![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
littlewolf_girlThe Grill was fairly slow, but Hayley didn’t mind. Damon had told her when she left for work that he and Elijah would be coming in later ,and she had no doubt they’d tip well, just to keep her from telling Ric they hadn’t. Ric probably would wander in at some point, too, unless he was over at Elena and Jeremy’s. So, mostly she was chatting with Matt and watching people play pool.
“Good. I got here first.”
Hayley glanced over her shoulder at Damon’s voice and gave him an amused look. “If you were going to come in early, you could have driven me…”
“I wasn’t ready.”
She turned and leaned up against the bar, then gave him a once over, letting a small smirk curve her lips, even as her nose twitched a little. “Are you wearing aftershave?”
“…No.”
“You realize he’s got like…super-super-senses, right? I mean, I could smell you when you walked in the bar…”
She was teasing, but Damon glared and stalked off to the bathroom. Matt gave her a bemused look.
“What was that about?”
“He’s got a hot date,” she informed him.
“With who?”
Hayley was about to answer when Elijah walked in. “With him.”
* * *
The two vampires seemed to have finally relaxed. Hayley had been watching in amusement, and Matt in confusion, as they danced around things and tried to figure out how to talk to each other in this sort of setting. Hayley wanted to suggest they take it elsewhere, so they might not feel so on display, but they seemed to need the public place to assure themselves of not slipping into old, violent patterns or something.
She heard the door open, but it was Elijah’s face as he caught a glimpse of the new customer that made her stomach clench as she turned her head slowly to see who’d come in. Then she had to fight the urge to run.
Klaus.
He wasn’t looking her way, at least, but focused on his brother and Damon, who was slowly turning around to see what had made Elijah tense back up. The hybrid smirked and strolled over to them.
“Mind if I join you?” He didn’t wait for an answer before sliding in to Elijah’s side of the booth. His brother made room, seemingly on autopilot. “Fancy meeting you two here.”
She couldn’t see Damon’s face anymore, but his words made her—and Elijah—wince. “Might not, again, if they’re letting the riff-raff in here now.”
Klaus smirked and didn’t immediately kill him, so Hayley told herself to breathe. “How very original.”
Damon considered that, tilting his head, then smirked, too. “I suppose you can claim that, at least.”
Klaus arched an eyebrow.
“The riff-raff being Original.”
Elijah briefly closed his eyes. Klaus looked mostly annoyed he’d missed the pun, before sprawling back in his seat. “Careful, sweetheart, or you’ll end up insulting Elijah, too. Doesn’t seem like you’d want that.”
“Well, certainly not any more than you wanted to insult Stefan.” Now Damon had veered toward dangerous, and Hayley shifted a little toward them, then froze.
Elijah’s hand had closed on his brother’s arm. “Did you want something, Niklaus?”
Klaus eased back a bit, gave Damon a slightly sharp smile. “Just to have a drink with my brother…”
“What are you doing?” The voice snapped Hayley’s attention behind her and she gave the bartender a startled look. “Stop gawking and go do your job…”
Hayley thought about walking out, but that would draw attention to her, too, and she needed the job. She gave Matt a slightly panicked look, then took a breath, smoothed her expression, tossed her hair back and moved across the room.
“What can I get you?”
Damon’s gaze snapped to her, and he was the one looking worried. Elijah was, too, though Hayley kept her gaze on Klaus.
For his part, the hybrid’s gaze slid up slowly, taking her in, until he reached her face. “What do we have here?”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “A waitress, waiting to take your order. Do you want anything or not?”
“What are you offering, sweetheart?” He smirked a little.
One eyebrow arched. “Does that sort of charm ever work for you? I’m offering…” She put a hand down on the table, leaned in so she was in his space. “A drink.” She let that hang there for a moment, then gave him an innocent smile. “From the bar.”
Elijah came very close to face palming.
“You’d be surprised, little wolf.” Klaus’s attention was firmly on her now, which probably kept him from killing Damon, but she wasn’t sure was really worth it.
“If it ever works for you?” She gave him a skeptical look. “Undoubtedly. In fact, I think I’d be stunned. Shocked even.”
“Hayley…” Damon interjected, and she glanced at him.
“Another drink, Damon? Elijah?”
“You know my brother?”
Hayley sighed and looked back at Klaus with exaggerated patience. “Yes. He doesn’t just come in and sit at my table being obnoxious. He actually orders things. And tips well.”
Klaus was giving her a bemused look. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“I’m not an idiot.” She sounded offended for a moment, then gave him a sweet smile. “You’re Elijah’s little brother.”
Klaus blinked.
Hayley gave the table a sunny smile. “Why don’t I just get you boys another round, and he can have what you’re having? Since he seems incapable of ordering for himself…”
She turned to go, and Klaus’s hand shot out grabbing her wrist and pinning her there. “I don’t want what they’re having.”
Her heart was racing and she hated that he could hear it, that they all could hear it, but her gaze was both calm and defiant as she turned back. “Then what…do…you…want?”
“You’re positively terrified, and still you’re staring me down.” He shook his head a little. “Every instinct you have should be telling you to submit.”
“You have so got the wrong girl for that,” she shot back.
“I could make you.”
She shook her head. “Let’s get one thing straight: I am not on the menu. And if it’s submission…real submission…you’re looking for? I suggest an ad on BDSM Personals.”
Yanking her arm out of his grasp, Hayley spun on her heel and marched back to the bar. “Whiskey and wine,” she told the bartender shortly, taking in a deep breath after and trying to stop the shaking feeling deep inside.
“You okay?” Matt asked quietly, though she knew everyone at the table could hear him from across the bar.
“Fine.” Hayley gave him a little smile, reaching out to squeeze his arm, then took the drinks from the bartender and headed back to deliver them.
Whatever else was said…like hell she was ever going to give him the satisfaction of making her run.
“Good. I got here first.”
Hayley glanced over her shoulder at Damon’s voice and gave him an amused look. “If you were going to come in early, you could have driven me…”
“I wasn’t ready.”
She turned and leaned up against the bar, then gave him a once over, letting a small smirk curve her lips, even as her nose twitched a little. “Are you wearing aftershave?”
“…No.”
“You realize he’s got like…super-super-senses, right? I mean, I could smell you when you walked in the bar…”
She was teasing, but Damon glared and stalked off to the bathroom. Matt gave her a bemused look.
“What was that about?”
“He’s got a hot date,” she informed him.
“With who?”
Hayley was about to answer when Elijah walked in. “With him.”
* * *
The two vampires seemed to have finally relaxed. Hayley had been watching in amusement, and Matt in confusion, as they danced around things and tried to figure out how to talk to each other in this sort of setting. Hayley wanted to suggest they take it elsewhere, so they might not feel so on display, but they seemed to need the public place to assure themselves of not slipping into old, violent patterns or something.
She heard the door open, but it was Elijah’s face as he caught a glimpse of the new customer that made her stomach clench as she turned her head slowly to see who’d come in. Then she had to fight the urge to run.
Klaus.
He wasn’t looking her way, at least, but focused on his brother and Damon, who was slowly turning around to see what had made Elijah tense back up. The hybrid smirked and strolled over to them.
“Mind if I join you?” He didn’t wait for an answer before sliding in to Elijah’s side of the booth. His brother made room, seemingly on autopilot. “Fancy meeting you two here.”
She couldn’t see Damon’s face anymore, but his words made her—and Elijah—wince. “Might not, again, if they’re letting the riff-raff in here now.”
Klaus smirked and didn’t immediately kill him, so Hayley told herself to breathe. “How very original.”
Damon considered that, tilting his head, then smirked, too. “I suppose you can claim that, at least.”
Klaus arched an eyebrow.
“The riff-raff being Original.”
Elijah briefly closed his eyes. Klaus looked mostly annoyed he’d missed the pun, before sprawling back in his seat. “Careful, sweetheart, or you’ll end up insulting Elijah, too. Doesn’t seem like you’d want that.”
“Well, certainly not any more than you wanted to insult Stefan.” Now Damon had veered toward dangerous, and Hayley shifted a little toward them, then froze.
Elijah’s hand had closed on his brother’s arm. “Did you want something, Niklaus?”
Klaus eased back a bit, gave Damon a slightly sharp smile. “Just to have a drink with my brother…”
“What are you doing?” The voice snapped Hayley’s attention behind her and she gave the bartender a startled look. “Stop gawking and go do your job…”
Hayley thought about walking out, but that would draw attention to her, too, and she needed the job. She gave Matt a slightly panicked look, then took a breath, smoothed her expression, tossed her hair back and moved across the room.
“What can I get you?”
Damon’s gaze snapped to her, and he was the one looking worried. Elijah was, too, though Hayley kept her gaze on Klaus.
For his part, the hybrid’s gaze slid up slowly, taking her in, until he reached her face. “What do we have here?”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “A waitress, waiting to take your order. Do you want anything or not?”
“What are you offering, sweetheart?” He smirked a little.
One eyebrow arched. “Does that sort of charm ever work for you? I’m offering…” She put a hand down on the table, leaned in so she was in his space. “A drink.” She let that hang there for a moment, then gave him an innocent smile. “From the bar.”
Elijah came very close to face palming.
“You’d be surprised, little wolf.” Klaus’s attention was firmly on her now, which probably kept him from killing Damon, but she wasn’t sure was really worth it.
“If it ever works for you?” She gave him a skeptical look. “Undoubtedly. In fact, I think I’d be stunned. Shocked even.”
“Hayley…” Damon interjected, and she glanced at him.
“Another drink, Damon? Elijah?”
“You know my brother?”
Hayley sighed and looked back at Klaus with exaggerated patience. “Yes. He doesn’t just come in and sit at my table being obnoxious. He actually orders things. And tips well.”
Klaus was giving her a bemused look. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“I’m not an idiot.” She sounded offended for a moment, then gave him a sweet smile. “You’re Elijah’s little brother.”
Klaus blinked.
Hayley gave the table a sunny smile. “Why don’t I just get you boys another round, and he can have what you’re having? Since he seems incapable of ordering for himself…”
She turned to go, and Klaus’s hand shot out grabbing her wrist and pinning her there. “I don’t want what they’re having.”
Her heart was racing and she hated that he could hear it, that they all could hear it, but her gaze was both calm and defiant as she turned back. “Then what…do…you…want?”
“You’re positively terrified, and still you’re staring me down.” He shook his head a little. “Every instinct you have should be telling you to submit.”
“You have so got the wrong girl for that,” she shot back.
“I could make you.”
She shook her head. “Let’s get one thing straight: I am not on the menu. And if it’s submission…real submission…you’re looking for? I suggest an ad on BDSM Personals.”
Yanking her arm out of his grasp, Hayley spun on her heel and marched back to the bar. “Whiskey and wine,” she told the bartender shortly, taking in a deep breath after and trying to stop the shaking feeling deep inside.
“You okay?” Matt asked quietly, though she knew everyone at the table could hear him from across the bar.
“Fine.” Hayley gave him a little smile, reaching out to squeeze his arm, then took the drinks from the bartender and headed back to deliver them.
Whatever else was said…like hell she was ever going to give him the satisfaction of making her run.
