Perfect Match

Chapter 4

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The plane ride was smooth. Stefan slept through most of it except for the fact that his head was on Elena's shoulder most of the time. Yes, she was extremely comfortable, he decided, but at one point she got up to go to the bathroom; the second she moved just an inch, he blinked and groaned.
He remembered hearing Elena telling him to go back to sleep, and he did, as soon as she returned. The next thing he knew they were being ushered off of the plane and back into a limo, where they discussed what to say and how to say it. The ride was short, and Stefan wordlessly watched Elena most the time, enjoying the way her mouth formed a little "o" as she looked in awe at the Californian palm trees outside.

Now, they were walking into a large, modern house with beautiful, white leather couches in the sitting area. The downstairs itself was beautiful, not to mention the fact that about ten feet above the floor was a balcony from upstairs, its wired barrier spun in an intricate design of gray-blue flowers. Stefan's jaw dropped in amazement.

"I guess we're the first couple here," he acknowledged with a smile. Elena grinned widely, her hair gently flowing behind her when she swiftly turned her head to the back.

"Second," she laughed, gesturing to the couple already making out on one of the beach chairs by the pool. Stefan bit his lip as the reality of this situation really started to sink in.

"We're really going to have to make this believable." His words were full of anxiety, making Elena sigh and reach for his hand, the one action that seemed to be calming his nerves all day. Her soft fingers through his were the only solace that could relax his conscience and stress. Without even thinking about it, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he ever so lightly traced patterns into the back of her palm.

"I'm gonna go look for some people to introduce myself," Elena finally said. "Maybe you should go figure out the sleeping arrangements. I'll see you in a few. Okay?" Glancing back at the couple still passionately in their own world, she bit her lip and leaned up on her tip toes so that she could kiss him. He gasped a little bit when her lips met his for the second time that day, but once again it was quick and he was thankful for that. One more moment and it would have been nearly impossible to not put every last ounce of passion he had into their locked lips; it would be a dead giveaway of his feelings for her, and he did not want to see her reaction to that. Obviously, she'd be freaked out.

"'Okay," he mumbled.

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Elena wandered around the house, finding simple things like bathrooms and cabinets while couples began to pour in. To start off with, there were three other couples and three singles: two guys and a girl, who was running late.

The first pair Elena ran into was Janie and Jem, a man and a woman both in their mid twenties. Janie had a shimmering engagement ring on her finger and her handshake was firm. "It's really nice to meet you. I love your earrings," Janie had complimented politely. She didn't seem very competitive, and Elena figured she might be friends with her eventually.
Then there was Mia and Peter, the couple that was kissing in the beach chairs. Both looking as if they were straight out of a magazine, they were only concentrated on each other. A stereotypical, blinded-by-love relationship, Elena figured bitterly.

She also met a polite girl around her age named Eliza. She shook Elena's hand with a soft grip and said her boyfriend, Brad was already upstairs to find the best room.

The two single guys were very attractive, to say the least, Elena realized as she glanced over at them across the room. With light hair gelled up, they looked like Stefan wannabes, she thought with a giggle. Of course, they definitely weren't Stefan; no one could compare to the gorgeous man she considered to be her closest friend. Sure, maybe those guys looked pretty, but not in the unique, breathtaking way that Stefan did. Just the thought of him was enough to make her impatiently say goodbye to the new people downstairs just to see what he was up to.