Hi Everyone! I'd like to start off by thanking those who took the time to review. In terms of context for this chapter, Serena is exploring her relationship with Ben and Blair is still dealing with Chuck having traded her for the Empire.
The setting is Victrola, but it's now owned by Penelope's boyfriend.
This chapter a bit longer and still sort of PG. I can't promise the same for the next one though. Smut is coming! Bear with me because the chapter is still really important for DB's relationship.
As luck would have it, he's the one who loses the next time around. Something about Serena kissing that teacher guy. And he thought he'd be madder about it. But he isn't and he knows it's part of the problem. He shows up at the penthouse only half drunk. He doesn't tell Dorota that he's here. He know his way around enough to avoid the vigilant maid. Blair never warns when she shows up at the loft. He usually likes it, but tonight it makes him mad. Who knows what she could stumble upon one day... He opens her bedroom door without knocking; hopefully it's payback time. She's in her La Perlas and garters and everything that Blair mistakenly views as casual underwear. She's unbelievably hot. She's petite and curvy and her black hair cascades down her back contrasting with her virginal skin. That has to be the only virginal thing about her though. He darts his tongue out to wet his lips and bites his bottom lip. Uncontrollable bodily response to the fact that she is sex personified. He didn't just think that. He can go back to before the idea penetrated his mind. He thinks of something she said once « we're not slave to our emotions, we can stomp them out like bugs ». She looks over, furious that he walked in on her in her current state of undress.
« You do realize knocking is not just for the lower class right? »
He grins, unrepentant « You do realize you never knock when you come to the loft right? »
She shakes her head, ignoring the protestations « Ugh, fine. Since you're here, the least you could do to make it up to me is help me pick. » She says gesturing at two dresses on the bed. Both are gorgeous but only one of them has a plunging V neck that would almost reach her belly button. He picks this one. She grabs it and goes to the bathroom, not closing the door entirely.
« I have to go to this club opening. It'll be bad taste and filled with hedge fund mafia, but Penelope is parading around because her boyfriend is the new owner and by boyfriend I mean her dad's 50 year-old associate. » She shouts from the bathroom. He sees her corset flying out through the door. With that dress, she can't wear a bra. He likes knowing that. « Chuck refused to accompany me. He's still reeling for having been forced to sell the club, so I have to find another way to show that unrepentant social climber that I'm still the queen... »
Of course she does. Take-downs. The Joy.
« I lost by the way. I'm yours for the next hour. Use it carefully. » He shouts, letting himself fall on her bed, knowing he's about to become the instrument of Penelope's imminent demise.
When she re-emerges from the bathroom, she is smirking wickedly and he wonders who had this stupid idea. Right, he did.
« I don't usually go for outer boroughs escorts, but maybe I can turn you into an acceptable suitor for the night. »
She goes straight to him, re-buttons the top of his shirt and drags him to her bathroom. She takes hair gel and puts a generous amount in his curls.
« This will be so much fun! Thanks for ever thinking of the game Humphrey. You're a genius. » She says before grabbing his hand and leading him out the door.
The place is called « Victrola », it's an elitist club in the drags of dumbo that formerly belonged to Chuck as he gathers. All the minions stop and stare when Blair walks in and he's not used to that. Being in the spotlight, living it up with the "in crowd". Even Serena never elicited such a reaction from people. An explosive cocktail of fear, respect and envy. Blair gratifies Penelope with a nod. He'll never understand those friendships. Girls are dancing in cages and others on the stage are doing ungodly things with a stick. He wants to puke. Blair drags him to the bar.
« Coming was a horrible idea. You should have talked me out of it Humphrey! Did you see the look they gave me when they saw I was with you? » He didn't see the infamous look but he's sure it was filled with contempt and although he expects it from the minions, he is trying really hard not to be offended by Blair's outrage.
« We should have gone somewhere where nobody knows us." He warms up at the thought that in this alternative, she's ditching her circle, not him.
« This is why I love role-playing? sometimes I feel like it's the only way to escape my life. » She sighs into her hands.
He's about to ask, against his better judgment, why she wants to escape her life so badly, but she beats him to the punch.
« Actually, you're my slave tonight right? » Her smile doesn't have any hint of kindness to it. She is demanding and entitled, but it's the game he (foolishly) signed up for.
« Make that 40 minutes Waldorf. »
« How about we make tonight a little more fun. Let's say we're in Russia, I'll be Katarina a native high-end escort and you'll be Dimitri, my brother » He rolls his eyes. When did hookers start hanging out with their brothers? He doesn't utter a word though.
« Buy you little sister a drink? »
He realizes he can't argue, remembering the delightful things she let him do to her when she lost.
« Two shots of vodka. Zubrowka. » He hails the barman after a deep sigh. He can still let her know he's not happy about it « and keep 'em coming. »
« Nice impersonation of your average Russian mobster. I see you can now place your liquors geographically. »
He gives her a drink and takes one.
« Nasdrovia!»
After a few drinks, he's pissed but she doesn't seem affected. He did have a head start though.
« Nice descent » He compliments
« You know us Russians. We know how to hold our liquor…»
That's when they see her walking in. Serena and her teacher. He should have known she would be there. With him. He downs another shot and Blair catches the whole thing. Of course.
« So you never explained why you lost? Does it have anything to do with this Ben character she's stalking?» She winces looking at the pair.
« It has everything to do with that. She kissed him. She says it didn't mean anything, but I'm sick of it. Of her treating me as her backup plan.»
« If that's any consolation, you're twice the man that creep will ever be and you know how poorly I think of you.» She says with a smile « I give her a week before she comes back to her senses and discard him like last season's Chanel booties.»
« I know. I just don't know if I want to wait anymore.»
It's her turn to pity him and he understands why she didn't like it. He shakes his head but before he can tell her off, she excuses herself.
« Dan » she says immediately upon returning, « Do you think I'm hot? If we didn't hate each other as much as we do, would you have sex with me? »
Maybe she's not that sober after all. He thinks it's a stupid question, so he doesn't answer it. She tears herself away. And the loss of her heat hurts.
« Pick someone. » she says harshly, almost defiantly.
He doesn't understand
« I'm sorry? »
« I'm an escort. Are you intentionally being obtuse? You don't want me, fine. You still get to decide who will have me tonight. For a price of course. »
He doesn't want to say that he does want her. It's not that big of a big deal, everybody wants her. Boys and girls. Even asexual beings would try a bite of that he thinks, « I'm not in a "pimp my sister out" mood tonight. Sorry. »
« It's because you have never lived in Russia. Misery, thirst of power bridled by years of communism. You'd sell your entire family if you had to. So why don't you start by me? I'm willing. » There it is, her "the end justifies the means" outlook on life in action. Except tonight her "end" is self-destruction. His throat is tight. She is testing him.
She wants to play, he can play.
« This guy » he says showing an old man in the crowd. He looks depraved and probably smells like death. He's pretty sure she will back out, she has to. It's not just the game, it's her reputation too. Everybody here knows her.
She looks at him and he understands, albeit too late, that she won't. He's about to call it off then and let her win. Anything to keep her close, but she leaves her furry shrug on his lap, letting her hand linger on his crotch "watch and learn Humphrey" she spits. She walks over with determination, passing by her prey, swaying her delicate hips. The guy's hand is suddenly on hers. He doesn't know how she did it. She hadn't even cast a glance in the man's direction. The ancestor puts his hands on her hips, turns her around, bringing her ass to his crotch. Her beautiful round ass. Katarina is facing Dimitri like that and she's glaring at him and smirking at the same time, daring him to intervene, smiling as though she wasn't giving a lap dance to someone who could be her grandpa. He hates that guy. He can't help but admire her though, but he's rendered paralyzed by the horrible spectacle.
« Then, oh my beauty! You must tell the vermin,
As it eats you up with kisses,
That I have preserved the form and essence divine
Of my decayed loves.
It's wrong, so wrong and he hates himself for thinking of French poetry right now, but it's the only thing that comes to mind. Before he even understands what he's doing, he's tearing her away from the old creep, shielding her from the beast's assaults.
« Hey boy, get lost. Me and the lady were about to engage in a consensual contract, if you know what I mean. »
« This is my sister you're talking about, old pervert. Now unless you want to taste your own blood, I strongly suggest you crawl back into the hole you came from. »
« Look, the girl is for sale. I get that. I am buying. Now run along boy. »
« Actually, she's had a better offer. » With that he grabs Blair, puts his hand in her hair and crashes her lips on his. She doesn't resist. And they fit, they really do. Sometimes, when he's alone and she's not here to give him a disapproving look, he thinks she even kissed him back.
« You see old man, incest is best. » He says when he finally pulls back, his eyes plunged into hers.
« Ok game over. » he grabs her hand and she follows willingly. He takes her upstairs in a deserted area of the club. He wants to get her away from the crowd, because he feels the mass is out to get her. And they say paranoia is a selfish feeling. There's a stage and a couch in front of it. A soft music playing in the background. She tears her hand away and she seems emotional, like this place reminds her of something magical that appears tainted retrospectively. He might be making it up though, that's what writers do after all.
« You are too much of a good guy Humphrey. Girls like bad boys don't you know that by now? That's why Serena is with the ex-con right now. That's why I'm with Chuck. » She's harsh and cutting. She wants to hurt him, she doesn't know why. It hits him hard he's not sure if it's the part about Serena or the part about the feisty brunette in front of him.
« Oh come on, it was fun, admit it » She says while she starts walking around him
He doesn't relax
« Would you have done it Blair? » He says turning to face her
« It's Katarina actually. » She's smiling it's still a game to her
« No it's not. Answer the question. » He demands
« No… I don't know. » He doesn't know what to answer. The images of her giving herself to that guy that flash before his eyes are everything that would be wrong and twisted in the world. He doesn't understand how she got to that place. He wishes he could tear her away from it.
« It's weird you know. We do role-play and I choose to be a prostitute. All I have ever wanted since I was 6 was to become a powerful woman like Indra Nooyi, or Hillary or even my mother and I just chose the opposite. I just impersonated someone who wants to be sold. »
« Blair, you can't care about what Chuck or anybody else thinks. You never used to. You're in control of your destiny. Be powerful if you want to be or a socialite or a hooker. Or all three of those. As long as you don't let Chuck make that choice for you. You can't let him make you into someone you're ashamed to be. I won't let you. »
She's ignoring him and looking pointedly at the stage « That's how it all began you know. I stripped for him »
Of course she did. He feels a jolt of pain at her not even mentioning Chuck's name. As if it were obvious. As if the only « he » in her life was him.
« And the way he looked at me back then. I thought it was love, because Nate had never looked at me like that… Maybe I can erase everything and go back to the start. Maybe it's not too late. »
Before he realizes it, she is going up the stage.
She moves to Lullaby by the Cure and it's only her. The atmosphere is surreal, he almost feels like he's intruding. She slides a finger up her thigh and he feels something fluttering in his stomach. She doesn't take anything off though but he knows what's underneath and he likes it that way. She licks her finger and ever so slowly traces the birth of her breast. She's a tease, to him and to the imaginary man she's dancing for. She mouths some of the lyrics "The spiderman is having me for dinner tonight".
He doesn't like where she's going because it hits close to home and too close to her relationship with Chuck, so he clears his throat.
She's noticed him now and she smiles at him and sings "Don't struggle like that, I'll only love you more". On top of it all, as if she wasn't irresistible enough as it is, her voice is beautiful. He's not Chuck though and he wants to make she she realizes that.
« What happened next? » he asks, breaking the spell, and even though he doesn't want to know.
She goes to him, takes his hand and drags him through the club again and they exit onto the sidewalk.
« We took the limo and I gave him my virginity. I had just turned 16. » He remembers the love nest he had built for Serena that night. He was so cheesy back then. She bursts in tears, « I don't think it was love anymore. I think it was lust. It's stupid isn't it? The very fact that I think I lost something worth having and that he doesn't. We can't be fixed. »
He takes her in his arms and she sobs uncontrollably repeating that they can't be fixed. She only stops when they get to the loft. And the couch. Their couch. And they fall asleep. He's awaken by his phone. A blast showing Blair confronting Serena at the party, when she went to "powder her nose", « they're all good men until something happens Serena. Some of them stay good no matter how they're treated. » She's still asleep and she seems at peace. He kisses her forehead and drifts off again.