Notes: This chapter kind of got away from me. This story is actually supposed to be more fun/fluffy, which we'll get to, we just need to hash out some baggage to get there.


3: The Discount

"Am I a doormat?"

Caroline looks up from her laptop at the kitchen table, where she's been concentrated on some paper. "Of course not. Where did that come from?"

Running her finger down the page of her textbook, Bonnie bites her lip. "Just something someone said to me." She leans her head against the back of the couch.

Caroline frowns, tilting down the screen. "Bonnie, you are are the opposite of a doormat. You're a - steam roller."

"That's you, Car."

"Right. But you get the point. You get stuff done. Nicely." Caroline frowns for a moment. "This 'someone' wouldn't happen to have a British accent, a cop roommate, and be an annoying flirt?"

Bonnie rolls her eyes. "Enzo isn't a flirt. He's just annoying."

"But it was him, though?" Bonnie says nothing, just flipping to the next page in her book, even though she has no idea what the previous one said. Caroline grins. "I know he likes to mess with you, but I didn't think he'd go so low."

"Why is this amusing to you?" Her fingers are shaking a little bit, but Bonnie pointedly ignores that. "He called me a doormat , Car. Like - someone who gets run over. Who lets people walk over them. You know how close that hits to home."

Caroline sighs and shuts her laptop completely, walking over and sitting at Bonnie's feet on the couch. "Bonnie freaking Bennett - " Bonnie bites back a smile but Caroline's warm beam forces her to let go. "You are not a doormat. You are strong. You are loyal and love your friends and will do anything for them."

"Including letting my best friend date the guy I'd been crushing on for years." Bonnie slammed her book closed and dropped it on the coffee table. "This is dumb. I'm over this. I've been over this."

"If you say so." Caroline pats her leg. She looks thoughtful before smiling gently. "I get that this is a touchy subject, but I'm guessing Enzo doesn't even know why it hurts so bad."

"No," says Bonnie, curling her knees under her to give Caroline more room on the couch. "But that probably makes it worse. He knows without knowing ."

"Almost like a soulmate…" Caroline raises her hands in surrender and quickly escapes back to the kitchen before Bonnie can kick her. "I had to! It's too easy! You two make it so easy."

"Ugh, god , I still can't believe - Enzo ." Bonnie shakes her head. "I know it's been a while and I'm in need of some good man-loving - but Enzo ?" She shudders and ignores Caroline's grin. "Aren't I supposed to be attracting all kinds of lovers or something now? How come we forget about that part."

"It's not as fun." Caroline returns to her paper and Bonnie eyes her textbook. She hadn't really been processing anything anyway, so she decides it's time for a break.

"I think I'm gonna go out and grab some lunch. You wanna come?"

"Can't," says Caroline, pointing at the screen. "For whatever reason, my boss decided Saturday night was the perfect time for a deadline."

Bonnie shrugs. "Alright, but tell Stefan when he comes over that he can't touch my yogurt. He keeps stealing them."

"I promise to be on yogurt watch," says Caroline with a grin. The smile fades slightly though, and Bonnie feels her stomach clench. "Bonnie - you know I love you, right?" Bonnie nods, hesitantly. "Then believe me when I tell you you're not a doormat. You're just selfless. But really - " Caroline smiles and Bonnie really does love her best friend, "you're just realistic."

Bonnie gives Caroline a hug on her way out, just slightly reassured.


Even though Saturday is busy all day, Bonnie prefers the Mystic Grill to any other lunch place. But, in all her years frequenting the place, she's learned one important lesson: every third Saturday is Couple Discount Day.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Door - "

Bonnie whirls on him immediately. For a second, she forgets that she's inches shorter than him, poking his chest and glaring him straight in the eyes. "Don't finish that sentence."

Enzo looks down at her, and at her finger, and slowly smirks. "Alright, it looks like someone grew a bit of a backbone."

"More like I got sick of you being an asshole." Bonnie turns back around in line, peaking around the podium to see if there's an open spot at the bar. It's full, but she does spot a busboy cleaning off a table. "Where the hell is the host?"

"Right here." A man - an attractive man, Bonnie notes, who must be around her age and with awfully nice smile - steps over to them. "Sorry about the wait, will that be a table for two?" The host looks between her and Enzo.

Enzo chuckles. "Oh, no, we're not - "

"Not picky!" Bonnie quickly interrupts. Enzo frowns at her, but she ignores him, squeezing his bicep - she may have squeezed a bit harder than necessary, but he likely deserves it. "My boyfriend and I don't really care - the bar would be fine too."

The host - Bonnie catches a nametag that reads Ben - smiles. "Boyfriend? Well that's too bad," he says, his grin still dazzling.

For a second, Bonnie debates ditching the charade - but then she remembers she needs to save money and forty-five percent off their orders...

Bonnie smiles, linking her arm through Enzo's. As she leans into him, she catches a whiff of cinnamon, but she ignores it in favor of pushing him forward to follow Ben.

"What are you doing?" he hisses right before they reach the table. They both grin innocently, as Ben gestures to their table and leaves.

Bonnie prys her arm away from his and takes a seat. "It's the third Saturday of the month."

"So… what?"

She rolls her eyes and nods towards the sign behind the bar. "Couple's discount. Forty-five percent off."

Enzo looks to follow her vision and snorts when he turns back to her. "Color me impressed. You even lost out on a date with Host Hottie."

Bonnie opens her menu and pointedly covers her face. "His name is Ben."

There's a silence while she picks out what she wants and for a moment, she can pretend she's by herself, enjoying a meal alone. But then the waitress reaches them and Enzo speaks.

"We'll take two Bloody Mary's, thank you." After the waitress leaves, Bonnie drops her menu.

"What the hell was that? It's not even noon yet."

Enzo rolls his eyes. "Exactly. Live a little." He tilts his head to the side in that way that makes Bonnie regret all of her life choices. "You are legal, right?"

Groaning, Bonnie shuts her menu and massages her temples. "Yes, Enzo, I am over 21. In fact, if you paid any attention to the birthday party Caroline threw last month, you'd know I am 23."

"Caroline throws too many parties."

She wants to argue with him, but she really can't - for once, he's right. So instead, she studies him as he continues reading the menu. He's whistling some unfamiliar tune and his jaw ticks every few minutes. When the waitress returns with their drinks, he genuinely smiles and thanks her - before frowning again at the menu.

Bonnie takes a sip of her drink - it's spicy, but in a good way, and it masks enough of the alcohol that she takes a longer drink a second later. "This is good," she says absently.

"They have the best Bloody Marys in town." Enzo closes his menu and looks at her. "What are you getting?"

"A sandwich," she says, mixing with her straw. "You?"

"Also a sandwich." She watches as his eyes flutter close for a second as he drinks - Bonnie shifts in her seat. It's strangely erotic.

Enzo raises his eyebrows. "You okay?"

Luckily, the waitress - Bonnie catches a Nora on her nametag - arrives then to take their orders. "You two ready to order?" She pauses, staring at Bonnie. "Are you - Bonnie Bennett?"

Bonnie glances quickly over at Enzo, who raises an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Oh wow," says Nora, grinning. "This is a pleasant surprise. You probably don't remember me - we had a class together freshman year of college - I had a crush on you."

Bonnie opens her mouth, but then closes it again, speechless. "Oh."

"You were my lesbian awakening," says Nora, laughing, before turning back to her notepad. "Anyway! What can I get you?"

Bonnie orders, then Enzo, and Nora leaves, still grinning.

After Nora disappears, Bonnie picks up the dessert menu. Enzo chuckles. "Using chocolate as a distraction. Typical."

Bonnie glares at him. "I'm getting a huge discount on this meal, I'm gonna get dessert." She turns over the card and she can feel Enzo smirking at her. "And I'm not using it as a distraction."

"So we're going to talk about how that's two people today who have expressed interest in you." Enzo leans forward, lowering his voice. " Miss Empress."

"Ugh, stop, please," says Bonnie, dropping the dessert card. "It doesn't mean anything." She copies his position, leaning closer. "Unless you want to be my lover?" Enzo rolls his eyes and backs off, crossing his arms across his chest. "That's what I thought."

Enzo shakes his head. "I'm just saying it's a damn awful coincidence." He frowns, slightly, and Bonnie narrows her eyes.

"What about you - the hanged man, was it?" She tilts her head to the side and Enzo's frown deepens. "Have you let go yet?"

Enzo stiffens, his jaw tensing. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Actually, I couldn't care less. Just making conversation. Like couples do." Enzo gives her a look, as if he knows better, and Bonnie returns it with an innocent smile. If she had to spend her entire lunch with him, she'd make sure he was as annoyed as she was.

A silence falls over them, slightly awkward, but also slightly comfortable. Enzo taps his fingers against the table and Bonnie watches the group at the table beside them - a family, it appears, a mom and a dad and two kids, a boy and a girl. They're picturesque and for a moment, Bonnie aches for it. But then Nora returns with their food, with a wink in her direction, and reality sinks back in.

Maybe the Bloody Mary has more effect than she had anticipated, because after swallowing a bite of her sandwich, she glances over at Enzo. "Do you have any siblings?"

Enzo, midway between bites, lower his sandwich. "Um - Matt didn't tell you?" Bonnie frowns and shakes her head. "I'm an orphan. Was sent over here when I was 13 and grew up in foster care." He takes a large bite, chewing slowly.

"Oh," says Bonnie. She's genuinely surprised. "I didn't know, sorry." Enzo shrugs and waves it off, but she still feels bad. But then she remembers that she doesn't actually like Enzo anyway and - "doesn't explain why you feel the need to always be a dick."

The corner of his mouth twitches. "I'm not always an ass." His grin completely takes over his face and Bonnie doesn't want to say he glows - but he does look brighter. "And you're right, it doesn't explain it."

His complete lack of excuses surprises her. Bonnie expects something more - some explanation of his tragic backstory, details into his life that cause him to lash out and be, well, mean. But instead, Enzo keeps eating, barely even looking at her.

It annoys the hell out of her.

"So you're not even going to apologize or explain or - anything?" She leans forward, sandwich forgotten on her plate.

Enzo shrugs. "No."

Bonnie leans back, taking a long swig of her drink, and slams the glass down on the table. Enzo barely twitches but continues to pretend he doesn't notice her getting more irritated. Truthfully, Bonnie isn't sure why it annoys her so much that Enzo can calmly continue to be rude and insult people without any hint of remorse. She shouldn't care. She doesn't care.

"I'm not a doormat," she says, suddenly, because Bonnie isn't . "I don't let people tell me what to do all the time. I stand up for myself. I'm - "

"Selfless?" says Enzo, finally, apparently finished with his food. He wipes his fingers on his napkin. "Loyal? Dependable? A good friend?" His eyes flash and Bonnie can't look away. "If you say so, Bonnie Bennett."

The way her name rolls of her tongue sets her on fire. She wants to hit him, yell at him - something . But that's not Bonnie. "What is wrong with you? We were having a perfectly decent lunch and you just have to go and - "

"What? Ruin it?" Enzo finishes his drink and laughs - but it's humorless and harsh. "I'm a ruiner, remember?"

Bonnie feels like she's been slapped. He's throwing her words back - only she's allowed to do that - and she doesn't like it. "That's not fair."

"Isn't it?"

Bonnie pushes back her chair slightly, the tiles squeaking. "How did this get turned around on me? You're the dick!"

"And you're too stubborn to let me change your mind!"

His voice is louder than anticipated, and several tables glance over at them. Bonnie lets out a deep breath, willing her heart to calm down. "You don't deserve that second chance."

Enzo narrows his eyes, lowering his voice. "Why? Because I won't apologize for something that I don't think I need to apologize for?" Bonnie opens her mouth, but he interrupts her. "You know what - fine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I locked you in a closet with your boyfriend so you would finally break up with him and I'm sorry it made you realize that your best friend wasn't completely on your side and I'm sorry it finally got you to tell that other idiot you weren't interested." His voice falls to just barely a whisper and while Bonnie is completely frozen in her seat, the tenor of his words give her shivers. "But mostly I'm sorry for trying to be a good friend ."

Enzo pulls out his wallet without another word, drops a wad of cash onto the table - way more than half of the cost of the meal - and makes a move to stand. But before he can, Nora returns.

"Leaving so soon?" She places a plate on their table - two heart-shaped brownies covered in powdered sugar and decorated with chocolate covered strawberries. "I can pack up this up to go."

Bonnie looks at the plate, briefly, and takes a second to acknowledge that if Nora had arrived five minutes earlier, the situation would be much funnier. Instead, however, Bonnie can't look away from Enzo. His face is stiff and he looks ready to run right out of there.

"You can keep it," he says, not looking at her, and she desperately needs him to look at her.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Enzo turns, for a second - and when their eyes meet, Bonnie struggles to remember why she dislikes him so much. But then he looks away and leaves and she remembers, clearly.

Bonnie stares at the two hearts on the plate. "I'll take 'em to go."