The Red Herring Revives: A Mikaelson Love Story

Chapter 3: Everybody Knows Klaus

~Klaus POV~

Klaus waltzed into the bar and there she was. She looked as beautiful as she had on the first day he had met her. Her eyes gleamed as she tilted her head back, teeming with laughter.

~Iliana POV~

I had completely accommodated to my new living situation in New Orleans. I was taking a break from acting, I had a great house and Cami and I had gotten close thanks to our shared misery of familial loss. Elena still had her humanity off and Jer was still...gone. I wished I could tell someone about what I was really going through but that was the life I had signed up to. At least I didn't have to think about it in New Orleans. My number one focus right now was the guy who had insisted on receiving singing lessons from me. Marcel.

Marcel got off the stage and waltzed over to me as I sat at the bar waiting for Cami to come back from the kitchen space.

"So how was that, Coach?" Marcel asked as he came up to me with a wide grin.

"Embarrassing." I told him with a shrug. "Your form is sub par."

"Ouch."

"You asked me to teach you because I'm good at what I do. And when you become good, you'll be grateful." I told him with a shrug.

"You're pretty sexy when you're strict." Marcel replied with his winning smile.

"Marcel, if you want to take me on a date, you should just ask." I said with a winning smile of my own.

"Okay Melody, what do you say to dinner tonight at 8?"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you should ask, not that I'd say yes." I said with a smirk that made him chuckle. "Oh, come on Marcel, you can't handle me as your singing teacher let alone anywhere else."

"You'd be surprised."

"I don't think I would be." I continued, making him pout. "You've got so much further to come before you even get a shot at me."

"Iliana. You're—you're here." I froze as I heard his voice. I slowly turned to face him and there he was, with a small smile on his face. I wanted to return it but I couldn't. It would blow my secret.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you're looking for." I said with a fake smile as Cami entered to my relief. "But the bartender, Cami, she knows everyone here, you should ask her about this Iliana person."

He nodded in understanding before writing down on a piece of paper and handing it to my friend. I looked back to Marcel and saw he had the same look on his face as I did. He knew Klaus too.

"I'll call you later tonight, okay Mel?"

"I probably won't answer." He chuckled and I noticed Klaus glaring at the two of us. I rolled my eyes as Marcel pulled Klaus away and focused my attention on my confused friend.

"What was that about?" She asked me worriedly. "Because that hot British guy just came in and called you by your real name!"

"He's my ex." I explained. "Kinda. I don't know. It's complicated."

"Well you better make up your mind and lock him down or else, I will." She said with a light laugh as she handed me the paper. "What's it say?"

"You didn't read it?" I asked her sceptically.

"This all happened literally seconds ago, I didn't get a chance." She said with an eager gaze.

"Meet me where the best secrets are kept at 8." I read aloud. I let out a small laugh as I thought back to when things were so much easier between the two of us.