Reckless Love (Elena & Damon)

9 - Overtime

I want you. All of you. On me.
Under me. Tasting me. Wanting me.

For the first time in a while, Elena was working at the bar again. For the past few weeks, Matt wasn't giving her too many shifts, and part of her thought it was his way of trying to lead her away from the bar, trying to get her to find something new to do. But it wasn't working. She didn't have anything else to do, and she couldn't see herself picking a career anytime soon. For now, she needed the bar. She needed its stability. She realized that she couldn't last on this job forever, but at 22 years old she still had no idea what job was her forever, and right now working at the bar was the only job that didn't scare the shit out of her.

'Matt, you have to give me more shifts,' Elena pleaded with her boss, during a quiet moment in the bar.

Matt stiffened up a little, but continued wiping the bar. 'I give you enough.'

Elena folded her arms across her body. 'You've been cancelling so many of them, Matt. And don't think I don't notice all the new staff you've been hiring.' 

'Just trying to get more people on board, so I can take more days off.'

'I'm happy to cover for you Matt!' Elena added, smiling sweetly at him.

Matt shook his head instantly. 'No, no. That's fine. In a few months they'll be good enough to cover me themself.'

'Why would you wait a few months when you can just start now? I'll take whatever shifts you like.' 

Matt turned to Elena, frowning at her. 'Why do you want to work here so much? You hate it here.

'Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't hate it. I, well, I love it.'

'Oh come on, Elena,' Matt replied with a scoff, and turned away from her again. 'We both know that's a lie.'

'Okay fine. I don't love it, per-say, but it's good. It's good for me.'

'It's keeping you grounded Elena,' Matt suddenly said, taking the lightheartedness out of the conversation and shocking Elena slightly with his tone. 'It's stopping you from making the life choices that you need to make.'

Elena sighed at her boss, who she knew only ever wanted the best for her, and hated that being at this bar wasn't that. 'I know you think I'm stuck in this job. But I'm not Matt. It's only temporary, I promise.'

'You said that three years ago,' he said, turning to her. 'Look, I can handle you working here, if it was what you wanted to do. But it's not Elena. You and I both know you're only settling for this.'

'Matt—'

'And as one of your life long friends, I can't let you just wither away here. You've got to get out there and find out what you really want to do,' Matt continued, pleading with Elena now.

'I'm not withering away, Matt!' Elena exclaimed, stepping closer to him. 'It's just a job. I need the money, okay?'

Matt furrowed his brow, looking down at Elena. 'I don't believe that for a second.'

Elena sighed, feeling slightly silly that she even tried to pass that off as the reason. Truth be told, Elena was doing very well for money at the moment, especially at her age. With no college bills to pay, and a large investment that her parents so lovingly left her, she wasn't really struggling at all.

'Fine Matt. Honesty hour, okay?' Elena proposed to him.

'Finally,' he replied, with a nod, 'go for it.'

'I don't know what the hell I want to do with my life,' Elena admitted, not having voiced it aloud ever before, 'and this bar is the perfect distraction from having to actually decide. Because I'm too scared to decide. I'm so young. How the hell do I know what I'll want to be doing in ten years?'