Must Love Dogs

Chapter One

Hey guys! This story is an ongoing one that I also have posted on fanfiction.net. I've decided that I'll be posting it on here as well. It's a lot more playful and fluffier than my other stories. :) 

Thanks so much for reading & hope you all enjoy!

Must Love Dogs- Chapter One

"Check please!" Stefan shouted across the bar, lifting his hand up and waving the bartender over, his best friend, Caroline Forbes. Stefan glanced across the smoke filled room and watched as someone slide him another drink of whiskey across the bar table.

"Come on, brother! It's time to celebrate, not run home to that empty house of yours. You are finally a free man! By the way, how is Rebekah doing with moving out? Is she still telling you that she wants to take a chainsaw to the furniture and split it?" Damon, his older brother asked him in a joking manner as he got up from his seat and took the empty bar stool next to his younger brother, Stefan.

They had been working together since their father had signed over the real estate business to them, right after he had retired last year. But, ever since his dad, Giuseppe Salvatore had given his only sons his multi million dollar business, things had been too much for Stefan to handle, in other words- his life was falling apart and it was about to all come to a boiling point!

"She says I work too much. That ever since I took over dad's SD Realty Firm that I haven't been paying that much attention to her. It's funny, because I feel like I have. At least she's taking everything she owns with her!" Stefan told his brother, leaning over his drink as he exhaled deeply and placed his hand on to the half filled glass in front of him.

"So, I take it that the divorce is finalized?" Damon asked him, watching as Stefan nodded, slipping off his wedding ring that he had still been wearing ever since Rebekah, his ex-wife had called off their nearly 5 year marriage just a few months ago.

" Yeah and now,I'm a 26 years old divorcé. I have a multi million dollar company to run and a ton of paper work to fill out for our next project here in the Florida Keys and now, my wife- the girl that I've loved ever since we met in High School has decided that we have inconsiderable differences. Damon, this isn't how I pictured my life. But, at least I'll have the house." Stefan said, finally picking up the drink in his hands and slamming it back, feeling the alcohol burn down his throat as he inhaled sharply.

Damon watched with curious eyes when his brother got up, leaving a $20 dollar tip on the counter, straightening out his dark blue suit and exhaling deeply. It was a little past 10:30 on a Tuesday night and yet, he figured that he should go home and see if Rebekah had left anything valuable for him, in her attempt at moving out of their house that was on the other side of town.

"Are you okay to drive?" A woman's voice stopped Stefan in his tracks as he spun around and looked up. Stefan's green hazy eyes met a pair of dark blue and bright eyes as she twirled her long blonde hair in between her fingers and smiled up at him.

"I'm fine, Caroline. And, don't worry. Put my bill on the company tab. I'll see you tomorrow." He told her, shoving his hands into his pockets and brushing past her when she stepped to the side and looked over at Damon, walking over to him slowly.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked him, noticing that Stefan wasn't his usual happy self whenever he'd seen her or been at the bar that she worked at. She was his best friend since they were little kids. If anyone knew Stefan more than any one else in his life, It was Caroline Forbes. They knew everything about each other, from embarrassing stories to heartbreaking ones, from drunken fueled night hook ups with people neither of them really liked and all the moments in between.