Chapter 10
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"Elena! It's a disaster! Oh God, what am I going to do?" Caroline was a whirlwind of action in blue sweats clutching her clipboard.
"Care, relax. We will sort it out."
"Don't tell me to relax Stefan! The guests are arriving in an hour, I am not dressed and the flowers are yellow. Yellow!" She screamed to no one in particular. She then lowered her voice, "and I can't use any vampire speed because of all these damn muggles roaming the place."
"So Stefan's been making you watch Harry Potter?" I asked innocently, arching an eyebrow.
"What? It wasn't that bad!"
"Nothing. That's great, Care." I held up my hands in surrender.
"Miss Forbes?" A squeaky voice called from behind us. A little man in a pastel yellow suit and grey hair was hurrying up towards us from where the dance floor had been set up and the workers in their scruffy white uniforms were stringing up the fairy lights between the trees surrounding the garden and the ones along the small cherry trees lining the sparkling pool.
"What?" Caroline spun around to face him sharply, her blonde hair whipping around her face.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but the florist has no more white roses and I have … I have called all of the others, and they … well … they don't have either."
"Ah hell!" Caroline sank down into one of the white garden chairs that had been set up circling the round, silver table clothed tables that were spread out across the lawn, and all framed by the expansive rose gardens off to the side.
"Everything was going so well! And I can't have yellow flowers with blue and silver tables and chairs! God, this is a disaster!" In her anger, Caroline had managed to snap the clipboard in her hands, leaving Mr Pastel Yellow shivering in fright. Stefan had retreated safely back into the house.
"Okay, Care, this is what we are going to do. You go inside and get dressed, Rebekah will help you. Mr?"
"Mr Blond." I had to suppress the giggles that threatened to escape.
"Mr Blond, round up all your men and meet me here in five. Have the caterers arrived yet?"
Mr Blond looked at me nervously, "they've just arrived, Miss Gilbert and are setting up in the kitchen. We will bring out the food half an hour before. The band is arriving in twenty minutes to set up and warm up. We have planned for Miss Forbes and Mr Salvatore to enter shortly after the first few guests arrive. Dinner is planned for seven and once it gets dark, we will light the tea candles and float them out onto the pool as well as light the candelabras on the tables."
Mr Blond seemed quite organised, "Okay great. Care, hand me your … um … clipboard. Go inside, Mr Blond? Round up your men."
"But 'Lena!"
"Care, I've got this." I kissed her on her cheek and sent her off into the house. After dismissing Mr Blond, I entered the house and went in search of some troops.
I found Matt and Jeremy in the kitchen, drooling over the trays of food that were being brought into the kitchen.
"Oi! Boys, out in the garden now." I hurried them out and bumped into Bonnie on the veranda, "Bon, you too."
I marched them out to the rose garden where Mr Blond and his henchmen were gathered.
"Okay everyone, listen up. We need white roses, how many Blond?"
"About 100."
"Okay, we need one hundred white roses. This rose garden is vast and full of white colours, and we need one hundred. There are twenty of us, so if we can all pick around five nice full ones then we are sorted. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am." I heard Jer mutter from behind me, but I was too fired up to care.
"Let's go."
The next ten minutes were a bustle of movement as everyone set out looking for the white roses. I had gathered three fully bloomed stems when I felt someone come up behind me. I turned my head to the side and found Damon standing in his tux holding three of the most perfect and beautiful white roses that I had ever seen. "Malady." He combined his bouquet with mine and strolled along next to me, both of us silent. "This is a good idea."
"Thank you."
"I'm sure Blondie will appreciate it."
"I hope so."
"You're a good friend."
"Thanks." Looking around I could see everyone with their bouquets heading back towards the tables. "We'd better get back; I need to sort out the flowers. Thanks for your help."
"You're welcome, and here," he had broken off the head of a white rose bud, "a rose for a rose." He tucked the rose into the side bun of my hair, behind my ear. "Laters, babe." And in a blink he was gone.
Two hours later, the party was in full swing and it all looked stunning. Caroline looked beautiful with her hair flowing down her shoulders and her silver dress swishing around her knees. A blue butterfly clip sparkled in her hair, and Stefan smiled as dazzling on her arm as they surveyed the party, greeting their guests.
Bonnie and Jeremy were whirling around the dance floor; Bonnie's dress a bright flash of colour and Jeremy's suit a dashing dark contrast. Matt and Rebekah, who whore wearing a floor length red dress, were deep in conversation at their table, the light from the silver candelabra flickering across their faces and creating shadowy patterns on the bursting vases of white roses and silver glitter covered white sticks that were placed carefully in between them.
Mrs Lockwood was entertaining her table with stories about the town, Tyler and his new girlfriend sneaking kisses when her head was turned.
"It looks lovely." I turned and found Sheriff Forbes standing next to me. She had traded in her sheriff's uniform for a charcoal grey dress with silver trimmings along the bodice.
"Oh, it was all Caroline."
"She is something."
"She certainly is. And what about you? How do feel being back in Mystic Falls?"
"It's been good. I think I've smoothed out all of the cracks and I'm glad I came back."
"I know that Care is too." She gave me a knowing smile, "she missed you."
"I missed her too."
"Hello, Liz." We both turned to find Damon, all tall dark and handsome in his suit, walking towards us with a glass of sparkling wine in each hand. "Liz, Elena." He handed each of us a glass and I took a long, pleasurable sip that went down incredibly smoothly. I needed the drink to deal with Damon.
"Heard anything from Klaus lately?" he asked Liz.
"No. No work tonight!" Caroline had descended upon us, bringing the groom with her.
"Mom, Stefan wants a dance." She all but threw Stefan at Liz, who handed Caroline her champagne glass and walked towards the fairy lit dance floor with Stefan. "Damon?" Caroline shot Damon an expectant glare.
"Yeah, going. Elena, may I have this dance?"
"Of course." I was quick to hand Care my glass who sped away.
Damon offered me his arm, which I took, and led me to the dance floor. We navigated through the swaying bodies before arriving at the centre of the dance floor. Damon spun me out, before pulling me in leaving me pressed up against him as we joined hands. His hand brushed up the side of my dress before settling on my lower back. I gripped his bicep and leaned into him as he spun me around the floor to Everlasting Love, and boy was he a good dancer. I could hardly think straight as the fairy lights and sparkling dresses whirled around us. All I could focus on were his deep, deep blue eyes gazing into mine. "I didn't know you could dance." He leant forward and whispered in my ear, before spinning me out again and dipping me.
"Well you have certainly proved yourself." This was rewarded with a deep chuckle.
ﻬﻫ
We spun around the dance floor for what felt like only minutes before Caroline announced that dinner was ready. Damon and I were seated next to each other at a table with Caroline, Stefan, Bonnie, Jeremy, Sheriff Forbes and Alaric.
"Elena, the roses look stunning, thank you!" Care reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
"Just doing my bridesmaid's duty."
It was half way through the extravagant meal when I felt his hand brushing softly across the side of my thigh. Trying to ignore the tingling shivers I was getting, I focused on the mouth watering salmon in front of me, as well as taking slow sips from my champagne glass which was not helping. Damon took my silence as a willing consent and continued to explore further, causing a sharp intake of breath when his fingers skimmed the hem of my dress gently brushing my bare skin. I grabbed his hand, but he just held on to mine instead rubbing soft circles over the top which was annoyingly soothing.
While everyone else was in deep conversation over the food, I leant in towards him, "what the hell do you think you are doing?" I hissed, accusingly.
"I don't know what you mean, Lena". He looked convincingly innocent if it wasn't for the wink that occurred seconds later, "you know you want it. You feel it." His hand let go of mine and brushed down my leg once more, drawing my hemline up a little more. "Every touch."
I tried to deny it, to glare at him, but I knew that all he was seeing was desire. "Let's get out of here."
"Okay." Dammit! What the hell was wrong with me!
Everyone was standing up now, headed to the desert table or back to the dance floor, so Damon and I could escape unnoticed. Clutching my hand tightly, he lead me to the house and in through a side door where we found ourselves in the garage. We couldn't help it anymore. I needed him as much as he needed me. In a split second I was crushed against his chest as his lips found mine. His hand snaked around the back of my neck, holding me closer as he wedged me between him and his car, lifting me up when the back of my knees came into contact with the bonnet, and setting me down on top of it. My fingers clawed at his back as he trailed kisses down my throat, nipping at the top of my breast before working his way back up. A small sigh escaped my lips. "Damon …"
"Ah, why did you leave?"
"I loved you."
"Wait," my declaration caught him by surprise as he jumped about three metres back leaving me clinging to the front of his car, "what?"
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