I've often said when the seasons change in NYC so do the attitudes of New Yorkers everywhere. It looks like the weather is getting to a batch of Upper East Siders. Schemes, games, and manipulation were all par for the course, but I've been told one of them, namely Chuck Bass, has vowed the game playing is over. If that's true then why is he gallivanting around town? And what of Queen B.? Did she quit the game too? I hope not. Games are never fun to play is the stakes are not high. XOXO, Gossip Girl.
Gossip Girl was becoming a problem Vanessa Abrams could no longer ignore. She was always there, always watching, waiting, for the perfect story. She was always butting in, her little texts and bulletins breaking up otherwise normal, stable moments. Now was no exception.
Riding the subway back from the Humphrey loft, only a few blocks that she felt too tired to walk, Vanessa stared at her cell phone screen at the Gossip Girl alert that had popped up. According to the mystery stalker of New York, Blair Waldorf and Nate Archibald were caught in a lip-lock.
While Vanessa was hurt, she wasn't devastated, and that spoke volumes to her. Perhaps rushing into things with Nate while she still harbored feelings for Chuck was not the reasonable, or the sane, thing to do. Damn, she hated it when Jenny was right. But why did Chuck and Blair and now Nate get to do those things. Why was it ok for them to play with people's emotions, to play games? Why were they so good at it?
Vanessa felt a tear trickle down her cheek. Was it for her relationship with Nate? Or was it because she finally realized she would always be on the outside looking in?
Blair Waldorf returned home, tossing her deep red evening bag and her black coat onto the couch. Dorota would clean it up later. Blair briefly considered waking Dorota up so she would have someone to talk to, so she could expel her thoughts, her demons. But it was late, very late, and as much as she cared, perhaps even loved Dorota, she couldn't talk to her.
Blair reached into the purse that lay haphazardly on the couch and fished out her cell phone, but before she even flipped it open she returned it to its hiding place. There was no one to call.
She ascending the stairs and walked into her bedroom, the lights off, the room cast in shadow. Before she could begin to undo her dress, she felt movement around her, the shadows suddenly moving. But it had happened before, so she wasn't scared.
"Hello Chuck," she said as the light near her bed illuminated itself and Chuck Bass came into view. "Breaking and entering has become a habit of yours."
"If it helps, I'm not drunk," Chuck said sarcastically.
"It's a miracle," Blair returned, smiling to him from over her shoulder. Her hands were still fidgeting with the zipper on her dress.
"Let me help you," Chuck said standing up and walking toward her.
Blair playfully turned away from him. "Oh no, I know what that leads to."
Chuck smiled at her, his eyes warming, piercing into hers and melting her guard.
"Alright," she relented. "But don't get any ideas."
Blair turned around once more, her back to him. He gently brushed her hair aside, letting the long, loose curls drape themselves over her left shoulder. Then he firmly grasped the stuck zipper and pried it from the tangled fabric, leading it all the way down her back. Suddenly her cool, glowing skin was revealed, her black, lace bra almost teasing him.
Before Chuck had time to move, to even think, Blair was walking away to her adjoining bathroom, her robe in hand.
Chuck let out a defeated sigh.
Blair stared at herself in the bathroom mirror as she slipped the dress off her shoulders and let it fall on the floor. What was happening? Why was he in her room? After the actions and words at Vanessa's apartment she and Chuck had not spoken, had not even seen one another and now he was sitting on her bed. She examined her face, her body, in the image across from her. She wondered if he would be able to tell that she had just spent time in Nate's arms.
"Are you planning on coming out of there?" she heard Chuck call though the door.
Blair resolved to tell him, to tell him about Nate. She was tired of all the lies.
When she opened the door she was clad in a soft blue silk robe, her figure still noticeably visible through the flimsy fabric. The lies may be over, but it was much more difficult to stop the game.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Chuck said as she made her way to her vanity, removing the few bobby pins that held her bangs back.
Blair flipped her head over and ran her fingers through her long brown hair. Standing up right her curls fell softly around her. Chuck thought she might be baiting him.
"Don't give me that look," she suddenly said. "I'm not trying to reel you in."
Chuck couldn't help but smile, a real wide smile. Sometimes Blair knew him better, knew his thoughts better, than anyone else.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked again, bringing himself back to the task at hand.
"Actually, there is," she said sullenly sitting in the chair adjacent to her vanity.
"Anything about you and Nate?" Chuck questioned.
Blair stopped, her eyes wide.
"After a make out you should always check your cell phone," he said slyly tossing her his phone.
Blair looked down to see and picture of herself and Nate Archibald holding one another, their lips pressed together tight. She took in a sharp inhale of breath, holding it for what seemed like hours, before finally relenting and tossing back the phone.
"I was going to tell you," she said calmly, too calmly.
"I know," Chuck told her. "But I wanted to see the look on your face when I showed you that."
Blair shot him a cold stare, but Chuck only smirked in response. Then he got up and headed to the door.
"That was it?" she asked, standing, perhaps preparing to rush after him.
"Yes."
"But I thought…" Blair let the sentence fall. She wasn't sure what to say or how to proceed.
"Like I said before, we're over Blair," Chuck told her before walking out of her room.
She could hear him walk down the steps, but eventually the sound drifted, faded out of range. Blair was left standing in her room, draped only in her bra, panties and a silk robe, body pert, mind numb. What had just happened?
Blair collected herself and sat on the bed occupying the space Chuck had just left. If they were over why was he still playing with her? Was it habit? Did their games never really end?
She couldn't help but smile to herself. As disturbing as it was, she got a thrill out of seeing Chuck in her bedroom once again, a jolt of excitement when he touched her, when they engaged in their usual sexual banter. She had missed him. She had missed him and sought comfort in the arms of Nate Archibald.
Was it her fault if Nate needed that same comfort? Was it her fault if he kissed her back?
Still, Blair hadn't anticipated the arrival of Gossip Girl spies. That was never part of her plan. She wanted comfort, but she wasn't sure she wanted Chuck to know, she wasn't sure she could use the comfort against him. He had hurt her, yes, but she still in spite of it all….loved him.
Blair gathered her flimsy robe before her and quickly ran to her large wall sized wardrobe pulling out another coat and fastening it over her nightclothes. Blair then ran out of her bedroom door and down the stairs. She wasn't sure where she was going or what she was going to do, but the urge to explain herself, the urge to continue talking to Chuck took her over. Blair just couldn't help herself.
"Going somewhere?"
Blair clutched at her chest in surprise and let out a small, but startled scream. As she whirled around she found Chuck sitting on the couch behind her.
"Damnit Chuck," she yelped. "What are you doing here?"
She was panting from the run and the scare.
"Where are you going?"
"I was going to…"
"To catch up with me?" Chuck asked, but it didn't sound like a question. It was a statement. He knew her all too well.
"No. I was thinking of giving Nate a night cap," Blair said, trying her hardest to sound sexy and flirtatious between bouts of catching her breath.
"I could use a night cap," he told her deviously.
"You had your chance," she retorted as she headed back toward the stairs.
"What about Nate?" Chuck asked as he followed her, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her.
Blair sighed. "I changed my mind."
As she preceded back up the stairs, Chuck said softly, "Why him?"
The room was so still, so silent, that even though Chuck spoke in a faint whisper Blair heard him as if his words were as loud as screams. She bowed her head for a moment, but the darkness surrounding them made it difficult for Chuck to pick up on her body language, to clearly see that she was feeling, perhaps guilty about her actions.
Why had Blair chosen Nate? Her life was spiraling out of control and Nate was warm and secure. She knew it was because he was familiar, he was safe, he would never intentionally hurt her. Even when they had fought, even during the rough patches of their relationship, Nate seemingly always cared for her. He had lied, yes, but they had all lied. But Nate never played games the way Chuck did, he never reveled in making others feel low. Nate was entirely different from Chuck, and in a way entirely different from her. Sometimes he seemed like a knight, and these days Blair needed to feel like a queen again.
"He's…" Blair began, but then stopped. "Why not?"
In the dark, her back turned to him, they stood together silently.
"And Vanessa?"
Blair felt a physical pain in her heart when Chuck mentioned her name; the dreaded other woman.
"Do you think it's fair to take another man away from her?"
Blair faced him and slowly, deliberately made her way toward him. Standing one step up so they could look each other in the eye she said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you never said no. In fact, you're the one who kept coming back to me. I wonder why that is?"
"You know why that is," he told her, the warmth of his breath lightly grazing the smooth skin of her face.
"I thought you said we were over?" she said leaning in toward him.
"You're becoming a different person Blair. After getting rejected by Yale, teacher hazing…" as he began to list her recent faults and flounders Blair turned away, scoffing. Her hair flipped to the side, nearly whipping Chuck in the face. "…turning away from me and Serena and…"
"You turned first," Blair said. "Where were you when I needed you? You were with Vanessa, swallowed up by all your grief, your selfishness. You were too busy to be with me or to trust me? What happened to calling me a liar? At least Nate trusts me. Nate's not too busy for me."
"But he's taken."
"And so were you. But that's never stopped a man before," Blair told him. "I think our fathers taught us that."
Blair began ascending the steps again, but Chuck caught her arm. His hand wrapped around her coat. As they stood in the dark, only illuminated by the moonlight peaking through the living room's tall, wide windows, Chuck's hand moved from her arm, sliding his fingers down to her hand. For only a moment his fingers caught on hers before he let his hand move back up, this time under the cuff of her coat. Skin on skin. Chuck could feel the heat coming off her body; he could feel the tiny white hairs on her arm rise to attention as the softness of his fingers moved across them. Suddenly, he found himself drawing small circles on her skin with his thumb, pressing lightly and pulling her closer.
Blair slowly moved toward him, stepping down one step, finding herself staring up at Chuck as his hand moved as far as it could up her coat, gripping her arm. Blair felt uncomfortable, the fabric of her sleeve now bunched at her elbow, as Chuck seemingly tried to wear the coat with her. Still, even in discomfort he gave her chills, the good kind, the kind that made her move her head back, exposing her beautiful neck to the moonlight, and moan softly through breathy sighs.
As Chuck heard her moan he felt his own grip on her arm tighten, he felt himself puller her closer, closer, almost forcefully so. Suddenly, they were only inches apart, the fabric of the coat touching his chest. She brought her head back down and looked into his eyes. They way her lashes brushed against her soft skin was the equivalent to her licking her lips in anticipation. Either way Chuck felt himself grow more excited. He wanted her so badly.
Just as Chuck felt himself losing control, losing all resolve to stay away, to stay friends, or to stay enemies, Blair wretched her arm from his grip.
"You do this. You always do this," she whispered into the space between them. "You always pull me back in."
"Me?" Chuck questioned feeling his lonely hand drop to his side. "I think you're the one with the strings."
"Strings you keep pulling on," she said adamantly. "I mean, why did you even come here?"
Chuck thought for a moment, not sure if he should admit the truth. Somehow the truth felt fitting given that Blair was being open about her and Nate, that she wasn't hiding it or hiding her intentions. The truth was he had come to prove to himself that she had changed, that he had been right to say things were over. Yet, he had to admit he had also come to see her, to just look at her. No matter what he could never help but stare at Blair Waldorf. Before he could answer though he realized Blair was nearly at the top of the stairs looking down at him, making him feel so low.
"You came here to catch me in a lie or to make me feel guilty about Nate," she said from her position above him. "You came here to play with me and I'm not playing anymore."
With that Blair headed back toward her room, letting the coat and the robe slip off her body, revealing one last tantalizing look of her silky back in the moonlight.
Chuck sighed in frustration. Neither was done with games.
Vanessa found herself sitting on a bench near the entrance to Central Park, directly across from the Waldorf Astoria luxury hotel. She watched the rich and fabulous enter and exit, wondering to herself where these people were coming from or going to at such a late hour. She made up identities for them, gave them fake accents in her mind, critiqued their clothes, and laughed to herself when one nearly tripped due to the unnecessarily long train on her dress. Sitting alone in the midst of the city at night, Vanessa felt oddly at ease. Perhaps she was meant to be alone.
"Why people watch when you can do?" the voice said from behind her.
Vanessa knew immediately who it was.
"Do you always skulk around in the dark?" Vanessa asked, not turning back to address her new found guest.
"I wouldn't call it skulking," Chuck Bass said as he sat on the bench next to her.
As he did Vanessa stood up.
"Where are you going?" he asked, seemingly surprised that she was unhappy to see him.
Vanessa did not answer, she only lowered her head and walked off into the crowds of the cross streets, then she disappeared into the night.
"What did you expect?" Eric asked from his perch at the corner of Chuck's bed. He was unassumingly flipping thorough one of Chuck's many pornographic magazines, pulling out the inserts and taking in the forms. He seemed confused by the images.
"Aren't you of the other persuasion?" Chuck asked snatching the magazine away and tossing it onto a table that sat at the opposite corner of the room. He then proceeded to shed himself of his suit coat and tie.
"I like to look," he said, causing Chuck to raise his eyebrow suspiciously at him. "Hey, just because I'm curious doesn't mean I'm going to touch. I, unlike you, have restraint. I have a type. The kind without boobs."
"I don't like all girls," Chuck said. "Or all women I should say."
"No, just the ones who are breathing," Eric returned, smiling wide at his own joke.
Chuck only slumped down in his desk chair and stared once more at him.
"Well, what do you want me to say? I thought you decided not to date either of them?"
"Who said I wanted to date them?"
"And you wonder why they're not jumping into your arms," Eric said as he got up and walked back to the table where the magazine was. He picked it up and tossed it into Chuck's lap. "At this point you'd have better luck with one of those girls then Blair or Vanessa."
Eric then exited the room; Chuck was quick on his heels. He hated being upstaged, even when no one else was around to see it.
"Were you always this sarcastic?" Chuck asked as he followed Eric down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"I wasn't being sarcastic," Eric said.
"Sarcastic about what?" Serena asked as she entered the kitchen obviously having come from a night out. She laid her sequenced evening bag on the counter and proceeded to rummage through the refrigerator for a bottle of water.
Chuck could not help but stare as Serena's dress rode up slightly on her thighs as she bent over into the fridge. What was happening to him, he wondered, just as Eric's voice broke his concentration.
"I don't think so," Eric said motioning from Chuck to Serena's backside. They both shared a small laugh.
"So what's going on?" Serena asked once she had gotten her bottle of water and taken her first sip.
"Nothing really…."
Eric cut him off. "Chuck is still aching for Blair, or is it Vanessa, or is it both of them?"
"It's no one's business," Chuck said sternly before heading back upstairs.
"You should be careful Chuck," Serena called after him. "I think there's enough collateral damage there to last a lifetime."
"What exactly does that mean?" he asked her.
"I just think no one else should get hurt," Serena said softly brushing by him and making her way to her own room.
"Unbelievable," Chuck said to himself. "Everyone has a damn opinion about my life."
As Eric passed him on his way to his own room he said, "Well, maybe if you kept yourself off the blog-sphere people would keep their opinions to themselves."
With that Chuck hurried to his room and rummaged though the pockets of his suit jacket for his cell phone. There on the screen was an alert from Gossip Girl.
It read: Chuck Bass has two ladies in one night. Oh my!
Eric, standing at Chuck's door, couldn't help but grin. Chuck had put himself in that situation; he had put himself in a position to be judged. Eric knew these women did not deserve to be treated that way, did not deserve to spend their days wondering how Chuck felt, trying to forget him, only to have him invade their lives once more. He knew a little reputation smearing by Gossip Girl was completely warranted, he just couldn't understand why it seemingly bothered Chuck so much.
Chuck's face went flush and he sighed heavily, "Great. Just great."
Eric could not help himself. "Wait until you see the pictures."