Eloise lets out a sigh, not knowing why she was even bothering to doll herself up, tonight was just a guardian-teacher meeting. Perhaps she wanted to practice for this Saturday when she would see Elijah again.
She exits her bathroom and smiles upon seeing the brightly colored bouquet that adorned her dinner table. It was a field bouquet, her favorite variety. The poppies complimented the almost violently yellow sunflowers beautifully.
The flowers had been left on her doorstep the morning after her walk with Elijah and had immediately elevated her already good mood. She had wondered how Elijah got these flowers this late in the year but decided not to question it, she didn't want to spoil the magic. It had been a long time since anyone had done something so thoughtful for her and she appreciated it immensely.
"Louise!" Alex's shout rings in Eloise's ear as she picks her phone up. Eloise quickly pulls the device away from her ear to preserve her hearing.
"Alexandria" Eloise replies dryly.
"Ugh don't call me that." Alex huffs.
"Don't call me Louise." Eloise retorts, rolling her eyes playfully. She gently brushes her fingers over one of the petals of a peach-colored rose.
"Fine, Ella."
"You are incorrigible." Eloise sighs.
"And you love it."
"Where are you? What is that noise?" Eloise closes her eyes, focussing on the various sounds she couldn't make sense of coming from her phone.
"Theme park. I am on duty to spoil my cousins rotten, and I have decided to take the task very seriously." Alex deadpans, before shouting something in her mother tongue, most likely to her cousins. Eloise had met them once and knew what kind of troublemakers the kids could be.
"Of course you have."
"So, how was your date with Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome?"
"It wasn't a date. We merely walked Bowie." Eloise mumbles while bending down to grab her shoes, no heels she decides. She had learned from the alley incident and although she still wore heels to her job, she now mostly wore sneakers in her free time, finally offering her feet some much deserved rest.
"Hmm, say that to the ridiculously large bouquet he bought you." Alex comments dryly.
Eloise can practically hear Alex rolling her eyes. "It wasn't a date, but we are going to dinner on Saturday."
"A few more of those and you can start calling yourself Mrs. Tall Dark and Handsome." Alex wags her brows even if Eloise can't see it.
"Don't get your hopes up." Eloise warns lightly. She had been repeating the same words to herself for the past few days. Elijah might be paying her attention now, but she knew how quickly men lost interest in her.
"You'll see. The guy is head over heels. Who the fuck writes someone they don't like a handwritten invite for a date?" Alex blurts out.
"You went through my stuff?" Eloise calls indignantly, plopping herself down on the couch to tie her shoes with her phone between her shoulder and ear. With a giggle, she pushes Bowie's snout away, he was immediately intent on cuddling her.
"No, I dropped off Bowie and my eye happened to land on a very considerate note of a certain Elijah." Alex replies smoothly.
"Your eye didn't land on anything. I put the invite in a drawer." Eloise deadpans.
"My eye happened to accidentally open a drawer, ruffled through stacks of book reports, and landed on a very nice invite, which by the way was written on paper one usually reserves for wedding invitations." Alex reasons.
"That's enough encouragement from you, Alex. Thank you." Eloise mutters. She loved her friend dearly, but all this support would only make the pain greater once Elijah pushes her off to the side.
"No, wait! I want to gossip."
"There is nothing to gossip, nothing major happened and I have to go." Eloise sighs and pets Bowie a last time before grabbing her replacement bag and closing the front door behind her.
• • ••
"I was already beginning to wonder if you had stood me up." Damon grins at Eloise who walks up to the booth he had been waiting in for the past ten minutes.
"I wouldn't dare, that would be very unprofessional." Eloise replies, shifting her gaze to Alaric, who was seated at the bar, gazing at them.
Eloise had told Alaric of her appointment with Damon and as expected Alaric had been quite grumpy about the whole happening. He had insisted to chaperone her and Eloise had laughed loudly until she realized he had been serious. She wonders what kind of person Damon was, Alaric was friends with him yet Alaric did not trust him around her.
After some discussion they had come to the compromise that Alaric would stay near and give her a ride back home, ensuring himself that Eloise would not go anywhere with Damon after their meeting.
"I suppose so, besides that you wouldn't want to miss out on a date with me." Damon says cockily before producing a lewd grin, one that reminded her painfully of the man from the alley, Niklaus. He had also grinned at her in such a way and it did not end well on her behalf.
"Mr. Salvatore-"
"Damon." Damon corrects. "We were already on a first-name basis, let's not fall back into unnecessary etiquette."
"Damon, we both know this isn't a date. We are here to discuss-" Eloise fixes Damon with one of her rare serious looks, which she usually reserved for chaotic days as a substitute kindergarten teacher.
Eloise liked Damon up to this point, and would certainly have fallen for him if she hadn't set her eyes on Elijah, but she had and she wanted to set the tone right by letting the man know she wasn't here to become another notch on his bedpost.
"Stefan, yes of course. My apologies."
• • •
"Date going bad?"
Eloise looks up at the blonde, slightly taken aback at being spoken to by one of her students. Students usually avoided their teaches, afraid they might snitch on them to their parents or lower their grades if they said something wrong to them outside of school.
"No, it's not a date. Far from a date actually." Eloise replies, smiling gently at Caroline.
"Good, you can do better." Caroline gives Eloise a small smile, not at all fond of the idea of her teacher falling victim to Damon.
"You know him?" Eloise asks carefully while slowly drying her hands with one of the paper towels from the dispenser.
"Yes, let's say we hadn't always seen eye to eye." Caroline mutters, looking at Eloise in the reflection of the mirror for a second before disappearing from the bathroom, leaving behind a puzzled Eloise.
• • •
"Was he a dick? Do I need to punch him for you?" Alaric offers while peering in the rearview mirror.
"No, he was... well behaved." Eloise replies. She would have called his behavior perfectly proper if she hadn't met Elijah, who was pretty much the definition of decorum.
"I will punch him if necessary." Alaric offers again through gritted teeth, still upset with his friend for going against his wishes and being a dick in general lately.
"I think you're simply looking for a reason to punch your friend." Eloise grins at Alaric, highly amused by his disgruntled expression.
"Perhaps." Alaric grumbles, not having forgotten Damon's remark of turning Elena into Original bait. This remark had been made during a meeting a few days back. They hadn't exactly cracked on with their plan to rid themselves of the Original family. Elena being Elena, she had agreed with Damon, thinking it was best to offer herself as bait to lure Niklaus or Elijah, but Alaric, as her guardian, had put his foot down. Elena had played enough bait throughout the years and had lost enough. If Damon needed bait, he could be it himself. "But enough about my grumpy self. What's got you all cheerful lately?"
"It is nothing, Ric."
"See, I don't believe that. You're being... brighter than usual"
"Of course you don't." Eloise scoffs. "I might have met someone."
"Please say it is not Damon because then I might have to kill him." Alaric groans exasperatedly.
"No it's not Damon." Eloise giggles, she couldn't see the fun and kind Alaric killing anyone any time soon. "You do know it is pretty feeble-minded to tell someone up front who you're going to kill, right?"
"Oh hush, you will make a fine accomplice." Alaric whispers in a conspirator sort of tone.
"You mean I get to hold the flashlight while you dig the grave?" Eloise deadpans.
"Exactly." Alaric grins as he pulls into a parking spot near Eloise's door.
Eloise rolls her eyes. "Well, I thank you for the ride and your... offer." Eloise laughs as she opens the car door.
"Of course. Goodnight, Ellie."
"Good night, Ric." Eloise waves once before Alaric drives off and with a sigh, she walks to her door. She produces the spare key from her pocket, taking half a minute to poke the key in its designated hole before turning. Eloise is lightly disappointed Bowie doesn't greet her with his affections but reasons he must already be asleep.
Eloise kicks her shoes off, throws her bag onto the couch, and wanders into the kitchen, fixing herself a glass of water. Not bothering to clean up after herself she stumbles into her bedroom, ready to flop down on the bed and stay there for the next seven hours. She halts in her movement upon seeing a familiar figure, seated on her bed.
"Kol." Eloise gasps.
