A few week later and her book tour finished, Blair found herself wandering the streets of New York appreciating the decorations in place for the Christmas holidays. She sipped on her latte before finding herself in front of her favorite bookstore. Dan's bookstore. Cursing her muscle memory, she had a brief struggle in her mind if she should go in or not. She had promised herself that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her business but it really was the only place in the city that she felt she could sink in to and so, as she polished off the last sip of her coffee, she opened the door and took in the familiar sent of books.

Blair walked through the aisles, not sure what she was looking for but figuring she would know when she found it. Instead she found Dan, his arm raised as he tried to put a book back in the top shelf of a book case. His shirt was pulled up and Blair couldn't help but notice the definition of his pelvis as the shirt raised higher.

"Excuse me," she started, "that is exactly the book I was looking for."

Dan looked down and smiled, "Oh really? You were looking for a encyclopedia on folklore?"

Blair nodded and then laughed, "Okay, no, but it looked like you were truly struggling trying to fit it back into that place. It looks like you are trying to fit a square peg into a circle."

Dan lowered his arm and handed her the book, "It's all yours."

"Oh great!" Blair said with fake enthusiasm that sent them both into fits of laughter. "It's previous browser decided this wasn't enough folklore for them?"

Dan shook his head, "The previous browser was using my store as a library. I had to kick him out before he copied down every last work this book had."

"Must have been here for a long time," Blair said, catching his eye.

Dan nodded, "Since I opened yesterday."

"Did he find the bookshelves a comfortable sleeping space?"

"I hear I was getting five stars on trip advisor as a place to stay until I told him he had to pay up. There goes my rating."

Blair giggled and ran her hand over the spine of the heavy book. "Well, I'm glad he didn't buy this because it will look fantastic on my coffee table. What a conversational piece. I'll frame myself as the savior and the previous browser as a low life freeloader."

"Sounds like a new series for you," Dan laughed, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning against the book shelf. "It's nice to see you again. I would say long time no see but I think the six years that passed between the last time and a couple of weeks ago takes the cake for long time no see."

Blair nodded, "Yes, I would say this is an incredibly short time no see for the two of us."

Dan reached out and for a moment Blair thought, stupidly, that he was going to take her hands. Instead, he took the book and held it up, "You know you don't have to take this."

"But I want to. It's like my gift instead of champagne. You bought me alcohol and I bought, from you, an encyclopedia. A fair trade, I would say."

"I don't think they consider gifts trading," he said, leaning his head on a shelf, "but it seems fair to me so I'll agree to it. I'll even throw any book other than this one in for free. For your troubles."

"That would put me one less than you again, Humphrey. Let me just take the encyclopedia and call it a day."

Dan shrugged before turning and starting to walk to the cash registrar where a young girl, probably early twenties, was standing. "Give her the friends and family discount when she comes back to purchase this, Trish." The girl nodded and Dan gave Blair a thumbs up before he walked to another corner of the store.

Blair was semi disappointed that the conversation was cut short, enjoying the back and forth. In fact, she might have said that that was the most she talked to a straight man in probably a year. She had been strapped down at her desk, working on the series as much as she could before going to book signings and talks and conventions. And recently, to LA, to talk about casting of a T.V. show or possibly even a movie. It was a whirlwind and left her no time for talking, or she might even argue, flirting.

She shrugged slightly before making her way through the bookshelves again and deciding on Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote, both her favorite movie and one of her favorite books. Blair walked to the corner of the store that she knew the best, one with a picture window and a ledge to perch on and got settled in. Getting a couple of dozen of pages in, she heard a gentle cough and looked up to see Dan.

"We're closing in ten minutes, Blair," he told her, frowning as he saw what she was reading. "Don't you have that book memorized?"

"Film, yes," Blair said, straightening up and standing, "Book, no." Blair held the small book in her hands and patted Dan on the arm, "Well, thank you for letting me use this space to read my favorite book. I shall be purchasing it along with that beautiful encyclopedia of folklore."

Dan nodded slightly before looking towards the register. "They're both on the house, Blair."

"No, Humphrey," she protested. "Even if you don't charge me, I will leave the exact amount on the counter and Trish, was that her name?, can either pocket it or put it in the cash register. I'm not taking more gifts."

"Not gifts, friends and family discounts."

Blair rolled her eyes, "You give away your books to friends and family? No wonder you don't make much."

"Well, I don't have much of either so I'm not taking that big of a hit. And while you were immersed in your novel, I've actually had a steady stream of customers in here. Most of them browsing but a few did a couple of big purchases. I told you a couple of weeks ago, the holidays are coming."

Blair nodded slowly, "Anyone buy my book?"

Dan smiled, "It's always about you."

She smirked and wrinkled her nose, "I just want to make sure I have money for the holidays, Humphrey. I have an addition to make to my list."

Dan covered his heart with his hands and leaned in closer to her, "Don't say that the addition is me, Waldorf. How sweet. My heart is melting."

Blair swatted at him. "Very funny. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Anyways, I should go. I have dinner plans with Chuck."

Dan looked like he had been punched in the stomach at the sound of Chuck's name. "Still seeing that asshole?"

She shook her head to indicate no, but by the way that Dan looked at her, she wasn't sure if the message was getting across.

"No, you're not seeing him or no, he's not an asshole?" Dan asked.

Blair clarified, "No, I'm not seeing him. He is still an asshole but it's Chuck and Chuck doesn't change. We just have some business to talk about. He wants a certain storyline in my next book and I want the penthouse suite in his hotel for New Year's Eve." Blair wasn't certain but she thought Dan looked relived. "And it's not just Chuck. Well, it is for dinner, but Nate and Serena are joining us for dessert. They claim they can't get a babysitter for the entire night but I'll take what I can get with the two of them these days. Thankfully, they don't feel entitled to dictate my creative side like Chuck does. Hey, why don't you join us? You and Nate are still friends, aren't you? You were at least in their wedding."

"Which you missed," Dan pointed out, before shaking his head. "I can't. I have to get home."

"You mean, get upstairs?" Blair narrowed her eyes and searched his face for any tell that could give her hints to what he was thinking. "And yes, I did miss their wedding but for good reason. I was in France for my own father's commitment ceremony with his husband. How dare the two of them not coordinate dates, am I right?" She laughed before trying to get him to join for dinner again by insisting the night would be fun.

Dan shook his head again, "I really can't, Blair. I mean, I have to get home to Brooklyn. We have a weekly family dinner, where most of the time it's just me and my dad and Jenny Skyping in from Paris. It's meatball night, too, which is my favorite. But maybe, rain check? Only if Chuck moves from the invited list to the not invited list."

Blair nodded, "Rain check." She took out her purse and grabbed a hundred dollar bill and shoved it in to his hand, "To be honest, I don't really trust the girl up front so this is for the books. I'll be back to schedule that rain check." She turned on her heel and walked to the counter taking the Encyclopedia that she truly had no want or use for and waved one hand over her head. "Bye, Humphrey," she called.