"Yes The Ritz." Stefan confirmed. I can not believe he has taken me here on a date! I can not contain my glee as I kiss him as a thank you and he kisses me in response. He waves his head towards the car door indicating he wants to go out. Getting out and holding the car door for me so I can get out I am full of excitement. I have seen and heard some wonderful things about this place but I have never entered it. The excitement however dies in me a little when I remember that Stefan wants to ask me something tonight. I have no idea what it might be, but he didn't seem nervous or sad about it when he told me so it must be something good…right?
Walking inside I see many round tables seated in lines along a gigantic white hall. It looks amazing in here. I smile an ear to ear grin as a woman seats us down in a table in the corner of the room, luckily no where near any windows so people outside can see us. Recently I have been getting more aware of my surroundings since the paparazzi are seen outside Stefan's house practically every other day. Sitting down, I look at my menu and pick out all of the foods that are either too smelly, would make me look like I'm wearing clown-style makeup from the sauce and what I genuinely don't like. After going through it all, I just decide on a salad. Plain, simple and suitable for a date. No mess, light and healthy. After putting down my menu I realise that Stefan had been watching me the whole time. I cock my head to the side to ask what was up.
"I love it when you concentrate." He said smiling. "You always stick your tongue slightly out to the side when you are thinking very hard." I suddenly turn a deep shade of scarlet.
"I didn't want to ruin the night by choosing something too smelly or that could go everywhere." I say. Stefan laughs.
"I wouldn't care. Honestly I like it the most when we are sitting at home eating pizza and not caring about what we look like or how we behave. You look your most natural that way." He says making me smile.
"Well I'm glad you think so." I start to say
"But it is nice to see you all dressed up. You look stunning Elena." He says to me smiling an amazing full watt smile again.
"I like dressing up nicely for you... "I say staying my deep shade of scarlet. "And I love where you have taken us tonight. This place is amazing. I have always wanted to come here."
"Well I'm glad that I could do that for you. Ever since I asked you whether you wanted to come here or not on our first date I was adement on getting you back here" He says looking down at his own menu. I smile thinking about our first date but I suddenly change my mood as I remember what happened after the cafe. It pains me to think that I could have had a date with one of the most eligable bachelors and lost my chance of happiness with him in the space of one night. As I look around the room I take in some of the other diners and the finer details of the room. Soft music fills the room and I am almost lost in the amazing sound of the piano playing a soft lament. Stefan beings me back into the now engaging me in conversation until the waitress comes to take our orders. Once our waitress has left I felt like I had to answer the large elephant in the room.
"So what is this thing you wanted to ask me?" I ask wanting to get it out and in the open. I knew this dinner was done for a reason. Maybe he was trying to butter me up for something, I'm not sure.
Stefan takes a deep breathe. "Okay. I know this sounds like something I could very easily ask you at home but I wanted to ask you somewhere where we can have a long talk about it and you get our 'date night' dinner out."
This started to get me concerned. "Okay." I say slowly
"Don't worry. It is nothing bad. Every year my parents organise a charity event here in London and I would like you to go with me." He asks me slightly pausing at the end. He is clearly quite nervous.
I let out a sigh of relief "It sounds wonderful. Why were you nervous about asking me to come with you. I'm up for anything that involves a charity." I answer. I have done so many things for charity such as skydiving, abseiling, dress up days and this would not be an exception.
"Well. This would mean meeting my parents and I didn't know whether you would think we are going too fast if you met them so soon." Stefan blurts out. It now dawns on me. I would be meeting his parents. The reason why he is as well known as he is at the moment and the reason why he is even in the country in the first place! I make a mental note in my head to thank them for that.
"Stefan. I would love to meet them. No I don't think that it is too soon. Caroline once met a ex boyfriend's parents the same day she agreed to start dating him. We've been together a month. I think that's fine." I say smiling to show that I am okay with the idea. "So what is the event?" I ask taking a sip form my glass of wine that appeared earlier.
"How are you on fancy dress?" He asks slightly concerned, his face turning into one of held nervousness.
"I love fancy dress." I beam. They are my favourite nights and most of my pictures on my walls are from fancy dress.
"Great. Because it is a fancy dress night based on childhood stories. The charity is for a child cancer ward in London so the idea seems apt." He answers looking a little less concerned. "Fancy dress events are never my favourite nights to go to. I normally don't go to them since I don't like them that much. But I thought that if you came with me, it might make the night more... worth while." He smiles at me and plays with his wine glass. I beam at him.
"I would love to come with you Mr Salvatore. What did you have in mind?"
-
Hitching the skirt on my dress I walk into a large hotel room decked out in pale blue and white decorations with pale pink ribbons hanging everywhere showing the work that the cancer ward we are here tonight for does. Tonight is the charity ball and this has not escaped my mind for the last few weeks. All I have thought about were Disney films and characters. I kind of lost it a little last week and forced Stefan to watch Beauty and The Beast (my favourite Disney film) with me but he was surprisingly okay with it. Leaning over a balcony in the main hall I look over the party happening underneath us. I feel like I had walked into my own little fairytale when I see the hall filled with adults dressed in fancy dress. Grown women dressed in frilly dresses imitating their favourite disney characters and men kind of going with it. You would see that the women loved this idea more than the men but it was nice to see all of the men in suits attempting a form of handsome prince. There is an orchestra in the side corner of the room filling the room with amazing music and I clasp the side railing to support myself as I look over the party. I was not going to be a klutz tonight when I know that I will be meeting Stefan's parents later. I didn't come with Stefan tonight as he was running late at work so I grabbed a lift with Caroline and Matt instead. Caroline stood in the front hall looking amazing as Rapunzel and Matt like the guy from Tangled that saves her from the tower. Honestly I was not surprised that Caroline would choose Rapunzel to imitate since she watches Tangled at least once a week. Matt surprisingly seems to be loving the whole idea of the fancy dress and goes into full 'prince charming mode' around Caroline. It's quite sweet. I start staring at my watch I am wearing looking nervously at the door. It is only 8pm but I spent weeks getting prepared and I wanted to walk in with Stefan.
Caroline grabs my wrists with her hands effectively calming me. "Elena. Don't worry. He will be here."
"He said he would be here for half seven." I say expressing my concern. Okay that is a little lie. He did say that he would attempt to get out of the office by 7pm to be here by 7.30pm/8pm so I can give him some lee-way.
"Give the man time to get here." Matt jokes. "He's been at work all day. He may have just been caught up at the office. Believe me. He never comes to these things with me unless I have to force him and he is going willingly with you. He will be here." I laugh. I know that Matt attends these events every year and is one of the main benefactors for the charity so it was a given that he was coming and so was Caroline. When I heard the new that they were coming I was so happy since I knew there was going to be someone I knew except Stefan incase he had to leave and talk to someone else. I nodded in agreement and stood with Caroline just before the main staircase leading down to the ball. We looked around to see who we knew and who we thought really wanted to be there (Our usual game when we were at any function) until I heard Matt call me making me turn around.
And there he was. Standing there in a navy blue velvet tails coat and trousers, gold waistcoat and white cravat was Stefan. My own prince charming was staring back at me with what looked like wonder. I was in awe myself looking at my sex god as prince charming and my, my did be look every inch the part. Caroline taps me on the shoulder and whispered in ear "I'll meet you downstairs you lucky so and so" before hugging me and Stefan and leaving to go down towards the ball linking arms with Matt. Stefan walks towards me with a smirk on his face. "Wow. You look amazing." I had left the identity of my character as a secret for Stefan and it was worth all of the hiding. His face looks like it had been lit up by Vegas.
"This old thing?" I joke staring down at the dress I was wearing smugly. I went on the side of Cinderella since I knew I wouldn't suit yellow for Belle, so I went for a simple white A-line bridal-styled dress with a boned bust and a heavy underskirt. To complete the look, I had the black choker and my light brown hair tied into a bun with a black band in my hair. I know that Cinderella is blonde but I was not going to bleach my hear just for tonight. I felt every inch the princess and I now had my prince to complete the look.
"I still can't believe you got me to come here today." Stefan laughed kissing me. Stefan was still a little opposed to the idea last night but I managed to convince that it is for the children so he agreed to still to go.
"Remember it's for the children" I remind him
"I know. But I have to say I love you like this. You look kind of sexy as Cinderella." He smirks at me. I giggled knowing that I had done my job right. He steps back from our embrace and hold out his hand. I take his hand and we walk down into the room to the sound of the orchestra playing an instrumental version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio joining Caroline and Matt in the throng of people meeting and greeting everyone.
So what do you think is going to happen tonight? Now the fairytale title is coming into play :D Thank you all so much for reading. I light up every time I see a notice that I have a new comment or review :D Just a few more episodes of TVD left :( but I will still be here releasing a new chapter every Wednesday until the story is finished (I'm only writing chapter 15 now so still a long way to go) Please comment and let me know what you think and who you would like to see! Love to all xx