Elena's delicate brows rose within a moment as Bonnie's words reached her eyes, sending cold shivers up her spine. Her features were covered with disbelief, lips parted as she tried to think, but no words could properly express her fear. She glanced at Caroline, who, unbeknownst to her, was literally flirting with Death himself. A feeling of protectiveness washed over her as she turned back to Bonnie.
"Are you sure?" Her lips mouthed the words gently, as inaudible as a pin dropping in the midst of a crowd. Bonnie's dark curls shook in confirmation. Her eyes looked sad, and Elena knew it was because she was practically saddled with this horrid gift for the rest of her life. Elena suddenly found herself tightening her jacket around her. She didn't want to know what Bonnie would see if she touched her.
"The service here is crazy, right guys?" Caroline glanced over her shoulder at the two women with a small smile. "Hey, what's got the two of you so gloomy?" Bonnie hesitated to respond.
"Nothing. Not gloomy at all." She replied, placing a soft smile on her lips. Caroline shrugged a shoulder, looking up when the waitress finally came around their table.
"I'll have the chicken sliders, please." Elena and Bonnie gave their orders as well, along with a request of extra refreshments. Caroline folded her hands and placed them beneath her chin, similarly to on the night she met Damon. "Okay, guys, what is it?"
"We.. were just thinking about the Miss Mystic Falls pageant." A sharp elbow was thrust in Bonnie's direction as Elena's widened and scolding eyes tossed her a look. Bonnie glared back at her, not finding the error in her mistake.
"Ooh, yes! I can't wait for that. I still need to find a dress, work on my speech.." Caroline sighed wistfully. "Elena, are you going?"
Elena looked down at the water standing on the table, suddenly finding things such as pageants childish. She didn't want Bonnie to mention it because then the conversations of escorts would surely come up. She wanted Damon far away from her.
"Uh, yeah, I think so. I haven't talked to Stefan about it yet though. He claims he didn't inherit the Salvatore dancing gene." A small chuckle escaped her lips in spite of herself. "I wonder if-"
As if on cue, a dark figure emerged from the doors of the Grill. The usually light atmosphere seemed to darken in the small restaurant as the long and lean figure materialized suddenly at their table.
"Damon. We were just talking about you." Caroline supplied as she leaned over for a kiss. Damon obliged, smiling as he pulled away. "Good things, I hope."
"So, Elena, I was wondering where you were going to get your dress and everything." Elena shook her head, glancing in Damon's direction. "A dress?" He asked inquisitively, looking towards Elena. "Yeah, for Miss-"
"Caroline, we can talk about this later. I'm sure Damon doesn't want to hear about this." Elena added, but it was useless. The escort part of the dance would come up sooner or later. Damon seemed thrilled by this conversation, as if he knew the entire time that it was going to come up.
"No, Elena, I don't mind at all. It's the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, correct?" He turned his head towards Caroline, offering a lighter smile than usual. He glanced in Bonnie's direction, surprised by the frown that she clearly wore on her features that always seemed to be meant for him. "Can't say being judged by beauty is fair, especially when all the ladies of Mystic Falls are beautiful."
Elena shifted oddly, but Damon noticed the slightest flare of pink in the middle of her cheek. Bonnie seemed subtly appreciative of his comment, while Caroline ducked her head with a small smile on her lips.
"Speaking of which, Caroline Forbes, would you do me the honor of making me your escort for the night's festivities?"
Caroline's smile doubled, her eyes soft and warm, like her touch as her hand reached up and covered only about half of Damon's. "I'd love for you to escort me." Her voice had a twinge of excitement in it. Elena's expression didn't change.
Damon's smile was smooth. "Wonderful."
"Well, I have to be going." Bonnie collected her jacket and purse, slinging it over her shoulder. She clutched the coat closer to herself as she saw Damon's predatory gaze. He was planning something, and she wasn't going to sit here while he used them all as parts in his scheme. She knew better than that.
"But we just ordered." Caroline insisted, placing a small frown on her lips. What was up with her friends tonight? Elena seemed jumpy and Bonnie seemed set on being negative all night. Just when Damon had turned it around, Bonnie brought it down all over again.
"God, what is with you guys?" She exclaimed, placing her elbows on the table as she placed her head in her hands.
"Nothing, Caroline, I just need to get home because I have to make dinner tonight. I'll call you guys tomorrow." She replied, shooting Damon another quick look. Dauntless, he stood from his chair and walked towards her, gesturing towards the nearest exit to their right. "Please, allow me." He pulled the door open, keeping it open with his body weight. Chin raised confidently, she strolled halfway through before turning to face him.
"You're not fooling me, Damon. You may have Caroline and Elena and everybody else in town fooled, but not me. I know you're going to do something and I know you're going to hurt Caroline. I'm not going to let that happen. So why don't you just come to terms with the inevitable and call off your scheme before I do?"
Damon shrugged his shoulder, his eyebrows jolting upwards momentarily. "What on earth are you talking about? I'm merely escorting the lovely Caroline to the pageant, Bonnie.. However, if some situation should arise, I'm afraid that's out of our hands and out of our control, isn't it?" He leaned back against the glass door with an air of arrogance, looking down at her happily.
"You know nothing, Bonnie. As soon as you can take a good look at yourself, you'll never realize just how fatally mistaken you are. You've never seen real power. And you never will have it."
Bonnie sighed in an annoyed way, her eyes like fire against his scolding coal-like ones. "Don't underestimate me, Damon." She quickly left afterwards, forcing herself not to look over her shoulder. Don't be scared of him, idiot! You're a bennett. Maybe it's time to go beyond just hearing what Grams says and try to actually listen! If I am what Grams thinks I am and Damon is what I think he is, then it's up to me to protect Caroline. And if I weaken, even for a moment..
Upon returning to their table, Damon excused himself to the bar momentarily. As he sat on the barstool, back to the pair of ladies, he ordered a bourbon. Cradling the crystal glass between his fingertips, he listened in on parts of their conversation, but found it had little to do with him, so he quickly lost interest. But oh, how well his plan was turning out. Caroline was putty in his hands. Elena would be his in no time. All it took now was a matter of compulsion and Stefan's easily planned and 'unfortunate' absence. After all, every respectable young lady of the Mystic Falls court needed an escort. Far be it from him not to rescue a damsel in distress.
Although even as he drank bits of the bourbon, willing the strong, bitter drink down his throat he glanced over his shoulder once or twice at the girls. Caroline, bubbly and bright, seemed to be talking twice as much as Elena. He smiled a bit, chuckling beneath his breath. Cute.