Chapter 7.
Serena's Home.
Serena walked into the living room, spotted her mom looking over some papers, took a long deep breath and sat down beside her, "I need to talk to you."
"If it's about Jenny, I think we've discussed that enough for now."
"No, I just need to get away for a few days and I was hoping I could take a trip to Philadelphia and spend some time with my old friend Carla Ginetti. We've talked in emails a bit in the last few months and she invited me up for the weekend."
"I don't remember you talking her much. Is she the one that got kicked out of school for doing drugs?"
"Mom, that was years ago and she wasn't the only one who used them, everyone tried them, she just got caught. She's not a bad person." Serena added as her mom's frown grew, "Her mom and dad are getting divorced she really needs someone to talk to about it."
"I'll have to talk to her mother first, I'm not letting you go there if she hasn't agreed to this."
"Would you stop with the dictator tactics. I don't have to ask. I am 18 now and I can do whatever I want. I just thought you'd be happy that I was away from Jenny for a while."
"That doesn't make me happy. I know this is hard for you, but in time you'll see that it's for the best."
"How nice, but can I please go see Carla?" Serena asked, trying her best to not roll her eyes at her mother's condescending tone.
"Fine, but I want you to call me every night and keep up to date on what you're doing. I'm assuming her family lives in a nice part of the city?"
"Yes mom, their family is filth rich, so I'm sure they have a mansion on the hills somewhere."
"You can lose that smart mouth young lady." Lily said as she got to her feet to glare at her tall, but very sarcastic daughter, "You still need permission to use the jet, now if you'd rather just be sarcastic you can stay home and sulk in your room."
"It was a joke." Serena said, doing her best to hold I her smile, "Anyway, I will go pack and I hope you can call and get the plane ready. I should be ready by 5."
"I'll see what I can do."
Serena smiled and ran down the hall, ran into her bedroom, grabbed her cell phone and hopped up on her bed. She pushed Jenny's number and rolled onto her back, "Hi there. It's your turn. My mom thinks I'm going to see a friend in Philadelphia, so if you can get your dad to agree to let you go with Blair, we'll be all set."
"Okay, I can't wait for this to happen. Well, I better get going so I can start packing. I have no idea what to bring."
"Worry about convincing your dad first. Good luck. I'll be waiting for your call."
"Bye." Jenny said, hopping off her bed, adjusting her very conservative dress, putting on her biggest widest smile and running down downstairs to find her dad.
Rufus took one look at his daughter and shook his head, "So, what do you want me to say yes to?"
"What?" Jenny said as if she'd just been caught.
"You tend to wear that dress when you want something. Must be the sweet pattern on it."
"Okay, maybe I was a bit obvious, but I like this dress, it makes me feel more like an adult."
Rufus burst into laughter, wondering how Jenny could keep a straight face after that comment, "Back to the real issue, what do you want?"
"Well, Blair is going to Miami for the weekend to meet with this designer and she invited me along because she knows I've been dying to see some of his work."
"Why would she do that? I didn't think you two were that close."
"Sure we are. She's been great to me. She helped me become queen when she moved on and we've been friends ever since."
"You're really okay with being away from Serena for three whole days?"
Jenny smiled, "Dad, we don't spend every second together. Serena's happy for me, she knows this is a good opportunity for me."
"Is Blair's mother going to be there? Who's going to keep an eye on you?"
"Blair is 18 now, but I'm not a child, I can take care of myself. Must you always play the age card."
"It's a valid concern." Rufus said, feeling very uneasy about the situation, "I'd feel better if there was an adult there with you."
"Blair is an adult in the eyes of the law. I will be too very soon and I can't wait for that day."
"Until then you still have to live by my rules. I'm not sure I feel comfortable leaving you in Blair's hands, so to speak. She's never been the responsible type."
Jenny stomped her feet, "Would you like to hire a police officer to handcuff me and watch over me the whole time? Maybe film me, so you have a video record of my every move."
"That tone is not going to help you one bit young lady." Rufus said loudly and firmly.
"Dad, you are being unfair." Jenny said with more than a hint of a whine. After seeing that was doing no good, she put her sad face back on and gave her dad a hug, "I'm sorry I got frustrated, but I didn't think this would be a big deal. You want me to be away from Serena, so you should be happy I'm going. Otherwise I'm going to stay here and I'm going to invite Serena over and we are going to makeout right here on the kitchen table all day and all night."
"I think you missed your calling, you really should've been an actress."
"Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment, now can I go?"
"I need to talk to Blair first and set some ground rules and if I feel like she's able to keep you safe and out of trouble, then I'll let you go."
Jenny's smile grew from ear to ear and she gave her dad a big hug and quickly pulled out her cell phone and handed it to her dad, "Go ahead, call her. You'll see she's more than able to do this."
Rufus grabbed the cell phone, shook his head at the big red heart around Serena's number and clicked on Blair's number and waited for a reply.
"Hi Jenny."
"Actually this Jenny's father." Rufus said, turning and walking away from Jenny, "I hear you have invited her to come with you on a trip to Miami?"
"Yes, that's true."
"Well, I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind."
"Not at all." Blair said as she watched Dorota paint her fingernails.
"I'd like to know where you'll be staying and I'd like to know what your plans are after you've had this meeting. What do you plan on doing there?"
"We'll be staying at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Florida. My meeting is Saturday morning at 9 AM and after that I'll be showing Jenny around Miami and then we'll spend the day at the beach. We'll be leaving at 5 PM on Sunday."
"I see. Well, that sounds like a nice weekend." Rufus said, slightly more at ease than before, "I'm holding you personally responsible for Jenny's safety."
"Oh I promise to keep her out of trouble and make sure she arrives back here safe and sound. I mean that. I would never let anything bad happen to her." Blair stated honestly.
"I'm happy to hear that." Rufus said, pacing back and forth around the living room, before finally turning towards to the two girls, "Okay, I'll let Jenny go."
Jenny rushed up and gave her dad a big hug, "Thank you. Thank you."
Blair smiled at the sight of Jenny so happy and then excused herself as her cell phone began to ring. She stepped into the hallway, looked at the number and rolled her eyes at the thought of talking to Chuck again, "What do you want?"
"I don't like calling you anymore than you want to hear my voice, but I have a problem and I think you're the only one who can solve it for me." Chuck said from the back of his limo.
"I apologized for how things ended between us and you've done nothing but give me the cold shoulder and now you want a favor? You have some nerve Bass."
"I know, but you used to like that about me." Chuck said with a cocky grin, "Anyway, I've almost got my club up and running, but one of the inspector's is someone I had a bit of a run in with about a year ago. I was drunk and I ended up making a fool myself, but not before I embarrassed him in front of his family friends. It seems he still holds a grudge. I'd like you to persuade him to give my club the final okay."
"You don't ask for much, but I'm in a good mood right now, so give me his name and I'll see to it that he does his job."
"Thanks." Chuck said, pausing to let Blair reply, but when she didn't, he leaned back and let out a sigh, "Okay then, his name is Wayne Carson. He works for the city planning commission. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
Blair shook her head as she put her cell phone away, trying to make sense out of what had just happened. Before she could analyze it too much Jenny came running out to see her.
"OMG, can you believe this? It's all working out. Thank you so much for helping. I owe you big time."
"Yes and you know I'll collect at some point." Blair said with a cute grin.
"Whatever you want, you earned it."
"I'll keep that in mind, but I need to get going now. I have an appointment that I forgot about, so I'll call you tonight and we'll work out the rest of the details then." Blair then pulled Jenny in close, "Do not call Serena. Don't give anyone the chance to figure out what's going on. Just wait until I call you and you'll be seeing her soon enough."
"Okay, but I'm so excited. I really want to share this with her." Jenny said with a wide eyed smile.
"Jenny." Blair said, grabbing Jenny by the shoulders, "No means no. Don't mess this up."
"Fine, I'll go figure out what I should bring with me."
"Good. I'll call Serena and let her know the good news and then I'll call you back tonight. I have to go now, but I am happy for you. Bye."
Blair walked out to her limo, got in the backseat, picked up the phone in the back and pushed the front seat button, "I need to get downtown to city planning department."
"Miss Waldorf, your mother is expecting you for lunch in 90 minutes."
"Just get me to downtown, I'll take care of my mother later."
"Yes ma'am." The middle aged man said before putting his foot on the gas and tearing off much faster than the speed limit.
Vanessa's Bedroom.
Poppy walked inside to see Vanessa sitting on her bed still sporting a very unhappy look on her face, "Are you still upset about Georgina?"
"A little, but it's more about Jenny." Vanessa said, noticing Poppy's disapproving frown, "I know, don't say it, but I read one of her old emails and it was filled with so much excitement and love and she couldn't wait to see me and it just brought back all those memories again."
"Well, memories are good, but you are going to make new memories with new people and that can't happen until you put Jenny in the back of your mind for now. She's not going to disappear, but if you don't open yourself up to new possibilities you are going to be a very unhappy girl for a long time."
"How do you suggest I do that?"
"Why don't you come with me tonight." Poppy asked excitedly, putting her arms around Vanessa, "I have an interview with my old modeling agency later on, but then I want to have some fun. Maybe you can join me and we can hit the clubs again tonight. Now we don't need fake ID's either."
"I'm not sure I'd be much fun. Are you going to find someone to hit on or what?" Vanessa asked, remembering how things used to be.
Poppy gave Vanessa a cute little pout and shook her head, "No, I'm going with you and 'we' are going to have fun together, so are you up for it?"
"I guess I could use a night out."
"Good, that's what I like to hear." Poppy said, still holding onto Vanessa, "If you want to, you can come with me to my interview. I bet you could get some work there. You have an amazing face, an exotic look and a great body, what else could they ask for?"
"I don't think so." Vanessa said with a slight laugh, walking over to her window, "We tried that when we were both 15 and they chose you."
"So, that was then, it was completely different people and they were idiots and I told them that." Poppy stated proudly, putting her hands on Vanessa's shoulders, staring into her eyes, "Look, I believe in you. I know you have what it takes to be a model and I'm more than willing to do whatever takes to get you signed to my old agency, but you have to want it. It is not something you take lightly."
Vanessa blushed slightly, "I'm not sure I'm ready to be flying around the world and sitting in a chair getting my hair and makeup done for hours on end, even if the money would be very nice right now."
"It all depends on what you want, but I'm sure we can find something that works for you. Just come with me. If you don't like what you see then okay, but at least you tried and that's all I ask."
"You are so hard to say no to." Vanessa said, resting her head on Poppy's chest.
"I know. It's a gift." Poppy said with a cute smile.
End of Chapter 7.