Thank you for your kind comments and reviews to this fic. I have to laugh at the disappointment and reaction to Damon and Sabine. The only thing I can say is that both Damon and Bonnie are single, so they won't make the best decisions when it comes to their antics. However, I hope you continue to read—Bamon will make their way to each other eventually.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 7: Dirty Chai Latte
Bonnie found a barstool at a deli down the street from her office. She'd just finished presenting her plans for Revel to Jonas and he seemed impressed. Now, she just needed to wait for Stefan and Damon's reaction to her proposal. "What can I get you?" Sue, her usual waitress asked from behind the granite counter.
"Umm…turkey club and lemonade," Bonnie asked focusing on her phone for a few moments glancing up only momentarily to meet Sue's gaze.
"Well Bonnie, it has been a long time," a voice other than Sue's greeted her.
Bonnie smiled turning to meet Tyler's face, "Not that long…only a couple of weeks," she swiveled around in her chair.
"Feels like years," he stated taking a seat next to her, "Sue…can I get the usual?"
"Of course Handsome," Sue grinned giving Tyler a bigger smile than Bonnie got.
"Romancing Sue as always, huh?"
"Well you know," Tyler shrugged, "how have you been Bon?" he asked as his eyes traveled across Bonnie's face and down the rest of her body.
"Well you know, I've been ok and you?"'
"Things are good. I will be partner at the firm soon. I've dated a few, but no one special."
"No one special huh?" Bonnie gave him a crooked smile.
"No one special," he repeated, "so what about you?"
Bonnie thought about Marcel and then for some reason Damon, "Mmm…I'm not attached to anyone exclusively."
Tyler's eyes twinkled as he moved closer to Bonnie, "Then I guess, you don't really have any reason not to say yes to a very nice dinner with me tonight?"
Bonnie smiled, "Tonight? How about tomorrow tonight?"
"Tomorrow night? Gotta keep me guessing huh?" he smirked at her, "but that's fine, I will make reservations at Sanderson and I will pick you up at about 7?"
"7 is fine."
"Here you go Mr. Lockwood," Sue handed Tyler a paper bag.
"Thanks Sue…see you tomorrow night Bon," he stated stealing a kiss on the cheek causing Bonnie to gasp in surprise as he headed towards the door.
"Bonnie, I don't understand why you play hard to get with that man," Sue shook her head, "those eyes…he looks like he undresses you with them," she shivered.
Bonnie laughed, "He's single."
"Girl, I'm married…happily, but I can dream," Sue grinned placing Bonnie's sandwich in front of her.
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"I can't believe you made me do this on my day off!" Elena breathed heavily as she ran next to Bonnie through one of the nearby parks close to their townhome later that afternoon. The sun was slowly setting, but it was still slightly warm outside as their feet pounded the pavement.
"I needed to get out of the house and I've been working on my new project non-stop lately, I needed to do something," Bonnie breathed out.
"What's going on?" Elena asked slowing down and stopping to lean on a bench, where Bonnie followed.
"Nothing, you know how I get when Bianca leaves. I go through some separation anxiety," she frowned, "and I saw Tyler today."
Elena raised an eyebrow, "Tyler?"
"Yes, I went to this deli down the street from my office…both of our offices actually and he asked me out to dinner tomorrow."
"Ahh, so you miss him?""
Bonnie bit her lip, "I don't know if I miss him, but I don't mind having dinner with him. I liked Tyler. We had fun."
"You know what your problem is, you have way too many options," Elena bumped her, "you have Tyler, you have Marcel and then you have Damon."
"No way, Damon is not an option," Bonnie wiggled her finger, "he's just a friend. Besides that, he's messy and he has some serious baggage."
"Who doesn't?" Elena scoffed.
"You and Matt?" Bonnie supplied, "you two are so sickening with your perfection."
Elena gave Bonnie a guilty smile.
"What?" Bonnie asked.
"I've sorta been texting Stefan…Damon's brother," Elena spit out as Bonnie's eyes grew wide, "but I promise, its nothing serious. We just chat—that's it. He asks me about my job and stuff."
"Elena…" Bonnie sighed.
"Bonnie, it's nothing. Trust me. I love Matt and we are talking about you. Ok, Damon has baggage and he has a mess with his ex-girlfriend, but do you think that you two becoming more than friends would be the most horrible thing in this world?" Elena asked.
Bonnie shook her head, "One thing I don't deal with is the ex-girlfriend drama and besides all of that, he has made it clear that we are just friends and that's all we can be. I'm working for him and his brother, remember?"
"That doesn't matter—how many romances have started that very same way."
"Elena, I like having him as a friend. When we meet up, there are no expectations and that is nice and refreshing. Once emotions come into play, everything falls apart and I don't want that. I love the coffee shop."
"What?"
"Ok, follow me here…if me and Damon cross any lines and it goes south, I would have to stop going to Cup of Life and I love that place—it would just remind me of him."
Elena rolled her eyes.
"Hey it makes sense to me!" Bonnie laughed as she started running and Elena followed.
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Damon finished entering the receipts from the previous night and sat back staring at his computer screen. The lounge was turning a huge profit and he was starting to relax just a little where the business was concerned. Stefan was quick to tell him to take a chance, but there was no way he would let this go under. When he and Stefan first told their father that they wanted to open up lounges, Giuseppe scoffed at the mere thought that owning a 'bar' could be a successful business, if only he could see them now.
"Bonnie is really doing some great work, look at these mock ups for our new signage, the new furniture, the draperies. The interior decorators that her firm contracts with are amazing," Stefan entered his office holding out sketches for him to see.
"Draperies…look at that…learned a new word," Damon chuckled.
"Bonnie has taught me a lot of things," Stefan winked.
"Funny," Damon deadpanned, "you keep saying things like that, but I know and you know that Bonnie is just someone that you are working with and she's my friend."
"And why is she just a friend?" Stefan leaned against the desk, "that's not your style Damon. You usually don't specialize in being just friends with women."
"I'm a fuck up, you're a fuck up and Bonnie is the first woman in a long time that I can just be a friend with and I want to keep it that way."
Stefan held up his hands in defeat, "Ok, if you say so."
Damon finished the accounting for the night and looked up at Stefan, "Want a drink?"
"Why?" Stefan asked guarded.
"Because I want to tell you something and I want to do it over my favorite bottle of bourbon."
Stefan grimaced, "Are you about to tell me we lost money?"
Damon stood up, walking over to his cart and poured two glasses of bourbon. He handed one to Stefan and sipped from his, "Sabine and I had a relationship for 8 months…the 8 months before my accident," Damon confessed, "it was messy, it was wrong and I know that."
"Damon…" Stefan shook his head, "I figured this out, why are you telling me…wait…are you still sleeping with her?!" Stefan hissed, "what is wrong with you!"
"I'm not sleeping with her!" Damon defended himself, "well…not anymore…it was one time, a couple of days ago…that's it. It's over. I told her, we were beyond done and that we wouldn't speak of it again."
Stefan stared at his older brother. Damon had always been a little careless. A little reckless and never thought about the consequences of his actions until he was forced to, "Damon, did Sabine have something to do with what happened to you in New York?"
Damon gulped his bourbon, "She was the cause of it."
Stefan gaped, "And you still slept with her a week ago? Was she the one who called the police?"
"Look, I made mistakes with her."
"And what about Tanner, are you sure that Sabine will keep this quiet?"
"She was sleeping with her best friend's son, I'm pretty sure that she will keep it quiet. It wouldn't be a good look for her high society reputation."
"She's old enough to be our mother Damon," Stefan remarked tiredly.
"I am aware."
"You can never do anything easy," Stefan shook his head, "out of all of the women in New York, you decide to start up an affair with your best friend's mother…why?"
"Look, it was after her husband left," Damon threw his arms in the air, "Tanner asked me to check on her and things happened…and they continued to happen until it all went to hell. Look, I'm done with her and I'm done with fucked up relationships. I think I'm taking a hiatus from women."
Stefan chuckled, "Oh sure, I believe that."
"Look, I'm telling the truth."
"You better be. You got off easy with Andie, I'm not so sure Sabine will stay quiet about this, especially if she was behind what happened to you."
"Well I guess I have no other choice but to hope for the best and keep my platonic friendship with Bonnie in tact," Damon finished his drink.
Stefan sighed, "That thing with Sabine better not bite you on the ass."
"I think I've been through enough as a result of the thing with Sabine," Damon added.
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Bonnie sat cross-legged on her bed typing away on her laptop. Most people hated the whole taking your work home thing, but Bonnie loved it. She loved shaping people's visions for their businesses and yeah, maybe she hated the months of working on a toothpaste ad—but this new account, rebranding Revel and helping the Salvatores with their new lounge was the reason why she studied Marketing and Advertising in college. This was what she lived for and with something like this on her resume, she was one step closer to having her own advertising firm.
"Long term goal, Bonnie," she whispered to herself as she played with the figures on the screen. She was currently working on the mock-ups for the Seven Deadly Sins portraits that would be recreated for the lounge. Her firm had a creative department that helped out with remodels and putting ideas onto paper, but she loved doing these mock ups herself and then have them put the finishing touches on them.
She placed a picture of a nicely toned man with skin the color of milk chocolate and she placed stacks of money around him. The money was darkened, almost in the shadows and he met the gaze of the person staring at him with a sardonic smile. It was perfect, "Good work Bonnie," she smiled saving the image and glancing down at her notes, "Lust," she stated.
"And what do you have in mind for lust?" Damon asked from the doorway.
"What do I have in mind for lust?" she whispered searching her catalog of models. She selected a picture of a couple, who gave the appearance of being naked under sheer garments. The female was turned sideways and you could only see her profile. Her skin was the color of mocha and her long hair flowed through the air. The male, held her in an embrace and you could see the contrast of his olive skin with hers. He was holding her cheek, gazing down at her with his lips slightly parted. The picture was hot. It screamed lust and sex! Bonnie smirked as she placed a bed behind them with sheets casually falling to the floor.
Clicking on her email icon, she began to compose an email 'Lust?' she wrote and attached the mocked up picture. She quickly typed in Damon's email address and pressed send. She chuckled to herself as she lay back in bed. That was probably a tad over the line, but he asked for it. She giggled at the thought of his face when he saw that email.
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Damon reached his bedroom door and threw his suit jacket on the black velvet chaise lounger in the corner of his room. He quickly reviewed his work emails to make sure that his deposits went through and as he scrolled, he came across an email from Bonnie. The subject simply said 'Lust?' causing a cocky grin to spread across his face. He opened the email to reveal a rather seductive picture. It was clearly one of the mock ups that Bonnie more than likely wanted to hang in Revel. The models in the picture were definitely sending a message and he let out a chuckle. A part of him was surprised that Bonnie would dare send him such a thing. He hit reply and quickly fired back a response, "Definitely."
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The next evening, Bonnie pushed the revolving glass door of Sanderson Steakhouse leading to the swanky restaurant down the street from her office building. It was interesting that Tyler would choose this place, since it was the location of their first date a couple of months prior. She walked over to the hostess who met her with a big fake smile, "Good Evening, may I help you?"
"Yes, I'm here to meet someone…Lockwood is the last name," Bonnie supplied.
The hostess checked her iPad, "Right this way Miss Bennett," she grinned leaving the stand and heading towards the dining room with Bonnie following.
Bonnie remembered looking through the large glass windows when she was still in college and seeing the people dining inside. They all looked so sophisticated and put together. She always wanted to eat there and the first time she did, it was with Tyler. If nothing else, Tyler had class.
As she moved through the restaurant, she zeroed in on Tyler seated at a table for two speaking on his cell phone. He looked up and met Bonnie's eyes, quickly ending the call and rising in his seat, "Enjoy," the hostess stated before leaving them.
Tyler pulled out Bonnie's seat and she sat down slowly, as he joined her on the other side of the table, "This place…your fave?" Bonnie asked.
"Well the food's good and I know that you enjoy it, so why not?"
Bonnie nodded as she placed her napkin on her lap and then took a sip of her water. The waiter came to take their orders, pour a glass of red wine and then disappeared just as quickly as he appeared, "So what's new Miss Bonnie Bennett?" Tyler asked sitting back in his chair.
"Well I have a new account…I am working on the rebranding of that lounge Revel and also their new lounge that they will be opening soon. It's pretty big and its taking up a pretty big chunk of time."
Tyler's eyes twinkled, "Wow Bon, that's huge. Congratulations! I know you've been working hard to get something big. I also know that the Salvatore Brothers are going to be big players in town again."
"Again?" Bonnie asked.
Tyler nodded into his wine glass, "Yes, their father Giuseppe Salvatore was a big time real estate developer. He died about 5 years ago, but he helped developed a pretty substantial portion of Mystic Falls. Apparently when he died, he left the brothers much of his fortune. I know Stefan does some developing on the side and Damon has his bars in New York."
"Ahh," Bonnie answered.
"Yeah, our firm is looking to get some business from them."
"Well good luck," Bonnie stated making sure not to give any indication she would help, "so what about you?"
"Well I got five more clients added to my portfolio and I'm doing more work out of the LA office."
Bonnie grinned, "Congratulations to you then. That was your goal to get one of those coveted positions in the LA office, right?"
"Right and I'm about 75% there."
"So you're ready to pick up and leave Mystic Falls, huh?" Bonnie sipped her wine while Tyler threw her a smirk, "Well Bonnie, I don't have much keeping me here, the girl I was dating kicked me to the curb a couple of weeks ago," he gave her a puppy dog frown causing her to chuckle.
"Tyler now you know, I didn't make that much of a ripple in the love life of Tyler Lockwood."
"Don't sell yourself short, Miss Bennett."
"So you're not dating anyone now?" Bonnie inquired.
He shrugged non-committedly, "I've been on dates, but no one has stuck you know."
"I see."
"And what about you?"
"What about me?" Bonnie asked coyly.
"Do you have anyone special that I may be encroaching on right now?" Bonnie could tell from the glint in his eye as he spoke that Tyler had a definite wish as to how he wanted this night to end. All she could do was laugh, "If I had someone I was seriously dating, do you think I would have said yes to dinner?" she leaned forward lowering her gaze.
Tyler licked his bottom lip with his tongue slowly, "That look right there is why dinner ended so early the last few times we came here."
Remembering how they barely made it in his apartment on that 3rd date flooded Bonnie's mind and she knew that her skin turned a shade of pink at the mere memory, "Tonight is just two friends having dinner, remember?" she warned him.
"Of course," Tyler leaned forward.
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Damon held the glass door open for Lily as they walked into Sanderson. It was one of his mother's favorite restaurants and a place his parents frequented when he was younger. Damon didn't care much for their bourbon selection, but their mother wanted him to accompany her to dinner that night and he couldn't turn her down. It was his turn.
Ever since his father passed away 5 years' prior, their mother had her moments when she wanted her sons to accompany her to dinner or shopping or to the country club. He and Stefan usually took turns. Although Lily dated occasionally, he was well aware that there was still a hole left in her heart where the love for his father had slowly died with him. Giuseppe Salvatore wasn't the best father, but he was the best husband to Lily and Damon understood his mother's hurt and anything he could do to lessen it—he would.
"Good Evening Mrs. Salvatore!" Heidi, the hostess greeted them with a warm smile and a lingering gaze on Damon.
"Good Evening Heidi," Lily smiled.
"Evening Heidi," Damon answered.
"I have your table already set up and David is waiting on you," Heidi gathered menus leading Damon and Lily through the dining room. As they moved towards their table, Damon chuckled. He always found this place kind of pretentious, but it was the place to be seen in Mystic Falls and it didn't hurt to be here, now that he and Stefan were making so many moves with the lounges.
As soon as they were seated, they provided David with their orders and settled in to conversation, "So where is Stefan this evening?" Lily asked drinking her martini.
"He's at the lounge. You know how he is. He's become obsessed with the rebranding and everything that goes along with it."
"I'm excited for you both and I am thrilled that you two are working together so closely and happily…"
Damon grimaced, "Happily is pushing it Mother, we are getting along…as long as I let him spend money on whatever he wants."
Lily snickered, "Your brother is a visionary."
"So he is."
"It was nice having Sabine and Tanner here, wasn't it?" Lily asked.
Damon nodded his head sipping his bourbon.
"Tanner is still mischievous as always, but Sabine actually looked happy and content," Lily stated wistfully, "I remember when Dimitri left her and she went into that depression…" Lily shook her head remorsefully, "it was dreadful, I didn't think she would ever climb out of it and then suddenly she did and then your accident happened and I was so caught up in that and Sabine was so worried about you, I think she forgot about all her problems."
"Well that's a good thing isn't it?" Damon stated.
"It is…it is…but I spoke with her the other day and she just seemed distant. I don't know what's going on with her. Tanner is staying in New York with her for a little while and I'm thinking of going to visit her as well."
Damon nodded and in the midst of listening to Lily speak about how much of a scoundrel Dimitri Reynolds was, he heard a flirtatious laugh fill the air behind their table. He knew that laugh. He turned his head slightly and two tables behind him, he saw her. It was Bonnie. She had her hair up in a loose ponytail, from what he could tell she was wearing a sleeveless navy blue dress and she was dining with some guy he didn't recognize nor did he want to know.
"Damon…are you listening?" Lily's voice brought him back to his own table.
"Oh…sorry, I see someone I know," Damon mumbled.
"Who?" Lily craned her neck to look behind him.
"Umm…the woman who is working on our rebranding actually."
"Oh really?" Lily's eyes lit up, "maybe you can introduce us after dinner, I would love to meet her. Stefan says she is really good."
"Stefan would."
Lily raised an eyebrow, "Are you and your brother competing over this young woman?"
"No, we're not. Bonnie is a friend. Stefan thinks its more and he just wants to be a pain in the ass about it and clearly Mother, she's on a date with someone else—so there's nothing between us."
"Ahh…ok, but you know, I am looking for you to settle down any day now. I worry about you Damon, after what happened in New York…"
"There is no need to worry," Damon interrupted, "it was an accident, nothing more."
"You were in a coma for a week, Damon. They weren't sure you would make it…I thought…" Lily choked up for a moment blinking rapidly, "I thought I would have to say goodbye to you, like I did with your father."
"Mother, I'm ok. Look at me, I'm better than ever. It was just a stupid accident, nothing is going to happen to me. I'm taking care of myself and hey, I got a dog."
Lily laughed despite the tears welling up in her eyes, "You do look happier."
Damon reached across the table and took Lily's hand, "I am happier."
Lily smiled and then a look crossed her face that Damon didn't quite recognize, "Damon, may I ask you a question?"
"Ok," he stated guarded.
"Why was Sabine the one who called the ambulance for you? I know you would occasionally spend time with her, when she needed someone to accompany her to events when Tanner was unavailable—but it was late that night, wasn't it?"
Damon remembered that night well. At first, he couldn't remember it. He couldn't remember much when he opened his eyes in that hospital room 8 days later, but with time he remembered it and it made him angry. It was that anger that should have kept him away from Sabine permanently, "I was uh…dropping something off to her. She left an earring in my car and apparently it was a family heirloom and you know how Mrs. Reynolds gets about that stuff…" Damon shrugged.
Lily nodded slowly, "I guess."
"Strawberry Spring Salad," David announced placing Lily's plate in front of her and then Damon's. Damon had never been so thankful for a pile of green vegetables in his life.
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Tyler held his sides as he laughed deeply at Bonnie's story about Bianca showing her dad one of the Devil Girls routine's that she choreographed, "I wish I could meet your sister!" he wiped his eyes. They were finishing up dessert and the dinner reminded Bonnie why she liked Tyler in the first place. He was funny, a little arrogant, very complimentary and he was smart. He would be the perfect boyfriend-if she were looking for one.
"My sister is one of a kind, that's for sure," Bonnie smiled.
"But so are you."
"Tyler, flattery will get you everywhere," Bonnie beamed.
"I hope so," Tyler winked at her causing her to giggle from across the table.
"Well…what a surprise seeing you here," a familiar voice loomed over the table.
Bonnie glanced up to see Damon standing over them with a woman who looked to be about 20 or so years older than him wearing a bright smile, "Damon…hi," Bonnie rose from her chair, "how long have you been here?" she looked around.
"Me and my mother just finished dinner. Bonnie Bennett meet Lily Salvatore," he gestured towards the ginger haired woman next to him.
"Hi, its so nice to meet you," Bonnie grinned shaking Lily's hand, "and this is Tyler Lockwood," Bonnie gestured towards Tyler who stood next to her sizing up Damon.
"Tyler Lockwood, well it's a pleasure to meet you," Damon stuck out his hand for Tyler to shake.
Bonnie could tell by the glint in his eye that he realized exactly who Tyler was and he would have plenty to say about it the next time they spoke.
"And you as well, I actually want to set up some time for us to talk. My accounting firm Young and Brown would love to have a conversation about what we could possibly do for you and your brother," Tyler slipped his business card into Damon's hand causing Bonnie to shake her head. Tyler was smooth, if not anything else. Damon looked down at the card, "I will give you a call," Damon assured him.
"Bonnie, Stefan tells me that you have some great ideas for the new look. Don't let my sons drive you too crazy," Lily warned.
"Oh I won't," Bonnie looked over at Damon, "that's not possible at all."
"Bonnie can handle herself, Mother," Damon met Bonnie's gaze.
"Well it was nice meeting you Bonnie," Lily cleared her throat.
"You too Mrs. Salvatore," Bonnie smiled as Lily locked her arms with Damon.
"Have a good evening Bonnie and Tyler," Damon stated as he turned with Lily following her out of the door.
"Did you drive here?" Tyler asked signing the the restaurant receipt.
"I actually took a Lyft."
"I can give you a ride home," Tyler offered.
Bonnie turned to Tyler with a smile, "Ok."
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"She's very pretty," Lily stated looking out of the window as Damon drove her home.
"Who?" Damon asked.
Lily turned to him with a look, "You know exactly who I am talking about, the beautiful woman who was with that man who you basically shot daggers at when he handed you his business card," Lily chuckled.
Damon laughed, "I did not."
"Oh yes you did. So Bonnie is the advertising exec, but does my son have a crush?" Lily leaned over.
"Mother…"
"Damon."
"No, I don't. I just ended things with Andie. I'm not ready to date anyone, especially not someone who we have a professional relationship with."
"Save it Damon. I know you. Andie was just a dalliance," Lily flagged the air.
Damon sighed, "Bonnie is a nice person. She's beautiful and successful. She has a lot going on in her life. She doesn't need me complicating it and you know how we Salvatore sons do, we don't do well in relationships."
"Damon…"
"Look at me and Stefan, neither of us have settled down. We love the drama and Bonnie doesn't deserve that. I need to be single for awhile."
"You single?" Lily laughed mockingly.
"I've been single for long periods of time Mother," Damon replied.
"Yes, but when you clearly have interest in someone—I've never known you to take a step back."
"See that's where you're wrong, I'm not interested in Bonnie in that way and even if I were, you saw her out with a date tonight. Why would I get in the middle of that?"
"Rights," Lily stated turning to look out the window.
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Bonnie opened the front door of the townhome and Tyler followed her inside, "Dinner was nice. Thank you for inviting me," Bonnie kicked off her shoes and placed her keys on the console table.
"Thank you for agreeing, I miss our conversations and spending time with you," Tyler reached down and took her hand in his, "we had fun."
The look he gave her was a familiar one and she couldn't help the warm feeling that came over her and spread to her cheeks. Tyler could really make a woman feel good with just a look, "We did."
Tyler leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Then why did you want it to end?"
She immediately stood up straighter as he softly caressed her cheek. Suddenly she was at a loss for words as his lips met hers. It was a slow kiss that built slowly into one with more heat, Tyler's tongue danced in Bonnie's mouth as he reached and lifted her up onto the console table. She wrapped her legs around him as he leaned into her with their kisses. She felt everything Tyler had to offer her and she moaned throwing her head back as he turned his lips to her neck. His heads massaged her breasts through her dress and she felt every part of her body go into a full hum. This is what she remembered with him, "Let's go upstairs," he whispered in her ear.
Those three words hit Bonnie like someone had just walked in on them. She and Tyler had a good thing before, but she didn't want it again, "Tyler…we can't do that," she broke their kiss, "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have let it get this far."
Tyler chuckled shaking his head and backed up, "Damon Salvatore…"
Bonnie slid off of the table, fixing her dress, "What?"
"Damon Salvatore, are you two…"
"No, we're just friends and he has nothing to do with this."
Tyler shook his head with a slight smile, "Sure. Well…" he took a deep breath, "not exactly the night I wanted, but it's the night I got. It was a good dinner Bonnie; I'll give you a call later."
Bonnie nodded knowing that Tyler wouldn't call. She walked over to the door and opened it, "I did have a nice night," she smiled at him.
"Of course, have we ever had a bad date?" he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
Bonnie breathed out closing the door behind Tyler and leaning up against the glass. She closed her eyes, "What are you doing Bon?" she whispered.
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Damon opened his condo door and threw his keys down on the table. Sandy immediately barreled over to him wagging her tail, "Yes, of course…one minute," he mumbled reaching for her leash and attaching it to her collar. He headed outside and started their nightly walk down the street with Sandy happily strolling along. Scanning through his phone, he stopped on Bonnie's name.
He could admit it. Seeing her with the stockbroker bothered him just a little. His mother was right. His hand hovered over the button to call her and spookily, his phone began to glow with her name. He touched the green button and raised his phone to his ear, "Is Tyler ok with you calling me, right now?" he smirked.
"I don't know, he's not here. But you can always ask him when you set up a meeting."
Damon laughed, "Yeah, he's ambitious."
"That he is."
"So I thought you two weren't dating anymore…"
Bonnie walked around her bedroom, "Yeah, we just went out tonight. I don't think it will happen again. Tyler wants something that I don't, so I think its best I leave what we had in the past."
Damon stopped walking, "That's very grown up of you."
"Well, I decided it was time to grow up a little and I'm going to Detroit this weekend and it would just be weird, you know."
"Going to Detroit…to see Bianca?"
He heard a slight chuckle from Bonnie, "No, Marcel invited me."
Damon rolled his eyes, "So he's already starting his wooing of you."
"Don't say it like that," Bonnie laughed.
"Don't say it like what?"
"Like Marcel has some master plan."
"Bonnie, he has a master plan," Damon guided Sandy back towards the apartment, "the master plan is to have you as his girlfriend and I imagine, pull out all the stops to get you to move there and be his lady love."
Bonnie scoffed, "Really?"
"Bonnie, I know how men operate."
"Oh I'm sure you do Damon Salvatore. You've been single for 10 seconds, so I am sure that pretty soon you will be searching for the next woman to be the Queen of your castle."
Damon laughed harder than he intended to, "Bonnie, it's not like that and I think I need to take a break anyway…"
"She scarred you that bad huh?" Bonnie asked.
"I haven't made the best choices that's all and I just want to take a step back now," Damon stated.
"Well, I hope that it works out for you."
"So you're leaving for Detroit this weekend…what on Friday?"
"Yes, on Friday…why?"
"Would you like to meet tomorrow night for a drink?" Damon asked.
"A drink, at Revel?"
"Of course, its my favorite place to drink next to our coffee place."
"Ok, we can have a drink tomorrow since I'm going to miss our Saturday meeting," Bonnie smiled.
"Sounds like a plan," he agreed.
They made small talk and then ended the call for the evening. Bonnie held onto her phone for a few moments biting her lip. She wasn't sure what she was doing with the friendship with Damon. However, she prayed she didn't get herself in trouble over it. She fell back on her pillows as the phone began to ring and Marcel's name filled the screen, "Marcel…hi," she smiled answering.
"I was hoping that you were still awake," his cool baritone voice came through the phone.
"Yeah, I was just settling down into bed actually."
"Ahh…so I caught you at a good time."
Bonnie found herself smiling, Marcel was…cute, "I guess you did. So I'm all set to come on Friday," she replied, "after work, I'm heading straight to the airport, stopping at Bianca's apartment and then coming to the game."
"Right, I have your ticket at the box office."
"Great. It's been awhile since I've been to Detroit. Bianca is never home and my life was hectic when I just joined the firm. But I have to let you know that I may have to do some work Saturday morning."
Marcel let out a tiny sigh, "I understand…I don't like it, but I get it."
"Don't worry, I will be all yours after that."
"Promise?" Marcel asked.
"I do," Bonnie answered.
BDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBD
The next evening, Damon stood in front of the mirror shaving. He meant what he told his mother and Bonnie the night before. He was taking a break from relationships. Ever since that night with Sabine, something had nagged at him. The relationship with Sabine was always wrong. There was nothing right about it. She was his mother's best friend and his best friend's mother. He had lied to everyone about what he was doing and where he was going during the time he was seeing her. Even when he ended up in the hospital and in a coma, he never told anyone the real reason behind it.
He wondered why had he stayed quiet about their relationship? Was it because of the fact that he would be blamed for it? Was it the fact that his mother would have a problem with it and her friendship with Sabine would end? Would he lose his friendship with Tanner over it? Then it was the fact that Sabine had a way of making sure she got what she wanted. It was what started their relationship and what ended it.
"Call from 212-555-3278," his overhead speaker announced.
He paused mid-shave. Although the number wasn't in his phone, he knew it by heart. He paused as the speaker repeated the number, "Answer," he stated.
"Damon, for a moment I thought you wouldn't answer my call," her voice filled his bathroom.
"Sabine."
"Yes, I've been thinking of you."
"How was your trip back?" Damon asked.
"It was fine. Have you thought about our last night together?"
"Actually Sabine, I have."
He heard her chuckle with delight, "I knew you would."
"I've been thinking about how much of a mistake it was," Damon stated placing his razor down, "Sabine, when I left New York…how I left New York happened for a reason. We were a mistake Sabine. I know that you were dealing with a lot when I came into your life. I know it was a hard time with what happened with Dimitri and maybe I had some things to learn about myself."
"Damon, we were perfect together. You know that."
"No, we really weren't. Sabine, I meant what I said—that night, was it. Can we just be happy with that?"
She was silent for a few moments and Damon knew something was coming, "You're just like him!" she hissed, before the phone went silent. Before, Damon would have dropped everything and rushed to her—but he learned that lesson and there was no way he was falling for that again.
BDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBD
Bonnie entered Revel and took in the crowded bar and dance floor, "Miss Bennett," Tanner, one of the doormen greeted Bonnie as soon as he stepped inside.
"Tanner, how are you?" she smiled.
"Great…we're busy and busy is good. Mr. Salvatore is in his office; he's waiting for you."
Bonnie nodded making her way through the crowd and up the stairs towards Damon's office. She found him staring at his computer screen when she entered, "Always looking over those numbers huh?" she asked.
"Well how else do you think we're going to afford your firm's exuberant fees," he stood up walking over and closing the door behind her.
"Ha, ha," Bonnie mocked him taking a seat in on the couch on the opposite side of his desk. Damon walked over to the drink cart pouring a light brown creamy mixture into martini glasses, "hmm, what is that?" she cocked her head to the side.
"Well…" Damon began walking over with the martini glasses, "since you are running off to Detroit to have coffee with another man, I thought we could have our coffee tonight—with a little twist. Anna made it, she calls it an Extra Dirty Latte Martini."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow, "An extra dirty latte? Sounds like something that will have me making all types of bad decisions," Bonnie stated taking the glass from Damon and sipping it, she immediately felt the cold liquid travel down her throat and the fact that she tasted no alcohol told her that there was plenty of alcohol in this concoction.
"This is pretty damn good," Damon licked his lips taking another sip of the martini, "so what are you going to do in Detroit, exactly?"
Bonnie shrugged, "Go to a Devils game, hang out with the team and Bianca. I'm not exactly sure what Marcel has planned."
"Well if he's trying to get you to become his one and only lady love, he will undoubtedly take you out to a fancy dinner and then show you that he can be a really fun guy…probably take you out for karaoke…"
Bonnie laughed into her martini glass, "Karaoke?"
"He seems like the type of guy who would do karaoke," Damon shrugged.
"I doubt he does…"
"But would it makes you laugh?" Damon peered over at her.
Bonnie couldn't help but smile, "I think it would actually."
"Then he will probably do it or maybe take you to an arcade or something."
Damon finished up his martini and refilled his and Bonnie's glasses, "Hey!" she protested, "I have to work tomorrow."
"So you do," Damon winked at her, "but first, you will have a drink with me tonight and talk about what exactly you are expecting from this little trip with your new potential boyfriend."
Bonnie studied her martini for a few moments and sipped, "I don't know exactly, I mean Marcel is nice and there's no reason why I shouldn't give him a chance?" she shrugged, "and I haven't made it promises and I get to visit my sister."
"But do you think that he will want this to be a start of a relationship?"
Bonnie smirked, "Well of course, I mean…I am ME."
"So you are," Damon looked over at her admiring her smile and her eyes, "I just want you to have fun on this little trip…" he traced the top of his martini glass and then bumped his shoulder with hers, "but not too much fun, I don't want this Marcel person to romance you so well that you decide to relocate to Detroit."
"Oh and what then, you won't hop on a plane and meet me for Saturday mornings for coffee?"
"I think Marcel would hate that," Damon answered.
Bonnie shrugged, "Oh well, he would have to deal."
Damon concentrated on his martini glass for a few moments. Bonnie watched him open his mouth and then close it before repeating the movement and speaking, "Bonnie, everyone keeps asking me how we are just friends?"
"You don't say," Bonnie raised an eyebrow.
Damon met her gaze, "And I tell them because I like having you as my friend and I'm not the best at relationships, so in order to keep you in my life—friendship is the best way to go."
Bonnie wasn't sure why the temperature in the office increased to at least 90 degrees. Damon had basically friend zoned her, but it didn't exactly feel like it. The way his eyes were studying her and the tone in which he said those words, it was almost as if he had declared his love for her, "Well I'm glad you feel that way. I feel the same way," she managed to squeeze out.
Damon swallowed the rest of his martini, "Good, because I'm no good as a boyfriend…I'm barely passable as a friend."
"Damon, you're not that bad," Bonnie sipped her martini.
Damon placed his glass on the table and turned to stare at Bonnie, "Oh really? Tell me what kind of friend sleeps with his best friend's mother for months and says nothing?"
She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or her hearing, but she nearly choked on the liquid in her mouth as Damon's admission rolled off his lips. She turned to stare at him and saw not a hint of playfulness or joking and suddenly, all the heat building between them had frozen over.
Well Damon came clean…how exactly will Bonnie deal with his admission or will she deal with her friend's admission at all?
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