The Unexpected Chapter Two
"Brie you don't get excited about anything!" Nate accused playfully.
"I don't get excited about as many things." I corrected him.
"What's going on?" Serena asked, plopping down beside me at our table.
"Aubrie was invited to sing somos novios at the Opera house Friday night-" Nate started.
"Really? That's great! We'll all be watching you from the second balcony." Serena smiled, interrupting Nate.
"She's been invited to sing with Andrea Bocelli." Nate finished.
Serena's green eyes turned wide as saucers. She looked back and forth between Nate and I.
I couldn't help but grin now. Truthfully I was very excited, but a thousand times more nervous. Ballet is my forte, singing is something I supposedly do for fun at dinner parties. Not for large audiences and not accompanied by a world renowned Opera Legend.
"He is a good friend of my grandmothers'." I offered, though no one thought to ask me why on earth I would be doing such a thing, with such a person.
"Good morning, grinning fools." Chuck Bass greeted us, sliding in beside Nate. I caught a whiff of tobacco on his coat as he sat down. He raised his eyebrow at me. "If I read correctly in the Times this morning, a congratulations is owed?"
I nodded and swallowed nervously. It was in the New York Times?! Somehow I felt less like he was congratulating me, and more like he was sucking the wind out of my sails (how cliché).
"I suppose, that explains the opera concerto I was awoken with, as well." He mused.
"Serena's shower has great acoustics, I forget you live right next door." I laughed. It felt good, loosening up my jumbled nerves and the tight knot in my stomach.
Chuck rolled his eyes and opened his mouth in reply but was cut off by the bell signaling five minutes to morning classes.
"Come on Brie, "Serena tugged me to my feet. "I need to copy your pre-cal before class starts." She gave me a dazzling smile and I couldn't resist handing over my neatly penciled calc assignment. As a means of payback, she decided I would come to her place on Friday to get ready and rummage through her closets. Yes. Two closets. One for clothes, one for shoes. Amazing, isn't it?
Chuck watched the two girls hurry to make their first class. "Central Park?" he suggested wryly.
"Let's go." Nate stood up and paused, noticing Chuck's directed attention.
"You and Serena? Again?" he asked, trying to keep the amusement off his handsome face.
"Hardly. That girl is old news." Chuck snorted, breaking his gaze. He pulled out a tightly wrapped inconspicuous something, tucked it behind his ear and headed toward the Park, Nate right behind him.
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News traveled fast and by ten am gossip girl had done her work. It felt like the entire school was congratulating me and promising to be there to show their support. Awesome.
It's not like I've never sung in front of an audience. Two things I crave most in life are music and ballet. But this is different. This is Andrea Bocelli. I can't even imagine how embarrassing it will be if I don't do well.
I knew I was letting my nerves get the best of me. I should be excited, not nauseous. I skipped 3rd period after lunch and flipped open my white sidekick. I had a great way of mellowing out every once in a while. And it did not involve my yoga mat.
"Playing hooky, what would your brother think?" the voice of Chuck Bass drawled in my ear.
"That's why I'm calling you." I glanced over my shoulder, making sure I wasn't about to be caught sneaking out of the empty courtyard. Covertly, I ducked around the iron gate, making my way toward St Jude's school for boys.
"Am I known for my secrecy?"
I could practically hear him smirking over the phone and wondered if he was implying he did not tell Nate about our little bathroom-scene two weeks ago. My cheeks flushed a little.
"Are you going to meet me or not?" I asked him exasperatedly, rounding the corner in front of the large brick building.
"I'll be outside in a minute." And then he flipped his phone shut.
There were a few boys standing on the front steps sharing a cigarette. I mentally rolled my eyes. The consequence to smoking on school grounds was suspension, easily. It was quite obvious they were deliberately showing their disregard for such rules, rather than walk ten minutes to the park where the rest of us smoked. How rebellious.
I tapped my foot impatiently, still enjoying the sound my new D&G button down, chocolate leather boots made on the cement. I bought them yesterday with Serena and Blair and yes, I paid full price. Thankfully no one checks the credit statements at our house. I spun around guiltily to the sound of giggling, but was relieved to see that the three girls crossing the street behind me were not from Constance. Christ, I was just as cool as the James Dean gang on the steps, skipping class and nearly jumping out of my skin at the idea of someone catching me.
I was almost tempted to settle for a cigarette and took a couple steps toward the boys when Chuck finally strode out the large oak double doors and took the time to carefully descend the concrete steps. His signature scarf was tied loosely around his neck – more likely to cover a new hickey rather than protect him from the cold autumn wind.
The boys all greeted him respectfully, to which he ignored. This time I did roll my eyes. Chuck was like their god. He had the most money, the wildest parties and the best sex life that charm and money could deliver. Oh yes. The girls wanted him and the boys wanted to be him.
How wonderful it must be, to be Chuck Bass. Gag.
To my dismay, it was Chuck who brought their attention to me. A rather good-looking guy with dark curly hair whistled appreciatively at me. Gee thanks. I've been out here five minutes already, but if Chuck Bass gives me the time of day, then I'm good enough to be heckled. Charming.
I tossed my long auburn hair over my shoulder and turned my back to them. A move Blair Waldorf had taught me. Facing Chuck, I extended my hand, palm up, and looked at him expectantly.
"Is that what this is all about?" he feigned surprise. "Christ, Whitewold. Let us not advertise your bad habits to the whole world."
He gently took my elbow and steered me toward the park. "I thought I'd give you the pleasure of my company."
I grinned at him, a little surprised. "How lucky for me."
Once in Central Park, we climbed onto the old stone monument just off the walkway, beneath a huge maple tree, where we occasionally sit, on the very rare time, that I hardly ever, smoke pot.
He lit up and offered me the first drag, I leaned down and inhaled the sweet smoke, touching my lips to the joint while he held it for me. The familiar burn in my lungs actually felt good.
After a few minutes of back and forth silence, I finally spoke.
"Thanks. And thanks for, you know, not ever telling Nate about this." I motioned to our current activity.
"What you do with your life is none of my concern, whether you're Nate's perfect sister, or not." He muttered. I thought for a minute, I caught a flash of guilt in his dark brown eyes.
I laughed at that. Perfect sister, hah. I was smoking a reefer with his best friend and skipping class. And I'll probably do it again in another three weeks. It was just so funny. Imagining what our friends would say if they could see us right now. The expression of disbelief and confusion on their faces (in my case anyhow). I couldn't help it. I erupted in giggles.
Chuck rolled his eyes and mumbled something about me being high as a kite.
"Well, I mean. I never really thought about what Nate and my parents would do if they found out all my dirty secrets." I said, once I composed myself.
"Who would ever suspect the girl genius with the promising future?" Chuck supplied, his voice sarcastic.
"I hate that people think I'm some kind of MENSA freak. Christ, I like tequila and shopping just as much as the next girl." I kicked the heels of my boots against the ledge we were sitting on. The conversation took a quick turn in mood.
"Well we all don't skip two years ahead in our academics and have Nate threatening every male who sniffs around us." Chuck sneered.
I smacked his leg with my gloved hand. "I'm serious!"
"So, you're not happy with your life, who is?" he fixed his gaze on me.
I felt ashamed at once. I never meant to give the impression I was unhappy with my life. Sure I was stressed, and my parents pressured me, but that was normal. Chuck didn't have it any better. We all knew his father, Bart, made work his first priority. Even now with the marriage to Serena's mother Lily, he still wasn't around much. When he was, it wasn't to spend quality time with his son. Chuck shrugged it off and enjoyed the benefits such freedom and wealth bought him, but I think we all suspected, he was still hurting.
"I'm not unhappy with my life, I just wish I didn't have to pretend to study with Serena and Blair just so they think I work for my grades too, or sneak out my window and hop a cab to Brooklyn for a party when Nate can walk out the front door and come home at 4am. And I hate that I can't have a boyfriend let alone sex, without Nate threatening him at school." I finished my tirade and paused , waiting for his response.
"I didn't know you snuck out your window..." An amused smile spread across his face.
"Never mind, let's talk about something else-" I tried to change the subject from something less depressing. Obviously he was missing my point and instead of sympathy (which I should have never expected), he was making fun of me.
"You know Blair would be furious if she knew you pretended to work as hard as she actually does." He looked impressed. "What's the square root of 43?" he tested me.
"Six point five, five, seven, four, three, eight, five, two." I replied automatically, just before I squeezed my eyes shut. I hadn't meant to answer him, but I couldn't help it. When I know the answer, they just pop out. I'm like bloody Jeopardy.
His cell phone interrupted our moment. He flipped it open, uttered two-to-three words, paused for a reply and closed it wordlessly, a smug smile appearing on his face.
"I've got something I need to take care of, are you heading back?" he leapt down easily from the huge boulder and offered me his arm.
"I'm skipping Linguistics, I think I'll go home and rehearse for Friday." I let him help me down and shook the leaves out of my hair from the huge maple that loomed over us, concealing the stone we'd been sitting on.
"I'll see you tonight at Blue Agave." He called over his shoulder as we parted ways on the sidewalk.
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They Blue Agave was known for its foam parties and tonight, the club was packed. I tied my hair up in a loose knot and threw on a white bandeau dress and an oversized gold belt. I chose my metallic gladiator sandals so not to break my ankle slipping on the foam in heels. I suppose it was a little odd to be dressed so skimpy in autumn, but in the club, it was summer all over again. The heat was blasting and people were already running around in bikinis and cover-ups, anticipating the foam.
Serena and Blair already claimed a huge booth by the time Nate and I showed up. Nate and Blair still had not made up, so he said a quick 'hello' to Serena and left me at their booth to go find Chuck.
"I LOVE your sandals!" Blair shouted at me over the music. I smiled my thanks and she ordered me a drink from the passing waitress. Serena was already wiggling in the booth, itching to go dance. Conveniently, Anthony Redford came over to escort her to the dance floor. She wiggled her eyebrows at us and took his hand, shimmying away in her gauzy purple bathing suit cover.
"Looks like it's just you and me." Blair smile ruefully at me.
"Bottoms up." I cheered raising my glass.
We drank and chatted for a while, not one of us bringing up Nate. Unfortunately, Nate was my half-brother and Blair was my friend and we both realized (though it was an unspoken realization) that we would not be able to continue our friendship, without a little discretion and understanding on both our parts. We did talk about boys and how boys were not men, and oh how men had to be so much better. This discussion spawned after two very attractive young men sent over two glasses of Sangria to our table.
"Very yummy." I approved checking out the one on the left with the longer dark hair and dimpled smile.
"They can't be more than twenty." Blair smiled, waving flirtatiously at them to come over.
I suddenly felt a pang of dread in my stomach. As soon as Nate saw this, he would be at our table with a damn baseball bat, or worse, some of his soccer teammates. For one, Blair was still his girl, even though he hadn't (to my knowledge) made any real attempt at mending his relationship with her. And two, I was his little sister. Oh right, and three – these were not high school boys. These were full on, clean shaven, 'can't be more than twenty', men.
They introduced themselves as Ben and Joshua. They were both studying law at Yale (Blair practically swooned) and were in for the weekend to visit their families. The dark haired one , 'Ben', slid in beside me and told me I had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen.
"I had to come all the way over, just to see if they were contacts." He explained, grinning impishly.
Cutest. Dimples. Ever. "They're not contacts, they're real." I told him, blushing like a fool.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Joshua feeding Blair the cherry from her Sangria. She was showing him how she could knot it with her tongue. Classy, Waldorf.
I looked around casually, scoping the room for Nate and wondering how long my fun would last. I caught sight of him and Chuck getting drinks by the bar. Well, Nate was waiting for a beer, and Chuck was sliding his hand up the very short skirt of a blonde girl sitting on the barstool, who didn't seem to mind one bit as she leaned in suggestively. Nate caught my eye briefly and he frowned, nudging Chuck with his elbow and nodding in our direction.
Great, I thought. I looked away and tried to pay attention to what Ben was saying.
"Aubrie?" He asked. Clearly I missed something.
"Call me Brie," I murmured distractedly. I looked back and saw Nate - fixated on Blair's new toy. He was making his way toward us, beer in hand, with a determined look on his face; Chuck swaggered behind, amusement written all over him.
I turned and focused on Ben's face, trying to decide if I should tell him to run, or if I should wait for Nate to scare him off.
Acting on impulse, I downed my Sangria in two gulps and told him we were going to dance, much to his surprise.
We were up and out of there just in time for Nate to call my name and for me to pretend I didn't hear him.
I pulled him through the crowd until we were completely surrounded (and hidden) by people. The music was so loud I could actually feel the bass pumping through my body and I let it carry me. This is what I loved. I know people think it's so corny to feel music, but you really can. I really can. Ballet is my life, but it's restricted. There are rules and steps. This was so unlike ballet, I could move my hips to the beat, toss my head and I didn't have to be on my toes. I think Ben was a little dumbstruck by my sudden forwardness. Thinking back, I blame it on the Sangria.
He eventually warmed up while he watched me dance for a minute and I felt him fall in step behind me, pulling me against his hard chest. I know it's an awful thing to say, but most boys are terrible dancers. Ben was not a terrible dancer. Perhaps it was because he was very much not a boy; regardless, he had some moves.
The beat switched and became more fast-paced, I felt his hands slide from my waist where they settled low on my hips, it tickled my abdomen like crazy but I wasn't complaining. At some point I caught a flash of blonde hair and Serena made eye contact with me. She pointed directly (and obviously) at Ben behind me and made a classic blow job motion with her hand and mouth. Then she gave me the thumbs up.
"That a friend of yours?" His voice was husky in my ear.
I turned to face him, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment but I was smiling anyway. "Yes, apparently she approves."
He pulled me closer, cupping my rear with one hand and using the other to cup my chin.
I tilted my face toward his and breathed in a clean aftershave scent. I felt his lips brush mine and a delicious shudder passed through me. It was too short-lived, almost as soon as his lips touched mine and our mouths opened, I felt something shove him, breaking us apart.
I opened my eyes and spun around a little too-quickly for my tipsy state.
"Nate, relax –" I started before realizing it was not Nate who had shoved Ben.
My look of shock must have been apparent because Chuck didn't wait for me to say anymore.
"We're leaving." He took my elbow and tried to steer me away.
"No!" I pulled my arm from his and fixed him with an angry look. "What's wrong with you?"
Ben stepped between us, he stood almost a head taller than Chuck. "Back off, kid. She's a big girl." He snarled at Chuck. It was then I realized Ben was rubbing his jaw.
Chuck….punched him? And since when did my sweet, dimpled, Ben snarl?
I think maybe a second had passed as I looked between them, both standing their ground. Chuck looked tense and dangerous. I've seen him angry and I've watched Nate pull him out of fights before. But this was totally unwarranted.
"She's sixteen." Chuck scoffed.
Upon hearing this, Ben turned sharply and looked me up and down in surprise. I bit my lip and looked at my French pedicure, feeling a little guilty for not disclosing this earlier. Of course, he had to know that for some of us fortunate upper-east-siders, we are granted entry into a lot of the night clubs. However, I purposely and completely avoided answering his university-probing question earlier on.
He quickly turned back to Chuck, having come to terms with the situation.
"We don't seem to have a problem here." He said menacingly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
Chuck's nostrils flared and he took a step closer to Ben. "Then, let me tell you who her father is." He drawled.
This time Ben gave me a wary sideways glance. Probably trying to remember if the senator had a daughter. Idiot. Not quite, but my father is very well known in both the United States and the United Kingdom. I was pretty sure disclosing his identity to Ben, would probably scare him off. Especially with him wanting to pursue law as a career.
I stepped between them, pushing Chuck back a foot or two. "What is your problem?" I hissed. People were beginning to stare at us.
His chin jutted out stubbornly but he glared at Ben over my shoulder. "He's nearly thirty and you're letting him grope you like a paid harlot."
"He's nearly-what? Blair said they were barely twenty." My head was spinning as I remembered her words from earlier.
"Blair was not so impressed by his class ring," Chuck hinted, obviously referring to the year he would have graduated. "She and Nate are waiting outside, arguing."
I turned back to Ben. "Sorry, we're leaving." I told him flatly, disgusted with myself. I grabbed Chuck's arm as he wove his way through the crowd and into the cool street where his car was waiting.
"Wait!" I protested when he tried to help me in. "We can't leave Serena!"
He smirked at me, "She left you," he pointed to my purse. "She texted all of us half an hour ago, she's going home with Redford."
"You're sixteen! What do you think you're doing?" Nate was shouting at me as he approached the car, Blair clutching his arm and trying to keep up with him.
Well I guess they're back together.
I subconsciously shrunk behind Chuck a little. Nate's usually a sweet guy, but when he wants to be, he can turn into an awfully great image of our disapproving father. Fortunately, Blair interrupted.
"So what? The guy looked like Orlando Bloom for crying out loud. It wouldn't matter if he's forty, he was gorgeous." She defended, winking at me.
Not exactly what I was hoping for.
Chuck rolled his eyes. "Nathaniel, nothing happened. I found her in the bathroom line." He lied, in a bored voice.
Nate looked back and forth between me and Chuck for a minute and then his face changed.
"Oh, well I'm glad to hear it. No sister of mine is going to have some old man putting his hands on her." He wrapped his arm around me and it was only then I realized I was actually shivering.
"Come on Nate," Blair's impatient voice sounded from somewhere outside of Nate's smothering embrace.
He let me go and I could see the Waldorf car pulling up. "You'll take her home?" he asked Chuck.
"Of course."
Ugh. I wanted to puke. Once again, I felt like a child. I climbed into Chuck's limo without saying goodbye to Nate. After a minute, Chuck got in and the car took off.
"You lied for me." I was surprised and grateful.
"I lied for me. I can't stand listening to the two of you squabble and even worse, I can't stand that he treats you like a bloody nun." He retorted looking out the window.
I closed the distance between us and rested my head on his shoulder. "Thanks". I said earnestly. I expected him to jerk away immediately, Chuck isn't exactly a snuggly kind of guy. Instead he pulled his arms out of his black, jacquard, Gucci jacket and tossed it over my shoulders.
I was immediately engulfed in the warm scent of Chuck Bass. And god, it was amazingly sensual. I inhaled twice trying to clear my head, but I almost felt possessed.
"I meant what I said, you should really talk to him. You're not going to join a convent, he needs to lighten up." He was looking out the window while he spoke.
"Why do you care?" I asked only half listening. My eyes were tracing his chiseled jaw and watching his mouth form the words.
I couldn't stand it anymore. He was sitting there his arm harmlessly draped across the backseat of the limo, with me laying practically across his lap and he wasn't even looking at me. I reached for him and used his shoulders to pull myself so I was straddling his lap.
For a minute I caught a flash of surprise in those brown eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an amused smirk.
"What do you think you're doing, Whitewold." It wasn't a question.
"Pay attention to me." I demanded, pressing my forehead against his. I felt his hands reach up to my waist, but I was foolish to think he would pull me closer. He tried to lift me off, so I did the first thing I could think of. I smacked him.
"Christ, Aubrie. I'm trying to be respectful." He protested, glaring at me.
"I don't want respectful," I breathed, hardly believing what was coming out of my mouth. "I want you to kiss me again."
Chuck looked at me incredulously. "I'm surprised you remember, You were too smashed to even walk."
"Of course I remember. I was terrified you were going to tell Nate." I whispered, licking my lips.
He laughed then. "Oh, I will never tell Nate."
I was hating that somehow my attempt to seduce him left me straddling his lap while talking about my brother.
"I couldn't brag about you and live to see tomorrow." He said in a low voice, a smile tugging on his lips.
This time I was offended and it showed. "I'm trying to seduce you," I sighed defeated. "and I'm failing. And you're laughing at me. And I feel very un-sexy sitting in your lap and talking about my brother."
"On the contrary, you're very sexy." He murmured, brushing my hair off my neck and shifting his weight under me, so he could sit up straighter.
Oh. Well. I could tell that at least I was succeeding somewhat. I could definitely feel something firm against my right thigh. And then his warm mouth was on my neck. I gasped in surprise and ground my hips, earning a groan of pleasure from him.
"You've got my full attention," His lips travelled across my collar bone and up to my ear. "are you sure this is what you want, Whitewold?" he whispered recklessly.
I didn't speak, I just tilted my head and found his mouth with mine, wanting very badly to take whatever he would give me. I knew in that instant that no one would kiss me the way that Chuck Bass does.