"Shall We Try Dating?"

At this stage of Caroline's life, she's got two focal points: career and marriage. Having secured her job, now all she needs is a hubby. Caroline lived at home with her mom, and they are discussing about her upcoming blind date. "Now listen to me carefully Caroline, I don't want you to screw this up", Liz cautioned Caroline, "Don't worry mom, everything will be fine, because I'll be wearing my serious woman outfit" Caroline confirmed her, motioning down to her dark grey suit and matching knee length skirt. Her mother gasped in horror, "What? There is no way you're going to wear such …thing, you'll wear that gorgeous little red dress with pair of black Cha…" "No mom, I'll not wear that piece of trash, it's shows too much" Caroline tried to reason her, "you aren't going to a job interview, this a date you know what that means?" Liz challenged, "Yeah mom I know, and it has been a while so take it easy on me ok?" Caroline gave her mom a pleading look, "ok sweetie, I won't push harder have fun" she smiled at her daughter, "thanks, I will, I love you mom" Caroline grinned and gave her mom quick kiss on the cheek.

Caroline headed to her blind date (though it's not really blind since they each got pictures of each other before hand). Caroline was excited and impressed by the picture honestly, do blind dates really look that good? The guy in the picture looked like an actor that you would find in a romantic comedy drama, with dark hair and blue eyes. Her immediate question was why is he single? But she still wished that the meeting would better have been at a different hotel, and not this particular god forsaken hotel. Still, Caroline's blind date showed up and he's a looker for sure. Maybe he's a few years older than his picture, but who's counting. He's definitely cute with good manners. Who apparently rescued a cute puppy on the way over to the Hotel, or maybe it was a cat from a tree. "Good afternoon, Caroline right? I'm Damon Salvatore" he said with flawless gentle voice, Caroline mesmerized by the Good Looking Blind Date Guy, "Hi…" she felt stupid for her lack of words, but she recovered quickly, "Hello Damon, nice to meet you" and just like that the conversation flowed smoothly, because he was good at his choice of words, and the fact that Caroline would swallow anything her date said at this point. He was really a keeper, she was finally thinking of giving it a chance.

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As Fate would have it, and it must be fate, either that or really cruel coincidence, Klaus was just a few tables down, also on a blind date. Klaus is in rare jack-ass form, giving back-handed compliments thinly-wrapped in insults to his date. "That plastic surgeon of yours did a fine job on your… just nose and chin?" "it is Good thing you have tiny boobs, cause I like that in women" the insults are easy on him just like breathing. Tired of the chit-chat, Klaus excused himself, and as he was about to get up he spotted Caroline on what has to be a blind date. Klaus paused just long enough to get enough of the conversation to confirm his suspicion. And then he chuckled to himself, "Going on a blind date in the same hotel that she got brutally dumped in… that's SO like the Caroline I know."Klaus got this mischievous smirk on his face, and decided to punk Caroline in front of the Good Looking Blind Date Guy, "Caroline? What are you doing here? Klaus called out to her. Caroline looked at him her eyes wide with confusion, and to make things worse he grabbed her hand yanking her to stand up, "why are you doing this to me? Please don't leave me I'm begging you" he continued, "and why are you drinking coffee? The doctor said it's bad for the baby!" all This caused a scene as a horrified and embarrassed Caroline tried to shake off a clingy Klaus while still trying to be the demure Date. But Klaus's real date has laser beams shooting out of her eyes. The date slapped Klaus. While Klaus's plan to kill his date with one prank on Caroline has worked, he has really hurt that woman's feelings. Make that two women's feelings. When Good Looking Blind Date Guy excused himself and left, Caroline was devastated she also slapped Klaus hard, and then kicked him in the gut. Klaus felled to ground and looked up at a crying Caroline, "you heartless bastard, you have no idea what you just did" she said sniffing a sob, "prepare my severance, I quit" she added and left. What a horrible place this hotel has been for Caroline, who may have just seen her last chance at love disappear because of that jerk's prank.

Klaus was taken back by her reaction, he expected her to be angry and few hits-that was the idea of whole this prank-but she was really hurt, something clinched in his chest at the sight of her tear filled eyes, and the fact that he caused her such pain somehow hurt him too, but he knew something for sure, he can't let her go just like that. Klaus chased after Caroline but Caroline ignored him. So he had to follow Caroline but apace 15 feet behind her as she walked around New York. This is a Klaus thing, probably something he learned from his mother at an early age. Basically, you shut your mouth and you follow your mom around until she forgives you. Is he doing this because he needs a pastry chef? Or maybe he's truly sorry?

He was too good to me how can I get along now

So close he stood to me

Everything is all messed up and wrong now

My baby would have brought me to the sun

Cos making me smile was his fun…

Caroline heard the faint sound of Nina Simone's 'He was too good to me' as she was passing a music store, "right what I just needed!" she thought to herself, it's like fate was mocking her. But what she didn't know is whether the person that Nina Simone is crooning about is the perfect man who got away, which would be the perfect man for Caroline? Is he the man who excused himself from the table or the man who is standing too close now?

"Look, I know you are mad but that doesn't mean you should leave the job" he said after 10 minutes of following her, "mad? You think I'm mad! I'm not I'm furious, I'm almost thirty years old on blind date which is all ruined because of you, and those shoes are killing my feet!"she took off both her shoes and grabbed them in one hand resuming her walk bare feet. Klaus was getting tired of whole this "how about 10% raise, and permanent employee status" he offered trying to win her back, but failed Caroline just wants to get married and Klaus ruined it for her. He though, asked an interesting question. "Why do you have to get married anyway?" Caroline met his eyes and said "Because it is scary to cross an ocean by your own, and two people can row much faster than a single person can." Klaus cracked a little smile in silent agreement.

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A little oddly, Caroline spent the rest of the day doing random things like going to a video game parlor and doing karaoke, things that might be more fun if done with a partner rather than solo. All the while, Klaus stayed within a few feet of her. Maybe Caroline spends the day like this because she doesn't want to go home and face her mom. Because then Caroline would have to spend the rest of the night answering questions. Or maybe more likely, Caroline was dragging out her day, forcing Klaus to follow, so that he suffers at least some physical punishment for deep-sixing her blind date. By giving Klaus this punishment, and by him accepting the punishment, I guess Caroline isn't quitting Bon Appétit after all. In any case, with Klaus still following her, Caroline won a giant stuffed animal pig from the video game parlor and then went out drinking at bar.

Towards the end of the night-after few drinks mostly consumed by Caroline- , Klaus offered to make things right by finding the perfect man for Caroline. "What kind of man do you like? Caroline started general "a stable guy who brings home bacon", but with prodding, narrows it down to "… a good kisser" Caroline shyly laughed into her stuffed animal pig, but she went on to explain what she really wants "Someone I can bring to my parents and my sisters, and proudly say, 'This is my man', someone that would bring me to his parents and to his friends and say, proudly, 'This is my woman.' That's the kind of person I want". Klaus listened carefully but gave a snarky reply "piece of a cake!" Caroline looked at him sternly "you have no idea how difficult that task is."

She remembered Tyler, and sadly noted how she was kept hidden from a previous boyfriend's parents and friends."Oh common! That one had 'player' written all over his face…." Klaus blurted out, Ooopsie, Caroline immediately realized that Klaus did remember – and Caroline has just been a source of amusement for him. That realization ended the evening. She needed to get out, but her body gave her away after all that booze, she made attempt to get up only to feel dizzy, Klaus caught her in time before she passed out.

Klaus ended up carrying a very hostile and overloaded Caroline home .Who kept hitting him with the stuffed pig and calling all kinds of insults.

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The bright sun rays woke Caroline in the morning; she opened her eyes and found the stuffed pig staring at her from nearby chair, "what are you staring at?" she asked groaning, her head hurt like bitch, and the room was so bright, her room was never this bright, unless it's not HER ROOM! That's when it all downed at her, she couldn't remember going home last night, all she remembered was she was upset about her ruined date and drank half the bar with unlikely companion Klaus, passing out…wait a minute, Klaus? She passed out on KLAUS, to say she was Terrified would be understatement, 'of all the people in the world, I got to pass out on Klaus' now fate was just cruel thing, she is half-naked in a strange bed, with only her stuffed pig keeping her company!

Caroline was horrified by her compromising circumstances, she looked around she was in massive bedroom sitting of four poster bed with silk dark red sheets, she got up from the bed and went searching for her clothes hoping she didn't do anything stupid last night, but in vain, her clothes were non around, suddenly she heard a running water, following the sound, she came upon a closed door and opened it , only come face-to-face with chest naked Klaus who had only a towel wrapped on his waist, his hair was dripping wet and water was running down to his chest and…, she looked up at his eyes and found him smirking at her, obviously noticed where her thoughts drifted off, that's when she snapped from her day dreaming about what she can do to…

"Where am I?" she asked trying to keep what dignity she had left, "well as you can see love, you are at my place" he gestured to his state of dressing-like it is crystal clear-, "how did I get here? Where are my clothes? What did you do?" she felt stupid for asking him a sequence of questions, but she really couldn't have this conversation half naked either, "you see love, I was nothing but a gentleman, though I can't say the same about you" he said non Chantilly, that got her attention "what are you talking about?" she asked him irritated more than curious, but soon she find out that she may have done worse (much much worse) to Klaus other than collapsing on him and continuously hitting him and…you know. But she actually threw up on him, "I prefer to call it chemical warfare!" Klaus said amusedly, but there's no way she did that… right?

Before she can properly defend herself, however, this particular morning has brought Klaus's mom, The Original Witch and her assistant Rose, to visit.

Esther immediately started beating on Klaus for nuclear bombing another blind date, "HOW DARE YOU SCREW UP ANOTHER BLIND DATE!" But soon found a half-naked Caroline bearing witness. "HOLY MOTHER OF GOD WHY IS THERE A NAKED WOMAN STARING AT ME!" she was beyond angry, Since this kind of beating is properly done only in private, Esther dragged Klaus to the bathroom to finish the beating.

Caroline was next to be grilled, T.O.W (aka the original witch) is surprised to find that this half-naked woman is the same one who was the cause of Klaus's blind date blow-up.

Caroline wanted to say it was the other way around, but for the love of god, that woman was Terrifying, and she couldn't say a word.

Soon Caroline's dry-cleaned clothes arrived and she went to the bathroom to change. Esther was not happy with her son but she pulled out a surprising card "I want you to bring Caroline home next Friday, and properly introduce her over dinner", Klaus was quietly stunned, and amused, as a another fun plan developed into his head "yes Ma'am".

When Esther left, Klaus and Caroline headed to breakfast diner before going to work. Caroline was into her pancakes, while Klaus looked on, aghast at her appetite after a night of binge drinking.

Still, Klaus took a deep breath and then pulled the trigger and asked, "Caroline, shall we… try dating?"!

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Hi there, sorry for the delay I got really REALLY busy, it was my brother's engagement yesterday YAY! (Wish him luck)

So what you think about this chapter? Personally I think it's a major bridge that had to be crossed and from now on we shall see how the duo will interact

And I want to address the guest who guessed this story:

BINGO sweetie you got me in that one, I'm a sucker to that drama too, but I'll add to my charm a little bit and with our favorite characters things are ought to be adventurous.

Sooo be generous and drop me a review

Xoxo

Camille