A week after she crashed Klaus' engagement party, Hayley was walking out of her second job interview. Both of the catering companies were nothing that a good baker would complain about working for. However, Hayley had just been in the middle of running her own bakery and now she was supposed to be someone else's employee? This was not pretty. Altogether it was a nightmare.
Sighing heavily, Hayley sat down on a bench and pulled out a phone. She dialed a familiar number. "Hi, Davina. Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot. Okay. Good luck." Wincing, Hayley hung up the phone. She had forgotten that it was Josh who had taken Hope at three because Davina had a mid-term in her drawing class. Somehow Hayley was not sure how you could have a mid-term in drawing. But apparently you could.
Dialing Josh's number, Hayley rolled her eyes toward the bright blue sky as the phone rang. After the fifth ring, Josh answered. "Hey, Hales, sorry. I was just buying Hope some ice cream and trying to answer the phone with two dripping cones is not an easy task. You know that D's the multi-tasker and I'm the one thing at a time guy." Hayley smirked at Josh's joke.
"Yes, I know. Tell me that you didn't drip on those new shoes you just bought," Hayley teased.
Josh began to chuckle. "I'm surprised you noticed with all the stuff you've been up to lately."
"Yeah, I haven't exactly been paying as much attention as I used to," Hayley told the babysitter as she sat back. She was in a world of guilt. Neglecting the kid, her friends, her life in general just because the bills were everywhere. This was becoming out of control. Hayley really wanted for this to all be over. All she wanted was a new start. This time she would do things right. She would get a partner to help her out with the business part of the bakery. All she needed was a second chance. There were plenty of people who got that every day.
"Can I talk to Hope?" Hayley asked Josh. She heard him telling Hope that her mother wanted to talk to her.
"Hi, Mommy. Josh got me chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream," Hope said excitedly. "And we're going to the zoo later."
"Good. I'm happy that you're happy, baby. I'll see you soon. 'Kay," Hayley told her daughter who was humming to herself with the contentment of a child with an ice cream cone in hand. "I love you plus a billion."
"And to the moon and back," Hope replied with their usual silly nonsense sayings to each other. "Bye, Mommy. Have fun hunting jobs. I hope you get one soooooonnnnn."
"I hope so, too. Bye, baby," Hayley murmured, she did not hang up until her child did first. Allowing her head to fall backward, she stared up at the sky and daydreamed of a better life for two minutes before she forced herself to her feet. Walking down an unfamiliar street, Hayley was shocked when she noticed the name "Paper and Things" scrawled across the window of a shop.
Stopping in front of "Paper and Things," Hayley peered into the shop. It was small and there was nothing odd about it. It looked like an ordinary stationary store. A bit old fashioned but other than that there was nothing that made it stand out. On a whim, Hayley reached out and wrapped her hand around the front door handle and pulled it open. Entering the store, she began to examine the inventory. Nothing out of the ordinary there either.
"Hello, can I help you find anything?" A young man asked, coming to stand beside Hayley.
"No, thanks. I'm just looking," Hayley replied, flipping through a set of sample business cards. They were all very tasteful but she couldn't have afforded to buy a set even when she had her bakery.
"If you change your mind I'll be behind the counter," the man told her with a smile before he walked away.
As she opened her mouth to reply, Hayley heard the sound of a young man yelling from the back room. "Screw you, Lijah. You can keep you're bloody job and stuff it. I'm done filling out papers and dressing like one your bloody suits. I look ridiculous," the young man yelled, his voice moving closer to the outer room where the customers would be.
"Fine, Kol. Quit. That is what you are so very apt at doing. Enjoy your next position as a bellhop. Or shall it be back to waiting tables? I would say dishwasher but I would hate to see you get your hands dirty," Elijah shouted and Hayley smiled in spite herself. She could not believe that Elijah Mikaelson was yelling.
Hayley thought that Elijah was the type who never raised his voice unless someone spilled red wine on his white shirt. Then again, she also thought he was the type who would apologize to the person who spilled the wine and then take his shirt to the dry cleaner and pay the bill himself.
"Go to hell, Lijah," Kol yelled as he stormed out of the back office and then entered into the main room. Yanking at his tie roughly, he walked past Hayley without giving her a second glance as he slammed out the door.
Elijah walked out of his office, his expression set in a deep scowl of annoyance as he stared at the front door. Sweeping his gaze around the room, his eyes landed on Hayley and he looked confused. "Hayley, what are you doing here?"
"I... was looking at your business cards. Very creative," Hayley said, holding up a sample card with wild flowers decorating the borders.
"Yes," Elijah said with a forced smile. "I do believe that the phrase is 'We aim to please.'"
Laughing, Hayley could not help but smile at Elijah's joke. He said it so drily and had such a look of seriousness that it sounded absurd. She could tell that the last thing on Elijah's mind was pleasing anyone. He looked like he wanted to go out in the street and pick a fight with someone. "Do you want to get out of here?" Hayley said and then felt her face flush slightly.
There was a time that Hayley was ruled by her impulses. If she wanted something, she took it. Then she became a mother and had to begin to think not just for herself but for someone who had no one but Hayley to depend on. Elijah's eyebrows rose as his expression became thoughtful. "Yes," he said, looking surprised at his answer. "Thierry, you can take care of things here, yes?"
"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson," Thierry replied with a quick nod.
"Thank you," Elijah called to Thierry. He walked over to the front door and opened it. He stood aside waiting for Hayley to walk out before him and she felt the urge to curtsey. "Where shall we go?" He inquired as they began to walk down the sidewalk.
Hayley folded her arms over her chest and began to think. "I have no idea," she said after a long pause while tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
Taking a peek at Elijah, Hayley noticed that he had loosed his tie and was in the process of unbuttoning the top buttons of his dress shirt. "It's warm today. Is it not?" Elijah asked conversationally and Hayley realized that he must have noticed that she was watching him.
"Yes. It's really hot today." That day it had reached the upper nineties. Hayley was dressed in the closest thing she had to dress pants and a button down top. Since she had an interview she had wanted to look her best.
"Perhaps we should stop somewhere and get something cool to drink," Elijah suggested.
"Or we could go ahead and stop at my place. You could drop your jacket and tie and I could change," Hayley replied. Thinking of how that sounded Hayley decided to quickly amend her comment. "I mean my apartment is only two blocks away. That's all." God, she sounded like an idiot.
"As you wish," Elijah replied, moving in the direction of her apartment. She was a little shocked that he already seemed to have memorized the directions. Coupled with the fact that his place of business was not so far from her home made Hayley wonder why they had not met before. She wondered how often he actually came to the office.
Entering her building, Hayley felt her heartbeat accelerate. This was going to be the first time that she was alone with Elijah. And they were going to her apartment where they would be alone together. Oh dear Lord, when was the last time she had had sex. Ummm, four years, five months and two days. But who was counting? And now she was going to be alone in her apartment with an incredibly good looking man.
'Yes, he's hot. That doesn't matter. He's the brother of the father of your child. You are not going to have sex with him. It does not matter that he is so... so... Damn it. No, bad, bad, bad Hayley. Down, girl. Big danger zone. Pretend that he's gay. Or that he's your brother. Or think about things that aren't hot. Eggplant. Yes, eggplants are not hot," Hayley thought as she walked to her front door.
"Has that annoying, little troll of a man bothered you since I spoke to him," Elijah inquired from behind Hayley. Turning around, she found that he was right behind her. There was less than an inch between them when he took a step toward her and with the darkness of the hallway, she felt her breath catch.
"What?" Hayley asked, staring up at Elijah who was searching her eyes. His mouth moved upward in a playful smile as he stared down at her. "I'm sorry. What did you ask me?"
"It doesn't matter," Elijah replied with a chuckle. "Did you want to allow me to come inside?" His lips were moving and words were coming out but Hayley could not understand what they meant. All she could concentrate on was the movement of his lips. He had very nice lips. She wondered what they tasted like. 'EGGPLANT,' her mind screamed at her.
"Hayley," Elijah said, placing a hand on the doorframe above her head and she sucked in another deep breath. "If you do not want to invite me inside I understand. After all, you do not know me that well. I can wait in the hallway."
Hayley exhaled slowly. "Yes, you should stay out here in the hall. Because I'm... painting the apartment. Not because I don't trust you." Whirling around, she unlocked the door. Turning to face him, she took his tie and jacket. Then closed the door in his face. Striding over to her desk chair, she threw Elijah's things down and then gripped the back of the piece of furniture. "Cool it, Marshall, you're going to blow this whole plan." Taking deep shuddering breaths, Hayley calmed down by degrees before she walked back to the door. Smoothing her hair, she reopened the door and smiled at Elijah. "Ready to go?"
"I thought that you wanted to change into something more comfortable?" Elijah replied, examining her outfit with one uplifted eyebrow.
Hayley wanted to smack herself for being such an idiot. "Yes, I did and then I remembered that it was laundry day."
"Well, maybe I should not be wasting your time if you have things to do," Elijah replied. "With the painting of the apartment and the laundry." Looking at his watch, Elijah was about to say something else when Hayley felt her anger building again.
"I'm not the one who suggested that we get a drink," Hayley snapped, causing Elijah to frown.
"I'm sorry, Hayley. I did not mean to offend you," Elijah began when Hayley interrupted him.
"You didn't. I was just pointing out that you're the one who suggested the drink and I said yes but that it would be convenient to take your things here first," Hayley informed him.
"Yes, and I suggested drinks because I thought that you came to my place of work because you had something that you wanted to discuss with me," Elijah replied.
"I didn't. I was in the neighborhood and happened to see the shop and you happened to be there," Hayley informed Elijah. She straightened her posture, her eyes glowing. Some part of her was enjoying this.
"How did you know that it was my business?" Elijah replied, his eyes sparkling with humor as if he thought he had caught her up in a lie.
"Because you act like you owned the place. But then again you act that way wherever you are," Hayley smirked as Elijah's eyes widened.
"We have a rain check on breakfast and the park," Elijah pointed out, switching subjects. Apparently he had decided that he had lost the previous argument so he would try to win another.
"Yes, but that did not include drinks," Hayley told him.
Elijah looked thoughtful and then replied. "But that does not mean that we could not exchange plans if the early option did not seem feasible at the time."
Hayley shook her head. If Elijah could switch topics then so could she. "Why did you think that I would come to see you at your place of work?"
"I don't know," Elijah replied. "I'm not even sure why it is that I thought that you knew where it was that I worked."
"Because you're always accusing me of things," Hayley said before she had thought about what she was saying.
"I do not think that that is a fair judgment, Hayley. You have no idea what I think of you," Elijah replied just as quickly.
"What do you think of me, Elijah?" Hayley could not help asking him the question.
"I think that you are a very impulsive young woman," Elijah began when Hayley started to interrupt him again. He held up his hand. "And I also think that you are devoted to your daughter." Smiling at a thought that he was keeping to himself, Elijah stopped speaking.
"And?" Hayley waved a hand, trying to find out what else he wanted to say but had not yet.
"And I think that you're rather lovely," Elijah added just as the woman across the hall came out.
"Do you two think you can take it somewhere else? My husband needs his sleep," the woman yelled at them before slamming her own door closed.
Elijah turned to Hayley and would have begun to laugh if she had not reached out and fisted his shirt in her hand, yanking him inside with all of her strength. Hayley closed the door behind him. Pressing her lips to Elijah's, Hayley really hoped that she did not regret her actions.
Pulling away, Elijah stared down at Hayley, "Hayley, I... are you sure that this is what you want?" Hayley stared up at Elijah and nodded fervently. He did not have be told twice as he picked her up and headed toward her bedroom. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she stopped thinking about eggplants or anything else as he ripped her top open and ran his lips down her neck. No, eggplant was not on the menu in the Marshall household and Hayley was not about to voice a complaint as she yanked Elijah's shirt off and rolled on top of him. To hell with the plan. Right now, all she could see was the only Mikaelson she wanted anything from and money was the last thing on her mind.
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