"The secret is partner with none

but the knower of the secret.

In the skeptic's ear,

the secret is no secret at all."

— Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (Rumi)


There was a life-size cardboard cutout of Kol Mikaelson staring at her. He was wearing a billowy pirate shirt artfully ripped open, striking a Fabio-worthy pose with a rose between his teeth. Caroline glared at Bonnie, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she accused, "Are you seriously trying to set me up with YOUR dumb celebrity crush?!"

At Bonnie's sheepish expression, she scolded, "Are you telling me you'd be ok with me dating the guy that was hanging on your bedroom wall since our sophomore year? And OHMYGOD, how am I supposed to just talk to this guy like a normal person knowing my best friend once owned tarot cards with his face on them?"

"Ok, yeah, some of that might be slightly accurate, but I know you'd totally return the favor if I had the opportunity to date your celebrity crush, Marcel Gerard." With her puppy dog eyes unfairly on full display, Bonnie pleaded, "Come on, please, please, please do this? Enzo and I are ridiculously, blissfully married, but we both really want to live vicariously through you, ok? We even made up a drinking game for when we watch the show."

Caroline couldn't help but burst into giggles, thinking of Enzo and Bonnie binging a bunch of stupid reality dating shows to come up with their drinking game. They probably argued over the rules more than the time they remodeled their kitchen. She realized with a pang that she'd give anything to fall in love with someone who also could be her best friend. Damn it.

"Fine. I'll try to get excited about dating someone who once gave a red carpet interview in which he rambled on and on about the sparkly lights and then asked for a pitcher of sunshine and rainbows." With a smug grin, she added, "On the plus side, maybe the show will wrap up early if Kol needs to take some time off again for 'exhaustion'."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a voice at the door who wryly said, "I can assure you that my brother will be on his best behavior during the show. In fact, I insisted one of the terms of his contract include a clause about certain behaviors that might cause exhaustion." Gray eyes twinkling with mirth, he confided, "I call it the Klaus clause."

Both women exchanged a deer-in-the-headlights look, and Caroline felt her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "Um...brother?"

He held out his hand, the grip firm and confident as he introduced himself to the women. "Klaus Mikaelson, Kol's long-suffering manager and even longer suffering older brother, I'm afraid." Gesturing for the women to sit at the long conference table, he observed, "And you're Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett." With a knowing grin, he added, "It's my understanding, Bonnie, that we have you to thank for such an outstanding candidate for our show."

"Yes," Bonnie hurriedly agreed, "Caroline's very excited about the show."

"Are you," he asked in amusement, dimples appearing at the corners of the teasing smirk he flashed Caroline.

Those dimples AND cheekbones AND she'd already made an ass out of herself. Caroline rubbed the side of her face, feeling how hot it was underneath her palm. Fuck her life. "Right. So, um...I should probably apologize for the whole um..."

"Saying my little brother is a dim-witted, spoiled movie star who only agreed to be on this show because he desperately needs to rehab his image?" At the women's stunned silence, Klaus chuckled, casually waving at the cheesy cardboard version of Kol at the front of the room. "I appreciate your honesty, Caroline. If anything, I'm suspicious of the dizzying scores of women who come to these things convinced they're already in love with my brother. Especially when they don't flinch at these gimmicky trappings of a reality dating show."

Caroline had to remind herself to blink. Those Mikaelsons had very good genes. Stop smiling at the guy you aren't dating. She reminded herself to focus as she caught the end of Klaus' summary of her background. "...originally from the charming small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, you now live in San Francisco where you work as a marketing director for a youth art program. Very impressive."

"Oh, um...thanks, I guess? I mean, I'm sure it's all in your file there about how there was a broken engagement and I left home for a fresh start. I had a degree in art history and zero talent and I just kind of stumbled into the community center one day and sort of never left."

Something came alive behind his gaze in that moment, and he leaned forward to ask eagerly, "I knew you were involved in a non-profit art program, but I didn't realize you had a background in art as well. Tell me, is there a specific movement or style that you emphasize in the program because I've always enjoyed Neoclassicism, especially Barry's work."

"Ugh, you would like Barry's work," Caroline said, wrinkling her nose. "If you're going to get bogged down by depressing Neoclassicism, at least go for something with light and real emotion like Canova's sculptures."

"Really, love, you're going to try to convince me that overdone, overwrought monstrosities like Canova's work could ever hope to..." Klaus trailed off awkwardly as though realizing how wildly off-track their conversation had become.

Cheeks flaming, Caroline noticed how they both were leaning over the table a bit closer than was strictly necessary, and she sat back so fast it made her chair squeak. She sent Bonnie a withering glare when her friend snorted in amusement at the uncomfortable tension.

Clearing his throat, Klaus hurriedly said, "The show will air on about a two-week delay, which means the audience will get to know you and the rest of the contestants right away. We've planned for approximately 13 episodes, to be filmed for the next two months."

Caroline looked at Bonnie, whose frown mirrored her own. Her friend corrected him to say, "That's not what the disclaimer on the application listed. It was supposed to be a maximum two-week commitment."

She vehemently shook her head and joined Bonnie as they stood up to go. "Yeah, no, I can't sign on for a two-month commitment. That's not fair to the community center — I can't leave them understaffed for that long just so I can go on a couple of dates." Giving him a bright smile, she cheerfully added, "But this seemed like a fun idea and I'm sure you'll have no problem finding the right candidates to be on your show."

Caroline's fingers grazed the doorknob when Klaus called out, "Wait." As though aware of how his voice had gone up an octave, he added in a lower voice, "Let's not be hasty, sweetheart. I'm sure we can negotiate a suitable compromise."

She raised an eyebrow, surprised by the hint of desperation she heard in his tone. "I can't just take off for two months. The community center already is understaffed; you have no idea what it's like trying to raise the non-profit's profile while coordinating ongoing donor outreach."

"We'll provide funding to your non-profit to hire a temporary marketing director for the duration of your contract with the show," he blurted out, gray eyes widening as though he was just as surprised by his offer as they were.

Bonnie frowned, a suspicious edge to her tone as she held up a hand to ask, "Why would you go out of your way do that? What do you want from Caroline?"

Grumbling good-naturedly, he raked his fingers through his messy curls and revealed, "Your numbers were outstanding with our test audience — we need you on our show."

Why did it sting to hear that Klaus only wanted her on the show because he thought she'd score good ratings? You're here to date his brother, remember? The spoiled mess of a movie star brother who probably changed girlfriends more often than underwear. Squaring her shoulders, she chose to focus on the positives. The show sounded like ridiculous, stupid fun and Bonnie was right that she was way past due for some. Besides, maybe she'd have a connection with Kol — it sounded absurd, but hopefully underneath that idiotic public persona the media obsessed over was an actual human.

Plus, this was a perfect opportunity for the community center. Thinking fast, Caroline replied, "Fine. But the show also has to feature the non-profit's logo and contact information for donations at the end of every episode."

Bonnie gave her an encouraging nod, mouthing 'Nice' while Klaus wasn't looking.

Letting out a chuckle, he replied, "Not just a pretty face then. You're also quite the clever negotiator. Are you sure you aren't an agent?"

Shameless flirt. It was probably second nature to Hollywood types like Klaus. Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Wow. You know, Fred Allen was right when he said, 'You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and an agent's heart.'"

"It was 'producer's heart', not agent's."

"Seriously?! That's your takeaway," Caroline asked incredulously, unable to hide the hint of a smile creeping back in. It was fun to argue with Klaus. "So...do we have a deal?"

Flashing his dimples once more, he told her, "Of course. I'll draw up the contracts after you meet with the show's producers." He shook her hand, and she managed not to react to the sudden warmth that came over her. Definitely not a spark. Nope.


"For the last time, Kol, you are not to 'accidentally' run into any of the candidates prior to the show! The producers want genuine reactions from the contestants when they're introduced to you during the first episode."

Kol snorted, lips twisting into a mocking grin as he said, "Like anything about these candidates is genuine. I've probably judged stripper contests that could be deemed more genuine."

Caroline is different, Klaus immediately thought, and then quickly banished that traitorous musing as quickly as it entered his mind. Handing his brother a small earpiece, he offered, "The producers have agreed you can listen in on their final interviews with the candidates." As Kol eagerly snatched up the earpiece, Klaus dryly added, "You're welcome."

Klaus watched him scamper down the hall with an almost childlike innocence that he wistfully wondered if he'd ever possessed. But then his eyes landed on his own earpiece, the one that allowed two-way communication, and he didn't bother suppressing a mischievous grin. He had access to Kol's earpiece.

But then his smile vanished when he saw Caroline and Bonnie waiting at the elevators...and Kol sprinted toward them. Bollocks. Hopefully the producers were too busy arguing over the brunch selections upstairs to notice the egregious breach in protocol.

Klaus sighed in irritation. His foolish brother had no idea how to handle such a clever and confident woman like Caroline. She was magnificent...from a ratings perspective. Klaus quickly put in his earpiece, just in time to hear his brother purr, "My, my, aren't you both tasty little things — and you know, you're just one more interview away from dating me," he teased, wriggling his eyebrows comically.

Although Klaus couldn't hear the women, he saw how Bonnie seemed inordinately pleased to see Kol, excitedly shaking his hand and chattering on while Caroline watched her friend with a fond smile.

"Caroline, I'm certain you'll do well in the final interview. Just dazzle the producers with that lovely smile of yours and give them a frivolous little beauty queen wave."

Klaus immediately winced, pinching the bridge of his nose as he snarled into his earpiece, "You gormless wanker! Caroline was Miss Mystic Falls when she was a teenager."

The frosty half-smile Caroline favored Kol with was enough to give both brothers pause. Even Kol seemed to recognize his mistake as he stumbled over his words. Klaus instinctively hissed, "Tell her that you know how superficial Hollywood can seem to someone like her; to someone who devotes her time to doing something so worthwhile. And that you hope she can set aside her assumptions about all of this and give you a chance to show her the real you. Because there's a light you can see in her, something genuine that you haven't seen in a long time living out here."

Bloody hell. Where had that come from? Klaus shook his head in irritation, watching as some of the stiffness left Caroline's body and she gave Kol a hesitant smile after he delivered his speech. Good. She was back on board and would be excellent for ratings. That was what mattered.

And yet Klaus turned away with a pang when he watched Caroline giggle and accept Kol's arm as he offered to escort her and Bonnie to the final interview.