, Andrew's voice made them both turn.
Klaus in perfect haughtiness and Caroline, in shock.
"It's nice to finally see you with someone actually pleasant, Klaus"
The elevator doors closed on Caroline's stunned and Klaus' smug face as Andrew's chuckles kept ringing throughout the space around them.
They both stayed silent for a while, continuing their journey outside the building. Klaus waited for Caroline to say something since he knew she wasn't one for silence. As expected, once the car started moving, Caroline turned to face Klaus in the backseat.
"So you are going to tell him that we aren't a couple. Right?"
It was that one question that made Klaus throw his head back and laugh more carefree than he ever had.
Caroline was the one for him. He was sure of it.