Okay, initially I planned to get this update out sooner. I had the whole chapter written and then I realized that I went a route that I thought was all to predictable so I erased pretty much everything and decided to shake it up a bit. In addition, July is going to end up consisting of two chapters because of the different direction I decided to go in. Thanks again for all the follows and reviews and please keep them coming!
July 2nd 2012
"Nephew, get out here and enjoy this glorious view," Jack shouted from the deck of the yacht they were currently on in Dalmatia - Zadar, Croatia.
Chuck slowly sauntered out to the top deck, ipad in hand, while checking out the numbers his investors had sent him from their recent deposits. Looking up he saw Jack sprawled across a lawn chair with a blonde on each knee. He laughed to himself before taking a seat across from him.
"The point of coming out here was to relax a little, take the edge off. Ever since your playmate headed back to New York, you seem to have lost your zest anything but numbers," Jack mused while sitting up and adjusting the women slightly.
"The point of coming out here was that we have business to attend to with Alexander and coming aboard was the only way to track him down for longer periods of time," Chuck remarked while leaning back and gazing off into the water.
"All work and no play make's Chucky a boring boy," Jack mused before tapping on the ladies legs and pushing them up. "Ladies, why don't you go wait for me on the south deck," he suggested. The women nodded before seductively walking around to the other side of the deck. "Tell Uncle Jack how I can help."
"You can help by taking this all a little more seriously. We will be back in less than two months and we haven't figured out anything except how to rig every possible card game. The money is great but we currently have no use for it other than to keep piling it into companies and off shore accounts," Chuck hissed.
"Chuck, I understand that you are frustrated and want to figure everything out so that once you get home you can play house and live happily ever after but the fact of the matter is, as long as Bart is back nothing is getting resolved in a timely manner. Even if we defeated him in fifteen ways before heading back, we will still have to face him a million more times. Relax. The team we have put together is top notch and they are sorting things out. They will find the perfect one and done solution. We will continue to work but you need a break. You need to clear your head and more then anything probably your pipes," Jack asserted while smirking.
"Jack I told you..." Chuck began.
"No, no. You have made it quite clear that your not going after anything I throw towards you, no matter how much premium malt is involved. I'm saying take a few days, fly to Paris. The wife is quite fond of days at the chateau for Bastille Day is she not?" he asked suggestively.
"We agreed to spend the summer apart," Chuck quickly retorted.
"No, you decided and she submitted on the basis that she is afraid to fight with you about anything," Jack commented.
"Blair, afraid?" Chuck asked laughing.
"Of course, why wouldn't she be with your sudden mood swings. In all this time you finally get the one thing you want and you deny yourself all of the perks of having it. You leave yourself moping around and playing phone tag. Honestly, it's quite dull. I wish you would just go back to your unstable teenage self sometimes just to liven things up around here," Jack stated raising his eyebrows.
"One of us has to be mature," Chuck offered.
"Chuck. Book the ticket, or I'll book one for myself and go pay her a visit just to get you there," Jack threatened in a joking manner.
Chuck stared at him, shooting daggers out of his eyes. "I'll go next week. Once everything has been taken care of and before Alex leaves for Greece."
"Compromise. Ah, see what a great team we make. Now, I'm off to attend to my own personal issues," Jack explained while heading for the women on the other side of the boat.
Chuck leaned back into his chair and began thinking about his agreeing to go visit Blair. Jack was right. Chuck was a completely sexually frustrated mess and not only that but the excessive phone calls were beginning to wear thin on his restraint of keeping their relationship at arms length. He wanted to visit her, he truly did but he was afraid that going would cause him to forgive and forget to quickly and that things would remain unresolved and bother them at a later time. He was also worried about the message he would be sending her if he went. Would she think that all was right with them because of his grand gesture? Not going and letting things remain as they were was the safest bet but he was positive if he gave Jack a chance to stir up a little trouble than he would take it in a heartbeat.
Chuck picked up his phone scrolling between two different contacts multiple times before finally hitting call. "This is Chuck Bass, I need to make a reservation."
July 13th 2012
Blair paced the floor of her office space glancing at the clock frequently. She was awaiting her mother's approval on all the final aspects of the late winter line before she was allowed to begin with the promotion and planning the September fashion show. Her mother had been in room with her attorney and junior creative designer for over an hour and for Blair panic was definitely beginning to set it. She plopped down on the couch and begin to scroll through her phone in an attempt to find a distraction that would make the minutes tick by faster.
Finally, the door opened and her mother stepped in. Blair stood up quickly, tossing her phone to the side before offering her mother a half smile.
"Well, we have looked over everything and I have to say, I'm impressed, truly. Just a couple of weeks ago you seemed completely overwhelmed and from what I have seen today the worrying has resulted in a great outcome. I am more than confident that once we release this line I will be able to send you on your way and Cyrus and I will finally get a much needed break," her mother stated with an uncharacteristically warm approach.
"Really mother, I am so relieved," Blair said with an almost squeak of excitement in her voice.
"Well, don't be to excited yet. You still need to pull off this show and bring in the cliental," her mother grumbled quickly slipping back into her usual demeanor.
Blair rolled her eyes and sat back down onto the couch.
"Now that everything has been settled we can finally enjoy the festivities this weekend," her mother said jovially. "Your father is expecting quite the turn out for tomorrow since he left Roman in charge this year."
"Ah yes, finally. Relaxing along the pool. Roman's famous mimosas. After all these months indoors, I'm sure I could use time in the sun as well," she stated dreamily.
"Yes, you could," Eleanor informed her. "But, that will have to wait. You have one more meeting before you are on your mini vacation. It's scheduled in half an hour."
"Mother! After all I have gone through today, whatever it is couldn't have waited till next Monday?" she asked with distain.
"Oh Blair, stop acting like such a child. You know in fashion there is no rest," he mother dramatically reasoned.
"Of course mother," Blair replied sarcastically.
"Good girl. Now, I'll see you at your father's for our dinner tonight?" she asked.
"I'll be there as soon as I have finished."
Eleanor left the office and Blair settled back pouting. She stared the clock willing it to move forward to no avail. She picked up her phone and dialed Chuck's number. She hadn't talked to him in two days because of his busy schedule in Croatia and while she wanted to give him space, she also wanted to tell him of her success and kill time before her next meeting.
The phone went to voicemail after only two rings and Blair sighed deeply before hearing the beep of his answering service. "Hey, it's me. So mother dearest actually liked my pitch. Crazy I know. Um, I just wanted to talk with you but if your busy it's fine, I understand. Call me when you get a chance okay? Alright, bye. Oh and Chuck, I miss you." She hung up the phone and went back to looking through her sketch book before hearing a knocking on her door.
Blair strolled over to the door and opened it only to have her jaw fall open slightly when her afternoon meeting came barging in past her.
"Blair, it's been to long," Georgina said with a smirk on her face and she began walking the length of the office and taking in her surroundings. "Look at this, mommy gave you your very own big girl office and everything."
"Sparks, what are you doing here? I have a meeting in a few minutes and..." Blair began only to be cut off. "No, no, I'm your meeting. We have business to attend to."
"Business?" Blair asked intrigued.
"Well, Dan called you a while back and told you that it was crucial we spoke with Serena and from our end I don't see that you have done anything to make that possible," Georgina explained while taking a seat in the chair behind the desk and beginning to pick up different items and examine them.
"Hey! Keep your grubby little hands to yourself," Blair stated walking over to the desk and shooing Georgina's hands. "What do you mean from your end? You've been with Dan?"
"Ah, yes. Well once you decided to go running back to Bass, Dan needed someone to accompany him on his trip. Someone who was smart, intellectual, had a deep rooted history in scheming and social upheaval," Georgina rambled while leaning back in the chair.
"What on earth are you babbling about?" Blair snorted with frustration.
"Dan's new book. The real "Inside." The one he should have published the first time around," Georgina said looking Blair in the eyes and snickering.
"Uh, okay so you and Humphrey are off journaling together. What is the point of all this? I have places to be and more important things to take care of," she snapped.
"We need Serena. We asked you to supply Serena. You failed. Now, it's double time. Find her or we go all world war on you and publish every single dirty little secret you have," Georgina deadpanned.
"What could you possibly have on me? I think the last year of my life was pretty much out there for the world to see," Blair said with an air of indifference.
"If that's a chance you are willing to take then I'm fine working with that angle. Remember though you have other people to think of," Georgina reminded her flicking the card from the flowers Chuck had previously sent her that was sitting on the frame previously into her direction.
"Georgina, Chuck knows everything he needs too," Blair said slightly hesitating while picking up the card off the floor and rubbing her thumb over the thick writing.
"Everything? Every dirty detail from your time with Dan? Do you think he will really appreciate seeing that splashed all through Dan's new best seller? Or, how about all the wonderful secrets Dan amassed during his friendship with Nate? It's easy. All we want is to speak with Serena and come to some agreement with her. After that, most of your stories are useless knowledge that at best may end up as a gossip girl blast someday," Georgina explained slightly raising her voice.
"I called. I text. I got nothing. Obviously she doesn't want to be found," Blair retorted.
"How about Chuck?" Georgina asked.
"What about him? He doesn't know where she is. I have asked him multiple times," Blair replied.
"Well, maybe I'll drop by Argentina briefly and pay him a visit. Maybe he has somethings he has been keeping from you," she countered.
"You may want to check your sources," Blair mused.
"Oh, you mean about him not being in Croatia but instead Argentina?" Georgina asked with the smirk on her face enlarging by the second.
Blair looked at her questioningly. "Oh Blair, so naive. Always the last to know. You keep working on Serena and I'll focus on Chuck. Obviously, you are the last person that can be expected to get the truth out of him," she stated as she rose to leave.
"I'm sure it's just business with Jack," Blair offered off handedly.
"Is that why Jack was spotted still on the yacht this morning," Georgina retorted. Blair bit her lip before composing herself. "Enough, get out. You and Humphrey do whatever you want but just remember in the end you always lose. You may wound us and get a temporary retreat but we always come back, better and stronger than before. If he publishes so much as a single fabrication he will be in court until he is living in the Ozark's with no chance of a return," Blair spat while pushing Georgina out the door.
"It's been a pleasure Blair," Georgina shouted as the door closed. Blair pushed her body against the door and threw her head back slightly trying to sort through the events that had just occurred. It was clear to her that Georgina was aiding Dan on a suicide mission but whatever they needed Serena for was still puzzling to her. Above all, the question floating through her mind was what the hell was Chuck doing in Argentina, minus Jack.
Same Day in Argentina
Chuck's plane had finally landed after a grueling flight and he flipped his phone off of airplane mode and began scanning through his messages. He listened to Blair's voicemail and smiled to himself knowing that she had had the pitch in the bag after her practicing it over the phone to him some days before. A message from Jack informing him of the relations in Croatia and telling him to enjoy himself in Paris, if only he knew. And, a last voicemail from Lily asking if Chuck had heard from Serena. Chuck sighed, sliding his phone back into his pocket and gathering his bag from under the seat.
He stepped off of the plane onto the tarmac and into the terminal and began scanning the crowd.
"Chuck!" he heard to his left and he began walking till he reached the body it was being emitted from.
"Sis, how are you?" Chuck asked embracing Serena in a hug.
"Uh, really. It still creep me out when you call me that," Serena replied while hugging him back. "How was your flight?"
"Horrible. It almost makes me want to put aside my issues with Bart just so I can have my jet privileges back," Chuck sneered.
Serena let out a loud laugh, "Speaking of parents..." she replied while taking on a serious expression.
"No one knows I am here and I plan on keeping it that way," he explained as they began walking toward the exit.
"Thank you really. Honestly, I never in a million years though that you would be the one I would call in a situation like this," she stated while offering Chuck a small smile.
"I'll consider that a compliment, I think," he retorted as they reached the car and climbed inside.
Chuck's phone began ringing and he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. He let out a small sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose while trying to sort out his course of action.
"Blair?" Serena asked whilst assuming.
"Just let me handle this," he stated before answering the line. "Blair, hey. Sorry I haven't called you back. Jack and I just got out of a meeting," he said into the phone.
"Oh, a meeting?" Blair asked innocently.
"Of course, what did you think?" he replied reluctantly.
"Oh, no nothing. I just, never mind. I just wanted to thank you for all your help with the pitch. It went great," she replied sullenly though she was trying to sound enthusiastic.
"Of course it did. I told you, everything you put together is amazing. Your amazing," he spoke genuinely.
"Yeah. Thanks. Um, well I'll let you go. I have to be getting off to dinner at Daddy's. You know how big the holiday is out here. Fireworks and food and french traditions. I really have a ton to get to before tonight. Bye," Blair rambled quickly before hanging up.
Chuck stared at the phone before brushing off Blair's odd behavior as relating to everything she had coming up with her family in the next couple of days.
"Everything okay?" Serena asked.
"Yeah everything's fine. Now let's get this all sorted out or at least try to. Why don't you start at the beginning," Chuck offered as he leaned back in the car.
"Well it all started..."