Welcome to Dallas, friends! Elena and Damon have landed.
Thank you all so much for your reviews last chapter. Damon and Elena are on a bit of a roller coaster ride here lately, with highs and lows. I've nearly finished writing the story - although there are still several chapters for you all to go! - and I am so pleased with how it's turned out. I can't wait to wrap it up and share the whole thing with you over the next few weeks!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.
Elena thanked the woman behind the desk as she passed her the keycard to her and Damon's hotel room. Her flight had landed in Dallas less than an hour ago, but Damon was once again experiencing flight delays, thanks to a torrential rainstorm in the northeast. Instead of arriving around the same time as her, it would be late afternoon, at best, before he made his way to Texas.
After politely declining the aide of a bellhop, she navigated her luggage – a large suitcase and a roller bag carry on along with her oversized purse – into the elevator, took the car to her floor, and located their room number, impressed by the hotel's elegant décor. Inside the room, she stopped in her tracks. She had heard the word "suite" when checking in, but she hadn't realized what she was in for as she stepped inside. The elaborate suite was more like a small apartment, complete with a small kitchenette, a living room and an impressive master bedroom and bathroom. She shook her head with a fond smile as she explored. Damon never did anything halfway.
Her flight had been an early one, among the first of the day to leave Charlottesville. After a short layover in Chicago, she had landed in Dallas just before lunch. She put her things away at a leisurely pace, figuring there was no reason to rush if Damon was still hours from arriving. After hanging her last dress, she located the room service menu and ordered a salad. She lay back on the bed to wait, letting out a sigh at how comfortable it was. Her phone chimed.
Finally getting on the plane. It might actually leave this time.
She smiled at Damon's message and then tapped out her own.
Tell the pilot to hurry.
Damon replied moments later.
Not sure if there are speed limits in the sky, but I'll tell him to break them all.
Elena was working on her reply as another message from Damon came through.
Time to turn off the phone. I'll see you in Dallas. Love you.
Elena smiled as she texted him a "love you too" before letting her phone fall to the bed. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door followed by a call of "room service!" She inhaled her meal at an unladylike speed and after a brief debate between exploring the area around the hotel on her own or taking a nap, she chose a nap, her early morning catching up with her. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
"This is the sixth time you've sent the contract back, Mason. What the hell else could you want?"
Elena groaned and rolled over, keeping her eyes closed as she tried to get comfortable again. She had been sleeping peacefully and her body desperately wanted to return to its former state of slumber.
"You've lost your damn mind. No one is going to give you all you can eat access to burritos. Where the hell do you come up with this stuff?"
Elena flipped over onto her back, her eyes still closed as she tried to place the voice that had broken into her sleep.
"No, Mason. They're pissed off as it is that you keep making demands. Sign the contract I sent you this morning and enjoy your new position as spokesman for your favorite canned soup."
There was something vaguely familiar about that voice.
"Just sign it, Mason. You send that contract back again, and you'll lose the deal all together. You think I'm pissed off now? Blow this deal, and you'll see what me pissed off actually looks like."
The side of the bed sunk down just as her sleep addled brain connected the dots. Damon. Her eyes fluttered open and met Damon's icy blue ones looking down at her, a smile on his face even as he held his phone to his ear, listening to whoever was on the other end of it.
"Get over it," he said into the phone. "You're getting a handsome payday and primetime commercial action. I'll put burritos on your rider for the commercial shoot if you want one so damn bad." He leaned down and kissed Elena softly. "Hi," he whispered.
"Hey," she replied, smiling. He kissed her once more and then held up a finger to indicate that he wouldn't be much longer. She nodded in response.
"Take it or leave it, Mason."
Elena sat up in bed and crossed her legs. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and wished she looked more presentable than she was sure she did right then. Damon looked at her and rolled his eyes, pointing towards his phone. She chuckled, aware of his ongoing contract battle with one of his clients who had turned out to be demanding as he landed his first national endorsement deal.
"I'm done talking about it," Damon stated. "You sign the contract by end of day tomorrow. You don't sign it, you lose the contract. Their rules, not mine." He reached out and put a hand on Elena's knee, squeezed it gently. "End of story, Mason. I'm hanging up now. Sign it or lose the deal all together. Your call. I still get paid either way."
True to his word, Damon ended his call and tossed his phone aside. With a groan he laid back on the bed, his head in Elena's lap. "I hate that guy," he informed her.
"Then why do you keep working with him?" Elena asked. She ran her hand through Damon's thick hair.
"He makes a lot of money. And in turn, I make a lot of money. He's really not all that bad, so long as there isn't an endorsement deal involved."
"And yet, you hate him."
"Right now? Yes."
"Did I hear right about him wanting unlimited burritos?"
"Yep," Damon confirmed. "As part of this soup endorsement deal, he wants all you can eat burritos. Because that makes sense. I've never been able to confirm it, but I think he might enjoy a little recreational drug use that results in binge eating."
"Isn't that illegal?"
"It could cost him everything," Damon confirmed. "I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be working with him. He goes through agents like you and I go through chewing gum. If he doesn't sign this deal, I'm done. If he does sign this deal, I'm done once we meet all the contractual obligations."
"You sound so cutthroat," Elena teased.
"I sound like I haven't had a proper kiss from my girlfriend in nearly a month," he replied. Elena laughed, leaned down and kissed him deeply. He groaned when she pulled away. "That hit the spot," he stated. He sat up and moved so he was propped up against the headboard beside her.
"Welcome to Dallas," Elena smirked.
"Indeed," Damon agreed. He leaned over and kissed Elena yet again. "Want to get some dinner? I'm starving."
"What time is it?" Elena asked. She glanced over at the bedside clock and saw it was nearly six o'clock. "I slept the entire afternoon," she added.
"Good," Damon replied. "You'll have plenty of stamina for all the things I plan to do to you tonight."
"Don't you need to get some sleep?" Elena asked. She had already noticed that Damon looked more exhausted than ever, the dark circles heavy under his eyes.
"I napped on the plane," he replied with a smirk. "There wasn't any wifi on the flight. No one could reach me." He looked proud of that fact and Elena thought it was sad that Damon had to resort to flights that spanned half the country in an effort to check out for a while.
"And then you landed," Elena guessed. Damon sighed and nodded.
"And then I landed," he confirmed. "Mason alone had left three messages, sent an email and I didn't bother counting how many text messages he sent."
"So, dinner?" Elena asked, changing the subject in an effort to distract Damon from work for a while, knowing he needed a break. "I ate a salad for lunch. Lettuce doesn't stick to the bones. Maybe you can take me to that Whataburger place you were so excited about the last time you were here?" Damon grinned.
"Elena Gilbert, I just fell even more in love with you," he declared. With that, he was on his feet and pulling Elena to hers. He held her to him and kissed her one more time. Laughing, Elena pulled away.
"Give me five minutes," she said. "I just want to freshen up after my nap."
"So that means a half hour," Damon grumbled under his breath. Elena scoffed and gave him a look. He laughed and swatted her behind as she passed him en route to the bathroom. He settled into a nearby chair to wait, his phone back in his hand as he navigated through his email. He heard the water turn on in the bathroom and a small smile graced his lips. Elena was with him. The world was suddenly a little more right.
Elena sat at the dinner table, doing her best to not look bored. She pushed around the food on her plate, wishing desperately that the chicken drowned in too much rich sauce and roasted vegetables with too many spices would magically turn into a juicy burger and fries. The meal she and Damon had shared at Whataburger the night before, seated at plastic booths and dining out of plastic containers, beat this meal any day.
Beside her, Damon laughed at something the portly man seated across from him said and Elena smiled tightly, reaching for her glass of wine as she feigned interest. The woman seated on her other side chatted animatedly with the one other woman at their table about a society event in DC they had plans to attend in a couple of weeks, some $1,000 a plate function to raise money for a charity that would allow those in attendance to feel better about themselves or, in Elena's opinion, get in one last tax deduction before the year's end.
Back in Mystic Falls, she would be at Jenna and Ric's right now, baking pies and playing with Ella, preparing for Thanksgiving dinner the next day. Ric would be drinking bourbon and cursing the holiday for the amount of fuss it involved, all while secretly enjoying the family atmosphere. They would order in pizza to save from having to use the stove for anything besides meal prep for the next day and stay up well past Ella's bed time, using the next day's dinner prep as a farce to sit around and enjoy one another's company and a bottle of wine.
But instead, she was in Dallas, at a business dinner with Damon. He had sprung the invitation on her hours earlier, telling her some of the Redskins management wanted to get together for dinner to discuss Harper's contract. She'd had to run out and find a dress, having packed nothing formal enough for the restaurant they had reservations at. Damon had waited impatiently for her to finish getting ready, even tapping his foot at one point, despite the fact that the restaurant was directly across the street from their hotel, and had spent the whole of the evening schmoozing the men at the table, all of whom seemed to be willing to give him the world and all the money in it in exchange for Harper James staying with their team for another five years.
Harper wasn't present, citing the need to watch game film, eat a lot of carbs, and go to bed early ahead of the next day's big game. Elena found herself desperately wishing that he was. He would have provided her with entertainment or, at the very least, a friendly face to talk to. She had ended up having lunch with him while Damon had gone off to play golf with someone else from the Redskins camp. She had been sitting alone in the hotel's dining room when Harper had spied her and made himself at home at her table, a teammate in tow. She had been grateful to see him then as he had unknowingly saved her from death by boredom. At the moment, she was even more grateful to see the waiter approaching with dessert, signaling that their night was drawing to a close.
Under the table, she felt Damon's hand land on her knee. His fingertips started to dance upward along her thigh. She placed her hand over his to stop it. He shot her a questioning look, but she squeezed his hand in return and he took that to mean all was well. She ate her too rich chocolate cake, making polite remarks when necessary and wondering why Damon had taken it upon himself to order for her. She hadn't really wanted dessert in the first place, but had it been up to her, she would have opted for the cheesecake.
A wave of relief washed over her as the check came and one of the Redskins high ups picked up the tab, making a joke about business expenses and write offs that made the table laugh. Elena managed a weak smile and pretended to busy herself with looking for something in her clutch to hide the fact that she really just wanted to roll her eyes. She allowed Damon to take her hand and help her to her feet and made sure to thank the man who paid for dinner, even though she couldn't remember his name.
"We'll talk about the finer points next week, but I think we've reached a tentative deal, young Salvatore," the man who had paid the bill said.
"I believe we have," Damon agreed. He extended his hand. "I'll send a preliminary contract over next week."
"Please do," the man replied. He looked around at the group. "Join me for a nightcap at the hotel bar?"
"You read my mind," Damon said, clapping the man on the shoulder. Elena bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from saying something she was going to regret. As a group, they crossed the street from the restaurant to their hotel and once in the lobby, the group started for the bar area, the two women a few steps ahead and breaking off to go their own way, still deep on conversation about their holiday social agenda. Elena paused, drawing Damon's attention away from his conversation. He looked at her.
"Elena?"
"I'm going to head upstairs, call it an early night," she said. She turned to the man that had paid for dinner. "Thank you, again, for dinner. It was wonderful."
"You're most certainly welcome!" he said jovially. "You sure you don't want to join us? You certainly make Damon look a lot more attractive, just by standing next to him." Elena smiled although she felt far from friendly.
"Damon can hold his own without me," she said politely. "You gentleman enjoy your nightcap."
"If you insist," the man replied. "It was a pleasure, Elena."
"I'll meet you at the bar," Damon told the men as they resumed their path towards the alcohol. He turned to Elena when they were out of earshot. "You okay?" he asked. Elena nodded.
"Just tired," she said. "It's been a long day." Damon's eyes narrowed. To his knowledge, Elena had slept in, had lunch with Harper, and then went shopping. He didn't know what was so "long day" about that.
"I don't believe you." Elena sighed.
"Go, have a drink," she said. "I'll see you upstairs."
"You're mad," Damon stated.
"No, I'm not mad. I'll be bored out of my mind if I stay for a drink. You go network or schmooze or whatever it is you're doing. I'm going to go up to our room, change into something comfortable, and read for a while." Damon looked torn.
"It'll just be one drink," he said. Elena got the impression he was bargaining with her in an effort to appease her. "Then I'll be up."
"It's fine, Damon," Elena said with a shake of her head. "Besides, I should probably call Jenna. She texted me earlier with all sorts of questions about pie recipes."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Elena said. She lifted herself up onto her tiptoes and kissed Damon's cheek. "I'll see you in a bit." Damon responded by pressing his lips to her forehead briefly.
"I'll be up in a bit," he said, already turning towards the bar. "Do me a favor?" Elena looked at him, waiting. "Draw us a nice, hot bubble bath." He winked at her, leaving her standing in the lobby with a blush coloring her cheeks.
"Elena! Hi!" Elena was surprised by the sense of comfort she felt at the sound of her aunt's voice.
"Hey, Jenna," she replied. "I got your texts. You didn't start on that pecan pie yet, did you? Because you were incredibly wrong…"
"No, not yet," Jenna said. "I did manage a pumpkin pie unscathed, however. Or, at least, I think I did. We'll see how it tastes, but Ric doesn't have a lot of confidence in my baking. Apparently, we should have made you bake everything before you left yesterday." Elena smiled sadly on her end.
"I miss you all," she said, knowing she could confide in her aunt. "It's weird, not being home with you."
"It's weird not having you here," Jenna admitted. "But you're with Damon, on your first trip together, celebrating your first Thanksgiving as a couple. Not to mention the fact that you're going to one of the biggest football games of the year tomorrow. If you can't be here, at least you're with someone you love, doing something exciting."
"Well, I'm in the same city as Damon, so I guess that's something," Elena said dryly. Jenna knew her niece well and knew instantly that something was wrong.
"Everything okay?" she asked gently.
"Yeah," Elena said with a sigh. "Or, well, I mean, yeah, everything is fine."
"That's super convincing."
"I'm fine, Jenna," Elena said with more conviction. "It's just… Damon is here, but we haven't had a chance to spend much time together. His flight was delayed for hours yesterday. When he finally got here, we grabbed some fast food, came back to our hotel, and he crashed, which he needed. He hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately. But then he was up and out of bed early this morning, working. Then he took off golfing with some of the Redskins coaches or something and when he got back, he dropped a business dinner on me. I had to run out and find something to wear and Jenna, Ric's classes on the Civil War are more entertaining than that dinner was."
"I highly doubt that," Jenna scoffed.
"It's true," Elena insisted. "Damon and the Redskins manager or whoever those people were talked about nothing but football and the only other two women at the table knew each other and talked about all of their DC society events and Christmas plans. Now, Damon is downstairs at the hotel bar, having a nightcap with them while I'm sitting around our hotel room. By myself. Again."
"Elena, one of Damon's biggest clients does play for the Redskins," Jenna reminded her gently. "You had to know he would be working at least part of the time."
"I know," Elena admitted. "And I was invited to get drinks, but I knew I'd be bored to tears. I just… I guess I let myself get carried away with thoughts of spending some quality time together. I haven't seen him in almost a month. He'll be working most of tomorrow and then we'll have Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant. Hopefully, he'll be all mine on Friday and Saturday. I've missed him."
"I know you have," Jenna said. "And I'm sure he's missed you too. Just remember, as much as he may love his job and hanging out with pro athletes, you ultimately have all the power." Elena frowned.
"I do?"
"Honey, if you want his undivided attention, all you have to do is take your clothes off," Jenna told her seriously, making Elena blush on her end of the phone. "And then, he's all yours."
Damon let himself into their hotel room as quietly as he could. He winced when he saw the lights turned off, the bedroom of their suite lit only by the flicker of a late night television show. He toed his shoes off as silently as possible and all but tiptoed into the bedroom. Elena was in bed, her back to the door. Unsure of whether she was awake, he gingerly sat down on side of the bed.
"Elena?" he whispered. She didn't reply. "Elena?" he tried again. Still nothing. He carefully laid down beside her and slipped an arm around her with the intentions of pulling her against his chest and holding her for a while before he changed into something more comfortable.
"Don't," she mumbled, pulling away from him. Damon sighed.
"Hey," he said gently, "I'm sorry." He tried to put an arm around her again, but again, she pulled away. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "Time got away from me."
"I'm trying to sleep," Elena replied. Damon bit his lip to keep himself from saying anything more. He knew he was in trouble, had known he would be when he ordered another drink after promising Elena he'd be up to their room after one. But he had hoped a few carefully chosen words and a well-timed kiss or two would get him back in her good graces. It seemed like it wasn't going to be that easy.
"I love you," he told her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before getting up and heading into the bathroom. He took his time getting ready for bed, giving Elena some space to cool off while trying to think of a way to smooth things over. Thinking, however, was made difficult by the damp towels hanging up and a few candles scattered around the bathtub which had been lit and since blown out, clear signs that Elena had, indeed, drawn them a bubble bath. In the end, he returned to their bedroom and slipped under the covers beside her without much of a plan besides trying to say he was sorry yet again.
"I love you too," Elena muttered into the dark as he slid closer to her. "Just – stay over there. I need to be mad for a while."
Damon didn't reply, remembering what he'd told Elena about calling him out on his behavior. It seemed she was taking his request to stay mad at him seriously. With a sigh, he turned the television off and laid in bed, gazing at the ceiling and listening to the sound of Elena breathing. When her breaths had been even for a stretch of time, he knew she was asleep. He carefully rolled onto his side and put his arm around her, pulling her into his chest. He kissed her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Elena sighed in her sleep and he tightened his arm around her. He couldn't figure it out, but even with her right next to him, he felt like she was further away than ever.
For the second time in less than 12 hours, Damon found himself tiptoeing quietly into the suite's bedroom. He carefully placed the tray he was carrying on the nightstand on Elena's side of the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
"Elena," he said softly, his fingertips lightly trailing along her cheek. "Time to wake up." She groaned. "Rise and shine," he encouraged, his hand moving through her hair.
"Damon?"
"I'm here," he said, his tone still soft. "I've got breakfast. Let me see those beautiful brown eyes." Slowly, Elena's eyes fluttered open. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. He was sure she was still unhappy with him about the night before, but he couldn't help but marvel at her now.
"Hey," she said, her voice scratchy. She stretched her arms over her head.
"Hey," he replied. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Want some breakfast?"
"Did you already order room service?" she asked, still groggy.
"I did," he confirmed. "Waffles, fresh fruit, whip cream… You told me it was your favorite breakfast food when we went to brunch before you left New York. I can order something else though." He would figure out how to bring her the moon if she asked for it, whether she was upset with him or not.
"No, waffles are great," Elena said quickly. "Have they delivered yet?" she asked as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Damon grinned and reached for the tray. Her eyes lit up as she realized what was going on. "You brought me breakfast in bed?"
"Technically, I brought us breakfast in bed," he said as he settled the tray over her lap. "Mine is still out in the living room."
"Well, go get it," Elena instructed. "Have breakfast with me." Damon smiled, glad she seemed to have slept off her anger.
"Be right back," he said with a wink. He disappeared into the living room and returned a few moments later with a tray of his own. He sat down on the bed carefully and arranged himself so he was sitting close to Elena, his own tray now over his lap.
"Even though I know you're doing this because you feel bad about last night, thank you for breakfast," Elena said.
"I would have ordered us breakfast either way," Damon replied. "But the hope that it's buttering you up a little bit is admittedly present."
"It is," Elena confirmed. "Speaking of, what happened to 'one drink and I'll be right up' last night?"
"I had every intention of coming up after a drink," Damon said. "But they just kept talking and every time I tried to leave, they reeled me back in. I wanted to be here, with you, but until Harper's contract has permanent ink on it…"
"You needed to stick around and kiss their asses," Elena said bluntly. Damon smirked at her choice of words, surprised as always by Elena.
"I was going to put it a bit more eloquent, but yes."
"So, just go ahead and tell me now, are we going to actually get to spend any time together this weekend?" Her tone was testy and Damon knew he was treading on thin ice.
"We're together right now," he said suggestively. Elena pierced him with a look that told him it was the wrong thing to say.
"I mean time together that doesn't involve sex, sleeping or food." Damon knew what Elena meant. She wanted – and, frankly, deserved – his undivided attention.
"Well, we have the game this afternoon," he started and Elena nodded.
"I'm pretty much counting today as a wash," she told him. "But there's still tomorrow and Saturday. And Sunday morning."
"Today isn't a total wash," Damon countered. "We'll go to the game and yes, I'll have to schmooze and escort Harper through press and all that stuff. But afterwards, I'm all yours. I made us reservations at a restaurant that guarantees an excellent dinner. From there, we can do whatever you want." He waggled his eyes at her. "Wherever you want."
"Are those dinner reservations for two?" Elena asked.
"Who else would be attending?" Damon countered.
"With you, I literally never know," she said. "But since it'll be just the two of us, how about after dinner, we get our dessert to go and come back here, see where the evening goes?"
"I like the sound of that." Damon snuck a kiss on the curve of her neck.
"And then tomorrow, we shop." Damon sat upright and looked at her.
"We shop?" he asked. Elena nodded.
"Shopping is what you do the day after Thanksgiving," she informed him. "Jenna and I go before the sun even considers coming up."
"You can shop any other day of the week," Damon said. "How about we sleep in, go to brunch, see some sights?"
"You said whatever I wanted," Elena reminded him. "And what I want is to go shopping tomorrow."
"Fine," Damon relented, not looking forward to a day of battling crazed Black Friday shoppers. But if Elena wanted to go shopping, they would go shopping. He just wanted her happy. "We'll shop until we drop." He leaned over and kissed her on her cheek.
"We can see the sights or whatever on Saturday," Elena replied.
"I've been to Dallas several times. I've seen the sights. The only sight I really want to see is you, naked."
"Play your cards right and that might happen for you," Elena quipped, making Damon smile. She reached for the television remote and turned the set on, flipping through the channels until she found the local NBC affiliate. Damon had a sneaking suspicion it was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade she had intentions of watching, not the morning show of talking heads. They finished up their breakfast over idle small talk and Damon took their dishes to leave in the hall for room service to pick up. He returned to the bedroom to find Elena making a move to get out of bed.
"Where are you going?" he asked. He wrapped her up in his arms and fell back onto the bed, taking her with him. "We don't have to leave for the stadium for another few hours."
"I was going to take a shower."
"We can take one in a minute."
"We?" Elena asked.
"You heard that right."
"I may not let you in the shower with me."
"But you should."
"Why?" Elena countered.
"I can wash your back," Damon said seriously, drawing a laugh out of Elena. He smiled and nuzzled her neck. "I'm sorry about last night. And I'm sorry I have to apologize, yet again."
"I could have been a little more understanding," Elena ventured. "This is a business trip for you. You were doing what you have to do." She had woken up in the middle of the night to find Damon clinging to her in a fitful sleep. She had laid awake for a while, thinking.
Damon had to work. Even though it was a holiday, one of her favorites, he didn't exactly get the day off. One of his biggest clients was playing in one of the biggest games of the year and he had to be "on." He had to be the sports agent. She needed to be patient and know she would have her time with him.
"It is," Damon agreed. "But I asked you to come here with me. You were a good sport about dinner last night, but you were bored to tears…"
"I wasn't bored," Elena protested.
"Elena," Damon said, giving her a knowing look. Elena sighed.
"Fine," she relented. "It was awful. The food was bland and the women at the table were self-centered and full of themselves. But I did try to be good sport about it, as you put it, because I knew it was important to you to make a good impression on those people."
"And you were wonderful," Damon told her. "Just hang in there with me today, okay? The moment the post-game press conference is over, you and I are out of there and this trip will officially change over to pleasure, not business. Deal?"
"Deal," Elena confirmed. She glanced at the clock and then turned back to Damon. She smiled coyly. "So," she started, standing. She removed the plain white t-shirt she had taken from Damon's suitcase to sleep in, leaving her standing before him in nothing but a pair of panties. "I'm going to take a shower."
With that, she turned and walked into the bathroom, making it a point to wiggle her hips a bit more than usual. Just as she thought he would, Damon sprung from the bed. His hands were on her before she made it to the bathroom door.
These two really do love each other. That's not the problem. Logistics is the problem. Elena has been so patient for so long, but how much more can a girl take?
Next update? Thanksgiving!
Please let me know what you thought of the chapter!