Hello! "I'm fly like paper, get high like planes..." You know how it is when you get a song stuck in your head? I blame Ellen for me waking up singing it the other day. Or I do that thing where you put a song on your iPod and make it the theme for what's going on around you. Sometimes it's just down right in appropriate. The other day I saw these to very old ladies walking (hobbling) down the street... I queued "Bad Girls" up on my iPod. Okay, so this is all little CB restaurant vignettes. Here we go...
Blair followed her parents across the restaurant, as the hostess led them to their table.
"Daddy, I'm going to have poulet. That's chicken." She told him with the authority of a very privileged, eight year old only child.
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Yes, dear. Given that it is your father who is teaching you French, I would assume he knows how to say chicken."
Harold just laughed and hugged Blair. "Wonderful, Blair-bear! Wonderful! Soon you'll be waltzing along the Seine conversing with artists and writers, and basking in one of the most romantic cultures in the world!"
Eleanor caught Blair's dreamy look. "Or, she'll be snapping orders at Chanel and Dior to get the new fashions before they've been released..."
Her mother smiled at the anticipatory glint that came into her daughter's eyes. There was her girl.
They'd just settled into their seats, Harold perusing the menu, while the Waldorf Women's eyes scanned the restaurant, taking everything and everyone in. Who was there with whom. Who was wearing what. Making note of anything that raised a red flag. Their eyes landed on a red flag at the same time.
"Darling, isn't that Charles Bass?"
"Yes, Mother." Blair answered at her dark brown eyes narrowed on her frien-her schoolmate.
Chuck sat at the best table in the restaurant, which wasn't unusual, he was a Bass, but what was eye catching was the fact that he sat there alone. The table was clearly set for two, but Chuck sat alone, slouched in his chair, his eyes and fingers fixated on the game he played on his DS.
Before Blair could say anything else, a waiter approached Chuck, looking apologetic.
For anyone else, they would have just seen the resigned look on the boy's face, like his father standing him up had been expected. But Blair saw it. The flash of pain that told her that a part of Chuck had hoped that this time, his father would show up to the dinner he'd initiated.
She watched as the stood up, and moved to leave the restaurant.
"Charles!" Harold greeted jovially. "How are you this evening?"
"Very well, Mr. Bass." Chuck said with the perfectly polite voice he could always use around grown ups.
"Have you eaten?"
"No, sir." Chuck shook his head.
"Are you headed home to eat with your father?"
"No, Mr. Waldorf. My father was called to London on business... unexpectedly, so was unable to meet me. My limo is outside to take me home to eat." He said formally, already taking a step away. He'd been careful to avoid eye contact with Blair this whole time, and it was clear he just wanted to get out of there.
"Ridiculous! You'll join us!" Harold declared with his hands thrown as wide as his smile.
"Thank you, but I couldn't-"
"Sit down, Charles." Eleanor's voice cut in. Blair had never seen Chuck move so fast in her life, as when he slid into that chair, bumping the table, and causing the water in the glasses to quake. She bit back a giggle.
They sat and ate together, Chuck and Blair even talking as Harold asked them about school and friends. Eleanor joined in at points, when conversation turned to fashion, to talk about colour and cuts, which even at eight, Chuck knew a great deal about. When dessert had been cleared, and Harold and Eleanor had ordered tea, Chuck excused himself. He actually smiled at them. Blair was so surprised, she actually smiled back. And then he was gone. Blair looked over at her father, and Harold winked at his little co-conspirator.
"Honestly, you two would take in stray dogs if I'd let you..." Eleanor rolled her eyes, having plainly heard Blair whisper to her father that they should invite Chuck to join them when they'd seen the boy sitting alone.
Eleanor liked the boy well enough, she just didn't see the point in engaging with someone who would have little impact on their futures.
She'd eat that thought in later years.
Fall of her Freshmen Year at NYU...
Chuck sat in the busy restaurant, and he'd been waiting for over a half hour for his party to arrive. Anyone else would have been asked to give up their prime table, but he wasn't some trader from Wall Street, tourist in from Atlanta, or a Real Housewife. He was Chuck Bass.
He sat, drinking periodically from his scotch glass, as he looked out the window. Every woman in the restaurant had her eye on him, as well as some of the men, but he kept his eyes trained for the only person that mattered. It was another fifteen minutes before he saw her.
Chuck's eyes lit up as he recognized the familiar flip of her hair that set her apart from the rest of the crowd that waited at the traffic light. He sat up a little straighter as he watched her distinctive gate clip across the pavement. He never got tired of looking at her, but he knew he had to drag his eyes away to signal the waiter to bring the drink he'd ordered be brought when he indicated for it..
His eyes were locked on her when she walked across the restaurant, the sway in her hips, the sparkle in her eyes. Only for him. All for him. He stood, and he knew there was a grin on his face but he didn't care. She slid into his arms and an almost chaste kiss fell across his lips, almost because it lingered longer that any kiss in greeting should. Finally pulling apart he held out her chair for her, and he couldn't resist brushing his hands over her shoulders as he did.
"Sorry I'm late." She said, a little out of breath from having hurried to get there.
Chuck just smiled as he took his seat across from her. "You were worth waiting for."
Just after their wedding...
Blair sat across from Chuck in the ebbing restaurant, people slowing finishing their meals and heading out. She held her tea cup in her left hand, but the cooling tea remained untouched. Blair's eyes were to captivated by the image in front of her.
She still couldn't get over seeing it there. Her ring. Her perfect, gorgeous ring. Not in a box, or on a chain. Her ring was right where it belonged. On her finger. Put there by her husband. What made it even more perfect was that it was joined by another, which declared her not merely engaged to him, but married to the love of her life.
That was all it took. She felt the blood rush in her veins, shooting through her, flushing her, making her hot. Making her wet.
Her eyes slid up, and met his. He smiled at her, and it was the smile of a truly happy Chuck Bass. If possible she was going to make him even happier.
She cleared her throat. "I need to freshen up."
She pushed her chair back, and looked at him pointedly. "Fine minutes."
His mouth quirked at the smoldering heat in her gaze.
She walked out of the main dinning room and down a corridor that headed to the washrooms. They weren't her target. Too many chances for interruption. She ducked into a door she'd spotted earlier, and waited, her ear pressed to the metal. In precisely five minutes, she heard the familiar pattern of steps that she knew could belong to only one man. Just as he was about to pass, she lurched the door open, grabbed him by his lapel, and yanked him into the stairwell.
She spun him and pinned him against the cold wall, and pressed her hot body into his.
He smirked. "Mrs. Bass."
"No talking." She commanded, grabbed him by the nape of his neck and pulled him into a wet open mouth kiss.
A half hour later, the waitress could barely make eye contact with them as she brought a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. The entire kitchen had heard them in the adjacent stairwell, and the sounds had been anything than what she'd been expecting to come from such a polished and sophisticated couple. She'd needed a glass of water and a new boyfriend by the time they were done. She and her boyfriend had never even come close to that kind of passion she'd heard coming from the other side of that wall.
Chuck picked up a fork, and shaved off a bite of cake, but instead of eating it himself he offered it to Blair.
The waitress offered to get him another fork, but he didn't spare her a glance. He had eyes only on the lips that were wrapped around the fork, feeling the pull on the silver as she sucked it clean.
"No, thanks. I'm more of a pie man, myself, and I've already eaten."
A while after the wedding...
Nate leaned back in his chair to coast his finger over his cell phone where it rested on his knee.
"I saw that." Serena commented without looking up as she perused her menu.
"What?" Nate said with wide innocent eyes.
"Well, you were either checking your phone under the table, or playing with yourself. Either way, neither is a go at brunch. You know the rules." Serena reminded him primely.
"You guys made a rule banning self love?" Dan asked incredulously.
"Only at brunch." Nate pointed out.
"There was an incident." Serena commented with a shrug.
"And just who gets to make this rule- Wait, let me guess-"
"Blair." Nate and Serena said together before Dan could finish speaking.
"Speaking of... Is there a consequence for tardiness, because if there it..." Dan looked pointedly at the two empty seats that were waiting for the Basses.
Serena and Nate's eyes met. Blair was never late, and because of this Chuck was now never late either... at least when they were together. Which was often. Almost always. But now they were sitting at brunch and their friends weren't there. It was mildly worrying even if it was only fifteen minutes late. Short minutes later, Nate and Serena relaxed as they saw the couple being led to the table by a hostess
"Friends. Humphrey." Chuck greeted as he held Blair's chair for her.
They both sat, and conversation ran almost normally, only Dan couldn't help but notice that Blair was unusually quiet. For a while he thought it was because he was there, but he could almost hear the derision in her voice in his head, "Don't flatter yourself, Humphrey." Looking at her upon occasion he saw the slight pallor to her skin, and... was Blair Waldorf-Bass... sweating? Then he caught them. Blair had ordered fruit and toast, but while she took small nibbles of the toast, the fruit was being very carefully shifted to Chuck's plate, but made to look like she was the one eating it.
Things started to click into place, but he knew a sure way to test his theory. He signaled the waiter, and ordered... bacon. Dan saw Blair's face go pale at just the word, and Chuck's hand tightened where it rested on the back of Blair's seat. If looks could kill...
It almost made him want to cancel the order. Almost.
The bacon arrived and Dan offered the plate to Serena and Nate, before bringing it to mere inches in front of Mrs. Bass' face.
"Would you care for some tasty, salty, greasy bacon?"
She turned eight shades of green, and nearly knocked her chair and Chuck over as she shoved back from the table and ran from the room.
"Oh, my god! Is she okay?" Serena gasped.
"Ha, ha, Serena. Very funny. 'Is she okay'?" Dan scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "You know, I thought water was under the bridge-"
"Humphrey..." Chuck warned, as it clicked in what was going on.
"Not this again..." Nate rolled his eyes at the thought of having to hear again the plight of Dan. Sure, Nate had been sympathetic, but after a couple of years...
"Dan, what are you talking about? You know everything there is to know."
"Really?" Dan mocked.
"Stop." Chuck bit out quickly, but it was too late.
"So, Blair's pregnant and you all are just going to sit here and pretend like she's not?"
Simultaneously, Chuck sighed, Nate laughed, and Serena squealed.
All eyes were on Chuck who was rubbing his temple and casting murderous glances at Dan.
"BLAIR'S PREGNANT?!" Serena clapped, wanting to hear it for herself.
Dan suddenly looked awkward. "Wait... So you guys didn't..."
"No, Daniel, they didn't." Chuck said coolly. He glanced around and saw that Blair was on her way back from the ladies room. "And they still don't."
"What?"
"Blair wants to wait till she's further along to tell anyone, so until she's ready to tell you... you know nothing."
"But-"
"Nothing!" He said sharply, but pasted a smile on his face to greet Blair as she returned.
The whole table now saw the little nod she gave him, the one that told him she was okay. Blair settled into her chair, and looked around at her friends. Nate wouldn't make eye contact, focusing on his menu, his upside down menu. Dan was rapidly shoving the remainder of the plate of bacon into his mouth and giving her a thumbs up signs. Serena? Serena was grinning at her like she did when Blair won Prom Queen, only if possible, a million times brighter.
Blair tossed her napkin on the table, looked over at her husband. "They know?"
He nodded.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" Serena exploded, as if she couldn't hold it in another instant. She ran around the table and Blair stood to meet her. While B wasn't thrilled to have her precious cat out of the bag, she couldn't say she hated that her best friend knew.
The girls hugged and laughed, and Nate grabbed Chuck in a tight hug too. Chuck shook Dan's hand, which Dan took as progress. When the girls finally pulled apart, Serena kissed Blair's cheek.
"I'm so happy for you, B!"
"Me too." Blair sighed happily. "But enough of this."
Blair grimaced as she looked at the table her friends were sitting down at again. "Chuck, take me home. I want to throw up in our own bathroom, and not next to a bulimic banker."
Chuck smiled and offered her his hand, and Mr., Mrs. and the future baby Bass went home.
"I'm not invited to the next NJBC brunch am I?" Dan mused.
"I wouldn't skip breakfast if I were you." Serena patted his shoulder.
Many more months later...
Blair was miserable. This was not how she's envisioned any part of her pregnancy. Heavily pregnant and very nearly at her due date, she was, quite frankly, huge. She'd imagined getting a volleyball baby bump, but the rest of her body staying relatively the same. She's seen herself in heels, and it couture maternity gear, breezing around Manhattan. Showing off for the world to see. She was having a baby, Chuck's baby.
It hadn't worked out that way. Oh, sure, everyone knew she was having a baby, her husband's baby, because it was completely impossible to miss. Aliens in space could see she was properly knocked up.
She apparently had a high level of amniotic fluid, which Blair translated into her being turned into a brunette Jessica Simpson. Her breasts now made Serena look flat chested. Her ankles were swollen to tree trunks. And her ass, while always curvaceous, had taken on a life of it's own. But to be honest, her looks didn't bother her half as much as she let on. She was growing their baby, and was willing to do whatever it took to do that. Plus Chuck still couldn't keep his hands off her, so there was that ego boost too.
However, her back hurt. She was tired all the time. And no matter what she did she could never get comfortable. But more than anything... she was ready to meet her baby. Hold him. Look at him. See the parts of her and the parts of Chuck that made up this whole new wonderful human being, and human being she already loved completely.
To keep her mind off it, Serena had taken her to the spa, and while she still was miserable, she at least had perfect nails. And a vagina that was ready for an audience.
They'd just entered the restaurant to meet for the boys for lunch, when Blair had to stop. Again.
"Come on, Bessie." Serena teased. "We're almost there. You can sit for five whole minutes before you'll have to pee again."
"I hate you." Blair dark eyes sizzled.
"Gasp! You should be nicer." Serena warned with a pout. "I am your backup birth coach... If Chuck's not around... and it's just me... maybe I tell the doctor's you've changed your mind and want a natural birth..."
"I hate you so much." Blair emphasized.
Serena just laughed as she glanced over to the table... and then she laughed harder.
"What?" Blair gripped, as she rubbed her lower back.
"You've almost got a full house at the table." She nodded towards where Dan, Chuck, Nate, and an apparently invited Jack and Georgina.
"What do you mean?" Blair asked, confused.
"Well..." Serena commented observationally. "All we need is like, Louis and Carter, and you'd have a full house... Am I missing anyone? Oh, and I've never been sure about you and Marcus? Did you or didn't you... Sometimes it really keeps me up at night."
Blair's gasp was loud enough that everyone waiting for them at the table turned around.
"At least mine fit at a table! There isn't a restaurant in Manhattan big enough to cater to your number!" Blair hissed.
"Ho HO!" Serena laughed. "Look at it this way... We didn't have to worry about a paternity test this time..."
Blair frowned and grunted with the effort it took to shoot her leg towards her friend.
Serena's eyebrows shot up. "Did you just try to kick me?"
Blair grabbed a fork from a passing waiter, and eyed her friend threateningly.
"You'll have to catch me." Serena smirked, skipping backward and waving at her best friend.
Blair scowled at her best friend, set her hands on the small of her back, and began her slow waddle to her full house table. It was heavily on her mind for a split second, but then her eyes landed on him, he gave her that half smile that always melted her, and she smiled. All she saw was him. Her hand swept reverently over her belly, swollen with their child. Chuck Bass was her past, present and future. She wouldn't have it any other way.
TahDAH! I'm just gonna say it. I love Sandra Bullock movies. Right now, as a type this, The Proposal is playing on TV and I totally have it on in the background. I love the movie. Okay, yes, I love Mr. Blake Lively too. Damn, he's beautiful. If I were Blake, I'd just rub up on that all day long. I digress (and must curb the drooling at the image of him shirtless), I had a moment where I realized I was totally going down a While You Were Sleeping hole. I work on call at a VERY fancy office, as a receptionist. There is a VERY gorgeous man there. I have way too many hours trapped behind a desk, fantasizing. We could be very happy together... If I ever said more than two words to him. And yes, I've had the moment where I said something stupid, and hit myself in the head later. I think I need to join EHarmony...