CHAPTER TEN
We have been walking around town for a good three hours now. So far, Damon has taken me to at least six different stores to purchase things for the ball tonight. We walked out of the shoemaker's store; we should be done soon I would imagine!
"So, we have your shoes, fascinator and perfume." Damon piped up while we made our way down main street "Last thing on my list for today is your dress. That was my first stop this morning to see Mister Foster, I was hoping I would be able still asleep when I got back."
My mind drifted to the memory of this morning. The redness on his cheekbone had subsided but the swelling, on the other hand, was still pretty dramatic. I still couldn't imagine how a father could inflict pain like that to their own flesh and blood.
"So, what usually happens at balls around here?" I inquired, trying not to sound too oblivious "I've never really been to one, to be honest."
"I don't believe you!" he chuckled "A woman as beautiful as you must have been at least one ball. Where else are you supposed to find a man to sweep off your feet?" I loved it when he joked around like that. We arrived at Mister Foster's dress store and as usual, Damon opened the door for me and I walked in.
"Miss Grant!" Mr Foster bellowed from the landing above, "I have been working all morning on this dress for you. I am sure you will love it!"
I couldn't help but laugh watching Mister Foster dance around on his feet and pulling bolts of fabric and ribbon excitedly. It was a far cry from his depressed mood yesterday.
"I hope you don't mind that I had a dress commissioned for you," Damon whispered in my hear. His lips were so close to my ear that I could feel the warmth of his breath.
"Only if I get to pay for it," I said while nudging him playfully in the ribs.
"Not a chance, Miss Grant. It has already been paid for." He laughed. "so, do you want to know more about Salvatore functions then?"
I gave him a little nod and he brought me over to the back of the shop where a dusty old sofa sat. He held my hand as we both sat down on the cushioned.
"Well, the Founding families here in Mystic Falls have loads of parties, balls and pageants all year long" he had his signature smirk on. "It's mostly more of an excuse for everyone to get together and drink and socialize. There is going to be a live music, lots of dancing. It will be a lot of fun. And I will be the envy of the town with you on my arm!"
His constant flirting and casual compliments sent shivers up and down my spine. The best way I could respond to him was to lean over and give him a kiss. Before I knew it, I had my hands tangled in his messy, black curls. I was addicted to his lips and just one kiss was never enough and from how he had his hands on my face, he must have felt the same way.
This time it was Damon that pulled away, "Christ, Elena." He was panting now, "You have me wrapped around your finger."
"It's done!" Mr Foster yelled above us, breaking our eye contact. Mr Foster's feet thumping around on the floor above us rained a slew of dust and wood shavings down on us. Damon excitedly grabbed my arms and pulled up towards the storefront again. I looked up to see if I could take a peek at the dress that Damon and Mr Foster were so excited about but I Mr Foster was already wrapping the box with his signature brown paper.
"You are going to love this dress, dear Elena!" Mr Forster excitedly said as he jogged down the stairs, paper-wrapped box in hand, "Mr Salvatore here has excellent taste , you will be the talk of the town for sure!"
Mr Foster slicked his wild, white hair back and handed the box over to Damon. He then ducked under the counter to pull out a fluffy, chiffon skirt. The skirt was full with a countless amount of layers and frills.
"This isn't what the whole dress looks like, does it?" I asked in horror.
"No, no, no! I couldn't possibly let you walk in looking like a duck!" both Mr Foster and Damon burst out laughing, "I remember you told me your hatred for hoops, so we built this dress around a petticoat. You will be much more comfortable in this and still look fabulous!"
After unsuccessfully trying to convince Mr Foster to let me pay for the dress, Damon and I ducked out of the store and made our way back to the lodging house- or so I thought.
"Isn't it rude to use a man as a pack mule for all a woman's shopping?" I sarcastically asked Damon. He had boxes and bags stacked high in his arms.
" Yes, it would be on normal circumstances. But, since I bought you everything, I think we can let this one slide" He chuckled, "That is also why, you should always have a carriage close by so you don't have to walk too far with all your new belongings!
Just like that, Damon swung all the boxes and bags into a black covered carriage. The carriage was pulled by two beautiful white horses and a coachman that sat right in front on a wooden bench.
" I thought you said that the party wasn't until later?" I asked him, completely surprised by this new revelation.
" It is, but I figured you would enjoy a hot bath," Damon flashed his million dollar smile," On top of that, I can't say I am quite as skilled at putting corsets on as I am taking them off."
I couldn't help but punch him in the arm. Dork! I would have protested more but the thought of a warm bath won me over instantly. Damo helped me up into the carriage and we were on our way to the Salvatore Manor.
The scenery on the way to the manor was just spectacular. Lush green trees lined the dirt streets, birds sang melodies the whole way and of course, Damon was in a carriage with me. He had his arms around me the whole time. After a twenty-minute ride, we arrived. Once again, Damon helped me out and held my arm as we walked up the stairs towards the large wooden doors.
"Does your father know that I'll be here?" I asked Damon " I don't want to get you in any more trouble."
"Actually, he does." Damon snickered, "He is all about helping a damsel in distress."
I spend as long as I possibly could in the warm bath water. I couldn't get enough. It was however, very strange to have people constantly here to come to my aid at my beck and call. I had to practically beg Julia, the Salvatore's housekeeper, to let me bathe myself. I'm fairly certain she is still standing outside the door waiting for me. Grudgingly, I slowly stood up in the tub and grabbed the towel that was folded neatly on the gold ornamental table beside the bathtub. This whole house was an ode to wealth and glory. Once I sufficiently dried myself, I tiptoed out of the water and wrapped the towel around my torso and walked towards the large mahogany door. Before I could even spin the handle, Julia already had the door open for me and was waiting with another dry towel in her hands.
"Miss, please, let me dry your hair at the very least." Julia pleaded.
"Thank you, Julia." I said as I made my way to the stool in front of the mirror " You really don't have to do this for me, Julia. I can manage."
"Miss Grant, Mister Salvatore told me specifically to help you today." Julia smiled "I enjoy this type of work better. You get to be my masterpiece, only if you let me work."
We both chuckled, I was so not used to having anyone helping me but if this made her happy, then I am okay with that. Julia started drying my hair carefully with the towel. Once dry, she began braiding my hair and forming it into an intricate up do, much better than something I could do. Her fingers worked quickly and with intention and when she was done she stepped back to get a better look at her work.
"You look wonderful, Miss Grant." Julia piped up, proud of her work,
I looked up to take a glance at my hair and my breath was instantly taken away.
"Oh my goodness, Julia!" I couldn't contain my excitement "You are amazing! Thank you so much!"
"You are very welcome Miss Grant." She smiled "If I am not too forward, it has been a very long time since we have seen the young Mister Salvatore this happy. You have brought back a spark in him that dimmed after his mother passed away."
The longer I stayed here, the longer I understood why Damon craved Katherine's love so much to the point of obsession. My heart hurt and all I wanted to do was to take his pain away. A sudden tapping on the door interrupted my thought. Before I could even turn around, Julia was already answering the knock.
"Mister Salvatore!" Julia whispered loudly, "You know better than to disturb a lady while she is getting dressed!"
"Oh, Julia. You're not going to let me see my girl?" I could hear Damon chuckle. Warmth radiated through my body, "I just thought she might be hungry is all."
Julia was laughing now too " I taught you better, Damon Salvatore." She grabbed the tray from Damon through the door, "You will be the first person I tell when she is done. Now, go find something to keep you preoccupied."
She closed the door quietly and shook her head on her way back. She placed the tray of assorted fruit and bread onto the bed and walked towards me to place her hands on my shoulders.
"You are one special woman, Miss Grant" Julia smiled, "Now, I am under the impression that he has kept this dress a surprise from you. Shall we put it on?"
"Yes, please!" I am ecstatic to finally see Damon's creation.
I couldn't believe how magnificent this dress looked on my, I am speechless. It felt like an eternity for Julia to help me with the corset and fixings, but the end result was just stunning. The strapless, ruby red ball gown hugged my torso tightly. Intricate black beading waterfalled from my bust to the skirt that flared out after my hips, making me feel like a princess. A train of black sequined fabric followed me as I walked towards the dressing table to spritz the perfume that Damon bought. Mmmmm roses.
"Beautiful." Julia said "Here, the finishing touch" Julia pulled out a pair of black sequined shoes for me to slip on and my look was complete.
"Let me get Master Damon." She smiled at me, "He must bee anxious."
I couldn't help but hug Julia for all the help she was. I couldn't have pulled it off without her. Her smile wrinkled her eyes "Thank you so much, Julia. You are amazing."
After she got over the shock, Julia walked out the door to get Damon. I didn't know why I was so nervous, I was fidgeting around trying to find a place to stand. My breathing was irregular, and my heart was beating out of my chest. I turned around to look at the floor length mirror one more time to make sure everything was in place when a soft knock on the door startled me. The door slowly creaked open and Damon slowly walked through. Wow. Damon was in black suit and vest. His hair was carefully slicked back to perfection and a ruby red tie adorned his neck. We match!
"You. Look. Stunning." Were the first words out of Damon's mouth. We both stood apart until Damon snapped out of his surprise and closed the gap between us. He gently took my face into his hands and lovingly kissed me.
"You look very handsome yourself, Mister Salvatore." I whispered into his ear. A shiver ran down my spine as he slowly brushed his cheek across mine to whisper in my ear.
"You will be the talk of the town tonight, Elena." His whispers melted me into a puddle of goo "I'm just the lucky chap that somehow managed to catch your eye."
Damon pulled away and stroked my cheek while staring into my eyes. "I have one last gift for you tonight. I would be honored for you to wear it tonight, for me."
I gave him a nod and Damon pulled out a black velvet pouch from his pocket. He undid the strings and pulled out the most beautiful necklace. It was a simple gold chain with a teardrop shaped diamond dangling from it. The diamond, was embellished with intricate gold swirls and flowers.
"It was my mother's." he said as he looked at the piece of jewelry.
"Damon, I can't possibly wear your mother's necklace." I was shocked. "It's too much!"
"She would have loved you" he smiled "And it's mine now and I would like to give it to you. Please, allow me to put it on you."
I couldn't argue with him. I slowly turned around so Damon could clasp the necklace on my neck . He did it ever so gently and when he was done, he trailed kisses down my shoulder. How could I not turn to mush?!
"Now, as much as I would love to stay up here all night and have you to myself; we should probably show off that dress downstairs."
I blushed as Damon weaved my arm around his and we walked out of the room together.
The room was filled with a sea of colour, twirling and dancing on the dancefloor. We had been mingling with the people of Mystic Falls for about an hour now and it felt just like a dream. Just like the gentleman Damon is, he didn't leave my side once, properly introducing me to everyone we came across. A string quartet played loudly in the background which muffled the sounds of chatter and laughter from the whole room.
"I don't suppose I could interest you in a dance?" Damon asked, looking into my eyes.
"No, I have two left feet and you know it." I laughed at him "Also, I don't do so well in front of people."
"I can't deny the two left feet." He ducked away before I could smack him on the arm " But then you owe me a dance later on when we are alone."
His seductive voice caught me off guard and had me flustered "I-I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Incoming." Damon whispered and his whole demeanor changed. He suddenly stood straight up and was no longer my relaxed and goofy Damon. A man stood in front of us. His stature was tall and prideful and it seemed like he almost sized up both Damon and I.
"Sir." Damon said.
"Well? Are you going to introduce us, Damon?" The man said, "I'd hope that I have taught you better manners than this."
"Y-yes, father." Damon stuttered, no longer confident, "This is Miss Elena Grant from New York. Miss Grant, this is my father Giuseppe Salvatore."
Holy crap. I was sure to curtsey as future Damon had shown me and gave my best fake smile I could. I despised this man, for everything he has done to Damon.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mister Salvatore," I said
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Grant." He said with a laugh, clearly tipsy. His deep blue eyes pierced into me – the same as Damon's. The more I looked at him, the more I saw Damon. "It is lovely to finally meet the woman that my son is infatuated with. What you see in him, I don't know."
"Actually, if it weren't for your son, I would still probably be probably wandering down town searching for the lodging house" I giggled.
"Nonsense!" Giuseppe bellowed " A young woman like you cannot possibly be staying in a place like that! I cannot believe Damon let you. Please, consider lodging here for the duration of your stay."
"That's a very kind offer Mister Salvatore, but I cannot possibly intrude." I was surprised by his reaction.
"Nonsense. I'm sure Damon would enjoy having you around. Perhaps, you could teach him some manners." Giuseppe laughed "Damon, be sure to tell Arthur to fetch Miss Grant's things from the lodging house tomorrow."
With that Giuseppe walked away and began conversing with another couple.
"You knew that would happen!' I turned around to look at Damon. He was laughing uncontrollably.
"I had no idea!' He wasn't doing a very good job at being convincing. We were laughing together now and I could sense the people around us were starting to turn and stare. I guess it wasn't very common for a man and a woman to be holding each other and laughing.
"Ah!" Damon exclaimed " The person I have been wanting you to meet all night!" A huge grin creeped up on Damon's face as he escorted me across the room. "Meet my brother, Stefan Salvatore.
My feelings that I left behind in the future came crashing down on me…
I am soooooo sorry that this was so delayed! I had back to back meetings all day today. As promised, definitely a longer chapter :) Let me know what you think! I look forward to hearing from you 3 xoxo Oak&Lace