TCOO 50
Number 50! Woohoo! Originally another one was supposed to go here more fitting for a 50th chapter, but it wasn't finished and I wanted to post something today.
Disclaimer: These characters still aren't and will never be mine.
To Caroline's great enjoyment, Jill got some tickets for Klaus, Caroline, and herself to watch Jill's new boyfriend play a game. Once Klaus saw the excitement on Caroline's face even though he could think of a thousand other things he'd rather do, he knew he had to agree.
"No negotiating, Klaus. You either want to come or not. I think it would be really fun, plus we can check this guy out for Jill. I can do it myself though or see if I can wrestle Elijah into it."
He wrinkled his nose at her nipping his plans in the bud and changed tactics.
"Caroline, do you think I would ask a favor when you invited me so nicely to attend an American basketball game? I would love to go and keep those lecherous fans away from you."
"Nice try, Mikaelson," she said with a stern face, seeing through his facade, but a huge smile broke through when he agreed. "I'm so happy! Thanks, pumpkin."
A kiss eased the "pumpkin" endearment he couldn't get her to give up. Both breathing heavy when they broke apart, she wiggled in his arms and he picked her up to bring her to bed to celebrate their mutual decision to go to a game together.
Klaus arrived at Caroline's apartment on game night right on time. He could hear her talking to Jill inside as he approached.
"Klaus," she said with a big smile and kiss when she opened the door. "Jill and I are all ready."
They were each sporting jeans, boots, and team jerseys with Jill's boyfriend's name on the back. The jerseys were made for women. They weren't as big and bulky as the actual team uniforms. Each wore tank tops underneath. They spun to show him the back and he grinned when they faced forward again.
"Do you think it shows it too much skin?"
"Told you," Caroline turned to Jill with a look.
"Alright, you win. I'll buy your first beer." She said it with a big grin, enjoying spending time with this couple. Klaus wasn't like most men she knew. He was refined, an artist, and best of all he had that accent. His devotion to Caroline was something she wanted for herself. She also wanted to be as free in a relationship as Caroline was. Caroline was down to earth and Jill considered her a really, really close friend after only knowing her a year.
"What am I missing?" Klaus asked, puzzled and on alert.
"She knew that's exactly what you would say. The bet was on how long it would take for you to say it. I thought it would take longer than two minutes and I lost," Jill replied with a laugh.
"I'm an old man at heart," he said with an apologetic look at Jill and Caroline bit her cheek from laughing at his honest answer. He gave Caroline a sly look and wink. "You two look great and I am happy to walk in with the most beautiful women in the entire arena."
"Nice save, Klaus."
"That was smooth, Klaus."
Unlike last time, they didn't go to any bars beforehand. They went into the VIP entrance and arrived at their seats. A waitress came over to take their drink and snack orders. They were going on a double date after the game, including a late dinner, so ate lightly. Black leather seats cradled them and the action was a mere few rows away.
"Are you sure you don't want a team shirt?"
"I'm positive."
She bumped his shoulder with hers in their luxurious seats.
"These accommodations are more befitting my station."
"Yeah, ok."
Their drinks came and Klaus was quite comfortable. The service was good and he eyed those sitting around them. It was an upscale crowd down low. He recognized some people he knew from other events around town. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. The personal service, improved menu, and close proximity to the floor appealed to him more than the upper seats, although Caroline seemed to fit in equally in both.
The warmups were about finished and as he was taking his seat on the bench, Jill's boyfriend, Grant, looked up and caught her eye. Jill waved and he smiled.
"He's so cute," Caroline said with a smile, seeing their interaction. She added her own wave to him as well before she thought better of it. "Was that weird that I waved too?"
Jill laughed. This was why she was friends with Caroline. "I think it's fine. He knows we're going to dinner later."
Grant was more than cute, Caroline had to admit. He was gorgeous. His skin already had a sheen from his warm muscles. She couldn't wait to see him up close and talk to him to see if he was good enough for her friend. Jill only told her good things about him, but she wanted to see for herself.
Jill leaned forward to see Klaus.
"Grant is a point guard. He's not starting, but he's earning more minutes. We should see him get some time at the end of the first quarter, so it shouldn't be too long," she explained as the loud buzzer went off. The players cleared the floor for starting lineup announcements to be made and then for the game to begin.
Klaus nodded, although he didn't understand most of the terms she used.
Caroline jabbed her elbow into his stomach when she thought Klaus was ogling the cheerleaders too much when there was an early timeout. Since they were sitting so low, the women were practically right in front of them.
"I'm just picturing you in their place."
"Uh huh."
Jill lightly slapped her hand on Caroline's leg when Grant got up to enter the game, excited.
"There he is, Klaus."
Klaus made sure to pay attention. Grant did well. He didn't turn over the ball and had a couple of assists. He missed his first two shots, but made the third. The score was close, but he kept their small lead going.
"Hey ref, put on your glasses! That was a moving screen!" Caroline yelled, standing up.
Jill laughed and Caroline blushed at her outburst. She sat back down and returned her hand to its usual place on Klaus' thigh.
Jill herself stood up to cheer for some spectacular baskets, especially ones assisted or made by her boyfriend. Caroline met her enthusiasm with her own. Klaus stayed in his seat, but took their actions in stride, focusing on his premium beer. He still wasn't a fan of the drink, but it helped him get through the game.
A couple of teenage boys were sitting in the row in front of them. The obviously rich kids who could afford such good tickets spent more time looking back than they did on the game, staring at Caroline and Jill. Klaus finally caught their eye and gestured for them to face front. He kept his vampire features in check, but if they did it again he was ready to flash some yellow eyes and see if that kept them away. He didn't know what it was about basketball games and Caroline, but something happened that had him squinting his eyes at every man around them and a few of the women too.
"Kiss Cam!" Caroline said, breathless with excitement went it was time. "Do you think we'll get on it again? I hope so!"
"I can kiss you and maybe they can catch us," he said hopefully.
She waved her hand in his face and kept her eyes on the screen, not wanting to miss a moment. She laughed with the awkward couples and ahhh with the adorable elderly ones.
"They don't come down here often since this is the section where a lot of the players wives and girlfriends sit. There aren't usually a lot of couples."
"That's negative thinking, Jill. Think positive Kiss Cam thoughts for us."
"That camera operator does seem to have a thing for you," she admitted.
"Thank you, Jill," Klaus said from her other side, also noticing the 'thing' the camera operator had for Caroline.
During a previous timeout, Caroline and Jill stood up to cheer and dance. They were up on the big screen, much to their enjoyment. Most of the people in their section were sitting down. They paid several hundreds of dollars and were glued to their cellphones when there were breaks in the action. Since they got such a good crowd response, the camera found them a few more times, much to Caroline's delight.
The moment the camera moved onto her, she squealed and threw herself at Klaus. She kissed him and the camera moved on within a few seconds. "We did it," she said against his lips and he grinned. It was the highlight for him too.
"Must there be a camera for you to kiss me," he said, jutting out his lower lip.
Grinning and breathing "no" she kissed him again with no cameras.
High fiving Jill, she had a great time for the rest of the game. The home team won and Grant played great in his limited minutes.
"Thanks for being a great sport, Klaus," Caroline said as they walked towards the bathrooms at the end of the game.
"It wasn't horrible," he admitted and she loved him all the more for it. She told him so and he said the same to her.
She noticed he seemed to be getting the idea of the game even better this time around. He was incredibly smart and picked up a lot of things. His questions were good and she caught him applauding a few times. She wanted him to enjoy the things she did as well, not merely because she liked them, but because he liked them too. It wouldn't be true for everything, but maybe he could appreciate the game of basketball and the atmosphere for the entertainment it was.
"It will take Grant some time to get through his meeting, meet any press, and get changed. Jill and I are going to get changed now and we can get a drink before dinner. Does that work for you?"
"Absolutely."
He played with his phone, sending annoying texts to Stefan mostly, including a picture Jill caught of Klaus and Caroline on the Kiss Cam, and the ladies came out with new shirts to replace their jerseys.
"Lovely once again," he said with admiration.
They walked to a restaurant which took them some time. Burning time at the bar, Grant was dropped off by a car and joined them.
He smiled at Jill and she hugged him tight.
Caroline admitted he looked even better in his tailored slacks, button down shirt, and cashmere sweater on top. Elijah would have approved. His skin was dark and his lively eyes were even darker. His smile was natural and she liked what she saw so far, but she also wanted to be an unbiased judge.
"Grant, this is the Caroline you've heard so much about. Caroline, Grant."
"Caroline, it's nice to meet you." He offered his hand and she shook it. She thought for a minute about giving him a hug, but wasn't sure if he'd be ok with it. So much for being unbiased.
"It's nice to meet you too, Grant. Great game tonight."
He smiled bashfully and Caroline was impressed by his humility.
"Grant, this is Caroline's fiancé, Klaus."
"Klaus, nice to meet you too."
"Same here," Klaus said pleasantly.
Their table was being cleared before they could be seated.
"Can I get you a drink?" Klaus gestured to the waiting bartender.
"Just water," Grant said as the women finished their wine. "I'll have a glass of wine with dinner, but I'm very careful about my diet. Klaus what is it that you do? What kind of name is Klaus anyway?" He didn't ask rudely, but in an interested way.
"It's short for Niklaus. My sister calls me Nik. Everyone else calls be Klaus. I'm an artist. I also dabble in venture capitalism and general investments. Old money you could call it," he shrugged.
"Can I get your number? I could use investment advice. One torn ligament and my career could be over."
"Jill told us you graduated with honors from college," Klaus said with a smile, "but here's my card. My brother and I work together. I'm the risk taker. He's the conservative one. Are you sure you want to give us your money to play with?"
"I see that watch and your fiancee's ring. I think you've done well for yourself. I'm diversifying. Isn't that what all good advisors say?"
Klaus offered his hand and Grant took it with a smile.
Their table was ready and the two couples sat down for dinner. The men ordered steaks and the ladies ordered fish.
"You don't play basketball do you?"
Klaus threw his head back, "No."
Grant couldn't help but chuckle at the drastic reaction.
"I'm not much a sports fan to be honest. Caroline is more of a fan than I."
She nodded. "It's true. Wait, you can't hear us out there can you?"
"If it's a quiet moment sometimes we'll hear certain people or when everyone yells something together."
"Ok good," she said, looking down.
"Caroline had some choice words for the referees," Jill said with a laugh into her wine glass.
"I can't say anything or I'll be fined, but knock yourself out. As long as it isn't personal, they take it in stride. It's their full time job."
Caroline took advantage of his open nature to pepper him with questions about the team, playing a sport as a professional, and his teammates. Satisfied with his answers, he was passing her tests. "I'll be ready to get some playoff tickets then," she said with a smile. He agreed that was the goal and clinked his glass with hers.
Grant turned to his girlfriend. "How was school today?"
Caroline squeezed Klaus' leg under the table. "Look how cute they are," she whispered under her breath.
She concentrated on Klaus so she wouldn't eavesdrop on Grant and Jill's conversation.
"What's Elijah been up to? Has Katherine been around?"
"Caroline, I'm trying to eat here," he said as he finished the last bite of steak. "You know talking about Katherine ruins my appetite."
"Great, you're done. Talk to me."
He put down his utensils and wiped his mouth with his napkin, pleasantly full and gave her look. He put his hand on her cheek.
"Elijah is busy being Elijah. Next time, I agree, he should come with us. Katherine was around the other day. She was pleasantly terrified once I just happened to jump out from behind a door."
Caroline rolled her own eyes at him, but could not resist smiling when she saw how proud he was of himself.
"The dessert options here are incredible. Caroline, will you get something?" Jill asked.
"Caroline will politely demur saying she couldn't possibly eat anything more, encourage me to select something, and then steal it out from under me," Klaus joked and Caroline had to laugh because it was true and she didn't mind admitting it.
"Sometimes I get my own."
"When we get dessert we usually trade halves," Jill said, about the times she had dessert with Caroline. "Grant is very strict about his sugar intake, but he can't resist the warm brownie sundae they serve here."
Klaus' eye lit up. Now he had something in common with Grant.
"A warm brownie sundae?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"You're speaking Klaus' language now."
Dessert was delicious and there was a lot of sharing, although Klaus did try to protect his brownie. He told Caroline it wasn't as good as the ones she made for him.
Klaus talked to Grant about favorite restaurants in the city. Jill and Caroline talked about the students. Caroline would be visiting Jill's classroom again before the school year ended. Another group of adorable kindergarteners to get to know.
"I'm afraid it's late and I need to get some rest, but it was really nice to meet you," Grant said as they left the restaurant.
"You too. Good luck against San Antonio on Thursday," Caroline said with a stern look. She was taking rooting for her new team very seriously. She hugged Jill as they said goodbye and Grant was impressed she knew their schedule.
"Grant, best of luck," Klaus said with a handshake. "Give me a call and we can set up an appointment when you have some time, maybe when the season is over, but Caroline tells me it should last until the early summer." The championships went that long so if his team was still playing it would be a very good thing.
"Thanks, man."
They watched the other couple leave and started to make their way back home. Calling a taxi to the curb, she snuggled against him in the back seat for the short ride back to her place.
"What did you think?"
"I think it's outrageous he gets paid so much to throw a basketball into a hoop. You know I could jump higher than him, correct?"
"Of course I know that you are amazing. Other than you being a better athlete than him, what did you think? He was polite and Jill really likes him."
He shrugged. "He seemed pleasant enough. We don't exactly have much in common. I can compel him to see what he really thinks of her."
"No, you cannot compel him. It's her business, not ours…as hard as that is to admit. We can just be there for her."
They arrived and she pulled her coat closer around her shoulders against the wind.
"You know what you being nice to and around humans does to me."
"Miss Forbes, I have no idea what you're talking about," he said as they walked upstairs. He ruined his feigned ignorance by breaking out into some forced evil laughter and she laughed with him.
She opened her door. She was on the inside and he was on the outside of the opened barrier.
"If you don't know what you did and what it does to me, I guess we can call it a night. Goodnight, Klaus," she said as she leaned forward to kiss him.
"Let's not be hasty, sweetheart," he said as he threw his arms out wide.
"My hero! There's my sex fiend back in action," she said as she threw open the door with a flourish so she could ravish him.
