Welcome back May!
Despite himself, Damon spent an enjoyable weekend with his family. Sunday he tagged along when they went to the Sierra Safari Zoo. It's Stefan's favorite place and he had a fun day, feeding the animals in the petting zoo and indulging in junk food and soda pop. When he enters The Jungle Monday morning, he's a little surprised to find one of their men greeting him at the door. Obviously Reno's finest still have a considerable presence at the place.
Surprisingly he doesn't see any of The Jungle's now familiar security guards, nor does he see her or any of her top lieutenants that hover around her like bees to honey.
Her obvious absence makes Damon wonder if she's had enough and is going to work from her home? When he reaches his destination, Luka greets him near the staircase that leads to the cellar. He hands him a cup of his favorite coffee before he even says hello. Damon grabs at it and takes a long pull, savoring the rich dark taste. "Uummmm...," he moans so loudly that one of the uniformed officers turns his head to see who made such a noise. When the man sees who the guilty party is, he quickly retreats from the scene. Luka grins and gestures to their temporary office.
"You know you saved my life, right? I knew I was missing something during my involuntary furlough so thank you."
Since this troublesome case gained new life with the discovery of Jeremy's body, Damon's had difficulty sleeping. Unfortunately, there's no respite on the horizon. After his conversation with his dad on Saturday, he's been even more restless than usual. It's the weirdest feeling, one that he can't seem to shake, it's almost like a chasm opened up giving him a front row seat into a movie reel of Jeremy's life. Or was it his?
He brings the cup to his lips again but his mind is a million miles away, the reverie broken when Luka brushes up against him to step aside to let someone pass by. Shaking his head, he follows the rookie into their temporary office.
"Hey!" Ric welcomes him, "There you are, I thought we'd have to put out an APB on you."
"Ha. Ha," Damon grimaces and waves off Ric's laughter. "Anything new? The team's still down there?"
"Almost done. They're packing up the last samples. They'll seal off the wall and most of the cellar, one of our guys will be there to guard the entrance until all the lab work is completed, then we'll all be able to leave this place," Luka answers his question.
Damon nods, finally the end is in sight. "Anything new from the management of this circus?"
None of them hears a light knock, none of them could have guessed but right at the precise moment the door opens and Miss Elena Gilbert enters the room.
"Hello gentlemen, I just wanted to make sure you are comfortable here and I would like some answers."
"About?"
"Well Detective Salvatore, I would like to know if you have an idea when the work will be complete. I need to turn this circus back into the thriving business it once was."
It's actually shocking to see Elena in their temporary office, Damon wasn't prepared to run into her, he expected that they'd play a cat and mouse game, avoidance being the objective. Another shock comes when he realizes how exactly did she arrive. She's dressed in sleek, knee length gray little number with a tiny pink belt that fits just above her waist which flatters her curves. The o neckline doesn't reveal any cleavage but still, she's a vision. He has to shift slightly when he feels a quiver south of his own middle. Caught off guard, he's actually rendered speechless for several seconds as he takes in her light but tasteful makeup. A pair of nude pumps completes her conservative but smoldering ensemble.
Damon glances at Ric and his face is quite telling as is Luka's. It takes him a moment to gather his wits about him all the while trying to ignore the fact that his jeans suddenly feel uncomfortably tight.
"Good morning, Miss Gilbert. You have good timing, we were just informed that the forensic techs are going to be vacating the premises. However, part of the cellar will remain sealed off and no one will be allowed to enter that area. We'll have an officer on sight just to guard the place until we get all the evidence to the lab and we're sure we don't need to do any more digging," he stops then swallows thickly waiting for her response. Elena slowly nods and steps inside of the room. The effect her endless long legs have on him is undeniable so much so in fact that he doesn't dare stand up for obvious reasons.
Elena's dark eyes run over him and he contemplates if she's going to call him out on it... but then she displays a knowing smirk before sitting down on the chair that Luka pulled out for her. Ric, who was leaning back in his almost tips over, the legs of his chair end up slamming against the floor with a loud embarrassing bang. Elena doesn't even turn around, instead she keeps her eyes focused only on Damon.
"Damon..."
Damn her, saying his name like that.
"... since you are leaving, or at least most of your team," she adds as she can see he's about to protest, "I'd like to invite you to have lunch with me at The Jungle's restaurant? You haven't had a taste of our fine cuisine, it's renowned. Perhaps you can tell me more about what you've found? I mean what you're able to share with me of course, this is my business after all." She finishes with a genuine smile that makes Damon insides flip.
"I... I mean, we will be seeing each other quite often until the day comes when hopefully we'll be able to make an arrest. For now, the investigation continues and because his body was found here, this is ground zero so to speak..."
"Understandable. But surely you can spare an hour for a delicious lunch?"
Damon nods slowly, he doesn't exactly have a reason to refuse her invitation. He doesn't want to either. It's fascinating this new game of hers although he has no idea where it might lead him. "Alright Miss Gilbert, what time did you have in mind? It's early yet... I have to go over some reports with my team here."
"I'll be in my office most of the day, seems your schedule is busier than mine," she smiles genuinely and it's mesmerizing. "Stop by my office when you're free."
She stands up, three pairs of male eyes follow her every move to the door. She disappears without saying more and only then does Damon realize that he's been holding his breath while watching the sway of her very nice behind as she walked out of the room.
Ric whistles, turning to Damon. "What the hell was that?"
"What are you talking about?" Damon replies still incredulous from this strange encounter.
"She just mind fucked you right here in the middle of this room."
Damon's eyes snap to Ric who's wearing a mischievous smirk.
"Don't look at me like that... Hell if I know what she's up to..."
As soon as she steps out of his space, Elena hurries through the casino to get back to her own. She gets waylaid by one of the Reno's dignitaries who's entertaining family from out of town. After chatting with him for a few minutes, she takes the stairs rather than having someone snag her again. As soon as she reaches her floor, she runs through Enzo's office and smacks the door of her own. What is she doing?
She didn't exactly have a plan when she chose her dress this morning. Chewing on her lower lip, she knows that she should have been concentrating on casino business. Instead she caught herself repeatedly thinking about what Rebekah had to say. The words kept ricocheting in her head and no matter how hard she tried to concentrate on her work, she couldn't leave well enough alone. What if Rebekah is actually right? She isn't naive enough to think he'll change his mind or even ignore what he seemingly believes about her connection to the murder but maybe at the very least he wouldn't look at her with such disgust.
That's it. She wanted to see him looking at her as a woman rather than a cold, calculating and angry black widow. But what was she thinking? She knows for a fact that Elijah would disapprove.
Stop it, Elena. She has to distract herself with something otherwise she's going to freak out before they even get to the lunch part.
She reaches for the stack of reports that Enzo left on her desk. After a quick spin in her chair to look out the window, she takes a breath and starts to work.
At exactly 12:30 there's a knock at the door. Enzo looks up frowning at the unusual sound of it. He's worked with Elena for a long time and by now, he recognizes the unique knocks of most of the Jungle staff's but this...
"Come on in!" He almost falls off his chair when he sees detective Damon Salvatore somewhat cultivated, he probably used a hair brush and added a dinner jacket. Enzo stares at him for several moments while he picks his jaw up from the floor.
"Detective?" he asks disbelievingly.
Damon would love to utter a witty retort but he restrains himself. "St. John," he answers shortly.
"Why do we... Why are you here this time?" The insulting tone he usually addresses him with doesn't jibe with his shocked face this time.
Damon gives him a smirk. "Well, assistant, I'm here to pick her up for lunch."
"Excuse me?" he asks, not sure if he heard the detective correctly. It's the last thing he expected when the man walked through his door.
As soon as Enzo gets over the shock, he steps aside and allows Damon to enter Elena's office. Still stunned, he raises his eyebrows when his eyes meet hers. When she gives him a slight nod, he shakes his head and backs out, pulling the door closed behind him.
Having watched the whole unspoken communication thing going on between the two of them, Damon struggles to keep a straight face. Elena looks at him curiously, "What's so funny?"
"Not a thing," he answers with a short smile. "Are you ready to go?"
"I am." She bobs her head when Damon extends his arm, gesturing for her to lead the way. He follows her out of her office and into the elevator. When he sees Enzo staring yet again, he gives him a wink just as the doors close, blocking him from sight. Standing beside each other, the silence is a bit uncomfortable and just as Damon opens his mouth to speak, the elevator dings and the doors slide open. Elena steps out and he follows her to the cafe's entrance.
Immediately, the maître D signals a waitress who hurries to seat them at a private table in the back of the restaurant. They're sort of separated from the rest of the crowd but still have a view of the place. Damon is impressed, the design is flawless. The restaurant recreates the sights and sounds of a tropical jungle with its lush decor, animatronic jungle animals and regular faux thunderstorms. Without any doubt in his mind, Damon is certain that Stefan would love this place. He eyes the crowd, kids are entranced by Tracy the Talking Tree, Nile the Crocodile, a 14-foot croc who greets diners and Julius Squeezer, a 25-foot boa constrictor who hangs out in a tree near the main entrance. There's also a life sized Elephant strategically placed, almost like a sentinel, guarding the occupants.
Glancing at the menu, he can see that the food is also family friendly. There's salads, pastas, burgers, seafood, steaks and more. He can't help but turn to the dessert page. His mouth waters when he reads the description of the Sparkling Volcano, a rich chocolate brownie cake served warm with vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream and caramel and chocolate sauces. Between observing the customers and perusing the menu, he prolongs his inspection for the sole purpose of avoiding the inevitable, a conversation with Miss The Jungle herself.
He gives her a tentative smile when the waitress returns to fill their water glasses. She seems nervous for some reason but covers it quickly by taking a sip from her water with a slice of lemon that the woman brought, obviously knowing what the boss likes. It reminds him he should be still careful, she must be up to something.
As soon as the waitress attends to another table, Elena nods to the menu he's holding and looks at him expectantly. "Does anything look appealing to you?"
Damon only now realizes he should probably look at the menu again and choose. "Any recommendations?"
"I always have the Volcanic cobb salad. I find it very tasty but everything on the menu is top of line. We have the freshest ingredients and our chef, Tyler is a genius if I do say so myself."
He sets the menu aside. "I'll have what you're having... it's obvious that you have excellent taste," he gives her a little bow while perusing her beautiful form.
Elena's speechless. For a moment he isn't the dreaded detective Salvatore but a charming young man, the lines around his mouth indicating that he can be funny and that smile of his is panty dropping. She finds herself curious about this side of Damon and she mentally scolds herself immediately. "Ehm, thank you. I'm sure you won't regret your choice."
"Anything to drink?" the waitress is back as if waiting for a sign or gesture that they are ready to place their order and Damon wonders if maybe Elena may have surreptitiously signaled her somehow.
"Caroline please bring Detective Salvatore and I each a swimming hole freeze over ice."
"Yes, Miss Gilbert."
Elena doesn't give her any further instructions, Damon supposes they know her preferences well. The assumption turns our to be correct when Caroline returns with their drinks, and after they place their order, they are left alone. Despite the fact that Damon was planning to get some more information on the enigma that is Elena Gilbert, he isn't in a hurry to ruin the moment. She's a vision, he almost finds himself getting lost in the exquisiteness of her big brown eyes. Just like earlier, he has to shift a little bit when his jeans start to feel a little snug.
Stop it Damon, you're here for a reason.
"Why are we here, Elena?" The directness of his question catches her of guard but it doesn't take long for her to recover.
The question pulls her out of her reverie. "We... are here to enjoy our lunch? Look detective, Damon, may I call you that?" When he nods, she continues, "I can assure you that I have no specific impetus nor any nefarious reasons for inviting you to join me today. This dancing around each other, it isn't working and I thought maybe if we spend some time together in neutral territory... Who knows, we may actually get somewhere?"
This is hardly neutral territory.
She looks genuine, she really does but Damon's wary. He nods shortly in acceptance of whatever it may be though. If she wants to play nice, he'd gladly welcome it. Before he can reply, Caroline shows up with a tray carting their food which effectively breaks the bit of tension that was building between them. It looks and smells heavenly and they dig into it without much ceremony. They eat in comfortable silence.
She would have never imagined that it'd be possible to spend a nice lunch with Detective Salvatore.
"Your family's still here?" she asks when they finish the last bites of their salads.
He looks at her strangely but immediately relaxes as he puts knife and fork aside. "Yes, they live in the suburbs. Someone from the founders must stay around to protect the family legacy as you might guess."
Elena giggles, she actually fucking giggles and it's mesmerizing. It makes him feel guilty because... is he even able to have lunch with a woman without trying to catch her off guard, get some answers and contemplate her motives? He is, he has before, but there's something about this woman... She's a femme fatale, The woman with a capital T and as such, he must be prepared for anything and everything. And despite all of his self admonition, every time she's near, his heart begins to stammer wildly.
Eventually, they spend the lunch talking about normal things, not finding it difficult to forget about the case, enjoying each other's company. Damon's just telling Elena about his school days and mischief he used to get into when Caroline approaches Elena.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt but I have a message asking that you return to your office as soon as you can."
Elena can feel her face dim. The world will never let her forget that she's not simply Elena. She's also the owner and manager of one of the most successful clubs in town. "Let me guess, Enzo?"
"I'm not sure, I got the message from security."
Elena nods resignedly and turns back to Damon. "I'm sorry, I need to go. Thank you for the company, Damon. I... hope we can do it again." She can feel it herself. The last part was genuine, she realizes with a bit of shock.
Damon nods and turns to Caroline, "How much do I owe you?"
She looks at him then back to Elena surprised. "Nothing sir, it was a pleasure having you here. Come back soon."
He's a bit taken aback then thanks her but does pull out a couple of bills to leave her a tip anyway. Then he gets up and walks just behind Elena as they leave the restaurant.
Damon gives her a smile and a subtle bow and then disappears into the crowd to return to his makeshift office. Elena sucks in a breath then quickly walks to the elevator contemplating how different this encounter was.
Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. You're all amazing and we're always awed by your support. Thank you doesn't seem to be nearly enough. We are truly grateful.
Thank you to my sister Eva. I love you to pieces.
Chapter title: 'Night Reconnaissance' by The Dresden Dolls.
My other story, 'Ripples of Fear' is about the 1916 shark attacks along the NJ shore.
I hope you all have a safe and an incredibly wonderful day and weekend. Thank you all again so very much