Weekend ended unexpectedly and Caroline had no other choice but to take a sick leave once Monday came, coughing into the phone and feeling bad just because she could hear concern lacing Elijah's words. He was so understanding that it made her flinch while scolding herself for lying to him; differently from his younger brother, Elijah deserved all the respect Caroline could give him. Truth was that Caroline wasn't ready to go back and face Klaus after everything that happened on that ill-fated Friday night. She would sometimes remember Klaus' mournful gaze changing into rage just because she was stupid enough to let her wide mouth get in the way of strictly business-like relationship. Whatever was it she tried to achieve failed miserably and Caroline needed some time to cope.

Even if all of her friends stayed in New York for the weekend, Caroline's gloomy mood was in the way of having good time and blowing off some steam. Yes, she sat there with a cake in front of her and she blew out the candles, and she giggled with them, but at the same time her head was cursed with a mood that was nowhere near festive. And after she kissed them all goodbye — not Damon, off course — and watched them board the plane, Caroline could drop her mellow act and go back home to write the letter of resignation. Floors of the kitchen were littered with scraps of paper that she torn just because it simply didn't seem right. She wrote hundreds of them, her reason for leaving varying from blunt lies about personal emergencies to raw and naked truth detailed in three pages worth of text.

Truth to be told – she felt somewhat cowardly while trying to think for a reason to leave; it was almost as if she was trying to talk herself into it, even if deep inside Caroline didn't want to go anywhere. Maybe it was her steel determination that helped her walk through life and achieve everything she wanted, or maybe it was Kol's little bet about her leaving. The idea that Klaus drove off every person who worked for him away was bothering her as she didn't want to be just the same as they were. And so, after spending few days while considering it, Caroline made up her mind that she would go back there once the timing was right.

And until then she spent her evenings while soaking in the bathtub with a glass of red wine and jazz playing in the background.

…

"So you're still going to work for him?" Bonnie was the only person Caroline told about her unfortunate encounter with Klaus to and so it wasn't completely unexpected that even while talking over the phone Caroline could hear her shrivel.

"Bonnie Bennett, you know me well enough to realize that I love the challenge." She answered as casually as one could while browsing through the dresses hanging on the rack in one of her favorite stores.

She sacrificed the whole week while contemplating her own existential dilemma and being torn apart by her choices simply not feeling right; at that point Caroline Forbes had enough. In addition to that, a very fancy invitation to a masquerade ball somehow found its way to her mailbox that morning, sending her to venture through every store in the ten mile radius from her house. Halloween was coming and apparently the Mikaelsons enjoyed a classy ball that she — being a sucker for such type of events — simply couldn't refuse.

"I just hope you know when to stop." Caroline knew that her friend was worried, but she couldn't allow herself to be truthful and tell her that she was just as worried herself. Caroline knew when to pretend and when to be honest, and once it came to peace of her friends' minds she would sacrifice her own well-being just to keep them blissfully oblivious.

"Seriously, Bonnie, what do you think will happen? He will murder me and then weasel his way out of jail just because he's such a brilliant lawyer?" Caroline chuckled and took a deeper breath after a silent chuckle from the other end of the phone followed hers. She knew that few silly jokes weren't enough to put Bonnie's mind at ease, yet Caroline would rather die trying.

"Alright… Tell me all about your costume." The question made Caroline's eyes light up with excitement because she felt in her own element when talking about dresses, masks and masquerades. Especially when her hand was clenching the material of the dress so stunningly beautiful that it made her feel better just by looking at it.

"Think Marie Antoinette meets classy courtesan." Caroline looked at the dress for the last time, trying to find any flaws or to think for a reason why she shouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on a thing she'd wear only once, but there was nothing. "And it's not all about the costume, Bonnie; it's also about the fact that I will have my King Louis accompany me."

"Who's the poor guy, Caroline?" She could hear that judgmental note in Bonnie's voice, note that made her roll her eyes.

"Don't worry, Bon Bon, he's just this guy I met at the bar few weeks ago." Caroline decided to let the fact that she woke up next to him the following morning slip her mind. It might've been awkward to see the guy who was supposed to be nothing but a drunken mistake, but something about him made her want to come back.

Caroline remembered coming back from work that day just to find a note on her fridge with his telephone number. Even though her first intention was to throw it away just like her memories from that night, the day came when she simply dialed the number and had a conversation that lasted for the better part of the night. To Caroline's surprise, she didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable at all; maybe because neither mentioned that night or maybe because — just as she initially thought — he was a perfectly charming man and there was more to him than just a one-night stand she thought him to be.

"I just hope you're happy, Caroline." She heard Bonnie say and couldn't help herself but love the girl that much more. Bonnie was one of those friends who'd always put others first and herself second in every situation and even if Caroline felt guilty because she enjoyed it, she couldn't help but adore her with every cell in her body.

"Always am." Caroline made her way towards the counter and watched as her dress was placed into the bag and the digits in the cash register made her bite her lip in doubt. "Sorry, Bonnie, I have to run and spend some more of my almost nonexistent funds. Talk to you later!"

"Be safe." She heard Bonnie say before the line broke and she slipped the phone into her purse before fishing her wallet out and hesitantly handing her credit card to the clerk.

…

Their car pulled by the plaza and Caroline had to take a second to observe it in an awe. She'd been in her fair share of parties and balls, but this one seemed to be the cherry on the very top of her social events cake. Blue and red spotlights illuminated the exterior of a building so luxurious it seemed to be fit for royal weddings and other gatherings well out of Caroline's range; but she was there and she was ready to indulge.

"You didn't tell me that you were friends with the president." Caroline heard Jesse's voice snapping her out of her own daze of admiration.

"Please, I'm the queen of France; they are friends with me, not the other way around." She answered as nonchalantly as she could and waved her hand in a dismissive manner making Jesse laugh.

Without further ado he got out of the car and made his way around so to open the door for Caroline. He watched her while she gathered handfuls of material of her skirt and finally managed to get out with as much dignity as she could as that wasn't the prettiest of sights. The dress was perfect – turquoise green with silver embroidery yet the top part was a corset that made it nearly impossible to breathe while the bottom contained out of waterfalls of material that she stepped on every now and then. But when it came to looking as good as she did, the menial matters of comfort were irrelevant.

Caroline let her hair fall on her bare shoulders in loose curls and fixed it before putting on her black lace masquerade mask and winking flirtatiously at Jesse who, at that time, had his lips parted in a silent awe.

"Shall we?" She wrapped her arm around his and off they went, following the red carpet that led to the entrance guarded by harlequins on stilts.

"I'm not sure I know how to react." She heard Jesse murmur into her ear as they stepped inside and took in the interior that was even more breathtaking. Apart from everyone looking like royalty of the highest caliber, the space itself was decorated with golden chandeliers and fountains, sculptures and paintings that made Caroline take one deep breath before turning her head to Jesse.

"No wild monkey dancing for us tonight." She whispered with a grin curving her delicate features. No matter how glamorous she looked, she still felt like an outsider in the crowd of lawyers and crème-de-la-crème of New York all gathered in one ballroom. Waiters were circling the room and as soon as one was close enough she snatched two crystal glasses of Champagne and emptied hers in one gulp.

"Miss Forbes." The familiar voice made her jump and she spun around just to come face-to-face with Elijah dressed like King Henry and looking like he just stepped out of the painting. "I'm glad you could join us."

"Couldn't miss it, milord." She answered with the widest of smiles and watched him as he nodded and blended into the crowd to start conversing with people in a casual yet refined manner. As soon as he was out of the picture Caroline exhaled and dropped the act, rolling her eyes theatrically while looking at Jesse who did exactly the same.

Yes, Caroline Forbes was a social butterfly who loved parties and especially masquerade balls, but every each one she attended before were college student parties or founders' events back in Mystic Falls; gatherings where even the members of city council were just her neighbors whom she saw every day while living their ordinary lives. That ball, on the other hand, looked like something that Cinderella attended to and look how it ended – with her clothes turning to rags after midnight and her running back home with only one shoe on.

"How about another drink?" Jesse probably noticed her biting her lower lip nervously and she couldn't be more grateful because of that. One short nod later both were maneuvering through the crowd towards the bar, smiling charmingly and greeting everyone in their way even if that probably was the first and the last time they'd ever see them.

"Vodka, straight." She ordered and turned around to look at the quartet of violinists on the stage who were playing a very slow but emotional tune to warm up the crowd. A microphone stood in the very middle and she saw Elijah making his way towards it; probably for a formal speech that only seemed to be fit for that evening.

"Dear friends, I welcome you to our annual Masquerade ball." A wave of clapping rolled through the crowd accompanied by silent cheers and laughter. "And as every year, I invite you to join us for a dance."

The music silenced Caroline's gasp as she could barely walk in the dress, what to talk about dancing in it. But everyone seemed to be pairing up and there were no dark corners Caroline could retreat to until this was over. Jesse offered her his hand and she took it reluctantly, still wishing she could've gotten to that glass of vodka a bit earlier. Everyone was standing in the middle of the floor in an almost mathematical precision and as soon as they found the spot Jesse slithered his hand around her waist while smiling charmingly. She saw his lips move in what seemed like 'don't worry, I've got you' and that was enough to take the bigger part of the edge away.

Caroline was grateful for her dance lessons back when she was competing for the title of Miss Mystic as it prevented her from stepping onto someone's toes as they swirled and twirled in the crowd of other people. Jesse wasn't that bad of a dancer even if his posture was somewhat stiff and she could see his forehead crinkling as if counting the steps. She had to give him credit, though – after all she pulled him out of a comfortable nothingness of a casual Friday night and pushed him into a feast where he had to look his best and behave accordingly. Caroline made herself a mental note to buy him a beer and a burger afterwards.

Music started changing from a slow rhythm to one growing a bit faster and as the tempo reached its peak Jesse spun her around, leading her to the other dance partner just as it was done back in the older days. Yet even in her worst case scenarios — that consisted of her tripping and falling or bumping into the wall — Caroline didn't imagine that she would end up in the arms of Klaus Mikaelson himself.

What was more stunning than his classy appearance was the fact that he sported his usual smirk that got even wider after their eyes met. He looked nothing like a broken angry man that she saw a week ago, he didn't even look like her pretentious pain-in-the-behind boss that she used to curse every night before going to bed. True – he still had that smug smirk plastered all over his features, yet there was also a lively spark behind his eyes that made her wonder just how exactly he could live his life with so many masks stashed in his closet.

"Kol will be the most upset when he realizes that he lost his bet." She heard him murmur into her ear, his lips only inches away, making her shiver in discomfort.

"That will teach him a lesson that betting against me is never in his favor." She answered as casually as she could, allowing a most innocent of smiles to slip onto her lips. "And I'm still waiting for an apology, by the way."

Whether it was because they were surrounded by a mass of people of because she decided that her job was not worth being walked over for, Caroline felt determined not to let their last meeting slide as if it never happened. Actually, she was determined not to even pretend to tolerate his appalling behavior anymore, but that didn't seem to affect Klaus at all.

"Careful, love, don't make a scene." He whispered and even that silent whisper was laced in sarcasm.

"Well that would be very inconvenient for you, wouldn't it?" She answered without hesitation, not letting him or his words get under her skin.

Even if she thought that Jesse was a good dancer, she had to admit that Klaus was a million times better. He led her through the floor so graciously that at some point it felt like they and the music became one entity and it all felt just as natural as breathing. And no matter that the closeness felt very uncomfortable, she did her best to follow that little game of power they were playing.

"And lets agree on one thing, I'm not your love or your sweetheart, or your darling —" She mimicked his accent while pronouncing every word with just the right amount of spite. "— my name is Caroline and that is exactly how you will call me from now on."

She could feel his shoulders move in a hearty laughter and it made her blood boil just because the man wasn't capable of taking anything seriously. His grip on her back got just a bit firmer as she was pulled even closer to him, the gesture that pushed the air out of her lungs in surprise.

"And what makes you think that I care, love?" She could feel his breath on her neck and the smell of his perfume tickling her nose.

"Because I'm sure that you weren't born a world-class jerk that you're trying to be. Show some respect." She always wanted to use that phrase and it felt like the situation was befitting. At some point she felt like she was in an old-school mafia movie, no matter how silly it was; off course the idea of threatening him that he'll 'sleep with the fishes' crossed her mind at least twice, but she managed to bite her tongue in time. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink."

And just like that, even if the song was still playing and people were still dancing, Caroline pulled away from Klaus and left him standing in the very middle of the dance floor while she slowly — but determinately — made her way through the crowd and towards the bar.