Author's note: Hello everybody! I kept my promise and updated as soon as I could. I'm really enthusiastic about this chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it as well! Thank you for all your reviews - I appreciate each and every one of them, they're the thing that keeps me going with this story... Ayna93, I've given a bit of thought about what you said and I had a great idea for the story because of your review. So thank you very much for that! :) This chapter's title is inspired by Shontelle's song "Impossible". I hope you'll enjoy chapter 10!
Disclaimer: Me naming some real movies and TV shows is just a temporary use in my story. I do not claim ownership on them or anything like that!
CHAPTER 10 – IMPOSSIBLE
ELENA's POV
I was sitting in my boss's office in the same chair where Klaus Michaelson had been a few hours ago. I was thankful that Mr. Salvatore couldn't looks me in the eye whilst preparing a drink for me at his built-in bar. For my face was expressionless. Or, as I feared, it was still filled with the repulsion I had felt towards Klaus. Even his name sent cold shivers down my spine. I couldn't get his hungry stare out of my head. I couldn't stand him for some unknown reason – he seemed arrogant, but most of all he looked like a player. The kind of man that changed women more often than his socks…
I had had my fair share of such men so if I could, I would forever stay away from them. But then again, I kept thinking that somehow I was the one who ended up unwillingly attracting them.
"Is this ok Miss Gilbert?" Mr. Salvatore asked showing me the beautiful-looking glass full of lemonade.
"Yes, thank you, Sir." I said and nodded.
"Are you sure you don't want anything a bit more…intense?" By intense he meant "with alcohol".
"No, Sir, I am completely sure. I don't drink…" He started nodding as he came back to his seat behind the desk.
"I must say, I couldn't be happier to hear that. For the sake of my children of course." He smiled his crooked smile whilst looking at me carefully. I felt as if he was examining me again. I felt my cheeks going pink.
"I can assure you that I have no such issues…" He smiled widely as he started talking.
"I'm glad we've finally managed to get together and have a proper discussion about your job, Miss Gilbert. I must say I owe you a few apologies…" His words surprised me. I briefly wondered what kind of apologies he meant.
"Firstly, I was not present when you arrived despite the amount of time I spent planning your arrival. My work is somewhat unpredictable. To briefly explain, I work both as a lawyer at my father's firm together with Stefan and Caroline but also in the film industry. I gave up on movies two years ago but remained in the domain as a producer and director." Wow...
"That is quite impressive Mr Salvatore…" He grinned but it was a forced and nostalgic grin.
"Thank you very much for your appreciation Miss Gilbert. But, alas, the fact that I work in two completely different domains is what makes my schedule a living hell sometimes. Not only for me but for the kids as well. Luckily, you are here now to take care of that. Nonetheless, my apologies for leaving you with my brother on the first day... I trust he explained everything around here to you?"
"Most of it. Nothing about the children since he said you were very particular about that aspect." I bit my tongue as I saw his eyebrows go up in surprise. Should I have not said anything about that? But he started laughing instead.
"Ahh, Stefan. My little knight in shining armour. Indeed, I am particular about the kids… But we'll talk about that part in a minute. How are you enjoying your time in our home so far?"
"It's really nice Sir. Very different from New York City but very beautiful indeed."
"I'm happy to hear that Miss Gilbert. Coming back to my apologies… I hope you didn't feel too bad with my friend Klaus today." Oh shit, so he had noticed…
"Ummm, no, Sir. It's ok, I… am usually really nervous about meeting people the first time anyway. Ummm, you know, because first impression is very important and hard to shake afterwards…" I was babbling - pretty badly. He didn't buy my attempt.
"That is true. However, Klaus can be a bit insistent and strange with women… so feel free to treat him as you feel right if he ever behaves in an inappropriate fashion." Wow, that I hadn't expected.
"He's your friend though, Sir…" Translation : I am obliged to be friendly to all of your guests.
"Friends or not, apart from the people that live in this house, my brother and Caroline, I must say that you have no obligation to treat anybody else the best that you can. I don't expect you to be an entertainer for my friends, Elena… As far as I see it, you are an employee but your role is to focus on my children and my children only. If you feel comfortable, you can socialize with all of us and get to know us, go out with us on diverse occasions, etc. But if you don't like somebody that visits us, don't feel obliged to endure their presence. Be polite, of course, but don't act too much for my benefit." I was dumbstruck - he was actually serious about this.
"I understand. That's very generous of you Sir." Seeing my confused expression he grinned so beautifully.
"No it isn't generosity. It's common sense. We've had quite a few nannies for my children and I've learned that you're only human beings, not robots. So I hope that's clear with you, Elena." I smiled as I heard him call me by my first name. And blushed of course...
"Crystal clear."
"Good. Last but not least, I have heard about the way my…rebellious daughter has treated you so far…" He paused looking very carefully at my reaction. I could tell he was hurt by the way Rebekah acted. I chose my words carefully trying not to express any strong emotion.
"I really don't know what to say about that Sir." I said whilst looking at my hands. He kept silent.
"I don't blame Rebekah. I saw my cousin's reaction when her aunt died – she was devastated. And I believe she was about 30 when it happened. Losing a mother isn't easy...especially when you're 11. I think that Rebekah received the hardest blow, out of all children. The others were relatively too young to fully understand. At least that's what I believe from what I've seen so far."
"You are correct when it comes to that, Miss Gilbert. I'm truly sorry to say this but... Rebekah has made our lives very hard since my wife passed away. She's improved compared to the beginning but it's been just a mild improvement – too small for you to notice anything especially since you've just met her. To be honest, I cannot find any excuse for my daughter's behaviour towards you. Mother or no mother, I think it's time she understood that life isn't that simple. You don't have to worry about dealing with her just yet. I'll have a chat with her about the whole thing, can't promise anything though – my eldest daughter is a work in progress."
"That's fine with me Sir."
"I know you must find it quite daunting – having to deal with her. But deep down she's a really good kid. I think she was just unfortunate to lose her mother at such a fragile age. I just hope you'll have the chance to see the true Rebekah in her." His voice got to me - I had no words.
"I'm sure I will…" I said and nodded as a sign of encouragement.
"Nonetheless, I apologize on her behalf. Half of the things she's going through are because of me… which is why I feel responsible for her behaviour." I wondered what he was talking about but decided to reply instead of ask anything.
"It's fine, Sir. I really don't mind. She simply took me by surprise, that's it. I'm sure we'll end up getting along. That's what I want – to be her friend. If she lets me…"
"Yes... if she lets you. Either way, I wish you the best of luck with her, Elena…Hopefully you'll manage to do something that the other 6 nannies before you didn't." Six...nannies?
"Now, before we start talking about your duties around the house…there's something more important." Six nannies, yeah, Elena, you can do it where six nannies have failed before.
"I've thought about this and I decided that your salary will be $84,000 per year. That is …$7000 per month. What we have to decide together is the number of days off from work… Is…everything ok so far Miss Gilbert?" I just realized that my mouth was hanging wide open.
"Yes, Sir… I mean no! $ 7000 per month? That's simply too much Mr. Salvatore. Much more than I earned in New York…"
"Well, Miss Gilbert, you're not in New York City anymore. You're now taking care of four children, having to be with us about 48 weeks out of 52 per year. You moved all the way from the East coast to the West coast... And you're soon going to be acquainted with the true duties of an L.A. nanny, which I must say, aren't easy to accomplish. I don't think these are insignificant factors in choosing a good salary. And since I am a fair man, I believe this is the amount you deserve… Do you feel that you deserve less?" He was looking at me as if I was a bit insane.
"I think that you should decide for me. I am in no position to negotiate my salary, especially since it's already pretty good." Emphasis on the pretty good part… Who was I kidding? It was fantastic.
"Fair enough. My standards are high and you will have to live up to them. Which is why you need another type of motivation as well…"
It made sense, really. I got what he meant. What surprised me was how easily famous people would throw their money away. But then again, being a parent couldn't have been harder for them here. I heard just how many temptations and dangers were in such a society, run by fame and money. In the end, although I considered it a bit too much, I kept my mouth shut about the salary. I would have been a fool to negotiate my salary in a downward fashion anyway.
"I hope I shall live up to your standards and not disappoint you Sir."
The look Mr. Salvatore gave me right then and there made my knees weak. He smiled but not in his usual fashion – it was a friendly smile but it held much more than that. It was as if he had known me for a long, long time. His eyes locked onto mine as if he was hanging onto my words with desperation, like he wanted me to stay and not disappoint him in any way. I couldn't explain, I just saw all of those emotions dancing on his face without him being able to control them. And then, all of a sudden he snapped out of it, taking on a mask I hadn't seen in him before. His transition scared me – it was as if he had changed from Prince Charming to the Beast. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.
"So… just to clear things out Miss Gilbert. Do you know what you want from your life at the moment?" That came completely out of the blue.
"I… don't understand." That was un understatement…
"On the beach last night you told me you didn't know what you wanted, that you had second thoughts regarding your new dream job." My expression had probably turned incredulous.
"Umm…" silence on my behalf. I didn't expect him to talk about the beach incident ever again. And now it came slapping me in the face. I hadn't expected that at all.
"I'm simply checking because I believe my children deserve to be in the best of hands. And I'd much rather have someone less qualified but with an actual desire to work with them than someone who isn't passionate about it." Ouch… not passionate?
"Sir, that was a misunderstanding…" His eyes were locked onto mine in a cold way. I felt like I was under attack.
"Was it?" He doubted me – I could tell that. And it hurt deeply. Why the sudden change in attitude? I couldn't understand. My voice came out determined though.
"I want this job Sir. I admit I didn't know what it involved beforehand. But you never gave me a chance to know… You simply requested a nanny but never bothered to even give me a clue regarding what the actual situation would be like. Apart from your wife and children…" His expression told me that I should've kept my mouth shut.
"I personally believe that it was enough information given our delicate situation. But, nonetheless… Do you think 24 hours have been enough for you to get an insight into what my family is like, Miss Gilbert?"
He was cornering me – and the weirdest part was that I felt like he was enjoying it. I never thought I'd witness this part of him – hell, I never even knew it existed. He must have been a pretty God-damn good lawyer. Even the snob side of him that was hiding from me on a regular basis had surfaced now.
"Yes. I believe that, in exactly 24 hours, I have seen and heard enough to know that I want to stay…and do my absolute best when it comes to your children, Mr. Salvatore. Because I truly am passionate about my job – I've been doing it for three years now and as Mrs. Dobbs has certainly told you, I take it very seriously. For me children are top priority, I love them and I enjoy working with them."
My reply seemed to shut him up for a split second. Good I thought…I heard my mouth open in the rage that had claimed me. I knew this was one of my biggest faults – short temper – but I couldn't contain it. He had made me like this. I think that;s what he wanted all along.
"And if you plan on asking me why I didn't use the verb love twice in the previous sentence… that is because everybody loves to play with kids when they're loveable and cute. But nobody loves dealing with them when they're in pain or having a fit because of something they're not getting. Nonetheless, I enjoy working with children very much." He looked at me, surprised that I actually replied in that manner. But he didn't seem upset.
"Fair enough... Now, as I've seen in your CV, you had no actual training in becoming a babysitter. You simply started doing it out of the blue. How did you end up there?" I swallowed hard. All of my rage turned into a weird sense of fear and guilt.
"It's something personal that I prefer not to go into. The thing is that I dropped out of University before I even had the chance to start. Financial reasons…" I took one look at him and saw that he felt sorry to hear that. I reluctantly went on.
"But that's not important. I couldn't study Biology – which is the course I had been accepted to at Columbia University – and I quickly had to find work. Which is when Mrs. Dobbs found me and hired me… And yes you are right… I didn't get any training but I do believe that training is overrated in some cases." Now he seemed both surprised and amused.
"Training is…overrated? Really?" He smiled as he asked me that.
"When it comes to babysitting yes."
"Would you please enlighten me upon that idea?" He was being sarcastic. I gave up on the whole "bad-ass Elena". I didn't think he'd appreciate it anyway.
"I used to take care of my little brother every day when my parents were at work. For about ten years of my life… Then came so many times when our neighbours would call asking for me to babysit their kids. Despite not having training, I was requested for babysitting by neighbours in our small town. And then… another three years of actually taking care of strangers'children – well, I think that was the best training of my life. If you really put that much value on training, I will have you know that I passed a beginner's and then advanced Child's Psychology long-distance course." He hadn't expected that.
"How come you never put it on your CV?" Good question…
"It simply slipped my mind. Plus the usual clients simply ask Mrs. Dobbs for a suited nanny without caring that much about qualifications and CVs."
"Is that how things in your firm usually go?" I didn't know whether he was questioning our company or my skills.
"I have the diplomas upstairs in my room."I said in a cold manner. I was getting just a tad sick of getting tested – not like this at least.
"Or if you want, simply call Mrs. Dobbs to check." He actually grinned at me in response. I was so confused – what was wrong with this man? He had serious mood swings.
"That won't be necessary, Elena…" He said and tossed my CV on the desk, far away from where we were seated.
"Our long discussion was simply a test, Miss Gilbert. Like an interview… the interview you never had." I couldn't believe it. It made sense though.
"So…" I looked at my hands as I spoke. "… am I suitable enough for the job?"
"Miss Gilbert, you are officially hired." That crooked smile of his – he had been mocking me all along. I didn't know what to say, I was confused, angry and happy, all at the same time. I smiled.
"Congratulations." He nodded and genuinely smiled.
"Thank you Sir."
"Now… we should talk about your duties around the house." I just nodded and listened to him for the rest of the conversation. I still hadn't recovered from the surprise interview.
The first week in the Salvatore house was pretty much exhausting. I had to take care of all the kids - well apart from Rebekah I guess –in the morning, after school and in the evening as well. Waking them up, choosing clothes for Anna and John to wear, checking that their backpacks were ready and had all the books and things they needed. And the best bit about prepping them for school was their beautiful blue and black uniforms. Anna, Tyler and Rebekah all went to The Polytechnic School, a quite prestigious private institution from what Caroline had told me. The downside of it all was that they had to commute from Malibu to Pasadena, where the private school was located. Which meant that half of the day I spent alone at home with John and Jenna…
I didn't really mind though. Mr. Salvatore had instructed for me to have two hours around noon for myself when John slept – I could go out and do whatever I wanted. I ended up going to a painting class every day followed by a swim at the gym. Despite having a swimming pool on the estate, I felt weird about walking around in a swimming suit because of Elijah and my boss of course. So I chose to go to the gym instead.
The afternoon and evening were the tricky bits of the day. Everyone basically had a different schedule. I couldn't keep track of it all. From what I could remember, Anna went to ballet three times a week, John had guitar lessons and Judo, whilst Rebekah had riding and piano lessons. Fortunately for me, John didn't have to go anywhere – yet. He was the easiest to take care of really for his most basic need was potty training. I only had a few skills in Judo and piano but apart from that I couldn't help the kids with any of their activities. And on top of everything these kids had to do, there were also compulsory language lessons imposed by their father. Here's where I came in.
When my boss found out that I was fluent in Spanish and German (because of my parents) and I had studied French intensively in school, my secondary role became Language tutoring. It was quite funny actually. Every single day you would hear me talking to them in three different languages. I was patient with them, they listened and learned. Apart from Rebekah who seized every opportunity to say every German insult she knew to my face. I kind of gave up on trying with her after three horrible days. She was very hard to shake.
The kids overall were loveable and very well educated and I was genuinely happy to take care of them. I also got along with Elijah and Jenna very well which made everything easier for me. Stefan and Caroline would come and see the kids once in a while which pleased me very much because Rebekah would actually come out of her room and spend time with someone else but her homework and laptop. Mr. Salvatore wasn't very sociable from Monday to Friday. I could tell he had a lot of work to do – God knows how he managed to work at the firm and keep up his fame in the movie industry. But he seemed to manage quite well, the only problem was that he didn't have time for the kids apart from the evenings when they would play random games, watch movies or go swimming in the pool.
I studied him very closely when he was with his children. He seemed so happy with them and was a very caring father. Perhaps his only fault was that he expected quite a lot from his kids – excellent manners, the best of grades, perfect extracurricular skills. It was like he was preparing them for Ivy League Universities. I thought he was a bit too strict with the kids – I didn"t approve of that but didn't mettle at all. It wasn't until Friday evening when I realized something about Mr. Salvatore.
Anna was happily running in the backyard when she suddenly tripped over a toy and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Tears and screams came out all at once of course. Now, I was upstairs in my room when I saw this happening. Before I could even move my feet Mr. Salvatore came out of nowhere and took Anna in his arms calling for Jenna to bring him a few plasters for Anna's scratched and bleeding knees. What surprised me was the way he soothed her by hugging her, wiping the tears and caressing her hair – the distinct way in which a mother would calm a child down. That's when it hit me – he had to be both a father and a mother for these children. The reason why he was so strict wasn't because he didn't want to let them free; he simply didn't want anything bad happening to them - ever.
My eyes involuntarily filled with tears at the thought of my own father. I missed him so much… I kept looking at my boss being such a loving father to his children and I felt something inside of me coming to pieces. Mr. Salvatore randomly looked up from the backyard and locked his eyes onto mine bearing a very confused look on his face. He didn't know what was wrong with me. I couldn't hold his stare or my feelings in and I turned around and fled for my bathroom locking the door behind me. That was the first time I started crying because of my father in what had been a very long time…
It was 4pm on my second Sunday in the Salvatore house. From what I had spoken with my boss, he told me that I could have Sundays free every single week when he was at home. I thought I would go out and see a bit of L.A. but not before I talked to Bonnie. I missed her so much and knew for sure that she was dying to hear about everything I'd been through in the past week. When her bright red hair and warm brown eyes surfaced from my laptop's screen I couldn't contain my happiness.
"Bonnie!"
" 'Lena pumpkin! I'm so happy to finally see you. I've missed you so much already."
"I've missed you too Bonnie. You can't even imagine what's happened so far…"
"So tell me, tell me… What's it like there in Los Angeles?"
"I don't even know how to describe it – words aren't enough. It's simply surreal…"
"Oh my God, look… I want to hear every single detail – start from the beginning will you?"
I didn't need to be asked twice. I started my long story a bit timidly then after 5 minutes I couldn't stop talking about it. Every single scene was re-enacted in front of Bonnie leaving nothing aside apart from my asthma attack. I felt sorry for not telling my best friend about that as well but somehow I felt it was too intimate to share – even with Bonnie. At the end of my story I couldn't contain my smile at all since I could see Bonnie's face going through every colour known to man. Small sounds would escape her mouth every now and then but strangely enough she never interrupted me. She simply kept listening until my story came to an end.
"Bonnie?" I asked seeing her expressionless.
"I… just can't believe it." Her face was a bit confused and surprised from what I could tell.
"Which part of it?" I asked mildly amused. Bonnie deeply huffed before she replied.
"Damon…Salvatore is your boss?" Oh, that bit…
"Trust me… I couldn't believe it either." I said shaking my head.
"By the look on your face, you still can't believe it." Oh, she knew me so well…
"I don't know if I'll ever get used to it…" And that was the truth – too good to be true.
"Can one even do that? Get used to Damon Salvatore?" Bonnie was moving her hands very much as she spoke.
"He's not God, Bonnie…" A smile escaped my lips though.
"He might not be God Almighty… but by the way he looks, he most certainly is a GOD!" My smile turned into a grin and I involuntarily blushed – I had thought the same thing that night on the beach.
"Oh, Bonnie…" I giggled uncontrollably.
"Elena, are you crazy honey?"
"Last time I checked I wasn't… Why?" I couldn't stop my giggle.
"You're living under the same roof with Damon Salvatore! DAMON SALVATORE!"
"Yeah, Bonnie, I know that…"
"I mean…do you even know how much he's accomplished?"
"No, but I'm sure you'll fill me in sooner than…"
"Voted sexiest actor alive three years in a row…" Bonnie had just started her impossibly long rant.
"Besides being an actor he's also a producer, director and a lawyer…?" I could tell she was reading off Wikipedia.
"Yeah, I knew about the law firm…"
"…He starred in so many movies having leading roles in romantic comedies such as "The proposal" "When in Rome", "Fool's gold", "What happens in Vegas", "The notebook", "Pearl Harbor"…"
Oh yes, Bonnie was indeed on a roll…
"…and brief appearances in TV shows such as "Sex and the City", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost"…."
"Wow…" I couldn't help but say that as I heard all of those names being recited by a very enthusiastic Bonnie.
"He also won a lot of small prizes but no major nomination. Still he's quite a name in the film industry."
"That's no surprise for me… You should see his estate." I said sighing.
"Is it that huge and fabulous as the ones we see in magazines?" Bonnie's eyes had become as big as onions as she was so fascinated about my new life. Upon seeing my nod Bonnie got really upset and simply replied:
"I hate you, Elena Gilbert…" My grin got bigger and I felt it was the perfect time to tease her a bit.
"Well it gets better…"
"Better? Is that even possible when having such a gorgeous estate?" I could tell she was looking at a picture on the internet.
"Yes it does… He lives in Malibu Beach for God's sake! You should see this place, Bonnie. So different from New York City… You should see the parties these people hold in their mansions – I've just witnessed them from the beach but still, it's really classy around here."
"Oh God…" Bonnie sighed seeming very sad.
"What's wrong?"
"You're gonna randomly meet Leo DiCaprio in the neighbourhood, helplessly fall in love with him and get married sooner than George is ever gonna ask me to marry him…" I burst out with laughter.
"Come on, Bonnie, be serious… There's no way that would ever happen. Leo Di Caprio falling in love with me? I bet he wouldn't even turn his head to look me in the eye, let alone put a ring on my finger." Bonnie sighed as if my life was suddenly the saddest thing ever since Di Caprio would never be my husband.
"Well, at least you have such a successful boss… Damon Salvatore – such a hottie." I remembered all of the times Bonnie and I had watched movies together. We would giggle and shout every time a sexy actor made his appearance on the TV screen. We would even, I'm ashamed to say it, rate them as well – on a scale from 0 to 10.
"How much would you give him?" I couldn't believe I had just asked her that. He was my BOSS for God's sake! I should be respecting him, not scoring him. But in the end, he couldn't hear and my devilish side got the best of me.
"Elena Gilbert, you're on fire tonight!" I blushed at the comment.
"Well, I'm definitely not mentally sane… That's for sure."
"I LOVE it… You're never like this – L.A. has changed you already."
"I doubt it… but, tell me… How much would you give Damon Salvatore?"
"Well…" Bonnie started reluctantly. And then I could tell she was admiring a photo of him, sizing him up like he was a painting at an auction event.
"Messy-like hair… six-pack muscles…looks just so damn-good in a suit…sexy crooked smile…and those EYES Elena! Oh my god, I think my heart just skipped a beat…"
I knew what she meant. Seeing Damon Salvatore's eyes in a photo on the internet was a treat for the female eye to be completely honest. But getting to actually stare into those gorgeous blue eyes in real life was enough to make my pulse go crazy. The difference between a picture and real life wasn't fair for females around the world. Because Damon Salvatore was simply… a God, just the way Bonnie had described him.
"Elena… as my best friend, you have the duty to tell me just how incredible those blue eyes are in real life! No matter how strong you feel about your moral duties to be a decent person."
"Bonnie, he's my boss…"
"Come on, Elena… You cannot leave me hanging like this!" In her fake grieving, Bonnie looked exactly like a little kid that I had to deal with. That made me smile.
"Never in our lives have we lived something as impressive and exciting as what you are now living. Just leave aside your constricting morals and have a bit of fun out of it…"
"Well… I guess it wouldn't be too bad to tell you about his eyes." Bonnie's enthusiastic reaction was immediate.
"Oh yes, please! What are they like? Are they as beautiful as the photos show them?"
"The photos don't make Damon Salvatore justice… Not even close."
"So they're that blue?" I giggled as I saw Bonnie being in so much awe.
"Actually, they're not really ocean blue as you might expect… Surprisingly, his eyes are grey." I said and smiled as I remembered his surreal eyes...
After another 30 minutes of being amazed by my boss, Bonnie and I had reached a consensus. We were going to be completely decent and right about him after this day. But until then we were allowed to say whatever we thought about his eyes, lips, chest, etc. It was actually fun when I could forget that he might be one storey underneath in his office. So close to me…
"Mmmm, well, he's had a lifetime of women apparently."
"Bonn, I don't know if I want to get into his personal life… That really should be in the tabu section." So far the tabu section was empty…
"Don't' worry. There's not much detail anyway…" My morals were really going down tonight.
"So… what does it say?" Curiosity got the best of me.
"He used to be the most popular guy in high-school, quarterback for the football team, voted prom king… had tones of girlfriends before he met Katherine Pierce."
"Who is Katherine Pierce?"
"She was his wife…"
"Oh my God…" I had just remembered...
"What's wrong Elena?"
"He called me... Katherine that night… The night we met on the beach."
"Wait…what?" Bonnie's eyes went wide in shock.
"Yeah, right before I turned around, he called me Katherine. I thought it was strange back then but I never imagined it was his wife..."
"Wow… poor guy. Mistaking a random girl with his dead wife – it sure mustn't be easy to live without her."
I had never given any thought to that since I had come into this house. It pretty much seemed like it.
"I don't think he is truly happy, you know…" Bonnie's face became sad as she heard that.
"Really?"
"No… he seems to be trying a lot for the kids but deep down I think he's miserable." I kind of felt it - although he never showed me it.
"How can you tell, Elena? You don't spend a lot of time with him, do you?"
"No, I don't. And…even if I do spend time with him and the kids, it's to take care of John who's the youngest one. But once in a while I catch him looking in the distance, his eyes empty as if... as if he's waiting for someone to come back to him…" Hearing my own words I felt my skin getting goose bumps.
"Wow… he probably imagined you were his wife…" For a certain reason that creeped me to my core…
"Well, I'm definitely not his wife." My joke was the worst ever but Bonnie still smiled to encourage me.
"It's better that you never were."
"What do you mean?"
"Well according to this piece of news, it's rumoured that Damon cheated on Katherine quite a lot. Although they never caught him with some other woman, people talk a lot on the Internet."
"Well, I was sure that he has a lot of baggage. I mean, he's a movie star – he's bound to have dated tones of women."
"Doesn't make it cool to cheat on your wife though isn't it?"
"No, it doesn't. But that's in the past now, isn't it? People can start over…" I had no idea why I had even uttered those words – they had zero relevance to the conversation.
"Don't count on that, Elena…" Bonnie's reply scared me. Did she think I hoped he would change?
"Bonnie, it's not like that…"
"Then what is it like, Elena? Hey… I get it. He's young, beautiful, sexy, intelligent… you live in the same house with him – you're bound to go a little bit crazy about him. I'd be surprised if you didn't. He's Damon Salvatore for God's sake… Women would kill to be in your position…"
"I'm in no good position. I'm his employee – his children's nanny. I can't afford to go crazy about him. Not now or ever for that matter."
"It's ok to like him though. But be careful sweetie… Don't get yourself involved in something you can't control. That wouldn't end up well."
"I'm not getting into anything with him. No way Jose…" No way Jose was our special Spanish expression that basically meant "Absolutely positively no way"
"Fine, honey. Just take care of yourself, ok?" Bonnie was such a loving friend.
"Of course, Bonn… you don't have to ask me."
"Good. So… do you think we've basically exhausted all discussion topics about Damon Salvatore?"
"Umm.. I think we've about covered everything on him for tonight."
"Good… because I have something to tell you."
"Shoot." I said in a very relaxed tone… I was actually glad that we weren't talking about my boss anymore.
"Well… I don't know how to tell you this in a good way. I don't think there is any way to say this properly." Panic mode – instantly.
"Ok, Bonnie… you're freaking me out. What's wrong?" She was acting very weird, couldn't look at me in the eyes properly.
"Before I tell you, I thought long and hard about whether I should even say anything. But I figured that you deserve to know."
"Bonnie just tell me." She couldn't – I could see it in her eyes, she was afraid of what I would say.
"Elena, please promise me something – don't hate me for what I did!" Panic mode was intensifying by the second.
"Why would I hate you Bonnie?" It didn't make any sense – what could she have done?
"I…damn it, I can't make myself tell you."
"Bonn, calm down… Why are you so tense about it? What the hell happened?"
"Someone came to visit me last Saturday. Right after you left for L.A." There – she had finally said it. By someone I thought a complete stranger.
"Ok…so what? What did they want?" Bonnie was reluctant. I could tell.
"To find out where you were." My eyebrows furrowed.
"I don't get it… Who was it?" I was so confused about the whole thing.
"Elena…" Oh, no. I had heard that voice only a few times. Whenever something really bad had happened... I embraced myself for what came next.
"It was Mason…" My breathing stopped in my throat for a second. And then it came back again as quickly as it had paused.
Hearing his name had the effect of a hundred atomic bombs exploding in my head all at once. I wasn't looking at Bonnie anymore. I was literally looking through Bonnie. Or through the laptop screen… The only thing that my mouth could utter was the same thing that my head and heart were both feeling at the same time.
"No… it can't be."
So that was chapter 10! Please REVIEW - say your opinions, your requests, give me an idea of what you expect from the story... Until next time! :)