Dan drums his fingers on his desk. He has a freelance assignment due to his editor at 5 pm, just a few hours away but he can't bring himself to write it. He tries to focus on it but his mind keeps wandering to his conversation with Blair yesterday. The way she didn't hesitate with saying she hadn't thought about them. Certainly, she must have at some point, right? But the way she said it, told him otherwise.

He felt angry with his dad for even bringing it up. Like Blair said, it was a dangerous topic. Now, he was analyzing their friendship and reading into things that he shouldn't be. Where their friendship had once been easy, it could now potentially be tenuous.

What he kept thinking about the most, is the what if? What if he had told her the truth when she turned the question around on him? Would she have said the same? He hated himself for not being brave enough to tell her the truth. At the same time, he knew she was right. Discussing a possible romantic connection between them would mean navigating through dangerous territory. It was a topic better left closed.

By Wednesday, Dan was just going through the motions as the week dragged on. Not giving it much thought, he headed straight to the loft after work. Upon opening the door and smelling the maple and oak aromas of his dad's dwelling he was relieved to sink back into the couch.

"Dan, what a surprise. Don't you usually hang out with Blair on Wednesdays?" Rufus asked as he emerged from the bedroom where Dan had heard him strumming his guitar.

"Oh yeah," the thought just struck him he hadn't seen or talked to Blair in days. Usually, by midweek they had been to a movie together, tried a new restaurant, and experimented with new cocktail recipes at Dan's place. "I guess I forgot." He shrugged.

Rufus eyed him but said nothing. He headed back to his room and returned a few moments later with an instrument in each hand. He handed Dan a metallic navy electric guitar and took the well-worn acoustic guitar. Without a word, the two began strumming the familiar tune of Lincoln Hawke's best-known song.

Dan had forgotten how the simple act of playing a few chords could stir him from his melancholy. Afterward, Rufus finally mentioned Blair. "Weren't you two going on about some wine bar opening this week?"

Dan remembered then that she had reserved them spots at the opening of La Vie en Rosé, a chic new wine bar in Soho. He nodded, "She was going on about it, not me. I just am along for the ride, the alcohol helps though."

Rufus laughed, "Along for the ride... I think that actually sums up your friendship."

Standing outside the wine bar on Friday, Dan checked his vintage leather watch again and cross checked the time with that of his phone and saw indeed it was ten past. His eyes were fixed straight ahead on the still empty sidewalk. She was late or not coming. Given that she once claimed being later than five minutes for a scheduled one on one hangout would tarnish her reputation, he figured she wasn't coming. He thought they were fine since they had both decided not to discuss Rufus's implications any further but apparently not. He was about to leave when his phone rang, he saw her name on the screen. At least she had the decency to call and cancel, even if it was late, he thought to himself.

"What's your excuse?" He said as he answered.

"Huh?" She sounded both confused and irritated. "What's yours? You're fifteen minutes late, a new record for tardiness."

"You're the late one. Don't try to fool me, I'm already here." Dan could just picture her in a cab, thinking she outsmarted him.

"No, I'm not." She said in an obvious tone. "I've been inside for 25 minutes."

"You're inside?" Dan peered inside the window. "No you're not, I looked and you weren't." He turns back to face the sidewalk. "I'm outside." He adds.

"Well, could you do me the great service of coming inside now?" She said sarcastically.

Dan shook his head and headed in. He left the phone on the line, prepared to not see her. But then he spotted her shiny tendrils of hair cascading around her shoulders. She was tucked into a secluded corner booth and clicked the phone off when their eyes met.

He slid into the rustic bench across from her. "Hey," he said nonchalantly.

"Why the fuck were you outside that whole time? Were you trying to test me?" She glared before returning her eyes to the drink menu.

"Obviously I didn't know you were in here." Dan shakes his head. "Let's get you a drink, you need it."

"Seriously, hanging out with you always requires a drink." She looks up and her smile that tells him she's joking. The waiter comes over and takes their orders.

"So how have you been? Haven't talked you to in a few days." Dan asks when their drinks come.

Blair sighs, "Ugh, you would not believe my week. I spent 80 percent of my week dealing with incompetent vendors who can't get our fabric orders processed. Then, the other 20 percent was spent trying to cancel this ticket to Tuscany which was intended for Finley but obviously won't be needed. But it turns out it's definitely non-refundable." Blair reaches into her purse and retrieves an envelope. She slides it towards him. "So, I suppose you have no other choice but then to join me."

Dan stares down at it. "You want me to come to Tuscany with you? To your dad's wedding?" He says disbelievingly.

She nods. "It'll be fun. Actually, Serena's in Europe too right now so I'm trying to convince her to come. It can be a little reunion of the Three Musketeers."

Dan laughs, "Remember how long that nickname lasted?"

"Like 5 minutes despite Serena's determination." Blair's laughter fades. "Seriously, will you come? The dates are on the tickets." She gestures towards the envelope.

Dan hesitantly takes it. "I'll see if I can get work off. No promises though." Dan drinks from his glass of wine.

Blair beams, "I'll take that as a yes. Now I just have to get the villa situation sorted out. Obviously, they'll have to adjust the room to have two double or queen beds because I am not sharing a bed with you. Even I have my limits. Sharing a villa, that's fine, sharing a bed..." She shakes her head. "Well, I think that would give Rufus way too much cannon fodder. Don't you?"

Dan sputters on his wine. He clears his throat, "I agree. That will most definitely need to be fixed." He can't help but wonder if sharing a villa with Blair is entering Pandora's box itself.


Note: Dan is a journalist and Blair works for Waldorf Designs. Sorry, I'm using these jobs again like in my other stories but I think it just works well for their characters. This story won't delve into their work lives so I wanted to keep it straight forward. Hope you all are still enjoying it! Expect another flashback chapter tomorrow or Monday :)