"Anything else I can get for you Mr. Bass?"
Chuck ran a hand along the tall flight attendant's leg.
"Perhaps…"
And with a naughty grin he let his hand disappear up her skirt.
"JASLIN! Jaslin would you mind giving the young lady a hand?"
Jaslin sighed in frustration. She pulled away and left Chuck with an apologetic smile.
With a frustrated sigh of his own Chuck reclaimed his scotch and leaned back in his seat. He smirked to himself, delighted at his choice of afternoon snack. He would've preferred devouring Jaslin at the luxury of his private jet, but it was at this moment put to better use. The first class bathroom would have to do.
Still smirking Chuck turned in his chair, wanting to take enjoyment as always in attractive flight attendants. His eyes however were drawn not to the figures of Jaslin and her friend, but the commotion at hand on the plane.
This commotion was in the shape of a girl. A very tall girl with a long main of messy blond waves. She had on a loose milky shirt dress that hung off her left shoulder matched with gold ballerina flats and a pair of bare creamy legs stretched all the way to the Arctic.
"Madam would you like some help?"
"May I take you bags Madam?"
The girl paid them little mind and continued on down the aisle, balancing with much difficulty her large Chanel purse with a matching even larger traveler's bag, a Starbucks paper bag presumably containing her breakfast, a copy of Vogue, and a large Starbucks coffee which she sipped at frequently as she chattered in rapid French on the cell phone she held between her bare shoulder and left ear.
"Madam please let me help you."
Jaslin cried when the girl nearly whacked an old business man with her large purse and poured hot coffee on another's lab.
"It's fine. It's fine."
The girl waved off the attendants and continued on in her path and on her heated conversation. Though she did pause to offer the poor men her most sincere apologetic smile. A dazzle of those pearly whites and neither man felt particularly wronged. And so she kept on with the flustered attendants on her tail and came to a stop finally at the seat beside Chuck's.
Chuck Bass had never met anyone like her. She was like a walking hurricane. And yet somehow stunningly so. For, in spite her wrinkled Prada dress and between her too big bags the girl still managed to look divine, good enough to be strolling down a runway…even though she occasionally stumbled in her walk.
Chuck watched in amusement at her attempts to settle her things. Twice she scorched herself by spilling coffee and trice she spilled contents from one or more of her bags. Holding back a laugh Chuck reached down to the item that had reached his chair. Picking it up he grinned.
It was an old copy of Pride and Prejudice with an interesting roll of something used as a bookmark.
"Austen and condoms."
Chuck reached out to the blonde, holding out her belongings.
"Where have you been all my life?"
The blonde blushed under his stare. She snatched her things back with a muttered thanks and at last collapsed onto her large comfortable seat.
"Charles Bass."
She stared at his outstretched hand for a split second before covering it with her own. She gave him an odd little restrained smile.
"Catherine Deneuve."
Chuck raised his eyebrows at this and she laughed.
"Mother named me after my grandmother, and yes the Catherine Deneuve."
"In that case," Chuck muttered bringing her cold smooth hand to his lips, "your grandmother was my childhood crush. I had watched all her old movies…"
What Chuck wouldn't tell Catherine was that the Deneuve DVDs were the only thing of hers his own mother had left behind. Catherine was to him what Audrey was to Blair.
"I must say you are every bit as lovely…and far more delicious."
Catherine stuck a finger off the hand he had just released into her mouth and sucked thoughtfully.
"Yummy," she mocked. And they both laughed.
"Bad breakup?"
Chuck pointed to her discarded phone.
"You heard? Yeah, well not that bad. He ditched me to go to Madrid and I'm leaving Barcelona for good. I'd say we're even."
"He sounds like quite the catch."
"Well he is, usually," she said with a queer little laugh, "but he isn't about to win 'father of the year' anytime soon."
Chuck stared at her in shock.
"That was your…father?"
Catherine nodded and laughed again at his expression.
"Papa was 19 when I was borne. We're quite an eccentric family, much less formal than would be expected."
It was Chuck's turn to smile.
"Are your parents married now?"
"They never were. Mother was busy chasing her modeling career and father was a rich playboy…hell, he still is."
"Tragic," Chuck said with a laugh.
Catherine laughed too.
"So Charles Bass, what business do you have in New York?"
Chuck looked away, the corners of his lips slowly forming the trademark Bass smirk.
"My best friend is getting married. And I have one hell of a wedding present for him."
XXX
11:00 am New York
"I don't understand why she can't be bothered to come see me. The Bass jet landed yesterday morning, she has had enough rest—yes, yes darling. I did. Mother had to step in actually, change the entire centerpiece…"
Blair glared darkly at her freshly manicured nails. This day was not at all going as planned.
"Look Nate I love for trying to get my mind off of this but not even ten grand worth of table decors can make me forget how ill Serena is treating me. She is my maid of honor and so far honor is the last thing I have received from that woman."
"I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation for all this Blair. And in any case, let's not waste our morning in disagreement. How bout you join me over for lunch. My client has time only for drinks and you know how much I dislike eating alone. What do you say sweetheart?"
Blair smiled brightly at this. Nate, there was at least someone she could truly count on.
"Of course I will."
Blair hung up the phone her mood a little lighter than when she had first called Nate.
Despite her annoyance at Serena's distant and odd behavior, Blair found herself smiling for the first time that day. She really was glad to see Nate before the end of the business hours. With the wedding planning and his job they didn't spend nearly as much time as they wanted together. Lunch dates like this were a rare pleasure, and rarer even were afternoon delights... Perhaps today Blair could convince Nate to cut their lunch short and head back to their apartment for legitimate couple time. Blair grinned to herself.
A half hour after Nate's call Blair was dressed and ready. Red gloss, her Chanel purse and a cab ride later and Blair was at the said place. She smoothen the skirt of her sundress and ran a quick hand through her hair before entering.
It took Blair no time to spot Nate. As always he was the most handsome man there…except today he wasn't. With a shocked gasp Blair realized that no other than Chuck Bass was seated right next to her fiancé.
Blair's first reaction was to leave; she could sneak out and call Nate with an excuse of sorts...but too late. The boys had spotted her.
Inhaling a deep breath, Blair offered an elegant wave and started towards their table with a shaky step.
Blair, unlike Nate, had not seen Chuck since their Yale graduation and had no pleasure in doing so now. Things had ended sorely between them and last she knew Chuck hated her a great deal more than she hated him.
This however had to be done. Pleasantries were to be made and civilities had to be established. It would not do for the bride and the best man to not get along. Anything for the wedding, Blair thought darkly.
"Chuck, it's been a while," Blair said with a plastered smile as she held out a hand.
Chuck laughed. He got up and pulled her into a hug. He kissed her on each cheek and finally let go turning to Nate with a smirk.
"She looks good man."
Nate grinned back.
"She does."
Blair stared between the boys and finally decided to sit back down. She had no idea what that was about. Last she had seen Chuck he uttered to her unforgivable words…and now this? Perhaps Chuck Bass had done the impossible and actually grown up.
"…she said something about a job at Vogue."
"So what's the verdict, Bass?"
"I dunno. She was insanely hot…but she also gave me 3rd degree burns. It's something to think about."
The boys shared a laugh when they noticed Blair's bewildered expression. Chuck quickly explained about the girl he had met on the plane. Blair gave him a tight smile and inquired about his business at this particular restaurant, hoping beyond hope that one of his whores (plane whore in this case) would not be joining them at their table.
"I'm just lunching out with family. They should be here soon…"
Blair sighed in relief, then in annoyance. She wondered if Serena would be amongst Chuck's party. The girl had refused Blair's offer for lunch, it would be too much to see herself being ditched for the likes of Chuck—
"Papa!"
The voice of a little girl jogged Blair from her thoughts. She turned to see the body to which the voice belonged to being heaved up and placed onto Chuck's lap. Blair stared at him and her in absolute and utter shock. No—NO! He couldn't have—no!
XXX
"My god Bass, is she yours?" Nate stared at the beautiful little brunette in Chuck's lap in shock.
Chuck paid him no mind and instead nuzzled his little girl's curly haired head.
"Miss me papa?"
The little girl, Dinah Bass, stared up at her daddy with a pout.
"'course I did sweetheart. I missed you so very much, so very very much."
Little Dinah giggled under her father's many kisses and rose budded her own lips to place tiny wet pecks, twice on each of his cheeks. Just as he had thought her, just as it was standard in France.
"Where is Aunty Serena?"
Dinah gave her father a dimpled smile and urged his head close so she could whisper the answer to him. Chuck pulled back with a laugh. He craned his neck around to get a look at this 'nice gentleman'. He found her easy enough; blond perfect and beautiful...and chatting up a young stockbroker a few tables away.
"Indeed."
"Chuck," said the murderously sweet voice of Blair, who had not yet had enough control over herself to talk. "Who is she?"
Dinah stared back at her daddy with trembling lips, sensing that the lady did not like her.
"Dinah? Dinah sweetie what's wrong?"
Chuck rubbed her back soothingly just as she liked it, but there was no stopping the tears that had gathered in those wide hazel eyes. Soon Dinah was sobbing silently onto her father's chest, her hands clutching tiny fistfuls of his polo underneath his pale pastel cardigan.
Chuck smiled apologetically at his friends, of whom Blair looked on the verge of tears herself, having sensed that she had caused the little girl's grief.
"She is very sensitive, and especially with women. My little Dinah has mommy issues."
Nate still nothing short of bewildered, offered Dinah a warm pat of his own, and inquired after her mother from Chuck. But Chuck's face darkened and he made it clear that he had no intention to speak about her.
It was at this moment when Serena appeared. She gave all her sugary greetings (receiving a bitter comment along with a death glare from Blair) and crouched down to whisper soothing words to little Dinah. But it was in vain. Dinah simply did not want to be anywhere near Blair. Even at her young age she was so very self conscious and the thought that someone did not like her was a disturbing thought indeed. So she sobbed (quietly so as not to disrupt others) and trembled against her father until Chuck and Serena thought it best to lunch elsewhere.
Left to their own devices, Blair poked and prodded in disinterest at her food. She hardly listened to Nate and all thoughts of their lunch break shag had completely left her mind.
Nate smiled at her sympathetically.
"Dinah just misses her mother Blair. It had nothing to do with you."
He reached out and covered her left hand with his own, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"One day you're going to be a fantastic mother sweetheart."
Blair looked up and into his reassuring blue eyes. She forced herself to smile…but it came as a sob.
Trembling slightly, Blair got to her feet and excused herself. And thankfully she did not breakdown until after having reached the bathroom.
XXX
A/N: According to the gossip girl blog Catherine Deneuve is apparently Chuck Bass' childhood crush . I love how Chuckles has such a great taste! :)