"Why are you trying to get rid of me, dad? Did I do something wrong?"
As he signaled the driver to pull the limo up, Chuck Bass settled his daughter with a stern look. It was best at the moment if he made Jinx think he was upset. This way, he could get her to leave faster and then apologize for his hastiness in the morning. Right now, all Chuck wanted to do was get his daughter away from those people, away from the stuffy billionaires and snippy socialites, away from the media moguls and real estate tycoons, and especially away from her. If he could do that right, then his mission to be a good father was accomplished.
"Get in the car, Jinx.Stay home and get ready for your interview tomorrow."
When his daughter hesitated, Chuck helped her decision-making by prodding her inside the limo. Before she could protest, the obedient driver closed the door and smiled gratefully when his boss slipped a hundred dollar bill into his pocket.
"Take her straight back to the hotel. If something happens to my daughter, it's your ass on the line, got it?"
Understanding the warning, the driver's smile grew slightly nervous. "O-Of course, Mr. Bass!"
Chuck stood solemnly for a moment, watching the slim black limo drive off to join the rest of NYC traffic. He didn't even bother waving good-bye. Jinx would be too busy pouting to return it anyway. Chuck knew his daughter had been having the time of her life. Being new to the hierarchy of New York royalty, she had everyone crowded around her like dogs to fresh meat. And Jinx, who loved being the center of attention, made sure to regale them with tales of her adventures in a faraway place named California.
Chuck exhaled slowly, massaging his temples as he reentered the elegant chaos of the van der Woodsen home. Now that his daughter was out of harm's way, he could really get down to business.
"…You know that Jinx girl is really something. Chuck must have his hands full with that one!"
Nathaniel Archibald laughed awkwardly at his own joke in an attempt to cheer up his wife, who had become oddly reclusive during dinner. Blair just wasn't being Blair tonight. She wasn't lording over "Little J" the hostess. She wasn't planning shopping dates and café hours. She wouldn't even discuss her brilliant, new philanthropic endeavors. All Nate had seen his wife do that night was pick at her food like a nervous child.
Then again, he had also been also two hours late to a very important dinner. Blair couldn't have been happy about that.
"Listen Blair," Nate tried to sound as apologetic as possible. "I really tried my best to get off early. But the prime minister from Pakistan kept calling, and I had to reschedule my flight to Israel, and my secretary needed to pick up her kids…it's just gotten really hectic at the UN lately."
"Hmm…"
To be honest, Blair wasn't paying the slightest bit attention to her husband. She had known from the start that, despite his promises otherwise, he would be late to the
van der Woodsen dinner. The life of a United Nations diplomat was not accommodating to any schedule. Blair remembered when Nate began seriously considering the position. It had been right after their honeymoon to Dubai where he first noticed the big gap between the fortunate and the fortuneless. Coming back to New York and later being robbed gunpoint in Central Park had done nothing to stem the matter either. So now, the former stoner was one of the United Nations' best diplomats, able to represent the organization around the world, but predominantly in the Middle East.
"Blair, honey, you know my work is important to-,"
"Mom, dad?" Leighton Audrey Archibald approached her parents in Ferragamo heels. "I'm going with the girls to meet Mimi at the Knicks game. She's got courtside seats."
Tall, lithe, and amazingly pretty, Leighton was the female version of Nate: blonde hair and green eyes. With her mother's sense of style and grace, she sported a grey silk Yoana Baraschi cocktail dress with its ivory rosettes like a movie star. Like Blair, Leighton was the embodiment of perfectionists everywhere. Her movements and retorts were always perfectly timed, perfectly coordinated. She kept her hair either in a high ponytail or straight down. Her clothes even had to be ironed twice by the maids each morning, so as to seem custom-made for her size 2 figure. As her Aunt Serena always said: "The looks are her father's, but the brains are all Blair."
"What girls are you going with?" asked Blair as Nate unfolded several crisp fifties from his wallet.
Her emerald green eyes rolled. "What other girls is there, mom? Just Chloe and Baby V!"
"Veronica's parents are letting her go out after last time?"
"That's what she told me." Leighton shrugged carelessly, giving her father a sweet smile as he handed her a wad of green bills. "We won't be long anyway. It's Knicks versus Rockets. We all know who's going to win."
Nate pecked a quick kiss on the cheek. "Spoken like a true New Yorker. Go have fun, kid!"
"Thanks daddy. Night mom!"
Blair barely had time to wave her daughter off before she disappeared into the well-heeled crowd. Frowning, the mother wondered if Jinx was anything like Leighton: always eager to escape from parental authority. Blair honestly didn't know where she got it from. She herself had always basked in her mother's few praises and her father's fawning attention.
"Have fun at the game, sweetie."
"Okay."
Chloe Karenina Humphrey quickly kissed her parents, Serena and Dan, on the cheek before shyly waving goodbye to her godparents. "Bye Aunt B. Bye Uncle Nate."
The product of a marvelous gene pool, young Chloe had inherited her mother's Aphrodite-like good looks: golden hair, navy blue eyes, and a slim figure. But as much as Chloe loved pampering and pedicures, Blair knew her to be very down-to-earth for an Upper East Sider. She had inherited her dad's Brookylnite morals, and preferred reading Shakespeare to plotting for Queen Bee position. Not that Chloe would ever want to be Queen Bee at Constance, Blair considered. Being Cabbage Patch's daughter meant she was genetically required to be socially awkward. Though beautiful and confident in appearance, Chloe could hardly get her mouth open around people, which drove Serena totally crazy.
"Nice kid. Too quiet to be Serena's though."
"Kitchen. Now."
Chuck smirked at Blair's back as she led him towards the kitchens. Inside, the Hungarian maids bellowed a boisterous folk song together while washing plates and helping themselves to leftovers. Apparently their English was limited, for Blair didn't glower them out of the room. Instead, she slammed Chuck against the nearest wall with her manicured nails at his throat.
"How dare you!"
"How dare I what?"
"Don't play innocent with me! Jinx is supposed to be living in a two-bedroom home in Connecticut. She's supposed to be having a normal, happy life! Why is she with you Chuck? Why?!"
Determined to keep cool, Chuck kept his face expressionless. "If you ask me, there's nothing happy about living in a two-bedroom dump."
"So you kidnapped her!" accused Blair angrily.
"Look!" He shoved her hands off his neck. "I didn't kidnap anyone. Jinx needed to be rescued from that foster dump. I was just the parent who cared enough to do it!"
"So Jinx was never in Connecticut?" The brunette realized aloud.
It certainly answered why. Why that woman who ran the foster home couldn't look Blair in the eye. Why the private detective Blair had hired could find no trace of Jinx on the East Coast. Damn Chuck Bass and his million-dollar trust fund! He had ruined everything!
"You bribed that orphanage lady?"
Though meant to be a question, she stated it as fact. He, on the other hand, was enjoying the revelation. As he flashed his trademark smirk, Blair wanted nothing more than to have her hands around his throat again.
"I believe you're mistaken, Mrs. Archibald. The Children's Aid Society Foster Home is a respectable philanthropy project under Bass Corporations for-,"
"You unimaginable bastard!" Blair swore with hatred in her eyes. "Do you know how long I spent looking for her? The one mistake I don't ignore and try to fix-,"
"See that's your problem, Blair! Anything that doesn't fall right on schedule is obviously a mistake! Jinx may have been unexpected, but she's not a mistake!"
Now Chuck had gotten angry. But Blair, although surprised at seeing this protective Papa Bear side of him, could care less.
"Don't you dare paint me as the villain! I love her! I tried to find her!"
"Why? So you could have her shipped off someplace where she couldn't ruin your perfectlife with Nate?"
Blair pushed him back against the wall. "Don't act like-,"
"Don't test my patience." Chuck sneered. "The only reason I'm in New York is because dad wants to play patient. Yes, Jinx doesn't have a mom. All she knows and should know is that her mother is dead. But what she lacks in a mother, she has in a father. So here's my advice to you: stay away from Jinx. Because if you don't, there will be consequences."
"You can't do that!" A hint of desperation entered her voice. "She's my daughter too!"
"Watch me."
The Hungarian maids had deserted them. Perfect English wasn't needed to understand when two people were extremely pissed off at each other. Blair could only hope they hadn't blabbed to Jenny or anyone else about this conversation. As much as she loved Jinx, the secrets surrounding her birth would be earth-shattering if they got out. The love scandal would rock every Page Six of every gossip tabloid in New York City. Blair knew it and so did Chuck. But they couldn't think of themselves anymore. They were no longer selfish teenagers. They were now parents who had to protect their children's future.
"Fine!" growled Blair reluctantly. "I won't tell Jinx anything important, but that doesn't mean I'll let you ban me from seeing her!"
He stared at her coldly. "Actually, that's exactly what it-,"
"BLAIR! BLAIR! HAVE YOU SEEN VERONICA?!"
Jenny van der Woodsen frantically burst into the kitchens with tears pouring down her pretty face. Chuck had to admit that she had grown up nicely. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought Jenny was just like any other Upper East Side housewife: elegant, well-dressed, and easy on the eyes. In fact, she'd look even easier- and less Frankenstein's Bride- if her mascara wasn't running.
"I've looked everywhere!" cried Jenny. "S-She said she was going out for a breather, but that was half an hour ago! And the doorman says he hasn't seen her! What if she had an attack? What if someone-,"
"Not to worry, Little J." Blair, being older and wiser, immediately took control of the situation. Despite her calm demeanor, Chuck noticed an angry glint in her eye as she took Jenny's proffered cell phone. "I'll handle everything. Chuck, we will talk later."
He snorted rudely, ignoring Jenny's curious glance, before turning his back on the pair. There was really nothing to discuss. Chuck was king of the Upper East Side again. He had laid down the law and expected it to be obeyed. Queen Bee or not, Blair would have no part in his Jinx's future. Chuck would do whatever it took to keep it that way too.
Even if it meant playing dirty.
Good Morning Upper East Siders!
Baby V's Party Troubles
Every self-respecting Upper East Side daughter prides herself on being a total Daddy's Girl. But sometimes ladies, the cuddling and pampering becomes too ingrained in our fathers' minds. I call this ODS, or Overprotective Daddy Syndrome. We all know about it. We're all witnesses to it. But only our Baby V is a victim of it. All of you who were important enough to be invited to her mom's party know what I'm talking about. For you unfortunate few who weren't, worry no more! Gossip Girl is here to give all the inside scoop.
At first, the party was going the usual route. (Rockin' for the adults and boring as hell for their offspring.) By the time caviar was served, the Fab Four were still yet to be seen. A good thing for our new girl J. Ladies, I have to warn you: not only is J mega-hot, but she's also funny and charming as hell. Within ten minutes of arriving, J already had all of our parents under her spell. I've never seen anything like it! And what will Queen M think? Too bad she wasn't invited to the party for us to find out! (Baby V's mom must still be ticked about the "40/40 incident" last summer.)
Any juicy confrontation that might have happened was postponed when J's mega-hot dad whisked her away in a limo as soon as L and C decided to show their faces. Both of them ditched their folks and headed out for the night with Baby V nowhere to be seen. But we know better. Turns out Baby V played the ol' sneak-out-before-your-friends-and-meet-up-later gambit. Just before the party broke up, Baby V's folks were sounding the alarm and rounding up search parties. Good thing L's mom knew where to look before I got my Louboutin heels ruined! So where was Baby V, you ask?
Let's just say our favorite freshmen won't be that big of a Knicks fan anymore…
Sightings
Baby V crying in her room after a huge fight with her parents. Not a bad place to be considering her room is like a suite at the Plaza. C is sneaking outside of her parents' Williamsburg palace to smoke a cigarette with a guilty expression. Don't feel bad C; we all do it! L and M finally leaving Madison Square Garden after cheering on the Knicks. I'm all for New York spirit, but do those two have to do everything together? J moping in the Pierre Penthouse while watching the maids unpack her bohemian-couture wardrobe. Why leave the party so early, J? Are you hiding something from us already?
Surviving School
The weekend is almost over, which means-yawn- back to school. But before we reluctantly don our seersucker skirts and coats, let's think about all the juicy scandals sure to lie ahead. J has to go to school somewhere in Manhattan. (My bet is on Constance Billard. Cross your fingers!) But how long can a sunny California girl survive the chilly Upper East Side? You know I'll be watching to find out!
xoxo,
Gossip Girl
AN: SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT AND SHORTER CHAPTER! BUT, I WANTED TO GET THIS PART OUT BEFORE I GOT WRITER'S BLOCK TRYING TO MAKE IT LONGER. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!