Baltazar pushed open the door of the Starbucks and then mase his way to an empty table, acknowledging the smiles of a few of the other customers as he passed them by.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized to Gabrielle, who was already settled at a table in the back with her drink. "I got pulled into a project at the club and it took longer than I was expecting.

"It's all right, my friend," she assured him with a smile. "I've ordered you an espresso already. I hope that's all right. And I've only just arrived myself.

"Well, aren't you just a doll?" Baltazar grinned and took a seat, giving her a smile.

They then went silent, drinking their drinks and looking around.

"So…" Gabrielle asked. "Why is it that you wanted to see me? You sounded so mysterious on the phone. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes," Baltazar nodded, although he avoided her eyes. "Can't a friend just ask to see another friend without being interrogated like prisoner?"

"Mmm-hmm," Gabrielle nodded. "A friend who's an ordinary man, perhaps. But not you!" She crossed her arms and locked eyes with him. "So spill!"

"Did you know that you can be a real pain sometimes?" He shot back, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. "It makes me wonder how you could have a daughter as beautiful and Eloise, and three granddaughters like…"

"You've known me a long time, Baltazar," Gabrielle reminded him with a grin. "I'm the same as I always was. But I think I know why I'm here now. It's about Laurelle…isn't it?"

Baltazar swallowed and gave a nervous chuckle. "What would make you say that?"

"She's been glued to you like gum on a person's shoe," Gabrielle reminded him with a smirk. "I can see it. I'm not blind."

"That's a complete exaggeration!" Baltazar cried out, wagging a finger at her. "Laurelle and I didn't see each other for weeks before we met two days ago and…" He trailed off, averting his eyes again.

"And what happened two days ago?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "When I asked to meet you, I was hoping for somewhere a little more private than a Starbucks full of people."

"Why?" Gabrielle chuckled. "Do I look like a priest to you, old friend? Are you wanting to make a full confession? There's no point. I already know everything.

"No, no you don't," Baltazar shook his head. "It would have just been easier for you to poison me or bash me over the head."

"Why would I want to kill you?" Gabrielle asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Unless…did something happen between you and Laurelle? Are you beating yourself up because you weren't able to help her?" She went pale. "Please explain! You're scaring me!"

He shook his head and nervously rubbed his hands together. "No, I'm beating myself up not because I wasn't able to help her, but because…because I was the one who made her cry."

"Oh, I don't believe you!" Gabrielle scoffed. "She only has eyes for you! I don't think here will ever be anyone else."

"That's not true!" Baltazar spat. "Are you saying that because of the dance competition? I was just trying to help her out."

"Yes, of course," Gabrielle grinned. "What did you do to make her cry?"

"If you want some sort of retribution…if you want to kill me or have me run out of town, tell me now," he said, taking a deep breath. He waited, but Gabrielle said nothing, so he continued, head hung in shame. "Gabrielle, Laurelle and I…we've become intimate."

"And?" Gabrielle blinked a few times and shrugged, seeming a little disappointed.

"What do you mean 'and'?" Baltazar cried. "Did you not hear my say that I had sex with your granddaughter?"

"Were you expecting me to act surprised?" Gabrielle asked. "Baltazar, I'm surprised at you. I thought you knew me better than that." She rolled her eyes. "I can't act surprised because in my mind, this was meant to happen."

Baltazar shook his head stubbornly. "No, it wasn't! I took advantage of a sweet, innocent young woman! If her father found out, he would probably insist that we both turn into werewolves and rip each other apart at dawn!"

"Oh, naturally," Gabrielle winked. "That I would love to see. But it's none of Adrian's business who Laurelle chooses as a lover." She paused and narrowed her eyes at her old friend. "Do you think Laurelle is stupid?"

"Of course not!" Baltazar was struck dumb by the question. "She's beautiful and brilliant!"

Gabrielle nodded. "Well, then stop assuming that your being together wasn't her choice! I've been expecting to hear news like this for weeks now! She basically fell for you and only you. No other man could have helped her discover her sexuality. As for you, you know she's your type, so why are you betting yourself up?"

"Because I slept with your granddaughter!"

"Did you hurt her?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, of course not!" He shook his head, shocked by the question.

"Were you enjoying your time together?" She pressed.

"Well, yes…" he blushed.

"Granted she's still young and you have much more maturity and experience, but…you and my granddaughter don't bother me, my friend. I saw it coming. Do you want to be with my granddaughter?"

"Since…since Eve died I…I haven't really wanted to be with anyone," he confessed. "I know I've done all sorts of crazy things to try and forget.

"But Laurelle made you feel things again," Gabrielle supplied knowingly. "And it seems like you made her feel too." She shrugged. "Who am I to decide where you should be together or not? That's between you and her.

"That's very kind of you," Baltazar said. "But I decided…tried to tell her…that she should just go find another young man her own age and forget that things between us ever happened."

"That's not how it works, my friend," Gabrielle smirked. "But if you're still hurting…I'll respect your decision."

"Thank you," he sighed with relief and gave her a smile.

"I give it a month," she said with a chuckle.

"A month?" He frowned. "For what?"

"For you and Laurelle to get back in bed together," Gabrielle clarified. "If that." She elbowed him teasingly.

"No, no, and no!" Baltazar growled stubbornly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go." He stood up. "And don't you have somewhere you need to be?"

"Yes," she stood and heaved a sigh, not wanting to think about it. "Someone is waiting for an answer I'm not sure I'm ready to give."

"Mr. Gray?"

Arthur looked up from the report he was reading, seeing his secretary who stood in his office doorway.

"I know you asked not to be disturbed, but there's a woman out in the lobby who insists she see you. I'd let her in. I don't think she can be stopped." The blond woman looked uncomfortable as she backed out of the door.

Arthur grinned and hit his fist on the table. There was one woman he knew of who would feel entitled enough to barge into his office without any sort of invitation.

It was Gabrielle Delacroix!

"You tell Ms. Delacroix that I've been waiting for her," Arthur said as he relaxed into his seat. "Send her in immediately."

"Yes, sir," the secretary replied and finally shut the door.

He then grinned, placing both hands behind his head. It didn't take long for him to hear the heels approach his office. The door then opened, and he feasted his eyes on her.

She said nothing as she made her way to his desk and sat down in front of him.

He then smirked, looking her over. From her high heels, to his black pencil skirt with a slit high up the left thigh and up to her blouse with a deep neckline, and the new highlights in her shoulder-length blonde hair.

"Fuck!" He muttered to himself. He wanted nothing more than to throw her on his desk and have his way with her. But he took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Gabrielle."

"Mr. Gray," she replied, giving him a small nod.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He asked as he rolled his sleeves up his forearms.

Gabrielle kept her eyes on him as he did this, her tongue sliding over her bottom lip.

Oh, yeah. She definitely wanted him as much as he wanted her!

"Do you need my professional services or…are you here to accept my proposal?" He began undoing he buttons of his shirt.

She heaved a sigh, her eyes locked on his chest.

Come to Daddy, baby, he thought as a grin curved his lips.

"I accept your proposal," she answered tonelessly.

"Perfect!" He began to clap his hands.

"But there's one condition we don't agree on," she said, grinning perniciously.

He rolled his eyes, laughing. "And what is that? I believe I've laid everything on the table.

"I don't need anything other than a marriage of convenience from you," she said. "I'll come with you to dinners, conferences, special events, supporting you…being there for you. But I won't ever share your bed! In return you'll give me lots of money that will enable me to have a comfortable life."

"What makes you think that those conditions won't change over time?" He shrugged and smiled.

"What do you mean?" She heaved a sigh.

"What if you stop being a coward and admit that you want me?" Arthur challenged. "It doesn't have to be now. It can be later. I'm a patient man and we both know it will happen eventually."

Gabrielle burst out laughing and pushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "You have a very big ego, Mr. Gray," she said with a blush.

"I can smell your arousal all the way from here," he pointed out as his eyes traveled up her leg under the slit. "I would think that by now you'd be concerned about the size of something other than my ego." He smirked.

Gabrielle blushed and pushed her legs together. "I'm a demon," she said. "It's not something I can control. You know how sensitive I am, unfortunately, to any attempts at seduction. And since you're not ugly in the slightest, naturally I'll feel something. Don't make it more than it is."

He shrugged. "Well, what else should there be to our marriage?"

"Nothing," Gabrielle shook her head. "I'll play the role of a loving, dutiful wife to perfection. And I don't need a fancy wedding or a froufrou dress."

"And it won't bother you to hear the cries of pleasure my mistresses make when we're fucking?" He asked very seriously. "I think I'd love you in a beautiful white dress."

"I don't care about you and your mistresses," she shrugged. "Because of course I'll see men of my own."

"Not under my roof you won't!" he snapped.

"Then I promise I will be discreet in my affairs," she said, slowly standing up. "Do we have an agreement, Mr. Gray?"

He smirked and stood up with her. "Can I make a counteroffer?"

"I don't know what you mean by that." She was startled and took a few steps back. "This is just a basic contract between two consenting adults."

He slowly made his way around the desk, grabbing her wrist to pull her to him as she cried out in surprise. "I want it put in writing that if we want to fuck each other at any given time, it won't change the terms of the agreement," he said as he pushed the fabric of her skirt up her thighs.

"What are you doing?" She asked, trying to pull away, even as she was held tight in his embrace.

"You're not wearing panties, Gabrielle," he observed, sliding his fingers between her drenched folds. "Woman, you're so wet for me." Then he growled as he began kissing the silky skin of her neck.

Gabrielle moaned as he penetrated her with his fingers, reaching a very sensitive spot. The she began rubbing against him to create friction.

"That's it," he whispered in her ear. "Ride my hand, baby." Then he increased his thrusting, bringing her to the edge of a very intense orgasm, then crashing his mouth against hers as she cried out while climaxing, showing who would be dominant in their marriage.

Then, when it was all over, she slowly came back to her senses, pushing her skirt down her legs and scowling at him.

But he just grinned back, lifting his fingers to his lips to taste her release. "Exactly like I knew you would taste."

"This!" She cried, blushing bright red, "is only gonna happen once! Never again!" Then she grabbed her bag, turned on her heel, and marched to the door without looking back.

"I'll let you know the terms of our marriage of convenience in a couple of weeks!" He called after her.

"Go to hell!" She shouted back, slamming the office door behind her.

Mikael's heels clicked as he made his way along the marble floor of the penthouse's main floor on the way to his office. Then he came to an abrupt halt, a smirk on his lips as he noticed his wife blocking his way, arms crossed over her chest.

He then mimicked her posture, his gaze sliding over the length of her body, clad in leather pants and a red sweater with a wonderfully deep neckline. He could eat her up right now!

"What are you up to now?" Sybil asked her husband suspiciously, watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Well, darling wife, I waited in bed for at least an hour because I wanted to fuck you, but you apparently abandoned me." He gave a little pout.

"Best decision I ever made," she said dryly. "Or in the last month, at least. It's good for you to know that you can't always get what you want!"

"You know," Mikael remarked, coming to stand by her side. "If you would just admit that you wanted me to fuck you hard, not only would it make you feel better, but I would also feel like the luckiest man alive."

"A man? Where?" Sybil pretended to look around. "I don't see a man. Not a man I'd go to bed with. Just a selfish bastard who won't tell me what he has in store for our daughter, even though I'm entitled to know as her mother."

He laughed and leaned forward, whispering in her ear as he grabbed her ass to bring her in full contact with his hard body. "I know you also see a sexy bastard that is able to make you wet in a matter of seconds.

"Well, the bastard part is correct," Sybil agreed before letting out a cry of surprise and throwing both arms around his neck.

He smirked and began devouring the skin on the left side of her neck.

"Mikael…" she moaned, burying her fingers in his dark curls as he felt her rub up against him just a little.

"You know," he whispered, cupping her breasts. "My office isn't far away and you know I wouldn't refuse a quickie on my desk…"

Her eyes suddenly opened and with a surprising show of strength, she shoved him against the wall.

"Or we could do it against the wall," he shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm very flexible.

"You stop this at once, Mikael Mikaelson!" She scolded.

He rolled his eyes and pulled up the sleeves of his polo shirt. "We can wait until tonight. You'll be ready to beg me for it by then."

"I have not and never will beg you for sex or anything else!" She snapped. "Now would you tell me why Eric Anderson is coming to our house to meet with you?"

"How do you know he's coming here?" Mikael asked, dumbstruck.

"Well, I have my ways of knowing what goes on in this house," she smirked back. "And I think I'm entitled to some secrets."

"It's nothing you need worry about dear," he told her. "Just some business between men." He smirked.

"Please don't tell me this has anything to do with our daughter," she poked his chest. "Eric is much too old and experienced for her and she's much too young to start dating."

"What?" Mikael barked. "Of course that's not what he's coming for, woman! Why do you think I would just hand my daughter over to a werewolf?"

"I mean, he's not bad looking," she confessed, blushing a little.

Mikael rolled his eyes. "If you're trying to make me jealous, it's a weak attempt. You know I'll always be the man for you."

"That's right," Sybil admitted. "I'm sorry. I don't even know why I felt the need to bring that up."

Mikael then grabbed her right wrist, pulling her back into his arms. "I think this means I'll get lucky tonight!"

"I don't know," she shrugged, a grin curving her lips. "It depends on if you behave yourself all day, Mr. Mikaelson."

"I always do," he lifted her chin to kiss her parted lips. "Except for when I'm in bed with you."

Then the doorbell rang. He slapped her bottom gently and pushed her away. "It seems like we have a guest. Go prepare coffee for them like an obedient wife should. Please."

"At least he said please," Sybil grumbled as she rolled her eyes and made her way to the kitchen. "Obedient wife, my ass!"

"It's a beautiful ass, that's for sure." Mikael observed with a grin as he watched her walk away for a few seconds before she disappeared.

"Please come in!" Mikael said, gesturing for Eric to enter his office as he closed the door behind him. "I have coffee that my wife made. Would you like a cup?"

Eric smiled. "Thank you! I would never refuse a good cup of coffee."

Mikael made him his coffee and set it down in front of a chair on the other side of his desk. "Please, take a seat."

"Thanks," Eric sat down and relaxed. "So…how's your lovely wife."

"She's perfection and still mine!" Mikael replied and pushed the cup closer to the pilot.

"Sir," Eric chuckled. "I was actually just trying to make polite conversation. I never would have implied anything else."

"Oh, I know," Mikael told him, coming to grab his own cup of coffee and sitting down. "But I like to make sure it's clear what's mine. And please, call me Mikael."

"As you wish," Eric nodded and rolled his eyes.

"Now," Mikael cleared his throat. "As I told you before, I want my daughter Kristin to have a change to see the world and I'm prepared to give you a lot of money to fly her where she wants to go and keep her safe as her bodyguard during the trip as well as a separate fund to cover all the expenses."

"Mr. Mikaelson, are you serious?" Eric asked, dumbstruck.

"Mikael, please," the older man said.

"Mikael, this is way too much," Eric remarked as he stared at the amount of zeros on the paper.

"Believe me, as soon as you meet my daughter, you'll think it's not enough," Mikael told him. "I love her dearly but sometimes she can be a handful." Then he raised his head at the sound of a knock on the office door.

Not long after, a tall blonde dressed like a hippie (albeit a very rich hippie,) her cellphone tucked in her right hand. If Eric were completely honest with himself, she was beautiful like her mother, things only spoiled by a clearly snobby attitude.

"What do you want, Father?" She heaved a big sigh. "There's a Tik Tok that's going viral at the moment, and I want to respond, so whatever it is, make it quick."

Mikael cleared his throat and gestured at Eric. "We have company, dear," he said. "Can't you be civil for two seconds and tell Mr. Anderson 'Hello'?"

"Is that who that old man is?" She asked, working her chewing gum and blowing a small bubble.

"Your…your daughter is lovely, sir," Eric winced.

"Isn't she?" Mikael replied, heaving a big sigh before turning his attention back to his daughter. "He's far from being old dear," he said. "You know perfectly well that age doesn't matter in our community?"

"Why did you invite a werewolf into her house?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she narrowed her eyes at Eric. "They smell like rats! Or pigs!"

"Kristin!" Mikael had finally reached the end of his rope and got to his feet. "Apologize to Mr. Anderson at once!"

"Oh, it's fine, sir," Eric told him, raising his palms in the air. "I don't like snobby girls either! I guess we're even."

The insult caused the color to drain from Kristin's cheeks. "Daddy, did you hear what he just said to me?"

"Yes," Mikael nodded. "And based on what I would have said in his place, I found his reaction very restrained."

Kristin snapped her fingers. "Leave our home at once, Doggy, and never come back!" She pointed in the direction of the open office door."

"I say this with as much respect as you deserve," Eric said, trying to hold on to his patience. "Fuck you, Ms. Mikaelson!" He then stood up and turned to face her. "Your princess attitude is telling me a lot about you and I don't like what I see one bit. I don't like it and I won't accept it!"

"Well," she took a step toward him, chin raised. "I won't be forced to remain in your presence. I don't want your odor contaminating my new designer dress! And fuck you too!"

"Kristin!" Mikael shouted, making her jump. She'd almost forgotten her father was there. "Sit down and close your mouth or you'll get no more money from me!"

Kristin groaned and sat down, arms crossed, pouting.

"Please accept my apologies for my daughter's behavior," Mikael told Eric. "Usually she's much better behaved."

"Really?" Eric scoffed. "You could have fooled me!"

"Oh, bite me, werewolf!" Kristin snapped.

"Be careful what you wish for," Eric shot back. "Keep this up and I just might."

"Kristin, I've had enough!" Her father shouted.

She heaved a big sigh and sat still in her seat.

"Mr. Anderson is a pilot," Mikael told his daughter. "I hired him because I wanted to surprise you with a trip around the world…that is, if you can afford to pull yourself away from that tok tok for a month or two."

"It's TikTok, Daddy!" Kristin corrected her father. Then her eyes widened as what he said hit her. "Is this for real?" She asked, astonished. "Does Mom know? Does she approve?"

"Well," Mikael averted his eyes. "Let's just say it's a surprise for her too."

"And you aren't teasing me?" Kristin smiled happily. Then her eyes widened with suspicion as she looked at Eric. "Why is he here? I'm not stuck with him for a pilot, am I?"

"Yes you are," Mikael nodded. "You are lucky enough to have Mr. Anderson as your pilot. He will also keep you safe as the two of you fly around the world."

"Hell, no," Kristin shook her head, her blonde hair whipping around. "I think I'd rather swim in a pool full of hungry piranhas than be in a plane with him!"

"Finally, we both agree on something!" Eric remarked dryly. "No, wait! Actually, I'd rather eat a bowl of scorpions than be on a plane with you!" He stood up. "You could add all the zeros in the world to that check, Mr. Mikaelson, and I'd still have to refuse your offer. Your daughter is a spoiled brat and I have better things to do that help that bitch travel around the world." He paused. "No offense to you, sir."

"Good, I don't care!" Kristin shouted. "I'll even walk you out! Or kick you out on your ass! I haven't decided."

"No, thank you, Princess. I can walk myself out," Eric told her as he strode out of the room and into the corridor.

They kept snapping at each other for another minute or so, causing Mikael to grin and grab his checkbook from his desk. Granted, he would have to pay Eric Anderson a hefty sum to put this trip in motion, but he knew that there was no other man he wanted to take care of his baby girl.