PART TWENTY-FOUR

Elena had forgotten her sweater at Hooters after that disastrous birthday dinner and Lexi had called her and told her to come over so that she could pick it up at her house. Lexi opened the door when Elena came over one afternoon.

"Thank you for picking up my sweater," Elena said. "I can't believe that I forgot it."

Lexi shook her head as she gave Elena back her pink sweater. "It's no problem," Lexi hesitated. "Elena, would you mind coming inside with me for a second? I need to ask you for a favor if you don't mind."

She grew confused, but did as she was told. Lexi lived in a small, one story house that she mentioned that her grandma had left her. The place smelled like vanilla and the scent was so strong that Elena hoped that her morning sickness didn't decide to act up, otherwise she would end up vomiting over Lexi's beige carpet.

Lexi handed her a cup of strawberry lemonade which seemed to help a little. Elena sat on the white couch, careful not to spill her lemonade. "What favor did you want to ask me, Lexi?"

Lexi smiled at her as she giggled nervously. "Well, I don't know how to start exactly. I don't know if it was obvious, but me and Stefan. Well, me and Stefan's relationship has been on the rocks as of late. I feel that we are growing distant you know, do you ever feel that way with Damon."

"Um," Elena didn't know if this was the best time to tell her that Damon had basically ignored her until he had asked her to marry him so that he could get his inheritance.

Lexi thankfully didn't wait for Elena to answer. "I just think that maybe if Stefan and I spice up our sex lives then maybe our relationship would improve." She raised an eyebrow. "I mean it's worth a shot. You are married, what do you think?"

Elena shifted uncomfortably. "It's worth a shot, what do you think? What are you planning to do?"

Lexi smiled at her. "I was planning on doing something sexy, trying to get Stefan in the mood for you know, sex." She cleared her throat. "Stefan mentioned that you helped Mrs. Salvatore and Rebekah with a photo shoot for a couple of wedding dresses, so that must mean that your pictures came out good."

Elena shrugged. "I guess. I mean I'm not a professional nor do I like to brag. But yes they came out pretty good."

"No bragging is good," Lexi said. "I need you to brag Elena, because that's the favor that I want to ask you, I want you to do a photoshoot of me."

Elena relaxed slightly. "Oh, of course, Lexi I would be happy do it for you."

Lexi gave her a sheepish smile. "No, you're not understanding. I want you to do a photoshoot of me naked."

Elena turned red and she started stammering. "Wow, a naked photoshoot. I wasn't-I don't think-"

"Please, Elena say that you will do it," Lexi gave her big, puppy dog eyes. "I'm sure a naked photoshoot will spice up the relationship between me and Stefan. You're the only photographer I know. I would be too shy to ask anyone else. Please tell me that you will do it, please, please."

Elena sighed after a few minutes. "Fine, I'll do it."

Elena jumped slightly when a small piece of rice hit her on the cheek. She looked up from where Damon was eating Chinese take-out. Elena scowled as she wiped the rice from her cheek and flickered a piece of orange chicken towards Damon, but he somehow managed to catch it with his chopsticks.

"What are you thinking about? You've been so spacy all through dinner?"

"It's nothing," Elena played with her orange chicken. She could feel her cheeks turning pink. "I was just-I went to Lexi's house to pick up my sweater and she asked me for a favor. That's all. I'm just thinking about it."

Damon looked confused. "Aren't you thinking about this a little too hard over a favor?"

"It wasn't just a regular favor." Elena said feeling uncomfortable.

"What did Lexi ask you to do?" Damon joked. "Rob a bank?"

Elena didn't say anything.

"Wait, are you serious?"

Elena's brown eyes flickered. "What? No, she didn't ask me to rob a bank." She flushed. "You're going to laugh at me and she made me promise that I wouldn't say anything. She made me swear to secrecy."

Damon looked amused. "Sworn to secrecy, huh? Are you sure that you don't want to spill, it will make you feel better." He smiled at her. "Come on, Elena you know that you want to."

"Fine," Elena huffed. "Do you promise that you are not going to laugh?"

"Scouts honor."

His wife huffed. "You were never a boy scout."

"Spill."

"Lexi wants me to take nude photos of her for Stefan," she blurted out. "They've been having relationship problems and Lexi thinks that this might help them spice things up in their relationship."

Damon burst out laughing and Elena huffed. "Don't laugh. I said yes, ok. The poor thing seemed so desperate."

"I doubt nudes is going to solve their relationship problems," Damon mused. "From what Stefan has told me their relationship is basically done."

Elena sighed as she played with her food. She suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. "It doesn't hurt to try is it?"

"You're a genius and I'm sorry that I ever doubted you." Rebekah said as she put down Elena's pictures that she had taken during their first ever photoshoot. "You had a 95% approval with editors and ad campaigns."

Elena took a sip of her coffee and frowned. "Who are the other 5%?"

"It doesn't matter," Rebekah took a bite of her bagel and then looked at her watch. "Anyway, we are going to move the shoot up. Thanks to your little pictures our sales are doing better than ever. You don't mind, do you?"

Elena shook her head. She could rearrange the shoot with Lexi. "I don't mind. I think it would be better to get it out of the way so that I could focus on the editing. If you don't like it then we will have ample time to reshoot."

Rebekah winked at her. "I like your thinking. Does Thursday at 7am work for you?" Elena nodded. She was going to do Lexi's photoshoot on Tuesday so she could spend all of Wednesday editing. "That works for me."

Rebekah smiled. "Perfect. I'm going to make you a star, Elena."

-End of Chapter Twenty-Four-

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