Simple Secrets || N. Mikaelson

~20~

✧✶⭒☆⭒✶✧

Talia stepped into the motel room she had rented during her visit to New Orleans. She tugged on a black cocktail dress and got to work straightening and styling her hair. After spending a large part of the morning with Marcel, he finally had to leave again and she explored the city.

After a few hours, she had returned to her motel, the dinner with Marcel in only two hours.

As the brunette zipped up the dress, her dark gaze located the lean figure of her soulmate resting against the wall behind her. "What do you want, Nik?"

"You're dressed up, where are you going?"

She looked back at him, at his pale gaze that ran down her body emotionlessly to his crossed arms and legs. He was furious, but he didn't show it. "I have a date."

"Not with Marcellus, I hope. He is our enemy, Talia, if you remember." He tightened his crossed arms and she rolled her dark eyes as she applied mascara to her eyelashes.

Moving forwards, Klaus came to a stop a foot behind her, waiting for her reply. She drew the silence out between them until his patience was coming to an end and then slowly spoke, enunciating her words with care. "Mm, I remember. I also remember how you had set me free from your family, Niklaus. I have one year and nothing lose, if I want to sleep with a hot, sexy vampire, I will." She winked and moved past him, grabbing her clutch. "Good-bye, Klaus."

He sucked his teeth and moved around her, heading out the door and she soon followed, the duo heading in different directions.

She didn't care much about who she might run into, if she was gonna be jumped by vampires again. Marcel was the King of the Quarter and on the off chance that vampires did try to drink her blood, she had no doubt he wouldn't be far behind.

Her fingers lifted the brush the silver necklace around her neck when she realized it was gone. Shit, shit, shit.

Fuck, it must've fallen off when she was with Marcel last night. She'd have to find it, ASAP. If Marcel learned that she was connected to Klaus . . .

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the man himself slipped from the crowd, falling into step next to her. "Hello, Talia. Damn, girl, you look . . . you look wow." Marcel enunciated the 'wow', his dark eyes wandering from her long legs up to her straightened hair that tumbled down her back.

"Ditto," Talia replied, examining his dark pants and then working up to the gray v-neck. His outfits were remarkably similar to Klaus's, probably because Klaus did raise the man. That made her nose scrunch slightly at the thought of how her soulmate was the 'father' to the man she was on a date with. Gross. "Dinner?"

He nodded, steering her down another street. "How do you feel about seafood? I haven't picked out a restaurant yet, but there's a really good sushi place-"

"I'm allergic to seafood," Talia laughed and Marcel nodded, reorienting his words.

"-That sucks because I hate sushi." The vampire grinned widely down at her, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "Alright, how about steak?"

Talia grinned, resting against him as they walked, their hips bumping with every step. "I love steak." She had missed this, a normal, human relationship. Even if he was a vampire and they were lying to each other.

He lead her to a small corner restaurant, white tablecloths and silverware, but those were the fanciest things. The ambience was warm and quiet, the entire room holding an almost orangey glow and something about it made her keep her voice down as they settled at a table.