A/N: I apologize for the delay. Reviews will be highly appreciated as always.
Wednesday
"With Georgina in Beijing, I guess we really have nothing to worry about," Blair finished.
"I'm still a little suspicious though," Serena insisted. "If she was planning to go to Beijing all along and had no business being in New York, then why would Dan have bumped into her yesterday and at the Plaza Hotel of all places?"
Blair sighed. "I know what you mean S. That's why Chuck has his PI following her to make sure she stays in Beijing until the wedding is over. Don't worry. If his PI notices anything suspicious, he'll contact Chuck immediately."
"I suppose you're right," Serena agreed. "Chuck's PI is nothing if not the best in the business. I just don't want her to ruin this for us, you know?"
"Please," Blair scoffed as Laurel tried to zip up her dress. "We're the non-judging breakfast club. Even if Georgina were up to something, it would just be a guaranteed failed attempt at ruining our double wedding."
"You look gorgeous B!" Serena squealed as the brunette walked out from behind the curtains then, completely forgetting about her worries over the she-devil.
Blair ignored the compliment and turned to face the mirror, scrutinizing her own reflection.
"I don't know S," she commented. "You looked so much better in yours. I think I'm getting a little large around the hip area. On second thought, I'm just getting fatter in general. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that extra slice of apple pie yesterday."
"What?" the blond shrieked. "You look absolutely flawless Blair! Do you know how many women would kill to be able to fit into a wedding dress of that size?"
Blair pursed her lips and remained unconvinced.
"I don't know S. I mean, Laurel had some trouble zipping me up just now," Blair protested as she went back behind the curtains. "I'll have to go on a bit of a diet before Sunday. Chuck didn't sign up to marry a whale."
"As long as you're the whale in question, I'm game," a sultry voice interrupted their conversation.
Blair gasped upon recognizing his voice and shouted from behind the curtains, "Go away Chuck! I don't want you to see me in my wedding dress until the wedding on Sunday and are you agreeing with me that I look like a whale?"
"What?" Chuck questioned uncertainly, trying to tread carefully in answering her question.
He looked over at Serena for help, but the blond could only shrug in response.
Chuck let out an exasperated sigh just as Blair asked again, "I asked if you were agreeing with me that I look like a whale you Basshole!"
Blair came out from behind the curtains then with her hands on her hips. She was only dressed in her bra and panties now and Chuck couldn't help but lick his lips in approval.
"Well?" she questioned, tapping her foot impatiently against the carpeted floor as she waited for his answer.
"Of course not sweetheart," he cooed from where he was standing. "You look ravishing."
Her anger dissolved immediately upon hearing him sweet talk her only to be replaced almost as quickly by her persistent insecurities over the way she looked. She turned to face the full-length mirror again, running her hands cautiously over her stomach and her hips. Chuck looked over at her in concern and went to hug her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
She put her tiny hands over his automatically, leaned back into his chest, and whispered, "Really?"
"Absolutely gorgeous," he insisted, placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder.
Blair turned around in his arms then and kissed him hard on the lips.
He returned her feverish kiss just as eagerly before she pulled back and murmured, "Thank you Chuck."
He nodded and leaned in to kiss her again when Serena let out a disgusted scream.
"Oh for God's sake you two!" she yelped as Nate helped her cover her eyes. "Need I remind you that Laurel and your mother could return at anytime B? Get a room!"
Chuck loosened his hold on Blair and turned around to face his step-sister and his best friend, presenting them with none other than his signature smirk.
"I love how you read my mind sis, but no can do," he drawled. "I promised my beautiful fiancée here that I would get that photographer, Richard, back for her today."
"Good luck with that," Serena told him, her disgust over their recent vomit-inducing public display of affection disappearing into thin air.
After hearing Blair's theory about how Kayla was probably trying to get her revenge on Chuck by snagging their photographer, the blond was thoroughly convinced that the international model wouldn't surrender quite so easily. The wrath of a scorned woman was a force to be reckoned with.
"I don't need luck," Chuck began.
"I'm Chuck Bass," Nate mimicked him before the brunette could utter those very words.
"Very funny Nathaniel," he declared sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the blond as the girls fell into a fit of giggles. "We better get a move on. I convinced Kayla to meet us for lunch in half an hour. It won't help us if we're late."
"Sleeping with her is not an option Bass," Blair warned him as he walked towards the door. "Your sexy ass is mine."
The brunette chuckled as he turned around and reminded her, "Oh believe me babe. That message came through loud and clear this morning. It was hard to miss."
"Gross!" Serena shouted as Nate tried to figure out what Chuck had said to trigger this sort of reaction from his fiancée.
When the blond finally caught on to the sexual undertone, he said, "Oh! It was hard to miss. I get it now. Good one man."
Chuck rolled his eyes at his best friend just as Serena demanded, "Both of you leave! Now!"
Nate smiled apologetically in her direction, gave her a tiny wave, and headed out the door. Chuck, however, merely chuckled, choosing to stay behind for a moment longer.
"By the way," he mentioned casually. "I'll see the two of you at Victrola tonight if we don't see each other before then. Clearly it won't be a surprise party anymore because some of us are horrible at keeping surprise parties a secret."
With that, he strode out the door, leaving Serena to look at Blair accusingly and the brunette to blush a deep shade of crimson red.
"Care to explain how he found out about his surprise birthday party B?" Serena questioned, her lips pressed together in a tight line and her arms crossed insistently over her chest.
Blair glanced at her apologetically, offering her a weak smile. She knew everyone had been working hard to keep their mouths shut about the party. Even Gossip Girl had shown remarkable self control and had refrained from dishing out the details of the party to the entire Upper East Side.
"He was bugging me about his birthday plans!" Blair protested. "I wished him a happy birthday this morning and then he started to annoy me with his continuous guesses as to how I was planning to celebrate his birthday with him today."
"So, you just told him?" Serena offered sarcastically. "Your self control truly astounds me B."
"It wasn't so much my lack of self control as it was his talented hands," Blair informed her.
"That would be classified as an over share Blair," the blond noted.
"Would it?" Blair responded innocently, batting her eyelashes at the blond.
Serena sighed. "Well, I suppose he would have found out about the surprise party himself at some point during the day. Nate has been dying to spill the beans as well. You want to grab some lunch now B?"
"At the same restaurant where Chuck and Nate are grabbing lunch with that photographer-stealing bitch?" Blair questioned hopefully.
"Fine," Serena conceded, rolling her eyes at the brunette. "You have to promise me you won't attack her though B like you did Julia Simmons in freshman year."
"I only gave Julia a tiny shove," Blair insisted. "It's not my fault she couldn't regain her balance. Besides, she brought it on herself. Everyone knew I was planning to do my presentation on Audrey Hepburn."
"You gave her a tiny shove alright B," Serena agreed before mentioning a very small but important detail about the incident that her best friend had conveniently forgotten. "Down the stairs! Julia came back to school the next day with a broken arm!"
"Whatever S," Blair replied, waving off her obvious delusions. "Are you coming or not?"
"I'm coming," Serena exclaimed. "Just promise me you won't attack Kayla B."
"I promise," she assured her as she yelled for her mother to tell her that they were leaving.
Satisfied with her promise, the blond walked out the door completely oblivious to the fact that Blair was crossing her fingers behind her back.
"So, I would really appreciate it if you would reschedule your photo shoot this Sunday," he finished.
Kayla laughed at his pathetic attempt at an apology speech.
"You think you can just apologize for using me and then I'd just hand Richard back over to you?" she scoffed. "I don't think so."
"What will it take?" Chuck asked cautiously, holding her gaze.
"I'll give you half of my steak," Nate offered.
Chuck and Kayla both tilted their heads slightly to glance at the blond in absolute disbelief, momentarily dispelling the tension in the air that had developed between them. Nate took Kayla's silence as a form of declination and tried again.
"I'll even give you my dessert," Nate urged. "Come on! You couldn't possibly resist an ice cream sundae with chocolate fudge and a cherry on top."
Kayla turned back to face Chuck and blatantly mocked him as she took a small bite of her salmon.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "How could I resist such a tempting offer? You might want to consider another sidekick the next time you're grovelling at someone's feet to ensure your fiancée's happiness."
"I am not grovelling," Chuck seethed through clenched teeth.
The brunette slipped off one of her high heels and began to caress his calf with her bare foot from where she was seated across from him at the table.
"Oh you will be," she assured him, throwing a wink in his direction. "I think I have an arrangement that will suit both our needs. I am in no way seeking my revenge here. I'm just bitter that we didn't get around to certain activities the last time we were in the pleasure of each other's company."
Chuck moved his leg out of her reach and answered, "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about Kayla."
The brunette merely smiled at his response, a wicked glint in her eyes. She slipped her foot back into her stiletto.
"Oh come on," she pouted, brushing a manicured hand over his. "You want to make your beloved fiancée happy, don't you? Besides, Blair sounds fairly desperate when it comes to getting Richard back."
Nate swiveled his head back and forth between the two, trying to follow their conversation, but eventually geared his attention back towards his food. This was now officially one of his favorite restaurants. The food was good.
"I'm not that desperate you little slut!" Blair shouted as she approached their table.
Serena was treading close on her heels afraid that Blair would jump the brunette at any moment. Chuck was quick to cover for himself, standing up from his seat immediately in protest.
"Blair, I swear I..." he stuttered.
"I know Bass," she assured him. "Now sit down."
He did as he was told as Nate grinned widely at the sight of his dessert arriving at their table.
"Oh boy!" he squealed in excitement.
Serena shot him a warning glance as Chuck and Blair promptly delivered their infamous death glares. Kayla just stared at him in disbelief as she had moments earlier.
"Oh I'm sorry," he apologized, holding up his sundae and offering it to everyone at the table. "Does anyone want some?"
Chuck and Blair rolled their eyes simultaneously as Kayla spat out a snide remark.
"My deepest sympathies to the fool who marries him," the brunette commented.
"Excuse me?" Serena retorted, her hands on her hips.
"Do I have to spell it out for you Barbie?" she asked. "Your fiancé is about as deep as a kiddie pool."
Blair casually tipped over her drink then as Nate struggled to hold Serena back from lunging at the smug brunette. Kayla squealed at the feel of the liquid dribbling down her dress and Serena smirked in satisfaction at the scene before her, giving her best friend a grateful look.
Blair smiled at the blond before she cried out in mock concern, "Are you alright Kayla? How clumsy of me! I swear that was an accident!"
"Of course it was," Kayla huffed as she marched towards the ladies' room.
The sound of the slamming door echoed off the walls of the restaurant and only then did the non-judging breakfast club realize that everyone in the restaurant had been staring at their table.
"Nothing to see here," Nate announced as the crowd returned to devouring their gourmet meals.
"We'll be right back," Blair informed the boys as she and Serena walked off in the direction of the restroom.
"Blair," Chuck warned as they stalked away.
"Don't worry," Serena assured her step-brother, swiveling around for a split second to address his concern. "I'll keep her in check."
Chuck nodded in thanks and then turned back towards his best friend who was scooping the last bit of his sundae into his waiting mouth.
"If you came in here to apologize, you can forget it," Kayla informed the brunette as she walked in with the blond. "Richard is mine on Sunday."
"You can have him," Blair spat. "I came in here to warn you that if I ever see your pathetic face near my man again, I will hurt you."
"You and what army?" the brunette scoffed as she dabbed at the stain on her dress with a wet towel. "Barbie?"
Blair threw herself at Kayla only to feel Serena holding her back.
"You promised not to attack her Blair," Serena reminded her.
"Fine," Blair huffed in defeat, shrugging off the blond off.
To her surprise, however, Serena then lunged at Kayla herself, the huge impact sending them both to the floor.
"What the hell?" Kayla shouted. "Get off of me you crazy bitch!"
Blair stood frozen in her place as the two girls continued to scream and claw at each other. She eventually pulled Serena off of the brunette and dragged her towards the bathroom door.
"That was awesome S," Blair whispered as she reached for the door handle.
The brunette stopped what she was doing though when she felt a hard object hit her on the back of the head. Serena gasped as Blair fumed at the object in question.
"You did not just throw your stiletto at me you whore!" Blair screeched as she pounced on Kayla.
Chuck threw down his napkin and stood up from where he was seated upon hearing her angry statement. He had to get in there before someone got seriously hurt. The rest of the patrons in the restaurant simply continued to eavesdrop on the furious exchange of words between the three girls.
"Good luck at your photo shoot on Sunday," Blair sang happily as she and Serena waltzed out of the ladies' room.
Chuck breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the girls had come out of the fight as winners. Blair was only missing her headband and Serena had a barely noticeable rip up the side of her skirt.
"Do I want to know how much damage you did to Kayla?" Chuck asked his fiancée cautiously.
Blair smirked at him and replied, "You can ask her yourself once her nose stops bleeding."
Chuck smiled proudly at her and took her hand in his as Nate ran over to his fiancée in profound concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his hand fingering the torn part of her skirt.
"That was exhilarating," she assured him as she took his hand in hers and followed the brunettes out of the restaurant.
Blair let out a contented sigh as she continued to soak herself in the warm water. Truth be told, her fight with Kayla had been extremely tiring and running around all day with Taylor had only served to stress her out even more.
"Are you feeling any better Blair?" Chuck asked her as he walked into the bathroom.
She nodded in response, scrutinizing his choice of bow tie simultaneously.
"You should wear the red one instead," she suggested.
"Why?" he wondered. "Are you not wearing the blue dress I bought you two days ago?"
"I decided to wear the red one you bought me about three weeks ago. Red is so much more of a birthday bash color," she explained her decision.
He laughed and started to walk out of the bathroom just as she added, "Chuck?"
"Yeah babe?" he responded, turning back around to face her.
"Sorry I made us late for your own birthday party," she apologized, offering him a tired smile.
"Don't worry about it princess," he whispered before walking out of the bathroom.
He flipped open his cell phone and promptly dialed for Serena.
"Hey sis, I don't think Blair and I are going to come to the party after all," he said. "She's pretty tired from today's events if you know what I mean and it's almost midnight anyway."
"But Chuck," Serena protested on the other end of the line. "Everyone is here for you! What do I tell the guests?"
"Oh please," he responded, rolling his eyes upon instinct. "The party has already been going on for three hours. I bet no one has even noticed my absence from my own party."
"That is totally not true," Serena retorted. "Eric and Jenny totally asked where you were. Lily was also concerned."
"Uh huh," Chuck responded as he ran a hand through his hair and allowed a frustrated sigh to escape his lips. "Look sis, Blair's really tired. That fight with Kayla drained most of her energy already and she's been running around for the rest of the day with our wedding planner doing God knows what to make sure that our wedding on Sunday is perfect. I just..."
"I get it Chuck," Serena sighed. "Happy birthday then and everyone else says happy birthday as well."
"Thanks S," he said gratefully. "See you and Nathaniel at breakfast tomorrow. Don't be late. We have to prepare our collective thank you speech for the rehearsal dinner on Saturday."
"We'll see you tomorrow," Serena agreed. "Bye."
He hung up the phone then and turned around to find Blair taking her dress out of the closet.
"Hey Blair?" he called out for her.
"Yes birthday boy?" she responded.
"We're not going to the party anymore," he told her. "Let's just go to bed."
"Aren't we in a hurry," she commented, winking in his direction.
Chuck laughed and tossed her nightgown to her. "I didn't mean it like that. For once, I literally mean let's just go to bed."
Blair scrunched up her nose in confusion, but slipped on her nightgown anyway.
"You sure you don't want to go Chuck?" she asked. "I booked your favorite caterer and everything."
"The party sounds perfect Waldorf," he told her. "I just don't want you to tire yourself out too much before the wedding and don't even try to tell me that you aren't."
He was stripped down to his boxers and he climbed into bed, motioning for her to join him. She complied with his silent request and curled up into a ball next to him as he wrapped his arm around her protectively.
"But you didn't even get to eat your birthday cake," she pouted. "I made it myself."
"All the more reason not to go to the party," he teased her.
She ignored his comment and climbed out of bed. He heard her open the refrigerator and rustle a few items around before she returned to the bedroom.
He felt himself grow hard just from surveying the items that she held in her hands. There was a bottle of whipped cream, a box of strawberries, and even a bottle of chocolate syrup. Blair tossed the items onto the bed and proceeded to pull her nightgown up and over her head, letting it float to the floor.
"Chuck," she purred as she positioned herself on the bed. "You're going to miss your birthday cake, but there's no reason to miss dessert as well, right?"
She took the can of whipped cream and waved it in front of him to taunt him.
"Blair," he warned. "If you don't put your nightgown back on now, I'm going to make you even more exhausted than if we were to actually attend the rest of my party."
He watched Blair shake the can a few times before she laid delectable path of whipped cream down the length of her body.
She then handed him the bottle of chocolate syrup and asked, a playful glint in her eyes, "Mr. Bass, is that a threat or a promise?"
