"You want me to meet your family?" I asked. This was not something I was expecting on a Monday morning over the phone. Yes Stefan and I had gotten closer since our date on Friday and we've been talking a lot on the phone and texting each other throughout Sunday, but was this a little too soon?
"No. Not all of my family. Just a few friends. I'm having a barbeque at the end of the week and I want you to come along. I think you will get along with them." I heard Stefan say over the phone. Weighing up my options, I thought that it was not the worst thing to possibly happen and that the stunt that was pulled on Friday should not happen again. But I needed back up if Stefan was the going to be the only one that I knew there.
"Can I bring Caroline?" I asked hopefully
Stefan laughed "Of course. I would love to see caroline again...not in her pjs of course like last time. Anyway Matt is going to be there. I'm surprised he hadn't said anything to her yet." I stare at Caroline in response wondering if he had or not. Caroline had not really told me much about what was happening with them too since they were together.
"You probably beat him to it" I joked.
"So will you come?" Stefan asked hopefully.
"Yeah. It sounds like fun." I answered smiling turning my chair at my office in direction of Caroline's making a face to her saying that I needed to talk to her.
"Great. Listen... Have you sorted out that photographer issue yet? "Stefan asked.
"No. Not yet. But it will be done by the end of the day believe me." I sneered. I was in vengeance mode when Stefan mentioned that.
"Alright. Well I'd best leave you to it. Good luck. I'll talk to you later."
I put down the phone and motioned Caroline to make her way over to me. "It's time" I said. I was in the mood to kick some serious ass today and I didn't care who it was. Walking up to Hayley's desk, Caroline and I stood behind her chair, arms folded and serious bitch looks on our faces.
"Why did you take those pictures?" Was all I said to Hayley. She turned her head, found who was talking to her and spun her chair around to face us both with a look of forced confusion.
"I don't know what you are on about. What pictures?" She asked
"You know full well what pictures Hayley. I saw you taking pictures of me and Stefan while I was on my date with him. What the hell was that about?" I almost shouted at her.
"I seriously don't know what you are on about. Wait... you went on a date with THE Stefan Salvatore?"
"Yes Hayley. I know the whole floor knows I did so it's obvious you will know too. Why were you taking pictures. Did someone put you up to it? Honestly?"
Hayley just sneered back at me. Her face suddenly turning from bewilderment to snarky.
She scoffed. "Please. Like I needed to be put up to it. You know full well how hard it is to get a picture with Stefan Salvatore with a date. When I heard you and him were dating of course I had to get a picture or two before anyone else. Guaranteed promotion."
"You bitch!" I shouted about to lunge at her but Caroline grabbed me in time before I couldn't do anything.
"Now ladies! What on earth is going on!" We heard from behind us. We turned around to see Bonnie fuming at us all. In a very controlled voice she spoke slowly while staring at all of us. "Now. Caroline. Elena. Hayley. My office if you please." She turned and started walking to her office with myself Caroline and Hayley following with our tails between our legs. This was not going to be pretty at all and we all knew it.
Reaching her office we all stood in front of her desk while she sat down behind it. The look on her face was terrifying. I never knew Bonnie could be this angry before. She stared at all three of us daring us to speak before she had said her piece. Taking a calming breathe she placed her hands clasped together on her desk and started her speech.
"Right. We are getting this out in the open now. I know what Elena and Hayley were arguing about in the other room so I will fill in the blanks. Hayley. I know you took photos of Elena and Mr Salvatore on their date together and they are really good. Yes Elena. I gave her the okay to do this since it is good publicity. I promised you I would not get you to write the article about your dates with Mr Salvatore. Not once did I mention anything about photographs and I did say I would write about something else which I did. No I am not ashamed of it and no Elena I am not taking them off the magazine. Even if I wanted to the magazine has gone to print. They will be there tomorrow morning. Finally Hayley. Yes you got the first photo of them two together but you being there started a frenzy so no your photos are not original photos. Other magazines will have photos of them two in their papers by the time ours come out." Both Hayley and my face had turned to full scorns. We were both mortified with our boss for one reason or another. If looks could kill, Bonnie would be dead a thousand times over within the first 30 seconds of her finishing her sentence.
"Don't you need permission to use photos like this?" Caroline asked being the only one with a face that wasn't hard as stone from rage.
"Not when it comes to celebrity photos you do not. More often than not they do not even see them let alone know they are there. It's only articles you really need permission for."
"But you can't do this Bonnie." I shouted appalled by her audacity.
"I can and I have Elena. This is what it is like to be a celebrity in this town Elena and have your picture in the papers so suck it up! Every photo that you and Mr Salvatore are featured in will make this magazine a gold mine. The news of your relationship has spread virally. Damon Salvatore is as dull as dishwater so we don't bother featuring him but Stefan is always in the limelight going from girl to girl. If we have the first pictures of one of our girls dating him and possibly changing him, we will take action. He is the more famous of the brothers so his moves will be watched and photographed like a hawk if he does the slightest thing interesting. There is nothing I can do to stop the printing. What's done is done. End of" Bonnie stated matter-of-factly.
All Hayley and I could do was just glare at each other. But Bonnie wasn't finished.
"Now I know you are pissed at Hayley Elena, but she was doing her job and nothing more. She was not 'ratting you out' or exploiting you. She is a journalist, albeit in PR, but she is still a journalist and she took an opportunity. You should have done that when you had the chance. Now get out all of you and shake hands. I don't want to see a cat fight on my floor"
I let everyone walk out of the door making I was the last to leave. I had to find out what went wrong. I turned to Bonnie with fire burning in my eyes. "What the hell Bonnie. You are meant to be my friend. I told you about that date in confidence!"
"You're right you did Elena but I did what I had to do for this magazine. Every magazine that has featured Stefan in it's sales rose by 40% everytime. I am doing what is right to keep this magazine afloat. I may be your friend but I am trying to keep yours and my job safe." Her face was very stern and was clearly not afraid for a fight of her own.
I could not believe what Bonnie was saying to me. I have been there for her for everything. Fair enough that our friendship has recently dwindled into more of an acquaintanceship but it was not the point. She was one of my best friends and she has let me down. I have had enough. I had to get out of there. "Do what you have to do. Even though you are trying to save my job, you are not my friend anymore Bonnie Bennett." I said stiffly before slamming the door behind me
Hayley, Caroline and I did not talk at all when we got to our relative desks. Luckily Hayley was on the other side of the room so I didn't need to see her at all. When I go to my desk I sat down and put my head in my hands. Caroline follows me and perched herself at the edge of my desk.
"Look Elena. Maybe it is not as bad as you think it is. They are just a few photos. It will all blow over after a week." She said rubbing my back trying to be comforting.
"There is nothing that can make this any better Car. Stefan told me that whenever his picture is taken in the press, photographers surround his house and he is house-bound for days until it dies down. I don't want that to happen with him again. He has no life when it happens. It's not me I worry about because no one cares about me. It's him I worry about. He has this all of the time." My mind starts to wonder what it would be like if I was with him permanently. Would I be followed around all of the time? Would my photos be in the magazines all of the time? Probably. There must be a way to calm all of this down surely. Surely people will get bored if nothing happens eventually.
-
The end of the week could not have come sooner. When I found out that the photographs had been printed, I warned Stefan as soon as I was home. There was nothing Stefan or I could do to stop it now since the cat was out of the bag. Luckily his self-house arrest only lasted one day and he managed to carry on normally after that. Although I could not say the same for me. I has numerous calls from my brother and my mum asking about the photos that lasted for days!
"Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?"
"When can we meet him?"
"Please tell me you are not just one of these gold diggers and that you like this guy. I know times are hard but you don't have to resort to that to get yourself out of your situation."
That one was my personal favourite from my dad. I was quite annoyed by that one but to be honest, everyone else that had seen the photos has now thought the same. My name is now tarnished in the press and I will forever be known as a gold digger. I now understand how Stefan got a name as a player so quickly. The press got a photo of me the other day in my PJs taking out the trash and they changed it to make out that I have no money (which is true) but that I was using Stefan to get some more. Pftt Like I would! Since Monday Stefan and I have seen each other almost every day. He mainly just comes over or I go to his (to avoid to paps) and watch a movie or talk to get to know each other more but it's not the same. We both want to go out as a couple and do couple things but it just can't happen. Stefan even buys me things to try and cheer me up. The odd take out here and there, the little silver bracelet I now wear everyday (which the news has made out to be an 'promise bracelet' like it is an equivalent of an 'promise ring' - please!) and he even set up on his laptop for me to talk to my family on Skype so I can see them.
For a week I have now been enduring the phone calls from family and so called friends from school and work who I thought hated me. I know that fame and money changes people but it doesn't matter really because I know who my real friends are. I just wish my mum would get off my back with it all. Instead of a teadious once a week 5 minute call from her, I now get an every day hour long conversation filled with the same questions after she fills me in on what the tabloids have been saying about me and Stefan.
"Are you sure none of this is true Elena? If it is about the money, we can always help you out." She started on one particular call at work.
"No mum. I promise you I am fine. I am with Stefan because I like him. He even said to me once that if he ever found the girl of his dreams he would give it all up just to be with her." I say smiling at the memory of him saying that the first time I interviewed him. I hope this will satisfy her and she'll move onto another subject.
"That's sweet honey, but be serious here. I don't want you to get a reputation of being just a trophy wife with no job or like those girls who go out with someone just to get some publicity. You were making progress on your own without Stefan Salvatore's help."
"Mum for the last time, I promise you I am fine. I am not like those girls who do that. Stefan likes me for me and I like him for how he is himself. Please stop worrying. The more people talk about it, the more hype and out of proportion it's going to get." I sighed knowing that this was going to get me no where. I know that she is worried and I get that. It's just that everything has been twisted and the truth is no longer in there. "Look mum, I'm sory but I have to go back to work. I'll talk to you later." And after a small voice on the other end says "Okay. I love you." I put down the phone and rest my head in my hands. There is nothing I can do with this publicity. This has gone viral. I don't know how to get away from it. I also know that when I leave this building in twenty minutes that I will be surrounded my paparrazi taking my photo until I manage to hail a cab. Stefan is dealing with this a lot better than I thought he would. Then again he was used to it. All of my clients' PR managers from before have called me almost everyday OFFERING to be interviewed just to get to know me again since my name is in the papers. I even apparently set a trend of ordering from starbucks when I went there for lunch last week. It's ridiculous. I don't know how he deals with it.
Mentally preparing myself to leave the office, my mobile goes off saying that I have a text messsage.
Stefan: Meet me downstairs in ten minutes. I have a car for you. Black SUV.
Smiling at the gesture, I internally hug myself. How did I manage to get such a great guy that cares about me. If he didn't he would leave me to deal with all of this on my own. So after gathering my things, I walk downstairs to see photographers outside shouting at me random questions that I manage to block out. I see a black car infront of me and I bolt for the door hoping to be hit by a camera in the face. Getting into the car, I see the smiling face of Stefan Salvatore. It really is the best bit of my day seeing him. I immediately calm down and lean against him into an embrace as we start to move back to his.
"So how did it go today?" He asked
"Not that great. More calls from my mum but my dad and brother have talked about everything else but today so I'm happy. Got another interview next week so I'm just preparing for that." I say snuggling into the crook of his shoulder.
"Great. At least you get five minutes peace now before you meet my friends and family." He joked. I moaned.
"Please tell me they are not like my parents about all of this."
He laughed. "Oh God no. They don't even care. They just want to meet you. I've told them about you enough." He answered giving me a swift kiss.
"Nice things I hope." I say in between kisses. This was our usual now after work when we first see eachother and everytime I still get little butterflies in my stomach. "As long as your friends are not like the people I know at work then I will be fine"
"Is work that much of a hassle?" He asked concerned.
I take a heavy sigh. "It's not that I don't love my job I do. It's not really what I want to write about and I dont like the heckling I get from being in the spot light. I know that you are used to this and I'm not. I'm struggling trying to get used to being bombarded every day when I leave the office and have to deal with people at the office giving me the constant evil eye. It's like high school and I'm the one left out on everything again."
"Then quit." Stefan retourted shocking me. He said that like it was the simplest thing to do.