Bad Blood – Chapter Twelve
The charity gala was always a red-carpet event, what with the number of celebrities that attended. It was one of those typical things that appear in a magazines 'hot or not' column. So far I'd spotted a few familiar faces…including one…what was her name again…oh yeah! Madonna. Celebrities just loved charities and cameras didn't they? I knew the company was big but the enormity of this event always surprised me.
Vera had spent ages trying to pick out a dress for me while I wandered around the closet in amazement…no matter how many times I'd been in there I'd never get used to it. Damon wasn't so impressed…more shocked about the extensive needs of women. She made him leave when she'd finally selected the right one and I had to admit…it was amazing. It was floor length and strapless, a deep red, almost burgundy colour with an empire waistline before falling down in soft, light material. Classic…but very pretty…according to her and another older woman in the Closet it looked perfect. I took their word for it. Make-up was simple and I left the artists to it, assuming that they knew what they were doing. She put me in some six inch black peep-toe heels with a thick block heel and platform before we left. Damon met us at the door in a perfectly crisp black suit and white shirt…I think we were both suitably in awe of one another…he always looked so perfect, it was hardly fair. But then he kept whispering the same in my ear throughout the limo ride. Oh I forgot to mention…you know the big shock? Vera's date?...Elijah Mikaelson…yep…was not expecting that.
By the time everyone was inside and sat down at the various tables, it was almost nine o'clock. The huge hall was set out with seemingly hundreds of extensively laid circle tables with white table-clothes and candles in the middle…I had to admit the whole place looked stunning. The evening started with a speech from the 'top man', followed by dinner and dancing as was expected. Where the money came from at these events was the auction. On one side of the room a long table was set up with men and women dressed smartly in neat suits, displaying all the luxury items. This was probably the main reason for all the extensive security too, since there was a good few million at least on that table alone. Diamonds, sapphires, crystals, ruby's…all manner of precious jewels cast into various pieces of jewellery. People had put up holiday houses for auction…cars, anything. And all the money went to charity. Of course the majority of the people present were wealthy enough to just give away there two million dollar pad in the Bahamas without leaving a dent in their bank account. How our lives were different. Thankfully you weren't expected to sell things.
I didn't leave Damon's side for a moment, not wanting to any more than he did. Sure there was still so much to talk about, what with the whole living on different sides of the continent / country but for tonight that didn't matter…touch wood. But as long as his arm was wrapped around my waist and there were smiles on both our faces, everything was right. And that was good because it really didn't take long for one Mick Tomlinson to find us.
I spotted him coming before Damon and closed my eyes for a moment, "Oh here we go-"I hardly got the near silent words out.
"Elena Gilbert! There's my favourite employee." He said in a sort of cheer and I whacked on a smile as he planted a kiss on my cheek, sliding into the empty seat next to me "And…who's this?" He asked, looking at Damon with that huge smile on his face and I could almost hear the ideas spinning in that head of his.
"Sir, this is Damon…my boyfriend," Both their eyes seemed to spark at the word, for different reasons obviously and I felt Damon's hand tighten slightly around mine, a pleased look on his face like 'yes I am'. Mick looked even happier if that was possible, "Damon this is my boss, Mick Tomlinson."
They shook hands firmly like all businessmen do, "Pleased to finally meet one, or is this another one of your friends stepping in while really he has a boyfriend working in a club in Manhattan."
I couldn't help but laugh at that, "No, Damon's an actual boyfriend. And Chris wasn't pretending to be my boyfriend, only being a friend."
He gave me that knowing look so I just sighed, "And so Damon, what do you do for a living? And how did you two meet for that matter?" And so the grilling commenced. But why I would ever doubt Damon's ability to impress was beyond me…that came out wrong. But he was a charmer…that much was undeniable. And Mick was certainly impressed. Like many people, he heard the word 'doctor' and put him down in the 'yes' pile…then he heard 'neurosurgeon' which of course led on to other topics.
"Ah, speaking of…Elena how did the surgery go? Your PA told me you were in California, exploiting the time off I assume."
Smiling a little, I nodded, "Yeah I went to see this one." I said, "I didn't really have much choice in having the surgery there but I promise you I didn't even see a beach."
He laughed quietly, "And it went well I presume?"
I glanced at Damon, knowing this was more his field and so he replied, "Yeah it all went well. My friend and colleague was the surgeon, removed the tumour without an issue as far as he told me. Just one complication but you're perfectly fine now so that's all that matters." He said with a smirk, our eyes locking for a moment and I tried to ignore the heat rising in my cheeks; so not the time or place.
Mick was oblivious to all, "Complication?" Worry spiked in his voice and I sighed, shaking my head a little.
"It wasn't really anything…I had a seizure so they took me into surgery earlier than expected."
"It wasn't exactly nothing Lena-"I shot him a look but he always had to have his own way, "Well if we hadn't had that fight-"
My eyes widened a little, "Can we not talk about that here…and if you even think about blaming yourself for something so completely out of your control I swear I will slap you."
For a moment we just stared at each other, but then it got too much and we both cracked smiles, the idea of me causing such a scene in front of all these gems of society being completely ridiculous, "I'd like to see you try."
"I'll wait until I have the element of surprise."
"I'll be waiting."
With a bright smile I turned back to my boss, thinking maybe I should change the subject…he was my boss after all, "Sir when do you want me back for work?"
He thought for a moment, "Well, as long as you're all healed up…next Wednesday there's a big job up for offer. If you're there it'll only be between you and Kate."
"Cool…I'll be there."
He smiled at that, shaking his head knowingly, "Thought so. I need to go find my wife before she places too many bids." And so we said our goodbyes and off he went. His wife really didn't have any concept on the value of money…she was great, a lovely woman but she needed a lesson or two in finances.
"Well he seems nice…" Damon muttered into my ear, pressing a kiss to my cheek and I smiled, leaning into him.
"Yeah…he's a good boss."
A short silence followed and I could tell he was thinking about something, but what it wasn't something I was expecting, "How about I move here…instead of you moving to California." I froze at that, completely shocked, "You're so settled here so it would make more sense…one of us is going to have to move-"
"No…Damon no. You can't move to the other side of the country. What about your job…all your friends. You're have one of the best jobs in that hospital."
"Well I want you more than the job."
I let out a sigh; he knew he was putting me in a hard position that I had told him I didn't want to be in, yet at least, "And I want that too but you're not giving up your job for me. No way, I wouldn't forgive you if you did. Don't do it."
He raised an eyebrow, "There's a lot of 'not forgiving' going around." Well he had me at that…what could I really say in return? How many times did we say 'I won't forgive you if you do that'…but we always do, not matter how serious. He let out a sigh, pulling my hand into both of his, "Elena I want to be able to come home every night and find you there…I want to be able to look forward to weekends or days off when we can just spend the day together. I don't want to have to book a five our flight a week in advance; I don't want it to take that long to get to you. Lena I don't want a long distance relationship and I know you don't either."
My eyes were locked on his hands entwined with mine, trying to get my head around the speech and figure out what I could possibly say in response. Because I wanted all that too…God I wanted all of that so bad…but it seemed so impossible. I could feel his gaze boring into the side of my face and I opened my mouth to speak, closing it again as I forgot the rash idea on how to phrase it, then, "I-…" Again…"How?" I asked, looking up at him with the question all over my face.
Another moments silence followed, "We'll figure something out." I almost laughed, shaking my head at the obvious futility of the situation, "Elena I'm serious, I only just got you back, I'm not going to lose you again over something this stupid."
I sighed, reaching up a hand to stroke down his jaw, knowing how he felt, "You won't…that's not going to happen, I promise. I just…" I honestly wasn't sure how to put this without it sounding awful, "I don't see how it can work…" His eyes widened a little and I rushed on, feeling guilt shoot through me, "No, don't look at me like that. It's just we're so far apart."
"It'll work." He cut me off again before I could even start, "We'll make it work Elena. And if it doesn't then I will move here…or vice versa…whatever."
"But that's not fair…if you were to move here that wouldn't be fair on you. You'd have to start over at a new hospital that wouldn't be as good-"
"I don't care."
"I do!" I paused, not wanting to shout. An idea popped into my head and it spilled out before I could stop it, "If one of us is going to move then both of us should move." He looked at me in confusion so I continued, "We both start over…new jobs…well, same job, new place…new city…new life. It could be in…I don't know…what's halfway between New York and LA? Somewhere in Nebraska or Kansas…" There was a smile spreading over his face, like he wanted to laugh, "Don't laugh at me Damon Salvatore."
Of course he couldn't help himself and it didn't take long before I started laughing too, "I'm sorry, of all places, that is so random."
"What's wrong with Nebraska?"
"Nothing…nothing at all. But we're not moving to Nebraska." I smiled, shrugging because it didn't really matter to me, "I think if we're both going to pick up sticks and all…we should go back to Mystic Falls…or Richmond; just for a while."
Now that surprised me…the idea had never once crossed my mind, "Mystic Falls? That's a bit of a step down from where we are now…"
He shrugged, "I could get a job at Richmond General Hospital…you could find a job in a publishing firm there…why couldn't it work?"
I let out a sigh, looking away from him and out at the crowds of rich people, dancing and talking and just having luxurious fun. I spotted Mick and his wife laughing with a group of businessmen…Jones and his girlfriend sitting at a table with a group of his office friends. Then finally there was Vera, dancing away with Elijah on the floor with all the other couples. I smiled as he twirled her around and she laughed, looking so much more carefree than she usually did…Moving back to Mystic Falls with Damon would be a dream…but a dream it would remain…it could never be reality.
Just saying, am I the only one who thought 4x04 was a bit of an anti-climax? Tell me what you thought :)
