ALMOST IS NEVER ENOUGH | TVD [4]

XXXI • THE SIMPLE INTIMACY OF THE NEAR TOUCH

thirty-one. the simple intimacy of the near touch

Salvatore Boarding House

There is a series of knocks on the main front door. Rosie rushes over to answer it and Bonnie is revealed on the doorstep; dressed in a black leather coat and stunning silver necklace around her neck, carrying a large red and gold bag, a round container, and a dress, with a big smile on her happy face.

"Bonjour."

Rosie squeals happily, truly surprised, and hugs her close friend, "Ah! You're here! Ooh! How was Paris? How's Enzo? Tell me you ate all the cheese--" She helps to bring the lovely dress and sets it on an armchair in the parlor.

"And drank all the wine. And bought all the gifts."

"What? Aw, you shouldn't have." The older woman giggles adorably.

"But don't open it now. Save it until Stefan comes back. The gift is kind of wedding themed, just for you, bride-to-be." The younger one giggles as well.

"Thank you." So much. Rosie focuses in on her close friend's new stunning necklace, "Love the new necklace, by the way. It's so beautiful."

"Thank you. Enzo gave it to me on our last night in Paris."

"Mm. How sweet." The one-hundred-and-sixty-nine-year-old cooed her.

"Yeah. It's filled with blood." Bonnie earns a truly surprised look, "Enzo's." She gulps, hoping that her intuitive close friend would understand.

"I know. He's a keeper, and you're one lucky lady." Rosie complimented.

"It's morbid, isn't it? Or is it charming?" Bonnie began to mock her own boyfriend playfully, "'A mere symbol of an eternity with you, love'."

Rosie laughs slightly, Nailed it. "That seems like one very specific symbol. Are you sure that's what it is? I mean, you don't want to...you know."

"Don't worry, I'm not...I'm not turning into a vampire any time soon."

"Yeah, or ever, right? I mean, according to the Bonnie Bennett that I've always known." Rosie's cell phone rings; Bonnie sees that it's Seline.

"Um, I didn't know you still saved her number. I thought Minerva's..."

"Yeah, well, you do now. And FYI, it's only for serious purposes."

"Okay, and why would psycho siren-nanny call you?" Her friend asked.

Rosie sighs tiredly, "Apparently, she and her sister are fighting. Melodrama."

Bonnie gives her a humorous judgmental look, "And we care because...?"

The young vampire only answers the phone, "What do you want?"

****

Mystic Grill Restaurant

After the phone call, the duo and Seline are meeting up at the local place, sitting at a table for four people, "My sister's on the warpath. The artifact that she's trying to assemble has the power to kill her. That's why she's after all three pieces of the bell. Lucky for you, I already stole the biggest part."

"Okay, so did you want a congrats in person? I mean, we're due at an event." Rosie spoke, "And we have no time to get in between the sister fight."

"You have something I need. I have something you need. I have the bell. You have the tuning fork. And together, we're like chocolate and peanut butter."