That night, I tried to sleep but I couldn't. All I kept thinking about was 'what if?'. What if I had called her back? What if I had picked up the phone when she called? So many possibilities and so many unanswered questions. I tried to push them all out of my mind but they kept me awake as if there was a loud, blaring horn in my ear. I knew I had made a huge mistake. That much was clear. The only question that remained was how to fix it. Could I convince her to give up this crazy notion that Nate was her knight and shining armor? And even if I did, would it be the best thing for her? Was I just being selfish?

My alarm clock rang out, signaling the start of a new day. All through the day, I thought about her. I was a man obsessed. I tried to focus on my work. That was something that usually distracted me when I needed it. There were several meetings to attend and an interview with Forbes. I was on autopilot when I answered the questions. I was counting down the minutes until I could return to Le Chat Noir. I was counting down the minutes until the possibility of seeing her again.

I used to make it a habit to stay late and finish my work. Today, however, I was out right at five thirty. I told my secretary to hold all my calls until tomorrow. Nothing was more important than the mere possibility of seeing Vanessa again.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity long cab ride, I arrived at Le Chat Noir. I took a deep breath before opening the door and taking a seat at the bar. Louis smiled at me and passed me my scotch. Sometimes, I allowed myself to sneak a peek at the door, hoping that she would walk through the door. Every time I heard that small bell ring, I looked up and hoped that it was Vanessa that was walking through the door. I sighed with disappointment when I saw that it wasn't her.

After about an hour or two of waiting, I had given up hope. I began to close out my tab when I heard the bell above the door ring and saw her walk in nervously.

"Abrams." I said with a smile before motioning to Louis not close my tab.

"Chuck." She responded as she took off her coat and motioned to the bartender to make her a drink. Vanessa seemed somewhat nervous and I knew exactly why. It was a dangerous game she perceived us to be playing. I felt a small sense of guilt but that was washed away by the scotch I was drinking.

"For someone so busy I'm surprised to see you out tonight." Vanessa commented before taking a drink. "I would have thought you had some business meeting to attend. If I didn't know any better, I would think that you're slacking." She grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes and waved my hand in dismissal. "I think I'm allowed a night off every once and awhile, after all, I do run a Fortune 500 company."

Vanessa nodded in agreement and played with the drink in her hand. "I suppose that's true. How has the business been?"

I know Vanessa didn't actually care, she was just making conversation. She knew that business was something I understood and something that I could speak about confidently. Then again, talking about anything was better than having to face the giant elephant in the room.

"It's going well. We're about to close out on our best quarter ever. I opened a new hotel in Shanghai and I'll be opening one in Sydney in two years. I'm proud of it."

Vanessa nodded. "Sounds like you finally built the company your father always knew you could. He would be proud of you."

I pause for a second. Her remark caught me off guard. I had heard people say it to me before but it seemed so genuine coming from Vanessa.

"Thank you." I said before finishing off my scotch. I look at my empty glass for a moment then look back up at her. "Do you ever think about that speak easy?"

Vanessa looks shocked for a minute. I don't think she thought I would remember. "Do you?" She replied.

"Every now and then." I nod then push my glass back to the bartender. "What ever became of it?"

She laughed and shook her head as she took a drink. "I'm not sure. I know that someone bought it awhile back. I kind of lost track over the years. Why? Looking to reinvent the best kept secret in New York?"

"Maybe." I shrugged. "I don't know that I could get the board of directors to justify buying an old speakeasy. Besides, I don't even know if it's on the market." I thank Louis as he hands me my third drink. I'm getting dangerously close to being tipsy. I can't remember the last time I drank like this. Not since I was in high school, at least.

"I'll let you know if I hear anything. Dan still lives in Brooklyn." She said with a shrug. "Did you know that he actually managed to convince Blair to move to Brooklyn?" Vanessa laughed.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I guess it's true what they say. Love makes you do crazy things. How long have they been together?"

"Well, they got together at one of Serena's birthday parties."

I wince slightly, thinking about Blair's sixteenth birthday party. I confessed how I felt to her. I can't help but feel that I should have kept my mouth shut. I put Blair on emotional rollercoaster for years and she deserved so much more. It made me glad to hear that she found someone who could appreciate her the way that she needed.

"I'm glad that she found her way to Dan." I said genuinely. The look on Vanessa's face gave me the impression that she was expecting a different outcome. "I always knew Humphrey was a good guy. I read his last book. I have to say it wasn't bad. It was a lot better than I thought."

"I wasn't a fan of his last book to be honest. I thought he sold out a bit with it. It didn't sound like Dan's writing."

I smirk. "That's rich coming from the fiancée of Nathaniel Archibald." As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted them. The alcohol was clouding my judgement as it had done numerous times in the past. I looked at Vanessa and waited for the fallout. I half expected her to get up right there and walk out.

She opened her mouth then closed it as she blushed. "I hardly think you can compare my engagement to Nate to Dan's latest book. They're two entirely different things."

"If you say so." I shrugged and decided to change the subject. "Did you hear about Serena and Carter?"

Vanessa nodded. "I heard that they're now a thing. It was plastered all over the latest tabloids. I had dinner with her a few weeks ago. I can assure you by the way she was drinking that she's not pregnant."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I gathered as much. TMZ had way too much to report on her the last time she was in Prague. She really needs to learn to keep her social life out of the tabloids."

Vanessa was about to respond when the little bell rang to announce a new patron. I looked to see and my heart sank. Nate was walking towards us. She smiled and kissed her fiancé when he joined us before turning to me. "I decided to show Nate the best kept secret in Paris."

Of course you did, I thought bitterly but put a smile on my face nonetheless. "The more the merrier. How was work Nathaniel?"

Nate looked over at me with a strange look on his face. I remember oh-too-well what happened sophomore year with Blair. Oddly enough, I felt a twinge of guilt even though Vanessa's meeting with me was completely innocent.

"It was alright. We're having a dinner and hosting the French President next week. It was a lot of grunt work. I'm just glad to be sharing a drink with my best girl and best friend." He smiled though it didn't reach his eyes. He hadn't forgotten my past with Vanessa or forgotten what happened with Blair and if I were to be completely honest with myself, I hadn't either. My friendship with Nate had never fully recovered after my mishap and I hated myself for it. Nate was someone that I could always count on and I couldn't repay the favor.

I looked over at Vanessa and saw that she was avoiding not only my eyes, but also Nate's as well. She glanced quickly at me then looked away when she saw that I my gaze was in her direction.

"Nathaniel." I started, "I was thinking that you should take Vanessa to go see the Opera that's coming to the Palais Garnier. I heard it's supposed to be excellent."

"Don Giovanni?" Vanessa blurted out before she could stop herself, her eyes were shining with excitement. "I heard the same thing. The dynamics between the characters is unlike anything I've ever seen. I saw it with Dan when it came to New York a few years ago. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see it at the Palais Garnier." She continued to rave about the opera as I glanced over at Nate, his eyes were glazed over and I could tell that he had clearly checked out of the conversation. I smirked triumphantly. Some things never change.

"Yeah. Absolutely." Nate said when Vanessa had finished her praise of the opera.

Vanessa looked slightly shocked. "Are you sure? I remember you didn't like Carmen when we went to see it with your Grandfather. Don Giovanni is a little more intense."

"I'm sure I can manage to follow along." He assured her with a smile.

I couldn't help but appreciate the irony of the situation. Talking about Don Giovanni with my best friend and his fiancée who I just so happen to have a past with was probably the most interesting aspect of the evening. To make things even more amusing, the irony went completely over said best friend's head. I smirked to myself and finished off my third scotch of the evening.

"What's so funny?" I heard Nate say, snapping me out of my reverie.

I turn to him after pushing my drink towards Louis. "What do you mean?"

"You just looked like something was funny. I was just wondering what it was." Nate said and continued to look at me. Vanessa kept looking between the two of us nervously.

I shrugged and hailed Louis over to bring me another scotch. I knew it

was a dangerous game I was playing. Alcohol tended to bring out the honesty in me. I was getting close to saying what I actually thought of Nate and his engagement. "It just feels like old times." I looked over and saw Vanessa breathe a sigh of relief.

Nate was silent for a few moments before he smiled and nodded. "You're right. It does feel like old times. Remember when you found that club your dad belonged to?"

Vanessa's eyes widened and I was actually speechless despite my clear road to intoxication. Nate looked as though he knew he has said the wrong thing.

"I just meant…" Nate began then closed his mouth. "Never mind. So Chuck, what's new with you? Vanessa and I were thinking about checking out your new hotel in Shanghai for our honeymoon. It looks incredible." Nate casually put his arm around Vanessa as if to remind me to whom he thought she belonged.

"I'm proud of the way it turned out." I admit and I was. The whole project had a rough start but in the end it was one of my finer accomplishments.

"I saw the pictures in one of my art magazines." Vanessa says as she takes a drink of her wine. "It was stunning. I knew when I saw it that we had to stay there."

I smile. I had a feeling that Vanessa would appreciate the aesthetic of the hotel. I think a part of me modeled it with her in mind. "Thank you Vanessa. I was hoping to capture the spirit of Shanghai. It's a new city layered with aspects of an ancient civilization."

"You definitely captured it." Vanessa agrees. She turnes to Nate. "Don't you agree?"

Nate's face has a look that I hadn't seen since high school. It was the look he had whenever our Geometry teacher asked him to answer a question. "Huh? Oh, definitely." I have a feeling Nate knew he was in over his head. By the look of it, Vanessa did too.

"Anyway, I can't wait to see it." Vanessa said quickly. I had to admire her ability to read a situation so quickly. "Nate and I are still trying to set a date for the wedding. With his busy schedule, it's proving to be more difficult than I originally thought." She laughs nervously and I can't help but have a tinge of pity for her. I began to wonder if Nate would really ever settle down and I think she wondered the same.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." I say with a casual shrug. "Do you two have any plans for tomorrow?"

Vanessa looked nervously between me and Nate. "I…" She began.

"V and I were going to take in some of the sights here in Paris." He finished quickly. I couldn't tell if he was making it up or it was the truth. Vanessa looked somewhat shocked then quickly recovered.

"We've been here for almost two months and haven't gone sightseeing. Nate's been so busy with work and I've been busy setting up our apartment." She explained as she ran her fingers through her hair. There was something in Vanessa's eyes that I couldn't quite read. Was it disappointment?

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd love to join you." And there it was. The silence was deafening while I waited for a response from either one of them.

"Sure." Nate said after a few seconds. "It'd be great to catch up. Although, I thought that you would be too busy for something as trivial as sightseeing."

I laughed slightly as I took a sip of my scotch. "I'm never too busy for two old friends." I glance at Vanessa who, at this point, was nervously wringing her hands ever so slightly as she continued to look from me to Nate.

"Great," Nate said with a somewhat strained smile. "We'll meet here around noon then?"

"I look forward to it." I glance at Vanessa one more time before I pay my tab and leave the two of them to work out whatever I had just caused.