Chapter 5: Slowly Giving In

Then

"I'm thinking about changing my number." Caroline and I were having lunch with my new roommate who had just moved in. Rebecca was a new pledge who had wanted to move closer to campus. I figured it would be an easy way to cut my rent in half and offered to let her room with me.

"He's still calling?" Caroline found a certain perverse humor in all of this. "I don't understand why you two don't just go ahead and hook up. You seem to have fun when you're with him. Just be careful. I'm not talking about a long term relationship. Just have some fun. Of course, that may be the problem. I think you might like him more than you want to admit."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Rebecca was trying to decipher our conversation.

"Elena has a hot lacrosse player after her and she won't go out with him."

"Caroline, you left out the fact that he is your sloppy seconds." It may have been crass but it was true. The funny thing about it was that Damon and I had ended up being friends. But I still wouldn't go out with him. I had watched him flirt with too many other girls and I just didn't think my self esteem was up to dealing with that. Why would I put myself through it? I wasn't a masochist. Just then the phone rang.

"Hello? Hi Damon. Can you wait just a minute? I'm going to take this into the other room." Covering the phone, I looked at Caroline and Rebecca and mouthed, "Speak of the devil."

As I walked into my room I heard Caroline say, "Rebecca, watch and learn. She claims she isn't interested and yet she is taking the phone into the other room. I give it a month and they'll..." I closed my door before I had to hear the end of her sentence. I was a little afraid of where she may be going with that.

Settling onto my bed I asked, "So, Damon, what's up?"

"I was thinking that we should get some people together and go to the movies this Friday. There's a new James Bond on and I thought maybe we could go to the midnight show after you get off work at the restaurant. What do you think?"

"Go watch a hot British secret agent with some friends? I think I could do that. I'll talk to Caroline and my roommate and see if they want to join us."

"OK, sounds good. I'll see you there."

~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~

Friday arrived and Caroline bailed on me. Rebecca met us there but as soon as the movie was over, she hurriedly left to meet some guy she had met at a frat party last weekend. Damon noticed a pool table in the game room and suggested we shoot a round.

"Oh, I don't know I should probably be going home."

"What's the matter are you scared?" he challenged.

"No, I just..."

"OK, so let's put a wager on that. If you win, I'll buy you a cup of coffee next time we're in Jackson's."

"That sounds reasonable," I agreed and shook his hand. He smirked. It was then that I realized my mistake of shaking before hearing the rest of the wager. "Wait! What happens if you win?"

"You'll go out with me. OK if I break?"

Twenty minutes later, as I sunk the eight ball, I almost felt sorry for him. He had been so sure of himself. "Did I mention that my cousin had a pool table when I was a kid? I've been playing since I was big enough to see over the edge of the table. So, you have just been sharked, my friend." I had to laugh.

The next day, he called. We had known each other for three months now and we would often spend afternoons on the phone usually watching the same old movie on the TV as we talked. Today it was pouring outside as we watched Audrey Hepburn run through the rain looking for the cat in the last scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's. "I can't believe you sharked me last night."

"I still can't believe that you admitted Breakfast at Tiffany's was one of your favorite movies within minutes of meeting me."

"I am secure enough in my manhood to state what I like and what I want. Speaking of which, did you know that today is my birthday?"

"No, I didn't. Why didn't you say something? We could've gotten some friends together and gone out for birthday drinks. If you'd like to do that, I could still arrange it. Do you want to?"

"Nope."

"OK. I just thought you might like that. I must say, I'm a little hurt. I thought you might like to hang out with your friends on your birthday." I heard him softly laughing on the other end of the line.

"I don't want to hang out with a group of friends. Like I said, I'm not afraid to say what I want. I want to spend the evening with you. It's raining and cold and my apartment has gas logs. Why don't you come over and we'll watch movies and make hot chocolate laced with amaretto?"

I was tempted. But, I was becoming more and more attracted to him with every minute we spent together and I had the sneaking suspicion that if I went over there it would turn into more than friends hanging out. "I really wish that I could but I'm going to have to work a few hours tonight. I'm really sorry. I don't want you to have to be alone on your birthday."

"It's OK. Some of my lacrosse buddies wanted to go out and celebrate. I'll just go with them. I just hope you know that I'd rather be with you." With that he hung up.

As the night went on I was feeling guilty. I had lied about having to work. I just didn't think it was a good idea for us to spend the day together curled up in front of a cozy fire. I waited until I thought he would be home and got Caroline and Rebecca to ride with me over to his apartment. They had strict orders not to rat me out. He didn't need to know that we had gone to eat at Lupie's instead of me working. When he answered the doorbell I could tell he was surprised to see me. When his eyes took in my accomplices, he raised an eyebrow and said, "I see you brought your safety nets."

"It was late. I didn't want to be out by myself. Happy birthday! Did you guys have fun?"

"Not as much fun as you and I could have," he muttered as he steered me to the oversized chair and pulled me down beside him with his arm slung nonchalantly around my shoulders. "So, what are you guys doing out at this time of night?"

"Elena wanted to come wish you happy birthday." I could always count on Caroline to sell me out. After all, what are best friends for?

"Really?" He looked at me and grinned. "Well, you should've just come over and hung out today. I was at home watching movies all by myself. It was kind of lonely around here." I looked to my friends to see if they were going to help me out in any way. I don't know why I thought they would but a girl could hope. They, of course, had started flirting heavily with the other lacrosse players that were there.

"Why didn't you come over? Don't say you had to work. You said last night that you were off."

Shoot! My big mouth would always get me in trouble. "I was tempted." Immediately, I regretted saying it. He didn't need to know that.

"How many times do I have to ask until you'll give in?"

"I haven't decided on a number yet."

"I don't understand what you are afraid of. It's not like I bite. I might nibble but I promise you would like it."

I blushed in spite of myself. "I guess I just don't want to be another name you can add to your list. You're my friend and if we start anything it will just ruin everything when it ends."

"I have a list?"

"You know you have a list." It was not lost on me that he didn't address the second part of my concern. He wasn't a guy that did relationships and we both knew that. "Besides, I don't think you're really as interested as you say you are. Guys are always more interested in my friends than they are me so why you keep asking me out I don't know. I'm sorry but I think that you are more attracted to the chase than you are to me."

"You're doing it again. If you aren't apologizing for being you then you are putting yourself down. Sometimes I just want to throw my hands up in the air and say forget it."

That's exactly what I figured would happen. Or he would realize that I wasn't the girl he thought I was. He claimed that I intrigued him but I was yet to see why. If I ever caved and went out with him I was fairly certain that he'd leave me for some girl with a perfect body or someone more experienced with guys. I felt him tug on a curl that had escaped from my ponytail which made me wonder if he would leave my mousy brown hair for someone with beautiful straight blond tresses. Why was I even thinking about it? None of this was ever going to happen because I was never going to let it. So, that was that.

"Of course, I don't say 'forget it' because, just when I think I'm going to, I hear you laugh or you start telling me about the latest book you've read." He toyed with the curl again. "Or I catch a glimpse of a stray curl at the nape of your neck and I wonder how I could have ever thought of walking away."

OK, so maybe "Little Miss Perfect Hair" wouldn't factor into it. That didn't change the fact that we would never be in a relationship other than the friendship we had right now. "I need to get home. I really do have to work in the morning." I had been caught in my ruse so why keep up the charade? Besides, he was getting a little too flirty. He'd obviously had quite a few drinks with the guys. "Girls, are you ready to head home?" I asked as I hopped up from where I had been sitting very snuggly with Damon. We went to the door and he walked with us as he thanked my friends for coming by. As I started out the door he caught my hand and pulled me into a big hug.

"I know you think we would be a bad idea. I also know you assume I've had a lot to drink. I've had two fingers of whisky and am fully aware of what I am saying. Thank you for coming by tonight. It was as close as I could get to what I really wanted for my birthday." Caroline and Rebecca were already in the car and I was sure I was going to hear catcalls any minute if I didn't break the embrace. There was one problem. I didn't really want to leave. It felt perfect to be right where I was. Just before Damon let me go he put into words what I had just realized. "Have you ever noticed just how perfectly you fit right here in my arms?"

What he had said was still ringing in my ears as I got into my car. "Go ahead and go out with him. You deserve to have some fun. Just remember he is a player so don't get too attached," said Caroline from the passenger seat.

"It will all be fine. He's pursuing me so I have the control. Nothing is going to happen."

Even as I said it I wondered if I meant it.

Now

Damon and I were scheduled to meet for dinner later to discuss his upcoming party. I had spent every night that week standing in front of my closet trying to figure out what to wear but somehow my wardrobe was missing an outfit that said, "See what you gave up? Now, you'll never have it." Maybe I was being shallow but I didn't care. When we had dated in college, I had always felt like the ugly girl with the hot guy. I had out of control curly hair that was an icky brown color. The brown I hadn't changed but I had discovered straightening serum and a flatiron. I had also developed an affinity for wearing three inch heels. And since they made my legs look more toned than they actually were, I preferred to pair them with a tasteful knee length skirt and matching jacket. It was perfect business attire and, in the right colors, it was perfect for most events. I had opted for my little black dress the night of Jenna's reception (also known as the night my past came back to haunt me) so it was out of the question for tonight. No, tonight there would be no tasteful suits. Tonight I would need a new dress and it would definitely be several inches higher than knee length. That meant one thing. It was time to call in reinforcements. Jenna was out of town on business. She and Ric were attending a conference. I had the sneaking suspicion it was a conference with benefits. I decided to call Caroline. We hadn't gotten together in a few weeks and she was always a fun shopping buddy.

"Caroline, can you go shopping with me? I am in desperate need of a new dress for a dinner tonight and I don't trust myself to make the decision alone."

"Wow! Do you have a hot date?" Caroline refused to accept the fact that I had no desire to mate and procreate. The concept of a woman being happy on her own was nonexistent in her world.

"You know better than that. It's for work but it calls for special attire. I'll explain when we get there."

~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~

"You are meeting who?" We were in the middle of a lovely little boutique and she was gaping at me furiously.

"Would you please keep your voice down? I think the sales lady just got the impression that I had told you I was going out to meet my crack dealer."

"That would be a better idea. Why in the hell are you meeting Damon for dinner? How did he even get you to agree to it? Why do you care what you are going to wear? This is not good."

"You need to calm down now." I should've just come by myself. "OK, let's see if I can remember all of your questions so that I can then get your approval on the answers."

"Don't be sassy."

"You're a good one to talk. Anyway, like I told you, I have to work with him at Saltzman Consulting. He is pretty much my main contact there. We're going to be discussing an upcoming wine dinner."

"So why aren't you having this meeting at the office during the week?"

"The dinner isn't for Saltzman. This is a party that Damon is hosting himself."

"Where is the party?"

"At his house," I practically whispered. I knew this was not going to go over well with Caroline. I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"I'm not even going to say what my opinion is of that. Besides, I know you well enough to know that I would be wasting my breath. OK, let's get back to the dress. Why can't you wear one of your suits?"

"Oh, that one is simple. I want him to regret the day he ever let me walk away," I gave her my most wicked grin.

"Well, I can certainly get on board with that." Her voice softened as she added, "Just be careful."

"I will. I promise. This is just a business deal. I get to show him just how good I am and he has to pay me for my work."

Caroline was laughing uncontrollably. "Oh! It sounds just like you're an expensive call girl!"

"Shut up." She was right. That was exactly what it had sounded like. "It will be fine. Nothing is going to happen. I am in complete control."

"Funny. I believe I heard you say those exact words ten years ago."

AN: Complete control? Sure, Elena. Whatever makes you feel better. Heehee! Next chapter, dinner.