Chapter Ten- You're a fool

Damon and Stefan had been in a fiery argument for the better half of forty minutes, and I didn't need to try and lip read to know what they were arguing about. Stefan had walked in on us macking, and they had been arguing ever since. I sat silently at my desk, attempting to organise some press releases and re-organise Damon's schedule for the coming days, but I couldn't control my eyes darting to the office doors. Damon looked furious at whatever Stefan was saying to him, and I hated to see the dark side come out of him. I had been treated to the softer side of him the last few days, and I had gotten used to it. After what felt like forever, Stefan marched out of his office, red faced and breathing heavily. He looked at me, upset and muttered

"He's all yours" before disappearing into the elevator. What the hell was that supposed to mean! By the time I looked back at Damon's office, he had re-closed his doors and I took that for a sign that he didn't wish to be disturbed. I continued on with my work and tried to keep myself as busy as possible. I heard my phone buzz just before 12 and saw a message from Bonnie

"Lunch?"

"Sure. Meet me at the front of my office in ten?" Between all the drama with Damon, Stefan and Caroline breathing down my neck, I was excited to see my other best friend and talk about something else! I sent Damon an email advising I was going on lunch and diverted the office phones to my cell. I got into the elevator and began riding it down, rolling my eyes at the irony when Stefan got in at the floor below me.

"Elena" He greeted

"Hi Stefan" I smiled. Hopefully the lift would go all the way down to the bottom and we could forget the awkward small talk "Did you enjoy yourself at the benefit?"

"I did yes. Caroline seemed to have fun" He smiled. I was thanking my lucky stars when the lift reached the lobby level and I went to walk out "Elena?" I stopped, turning around and facing the younger Salvatore "Just remember what I said about being careful" I nodded my head politely, trying not to let my anger explode out of me. It wasn't anybody else's business but Damon and mine what we did. And yes, an assistant and a boss getting involved wasn't the best idea, but it also wasn't the end of the world either. Worst case scenario is I would look for a new job, and the way the sexual tension was in the office it was quite clear I may have to do that anyway if I wanted to get any work done at all. Bonnie was waiting for me at the front like promised, and thankfully she had already gone and got us some sandwiches from the deli across the road. She handed me the package and we walked across the road to sit by the fountain at the small town square

"Ah, turkey bacon, you're the best!" I beamed as I unwrapped my sandwich

"I know" She gleamed, biting into her own "How's work today?"

"A bit stressful, but fine" Bonnie smiled a little too knowingly at my statement, "And let me guess, you spoke to Caroline"

"Maybe" She said with another smirk "You know she's just worried about you Elena"

"I know, but she doesn't have to be so judgemental about the entire thing. I mean, like she can talk, she's dating the other Salvatore!"

"Yeah but she's not his PA Elena. I think, and I agree with her, that she thinks this has the recipe to go really sour really quickly. And it's not going to be the CEO of the company that's out of a job Elena, it's going to be you." Bonnie, unlike Caroline had a way of explaining things tactfully and without judgement.

"I know. I don't need anyone to tell me how insane it is. In my head I can be rational but as soon as I see him, god all rationality goes out the window"

"That good looking huh?" She smiled

"It's not that. I mean, it is that he's gorgeous but. It's more the way he makes me feel. Like I can't breathe around him, in the best way possible" I explained "I was not expecting Saturday to happen the way it did Bonnie, that's what got me thrown through a loop."

"What do you mean?" She asked confused

"Well, he's such an aggressive guy. Like, total alpha male, always needs to be in control, what he says goes. And when I went home with him after the benefit, I imagined him to be like that. Like, sleep with me then toss me straight out the door after he was finished."

"And he didn't?" She asked

"No, it was the complete opposite. It was soft and sweet and considerate." I got carried away thinking about it and had to bring myself back down to earth

"Oh lord" Bonnie mumbled to herself

"What?" I asked

"Caroline was right" Bonnie said "You're completely smitten by this guy"

"I am not" I said automatically, crossing my legs in defence

"Hmm hmm, that's why you just got completely flushed reliving your little sex endeavour" Bonnie asked in a mix of humour and apprehension

"I'm in trouble aren't I" I finally said out loud for the first time

"Yes you are" She grinned "But I mean, can you see yourself having a relationship with this guy? Because if you can't, there's no point in putting your job in jeopardy"

"I have no idea. I guess that's something I'm going to have to talk about with him" I said "If we can keep our hands off each other long enough" Bonnie looked completely shocked as I began the rendition of my morning 'meeting' with Damon Salvatore. Little did I know, once I returned to the office, I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

Damon didn't speak a word to me for the rest of the working day, and by 5.30 when I went into his office to handle his schedule, he was all business, barely even looking me in the eye. I played along, taking his lead and keeping things completely proficient.

"And the last matter on hand is the trip to New York next week. I can see here all your meetings are scheduled with the New York office but I can't see that Emily has made any travel arrangements. Which airline would you prefer?" I asked

"I will take my jet" He told "I will be needing you in New York the Monday and the Tuesday, you can make your own arrangements on the Wednesday morning to get back to Mystic Falls. Choose whichever flight suits you and just use the company card" He advised "You will need to book me the Park Suite at the Empire from Monday through Thursday evenings, and yourself a room for the Monday and Tuesday. If the Park Suite is not available please check the Palace for their Jewel Suite. Again use the company card"

"I'm coming?" I asked. He seemed irritated by the question

"As stated I will be needing you there on Monday and Tuesday, the rest of the working week you will be based from here as usual" His voice was even and commanding.

"Certainly" I quipped. As I finalised everything and stood up to walk out Damon cleared his voice.

"El…ah..Miss Gilbert. I want to apologise for my behaviour earlier today. It crossed a line and will not happen again. I think it's best from now on if we keep things strictly professional" My heart pained at his words but deep inside I knew it was the right thing to do.

"Certainly sir" I smiled lightly, before turning on my heel and trying to conceal the tear that streamed down my face.

To say that Damon's behaviour toward me over the course of the next week was icy would have been an understatement. He was shrill, boarding on cruel, and it seemed to get worse and worse as the days progressed. None of the tasks I completed were good enough, and he constantly spat out insults like 'mediocre' and 'completely and utterly incompetent' whenever I would screw up in his eyes. Every day I went home on the verge of tears, but I refused to let him win. I had my brother to support, and I wasn't going to let this asshole ruin the good pay check I was receiving. I desperately wanted to leave, but no other jobs were paying half as much as what I was getting to be his P.A. I would just have to suck it up for the meantime and let him treat me like trash. If he wasn't criticising my work performance, he was criticizing my work attire. One day I would be too corporate, the next not corporate enough, and I felt like he was tearing me apart on purpose, I just couldn't figure out why. A part of me felt like he knew that I had developed feelings for him after our night together, and he was doing everything in his power to squash them and remind me that I was just another girl to him. He was Damon Salvatore for god's sakes, he could have any woman in the world he wanted, so why would I ever think he would look twice at his P.A after she let him fuck her. I was absolutely dreading our trip to New York together, but I knew after putting up with two days with him I would have the rest of the week in Mystic Falls alone and would only have to correspond with him via email, and that was something to look forward to.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay here alone?" I asked Caroline for the eightieth time early Monday morning. I was glad that Caroline was still staying in the guest room and would be here to look out for Jeremy. She was a harder rule master than I was and I knew out of everybody in my life he would be in good hands with Caroline 'I don't take shit from nobody' Forbes around.

"Yes Elena, we will be fine! Besides, you're only an hour plane ride away, it's not like you're going to Russia!" She said, trying to calm me down. Since Jenna died, I hadn't spent more than a night away from Jeremy, and I was constantly worried about him. He was on a downward spiral and I felt completely powerless to help him

"You're right. I know. I'm just, I'm dreading this trip" I offered. I had been quite light on the details of what had been happening in the office, but Caroline sensed that something was off.

"Don't let him push you around Lena. He might be your boss but he still needs to show you some respect. If he's not going to give it to you, demand it!" She cheered. God I loved my best friend

"What would I do without you Care" I smiled genuinely.

"Oh be completely lost I'm sure" She smiled giving me a big hug. "I'm only a phone call away. Whatever is going on you know I'm here for you" I looked at my best friend with nothing but gratitude in my life and thanked god that I had a support network like her and Bonnie around me. I wouldn't have survived the past few months, hell the past few years since my parents died, without them.

"Thank you" I smiled. My eyes drifted down to my watch and I noticed that I was on the verge of running late. "Shit, I need to get a move on. God forbid I keep Mr Asshole waiting"

"A few minutes never killed anybody. Unfortunately" I laughed at her distaste for him, it was nice to have someone on my side

"I'll see you in a few days" I said with a grin, grabbing my suitcase and heading out the door.

My watch told me that I was right on time to the Mystic Falls airfield, but an impatient Damon sitting inside his 2013 Bombardier Challenger 300 private jet told me differently. I had never been on board a private jet before, and I tried to contain my excitement as I saw his unapprovingly face watching me sharply as I boarded. He picked up his paper and began reading, but threw his sharp words at me as I sat down in the luxurious chair across from him

"You're late" He spat

"Two minutes Damon, Don't have a coronary" I threw back at him, pulling my work iPad out of my briefcase

"Don't let it happen again or you can look for another position to be inept at. And my subordinates address me as Mr Salvatore thank you very much" He told abruptly before going back to reading his newspaper. He's lucky I didn't jump across the table and smack him across his head!

"As you wish sir" I responded harshly before booting up my iPad and trying my hardest to ignore his existence. He had done me a favour the past week though, any favourable feelings I had for him were slowly disappearing and all that was left was the disdain I had for his un empathetic asshole. The rest of the flight was marked with silence and I was happy I didn't have to talk to him. I got a lot of my work done on the plane in the hour we were in the air, and I had to admit it was the most comfortable plane ride I had ever been on. It baffled me that my boss was so wealthy as to own his very own jet and have it ready to fly anywhere on demand, I couldn't imagine being in such a secure monetary position. My heart began to flutter as my favourite city in the world came into view, and for a moment I began to mourn my old New York life when things were so much simpler. Being a selfish college student where the only things I had to worry about were my thesis and my GPA seemed like a different life ago. Now I was the breadwinner for the Gilbert family and had the responsibility of looking after a dark teenager. How my life had changed in the past year. We began our decent and I decided to pull out my make-up case to freshen myself up before I met the big guns at the New York office. I noticed Damon's eyes shoot to me as I began applying my lipstick and freshening my face power.

"Trying to impress someone Miss Gilbert?" He asked

"No. Just looking presentable as you've requested Mr Salvatore. We can't have New York thinking your assistant is a slop" I didn't mean my words to sound as harsh as they did, but most things that came out of my mouth towards my boss these days were dripping with venom. He ignored my comment and went back to staring out the window. Once we had safely landed at Teterboro Airport we were whisked into a jet black SUV and began our journey to the Salvatore & Sons office at the centre of midtown. The loud and chaotic city somehow quietened me, it always had, and I forgot just how much I missed it here. Eating hot dogs from street carts, catching the subway from my NYU dorm to Brooklyn for the day to check out used book stores and enjoying all the beautiful melancholy of the busiest city in the world, it felt like a universe away from the quiet town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. I was a different girl now than the doe eyed one who had moved here straight after high school to start her Social Sciences Scholarship, and I took a moment to grieve the carefree girl that I once was. Now I was back, at the helm of one of the most powerful men in the country, and incapable of changing my situation. We pulled up in front of the skyscraper and as I got out of the car, I patted down my lace white skirt, wanting to look at respectable as possible. These weren't small town accountants like in our office, these were the big boys in the big city, and I wanted to make a good impression as a competent assistant, even if Damon didn't think as much of me at the moment.

The entire day was a whirlwind of hand shaking and meetings, and I stood quietly by Damon's side at all times, only speaking when spoke to. All of the managers and finance guru's that I met were cold and serious, except for the youngest AM that I met by the name of Enzo. He had kind eyes and actually smiled when he was introduced to me. I had been advised that we would be having a semi-formal dinner and drinks with the account managers and the like at the Palace Hotel this evening at 7, which gave me two hours to unwind before the event. As usual, heading to the hotel, Damon and I sat in silence in the SUV, and I mindlessly played with my blackberry to pass the time. I had booked myself their entry room in the Towers section of the hotel which was extravagant enough for me. I had never dreamed of staying in such a beautiful room. But my boss, who had requested the Jewel Suite, would be staying in a 6,000 square foot, $28,000 a night luxurious monstrosity, and it completely bewildered me how someone would need that much space for a few nights. He was an imperial man, but he had the money, and whatever he wanted, he got.

"I took the liberty of sending your dress to your room" He told, breaking the silence

"Excuse me?" I asked perplexed

"The dinner this evening will be quite formal, and I can't imagine the thrift store Mystic Falls get up that you have in your suit case will be appropriate" This asshole

"I'm sure the dresses I have packed will suffice Mr Salvatore" I assured

"And I'm sure they won't Miss Gilbert. This isn't some backwater town in Virginia. This is New York City. You're in the big leagues now and you will dress accordingly" He told sternly. I didn't have the vigor to fight him on this so I simply thanked him and went back to my blackberry.

I entered the 41st floor room and was overcome by beauty. I had a St Patricks Cathedral view and I immediately began taking photos for Caroline, she would be so jealous that I got to stay in such a beautiful hotel. I noticed the garment bag hanging by the dresser and even though I was completely furious at Damon for getting me an 'appropriate' dress, I was curious to see what it looked like. As I unzipped the Balmain bag, I gasped as I saw the incredible cocktail dress inside. It was black, cut just above the knee, with silver and gold hand stitched sequins covering it. The neckline was high, but was cutaway at the shoulders. Inside the bag also sat a gold pair of Jimmy Choo heels and a matching black and gold Balmain clutch. He was an asshole, but goddamnit if he didn't have fantastic taste! He obviously wanted me to stand out with the partners, wanted to show off his shiny new assistant, and if he wanted to play it like that, I could certainly play along. Instead of having the nap like I wanted to, I spent the better half of two hours grooming myself. I washed my long brown hair and after blow drying it, carefully curled it into a vintage inspired look. I applied gold eyeshadow and successfully lined my top lid with dark eyeliner before applying mascara to my messy lashes. At a quarter to seven, when I put a pair of my long gold earrings in, I judged my look in the mirror and was happy with how well I cleaned up.

I walked into the function room right on seven and was pleased when I noticed how many men in the room turned their heads as I strolled past. This girl from a 'backwater town in Virginia' was going to show them just how fabulous she could be. I smiled politely as I noticed Enzo crossing the room towards me

"Miss Gilbert, may I say you look stunning this evening" He greeted

"Thank you Enzo" I smiled "But please, call me Elena" He seemed happy with my informalities and asked if I cared for a glass of champagne. I indulged him and sipped the light bubbles eagerly, hoping for just a tad of liquid courage. I saw my boss walk in and cursed my traitorous loins as they vibrated at just how handsome he looked. Suits didn't wear Damon Salvatore, he wore them, and the perfectly tailored black suit and tie he was wearing tonight was no exception. His raised his eyebrows smugly at me before shaking some hands and making his way to the bar.

Pre-dinner drinks were pleasant enough, and I found myself glued to Enzo's side for most of the evening. He was jovial and friendly, and in a sea of cut throat businessmen he made me feel at ease, which was exactly what I needed this evening. I may have been wearing a designer dress with a fierce look on my face, but inside I was still intimidated by all these powerful men. We sat down to dinner at 8 and I was stunned at just how delicious the small portions of fancy food were.

"So how long have you been manning the Damon Salvatore vessel?" Enzo asked as our main course was being served

"Just a few weeks now. I have only recently returned to Mystic Falls from New York and I was lucky enough to secure the position" I smiled politely. His eyes sparkled knowingly, he had known Damon for several years and he knew I was being courteous

"And what were you doing in New York?" He asked, beginning to eat his mushroom and baked truffle risotto.

"Studying at NYU" I smiled, pausing for a moment to appreciate the explosion of taste that my own risotto was causing inside my mouth "I was about to begin my Masters but a family situation arose back home"

"Such a shame. I hope all is well" He said

"It is yes" I grinned

"What were you studying?" He asked

"Social Sciences"

"And what type of career would you like for yourself from your education?" I couldn't help but noticed how he almost spoke from another time, a very well-articulated British man.

"After my Masters I was hoping to get into socio-economic analysis or public policy design and evaluation"

"And you have settled for being Damon's PA? A smart girl like you is destined for so much more"

"At the moment I don't have much choice. In a few years I hope to return to my studies"

"Well we have plenty of positions available in New York for hard workers Elena. When you do return to your studies I'm certain we could provide some part time work for you here"

"Thank you Enzo that's very kind" I smiled. He was very gracious. We continued our meal with polite conversation and I was happy to say that I had found a new friend in New York City. After desert, the effects of the long day began to hit me and I noticed myself yawning.

"Tired?" He asked as he refilled his wine glass

"Yes it's been a long day. I think I might excuse myself and go back to my room in a few minutes" I told.

"Well let me know and I'll walk you up" He said with a smile. I took him up on his offer and politely said good night to members of the office. We reached my room number and Enzo reached into his jacket pocket and presented me with a business card "For when you move back to the city"

"Thank you" I smiled. Some might have thought it was a romantic gesture, but everything about him was genuine and friendly. I bid him goodnight and headed into my room. I zipped off the stunning dress that I had worn for the evening and placed it back in the garment bag, replacing it with my Lowe's old man singlet and tartan pyjama pants. I heard my phone buzz as soon as I laid down on the bed and I felt a sense of panic immediately, my thoughts going straight to Jeremy. I shouldn't have been surprised to see Damon's name on my screen.

"Where are you?" Was all it read. I hastily picked up the phone, not in the mood for his shit tonight.

"My room" I wrote back. My phone buzzed almost immediately

"With who?"

"No one" I typed back instantly. The nerve of this idiot. I had had about enough of Damon Salvatore for one evening and couldn't wait to return to Mystic Falls on Wednesday morning. A few days without him would be welcomed.

"One could ponder considering you and your new BFF left at the same time" his message read. Oh yeah, like I was going to fuck one of the account managers at the New York office on my first night in town on a business trip. What did he think of me? That I would craw into bed with anyone? Instead of writing back, I sent a photo of me in my pyjamas holding my middle finger up with the caption "Convinced?". I thought our conversation was finally over with and I settled into the comfortable hotel bed for my night's sleep. Just as I felt I was about to drift off my phone buzzed again

"Don't ever send me a photo of you alone in a bed again Miss Gilbert unless you're not wearing those pjs" What the fuck was wrong with him? For someone who had insisted on us returning to our normal professional relationship, he was crossing a line, big time.

"That is inappropriate Mr Salvatore. Goodnight" I typed angrily and turned my phone to silent. I didn't want to hear anything else from that man tonight. I put my phone on charge and resumed my sleep position, hoping I wouldn't have trouble achieving it tonight, as the past few weeks had brought me a limited amount. A loud knock on my door a few minutes later brought me out of my thoughts and I lazily put on my robe before looking through the peep hole. You had to be kidding me!

"I can see your feet under the door' he said huskily. This man was going to be the death of me. I opened the door and looked at him dead in the eye, he had to know he didn't intimidate me.

'I'm tired Mr Salvatore' I exclaimed, but this didn't seem to stop him inviting himself inside.

"Yeah me too' he said, leaning against the table in the entry. The bleariness in his eyes and the slight sway of his walk told me he had had a few too many scotches with dinner, not that it surprised me. The man drank like a fish.

"You're drunk" I retorted. Closing the door and walking into the room

"No Elena I'm tired- of pretending that whatever attraction I have for you hasn't taken over my entire life. My every thought. I'm tired of feeling it, I'm tired of ignoring it and I'm tired of treating you like shit because I don't know how to handle it. I'm tired of feeling an uncontrollable jealous rage when I see another man even talk to you. And mostly, I'm tired of worrying that I'm going to lose the best assistant I've ever had simply because I can't keep my hands off you' as tired as I was I took in what he was saying, and I completely understood it. My energy levels were constantly on low ever since meeting him, and something had to change. I knew what I needed to do.

"Well, maybe I should find another job Mr Salvatore" I said simply. He came to me after those words and put a gentle hand on my shoulder

"I don't want you to Elena" He said "As hard as it is seeing you every day, the thought of NOT seeing you every day is much worse. Plus, I meant what I said, you are the best assistant I've ever had" He stopped himself for a moment and his voice went lower "I thought if we just gave into it, just once, we would get it out of our systems. I could get it out of my system. But you're under my skin Elena, somehow, you got under my skin"

"Then what do you want to do?" I asked. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment in clear frustration.

"I have no idea" He whispered.

"Nothing happened with Enzo" I found myself saying. I didn't need to justify myself to him, but something inside me told me that he needed to hear it. After the deplorable way he had treated me this week the last thing he deserved was to be comforted, but something inside me gave in anyway.

"I know" He whispered again "I just get. Carried away"

"I know" I joked lightly. "Well something needs to change Damon because I cannot keep doing this anymore. It's hurting me too much"

"That's what's scaring me. Look how much I've already hurt you" He began "The way I've behaved the last week, the way I've spoken to you is just, fuck, I hate myself for it. But I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought it would be easier if I pushed you away"

"Have you noticed that every time you try to do the 'right thing' you end up hurting me anyway?" He nodded in agreement "I'm exhausted Damon. I don't have the strength to do this anymore" the look on his face was pure hurt. "But I still can't bring myself to walk away from you"

"You're a fool" he murmured lightly. His hand moved from my shoulder to cup my face and I melted at the contact. It had been over a week since he had touched me, and my body was craving it.

"I know" I said with a smile. He leant in nervously and placed the softest of kisses on my lips. "Come on" I took his hand and led him towards my bed. I knew what I was doing was just going to confuse things more, but I needed sleep. And I needed sleep in his arms. I pulled him down onto the bed and found my way into his nook, wrapping my arms around his neck as I got comfortable. "Will you stay? Until I fall asleep?"

"Yes Elena. I'll stay" he whispered.