A/N: Well, I thought I would be back to post the rest of Part 2, but it turns out that I think it makes more sense to split this up into three parts, so consider this Part 2.2. Don't hate me. I still aim to post the last part asap!
Like the first part, this part is not beta'd, so be gentle.
If you're still reading and enjoying, your reviews would be appreciated!
The show lasted but an hour or so, but the work that went in to preparing for it and dismantling it took much longer.
He knew that Caroline would be busy immediately after the show and so he had hung back and waited, giving her some space. Even aside from the countless hours she had poured into designing the dresses, putting them together, and ensuring that the dresses looked perfect on the models who would display them, everything would have to be accounted for and packed up at the end of the show as well.
With Davina's help, he made his way backstage with the bouquet of flowers in hand. He could see that the process to dismantle everything was already underway with Davina at the helm as she led him to Caroline, directing amidst the flurry of people – models, show crew, journalists, cathedral staff and security – ensuring that every dress was collected and stored properly in the cases that they would travel in back to New York. He knew the collection would be making its rounds at several more bridal fashion shows in the lead up to the wedding season – Caroline had upcoming shows scheduled in New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, and back across the Atlantic to London before the season would even be fully underway.
Having Davina take the reins on this part of the process annoyed Caroline. He knew that she would much rather be the one to ensure that the dresses were all properly inventoried and stowed herself, but as the designer, she also had to endure numerous lightning round interviews from numerous reps from the fashion press – both before and after the show. Caroline loathed these interviews, preferring to do a few longer more meaningful interviews as opposed to many short ones consisting of many repetitive questions that she grew tired of answering.
And that's what he found Caroline doing in a makeshift dressing room type space with accordion style room dividers propped against the stone wall of the cathedral after Davina had pointed him in her direction.
Caroline was finishing up an interview – the female journalist with a French accent who had her attention was holding out their phone to record Caroline's replies as she spoke. Caroline was oblivious to his presence, sitting in a collapsible chair with her back partially turned to him.
Keeping his distance, he let the journalist finish as she thanked Caroline for her time and excused herself.
He tapped on the makeshift wall to make his presence known behind her.
"Davina, Klaus is probably waiting for me, I'm starving, and I really don't want to do another interview tonight," Caroline sighed as she began to examine her phone from her lap.
He smirked. "Perhaps you'd prefer to get something to eat then instead of another interview. Something to eat that doesn't involve me making a mess of the kitchen?" he asked her jokingly, causing her to flinch in her seat, obviously startled by his appearance.
She turned, her expression lifting as she slid off her seat to confront him.
"I think you got on the wrong flight to Chicago," she mused, her smile and eyes both shining brightly.
"Indeed," he acknowledged. "Fortunately, it wasn't my intention to go to Chicago," he affirmed, extending his hand towards her with the bouquet of red roses.
She accepted the flowers from him, admiring them.
"Have you ever tried to buy red roses on Valentine's Day in Paris?" he snorted jokingly, trying to give Caroline the mental image of him frantically running around the streets of Paris to procure her a bouquet of roses, as he knew that she would derive amusement from imagining him frazzled.
She laughed, setting the bouquet down gently on her chair before looking back up at him, her features softening as her eyes became glassy.
Unexpectedly, she flung herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him, tucking her head underneath his. He held her close, comforted by the warmth of her body and the flowery scent of her perfume.
Luckily, his jacket which contained the ring was undone and so Caroline didn't feel it as she relaxed against his Henley.
"Thank you," she murmured.
He shook his head. "I should have come to Paris with you from the start. I'm sorry, sweetheart," he apologized to her, heeding the advice his son gave him before his departure.
Caroline pulled back in protest, wiping the tears away from under her eyes so as to spare her eye makeup. "Chicago was scheduled before this. I should have been more understanding. You even went out of your way to cook me dinner before I left and I was such a bitch to you," she said regretfully. "I just wanted this moment with you…and on Valentine's Day," she sighed, alluding to the significance of the day for them.
"I know…" he understood.
"What about your seminar and workshop?" Caroline asked, looking at him worriedly, suddenly realizing that if he was not on a flight back to the U.S. now that he would be missing the first day.
He shrugged. "I was able to postpone it. Don't worry about it, love," he assured her, clasping her face in his hands, kissing her forehead. "I wanted to be here with you."
For a brief moment she settled with his words, until her next anticipated question came.
"What about Elise?" she wondered, looking up at him.
He shook his head amusedly, knowing her too well. She was equal parts a mom and equal parts a worrier. "Grayson is with her at the house. He's going to extend his stay," he told her.
"What about school?" she questioned, her motherly-concern taking over.
He laughed at Caroline's interrogation.
"Studying at home has less distractions," he said, though Caroline still seemed concerned. "I don't think we have anything to worry about, sweetheart. He aced his fall term."
Placated by his words, Caroline smiled before pulling him in for a kiss, her soft lips caressing his. Her kiss made flying all the way to Paris at the last-minute worth it.
"You did amazing tonight," he told her as they broke their embrace. "The work you've been doing the last few months really paid off. The crowd loved all of your dresses," he assured her, causing Caroline's cheeks to redden. "I'm proud of you."
Caroline tried hard to conceal her grin, though as much as she tried to act modest, he knew that she was revelling in what she had accomplished.
"Yes, and apparently they loved your unexpected appearance and my surprised reaction on the runway," she informed him, continuing to blush. "Aside from the usual questions about my designs, the interviewers I spoke to after the show all wanted the details about your presence."
"I hear there's no such thing as bad press?" he said coyly.
She shook her head. "Apparently not, my team has been fielding more e-mails and calls than usual after a show."
He shrugged innocently, holding up his hands in his defence. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, love. I blame Davina entirely; she gave me the ticket to sit front row."
Caroline rolled her eyes as she tried to conceal her amusement. "You didn't embarrass me, and even if you did, the trip to Paris to surprise me on Valentine's Day more than makes up for it," she acknowledged.
"The night isn't over yet, love," he hinted with a playful smirk.
Caroline's eyebrows rose curiously, obviously having interpreted his remark to be something sexually suggestive, completely unaware of his proposal.
"Dinner first and then dessert," he winked at her, reciting a rule that they had often employed with their children when they were younger, but translated well for the plans he had in store for her.
Laughing, Caroline nodded as she began to collect up her things – the flowers and her purse. "I hope you're hungry," she said suggestively as he helped her slip into her long red coat.
He kissed her neck just under her ear lobe from behind her – Caroline igniting that familiar feeling of excitement inside of him that only she seemed capable of doing. "I'm starved," he confessed lowly, intentionally going out of his way to tease her. It had been too long since they last had an opportunity to be intimate, between their busy and conflicting schedules and the sparring matches they had engaged in recently about same in the lead up to Caroline's departure.
They were on their way back to the hotel after dinner, having dined over some red wine and sampled delicious French cuisine that he enjoyed listening to Caroline attempt to pronounce as she polished off her second glass of wine while reciting the menu.
Thankfully, their departure from the restaurant had been much less chaotic than when they left the Cathedral. Though he and Caroline had left from the back alleyway behind the venue, there were still fashion press and paparazzi lingering about, waiting for anyone remotely famous that they could hound, that even they were met with camera flashes and questions. While Caroline was not a recently-engaged supermodel or movie star herself, searching for the dress, as it was her show, she was still a natural draw for attention. Caroline had also been right – his appearance at her show had also sparked intrigue.
Their short walk back to the hotel from the restaurant allowed them to take in some of the sights Paris had to offer – all illuminated against the backdrop of the night sky. It almost made him think twice about opting for a subtle proposal instead of one atop the Eiffel Tower.
But, as they arrived back at the hotel, the engagement ring burning a hole in his jacket pocket, he was reminded of why he preferred his original plan.
He held the door open for her and they entered the hotel lobby.
To their left, beyond the large lobby space was the hotel bar.
"How about a drink?" he suggested to Caroline, desperately hoping that she would say yes as the plan for the proposal depended on it.
If she declined, he might have to reconsider the Eiffel Tower.
Caroline glanced towards the bar and yawned. "It's been a long day. Why don't we go upstairs? You can rub my feet," she mused, nodding down towards her heeled boots. "And these need water," she noted, holding up the small bouquet.
"Come on," he said encouragingly with a shrug. "It was your big night. It's Valentine's Day. It's still early. We're in Paris and without kids. There is a lot to celebrate," he pointed out, hoping that he could change her mind.
She was still hesitating.
"Just one – a nightcap for old time's sake?" he said, alluding to their first Valentine's Day. "Then after I'll take you upstairs for that foot massage," he offered, having something a little more than a foot massage in mind.
Caroline smirked. "If I have another drink, you're going to be massaging more than my feet," alluding to the fact that they were both already carrying a buzz from the alcohol they had consumed at the restaurant.
"Perhaps that's the plan?" he said with a wink.
"For old time's sake?" she questioned, intentionally referencing his earlier remark.
He shrugged innocently.
"Well, in that case, let's get that drink," Caroline said, grabbing his hand and leading the way towards the bar, successfully completing the next part of his proposal plan.
Following, he stepped down into the bar behind her. They were greeted by the suited host who he had spoken to earlier about his proposal plan. The host gave him a subtle nod and guided them towards a more secluded table in the corner of the room – though, given the later hour they nearly had the bar entirely to themselves in any case from what he could see.
The bar had raised ceilings with high terrace doors on the outside wall that appeared to lead out to a patio that was likely used in warmer weather. The walls themselves were marble with strategically placed mirrors and artwork. The floors were comprised of various tiles in an intricate pattern. The space was dimly lit by chandeliers and wall sconces. There was a man slightly older than him playing a shiny black piano in the corner of the room opposite to where they were seated, allowing them to see both the live piano entertainment, but also the large solid wood bar set against the centre of the back inside wall.
He helped Caroline remove her jacket before she sat down with her bouquet of roses and her purse on one of the empty chairs. Following suit, he removed his jacket, placing it in on the other empty chair with Caroline's coat as he sat down, mindful of the ring that was still in the pocket.
Caroline pulled out her phone from her purse. "I wonder how the kids are doing," she said, preoccupied as she undoubtedly began to scan her phone for any messages from Grayson or Elise. "I texted Grayson an hour ago and haven't heard anything," she said worriedly.
He bit back a smirk, knowing that their kids had been radio silent to give them time together, knowing that his proposal was likely imminent and they did not want to interrupt.
"Grayson texted me earlier after your show," he said, telling a bit of a white lie to ease Caroline's concern.
His words seemed to do the trick and she discarded her phone back into her purse.
"I imagine he's probably a bit preoccupied chatting with a certain Salvatore girl from Mystic Falls," he mused, hinting that he was aware of the budding romance between Grayson and Stefan Salvatore's daughter, Lily.
His mention of Lily Salvatore caught Caroline's attention and her eyes widened.
"Grayson told you?" Caroline questioned curiously.
He nodded. "Inadvertently, really," he admitted. "Elise let it slip at dinner last night."
Caroline gave him a knowing look, familiar with Elise's notorious inability to keep a secret.
"He says that he told you last week?" he confirmed, to which Caroline reacted with a laugh.
"After I confronted him about it when he and I met up for lunch last week," Caroline emphasized, revealing that Grayson had conveniently left out a significant detail when he recalled having told Caroline about his relationship with Lily Salvatore. "He may remind us constantly that he's an adult, but we still pay his cell phone bill and I couldn't help but notice the number of phone calls being made to and from Mystic Falls, Virginia," she clarified with a playful smirk.
Chuckling, he derived amusement from Caroline's simple investigation and Grayson's misfortune as a result. He supposed that was the price Grayson would pay if he wished to still have his phone covered by their family phone plan. Though, Grayson was fond of reminding them that it was cheaper for them if they maintained him as a beneficiary of the plan.
"I'm disappointed that I missed that conversation," he said regretfully, wishing he had been able to see Grayson's reaction when Caroline confronted him with the evidence.
"I wanted him to be the one to tell you," Caroline said quickly, as though to explain why she had not revealed the news to him earlier.
In truth, he and Caroline had been on shaky ground leading up to her departure for Paris, not to mention they had both been preoccupied with their work – Caroline getting ready for her show in Paris and him getting ready for the seminar he had been scheduled to deliver in Chicago. It wasn't surprising that the latest developments in Grayson's personal life had not come up.
"Well, he did, with the help of Elise," he acknowledged.
He explained to Caroline how the previous evening's events over dinner unfolded. Caroline shook her head with entertained disapproval at Elise's involvement, though unsurprised that Elise had been the one to let it slip.
"What do you think about it?" Caroline asked, her tone turning serious as she sought his perspective on Grayson's relationship with Lily.
He shrugged, "I think he's asking for trouble. She's still in high school. She's Stefan's daughter."
"She's eighteen. She's graduating in a few months and going to college in the fall. She and Grayson have been around each other since they were in diapers – Stefan should have…we all should have…seen this coming," Caroline countered, playing devil's advocate, as was often their way of talking out important topics – each bringing up counterpoints.
"So, you approve?" he queried.
She hesitated briefly before nodding. "It's refreshing to see Grayson so happy – with school, with Lily. I think they're good for each other. And, I mean, Meredith and I have only been planning their wedding for the last eighteen years."
"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves, love."
"You don't approve?" she questioned.
"I didn't say that. They're just a bit young for something serious. They're teenagers," he reminded her.
"They're allowed to enjoy themselves. It's not like they're getting married tomorrow. Besides, Grayson may have mastered his charm from you, but he's strait-laced like Elijah," Caroline pointed out, coming to their defence.
He snorted, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"He would rather spend his Saturday night with his head buried in a book studying than at a bar with a fake I.D. looking for a hookup," Caroline stated plainly, as though she knew the mind of a teenaged boy.
He snorted again and Caroline looked at him quizzically. "Don't fool yourself, sweetheart. Your son is still a young man. I'm confident that he would much prefer to have his head buried somewhere else these days."
"Seriously? You're disgusting!" Caroline scowled scrunching up a cloth napkin at the table and throwing it at him before covering her ears.
He shrugged as he caught the napkin nonchalantly. "Trust me, sweetheart, it's not something he will grow out of either," he smirked at her suggestively, causing her cheeks to redden.
In an effort to hide her blush, she gave him one of her infamous eye rolls.
"I knew that I really shouldn't have left the sex-ed talks up to you," she groaned.
He laughed, thinking about the awkward conversations he had been subjected to with Grayson over the years. At a young age, Grayson had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge – like his father, Elijah – and that sometimes led to him asking innocently embarrassing questions which Caroline always managed to leave for him to answer. As Grayson became a pre-teen and then a young teenager, he shied away from asking questions, which often meant Caroline pushing him to initiate the awkward conversations with Grayson, like the time Caroline had discovered porn on Grayson's phone – somehow despite the parent controls they thought they had applied to the device. He cringed as he thought about how embarrassed both he and Grayson were during that topic of discussion.
"Hey, at least I taught him the importance of reciprocation if he wants to keep a girl's interest," he shrugged defensively with a smirk, deriving amusement from Caroline's obvious discomfort over the topic.
"And safer sex, I hope," Caroline sighed, rubbing her temples, clearly now stressing over the relationship she had seemed so sure about moments ago.
He and Caroline had never been of the mind to preach abstinence, as it was an unrealistic expectation to have of a teenager – even one as strait-laced as Grayson.
"Of course," he assured her, rolling his eyes as he thought back to the time that Caroline brought home condoms with the fantastic idea that he should talk to Grayson about how to use them properly after she had learned through a PTA meeting that two of Grayson's classmates had been caught having sex in a bathroom stall at the school. He suspected that both he and Grayson had blocked out that conversation from their memories, but he had hoped the substance of the discussion had stuck with Grayson.
"I'm honestly surprised that you aren't rejoicing over the prospect of Stefan's reaction to the news more, knowing how much you and Stefan enjoy pestering one another," Caroline pointed out, attempting to pivot the topic away from their son's sex life.
"Well, karma can be quite the bitch, and I am acutely aware that we have a daughter who is on the verge of becoming a teenager herself," he sighed, knowing that Elise's thirteenth birthday was not far off.
Caroline grinned widely, as though now taking pleasure in his discomfort. "Oh yes you do and she is most definitely your daughter and she will not tolerate you reinforcing any double standards when it comes to her and Grayson," she reminded him.
"Trust me, love, I am well aware," he grumbled, knowing that he and Caroline would be in for a handful when it came to Elise. Elise was outgoing, curious, unafraid, stubborn and could be hot tempered if provoked – a lethal combination for a teenager.
"A drink, Madame and Monsieur?" the host asked interrupting them, as if on cue, knowing of his proposal plan.
"Soco and lime," he suggested quickly before Caroline could chime in, knowing the host was already anticipating his request as he had discussed it with him earlier to ensure that the bar would have the liqueur on hand.
The host nodded, readily heading off towards the bar.
He swallowed back his nerves as the prospect of the proposal was becoming more real; everything he had thought to say to her in the lead up raced through his mind incoherently.
Caroline was eyeing him curiously.
"Soco and lime?" she queried, a small smirk playing on her lips, knowing that he had placed the order intentionally, "I'm surprised they serve that here."
He shrugged innocently. "It worked on our first Valentine's Day," he pointed out with an amused expression.
Each Valentine's Day they would indulge in the bar drink as a throwback to their first Valentine's Day. It was a simple way to mark the occasion over the years and the only time they had skipped it since being together was the year Caroline was pregnant with Elise.
Her eyebrows rose with intrigue, seemingly pleased that he had not forgotten the small detail amidst his trip to Paris to surprise her, but also suspicious at the same time.
"You're going to have to do better than that," she said with a teasing smirk.
He looked around the hotel bar in an obvious manner so that she would notice. "I think catching a red-eye flight to Paris to surprise you should more than suffice?" he questioned, trying to ignore the jet-lag that was starting to creep up on him, and keep the conversation going while he waited for the host to return with their drinks so he could proceed with the next phase of the plan.
She smiled, still clearly pleased with his unexpected appearance at her show. He knew he owed one to his kids for encouraging him to make the spontaneous trip.
"Who would have thought that we would be in some fancy hotel bar in Paris on Valentine's Day twenty years ago," Caroline sighed, glancing around the bar, observing a few other patrons who were indulging in their beverages.
"This bar is certainly an upgrade from the Mystic Grill," he acknowledged, thinking about the bar where they had inadvertently spent their first Valentine's Day together at a singles event. "To be fair, I don't think either of us were thinking that far ahead then," he added, as the host returned with the soco and lime drinks he had requested.
"Merci," he and Caroline both nodded their head in thanks to the host as he set the drinks down on the table in between them before walking away.
"You're right," Caroline agreed clutching her drink glass in her hand, referring back to his previous words before their conversation had been interrupted by the arrival of their drinks. "I was debating the merits of sleeping with you that night," she revealed with a devious grin.
"Was it really that much of a debate?" he questioned purposely to rile her up.
She rolled her eyes at him. "You were an easy target," she shrugged smugly.
His expression rose curiously, encouraging her to elaborate.
"You had a reputation," she admitted freely.
His eyebrows rose, amused by her revisionist version of their night together twenty years ago.
Caroline was doing her best to hold in her own laugh, knowing that was not how the night had unfolded at all.
"Really? Because I got the distinct impression that you didn't like me at all that evening. To be honest, I was a bit surprised when you turned up at my hotel room," he admitted, recalling how sure he was that Caroline would reject his subtle invitation back to his room that night.
"I didn't like you," she bluntly agreed. "But it had been a while for me," she shrugged. "And I knew that you would be returning to New York after the wedding so I wouldn't have to deal with many awkward run-ins after the weekend was over."
He laughed, acknowledging that her reasoning for taking him up on his invitation was fair under those circumstances.
"And here we are, twenty years later," he observed, referencing the two decades they had spent together since and the two children they now shared.
"And here we are," she said with a pleased grin.
He gripped his glass, the sweat from his palm causing the glass to fog, while his other hand reached discreetly into the pocket of his jacket for the ring box as he prepared to reveal it.
"Any regrets?" he asked her tentatively, knowing he was on the verge of asking the most important question of the evening.
To his relief, she shook her head. "No regrets," she assured him confidently, looking him directly in the eye.
He could feel the tension in his expression relax with her words while he fumbled with the ring box in one hand and tipped his glass towards her.
The piano player had begun playing the familiar song that they had mutually come to know as their song, which to his relief, the piano player knew and could play when he had made the request earlier.
He smirked to himself in satisfaction.
Caroline raised her eyebrows at him questioningly as she began to lift her glass, following suit. "The piano…is that…" Caroline started to trail off curiously as she seemingly recognized the song playing as well.
Just as he was about to toast and reveal the ring to Caroline and clarify what he truly meant by his question, an arm with a drink in hand extended between them towards their glasses.
"Cheers!" an accented male voice chimed in as the third glass met theirs. "You must be toasting to your success this evening, Caroline."
He and Caroline looked up from their table to see Enzo St. John standing at the foot of their table beside a young woman with long blonde hair and a low-cut black dress only loosely covered by an expensive looking black trench coat – a new woman from the two who had escorted him to Caroline's show earlier that evening.
Enzo took a generous sip from his whiskey glass. He downed the majority of his glass in reaction to Enzo's unexpected appearance as Caroline reluctantly took a small sip from hers, knowing how he felt about Enzo.
Of course, leave it to Enzo to interrupt their evening and the proposal he had planned.
"Enzo," Caroline greeted him, smiling at him and the woman on his arm.
He grumbled under his breath as the realization that his planned proposal was now sabotaged by someone he already despised.
Enzo grinned widely in response to Caroline, leaning in to give her two kisses on either cheek, knowing the normally innocent gesture would press his buttons.
He cleared his throat in passive aggressive displeasure.
"Mikaelson," Enzo greeted him flatly, still leaning down towards Caroline with his hand propped up on the back of Caroline's chair, inches away from putting his arm around her.
He returned Enzo's greeting with a slight nod. Not interested in making small talk. This prompted Enzo to quick turn his attention back to Caroline.
Realizing that there was now no way of salvaging this opportunity to pop the question to Caroline, he discreetly returned the ring box to his jacket pocket beside him.
Caroline would forget that the song that had started to be played on the piano by the time their interaction with Enzo finally came to an end. The moment was ruined.
"Caroline, your dresses were masterpieces this evening. Gorgeous, you will be making the bridal fashion headlines tomorrow," Enzo said enthusiastically, casting him a smug stare as he stood back up while wrapping his arm possessively around the tiny waist of the woman he was with.
The host passed by their table, staring at him curiously, obviously aware that this was not part of his original plan. While Caroline was preoccupied with Enzo's interruption, he shook his head subtly to the host, signalling that he was pulling the plug on the proposal.
Caroline gave him an appreciative nod. "Thanks Enzo, I'm sure your collection will outdo mine," she assured him modestly.
Enzo grinned proudly.
He tried to fight back a frown, nudging Caroline's ankle under the table, hating when Caroline sold herself short – especially when he knew she was doing it to placate an asshole's ego.
"Don't be so sure, your dresses are stunning, love," he piped up, assuring Caroline of her talent while also cutting Enzo down a notch.
Enzo shot him a brief look, clearly taking his comment how he meant it to be taken – as an insult to him.
Caroline gave him a small appreciative smile, but he could tell by her glare she wanted him to tone down the hostility towards Enzo in his voice.
"I'm sure everyone will be talking about your little surprise appearance at Caroline's show as well," Enzo commented to him.
"That was so sweet," the woman with Enzo gushed at them.
Enzo shot her a quick annoyed glare before returning his attention upon them. "Yes, though, hopefully it won't overshadow Caroline's hard work," he said, never missing an opportunity to take a dig back at him in response to his earlier comment.
He and Caroline exchanged looks, as though Caroline was warning him not to take the bait.
Grasping Caroline's hand affectionately he sneered up at Enzo, "Now, that's an impossible feat for both of us," he replied, referring to Enzo, as returned his focus on Caroline, who's cheeks began to redden under the weight of his compliment.
"Indeed," Enzo agreed through his gritted teeth, evidently annoyed that his effort to undermine him had been unsuccessful.
"It was a lovely surprise," Caroline acknowledged, clutching his hand to reassure him that she had not been bothered by his appearance at her show and the unintended attention that it had garnered before reaching for her glass to take another drink – obviously subtly irritated by Enzo's appearance.
"Yes, Caroline seemed rather glum last night to be in Paris alone when we ran into each other in the lobby. I kept her company for you over a drink, mate," Enzo grinned deviously, casting him a discreet wink.
He could hear Caroline choke back her drink at Enzo's insinuation as her eyes widened in embarrassed horror by Enzo's suggestive comment.
Even with a lady on his arm, Enzo couldn't resist cryptically referencing the night before once more, knowing that it would eat at the jealous instincts of any man who had a woman like Caroline Forbes.
Caroline nudged his foot under the table as he had done to her ankle moments ago, shooting him another warning look.
This time her silent urging to avoid stooping to Enzo's level was overpowered by his desire to put Enzo in his place. Caroline may have toned down his impulsiveness over the years, but not completely. There were times when it was justified, and this was one of those times.
Taking a quick swig of his drink, he smirked up at Enzo, "Seems like you've been keeping a few women company this weekend, mate," he observed, looking between the woman who had accompanied him and Caroline, also referencing the women he had attended the show with earlier. "I hope your wife has had someone to keep her company while you've been gone," he bit back with a grin as the smug look on Enzo's face quickly faded into a look of guilt. His wife was a Swedish model turned actress and mother of Enzo's three (legitimate) children.
With his question, the woman with Enzo grew visibly uncomfortable, even though everyone was aware of Enzo's relationship status despite his womanizing reputation – which he did nothing to hide or downplay. The woman slowly unlinked her arm from Enzo's.
Caroline cast him another subtle disapproving look – always the peacemaker.
He had no regrets. Enzo was a prick and he had ruined his proposal to Caroline; he had deserved it.
Saving face, Enzo quickly brushed off his rebuke with a sneer before clearing his throat. "Well, we should leave you two to your drinks," Enzo announced, exchanging a look with his mistress for the night. Enzo shot him a glance briefly before softening his look towards Caroline. "Caroline," he said leaning down to plant two more fake kisses on either of her cheeks, flashing him a purposeful smirk as he stood back up, as though he was having the last laugh.
"Much appreciated, mate," he shrugged bitingly. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hand around the glass of his drink, fighting the urge to punch the smug grin off of Enzo's face.
Caroline looked surprised by his continuation of the underlying animosity before she nodded at Enzo with a tight-lipped smile.
The woman looked apologetically at them before following Enzo as he turned to leave the hotel bar.
"God he's insufferable," he gasped, as though he had been holding his breath throughout the entire interaction with Enzo.
He shrugged off the bar host discreetly as he passed their table again, likely curious as to when his proposal would occur now after Enzo's interruption, looking for his further direction.
Enzo's sudden and unexpected appearance had tainted the earlier lighthearted mood between him and Caroline, leaving them now sitting in a moment of awkward silence – the moment for his proposal well lost and the piano player now well into another song. The proposal would have to wait for now. As his daughter Elise would say, the vibe was now off. He would have to get them back to were before Enzo made his appearance to reinitiate the proposal.
"Thank god he left before one of you decided to end your pissing match by throwing a fist," Caroline sighed with relief, irritated with both him and Enzo.
"He'd be on the floor," he mused confidently, taking satisfaction amidst his disappointment from the mental image of Enzo slouched over in pain on the ground from a punch to the jaw.
Caroline snorted in amusement as she raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "You're not in your twenties anymore, Nik. You would be whining about your hand for weeks afterwards," she laughed teasingly.
"Enzo is still over there leaving. I'd be more than happy to prove you wrong, love," he said confidently.
She grabbed his hands from across the table.
"No. These hands owe me a massage," she said suggestively, running her thumbs over his fingers. "Klaus, you know that I would never…" Caroline started to explain before he could respond and, sensing that he was feeling a little insecure about what Enzo had implied about his relationship with her. "Enzo invited himself to a drink last night with me and Davina…"
Before she could explain further, he gripped her hands a little tighter, and interrupted, "I know," he said confidently. Sure, both he and Caroline had had their fair share of insecure and jealous moments over the years – Enzo playing a bigger role in those than he would care to admit – but after nearly twenty years together he knew deep down that Caroline's loyalty to him was unwavering, despite any lingering insecurity he may have felt.
Caroline's expression relaxed, her anxiety over the exchange with Enzo dissipating.
"I really can't blame the bastard for trying with you – multiple times," he acknowledged, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he tried to change his perspective on the matter.
Caroline scowled at him – the same look she gave to him most times he tried to pay her a compliment – suspecting he may have an ulterior motive for his sweet words. She glanced down at her drink glass, avoiding his intent stare.
"What about all the women who have tried with you, Mikaelson?" Caroline quipped, playing on Enzo's pet name of choice for him, her eyebrow arching as she recalled the women over the years who had flirted with him, trying to entice him to cross the line.
He was not denying that although he had left his womanizing reputation in the past, his womanizing reputation had trouble leaving him in the past, at times.
"Now you're changing the subject," he countered.
Caroline shrugged guiltily, her expression softening towards him, knowing that no matter how much he tried to ignore Enzo, he had a way of getting under his skin.
"Well, Enzo hasn't seen me at after midnight when I've been up all-night working to put the finishing touches on gown for a show," she retorted, always ready to challenge his words of affirmation.
"Hasn't ever stopped me from trying with you," he repeated himself, his double entendre referencing both his attempts to sleep with her and marry her likely lost on Caroline given their discussion about Enzo.
She was blushing, trying to suppress a grin as she avoided eye contact with him, playing shy as she concentrated on her fingers wrapped around her drink glass.
"And how about right now? Are you trying with me now?" she wondered hesitantly, seemingly nervous about his answer, tucking her hair behind her ear as a distraction.
The mood was shifting to something less romantic and more suggestive.
"Let's see," he pondered, "I've caught a red-eye flight to Paris, bought you a dozen roses, watched you front-row, taken you for a pricey French dinner, drinks… you tell me, love?" he listed off to her.
"You did," she acknowledged.
"Well, did I acquit myself, sweetheart?" he wondered.
She was smirking softly, still acting coy with him.
"How about we go up to the room just to be sure?" she said, looking up at him, biting her lip teasingly, making a whole different kind of proposal to him.
Caroline was often more subtle than him when it came to initiating sex, so when she took a more direct approach with him about her desires, her assertiveness drove him wild.
The proposal would now have to wait for a whole other type of welcome interruption.
She continued to eye him, as though to challenge him, before she downed the remainder of her drink.
Following suit, he polished off his drink.
"Wait here," he instructed her, licking his lips of the sweet drink, as he slipped his jacket back on, ensuring the ring box was still secure. "I'll settle the bill," he informed her, standing up from the table.
He left the table and headed towards the main bar determinedly. His mind was trying hard to contemplate an alternate way to propose to Caroline, but those thoughts were being overshadowed by the prospect of having Caroline to himself.
At the bar, he tried to wait patiently for the bartender to finish up with another patron, unable to spot the host he had connected with earlier about the previous plans he had put in place for the proposal.
While he waited, he checked his phone. He had several messages.
Grayson: So, it's heading for midnight, have you popped the question to mom yet?
He texted Grayson back quickly, advising there had been a slight hiccup in the plan, but things were still in progress.
The group chat that had been created for him by his siblings and his in-laws also had several notifications.
Rebekah: Nik, the suspense is killing us…
Marcel: Klaus, Rebekah won't stop talking about this and it's really ruining the mood for V-Day. Please hurry up!
Rebekah: *Eye-roll Emoji*
Bonnie: Caroline hasn't texted me any pics of a shiny rock on her finger yet, so I'm guessing it hasn't happened yet.
Kol: Maybe Caroline said no?
Rebekah: Caroline loves Niklaus; she wouldn't say no. Nik probably chickened out, if anything.
Bonnie: Your brother better not have gotten cold feet. He's had twenty years to get his shit together…
Marcel: Klaus has been planning to propose for a while. He's not going back on it.
Rebekah: I messaged Grayson and he says no news yet. If the proposal had happened already, Nik and Caroline would have told Grayson and Elise first.
Kol: Nik and Caroline are probably busy… you know… celebrating.
Rebekah: EW. Kol, stop.
He smirked at the chat, amused that he had them all in such frenzy. Unlike with Grayson, he decided to keep his siblings and in-laws waiting for news, enjoying the minor torture he was putting them through.
From behind him, the host cleared his throat to catch his attention as he moved around the bar to face him. "Mr. Mikaelson, my apologies, it seems tonight didn't go as you had planned with the interruption from your acquaintance."
He shrugged still a little disappointed, but reassured by what awaited him with Caroline.
"Can't anticipate every variable, unfortunately," he said, "but thank you for your assistance."
The host nodded sympathetically. "The night is not over yet," he said with a reassuring wink. "When you left your table, Ms. Forbes requested that I put in an order of champagne to your room. I took the liberty of providing to her with the second keycard to the suite you had wanted me to give to her as a surprise," he informed him.
Glancing over his shoulder back to the table he had been sitting at with Caroline, he noticed the table was now empty. He looked across the bar curiously, noticing Caroline at the entrance to the hotel bar.
His eyes caught hers and she shot him a devious grin, flashing him the key card in her hand, her other hand holding the roses he had gifted her, before she disappeared into the lobby, daring him to pursue her.
"Would you like the bottle of champagne? I can add everything to your room account for when you check out?" the host queried.
He nodded appreciatively before the host disappeared to a back room behind the bar, presumably where they stored their bottles. He was just going to go with it and not even ask how much this single bottle of champagne would cost him. Any sort of budget had gone out the window when he decided to take this last-minute trip to Paris.
As he waited, he scanned his phone once more.
Grayson had texted.
Grayson: Uh oh. What happened?
He texted Grayson back not to worry about it and he would text him back once he had news. He instructed Grayson to ensure that Elise was behaving herself and that she better not have her phone back.
The group chat with his siblings and in-laws was still going.
Kol: NIKLAUS, I KNOW YOU HAVE READ OUR MESSAGES, WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL IS TAKING SO LONG?
Bonnie: Something is definitely happening because Caroline just texted me this picture and said Klaus upgraded her room at the hotel…
In the chat, Bonnie shared a picture Caroline had obviously taken from the window of the suite he had upgraded them too, revealing a picture of the Eiffel Tower glowing against the night sky backdrop.
Marcel: Told you my boy was all in…
He smirked, appreciating the way Marcel had his back against the other three.
Kol: I told you all they were…celebrating.
Rebekah: Kol, Niklaus is putting you and Marcellus both to shame right now.
Bonnie: *insert zipper-mouth emoji*
He laughed under his breath, putting his phone in his pocket as the host returned with the bottle of champagne.
"Vintage champagne," the host said, handing him the bottle.
Cradling the bottle in his hands carefully, he noticed the date on the label indicating that champagne was aged twenty years, which he suspected was the result of an intentional request on Caroline's part.
It had been a bittersweet year all things considered, but it had been a very good year for him and Caroline.
The host also slid two champagne flutes across the bar towards him.
A/N: Thoughts? I really am dragging this out, aren't I? I promise, it will be worth it!