Part 28
Serena clapped her hands in excitement as the limo parked outside Eleanor's boutique. She turned to Blair, and grinned. "It's good to see you back in your uniform, B," she had greeted her best friend when Blair arrived that morning before the school bell rang. It had been a surprise even to her, a delightful one, when Chuck walked Blair to the gate.
At that sight, Serena moved away from her posse and ran towards her best friend and her stepbrother. Serena pointed her Blair's uniform and inquired, "Are you back?"
"Last few weeks, S."
"You're graduating with us?"
It was Chuck who answered first, "We're hoping Blair didn't miss out on too much these past two weeks. Queller seemed hopeful on the phone."
Blair waved that away. "Of course I'm graduating with you. Even after missing so much, I'm still way ahead of a lot of other people here."
He chuckled, then pulled her up against him as he kissed her goodbye. "That's what I adore about you. You're even more arrogant than I am."
She grinned cockily, then added, "It's not arrogance when it's the truth." Blair turned and winked at Serena, who watched them dreamily. "Tell him, S."
Serena gave Chuck a lopsided grin. "I've got more pending assignments than she does."
"You're not a good example, sis. You and I haven't actually been stellar students."
Serena rolled her eyes. "Fine. Dan has more delayed papers than she does. How many more do you have to submit?" Serena asked Blair. "Four?"
Blair gave a triumphant smile. She opened her binder and showed them two sliding folders. "All done. I did them all last night."
Chuck furrowed his brows, then arched his eyebrows at her. "Last night? After we—While I was sleeping?"
Blair nodded. "While you were recovering," she said. "Like a delicate little flower."
"Oh really?" He laughed. "You're gonna get it tonight. I'm going to tire you out you won't even be able to get up to go to bed."
"Promise?" she whispered seductively.
"You bet."
"Wait, wait—" Serena chimed in. "Too tired to go to bed. Where do you do it?"
Chuck grinned. "You really want to know?"
The school bell rang, and Serena released a sigh of relief. "Well, looks like you have to go," she told Chuck. Serena looped her arm around Blair's. "We have class."
Blair tugged at Chuck's arm. Chuck allowed her to pull him, and bumped Serena out of the way. "I'm off to the torture chambers where the board will again insist on Jack to take part of his project."
"Well, you should consider it," Blair advised. "Jack is a smart guy. And he'll be way out in Australia where he can't bother you."
"I'll miss you," he said into her lips.
"If he can get us profits, it will take a load off your shoulders. And you get to spend more time with me and the kids."
"The kids?" he repeated softly. "Little Chuck and Blair. Alright. I'll consider it, Mrs Bass."
Chuck waved at the two of them as Serena and Blair made their way to their classes. Blair turned, then spotted the cellphone cameras recording the return of the queen. In response, she blew a kiss towards Chuck.
After school, Blair invited Serena to go to her mother's shop with her. "To fit your maid of honor dress," she told Serena.
Serena gasped, and asked, "I'm going to be maid of honor, B?"
"Oh please," Blair exclaimed. "Like you were actually worried that you won't be."
Serena smirked. They emerged out into the courtyard and towards the waiting limo. "And your carriage awaits."
They rode to the shop. When the limo stopped, Serena pushed open the door and could barely make it out with the half dozen photographers blocking the way. She turned to Blair with wide eyes. "B, is it always this crazy?"
"Since the honeymoon," Blair answered. "Wait a few seconds."
Serena glanced uncertainly at the paparazzi. "You think they'll go away in a few seconds?" she said in disbelief.
"No, but they're going to make them." Blair nodded towards the giant bodyguards that parked behind the limo. "Like magic," she added. "That's Jerry. And over there," she pointed at the one with dirty blonde hair, "is Ben."
"Ben and Jerry?"
"That's what Chuck said."
Serena clutched at Blair's arm. "Are they carrying firearms?" She squinted.
Blair giggled. Ben and Jerry opened their long black umbrellas, their usual weapons to shield Blair and Chuck from unwanted exposure. She had gotten used to this. "Let's go."
Serena hesitated.
"So, go. Straight into the shop."
Serena exited, then hurried down the pavement. Blair followed after. The door closed on the shop, and they collapsed on the couch inside Eleanor's shop, giggling. Blair turned and saw her mother watching them with her hands on her hips. "Well, you two finally made it." Eleanor nodded outside. "The paparazzi scared away most of my customers."
"Mom!" Blair greeted. "You don't need customers." She bounced up to her feet. "Come on. Show me the dresses!"
Eleanor nodded, then gestured to her employees. "Alright, ladies, let's show Ms van der Woodsen her dress."
"You're going to love it," Blair told her best friend. "I worked on it with mom."
"Oh so you had time to work on the design of my dress. Should I be scared?"
"You'll see." Blair grinned. "You're going to be gorgeous, S."
"Not as gorgeous as my wife."
Blair turned, then broke into a large smile when she spotted Chuck standing by the doorway. She ran towards him and threw her arms around him. "I didn't think you could come." When she pulled away, Blair tugged at his necktie. "You have back to back meetings today."
"I had a cancellation. I'm free for the next two hours."
Blair smiled. "And you came to find me."
"Always." He kissed the corner of her lips. "And I heard that your mother tried to make me a tux."
Eleanor huffed. "Who told you that?"
"Dorota," Chuck answered. Eleanor threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. "It's alright, Eleanor. If you want to expand to men's wear, I would be the perfect model. Use me to announce your new market to the world."
"Mom," Blair complained, "are you going to use my wedding as a marketing gimmick?"
"I am not," Eleanor huffed. "But I am providing you all the gowns. I wanted to test the reception to an Eleanor original tux."
"Let's see it," Chuck offered.
"It's not finished."
"I have two hours, Mrs Rose." Chuck shrugged. "Let's try it on."
Eleanor nodded. "You'll have it in the fitting room."
Chuck looked at Blair. He kissed her nose, then walked towards the fitting room. Blair sat on the couch and crossed her legs. Eleanor nodded.
"Enjoy it. You won't be able to do that in a few months."
Blair grinned. "So you heard about the twins!"
"Sweetheart, I don't know why you insist on telling your father everything before you tell me?"
Blair shrugged. "We haven't exactly been on the same wavelength for years, mom."
"You and your father may have shared a lot all these years, sweetheart, but believe me, you'll learn more from me throughout this pregnancy than you would him."
"Mom," Blair said, reaching for her mother's hand, "you're right. It just takes time to get used to the idea, you know."
Eleanor nodded, then patted Blair's hand. "You look happy. Charles is completely in love with you. All in all, you aren't doing too badly for yourself."
"So." Blair took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for not telling you beforehand. But yes, mom, I am going to have two babies."
"Two Bass babies," Eleanor injected. "Lord, that would be chaos!"
"I can handle it," Blair said confidently.
One of Eleanor's assistants discreetly cleared her throat. Eleanor turned and asked, "What is it, Paulette?"
Paulette blushed, then said, "Miss Blair, Mr Bass is asking for you."
Eleanor and Blair made their way closer to the fitting room. "Charles," Eleanor called out, "what do you need?"
"Mrs Rose," Chuck called from inside the fitting room, "will you send my wife in here please? I need her help with these buttons."
Eleanor arched an eyebrow at Paulette, gesturing for her to go inside. "Well, if Mr Bass has to call on my daughter for assistance, that means you still haven't been trained well, have you?" When the assistant hesitated, Eleanor made a shooing motion. "Go, go!"
Blair watched as Paulette knocked, then was grabbed. Paulette squealed, then stumbled out of the fitting room. Paulette turned panicked eyes at Blair and Eleanor. "Mr Bass is asking for Miss Blair, Mrs Rose."
Eleanor narrowed her eyes, then realized what the girl meant. She nodded at Blair. Blair walked over to the fitting room door, then knocked. She found herself pulled inside. Blair chuckled, then let Chuck press her back against the wall. "Shame on you," she admonished. "You scared Paulette."
"I was asking for you," he said with his raspy voice. "I missed you all day." He leaned to whisper in her ear, "And you look so hot in your uniform. Reminds me when we were younger."
Blair laughed. Her fingers played with the hairs on his nape. "We're one year older than when we hooked up?"
"Really," he responded, trailing kisses down her neck. "Seems like we've been together a lifetime."
Chuck fingers started popping her buttons one at a time.
"Paulette mentioned you needed help with the buttons," she gasped, when he latched on to one of her nipples. "They look fine."
"Need help getting out of them and getting inside you," he answered.
"Oh you're right. Paulette isn't trained to do that," Blair pointed out. Her hands slid down to his pants. "So this is a booty call in between meetings? Mr Bass," she teased, "that sounds very much like a corporate asswipe to me. But I like it."
The knock on the door made her jerk. She stopped, but Chuck did not. Instead, Chuck started pulling up her skirt uniform and pulling down her panties.
"Will you two consider going home?"
"Oh God!" Blair exclaimed, flushing at the sound of her mother's voice.
Chuck let go of her panties and they dropped around her ankles. He smirked at the way she looked, with her blouse open and her breasts out of the bra he had pushed down. Her lips were swollen with his kisses. Blair saw her lipstick smeared on his mouth. She opened her mouth. Chuck clapped his palm over it.
"We don't know what you're talking about, Mrs Rose. We're having a private conversation."
Blair could practically hear her mother scoff, and Serena coughing to cover her laughter.
"Sweetheart, if you two insist on this, slide the tux out from under the door. I need to make sure it doesn't get ruined."
Chuck grinned, then tossed the items in a pile and slid it out. Small feminine hands grabbed the attire quickly. Chuck turned back to his wife, and her tousled appearance. "You look like you've already had a romp."
Blair shook her head. "You're naked," she pointed out.
"I'm usually very conservative," Chuck responded, "but you're mother insisted that I strip."
She nodded. "So I heard."
"Blair, sweetheart, I'm taking everyone out for some snacks. Serena is coming with us. If you're leaving before we get back, lock up."
They stayed quietly giggling, pressed up against each other inside Eleanor's fitting room. The door closed with a thud. Chuck smirked. "I love your mother!"
Blair grabbed him by his cheeks then pulled him down for another kiss.
"Are you ready to marry me this weekend?" she asked.
"I was born ready to marry you. Just took me a while to realize that," he said. Chuck hiked up her thighs around her hips, then thrust inside her. Blair rested her cheek on his shoulder. "This is it, Blair," he said into her hair, pushing up inside her, building their rhythm. She clutched at his shoulders. "This is how it's going to be forever."
tbc
