The idea still did not suit him and he seemed offended. It was the control thing. He had to have control. He had to feel like he could call all of the shots and maybe in the past he had with his other women, victims, his whatever's, but she felt like she could push his buttons. She had no idea to be honest why she wanted to even cuddle with the man who basically derailed her moments before.
"Please. We can even discuss the contract." She flatly stated.
"I don't even know why I am agreeing to this, but yes. Your wish is granted Miss Gilbert." He smirked unpleasantly. Elena stood up pulling her blankets down and crawled in under them. His stare was blank for a moment as he looked at the spot that he was suppose to join her in. He hesitated and then crawled in under the blankets with her.
As they lay next to one another, Elena felt awkward. He threw his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. This was not how she pictured it. Maybe they should just go back to their original positions? No, Elena. You actually got him to do as you say. This is a huge step! She thought to herself.
Elena rolled over on to her side so she could see him and he glanced down at her. He seemed so uncomfortable doing this and now she was truly feeling guilty.
"What are your concerns with contract?" He asked breaking the tension.
"Well, I have a few." She rested her hand under her cheek and bit her lip again. "I want to set my own times of when I have to be at your place or with you."
"Those are set by me. I have those for my reasons. My needs." He replied still staring upward.
"And I have work and friends and a life." She retaliated knowing he would hate that she was fighting him on this. "How am I supposed to balance all of that?"
"Signing the contract Elena means you're mine. I have control of you and where you go and when. It's stated obviously in there. I want you within these restraints because I don't know when I'll need to release or when I'll want to feed. I am not a psychic." Damon explained.
She laughed and he finally looked down at her. "For someone that loves control, its funny how you don't know how to control when your wants and desires come and go."
Not finding amusement in her comment, Damon rolled over to face her. She grew uneasy as he stared at her intensely. "My contract Miss Gilbert is not a joke. My life is not a joke. This is who I am and you can take it or leave it."
"I never said it was. I'm sorry if I offended you." Elena whispered. "I just, I want to be with you. I want to give you everything you need. I don't know why I feel like I should, but I do. I just want to still have my freedom is all I ask."
"With freedom comes risk. What if I let you have this freedom and I need you? Are you willing to come at my call? Are you willing to do what it takes whenever, wherever?" He asked in all seriousness.
"I don't know. That's asking a lot of one person." She sighed.
"I don't want to strip you of who you are. I like who you are." Damon brushed his hand on her cheek making the first real non-sexual, non-Damon like gesture.
"Look, I'm not saying your contract is completely outrageous, but if you say I'm so different from everyone else make me your exception." Elena pleaded. "Forget the contract. I'll keep your secret. I'll satisfy you sexually and with my blood with time, of course. I'll stay with you when I can. I'll do whatever. I just don't know about signing my freedom away for something that is basically already happening."
"Point well made Miss Gilbert." He replied and almost seemed impressed, but something turned dark on him and he his eyes were blank.
Elena wanted to reach out and touch him. She didn't know how she could assure him that she wasn't going anywhere. She wanted him to know everything she had just said, she meant. Some strange force drew her to him and she didn't want to break it. His demands and his silly contract were what were holding her back.
"It's all I've ever known." His voice was low and she searched for his gaze. Here was another side of him. A side she had yet to see. "I set control in my life to keep a balance. At one point I didn't have that and that was one of my darkest times. I don't ever want to go back to that. I can't."
"Hey," Elena reached out to touch his face, but he drew back looking at her wildly. She dropped her hand and continued. "I don't want you to. Trust me. I don't wish that not that I've seen it."
"Let me think about this." Damon closed his eyes and reopened them flashing his confident blue eyes again. They had returned. "I have a proposition for you. Thursday, there is Gala I have to attend and I would like for you to be my date. Why don't we both think things over? I'll think of your suggestion and I want you to still consider the contract. That night after the Gala ends we will come to a conclusion."
"What if we don't?" She asked shyly.
"Elena, we will come to a conclusion." He stated firmly. "And I believe your few moments of mindless lying in bed are over. I have to get back to the office."
"You really have to go? Or are you just trying to avoid doing this?" Elena rolled on to her back.
He propped himself up and then threw himself on top of her. She gasped at his sudden movement and she felt the heat radiating off him. "I really have to go to the office. It was lovely lying next to you. Maybe for you I can make some exceptions, but don't hold me to it."
A huge smile smeared across her face.
"Don't get too smug yet. I'm not promising anything." He growled.
"It's a start Mr. Salvatore." She said smirking.
"A start it is Miss Gilbert." He planted a kiss on her lips. "Later."
In flash he was gone.
Chapter 27: The Other Salvatore
Their parting words she still held on to as she pulled into the parking lot of Mystic Grill. Damon was going to consider making exceptions and even though it was a start, it was the beginning of her dominating his urge for constant control. She knew better than to get her hopes up with him though. This was not going to be easy for him and neither her, but the little hope she had she clung to.
Her mind flickered back to the dreaded contract as she slammed her car door shut and threw her hair up. In return for his considerations, Elena had to seriously think about the Salvatore Non-Disclosure Agreement. She wished she could tear up the stupid thing into a million tiny pieces and secretly she loved the thought of doing so in front of Damon. To see his reaction of her careless acceptance of what they were, she knew no contract would ever determine what the future held. If she was going to ease him into her small requests and attempting to break him out of his comfort zone what was the point of the contract anyways? Just clarifications that she was his and only his and would basically meet anything and everything asked of her. She didn't need to sign her life away for that. She was beyond crazy for him as it was and knew she was going to buckle to any request from that beautiful, dark man.
Oddly, Elena's confidence was high at the moment. She believed Damon had something to do with that. He challenged her and although it was new feeling she enjoyed it to an extent. The shy and quiet girl that lied on the surface was here, but the spunky and daring girl was just scratching her way slowly out.
"Gilbert, you need to start right away." A mild age woman, her boss hustled out of the doorway to the grill. Drawing a cigarette from her pocket she lit it up and puffed on it. "We're going to be busy today."
"It's a Monday night." Elena stated and held her breath trying not to inhale the stench of the cigarette.
"Apparently word has it that Mr. Salvatore will be stopping by with an entourage of people. Can only assume what that will be like. Get in there and start helping out Matt." She blew smoke between her dry lips and Elena gave her a quick smile and dashed into the grill.
The place was already fairly busy for a Monday evening, but she knew she had to contact Damon before she got to work. Why was he coming here tonight and with an entourage? Did it have to do with her working? Did he feel he needed to stop in again? Not that she would mind, but she wished she could be a part of it instead of serving it.
Withdrawing her p
hone, she scrolled to find his number and sent a quick text reading, Mystic Grill tonight? Why didn't you tell me you were going to stop by earlier? I would have made sure to at least be a little more presentable.
Her thumb hit send and she pushed the phone back into her pocket. Matt was already at work stocking behind the bar and Elena realized they had no contact at all since the night they went out to celebrate Caroline's article being published. She suddenly felt awkward and as she noticed Matt staring at her with his big puppy dog eyes she knew he was feeling the same.
Images of Matt forcing himself upon her and confessing his true feelings through a drunken rage made the hairs on her arm stand up and she grinded her teeth. Confronting the inevitable was not her thing, but she knew it was bound to happen. A happy thought braced her discomfort reliving the memory of Damon showing up to the rescue. Now as she realized he was most likely watching her from a distance that night unlike his alibi of taking a walk in the right place at the right time. Even then Damon was hooked upon her and it made her feel giddy.
"Hey," Elena said softly and grabbed at pen and a pad of paper. She tied the apron hanging on the hook around her waist and shoved the paper and pen into the front pocket.
"Hey." He replied still stacking glasses on the shelf.
"Look Matt," She began wanting to get this over with. He was her friend and she didn't want any tension between them. She cared about him and if anything, they both had to look past that night.
"No Elena, I'm sorry." Matt apologized and set down the bucket of glasses. He quickly glanced over his shoulder. "I was drunk and an ass. I should have never tried to kiss you."
"It's okay. I forgive you." Elena muttered quietly and touched his shoulder. "I don't want this to ruin our friendship."
"Same.I guess I just really feel like an asshole is all." He sighed and continued back to his work.
"What's done is done." She shrugged. "No hard feelings?"
"None." Matt sported his boyish smile and she couldn't help but to return the gesture with a smile of her own. As he clanked the glasses together, Elena swept over the small crowd waiting for new customers to arrive so she could finally begin her shift.
A light buzzing came from her pocket and she tore her phone out hoping it was Damon responding to her message. Indeed it was. His text read, Miss Gilbert you are more than presentable in any case. Please don't ever consider you are not. And I have far too much work to make an appearance at that lovely establishment you call work. Who said I was going anyway?
Quickly making sure the coast was clear, Elena replied. Mr. Salvatore you are sweet. And my boss said you and an entourage would be stopping by. Maybe she is mistaken. The text sent and she eagerly a waited for him to reply back.
"You still talking to that Salvatore guy?" Matt casually asked as he moved on to wiping down the bar.
"Talking, seeing. Yeah I guess you could say so." She answered him nonchalantly.
A soft snort came from him and she knew he wasn't impressed. "So you guys are dating then?"
"Um," Elena began not sure of what answer to give him. They weren't a couple, but he was willing to openly bring her to a Gala where reporters, the media, and the rest of Mystic Falls would witness them together. So what were they? Exclusive? Damon didn't do relationships and he clearly stated that. Now that she had thought about it, she wasn't really sure what to consider them as. "We're together."
Her answer she felt was appropriate and the best way to describe what they had. Damon wanted her all for himself and she wasn't going anywhere so together was the best response. Playing it safe with her choice of words would keep her from staying out of trouble. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and then have Damon assume she was reading into this more than she should. Elena knew they were no more than a fling. A fling she wanted to last for longer than a fling usually lasts, but right now she wasn't thinking about the future. She was thinking about now.
"Elena!" Her boss yelled from across the restaurant. Elena immediately felt like she had done something wrong. "That blonde over there," She pointed to a peppy blonde hair girl who looked a lot like Caroline. In fact, it was Caroline and she was talking to someone who she could not make out in the shadows. "She's your friend right?"
"Yes, she is." Elena responded.
"You cover the bar tonight. It seems your friend tends to get over served when she is here." Her eyes darted toward Matt, who clearly wasn't in the mood to be called out. "You make sure she isn't and make sure whenever Mr. Salvatore and his gang get here to give them whatever they want. He'll be a high paying customer, don't screw this up."
"Okay." She nodded and withdrew the apron. No need for that anymore.
Her boss stormed off into the kitchen and Matt gave her an apologetic look. "Who is Caroline talking to? I didn't even see her."
"Don't know. She has been sitting over there talking to that guy for awhile though." Matt threw the rag in his hand into a bucket and tied the apron on Elena had discarded. "He's probably bad news knowing Caroline."
"Great. Guess I'll babysit tonight and work." Elena growled. She checked her phone again, but there was no response. Maybe something came up at work and Damon had got distracted. She just wanted to know if Damon was not planning on showing up then why her boss assumed he was stopping by later.
"Let me know if you need help." He patted her back and rushed off to a table of new customers.
Turning her back to the restaurant, Elena tried to regain herself. Her mind was jumbled with too many thoughts. Damon was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't get wrapped up in him. She had to work and now take care of Caroline. If anything she could pace Caroline's intake by making her drinks weaker than usual, but that wouldn't stop her from making a poor decision in the end. She wondered who would be Caroline Forbes's next victim. Elena chuckled at the thought of her having a victim much like Damon, but in a more innocent way.
"Miss, could I get scotch while the lady will have a martini." A firm voice came from behind her. Elena reached for the bottle of scotch and spun around.
"Sure…" Elena answered and nearly dropped the bottle as she looked up to find a man, who in many ways reminded her of Damon. His eyes were a pale shade of blue compared to the bright icy blue Damon wore. His body wasn't as lean as Damon's was though. This man was stocky, yet muscular. He spread a warming smile upon his face and Elena sensed that she had seen him before. Then it clicked.
Her surprised expression continued as she saw a made up Caroline sitting next to him, who was sitting close. She was fixated on him with a huge smile that took up most of her face. Panic set in as she fit the pieces of the puzzle together. The man Caroline had been in the booth with was Stefan, Damon's brother. This was the same brother that attacked Caroline only a few days ago and almost left her for dead. Elena wished now would be the perfect time for Damon to surprisingly show up announced, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Shortening her breath and pretending to go not phased by her startling realization, Elena poured the scotch fast and set the glass down in front of him. He eyed her carefully as if he was watching her every move. Wrinkles formed in his forehead indicating there was some confusion. Stefan had never seen her before, at least not that she knew of. She wasn't even sure if he even knew of her and Damon's rendezvous. So many thoughts were crossing her mind and now all she wanted was Damon here to answer them. To protect her and Caroline most importantly considering his brother almost killed her before.
Elena bent down to reach for the martini mix and liquor as she listened to Caroline mindlessly talk about herself. "Elena, you never told me Damon had a brother?" She gritted through her teeth seeming bitter about her holding out on this information.
"Slipped my mind," Elena muttered and glanced over to Stefan. His watchful eyes were still upon her and something lit in them as if he too were making a connection.
"You're the girl that my brother is, seeing." He carefully stated and took a swig of his scotch. "I knew something was diffe
rent with him when I spoke to him last. I should have known it was a woman that had him so tense and on edge."
On edge? Is that what Damon felt like when he was around her? Was it because he couldn't feed on her desirably like he wanted to? Or was it the urge to jump her bones every time they were alone? Elena didn't like directing the spotlight upon her and instead she was ready to shine it upon Stefan. After all maybe a little playful conversation could get him squirming in his seat considering his risky move of sweeping Caroline off her feet one moment and wanting to rip her to shreds the next.
Pushing her hands up against the bar, Elena leaned forward. "So how did you two meet? I'm sure the meeting was mutual." Her choice of words pleased her as she watched for Stefan's reaction.
Fifty Shades Of Dark - Damon Salvatore Page 16