Around five the office was a hum of activity as people packed it in for the day. Caroline heard the drone of conversations about dinner plans, movie night plans involving boyfriends and glared at her mobile phone. There wasn't one missed call from Stefan, not that she wanted one. She dropped the phone back in her bag and stripped off her ankle boots. She stored an extra pair of stilettos in the drawer of her desk in case she should snap a heel. Today the extra shoes were going to come in handy because her boots weren't glamorous enough for dinner at Rush followed by some art thing. Pulling open the drawer, she retrieved a pair of Louboutin spiked leather pumps and slipped into them.

Then feeling nervously agitated, she took out her hand mirror from her bag and flicked it open in order to examine her face. She looked tired like she'd just worked a sixteen hour day instead of eight hours.

She ran a tongue over the front teeth, followed this with her index finger and tried to smile into the mirror. After a quick toss of her hair and a fresh coat of lipstick, she was ready for a night out on the town.

..

When the cab pulled up in front of Rush, the place was already packed. Caroline could see the post-work crowd from the windows facing the street. Crisp air washed over them as soon as they climbed out of the cab but Caroline made sure to leave her coat unbuttoned so she could show off her black boat-neck dress with its scalloped hem. Bonnie, with her coat casually thrown over her arm was still in her pencil skirt but she'd traded her blue Oxford shirt for a sheer blouse unbuttoned low enough that her lace bra peeked out in front. Krysten dressed in slim boyfriend jeans, a lace teddy worn as a top and an oversized leather coat draped over her shoulders, walked ahead of them.

Caroline loved the vibe at Rush and as soon as they crossed over the threshold, a surge of energy pulsed through her. As per its norm, the restaurant had a higher ratio of men than women. The men came for the great steak and the drinks weren't too expensive plus people could hear themselves speak over the music.

They snaked their way through the crowd as a hostess led them to a table. They never had to wait for a table because aside from being regulars, Katherine was an entertainment writer who knew all the trendiest places in town. She was the in the know gossip and entertainment columnist for Scarlet magazine and had the golden key to the city. Katherine's clout by extension belonged to all three of them. There were nights that Caroline felt like they owned Manhattan that the city was for the taking and tonight felt like one of those nights. If only she could push the unfortunate evening with Stefan at the back of her mind but it was still eating away at her.

The tables were placed close together so they had to squeeze past other diners enjoying their wine and their boisterous conversation. When they finally sat down, Caroline sighed with relief as she hung her coat on the back of her chair. She glanced around the space and drank in the electric atmosphere before picking up her menu from the table. They ordered a round of mulled wine because it was too cold for cherry mojitos.

"I've lost my orgasm." Katherine broadcasted as soon as their server left to collect their drinks.

"Care to elaborate?" Bonnie leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"Normally I can feel it rolling through my body, my entire body shaking as I come but this morning, nothing. "

"Have you had this problem before with uhm…?" Bonnie snapped her fingers as she tried to remember the name of Kat's latest conquest.

"Lucien and no-well I mean it's only the second time I've fucked him but the first time was great."

"And when was the first time?"

"Last night after our dinner at Mamba."

"And how long have you been dating this guy?"

"Counting New Year's Eve and this morning? It's been four days." Kat smiled, "We met at that crazy party in Midtown. Don't you remember? He kissed me at midnight"

Leaning back in her chair so the waiter could put her drink on the table in front of her, Bonnie said "Well maybe the sex has become perfunctory after four days."

"Gee thanks."

Taking her first sip, Bonnie mulled around the topic before adding, "The brain is the largest sex organ"

"Are you saying I'm not fascinating enough?" Kat mocked shock and took her own comforting sip from her glass.

"Have you tried doggy style? It's supposed to be perfect for clitoral stimulation." Bonnie shot her a glance, flicking back her long, eye-grazing bangs from her intense green eyes.

"Doggy style? Are you sure that's the correct clinical term?" Caroline gave Bonnie a look over the top of menu. Finally she snapped the menu shut and glared at her two best friends.

"Can we have one evening when we don't discuss men, sex or relationships?" she snapped, grabbing her glass and taking a greedy gulp.

"Aren't you writing an assignment about men, sex and relationships?"

"I'm not doing it?" she said. She refused to go out there again, no more bastards for her, Jo Parker be damned.

"So, what are you going to do about your writing assignment?"

"I'll just ask my wonderful friends to go out there; try to find the one and report back."

"That's cheating."

"I don't care."

"You're not gonna miss all this?" Kat waved her arm, indicating to the restaurant teeming with men.

"I'm not gonna stop socializing Kat, I'll just refrain from associating with men, cuddling, kissing and falling in love."

"No sex?"

"Is sex really that important?" she shrugged. When Katherine gasped, Caroline knew she'd gone overboard and that there was no turning back.

"I'm just saying that prince charming slayed a dragon for his lady love and men these days can't even offer to buy you a drink." Caroline gestured to an adjacent table to them sitting four men. She recognized two of the men to be staff from Urbane Man Magazine, their brother publication. She wondered if Stefan would make an appearance as he wrote a dating column for the magazine. As a writer of such gems like How to breakup via text and How to have a hassle free one night stand, it's no wonder their little escape had turned out the way it did. Stefan Salvatore, the suave dating expert from Urbane Man Magazine, she snorted and took another sip of her drink.

"Do you buy them drinks?" Katherine asked, snapping her back to reality.

"Of course not!" Caroline cracked back and busied herself with her napkin.

Cool as a glacier, Bonnie smiled and asked "And why not?"

"Because it's not customary for a woman to buy a man drinks. Women need to be wooed." Caroline's gaze scurried from Bonnie to Katherine.

With a shrug, Katherine took another eager sip of her drink and noted "Wooing is a relative term. I'll take a round of tequila shots at the trendiest bar in the city and call it wooing."

"I just expect more." Caroline whined. She looked at her friends and wondered when women had gotten like this. When had they become too dependent on men for their happiness? Tabloid headline always stated that a certain celebrity was looking refreshed and happy and so a new man had to be in her life. It couldn't be anything else, no self-actualization or something profound like that. No, she was happy because a new dick was fucking her.

Brilliant.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie pulled her from her thoughts.

"Yeah why?"

"I don't know. You haven't been the same since the New Year's Eve party"

"I'm fine."

The server brought out a trio of hanger steaks and a side plate of fries and a big salad. Digging into the food, Caroline looked around her again, drinking in the energy of the room. She'd always been the one to tell women to keep the faith, that their Mr. Right was somewhere out there waiting for them.

Now she was the one who had lost that faith.

..

They decided to walk the three blocks to the gallery. The night was young and the energy from the neighborhood filtered through them as they strolled down a street lined with boisterous bars and restaurants chockfull of glamorous people. When they finally reached the Robert Chadwick gallery, Caroline thrust out her chest and entered the gallery. She still wanted to make an impression even though she wasn't interested in having anyone approach her. The place was buzzing with an art crowd who kept pausing in front of pieces illuminated by pools of light.

After a few minutes of idle chatter, quaffing down free glasses of red wine and glaring at edgy pieces dominated by the color red, she spotted the fair stranger from the cab in the middle of the floor. He was talking to an older refined couple, explaining something to them. He looked devastatingly sexy with his rumpled hair and a cream cable knit sweater teamed with faded jeans, ripped at the knees. Caroline bet that he'd slept with half the city's female population in Manhattan and possibly London.

Spotting her, his eyes widened before settling into a pair of roguish slits paired with a wolfish smile. As he crossed the room, Caroline snatched another glass from a passing server and drained half of it then taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and feigned indifference. He stood in front of her, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans and said nothing. Undeterred by his wolfish smile, she continued to meet his gaze, determined to win the staring contest.

"Does it turn you on?" he finally spoke, signaling to the painting in front of her. A painting she hadn't noticed until he spoke of it.

Her mind was racing. What was here doing here? Of all the galleries in Manhattan he had to be at this one.

She was about to open her mouth when he chuckled, palming the back of his head and said, "You think its rubbish."

She was completely blank for a moment, just standing there and staring at the faint smile gracing the corners of his beautiful lips. She tried to remember the art terms she'd learnt in high school when she'd taken that stupid art class to please her mother but everything was jumbled up inside her head. Why did she care to impress him with art jargon anyway? She didn't care what he thought of her.

"You can tell me if you think its rubbish." he smiled sheepishly looking from her to the piece then back to her.

"Does this place serve any cherry mojitos?" she blurted out.

"I realize the lighting is shit, love but this is in fact an art gallery not a bar." Klaus looked at her questioningly but the sheepish grin never left his face.

"And what's that, the essence of art?" she gestured with her chin to a knot of guts suspended mid-air on guitar strings.

"I call that one the breakup." He deadpanned. She tried not to like the tease but her stomach was already doing flip flops.

"Well hung and messy. You've sold me. "She quipped, ignoring the shiver at the base of the spine.

"I might just cultivate an art collection after this" she said, and then turning her attention back to the painting she asked, "So you're the artist?"

"That would be correct."

"You're right, it really is shit." She lifted her glass to hide her smile behind it but when she turned to face him again, lowering her glass, his eyes drifted to her mouth making her forget herself again.

"Have dinner with me." He said, running his thumb over his bottom lip. She stared, her gaze fixed where his thumb trailed and swallowed. Lifting her gaze back to his, she curved her lips upward and turned her attention back to the painting.

She took a sip from her glass and said "You're barking up the wrong tree"

"You betting for the other team?" he asked, signaling to a woman in a blue dress across the room.

Shaking her head, Caroline lifted her chin and smiled, "I'm betting for team Caroline."

"I don't get it."

"I don't date."

"Great, I don't date either."

"You just asked me out to dinner."

"Dinner is not a date, sweetheart. It's just two people enjoying a meal together."

"Oh I get it. You want me to share your bed, have fun as you would term it and then what, end it ceremoniously after you've had your fill of me?" she snorted, laughing flatly, Guess what, not every woman in New York wants to share your bed?"

"How about just being my muse then?" he suggested and when she said nothing, he explained, "You know you can be friends with men, you don't necessarily have to date them."

She stole a glance at him and let through a faint smile.

Klaus continued his sell, "You can walk us, pat us, feed us and spill all your dirty little secrets and we won't tell a soul."

Caroline scrunched her forehead, "Are you saying that I'm judging men unfairly?"

"Caroline!" Katherine bellowed, striding toward them, "there you are."

"Caroline" Klaus repeated and the way her name sounded when spoken by him made her stomach clench with a mixture of lust and excitement.

"I like your voice" Katherine smiled up at Klaus and gestured to the painting, "your work speaks to me."

"Thank you." He said politely then resumed eye contact with Caroline.

"You're very welcome. A beautiful gift should be appreciated" Kat continued, her gaze drifting from the top of his messy hair to his jeans.

"Oh yeah, you wanna buy some art?" he asked and Caroline could see the reluctant twitch of his lips as he fought a smile.

"Will you look at that?" Kat motioned toward the entrance at a man entering looking quite lost, "an old acquaintance."

Caroline clutched her little purse closer to her chest and drained her glass. She set it down on a tray as a waiter brushed past her and cast a glance over Klaus's shoulder. A tall blonde with endless legs stood in front of another piece, she was talking to a few patrons but her eyes never left Klaus and Caroline.

"Your crowd awaits you." Caroline pointed at her with her chin.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, he said "They can sod off"

"Quite a salesman you are, "she pressed her lips together, her gaze sliding to meet his head-on, "good-night."

Before he could stop her, she walked with purpose, marching out of the gallery and into the cold evening air.

..

Throwing herself inside her tiny apartment, she switched on the overhead light, kicked off her shoes and unfolded her bed from the wall. She flung herself onto the single bed and stared up at her ceiling.

After contemplating whether to strip off her clothes and face the wrath of her cold apartment, she decided to remain in her coat. She hated the apartment but with her measly salary and her penchant for designer labels it was all she could afford. Propping herself up against a pile of pillows, she snatched a packet of chips from her nightstand and chewed violently while she glared at the tiny plastic needled Christmas tree holding one corner of the room. It was the sorriest looking Christmas tree and she'd meant to throw it out two days after Christmas but somehow she ended up feeling sorry for the thing.

An hour later, she still couldn't sleep and so she rifled through her cabinet for some cooking sherry. Three short glasses later, she was out like a light.

..

It was three in the morning when Klaus decided to take a shower. He hadn't felt like a night on the piss and so had decided to go back to his loft and worry freely about the reviews of the show. What if they thought he was a talentless tit?

He slung a towel around his neck and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He couldn't sleep, he hasn't been able to sleep in months but it was nothing new. He always got like that when he was working on a new project.

He'd be fine, he thought raking a hand through his hair. He just needed to get through the reviews and he'd be fine.

..