After a week of nonstop interviews and appearances, Elena finally has a day off. Before plopping into her bed face first last night, she told Enzo in no uncertain terms that he was not to awaken her unless there's a fire or an earthquake. Next week they go into pre-production for her next movie so this morning, she's sleeping in. It's all Damon's fault that she hasn't been able to get any rest. No matter how hard she tries to wipe him and his promises from her mind, she simply cannot do it. He still consumes her and no matter what she does, she just can't shake him.
So much for being over him.
She's hot so she kicks one of her covers off and tries to go back to sleep but her mind is a whir of what ifs. Yesterday, she was almost disappointed when she didn't hear from him. It's been some time already since he professed his love and proclaimed in no uncertain terms that he was going to fight tooth and nail for her and for them. She's well aware that his series of lectures are about to end, he's probably packing his things to return to NOLA now. She should have known better.
Frustrated, she blows out a puff of air, her lips vibrating as she turns away from the window and tries to catch a few zzzz's. She nearly succeeds when Enzo storms into her room. Elena opens an eye a crack and glares at him.
"What?" she rasps, raising up on one elbow.
"Well, there's a fire and not just any fire, a Towering Inferno sized fire... and an earthquake swarm," Enzo tells her in a conversational tone.
"What the hell are you talking about? You're not making any sense," she tries to tune him out by covering her head with the pillow. Enzo rolls his eyes, grabs the remote and turns on the television.
"We have quite the scoop to share. The newest issue of Celebrity Magazine is causing shock waves to reverberate industry wide. Popular A-list actress, Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Elena Gilbert apparently has been secretly married to well-known writer, Professor Damon Salvatore for over three years. He is the author of several number one best sellers in the art history genre. Dr. Salvatore shared this information with Celebrity mag reporter Atticus Shane."
Elena springs up in bed, her eyes nearly popping out of her head when she sees a picture of her and Damon on the giant screen. With her mouth hanging open, she gawps in shock for several seconds. "What the..."
"We both wanted to focus on our careers which is why we decided not to go public with the news of our marriage. Now the time has come for us to consider building a family and to make the marriage our top priority," Dr. Salvatore is quoted as saying. This is the most exciting news, we'll keep you posted. This is Carmen Taylor reporting for Entertainment Today."
Enzo makes himself comfortable beside her on the bed then clicks the TV off. Still in shock, Elena looks at him with wide eyes and her mouth still agape. Enzo gives her forearm a squeeze. "I know what you're trying to spit out," he chuckles, having never believed the stodgy professor would have the stones to do what he just did.
"You're trying to say, what in the hell did he do? Clearly, he's taking this change business quite seriously. Damon is sending you a message. He broadcasting not just to you but to the entire world biggest news to hit the industry in some time... It's his way of telling everyone that he's not ashamed of the marriage and...," he gives a dramatic pause, "that he wants to fight for you."
Enzo's sporting a face she's not quite sure what to make of, it's a decidedly uncharacteristic look for him, one that she doesn't recognize.
"Why are you looking at me like that and what the hell are we gonna do?"
"I'd say, there's not much we can do other than hope your nutty professor finally has it figured out and just go with it. He's done the one thing that he believes will prove to you that he's deadly serious about your marriage and that he really wants you to give him that second chance he talked about."
Is that an amused glint in his eyes?
"You're impressed," she blurts out and gives him a shove. Elena's not sure which is the bigger shock in all this, Enzo's 180 or the 20 kiloton bomb that Damon just dropped.
He actually gave an interview to a Hollywood tabloid about their secret marriage. She white knuckles the sheets as she considers when and where the next aftershock will rumble, the paparazzi will have a field day with it.
"I underestimated him. I don't think he did this on a whim, El, I think a lot of thought went into it. He's fighting with everything he has."
Elena nods, she needs a few minutes to absorb this new earthshaking development. Enzo's already on the way out when he pauses and turns around at the threshold.
"Oh, and btw. Get dressed and prepare yourself for a crazy ass day. Roger's already on the way over here with copies of the magazine. We need to put our heads together and come up with the best way to deal with it. A million of people have already called, mostly tabloids, but also TV and industry people. However, your impish little friend, Kol has called at least a half dozen times and your mom called too. So chop chop!"
Elena falls back on the pillows when the door shut behind him.
This is going to be hell of a day.
Damon is at the drugstore the first thing Friday morning to purchase the newest issue of Celebrity Mag. How ironic is this, given his traditional view of such crap?
There's a big headline on the front page, ELENA GILBERT'S SECRET MARRIAGE. The small print says all the details are inside.
He should probably feel relieved that his scoop was done in such a hurry in an effort to squeeze it into the newest issue. Otherwise, he wouldn't be staring at picture of his and Elena's faces on the front page. After picking up a copy and a cup of coffee from the soda fountain, he pays for his purchase and walks across the street to the hotel. He flips through it on his way to his room, finding the article soon enough to start reading it in the elevator.
There's a short interview with the promise of more to come in the next issue. He swallows thickly at the picture of Elena at the Golden Globes Awards, she looks stunning in her navy blue gown, her face beaming as she holds the award in her hands. There's a smaller picture of him that was taken during one of his presentations and there's also the one that Shane snapped at his office. Stepping out of the elevator, he takes a breath. All of this, the headline, the pictures, his interview, it's more than enough to turn both of their lives upside down.
What if Elena hates him?
Only now does he realize that what he's done is irrevocable. The thought is both terrifying and exhilarating. For the first time in a very long time he certain that he's doing what's right for the woman he's still madly, inescapably in love with. He's doing this for them. They are doing this together.
Sure, he should have asked her first... if she was alright with him going public.. No matter what, they're still in this together. If she hates him for it... well... he'll cross that bridge when he comes to it but he hopes with everything in him that she doesn't
With a sigh he throws the magazine on the couch and calls room service. While waiting for his breakfast, he stares at the magazine cover as if it waiting for it to bite him. Before he can blink, his phone starts ringing. His eyes widen when he sees it's Katherine, wondering why she would call at this hour...
Then the hammer falls, It's on the news. He pretty much screamed it from the rooftops.
His phone doesn't stop ringing for several hours.
"This is quite a bombshell that you've dropped, Dr. Salvatore. What made you finally decide to go public about your secret marriage to Elena Gilbert?"
"I wouldn't exactly say it was a secret. We just didn't feel the need or the desire to share at that time. We had a small, intimate wedding and we honeymooned in Virginia. As our careers grew and Elena's star brightened in the year following our marriage, we decided to focus on ourselves rather than proclaim to the world that we were man and wife. There's a lot of pressure in both the acting world and the academic world so in all honesty, we decided to take it one day at a time.
As the years passed, we always thought that the time would come but neither of us were in any hurry. Elena was working steadily and the job offers were rolling in and I had my own career. I didn't want her to have to sacrifice these amazing roles so for the last couple of years, we buried ourselves in our own careers. And now the time has come for Elena and I to return to 'us'. We'll do that together as a couple and I expect that our marriage will be better than its ever been."
"Indeed. Why now and why just you? Why didn't you and your wife issue a joint press release?"
"During the series of lectures that I've been giving about different themes related to art and art history, I've had a few questions about my personal life, whether I'm married, seeing anyone special, those types of questions. I just didn't feel the need to avoid or lie about it any longer. There is no need. I'm very proud of my wife's accomplishments and I want to be able to share that with her. It was time."
"Miss Gilbert has always been very private about her personal life. It's well known among industry people and her fans that she shares a house in Malibu with her manager, Enzo St. John. Many people, myself included, have long suspected that they were a couple. What are your feelings about her living with another man?"
"Enzo has known Elena longer than I have. He's been her manager for years and they're as close as two people can be. Quite frankly, I could not be more grateful for his presence in her life."
"So to the best of your knowledge, there's no romance there?"
"Definitely not, but I'm sure Elena can better explain their relationship than my poor power to do so."
"Thank you, Dr. Salvatore for your time and it's my sincere hope that we'll get to talk again very soon."
Elena snorts at the last answer as she finishes reading the article. She's well aware that she will have to come up with a believable explanation for everything. How Damon ever managed to make that slimy Atticus Shane write a fair story is beyond her? When the interview started, they talked a little about his books and lectures, almost like they were trying to downplay the bombshell till Shane was ready to go in for the kill as it were. Damon handled him with ease and skill of a well seasoned professional but he's always had the ability to mesmerize his audience. The questions about their marriage flowed naturally.
She's still in shock that he really did it.
She raises her eyes, meeting Enzo's when he peeps inside. "Are you done reading the article?"
She nods. "I am, it doesn't sound bad still..."
"Trust me, I know."
Elena gets out and follows Enzo back to the living room. She can hardly maintain a straight face as she watches Roger pacing back and forth.
On the verge of hysterics, he gets in her face, "How did I not know about th.. thi.. this secret marriage of yours?"
Enzo, clearly amused by the other man's freak out, hands him a drink. "Because, Roger, it was none of your business. Elena's marriage was ...," his eyes shoot to her as he considers how to word this sensitively, "put on hold and neither she nor Damon wished to make it public. Therefore there was no reason to share it with you or anyone else. As a matter of fact, Elena wanted to forget about it for awhile and as you very well know, it definitely didn't affect her ability to give a killer performance?"
Elena sighs, she knows Enzo's trying to down play it but Roger is right, they need to take it seriously. The last thing she needs is to have her character questioned. She can't deny that she does sort of feel for her publicist. Without him, she knows that her career wouldn't be what it is. His job is to know everything and foresee everything down to the most minute detail. When he falls into the chair and drops his face in his hands, Elena can see how exhausted he looks.
Peeking at her through split fingers, he sits up and finishes off his drink. In the next minute, he's all business again. "Alright you two, what's done is done. We need to figure out the best approach. We should come up with our own statement."
After refilling his tumbler, he sits back down and eyes Elena. "What are you going to do now? Move to NOLA, bring your husband here? Is he or isn't going to assume the role as your official escort or is Enzo going to maintain that title? And how and when are we going to announce that he has his own separate but also successful career? That might actually be the smart thing..."
"Roger, they already know that he has a successful career in his own right. But you know what?"
Both men look at her, as a new, confident tone sneaks into her voice.
"It's not on you, Roger, it's not for us here to decide. This is between my husband and me. Somehow we will figure it all out together," she looks at them with a challenge. Enzo is strangely quiet as Elena studies him, trying to translate his stance.
Is that approval she sees?
Roger however has a different opinion. "Elena, of course it's up to you and him to decide but your fans and the press are expecting some kind of a reaction. We need to discuss..."
"No, Roger, I am not discussing this with you now. And I will make a statement in due time, but this doesn't concern you, or the fans and certainly not reporters."
Roger is nothing but persistent. "But your husband made it public when he opened this can of worms... the way he..."
"I just want Damon!" Elena whines. The last few weeks have been exhausting and the last thing she needs is turn this... his gesture, statement and confession all in one into work.
"Go away!" she blurts out which earns her a smirk from Enzo who then turns to Roger.
"Look buddy, I'll tell you what. Why don't the two of us give them some space tonight and then the first thing tomorrow morning, we'll all get together and decide on the best course of action. We can craft the perfect statement and then you can release. The press can keep up the supposition for another day."
Roger doesn't look happy, still he gets up and turns to Elena. "I'm sorry, Elena, but you know as well as I do that they're not going to let up until we give them something tangible."
Elena gives him an unexpected hug. "I know Roger, and I'm sorry too, but for today, just please turn off your phone or else tell them that a statement will be forthcoming. Tomorrow, I'm all yours, you have my word."
A little shaken after everything, Damon cautiously stares at his phone. The damn thing hasn't stopped ringing. It started early this morning and now it's late afternoon. If not for Elena, he would have smashed it against the room's fireplace several hours ago. He has returned some calls but most of them he said to hell with it. Katherine was rather indignant about finding out about her brother's marriage at the same time as the rest of the country. She also warned him that their mother will be none too pleased either. Damon is still thanking his lucky stars that she's out of the country attending a symposium this week.
When the phone starts ringing yet again he almost jumps on the couch. Now who? Shaking his head, he looks at the screen. It's a number that he doesn't recognize. Hesitantly he puts the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Relax Damon. It's my home phone. I wanted to see if you'd pick up and how you'd react to an anonymous caller," she quietly laughs and it's the warmest sound he's heard since... forever. "How are you holding up?"
Elena.
His heart skips a beat and just like that he knows he'd go through all of this again, through hell itself, just to be able to hear the gentle tone in her voice, he forgot how wonderful it sounds.
"Elena... I... I am. I'm sorry I did this without your consent. Honestly it was the only thing I could think of that might actually convince you that I was serious about fixing me, fixing us."
"You might be right about that. I know from personal experience that you're hardly an impulsive person. This, what you did.. is totally out of character."
She's still smiling, he senses it and he would walk over hot coals if he could keep it on her face and continue listening to her beautiful voice for the next untold number of hours.
"You didn't answer my question, Damon," she continues, "How are you really holding up?"
"To tell you the truth Elena, I want nothing more than to flatten this phone beneath my boot. Alaric called, he told me he wasn't the least surprised because it was always fire and thunder between us."
"Really? I would never have guessed that he thought that. To tell you the truth, I thought we were a little boring."
"That's because you believed my act. I.. I.. well I thought that the boring, stodgy professor type was what lit your flame. We're not boring, Elena. I bet Ric was, maybe still is a little jealous of us," he pauses, rubbing his right temple with his fingertips. His head feels like he has a jackhammer slamming against the inside of his skull.
"I'll have to ask him about that.. but listen Damon, you still haven't told me how you are doing."
"As far as holding up, I'm okay for now... well that is until my mom and Katherine get their hands on me. Mom is going to murder me all the while keeping a smile on her face."
Damon shudders a bit at the prospect of coming face to face with her.
"Don't be so melodramatic. I'm sure your mother isn't going to kill you." Elena laughs again, she can't believe herself how giddy she feels. She knows there's a lot to discuss and it won't be pretty, but for now, she's just relishing the fact they miraculously seem to be on the same page.
His candor is actually so encouraging that she blurts, "I... wanted to ask you, if you'd like to join me... you know for dinner?"
Damon's breath hitches. Is she really inviting him over? Maybe she doesn't hate him for turning her life upside down after all? He would love to make a stupid, Damon-like joke if only from the pure happiness he's feeling but he doesn't. Their truce is brand new and fragile and the last thing he wants to do is blow it to bits before it can start to take hold. And also because he'd much rather kiss her senseless. That thought alone makes him uncomfortably hard.
"I'd like that," he finally says.
"Then I'll see you soon...?"
"You can count on it."
Damon was pretty desperate to get a message to Elena. And now he's made sure that the whole country and probably part of the world knows they're married.
Thank you all so very much. Eva and I are grateful beyond words.
And Eva, thank you for being on this road with me.
Chapter title: 'I've Gotta Get a Message to You' by the Bee Gees.
We'll see you all next week with more of both this and 'Welcome to the Jungle'.
Have a fantastic day and a phenomenal weekend. You're all the best.