Not him again, Elena groaned.

She had been ignoring her cell all morning, but if she saw Matt's name flashed on the screen one more time, she might hurl the phone through her office window. And it was a new phone. A new window, for that matter.

"Matt, hey." Elena leaned back in the office chair she managed to smuggle from Augustine Enterprises in last week's move.

"Elena, I have been calling you all day," Matt said, voice petulant.

"Have you? Sorry, I have been slammed here at the office."

"Did you see what the Post wrote about us? They are reporting that we are done."

"Is that what they said?" She massaged one temple. In just the week since our split, she had almost forgotten what a recalcitrant child Matt could be.

"How did it get out so fast? I haven't told anyone because I have been hoping you will rethink the breakup."

"What can I say? We live in a bubble. Hard for people like us to keep secrets." Elena checked a chip in her manicure. "And I have thought this through, Matt. I told you that last week when we ended things."

"But I thought maybe we could just take some time apart and figure things out."

"I just think we have come to the end of our road." She drew a deep breath, making a conscious effort to gentle her voice. "We can still be friends, but that is all I want."

"Is there someone else?"

Damon Salvatore's face, the solid jaw line, the high cheek bones and the "bad boy" smile, splattered itself all over her mental canvas. Not a day had gone by since that man traipsed off to Cambodia that she hadn't thought about him. It was really irritating.

"There is no one else, Matt. Just me. It just needs to be me for a while." Elena let that sank in before checking to make sure he understood. "Okay, Matt? Friends?"

"Friends for now, Elena," Matt said. "But you know how hot it was between us. I will try not to rub it in when you come knocking wanting more."

Don't flatter yourself, Elena said to herself. Don't hold your breath or your dick.

"Take care, Matt."

Why did I answer? She asked herself when she ended the call. His call had thrown her schedule off, and she needed to get across town to meet with François's team about the unveiling of the Goddess scent. She was gathering a few things to work on in the car when her cell rings again. She didn't recognize the number, but she called a few artisans for Retreat. It could be one of them returning her call.

"Hello?" She didn't give more information than that in case it was a wrong number.

"Elena, hi."

That voice poured over her like a vat of honey, and just those two words ran down her body, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their sweet, sticky wake. She would know that voice anywhere.

"Who is this?"

Damon's deep chuckle rumbled from the other end.

"You don't recognize my voice, Elena? I'm hurt. Truly."

"How did you get my private number?"

"I'm a well-connected man."

"Are you back in New York?" Even though Elena had no intention of seeing him, she was curious if it was even a possibility.

"Got back yesterday. Sorry it took me so long to call." A small pause hung between them. "I read that you dumped the quarterback."

"Did you now?"

"Which brings me to the reason for my call."

"Which is?" Elena braced herself to refuse anything this man asked of her.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

"I'm busy tonight."

"Tomorrow?"

"No."

"Uh…the next night?"

"Sorry, no." Elena heaved a sigh. "We talked about this. Go find yourself a good girl like April."

"But I want myself an Elena." She heard the grin in his voice and wanted to slap herself across the mouth for grinning back.

"We all want things we can't have."

"That is not my mantra."

"You have a mantra? How very pretentious of you."

The low-timbered laugh from the other end tightened her nipples in the silk cups of her bra.

"I can't remember ever being called pretentious before."

"Oh, then I'm your first. I promise to be gentle with you."

"No." His voice dipped and went a shade darker. "Don't be."

Damn, it is hot in here, Elena thought. She fanned herself with the report April sent over this morning.

"I have to go, Damon. I'm already late for a meeting."

She hung up before anything else on her body went wet or tighten. Just two minutes of that his voice had her making battery-operated plans for tonight.

"Was that Matt again?" Caroline placed a mint green and white shopping bag on the corner of Elena's desk. "Here's a few pieces from Kerris Whitmore's Riverstone Collection, like you asked for."

"Oh, thanks. Yeah, she and I are supposed to meet soon. Can you confirm?" Elena peered into the bag at the three boxes stacked neatly. "And, no, that wasn't Matt. Well it was, and then it wasn't. Two calls."

"Matt's still not getting the message?" Caroline dropped into the seat facing Elena's desk. "Even after we went to the trouble of leaking the story to the Post?"

"Yeah, even still. I'm done being subtle and sweet." Elena grabbed her floppy leather clutch and her iPad, standing. "Remind me again why I'm not at least experimenting? Men aren't worth the trouble."

"I'm sure I can find you some girl-on-girl."

"No, thanks." Elena paired a wicked smile with a wicked wink. "I still like sleeping with a man."

"Isn't that the truth." Caroline giggled. "You said it was and then it wasn't Matt. Who was the other call?"

"Oh, the other call." Elena lowered her head and bent over, focusing on slipping her heels back on. "That was Damon Salvatore."

"Ooooh." Caroline rubbed her hands together vigorously enough to make fire. "We like him."

Elena made her face stern.

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do." Caroline's face softened. "I can tell you do, Elena. You should give him a chance. I would."

Elena stood up straight and gave her "you better not ever" eyes.

"You won't."

"Oh, is my girl jealous?"

"Never." Elena grabbed her wrap for the October breeze that snuck into the city over the last few days. "You know I don't do good guys."

"You forget I have seen that good guy, and I bet he could do you good."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Well, he won't get the chance, will he?"

Caroline had this way of just staring at her when she knew there was more, waiting for Elena to give it to her.

"Caroline, everyone would ask what he saw in me. What he is doing with me." Elena grabbed the bottled water from her desk. "I have never been that girl, and I'm sure as hell not starting now. We don't fit. We make no sense."

"You never know."

Elena smiled at Caroline over her shoulder on the way out.

"And I never will."

x x x

Retreat.

The scripted writing on the office doorplate made Damon smiled. He never did find out what Elena was up to. Guess he would today. A mahogany reception desk took up a good portion of the cool-toned lobby. A man, slim, brown-haired, early twenties, was on the phone. He held up an index finger, silently indicating that he would be right with him, and then waved Damon towards a set of sleek leather chairs.

"How can I help you?" The receptionist ran his eyes up Damon's legs and over his chest before finally reaching his face. "I would love to help you."

Well, this is awkward already, Damon thought.

"Um, hi." Damon stood and approached the guy at the desk. "I'm here to see Elena Gilbert"

The receptionist glanced from an iPad on his desk back up to Damon's face.

"I don't see an appointment."

"Yeah, she must have forgotten to put it down." Damon hoped the smile he was giving the receptionist was actually persuasive.

"Yeah, sure. That must be why she left for the day." The receptionist rolled his eyes, but still looked interested. "You could leave a card with me."

Damon didn't want to leave a card. He wanted…after three weeks, he would just like to see Elena. In a short time, he had grown to enjoy the way she layered sarcasm and testiness to hide what she was really feeling. She might as well be using cellophane, that was how apparent it was to him that she wanted to explore what this could be between them.

"No card, but thanks."

Damon headed towards the exit when a woman with a pale complexion, blue-green eyes and medium length blonde hair entered the lobby from the hall presumably leading to the offices.

"Gil, were those illustrations delivered?" A frown puckered her eyebrows together. "Elena needs those for her meeting tomorrow."

Damon hovered near the door in case she dropped information he might be able to use. She flicked a glance his way, looking away and then back again, eyes focusing on him.

"Have you been helped?" she asked.

"He was looking for Elena." Gil did air quotes, scepticism lining his otherwise unlined face. "An appointment that she must have forgotten."

"I keep Elena's schedule," the blonde said. "She didn't have an appointment this afternoon."

"Miscommunication, obviously." Damon headed for the elevators.

"Damon?"

His name called behind him stopped him in his tracks. Damon turned to find the lady smiling now.

"Damon Salvatore, right? I thought that was you." She grinned, gesturing for him to follow her down the hall. "Come on back."

What happened? Am I missing something? Damon thought. Only one way to find out. The blonde led him back down the hall into a spacious office decorated in shades of grey and green. She indicated a chair near a desk.

"So I finally get to meet you."

Damon froze, halfway down to the seat.

"Finally? You obviously know my name." His brows went up as he sat down. "And you are?"

"Caroline Forbes." She sat on the edge of her desk, her sharp eyes taking in his shoes, grey slacks, and dark sweater. "You are even better in person."

"Excuse me?" Damon managed a quick, self-conscious laugh. She didn't hide the admiration in her eyes, but he didn't get an interested vibe from her at all. "How do you know me?"

"Elena watched some of your talks." Caroline rolled her eyes and grinned. "Actually a lot of them."

Damon ran his palms over his knees, keeping his face neutral so she wouldn't know how much that information pleased him.

"She did mention that." Damon looked at her like her fully expected her to answer his next question. "Where is she?"

Caroline gave a husky laugh and wagged a finger at him.

"Oh, no, buddy. I'm not that easy." Her face dropped any sign of amusement. "What are your intentions towards Elena?"

"My intentions?" Damon ran a hand over his hair. "Does she have a dowry I should know about? Are we be betrothed now? What do you mean my intentions? I want to get to know her."

"A lot of guys want to 'get to know' Elena, but I was hoping you were different." She stood, her mouth a straight line, and raised green-blue, disappointed eyes to him. "I will show you out."

"I like her."

The words spilled out before Damon had time to think better of it. He didn't even know this woman in front of him, but it was apparent to him that she cared about Elena, that she knew her. And the fact that she knew more about Elena than he did meant he should take her question seriously.

Caroline slowly settled back onto the edge of the desk, a small smile playing around her lips.

"What do you like about her exactly?"

Damon wasn't prepared for a Elena's pop quiz.

"I like that she is absurdly honest," he said. "Like rudely so."

"You like that?"

"I hate bullshit. I hate having to figure out what people really mean behind what they say, and she is not like that." Damon shook his head and gave e a quick laugh. "Except for the fact that she pretends not to like me."

Caroline lifted one brow.

"Confident, aren't we?"

"Would she want a man who wasn't?" He returned her grin before continuing. "So will you help me? Tell me where she is?"

"No, I'm sorry I can't tell you where she is."

Damon stood up, ready to head out. As much as he wanted to find Elena today, Rose would be calling soon reminding him about the meetings that would take up the rest of his afternoon. The reason he was actually in New York.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Caroline." He started towards the door.

"Wait."

Damon looked back to find Caroline walking towards him, eyes fixed on her phone.

"I can't tell you where she is now." She glanced up from her phone to offer a conspiratorial grin. "But I can tell you where she will be tomorrow."