Manhattan Project
I still don't own GH or Gossip Girl... I hope you enjoy the latest installment
I know it's a Sunday but that doesn't mean I'm taken a break...
Spotted:
M leaving with tears in her eyes and the Jackal with a saddened expression...I thought you needed to be together to break up...C looking on with a grin on his face...V and D leaving the confines of the other side of town (it's about time we heard from them huh)...
I guess this isn't a lazy Sunday after all.
Keeping eyes and ears open...
You know you love me
XoXo Gossip Girl
"This will be easier then I thought." He thought to himself grinning as he spotted the blonde coming his way.
Maxie had been blinking toying to see through her tears as mixed thoughts sifted through her head. Why was she doing this, kissing then running from Spinelli like this, she was falling for him right? He was her best friend, her rock, she wondered if it was because she wasn't over the loss of Coop or that Georgie loved him that was causing her to push back. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the person coming towards her and suddenly crashed into them.
Looking over at the body she ran into, dark hair, and dark eyes, looking like some actor or model better suited for Hollywood then the city.
Chuck thought...this was his moment and turned on his charms.
"I'm so sorry I'm such a klutz."
As he looked into her tear stained blue eyes he realized she was prettier up close.
"It's ok," Maxie said blinking to see him better, "I'm fine."
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a handkerchief with a C embroidered on it.
"Here."
"Thank You..."
Chuck realized that Maxie wanted to know who he was.
"I'm Chuck Bass."
She smiled knowing him by name though not by reputation.
"Well then thank you Mr. Bass."
He made a face.
"Mr. Bass is my father please call me Chuck."
"Well then Chuck thanks...oh where are my manners..."
She put out her hand.
"I'm Maxie Jones."
As she said this her saddened face curled into a smile, sure this was part of her destructive tendencies kicking in but she didn't mind, Chuck Bass was handsome, charming and connected.
--
Meanwhile across town Spinelli was finishing off the carriage ride taking in the fresh air well as fresh as air in NYC could be and thinking things over. It was in these moments of solitude that he was seriously contemplating taking Federico up on the modeling offer in hopes that Maxie upon seeing him grace the cover of Vogue or some other magazine would make her fall for him. Or maybe he would just move on...preferably to a brunette. He thought Blair was nice and wondered if she had a date to the Crimson launch since he figured his date with Maxie was off. Paying the driver once the carriage came to a stop he decided that he was in much need for nectar of the gods better known as orange soda and found a small diner.
So it wasn't Kelly's by a long shot so when he went to place his order of Orange Soda and Barbeque chips he was looked at rather strangely.
"I'm sorry," the man said, "we don't have chips but we have fries."
"Then an order of Cheese fries."
The man nodded and handed Spinelli his orange soda.
"Thanks," Spinelli said making his way to a table.
A few moments later the door to the practically empty diner opened and Spinelli watched as a young women about Blair's age who though also a brunette was style wise the complete opposite of both Blair and Maxie. She was not a budding fashionista wearing the latest designers and dropping their names every chance they got, no...she was pretty simplistically dressed in her cut off jeans and layered top. Eyeing him she made her way to the counter.
"See I told you it was a good idea to put Orange Soda on tap Rog."
"I admit I was shocked when someone else ordered it."
The man handed Vanessa her Orange Soda along with his fries to deliver to Spinelli. Vanessa smiled and made her way to his table.
"Here ya go," Vanessa said.
He looked up at the brunette and smiled thanking her for delivering his food.
"So is this seat taken?"
He blinked.
"Um...no...But I thought you were the waitress."
She laughed.
"Nah...Rog just likes to order me around since I come in here enough."
Spinelli nodded and motioned to the seat.
Vanessa smiled.
"So," she said breaking the ice, "I see you like Orange Soda huh."
Spinelli nodded.
"Who needs to drown your sorrows in booze when you have this?"
Vanessa laughed.
"Let me guess, girlfriend trouble."
"If you can call the Maximista the Jackal's girlfriend."
"Crushed by the crush I know what that is like," she paused realizing that this newfound kindred spirit and she didn't even know each other's names, "I'm Vanessa by the way."
"Damian, but I mean I don't normally GO by that."
"Then what do you go by."
"Spinelli which is my last name, or the Jackal."
"Mind if I call you Spin."
He shook his head and smiled.
"So tell me all about this 'Maximista' and what she did or didn't do."
"It's not important."
"It's not."
He shook his head.
"No it's not, so what are your plans on Friday."
Vanessa bit her lip wondering if he was asking her out. By then the door had opened and Dan Humphrey was standing behind Spinelli watching the scene.
"Nothing at the moment what do you have in mind."
--
Maxie seemed to be letting all her troubles melt away in Chuck's presence. He was the perfect gentleman though she didn't know this was all an act at the time. They walked the length of the park.
"I see your not crying anymore."
"No but I'm sure I'm all puffy."
"Puffy no, you look beautiful."
Maxie blushed.
"So, your Kate Howard's assistant huh."
"How do you..."
"Word travels in this town."
She looked at him.
"Seriously my step sis and you share a mutual friend."
Maxie could only guess that this friend was Spinelli and the girl was the perky blonde they ran into after the play the other evening.
Maxie just nodded.
"Anyway why do you bring up Crimson, ohh let me guess you're a model..."
He shook his head; though he had done some modeling he was not a professional and did not want a handout by any means.
"I was just wondering if you were going to the party on Friday."
"Hello I'm like planning the whole thing, Kate's assistant remember."
Chuck nodded wondering if this was a good time to ask her to be his date.
"What do you say I buy you an ice-cream?"
"Ice-cream now that's a subject changer."
"What it's hot out here."
Maxie smiled and accepted his offer.
--
Spinelli smiled at Vanessa.
"Well as you may or may not know, I the Jackal am on the VIP list for the Crimson Launch party and well I was wondering..."
"Vanessa isn't interested in fashion," a male voice spoke from behind Spinelli.
"Who says I'm not into fashion."
The owner of the voice, a young man why was also about seventeen or eighteen came over to the empty chair between Spinelli and Vanessa and took a seat without being asked to join.
"I have known you for how many years..."
"Fine so I'm not into fashion but Dan what else do we have planed, I mean how many times can we sit at one of our apartments eating sushi watching foreign cinema."
"I thought you liked that."
"I do but that's not the point."
"I'll leave you two to your lovers quarrel," Spinelli said about to get up.
"You will do no such thing," Vanessa said looking between the two men.
"Dan this is Spin, Spin this is Dan."
"I'm sorry I was rude."
"I'm used to it."
"So, how do you know Vanessa?"
"Well the Jackal met his kindred spirit when she was playing waitress and delivered my fries which no offence aren't a viable substitute for Barbeque Chips."
Dan laughed a bit.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing."
"You think I'm a freak don't you...because I'm not a freak."
"It's ok if you are..I'm a bit of a freak myself."
Spinelli looked at Vanessa.
"He is," she said, "I am too...I mean your obviously not from around here but if your not a part of the elite crowd you're a freak."
--
The heat of the afternoon caused ice-cream to melt on Maxie's designer dress causing Chuck to insist that she head up to his penthouse so that he could send out her cloths to be cleaned.
"It's Sunday," she had said, "the cleaners aren't open."
"I have connections," he replied.
Back in Port Charles being connected meant involvement in mob but she knew this wasn't the case and so she was now sitting on the couch of Chuck's penthouse dressed in a fluffy white robe indulging her on champagne while watching some old movie on his flat screen as he was treating her like a queen.
"I know I said I was connected," he said, "but who knows when your cloths will be done."
"It's ok, I'm in no rush."
He smiled.
"So, tell me more about yourself."
Maxie laughed.
"What do you want to know about, how my parents abandoned me, how my sister and best friend was brutally murdered or how I can never catch a break at love?"
"How about the last one."
Maxie nodded.
"Ok, so first there was Kyle..."
She went on to tell Chuck about her whole romantic history which was truly fascinating.
"So now you know why I was crying earlier. I think I'm in love with Spinelli but between the fact that my late sister loved him and my track record of destruction I don't want to kill my friendship, though after today I think it may be too late."
"Your not alone in destructive behaviors," he said letting Maxie look at him intrigued.
--
Spinelli was enjoying the company of his two newfound friends who were a refreshing contrast between Kate, Maxie, and Blair.
"I mean why go to something as pretentious as a magazine launch anyway Spin, I mean the three of us could I don't know go bowling or something Friday."
"Bowling Dan...Really."
"Please don't tell me that you have a thing about borrowed shoes."
"No, it's just that I think dressing up and going to this thing could be kind of fun."
"Ok who are you and what have you done to my friend."
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Ha ha, come on if you were dating Serena still you would already have a tux put on layaway."
Spinelli was impressed that this outsider had once dated the beautiful blonde one Serena VanDerWoodson.
"Fine," Dan said, "I'll go to the magazine thing."
Spinelli smiled scribbling their names and cell numbers on a napkin so that he could add them to the list at the door for the gala.
--
Chuck decided that since Maxie was being open and honest he would be too and he told her about his skirt chasing jerkish tendencies and how he thought he had the real thing but was too scared to commit and blew it.
"I mean I should have told her I loved her and not fell for the next thing I saw in a skirt right."
"Well what about now."
"Well I think she has moved on...in fact I think she may be having feelings for your good friend."
"I knew it, Blair likes Spinelli and I mean it's obvious he likes her too."
"But I thought you said he liked you."
"Yes, no, I don't know...anyway where are your people because I should really get going and I mean your still in high school so it is a school night for you."
He smiled his devilish smile at the older woman on his couch.
"Let me check."
Leaving the room Maxie picked up her cell to check in with Kate and silently cursed seeing that her battery was dead.
--
Entering the suite Spinelli listened to the silence. He figured that Kate was still in Port Charles reprimanding Lulu or hooking up with Sonny or Jax if not that and that Maxie was in the office working late avoiding him at all costs.
Heading into his room he contemplated it all meticulously planning his next move. Wondering if he should stay the dorky outsider or try that much harder to push his way into Maxie's world.
--
Maxie say Chucks face and frowned.
"What did they say?"
"They said your cloths will be delivered first thing in the morning."
"Oh."
"It's ok, you can spend the night."
"Wow that was fast."
"I mean if the first assistant to Kate Howard wants to ride back to her hotel in a bathrobe by all means do it."
"Fine, I'll stay but no funny business."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Chuck said leading her into his bedroom watching her lie on his beg as he grabbed a pair of his pajamas heading into the bathroom before emerging a few moments later lying besides her.
"NO funny business," she murmured once more before nodding off to sleep.
--
TBC
Ok so another chapter done and another block made LOL I do have one definite plot point to make before the launch so if you want to hear it and or bounce off ideas feel free to PM me.