I am warning you, that this is not the typical Dan and Serena's storyline. In fact, it is not about Dan and Serena at all. It's about a boy who is living the life simply to please everyone around him, and about a girl who is pursuing her dream in the concrete jungle and hated by every colleagues in her office for her drive of success.
The Upper East Side, 5th Avenue road.
On a typical morning commute from The Upper East Side to West Village, will take Serena Van Der Woodsen 40 minutes in the limo to her office and every morning too her normal routine is to read the "Daily Intel", she doesn't care of what other people talk about it. It's a tabloid and like a drug to her to read. There's a column in the newspaper that she's interested in filing in. A questionnaire. Should she do such a thing? She look outside the window and to see if she has the time to fill it in, oh right? She said to herself, she does!
The last five questions, is the hardest for her to answer and not because she's stupid and don't know how to answer the question but she's just to scared to know the answer or the results from it all. "get it over and done with?" she said to herself "I'm done!" she announce and check for the marks she get.
"YOU'RE A VERY STRESSED OUT WOMAN, A RELATIONSHIP NOW IS NOT AN ANSWER. THE GUY YOU'RE WITH (IF ANY) IS JUST A QUESTION OF PEER PRESSURE, YOU'RE SCARED TO BE ALONE AND TO KNOW YOURSELF YOU NEED TO STOP PUSHING AND START LIVING" she read the answer and disappointed about it "it's so obvious this article is made for losers, ridiculous" she tossed the paper next to her and step off the limo.
"Good Morning, Boss" many echoed since she step into the building, to the elevator, to the front of her office and to her table.
"You're late again?" Vanessa standing beside her desk with blackberry attached to her hand, typing "don't forget you have a lot of appointments today?" she said again, not giving the chance for her manager to inhale from not so fresh air in her office.
"I know" she finally said something, putting her handbag down at her chair, and untie her Burberry trench coat that she just bought from Paris "I have loads of work and I... we're going to do this!" she said, looking at Vanessa as she on her computer and typing her password "anything else that I need to know about my week?" she asked smiling while typing again on her office email password and not so surprise by her 50 emails that haven't been read.
"What did I tell you, get a Blackberry" Vanessa said.
"Actually..." she force herself to smile.
"Remember we have that thing this weekend? Remember?"
"What thing?" she said not concentrating on Vanessa, while she's checking her emails "Greg, can't make it again this month" telling Vanessa how her boyfriend can't make it back again this month.
"A'ah, again!" Vanessa said raising her eyebrow "this is not the first time."
"I know but this is what we are committed to before started seeing each other"
"Becareful S, you might be married in the next 10 years and still be alone at home waiting for him to come home and worst of all, you're going to be married and not single anymore"
"Whatever!"
"Listen, I already made a reservation at a small Inn for Friday. Jason will be driving us down"
"Wait, is that this weekend?" Serena asked and shakes her head "I forgot."
"Of course you do!" Vanessa said with a disappointment tone "our big boss is giving us, the summer off since for three years all we did is work. So let have fun ok!"
"I'll be there!"
Yale University, New Haven. (Friday)
"You're packing?" A girl enters Dan's room without knocking, which leave him speechless. She is not just a typical girl; she is the girl who broke Dan's heart "can we talk?" as she try to put her hand on Dan's shoulder, he took a step back.
"There's nothing for us to talk about" Dan said without looking at her "you're not supposed to be here."
"Please, I need to talk to you and explain"
"There's nothing for you to explain, I saw you two" he said again but now, with full of anger "I trusted you!"
"I know..." she started crying "you can't leave."
"It's summer break, I'll be back after three months." He said nodding his head "but we are still dunzo, done and over!"
"We can work things out"
"We'll see. I have to go" he said without any sympathy towards her.
Dan Humphrey, a typical Yale student. He doesn't want much in his life but to make his parents happy. He had a girlfriend who is the talk of the college, how he got her? Long story, but to make it short, they met when they both were a freshman doing undergraduate and now he's taking his residency placement in Yale's Hospital whereas, Jane Jones is doing her bar exam to be a lawyer. He loves her, no doubt about that but she cheated on him? How can he forgive her? He hit the phone and sent her a text message saying, he's going off for two weeks and good luck in her exam. He cares? No doubt.
The journey to go to Rockport is not far from New Haven, less than an hour. In that hour, he keeps on looping the same track over and over again. His home town is small, anyone and everyone knows each other. He look to his right, he can see the ocean smiling at him and say welcome back and on his right, is his favourite pizza place "mystic pizza". How he misses home.
He pulled off his car on the side of Vista Bed and Breakfast Inn where he will always be when he's in town and a small girl smile at him and run towards with an open arms "oh boy! You're heavy" he said kissing her cheek "where's mom?" he asked putting his little sister down.
"She's inside, having some problems with some New Yorkers" she said peeking inside her brother's car "no prezzie for me?" she said with a sad tone.
"New Yorkers?" he said softly "let me get change and help mom, I'll give you your gift later okay" he said messing his sister's hair and she ran away from him "I'll get you later" he shouted.
He walk towards the reception room, knocking but his mom was to occupied with the guest that he can't hear him knocking the door but a girl with brunette hair turn to look at him "hello" he said awkwardly.
"Can you help us with the bags" another girl said pointing at the car outside the porch "be extra careful with the Burberry bags... you know the one with the horse logo" she said sarcastically.
"I can do it" the teenage boy offer to help Dan but Dan said it's okay to him.
"Any other thing?" he asked the girls but he can't keep on looking at one girl, her smile is near perfection, her hair is blonde and she seem nice.
"Daniel, it's okay. Let Greg do it!" his mum said to him but he shake his head "very well, their room is 412 and 413" with that Dan leave them and do as what the other girls was telling him to do.
The next day, Humphrey's loft
"Dan?"
Samantha's voice sounds annoyed from the ground floor.
"Dan!" she screamed again and only this time, he respond to his elder sister "there you are, kindly do not disappear when you're on duty!" she said tossing the bread on the stove and put it on Dan's plate.
"Mom told you that you help her yesterday with the girls?"
"Well, we were short of staff and god damnit Sam, it's 7 in the morning!" as he look at the grandpa's clock on the wall.
"Good, it's time to prepare some breakfast" Sam said pushing Dan from his chair "don't forget to toast some bagels and make some good coffee" she said laughing as Dan gave her a stare.
An hour later...
"Good morning" Dan said looking at the five girls, who is clearly just woke up "breakfast is on the table" he said pointing at the small table.
"Wait, that's it?!" Blair said shocked "no, low fat yoghurt and egg Benedict?" she ask looking at Dan.
"Well no, it is written when you check-in that it is continental breakfast" Dan said smiling but "I did made some egg and chesse sandwich for you New Yorkers"
"Thank you, this is just right!" Serena said looking at Dan and he nodded.
"So, reception boy? What is the attraction here?" Vanessa asked, looking at some of the pamphlets.
"Well, there is not much of things to do today since it is raining" he said "but... wait, there's a shopping mall with branded stuff"
"Oh my god, really!"
"No, this is not New York. We have some small shops but its close for the rain."
"Great!"
When Dan and Blair was arguing about everything, Serena took her coffee outside the garden. She just received a text from her boyfriend that he won't be back for the month. He hated it when he does that to her, yes she's busy but he is even busier. She wanted to end things with him but she can't, because she's 27 now and god knows if there's someone out there can take her of who she is.
Dan caught the sight of Serena outside from the window, there is something about her that is so magnetic from yesterday when he lay his eyes on her. She look so sad and uncertain. No doubt that she is rich but she's not that happy.
"She's taken!" Vanessa said softly to Dan.
"If she is, she look sad" Dan say smiling and Vanessa look at Serena from the window too and she nodded.
"Her boyfriend is..."
"His lost..."
"There's a party tonight in town, you girls must be interested" he said scribbling something on a piece of paper "go there and have fun."
"You going to be there" Blair asked but Dan shake his head "extra hours for extra income?" she said sarcastically.
Room 412, night
"Is it me, or Daniel is just hot for a country boy?" Vanessa said, putting some mask on her face.
"He's alright" Blair said "look at Serena" she said pointing at the corridor. She has been on the phone for almost an hour "I bet it must be Greg, telling her that he can't come back again tomorrow"
"I bet!" everyone said in unison and Serena came inside the room with teary eyes "what did I tell you!"
"Lets go out! I need some drinks!" Serena said sobbing "and don't ask me about my ex boyfriend!" she demanded before anyone could ask her about it, she want to warn them first.
Room 412, early in the morning.
It was a fun night out for the girls, the party is actually a country celebration of some big birthday. Everyone is wasted and drunk too badly that non of them remember how did they get back. Serena in the other hand, woke up in the middle of the night. Her head is spinning but she keep on trying to wake everyone up see if they have some Tylenol but non of them even want to help her. So she put on her robe.
As Serena walk from her room to the reception, she can't help but to look at the view of the ocean. It's so beautiful and stunning that she can't stop smiling.
"Hello" Serena said while opening the door. She sees Dan on the front desk, typing on his computer as he look at her.
"Are you alright?" he peers at Serena "you look terrible"
"I have a very bad headache" she manage to say something "could I probably have a glass of water?"
"Of course, come in" he said waving his cigarette at her direction as he was trying to put it away. "Everything is in the pantry, come with me" he said leading the way. "I've got aspirin... paracetamol... Ibuprofen... very mild valium... weed!" Dan said holding a very small pill box and smile "I'm kidding" he said again "you should try this "it's magic pill, it's from Asia and I think it's good and effective enough and I can't tell you what it is, or I have to kill you"
"Lovely" Dan handed Serena with two tablets and a glass of water "thank you" she said.
"Welcome"
"Are you English?" she asked, she couldn't help but to notice his accent.
"I'm not, maybe I'm half Irish but that's it!" he said blushing.
"Of course" she nodded.
"How's the head?"
"Better" Serena smile.
"How's the room?" Dan asked while making himself a cup of tea.
"It's lovely, you know? If I am the owner of this place, I have so much of things that I can do with this place. Just look at the view from this main office, its amazing!" she said "I'm sorry; I'm an architect and an interior designer"
"Really? What would you do about all this?"
"you're interested to know?" and Dan nodded.
As Serena was explaining and drawing some sketches on how to make the Inn a better and cosy place. Dan analyzes Serena, there is something about her that is so magnetic and amazing. He can't describe the feeling, it's not love! Definitely not love but Serena make his heart happy, he's like a boy again.
"I wonder who the owner is" she said, looking at the detail of the coffee table.
"It's..."
"Well, definitely not you" she said smiling naively.
"And why is that?" he asked shocked.
"You're the reception boy, all you do is just answer calls and help on every customers" she said, looking at him dumbly.
"Well..."
"Thank you for this miracle pills" she said, taking a step back from Dan at the pantry "oh, do you think you'll serve us breakfast in the room instead of here?"
"I'll see what I can do!" he said smiling.
Room 412, morning
"Where did you go last night?" Blair asked, while fixing her hair "don't tell me, you sleep walk Serena!"
"I went to the reception" Serena said naively.
"Wait, reception? To do what?"
"What else" Amanda said smiling "to see that cute guy of course"
"No! He was there working the night shift, I had a migraine"
"and did your headache went away?" Vanessa asked and smile "by the look on your face, it did went away after all"
"It's not like that okay! He's an office boy, front desk guy... not my kind of guy"
"Plus she have a boyfriend who is so far away" Sarah add "and another long distance thing with a country boy won't do her any good" she laughed.
"You girls suck!" Serena said slamming the bathroom door.
"You don't want to break anything, do you? Or the reception boy is going to come here and fix the door while you're in the shower" everyone laugh at Serena. It's so obvious that Serena do like him but the fact that he is uneducated and a reception boy in a bed and breakfast country Inn just doesn't suit up to the life of Serena.
While Serena is in the shower, Dan came by with 5 trays of breakfast.
"Wait, I thought that we have to go down and get our own breakfast?" Blair asked looking at Dan, while helping him take some of the plates off his tray.
"It was a request from one of your friend" he said.
"Where's the coffee?"
"Here!" another guy said entering the room with a tray of drinks.
"I wonder who is the manager and owner of this place" Vanessa ask looking at Blair "we need to thank him or her about all this"
"He's..." the guy wanted to say something but was cut off by Dan.
"He is out of town" he said smiling and Serena got out of the shower "enjoy the breakfast, if there's anything else, you know where to find us" and he close the door.
Serena smile at Dan because she knows that it was her who requested it and Dan actually gave her an extra pill on the tray. "I like it here!" she said drying her hair off when everyone just rolled her eyes.
"Country romance here we come!" Blair laugh.
Hi readers, I've been super busy with school work. I will only update more if I have 5 or more readers and reviews on my new story. I was a bit sad about my last story that I upload and no one review. So I hope you'll review soon.
Next: Dan's a doctor, Serena an architect? can they make it? or it is just summer fling, harmless flirting.