Klaus smirked as he grabbed his cell phone out of the pocket of his Bermuda shorts. He was so proud that he'd managed to pull this off. No one knew where he was or precisely why he had left, and that was good. It created a false sense of security so that no one suspected anything and would be blindsided and crushed when, at last, he took his well-deserved revenge against Mikael and Sybil Vane. "Klaus Mikaelson," he said to the caller. "Nana, is that you?"
"Yes, sir," Nana replied. "How's the island? Are you working on your all over tan?"
"Of course," Klaus replied. "I don't want tan lines. But to the point: Have you arrived?"
"Yes, I have," Nana assured him. "And let me tell you, that stepfather of yours is living the life of the rich and famous! This house is very fancy!"
"And don't you think I am?" Klaus asked, although there was teasing in his voice. "Do you remember that I am talking to you from my own island?"
"Oh, I remember," Nana promised. "There's no way to forget such a paradise."
"Don't forget to tell me when Sybil gives birth to the twins," Klaus instructed. "I have to know. It's particularly important!"
"Of course, I won't forget, boss, no worries!" Nana reassured him, and then ended the call.
After that, Klaus took a deep breath and smiled, a small bit of weight lifted from his shoulders. Nana was a character, but he was certain he could trust her to carry out her part of the plan and not spoil anything.
All was going as it should and soon, he would be able to create unimaginable chaos in the life of his stepfather and ex. He couldn't wait! Chuckling to himself, he threw his phone on a nearby beach towel and then stripped off his shorts, then stood naked, facing the waves. He still needed to make one more call to the bank, but that could wait. Now he just wanted to revel in the fact that he was king of his island and, for the first time in a while, felt truly at peace. No one was judging him or trying to hurt him, and there were no boundaries anywhere unless he wanted them, which he never did. He could drink and party and…even swim naked in the ocean if he wanted. And now, that was not just want, he thought as he waded into the pleasantly cool water. It was just what he needed.
Angelica pulled open the door of the bank and strode purposefully toward the information desk, her heels of her mauve Gucci pumps clacking in unison as she made her way across the bank's marble tiles. "Hello," she said to the woman who stood at the desk. "I have a meeting with-"
"Ms. Morningstar!" A booming voice cried. "Right on time as always. Please come into my office."
Angelica nodded, gripping her briefcase tightly and following him into his office, then giving him a firm handshake once the door was closed. "I hope you weren't expecting me to be late, Mr. Johnson. You know I like to be prompt and I don't keep people waiting. I believe that's one of the reasons my businesses have become as successful as they are."
"Of course, Ms. Morningstar," Mr. Johnson nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you. Don't worry."
"I hope not." Angie then looked around the expensively decorated office, knowing that very few people had the privilege of seeing inside, or even affording someone like him to help them with their finances. She was a premium client, meaning her business brought the bank millions in profits. And being premium meant she was special. She knew it and he knew it, which meant that he didn't hesitate to give her perks and would probably bow and kiss her hand if she asked him to.
As she settled into the comfy leather armchair, he said, "I brought some cupcakes from your aunt's bakery for you when I found out I would be seeing you today. I hope you don't mind." He pointed toward a cart that contained a try of a few different flavors of cupcakes, as well as cappuccinos.
Angelica raised an eyebrow, trying not to appear so happy, but inside, she was over the moon. "Are you trying to butter me up, Mr. Johnson?"
"I don't believe I need to do that intentionally," he told her. "You're already a premium client." Then he cleared his throat and took a seat at his desk. "What can I do for you today?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could move some funds into one of your banks in Australia," Angelica told him. "My business is growing rapidly, and I'd like to be able to have offices there sooner rather than later."
He nodded. "That would be no trouble at all," he assured her as he typed something on his computer screen.
She kept an eye on him but also couldn't ignore a chocolate cupcake on the cart that seemed to be calling out to her.
"I won't be offended if you turn away from the business at hand for a moment to grab a cupcake and some coffee," Mr. Johnson told her, a grin on his lips. "You've paid enough fees and brought enough business that it's about time we gave you something back."
"Well…" Angelica hesitated, tapping her foot several times and then snatched up a chocolate cupcake. "All right. But only because I didn't have breakfast this morning." She then peeled off the wrapping and then began scarfing it down in what some in her family would consider a very unladylike manner. But she loved sweets. She'd never been able to resist them, and she'd given up trying years ago!
A knock at the door, soft and discreet as it was, made them both jump out of their skins. Then Mr. Johnson's secretary poked her head in, looking very apologetic.
"Excuse me, sir," she said. "But Mr. Kol Mikaelson asked expressly for you to open a bank account for Miss Amy Burke. She just arrived and is waiting in one of the chairs outside."
Angelica's eyes widened and she nearly choked on her cupcake before swallowing and taking another large bite. Why would Kol Mikaelson want to open a bank account for Amy? Were they dating? Was she carrying his baby? This was news!
"Well, please give my apologies to Miss Burke, but she'll have to wait, Gladys!" The man scolded. "Can't you see I'm busy with Ms. Morningstar right now?"
"It's fine," Angelica reassured him. "Ms. Burke needs help now, so it would be a shame to make her wait. Go help her and I'll just be here with my coffee and my cupcakes."
"Are you sure?" Mr. Johnson asked, not wanting to risk such a big client. "I mean, she didn't have an appointment and you did, so…"
"Go," Angelica insisted. "Please. I promise I can wait."
"That's good, because just to warn you, this might take a while."
"Yes," Angelica nodded and took another cupcake in hand. "I have cupcakes and nothing but time."
Then, once he was gone, Angelica giggled to herself. Amy Burke and Kol Mikaelson! Klaus' ex was in some sort of relationship with his brother. If only he were here so she could throw it in his face!
Angelica unwrapped her second cupcake, a vanilla one, and slowly licked her lips to get all the chocolate frosting off before taking a much bigger bite of the cupcake than she should have. But she couldn't help it; Aunt Selina was an excellent baker, especially with cupcakes! She started to swallow, then nearly choked when, because the door was open, she heard a voice from the office next door.
"Mr. Klaus Mikaelson, what a pleasant surprise to hear from you! I thought you were out of town!"
Intrigued, Angie turned her head toward the door in hopes of hearing better. If Klaus was up to something, she wanted to know what it was.
"…You say you want to open an account for your daughter, Natalie? I see. Yes, it can be done easily. Don't worry, Mr. Mikaelson."
Just then, the cleaning lady turned on her vacuum, running it in the hallway outside the office, meaning that Angie couldn't eavesdrop anymore. Well, at least not as easily; but she was nothing if not determined.
"Damn it," she swore under her breath and tried to scoot the chair closer to the open door, but it had no wheels and wouldn't budge. "Oh, fuck," she breathed. Desperately, she anchored her heels in the floor and pushed the chair back as a last resort, but the chair tipped over, making her fall to the floor with a shriek. Then she struggled to get up before anyone heard and came to make a fuss, but it was too late.
"Oh, my god, Ms. Morningstar, are you all right? Here, let me help you up," Mr. Johnson insisted as he ran back into the room, looking horrified.
"Oh, Mr. Johnson, please!" Angelica said and nudged him away as she regained her balance. "There's no need to fuss and definitely no need to bring my grandfather into this."
"Are you hurt?" He asked.
"No, I'm fine," Angelica snapped. Her ego was a bit bruised though, so she said, "you should really get some safer chairs for your clients, though, before someone gets badly injured!" Then she swore. The front of her Yves Saint-Laurent suit was covered in frosting! Her new silk suit! Granted she knew of a mix of lemon juice or vinegar and lukewarm water could get the stains out, but it was still annoying.
"Of course," Mr. Johnson assured her. "I'll see about getting new chairs that can be bolted to the floor so you can't tip backwards."
"Yes, really hilarious," she drawled as she took her seat again. Her ego was bruised, her suit stained, and perhaps worst of all, she'd missed the news about Klaus Mikaelson, so she had no idea if he was in town or not, and no idea of how else to find out.
At long last, Angelica exited Mr. Johnson's office, shut the door behind herself and took a deep breath. Klaus Mikaelson was near, either in spirit or in person, things weren't gonna go well for her. The man was nothing but trouble, especially for her, damn him!
As she made her way toward the exit doors, she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly. "I was in my head and not paying attention. Are you hurt?"
"No, and please don't apologize," the other woman said. "I wasn't paying attention either." Then they locked eyes on each other. "Angelica?"
"Yeah," Angie nodded. "Amy, is that you?"
"Yes, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Amy nodded.
Angelica just smiled and swore silently. What a bad time to bump into someone who had been married to Klaus Mikaelson!"
"It's so nice to see you again," Amy told her. "We haven't seen each other since that fiasco with Stevie, and definitely not since you became a successful designer and event planner. No wonder you're so popular. You're incredibly talented!"
"Thank…thank you," Angelica said, then coughed and squirmed, wanted nothing more than to cease the banal pleasantries and run for her car. "So nice to see you again, Mrs. Mikaelson."
"Actually, Klaus and I divorced," Amy said, a faint pink coloring her cheeks. "I'm back to just being Amy Burke now."
"Really? I'm sorry to hear that," Angelica shook her head. "I didn't know. I'm sorry to have brought up a painful subject." She lapsed into silence for several seconds, then shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I keep staring and just standing here like an idiot."
"It's okay," Amy said. "I know that what's been going on with Klaus and me has been the talk of the town and it's not something I'm proud of."
"Oh, you're giving yourself too much credit," Angelica told her. "All I've heard is that your now ex-husband, Klaus Mikaelson, has been the talk of the town. I haven't heard a thing about you. And even if I had, you have nothing to be worried about. My family has done worse. Their appearance at Mikael and Sybil's wedding was fodder for who knows how long?"
"You're very kind, Ms. Morningstar," Amy told her.
"Well, not to sound…you know, self-absorbed or anything, but whatever I can to do keep the crown of the most talked about person in town, I'll do it," Angelica said. "It's…good for business, you know. And I'm sure…sure you could use less attention?"
"Yeah," Amy nodded. "I'm not really one for the spotlight. "When I used to, you know…the period where I had my self-help business, and everyone knew who I was…that was troublesome. I like peace. I like to be left alone." She paused. "Besides, the way Natalie talked about you after the visit to the mansion…it was high praise. If anyone deserves the crown, you do."
"I enjoyed meeting your daughter very much," Angelica said with a smile. "She seemed intelligent, sweet, kind, and very sensible." She paused. "Not to mention well-behaved."
Amy blushed at the compliments. "That's how she is most of the time, but I don't know if branding your brother was either sensible or well behaved."
"Oh, that's nothing," Angelica waved the comment away. "I've done worse and they're probably just experimenting!" She then leaned forward and spoke in a whisper. "Besides, my brother can be a real pain in the ass, so whatever her reasons, he probably deserved it."
Amy chuckled. "Your brother isn't as bad as all that. I think he's nice!"
"That's one way to describe him," Angie agreed, trying not to scoff because she sensed that Amy was genuinely charmed by her pesky little brother.
"Did you…" They both began at the same time and trailed off with a blush.
"You first," Angelica suggested with a smile. "Please."
"Did you ever meet my ex-husband?" Amy asked.
Oh, damn! Angelica tried not to panic. Any question would have been better than that one.
"I'm just asking because I don't want everything that's going around about us because of the divorce to affect your opinion of Natalie," Amy explained. "You know, since she and Milo are doing that project and I bet Klaus might have some feelings about his daughter and a young man…" she trailed off.
Angelica made a noise in her throat but said nothing.
"However, it doesn't seem like you've met him, so never mind," Amy said and stepped back a little cause she sensed the other woman was uncomfortable.
"Perfect!" Angelica nodded.
"And what were you going to ask me?" Amy questioned.
"Well, I heard you came to open an account and it had something to do with Kol Mikaelson, but…" She waved her hand for the second time. "It's none of my business though, so never mind."
"All right, then," Amy nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. Nice talking to you."
"Yeah," Angelica nodded. "Same to you."
Angie then ran for her car once Amy was out of sight, wondering why someone as nice as Amy Burke would choose to be with someone as beastly as Klaus Mikaelson, and why someone as beastly as Klaus Mikaelson would choose to be with someone as nice as Amy Burke. It made no sense. And in her opinion, they didn't suit at all!
Avery buttered the last hunk of bread from the basket and shoved it in her mouth before looking at the clock on the wall nearby. She'd been sitting alone at the table of her favorite French restaurant for more than half an hour. Her sister Azrael was late, and this meeting had been her idea! It was a mystery why she'd wanted to meet in the first place, since they had nothing in common and couldn't stand each other! She sighed. Okay, five more minutes and she would leave, cause apparently the Angel of Death had no respect for people who had lives! She shook her head. All she wanted was to bring love and happiness to souls who had been cheated of life on Earth. Azrael wanted to make sure they were dead and doom them to an eternity away from their loved ones in heaven or hell.
Finally, her sister arrived, and Avery almost didn't recognize her. Instead of her usual black cloak and scowl, she wore a tight black dress and red heels, and her eyes were concerned and apologetic. "I know I'm late and I'm sorry," she apologized as she sat down and grabbed a menu from the waiter.
"Well, thank you for arriving at last," Avery crossed her arms. "I thought you weren't going to show! If you'd taken five more minutes, I was going to leave!"
Azrael looked at the menu rather than her sister as she replied. "Well, of course I was going to show up, since it was my idea! But there was a big car wreck, so I had to do my job! You remember I have a job, right? Not everyone just gets to run off to Lu and Ellie's mansion and disrupt the entire flow of life and death without consequences."
Realizing her sister had a point, Avery lapsed into silence and then cleared her throat. "You…you look good! I like that dress."
"Don't sound so surprised," Azrael replied. "You're talking like I'm ordinarily the ugliest creature on Earth!"
"Oh, can't you just take a compliment?" Avery snapped. "I mean you wear that better than the stupid dark robe with the hood. Why do you need to dress like that anyway?"
"Because I'm the Angel of Death," Azrael hissed. "And an image comes with that. I can't exactly walk around in a pastel miniskirt, can I?"
"Oh, I remember very well what you are," Avery replied and stuck her tongue out.
The waiter returned before Azrael could reply. "Have you ladies decided, or do you need more time?"
"I'm ready," Azrael told him with a smile. "I'll have a glass of rose and a chicken salad, please."
He turned to Avery,
"Filet mignon with the mashed potatoes and a glass of Chianti," Avery said and then handed over her own menu. Then she looked at her sister again once the waiter had left. "So, what did you want, exactly?" She asked. "I doubt this was meant to be a reconciliation lunch."
"And whose fault is it that there's trouble between us in the first place?" Azrael asked slyly.
"If you're implying that the fault is mine, it's not!" Avery shook her head and set her napkin in her lap. "I'm not the one who's always wanting people to die."
"I don't want people to die. They do that anyway!" Azrael said. "It's my job to be a comforting presence as they go to heaven…" she trailed off as her mind drifted to baby Leighton. "There are some I would save if I could." Before she could stop them, tears rolled down her cheek and she wiped them away, but Avery still saw.
"Are you crying? What's the matter?"
Azrael sniffed and shook her head. "Nothing. Allergies. Never mind."
"You can't get allergies!"
"I said never mind!"
"You don't have to pretend with me," Avery pressed, even though she knew it would probably be best to leave it alone. "It's nice to know you have a heart! It makes you seem…human." Her gaze was pernicious.
"There's no one person. I meant in general," Azrael replied quickly as she looked at her hands.
"Oh, whatever," Avery huffed, realizing the verbal jousting wasn't fun anymore. "So…what could possibly be happening that would make us need to meet?"
"Believe me, if it weren't an emergency, I wouldn't have wanted to," Azrael assured her.
"Just stop being melodramatic and spit it out, would you?" Avery asked.
Azrael swallowed nervously and leaned closer to her sister. "I'm afraid of what I saw. Afraid that when Father finds out, he'll get so angry, chaos will be everywhere on Earth!"
Avery's eyes widened. "That's pretty dramatic for you," she pointed out. "So, what…what happened? How bad was it?"
"Well, I was on my way to pick up a soul who had been killed in a car wreck and on the way, I passed an ATM. And do you know what I saw?"
"What?" Avery asked, drumming her fingers on the table.
"I saw Klaus Mikaelson and Angelica talking by the ATM!" Azrael whispered loudly.
Avery's jaw dropped. "tell me you're joking! Tell me this is some prank you're playing!"
"No," Azrael shook her head. "I wouldn't joke about something as serious as this!"
"Well, maybe there's a simple explanation," Avery said after taking a deep breath. "Maybe they just bumped into each other and were having a polite conversation?"
"Oh, no," Azrael shook her head. "It wasn't that at all! He pulled her close…and he had his hand on her butt!"
"Oh, no!" Avery cried, wide-eyed as she put a hand over her heart.
"I know," Azrael nodded. "And with you making all those silly pairings, I thought-"
But Avery quickly cut her off. "First of all, the matches I make between two souls are not silly! Secondly, I know I'm playing fast and loose with the rules of things a bit but I wouldn't break the one that you know and I know, and that all angels know because it's a direct order from Daddy himself, that says Klaus and Angelica cannot be together!"
"Well, I'm sorry," Azrael apologized, genuinely surprised at her sister's obedience and sincerity. "But that creates a problem then. If you didn't match them and we know Father didn't, then who did?"
Avery shrugged. "Sorry, I'm as clueless as you are."
"Well, great," Azrael shook her head. "It's in my thoughts now, so who knows how long we'll be able to keep it a secret?"
"Right," Avery nodded. "If it had been me, we would be fine, because he can't read my thoughts but he can read yours easily." Her eyes widened. "If you knew that, then why did you bring this up?"
"Well, I couldn't just not say anything," Azrael defended herself. "You want the reaction to this to be entirely in Dad's control? Wouldn't it be better if there were someone around to lessen the impact, so to speak?"
"Yes," Avery nodded. "And we're about to find out just how well that'll work. Daddy's here, in this restaurant!"
"What?" Azrael cried.
"Quick, under the table," Avery told her. "Maybe Daddy won't see us!"
They huddled under the table, clutching each other and trying to keep their breathing quiet as they watched their father's shoes approach. Then he paused and lifted the tablecloth to stare at them. "Hello, daughters," he greeted them. "What are you doing under the table?"
"Oh, look, Azrael, I found it!" Avery said with an uneasy laugh as she let her sister go. "That contact lens you lost. I found it!"
They crawled out from under the table and sat back down to face their father. "What a pleasant surprise," Avery told him with a forced smile. "What a pleasant coincidence that you're here at the same restaurant we are. We were just looking for the contact lens Azrael lost."
"You mentioned that," Steve told her as he locked eyes with her and crossed his arms over his chest. "And it's very strange, considering that all my children have perfect eyesight."
"True, but they aren't to help change my eyesight; they're to change my eye color," Azrael explained. "I've been wanting to experiment."
"So you would need two of them," Steve nodded. "Where's the other one?"
"Well, we haven't found it yet," Avery informed him. "If you would be so kind as to go on your way, so we can-"
"Are you done?" Steve roared at his daughters, making them jump into each other's arms. "Now stop stalling and tell me how Klaus Mikaelson and my sweet, innocent Angelica met."
"What?" Avery's eyes widened as she tried to play dumb. It was a desperate move. "Azrael, did you know that Angelica met Klaus Mikaelson?"
"No," Azrael shook her head. "I had no idea. This is an absolute outrage!"
"Enough!" Steve cried, making the windows of the restaurant rattle. "You know I've let a lot slide with you, Avery, that I probably shouldn't have, but if you and your little…matchmaking service had anything to do with this…"
"What?" Avery shook her head. "No, no, no! It's just a coincidence. They were at the same ATM at the same time. Not everything has to happen because of one of us, right?"
"Yes, Father," Azrael added. "Just a coincidence. That's all it was." But she was rubbing her hands nervously.
"You think?" Steve asked. He seemed to be calming down.
"Yeah, I mean, who doesn't need to stop for a twenty from time to time?" Avery asked.
"I know I do," Azrael added.
"You're right, I'm sorry," Steve said with a shake of his head. "I don't know what got into me. It was just a coincidence and nothing more." He paused and gave them what he hoped was a benevolent smile. "It's wonderful to see you two passing time together." He kissed each one of their foreheads. "Enjoy your meals."
"We will," Azrael assured him with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"See you soon, Daddy," Avery called after him as he walked away.
They then let out their breaths and collapsed into their chairs, full of relief to see the waiter bring their meals and drinks.
"Did you notice that the wind is very strong all of a sudden?" He asked as he set everything down. "The windows are shaking because of it!"
They gave him an awkward smile, thanked him, and then dug into their meals as he walked away.
"You know that if Klaus and Angelica ever do get together, then we're all screwed, right?" Avery asked her sister.
"We need to believe they won't be," Azrael replied. "We need to remember that Angelica has inherited some of her father's snobbishness and hope and pray she'll always see him as too beneath her to pursue."
"Right, let's hope that." Avery nodded. "Cause if not…the apocalypse is coming via Angelica, just like you all feared it would, just not the way you thought."
Angelica tried to catch her breath as she shut the door of the grocery store behind her and made her way to the part where all the alcohol was. There was no doubt in her mind that after the day she'd had that she would need a lot! At least two or three bottles of red wine with the highest alcohol content possible. How else was she supposed to deal with that damned Klaus Mikaelson? He was poison! No wonder he ruined every single woman he came across! Well, she would not be counted among those numbers because she wasn't just some desperate woman! She was a Morningstar queen! The daughter of the devil and the granddaughter of God himself! And no…no know it all hybrid trash would…would…
Then she realized she had to ask herself what he was guilty of that she wasn't. She had fallen on her ass trying to snoop on his business about Natalie's bank account, and she had been the one to engage Amy in conversation about her and Klaus' divorce. Yep, she'd need all the wine to get through this!
The realization set her off running and before she knew it, she found herself looking at bottles and bottles of wine. Not really caring what it was, she just grabbed the first two she saw and stuck them in the basket she'd grabbed along the way. If this wouldn't get rid of whatever was making her interested in Klaus Mikaelson, she didn't know what would!
"Your Highness!"
Angelica heard the shout of a small girl and managed to get a good grip on all her wine before the girl wrapped herself around her legs. She had dark hair and dark eyes and looked up at Angelica with complete adoration.
"Hi, sweetie," she said and gave the girl a pat on the head after setting a couple bottles on the floor for a moment. She'd never felt entirely comfortable around children. "Are you lost? Where are your mommy and daddy?"
"Mackenzie!" Called a male voice.
Please let that be the girl's father, Angelica mentally begged anyone who might be listening. Someone was, but, as her father always warned, praying didn't always mean you got what you wished for. The man who appeared to claim the little girl was…another Mikaelson, Klaus' brother Elijah. She liked him plenty and knew him well, but…still.
Despite the better relationships, she couldn't forget that he was Klaus' brother too! Was there anywhere she could go where she wouldn't be reminded of…him?
"Look, Daddy," Mackenzie said while continuing to eye Angelica adoringly. "It's Angelica Morningstar, the queen from TV!"
"Yes, I see her," Elijah nodded as he tried to pry his daughter off her idol. "Now would you let go of Ms. Morningstar's legs, please?"
"Oh, please don't worry about it," Angelica assured him. "It's no trouble. She's adorable!"
"If by 'adorable' you mean a pain in the ass, then yes, my daughter is adorable!" Elijah told her. She was about to rebuke him for being cruel to his child, but then she saw the light in his eyes, despite his words. "Come on," he said. "Let go!" He finally pried her off and had to stop and take a breath. Meanwhile, the little girl was still eying Angelica with adoration. "Now," he said, "apologize to Ms. Morningstar for being rude."
"I promise, that's really not necessary," Angelica tried to tell him.
"But why?" Mackenzie asked him. "She is my queen and I have to say nice stuff to her! You should too! And bow!"
But Elijah just gave her a look and she turned to face Angelica, who was trying so hard not to smile as if she supported something Elijah clearly didn't like. "I'm sorry, Ms. Morningstar," she told her and gave a little curtsy. "I think you're just great and I hope I can work for you some day!"
"It's nothing," Angelica said and gave her a warm smile. "Perhaps when you're older, we can work something out. I would love to have someone as enthusiastic as you work for me."
She locked eyes with Elijah and gave him a wink and he mouthed 'thank you' in return.
"Did you hear that, Daddy?" Mackenzie cried, clapping her hands and jumping up and down with excitement. "I'm gonna go find Mommy and tell her!"
"And she's gone," Elijah gave Angelica a smile. "I know you seem all right after your encounter with Tornado Mackenzie, but I would again like to present my deepest apologies. Since she's seen your ads on TV, she can't stop talking about joining your company, and everyone in our house has had the furniture in their rooms moved around at least once."
Angelica chuckled. "Oh, I'm so sorry. But you truly don't need to worry about it. My line of work doesn't exactly let a person know when they have a fan, so…I'm touched, really! I take it as a compliment." She clutched her bottles of wine close, hoping he wouldn't notice and judge her. "Did she…did she say Aunt Selina is with you?"
"Yes," Elijah smiled, his gaze catching the bottles of wine. "Are you having a party?"
"What?"
"The wine."
"Oh," Angelica chuckled nervously. "No, it's just…I know it's not the best way to deal with your feelings, but…it's been one of those days, you know. Party for one. I saw a lot of people and not every encounter was pleasant."
Elijah nodded. "I hope it wasn't a Mikaelson that was the cause of your trouble." He then started laughing and stopped when he realized she wasn't. "If I had to pick one, I would guess that my brother Klaus had driven you to drink, but…he's out of the city, and…have you two even met?"
Angelica wouldn't answer that question. She couldn't, even though it would be awkward. Fortunately, she wasn't silent for long before Elijah's wife and her aunt Selina returned with Mackenzie.
"Are you all right?" She asked. "Honey, who made you drink?"
"It's no one," Angelica tried to reassure her. "Just a busy day, that's all." She gave her aunt a hug. "It's nice to see you! I know it's been a long time."
"It has," Selina agreed. "And I…I heard about you and Sammy," she tilted her head sadly. "I hope you're not too hurt by that."
"I'll survive. Business is booming and a wonderful distraction." Angelica said as she shrugged off the hurt that still lingered.
"I saw the wine Angelica had and since there were two bottles, I asked if she was having a party. When she said they were both for her, I wondered if she'd met any of my troublesome relatives," Elijah explained.
"Oh, yeah," Selina nodded. "I get that. There are certain relatives of mine that would make me want to open two bottles of wine. That's for sure!"
"I thought you and Father had a détente!" Elijah cried. "Don't tell me that's over!"
"It's not," Selina said. "I wasn't talking about him."
"You know, speaking of your father, it wasn't today, but I met him and his lovely wife Sybil not too long ago," Angelica said. "They wanted me to stage a nursery for them."
"Did they?" Selina grinned widely. "They had their wedding at our farmhouse, you know. Lovely event. I really think I outdid myself. I hope they're still as happy now as they were then."
"Yeah, I heard about that!" Angelica grinned. "With all the shenanigans, good job pulling it off!"
"Well, considering that one shenanigan was your father…" Elijah trailed off and rubbed his temple.
Angelica just shrugged and chuckled. "That's my father for you: he has to be the bride at every wedding, the corpse at every funeral, and the baby at every christening."
Selina narrowed her eyes. "It was a beautiful, perfect wedding and the reception would have been great too if Klaus hadn't gone and ruined everything!"
Great, Angelica sighed. Five fucking seconds before he was mentioned. Perfect! "Mmmm…" she managed to get out, not trusting herself to say any words.
"Honey, let me give you a tip," Selina told her firmly. "Never go near, get to know, do anything of the sort with the father of my first children, all right? It's nothing but trouble, especially now that he's lost his mind!"
That was another thing she didn't trust herself to respond to so she just made another noncommittal noise and hoped they would either leave or change the subject, something Elijah picked up on as he put a hand on his wife's arm.
"Darling, your niece has probably had a long day. We should probably just let her go home and have a good stiff drink instead of bothering her with stories about my crazy brother."
"You're probably right," Selina nodded and gave Angelica a hug. "Good to see you, sweetie! It would be nice for you to come down to the farm sometime. It's been a while. And I don't think you've met your cousin Lucas yet. I think you'd like him!"
"I really should stop by if I have a cousin that I've never met before!" Angelica nodded. Then she gave Mackenzie a smile. "And you, young lady, keep up your hard work, and come see me when you're older!"
"I will, Ms. Morningstar!" Mackenzie cried, hopping up and down excitedly.
She gave them one last wave and smile before turning on her heel and heading out, grabbing one last bottle of vodka on the way. She knew she would drink it. In fact, it would probably be first, along with a third bottle of wine.
As she always seemed to do when she got home, Angelica headed straight to her bedroom and shut the door hard behind her, setting her phone, bag, cell, and the wine and vodka down on the table, then climbed into her bed and screamed into a pillow.
Klaus Mikaelson was doing this. It was all his fault that she was having breakdown. He would drive any woman to drink! Her day had started with him and turned into a Klaus Mikaelson themed nightmare that she hadn't managed to escape. He had taken her day, but he wouldn't take her evening, she thought to herself. No, sir! She would forget all about him, even if it took a bottle of vodka and three bottles of wine to accomplish. She'd never truly tested what her alcohol tolerance was, but she figured now was as good a time as any to figure it out.
She undressed and covered her naked body with a white t-shirt before brushing out her hair, pulling it back, and wiping off her make-up. Now that she was much more comfortable, it was time for alcohol! She grabbed the bottle of vodka and opened it easily with a twist of the cork. Thank goodness for small mercies.
As Angelica emptied the bottle with abandon, her phone, alone on the bedside table, caught her eye. His number was still there on her list of most recent calls, so it wouldn't be hard to just…call and ask if he was back in town. Just so she could be sure. This not knowing was driving her crazy, and as she'd decided, he was not going to have that sort of power over her! She would find out here and now if she could celebrate him being out of her life or if she would have to run for cover upon his return.
She grabbed her phone and pressed 'call' for his number. It didn't take more than three rings for him to pick up. "Hello, Angel. Such a surprise to see your number. Are you missing me already?" He teased.
Angelica scoffed, already beginning to regret what she was doing. "I don't miss you any more than I would miss jumping off a cliff and breaking all my bones!" She spat.
Klaus chuckled. "That much, hmmm? Open the call to image. I want to see you."
She scoffed and almost dropped her phone. "Well, I certainly don't want to see you!" She should have known that she couldn't just make this a quick call. She should have known he would drag it out just to irritate her.
"And yet you called me first," Klaus reminded her. "Very interesting!"
Just to get him off her back, she opened the call to image and then let out a shriek when she saw him, swearing under her breath. "Fuck! Oh, my grandpa, you're naked! You could have warned me!" She cried, putting a hand over her eyes. "You did that on purpose!" Stupid her! She thought. Curse her stupid brain! Why did she bring this on herself?
"Do I need to remind you that last time we talked, you were naked in the tub?" Klaus said, one side of his mouth up. "And yes, I am now naked because you called as I was just getting out of the shower and I know how Your Highness doesn't like to be kept waiting." He paused and peered at her. "Are you wearing anything under that shirt, Angel? I like what I see! In fact, since we're both friends, why don't you take the shirt off and join me? I know you're not as shy as you pretend."
She growled and pulled the shirt closer around her body. "You know, if I could reach you, I would slap you so hard!"
"Oh, I love it when you tease," he told her mockingly before grabbing a pillow and covering himself. "There. Now you can't see anything. My penis is covered up. So, you can take your hand away from your eyes. Whatever dignity you have left is safe."
Angelica didn't believe him at first, but finally lowered her hand, relieved to find out that he hadn't been lying and was, in fact, covered up by a pillow. Then she raised her chin. "At least you admit that your penis is where your brain is located."
She waited for him to get offended or angry, but he just threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Angel," he said when he could speak again. "Oh, I missed that wit of yours while I was away."
This made her roll her eyes. What did she have to do to make him hate her?
But then he got serious. "Why are you calling?" He asked. "If it's not to do with us, is it Natalie? Is my daughter in some sort of trouble?"
He looked and sounded genuinely worried about his daughter and even Angelica had to admit that even though she hated many things about him, she had to admire his genuine love for Natalie. She clearly meant a lot to him.
"No, its not about Natalie," she assured him quickly. "As far as I know, she's fine. If she wasn't, I'm sure Milo would say so." She paused. "But if there was a problem with Natalie, why would you ask me first? Wouldn't her mother, your ex-wife Amy Burke know more about what was going on with her than I would?" She wasn't shy about emphasizing "ex-wife." She was hoping to make trouble, thinking this would be what would get him, but apparently, she missed the mark again.
"I see," he said with a grin. "Did someone bump into someone else today and find out that I am once again a free man? And now that you know, you can admit to yourself that you're interested in a roll in the hay under satin sheets with yours truly?"
"What?" Angie raged, even though she knew he probably enjoyed seeing her all worked up. "I would rather enter a convent and become a nun then put one foot anywhere near your bed!"
Klaus burst out laughing. "I don't see you as a nun, Angel." His voice took on a high-pitched tone. "I'm sorry, Sister Marie Angelica, but you can't pleasure yourself in bed here. It's against the rules of the abbey and God himself is watching you!"
"I hate you!" She yelled. "I hate you with a passion and you can just bite me!"
"I'd be more than happy to, but don't worry, I'd get you a drink first." He smirked. "A nice little nibble on your inner thigh would be a good start to getting rid of all the tension you seem to have. Did your day not go as planned?"
"My day was just fine," she lied through her teeth. "I had a meeting and ran into Amy on my way out. Apparently, your brother Kol wants to open an account for her." Another failed attempt to poke the bear.
He shrugged. "That's none of my business. Amy is as free as I am, and she can do whatever she pleases with whomever she wants. As for her and my brother, if you're attempting to shock me with the news that they're a couple, I already know that. It's not news to me, love."
"It's not?"
"No," he said patiently. "They're grown adults who can do what they want."
Now she felt like total garbage. Klaus was being an adult about all this, and she wasn't. What crazy planet was she living on? "I'm…I'm sorry," she said with a cough, her cheeks blushing slightly. "It's just that you always seem to win our little verbal jousts and I wanted to for once, even though it was really something I shouldn't have brought up."
"Do you ever wonder what it would feel like if you let me do whatever I pleased with you?" He asked, his gaze on her unblinking.
She froze as very dirty images began to fill her brain in response to the question. Damn him!
"Anyway," she cleared her throat. "The reason I called is-"
"Interesting, Angel," Klaus interrupted. "You're avoiding the question, which means that even if I am, what did you call me? 'The worst Casanova known to mankind' you're still attracted to me! You've fallen into my net just like all the others. This is a wonderful day!"
"The reason I called-" She tried to finish the sentence, but he stopped her again.
"I like that shirt," he told her. "Did you know that it's very thin and gives me a very good view of your gorgeous assets."
"One of my assets is behind me," she said with a smirk. "You can't see my butt!" She paused. "And this shirt isn't really much, I just…"
"And I like your hair pulled back like that," he continued. "It makes you look very carefree and juvenile."
She scoffed. "That's just what every woman wants to hear: that they look juvenile. Have you completely forgotten how to flirt?"
"Oh, no," Klaus chuckled. "If I were putting my best efforts into flirting, you wouldn't stand a chance. Before you knew it, you'd be on your back in my bed with your legs wrapped around my waist."
"Ewwww!" Angelica cried. "And I bet you'd have your tongue shoved down my throat too?" She shuddered and grabbed the vodka bottle. "Just the thought of it makes me want to have another drink!"
"Hey, I see a lot of bottles, Angel," he observed. "What for? Are you having a party without me? Let me get in on this." He then tossed the pillow aside and rose, naked as the day he was born, from the sofa, striding off and then coming back with a beer. "Okay, I'm ready. Now, what are we celebrating?"
"The fact that you are gone from the city and out of my hair," Angelica replied. "And I am sending my grandfather fervent prayers that you won't return and will stay wherever it is that you are…forever!"
"I see you're pinning a lot of hope on this," he said, gulping down some beer. "But I have to tell you that I'm actually on my way home. Is your grandfather usually so bad at answering prayers?"
"Well, he's not always reliable," she admitted. "At least not the way you think. But since everyone in my dad's family hates you, I thought in this case he would try a little harder. Where are you coming from? Would it be hard to head back?"
"No, I suppose it wouldn't be hard to go back to my own personal island, but—"
"You have an island?" Angelica interrupted. "Like, a whole island just for you?"
"Yes, it's in the Caribbean, which is why I have a tan," he said. "See?" He paused. "I could take you if you want. You wouldn't have to wear the silly suits and uncomfortable shoes. Not even that shirt if you didn't want to."
"Oh, please," Angelica scoffed. "I am not gonna let you drag me off to some island so you can see me naked. If I want to see sand and surf, I am perfectly capable of getting myself a five-star hotel, thank you very much!"
"But Angel, my island is different!"
"I know I'll hate myself for asking this, but how in the world is your island so different from any other island?"
"Well, anything goes," he said with a smile. "You don't have to abide by the rules of some big resort company. No clothes, sex all the time, all the wonderful food you could want…you name it!"
"So, it's like my parents' house, but with lots of icky humidity and sand," Angie smirked. "You're gonna have to do better. I don't see what the big deal is." She gulped down more vodka.
He started and straightened up, his eyes widening for a second. "I honestly thought you would be shocked. You're a true wonder, Angelica Morningstar. I thought you would be running in the opposite direction."
"No, I'm not," Angelica shook her head. "You just forgot who I live with. And it's the truth, isn't it? I'm not running toward any island or away from it, I'm just in here having a forced conversation with you."
"I think I am the one who is being forced," he corrected with a wink. "After all, you were the one who called me and interrupted my shower, so I had no choice but to answer the phone naked! Not that I'm complaining. I absolutely love my daily dose of Angel." He paused. "So, to recap your day: You went to the bank and eavesdropped on the conversation I had about getting Natalie an account, wondered if I was coming back, bumped into Amy, dragged information out of her, then, after you left the bank, came home and called me. Did I miss anything?"
She stuck her tongue out. "You forgot the part where I ran into Aunt Selina, your brother, and Mackenzie when I was at the store getting wine."
Klaus smirked. "So, it was a Mikaelson-filled day for you, then! Did you enjoy it?"
"Not at all," Angelica shook her head warily. "Can we vow here and now not to bump into each other ever when you get back?"
Klaus bit his lip on a smile. "I think that's up to the universe, love! Although I admit I would miss you terribly if I never saw you again. You make me smile and feel in a way that not a lot of people have done in my life."
"Really?" She asked. "Well, I'm sorry to take that from you but I suggest getting yourself a pet. They make excellent companions. Maybe Adrian can suggest someone for you. He seems to enjoy his dog, Rusty, very much."
"Why would I waste a bunch of money on a dog when I can put a collar on you and…oh, look at that!" He mocked. "Now my brain is full of dirty images of you and I in a compromising situation!"
"Okay, I'm done," Angie decided. "Have a nice life, Mikaelson!"
"Talk to you soon, Angel," he said. "Or perhaps I'll see you."
Angelica ended the call on his laughter and threw her phone on the sofa, smiling herself. She had to admit that even though so much about him made her mad, he knew how to make her smile too, somehow. Then her eyes widened. No, no, no! No going down that road. This thing with him, whatever it was, it was over! Tomorrow, she would put on her sexiest clothes, go to Noah's club, and find some guy to fuck who would fill her mind with someone or something other than Klaus Mikaelson!