Thanks for the reviews!
I had to redo this chapter, as I didn't like my original version... I'm not so sure about this one either, so let me know what you think!
Also - comments, suggestions, critique, and ideas are always welcomed!
Thanks for reading :)
When Bonnie got home from work, a motionless figure with a tear-streaked face sat in her living room watching what appeared to be bad TV. Elena whimpered, and picked her head up looking to Bonnie.
"Holy shit, Len, what happened?" She rushed to Elena's side, and pulled the crinkled dress from her grasp. That dress was way to expensive to be handled like that, but Bonnie tossed it aside and wrapped her arms around her friend.
"He told me to stay here." Elena murmured.
"Just let him cool off. It'll be fine." Was all Bonnie could get out before Elena let out what seemed like another gallon of tears. Bonnie had never seen her like this. She hardly ever cried.
It only took a few minutes. Soon the tears were dried and Elena was vowing to be strong and professional for the next 24 hours – and she kept her word.
At seven the next morning, Bonnie tossed the freshly dry-cleaned black dress into the bathroom.
A few minutes later Elena's hands smoothed the fabric over her torso. "This seems a little too racy." She said, examining herself in the mirror before Bonnie barged in.
The bandage dress was the appropriate length for an interview, but probably a tad too tight. It showed every curve on Elena's thin frame, which was a surprising amount considering how tiny she truly was.
"It's perfect." Bonnie declared. "Sure, it's tight, but you show hardly anything above the knee, and minimal cleavage."
Elena draped her now wavy hair over her shoulder, and walked out of the bathroom, past Bonnie.
The addition of black heels completed her outfit, and soon she was out the door, and heading to her interview.
When the cab stopped, she hardly noticed. She'd decided to just record the interview, and go back to it later to ease some of her stress, so she grabbed her fairly low quality recording equipment and hauled herself out of the car.
The building was huge, and super clean. She felt like she should even take her shoes off when she entered. After quietly making her way to the front desk, a woman directed her to the third floor. This elevator climbed much faster than that at her own work, and soon she was stepping off and onto the third floor. As it turned out, the third floor was simply a photo studio. For the most part, it was just massive rooms, a thin hallway, and countless electronics.
A tall, white haired man approached her. "You must be Ms. Gilbert?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." She mustered up a smile.
He gave her a "come on" hand gesture and began walking. He led her through what seemed like a maze, before reaching a giant white room. Two cameras were set up with blank backdrops, and three people were chatting in the corner. One older man, one young woman, and the black hair of a man standing back to her.
She couldn't believe it. This was really happening. She was about to meet Damon Salvatore. Calm, Elena. She thought. Calm.
The white haired man beside her smiled down at her. "You're the only extra on the set today. It'll just be us five. Damon said it was fine for you to interview him as long as you kept it brief, and didn't cause trouble." He smiled. "As for me, I love visitors."
"Oh, oh!" Elena was just now realizing, she was talking to the photographer. "You're the photographer! Uh." She couldn't place his name.
"George Amiro." He extended a hand, "Lovely to meet you, Ms. Gilbert."
Elena shook his hand. She'd never heard of him, but then again, she wasn't really up to date on her photographers, more so her writers. "Lovely to meet you, Mr. Amiro."
"Please, call me George." He insisted, before calling to Damon. As he coaxed Damon over to them, it was friendly, and almost unprofessional. Elena decided they must know each other fairly well.
Elena's palms began to sweat as soon as he turned around. His blue eyes were certainly not photoshopped, she could see them from twenty feet away.
"Your interviewer," George continued gesturing toward Elena, as Damon made his way over to them. "Elena Gilbert."
Damon forced, looking her up and down, and extended his hand. "Damon Salvatore. Can we make this quick?"
Elena shook his hand, leaving a faint, but disgusting film of perspiration on his skin, and nodded. "Yup. Where to?"
Damon led her to a smaller room with two couches, a coffee table, a kitchenette and a dining table. He shut the door behind them and flopped down on the couch.
Nervously, she set up her pathetic equipment, and pulled out a notebook just in case.
As soon as she clicked the recorder on, he began talking. "I know how these go, so I'll get it all out up front." He paused. "It seems all you reporters care about it whether or not I'm dating anyone, so to get that out of the way, I'm not. Yup, free man, okay? Second, the movie comes out October 31st, Halloween, yes. You have to wait over a month. Third, my illegitimate love child rumors? Not true. I didn't knock Katherine up. Is that all?"
Elena was borderline stunned. "That's actually not at all what I care about, no offense."
Damon sighed in relief – finally, a seemingly normal reporter. "Good."
"I actually wanted to ask you about your co-stars, work environment, etc. Not your personal life." Even though she was dying to know, but she managed to keep that a well hidden secret – from Damon at least. Obviously, Matt, not so much.
"Shoot." Damon said, stretching out on the sofa. He was clearly comfortable in her presence.
"Your brother, he's in the movie. Might I ask, if that's true, who he plays?"
"Stefan plays-" He thought about how to word it. "My love interest's, love interest. Does that make sense?"
Elena nodded. "So, Katherine's character's love interest?"
"Yup."
The rest of the interview went on like that. Formal questions, formal answers. Entirely professional.
Until the photographer called Damon in, and the interview was cut short.
"Sorry, Gilbert, I've gotta go." Damon smiled.
"It's fine. Thank you for this, uh, for your time." She began to pick up up her things.
"You know, it's uncanny how much you look like Katherine." He stated.
And it was, now that she thought about it. She'd been stopped on the street several times, but it never got to her. Aside from the subtle hair and eye color difference, height, and definitely their demeanor, they looked like siblings at the very least. But, Elena knew Katherine was much curvier and sexier than she could ever be.
"I do resemble her, I guess." She admitted.
"Are you two related?" He asked, thinking something through that Elena couldn't quite put a finger on.
The photographer, George, called again.
"No." Elena said, before Damon nodded. "I doubt it."
"Hold on a sec." He smiled. "I have an idea." He left to speak with George.
As she finished packing up, he met her at the door. "So I need to dispel these weird Katherine rumors, and you obviously need a piece that can put you on the cover of your little magazine, do you not?" He asked.
"Go on."
He inched closer to her until she could feel his breath. "Be in the shoot with me. Nothing scandalous, I promise. All clothes stay on, but you get a leg up on your story by promoting yourself this way, and I get rid of Katherine's crazy posse."
As much as Elena wanted to scream yes, I'll do it! She knew she couldn't. Matt would be infuriated. "I can't." She said glumly.
"Why not?" Damon was confused. Mostly because he was disappointed for reasons he couldn't figure out, but also because he truly did need a way to get rid of the rumors, and this seemed like a good plan. He hadn't thought of any other ways, so right now this Elena Gilbert was his only hope, seeing how there were no other eligible females on set.
"My fiance would be so mad. I already ditched him today to get this interview." Elena said before she could register her words.
A smirk crawled onto Damon's face. "What if I assured him it was strictly professional?"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Mr. Salvatore." Elena smiled, even though she wasn't supposed to. His close proximity made her giddy. What is wrong with me? She thought. He's a client, and I'm getting married. Jeez Elena get it together. Stop being a...tramp. Her insults to herself weren't helping her nerves.
"Damon." He corrected her. "Call me Damon."
"Okay, well, Damon," She tested his name out. "I should be getting home. I need to put this interview on paper." She moved past him, heading out the door.
"Elena, wait." He said, catching up to her, feeling a little odd that he called her by her first name. He wasn't being professional at all right then. "Is there any way to convince your boyfriend to allow it?"
"I don't need his permission." She felt oddly defensive. She wasn't Matt's property! "I'd just rather not screw anything else up right now." Her eyes met his, "I'm sorry, Mr. Salvatore." She made a point to not say his first name this time. She needed to keep herself professional, especially when people were watching from a few feet away.
"Alright, Ms. Gilbert." Damon backed away. He didn't want to push her. After all, she was engaged, that made her off limits, right? So he shouldn't spend more time with her anyway. It was for the best. "But, Elena?" Alright, so maybe he wasn't good with the boundaries thing.
"Yeah?" She asked, still ready to leave.
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally, he mumbled, "Nothing," and she was on her way.
Okay, okay, one more thing!
Should my chapters be longer? I feel like they're short and choppy?
Again, thank you for reading/reviews/etc. :)