Chapter 7: "Jealous?"
"Kiss me! "
"W-what, " he stammered
"Just kiss me, " she repeated in a lower voice.
The approaching steps only grew louder.
Ultimately, he had no time for a rebuttal before her lips crashed against his.
Six Hours Before
Bonnie and Caroline were sitting in the office of the apartment waiting for Stefan and Damon to return. They arranged to have one last meeting to finalize the plan for the mission.
"Great you guys are already here let's get started, " Stefan announced entering the room. He then moved to a desk and began emptying the inventory of his blue backpack.
"Where's Damon?"
"He left after I gave him that letter," Bonnie spoke up.
"Right. I guess we can start without him,"
Bonnie and Caroline nodded in agreement
Stefan took a seat in front of the desktop and pulled up the blueprints of the Waldorf Astoria Building on the screen.
They began discussing the layout of the building when Damon arrived.
"You're late, " Stefan said.
"I know, " he snapped back.
Stefan glared at his brother before turning back to the screen.
"There are two entrances. This elevator takes you straight to the main entrance of the apartment,"
"I assume the other entrance is off-limits, " Caroline chimed in.
"Probably, " Stefan returned.
"They also check the tickets right before we enter, "
"Where are the tickets?" Bonnie inquired.
"They're in my wallet but w-"
Before he could finish Bonnie was fishing the tickets out of the brown leather wallet.
"There are only two, " she said with a puzzled look.
Caroline took the tickets from her friend to examine them for herself.
"Who the hell is Don and Steve?"
Damon seized the tickets from her hand.
"Fake names, " he began. "Stefan and I. Our 'names' are on the tickets. We couldn't get four tickets because no one can know you guys are with us, "
"So how are two tickets getting all of us in?" Caroline asked
"You two are our plus ones, " he said.
Both women exchanged looks.
And that's how they got dates with the devils.
-
"I'm going down to the garage. You sure you don't need help?" Bonnie asked her blonde friend.
After going over the plan and considering any troubles that may arise, everyone retreated to their rooms to ready themselves for the night. It was now around eight and the group was getting set to leave.
"Yep," Caroline replied rummaging through her bag to find the perfect pair of shoes. "Go ahead, just tell them I'll be down in a second, "
" 'Kay, " she said on her way out.
"Got it, " Caroline exclaimed excitedly moving to the small bench at the end of the bed to put on her shoes.
She wore a midnight black gown that had a high slit on the left. The top was sheath with a black lace detailing over her chest in a u-shape. The same detailing running along the long sleeves. Her black stilettos matched perfectly with accents of silver shine bringing out the small black sparkles in the dress. Her golden locks were curled to perfection and pinned up on the left side.
The blonde kissed her teeth once the strap of the shoe refused to latch close. A knock on the door took her attention away from the aggravating shoe.
"Come in, "
"Just came to see if both of you are ready,"
"Bonnie already went down to the garage. I however, couldn't decide on a shoe. And now that I have it doest want to cooperate, " She sighed attempting once again to strap her shoes. This time the strap just ended up snagging in her fingernail causing her to let out a hiss.
"Let me, " Stefan offered and kneeled beside her.
As he worked on her shoes Caroline looked over his own outfit. The tailored suit fit him like a glove. The prussian blue dress pants and matching jacket paired with a crisp white collared shirt. There was a tie the same shade blue that tied it all together.
His hair was neatly slicked back revealing the gorgeous frame of his face. And that perfect jawline of his.
When she finished her inventory she looks up to see his eyes on hers.
-
Damon was leaning against his car. when he heard Bonnie entered the garage
"Hey guys, Caroline is still putting on her sho-..." she began but trailed off when she noticed it was just him.
He slowly looked up taking in her appearance. His eyes started from the silver stilettos peeking from the long green velvet material. His eyes traveled upwards tracing her curves to the cinched crystal detailed waist. He trailed upwards to the fitted fabric shaping into a sharp v neckline. The same crystal detailing ran around the straps which were partially covered by her sleek dark-brown hair.
Bonnie could feel his heated eyes on her and began to do some admiring of her own. The black dress pants fit perfectly and the jacket fits snug but not too snug. He forged the usual worn white dress shirt for a black with the top buttons loose giving a peek of his broad chest.
Damn, he heard her muttered out.
When their eyes finally meet he knew she knew he was checking her out and knew she was doing the same. The stare didn't break until.
"Can you guys stop your eye-fucking for a moment,"
Both heads turned to look at Caroline in the doorway.
"Don't want to be late," She sang sing-songy
Bonnie flips her off and Caroline blows a kiss
Both heads turn back to each other "You look... uh good, " Bonnie lets out.
"You clean up very nicely as well," Damon returns.
"Everyone ready?" Stefan said joining the group in the garage.
After scattered sounds of approval and in two separate cars (to be more incognito) the foursome was off into the city. Not expecting anything that will become of the night.
Damon and Bonnie arrived at the building- first. Two valets stood at the front of the building tending to the cars. Once inside they were meet with a woman near the elevators receiving tickets and checking names on her list.
Stefan and Caroline entered the building subsequently and had their tickets checked after the elderly couple in front of them.
The three parties of guests were ushered onto the arrived elevator and sent to the forty-seventh-floor. The penthouse.
The elevator dinged upon reaching its destination, the elderly couple exited first. Deux Lamont and the Salvatores gave each other nods of reassurance before finally departing the elevator.
Each pair entered the glorious room, side by side. Did heads turn. You'd expect nothing less with these handsome devils escorting these gorgeous angels?
The group went separate ways to integrate with the crowd.
The apartment was all open concept with a fully stock bar to the left and furniture looking too elegant to even sit on. Displayed across the floor were different technological instruments on glass podiums with detailed descriptions on the sides of the displays.
About an hour past when-
"Mr. Samson, " Damon looked over to see a tall man said approaching him with open arms.
They greeted each other with a firm handshake and pats on the back.
Mr. Zeroni was one of Mr. Shawn Shepherd's (the head of Shepherd-Tech Enterprise) partners and co-host for the night. "And this lovely lady?" he asked lifting Bonnie's hand to place a chaste kiss on it.
"Ms. Bacher," Damon introduced Bonnie using her fake name. "This is Mr. Zeroni engineer and-
"Doctor Zeroni" he corrected "computer hardware engineer and co-founder of the one and only Shepherd-Tech Enterprise, "
"Right, "
Dr. Zeroni turns towards Bonnie again "Well will Ms. Bacher allow me the honor of a dance?"
"Erm..." she glanced at Damon and he gives a nod "...sure, " She forces a smile and holds out her hand as he leads her to the dance floor.
Damon stood observing the patrons moving across the floor to the music of a live orchestra.
His eyes centralized on Dr. Zeroni and Bonnie. To say he wasn't pleased would be a lie. Especially with the way Dr. Zeroni was getting a little too handsy.
As the orchestrated song came to the end Damon watched Mr. Zeroni reluctantly let Bonnie go. The two exchanged a few words and she smiled at him before returning to his own side.
She reached towards the front of his suit and her hands met his collar.
"What are you doing,"
"Straightening your tie,"
He gave her a weird look being that a tie was not a part of his wardrobe.
"I don't have pockets," she muttered as she discreetly slipped a keychain in his jacket pocket.
"Was all of that necessary?"
"What?"
He raised his brows.
"Jealous?"
"Oh please, you were all over each other."
She trailed her hands from his chest to his arms. "I..." her arms wrapped around his neck "was..." she stood on her toes and spoke directly into his ear "distracting him, "
"Distraction?"
She took a step back.
"Yeah, it works every time," she said holding up his watch.
Damon seized the watch from her hand and began to strap it back on his wrist.
"Besides he's arrogant and a bit of an asshole. Kinda like you. Let's go," she said patting him on the shoulder.
Damon just stood there for a second. Yep, she'll certainly drive him crazy.
—
Stefan looked at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"You know you're slowing down time that way," Caroline stated
The two were seated on black leather stools at the open bar waiting for the next step of their plan.
"Well, there isn't anything else to do while we wait,"
"There's always something to do," she glanced around the room her eyes landing on the dance floor. "We could dance,"
"I don't dance," Stefan returned
"Everyone dances,"
"Not me,"
"Sounds just like my husband," a voice from the left said.
The blondes turned to see a man with a cocktail glass. He was an East Asian man with gold frameless glasses and wore a stylish snakeskin coat.
"Justin Barti, " he holds out his hand.
"Steve Samson," Stefan introduced.
"The Mrs I assume he said shaking Caroline's hand.
"No"
"Yes"
They replied simultaneously.
"Yes"
"No"
Justin frowned in confusion.
"What we mean is not yet," Caroline began.
Stefan looked at her not sure where she was going with this.
"We're engaged," she held out her hand housing her lapis lazuli ring.
"Congratulations, and that ring is stunning,"
"So what brings you to one of Mr. Zeroni's events?" Caroline asked.
"His amazing collection of course," Justin replied with a wink and raise of his glass.
—
Across the room, Damon and Bonnie were trying their best to discreetly move throughout the grand center room of the apartment. They were able to find their way through a few hallways unnoticed and reach the room that according to their maps should be an office.
The room was oval-shaped with a curved bookshelf along the right and left walls parallel to one another. To the far center was a large desk with several computer monitors along the wall. The monitor displayed every square inch of the penthouse covered by security cameras.
"I thought they didn't have Cameras?" Bonnie whispered.
"You and me both, " Damon sighed.
"Oh, crap, "
Oh, crap was right.
The sound of toilet flushing interrupted them as a man dressing in security uniform entered the room from a white door to the left with a paper towel in his hands.
"What are you to doing here? This room is off-limits," The man's gun was hastily pointed towards the two intruders.
Damon groaned then began approaching the security guard.
"Sta- Stand down! I'm not afraid to shoot," the security guard said his voice quivering slightly. The security was about the same height as him but Damon had more muscle. Without the gun, it wouldn't be a fair fight.
"Really?" Damon furrowed his brows.
As fast as the man opened his mouth to speak Damon knocked the inside of his wrist while grabbing the nose of the gun causing the guard to lose his grip. He then sent an uppercut sending the guard stumbling back. Not even giving the disheveled man a moment to catch himself Damon gave one last blow knocking out the guard.
Readjusting his suit he turned around to see the place Bonnie previously stood empty. Looking to his right then left.
"Impressive, " she said from her place at the desk.
"Thanks, I think, " he couldn't detect if it was sarcasm or not, "What are you doing?" he inquired.
"Erasing the camera memory from the last month," she explained typing away at the computer.
"Why not just for the night,"
"Then only the guest present tonight would be suspects. At least with a longer memory gap, there are more possible suspects,"
"Makes sense," he muttered.
As Bonnie worked on the computer he began his search. Surveying each part of the room after a few minutes he managed to find the fuse box embedded into the wall behind the bookshelves. Gently pulling the wooden furniture out it revealed the grey metal. He fished out the key in his pocket and began testing them in the key slot.
By the time he managed to open the large fuse box, Bonnie was by his side. In front of them were a set of buttons switches and colorful wire.
Damon pulls out his pocket knife and is about to cut the green-colored wire when Bonnie stops him.
"What?" he asked
"Cut the red one" she replied
"No,"
"What do you mean no,"
"No as in no. No. And. No," he used his hands for emphasis.
"Give me that," she reached for his knife but Damon withdrew his hand holding the knife.
"Stefan said to cut the green wire, " he stated
"He said cut the red wire," Bonnie rebutted
"No, he didn't,"
"Yes he did"
"Trust me it's the red wire, "
"Have you ever seen an action movie? You never cut the red wire,"
"This isn't a movie!" she let out a huff. "Plus they always say 'don't cut the red wire' just to end up cutting the red wire"
"Stefan said green. So I'm cutting green, "
"No, " she said grabbing his wrist.
They wrestled for the knife for a few seconds when there was a knock on the door.
"Oh sh-, "
-
Meanwhile...
"This way, " Stefan whispered to Caroline.
The two were a floor beneath the penthouse in search of the infamous poxmart 3 kits. They were walking through another dimly lit hallway as they followed the map on Stefan's phone.
They turn a corner but quickly fall back.
A man was typing onto a keypad beside a large blue door. The door slides shut and the man walked to the other end of the hallway disappearing behind a door.
The pair slowly creeps around the corner.
"It's a six-digit code, " Stefan said.
Caroline sighed. "Wait! Give me your keys,"
Stefan handed over the key chain and Caroline turned on the mini flashlight. She clicked the top-bottom until the light turned blue to a black light. She then held it over the keypad to reveal fresh fingerprints.
"These are the digits, " Caroline stated
"And the most potent figure prints were the last ones used, " Stefan added
They managed to get the door open and entered a room with four white walls and glass walls dividing up the large rectangular room. Stefan hits the light switch illuminating the room. Now more visible were multiple computers and monitors scattered across the room. Large machines with arrays of wires around them stood at designated spots.
"I'll take the back, " Stefan handed her a pair of gloves then began moving to the back of the room. " We'll work our way in,"
After what seemed like hours despite only truly being ten minutes the blondes were yet to find anything.
"If I was a rich guy where would I hide a priceless machine," Caroline thought aloud.
She continued her search until she came across a mini-fridge.
Peering in she saw a few beverages a salad and a box of candy bars.
Suddenly craving something sweet she pulled the handle of the fridge but it was stuck. She gave it another good tug but it didn't budge.
"What are you doing?" Stefan asked from his side of the room.
"Trying to free the chocolate currently being held, hostage,"
"We have a job to do,"
"And I'm peckish,"
"Caroline," He chastised
She ignored him as she began peeking around the fridge for a lock. There was a small key slot at the bottom.
Quickly picking the lock with a hairpin she was able to unlock the fridge. She pulled out the small box of chocolate and tried to take one for herself. However, upon her attempt, it was as if the candy was stuck together.
"Stefan, come up... I think somethings wrong with the chocolate,"
"Take one and finish the look-"
"Just get your ass over here,"
Stefan walked to her side of the room then peered down at the box of chocolate.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?"
Caroline pulled on one of the pieces of candy to show it was stuck.
Stefan took the box and began to pull for himself. With a loud pop, the block of glued candy came out of the box revealing a black case at the bottom.
Caroline quickly took off the lid to reveal the mystery item. She looked in the box and disappointment filled her.
"Seriously!"
Stefan looked in the box. In the center sat a small flash drive. He reached his hand in there and with a small tug pulled the flash drive out.
Immediately bright red lights began to flash and the sound of blaring horns filled the air.
"Oh, sh-"
A/N
Did I catch y'all off guard with that intro? I hope I did. Sorry for the long wait. But I have a SUPRISE for you guys. It's a little corny but I saw another writer do this and it's kinda cool.
In each chapter you guys the readers can ask a character a question and I'd respond as the characters.
Example: Reader A "Damon, what were your thoughts when you received that letter?"
"I have a may have a bit of a problem, "
I know it's super corny, but I hope some of you guys decide to send in some questions. It will also give you an insight into the character's heads because despite it being 3rd person pov we don't always know everyone's thoughts.
Reviews: Joanie's Daughter and thank you both for the review. Tonia yes Stefan is definitely starting to care for Caroline I also saw Stefan's character as overprotective of the ones he love which is great but can cause trouble at times *cough foreshadow cough* Maria I saw your review after I posted this chapter but wanted to reply because I love your review. And yes Caroline definitely has that motherly side to her that wants to protect Bonnie cause she's the younger one and I didn't realize I've written Bonnie more open but I see it now she is the more trusting of the two. I tried to make both of them as badass as possible because let's be honest the show did them dirty. And strong women leads give me life. Thank you all for your reviews whenever i have writters block I look back at them and they give me sooo much motivation.
As always thank you for reading and stay tuned in for more.