A/N- Thank you guys again for the amazing feedback. Reviews make me happy and keep me writing- so thank you so much! Hope you all enjoy!
The Lost Weekend
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Chapter Three
Who knew Monday nights could be so deliciously scandalous? Looks like the gang's all gathered at Bass-Van der Woodsen abode and dinner's about to be served. So what will it be for S? Just desserts? I sure hope this isn't the B and S Last Supper- they've been bffs longer than Viktor and Rolf.
And could B and C have finally put their past behind them? Hey, C—here's a thought. Walking B to the car and kissing her good-bye tends to give the wrong idea if you're supposed to be broken up and deeply in loathing with each other…but we'll get to that. Let's eat!
"So Blair, are you enjoying senior year so far?" Lily asked.
"I am. This hsinchu is incredible, Mr. Bass." Blair smiled sweetly.
"You're a big fan of balls?" Chuck grinned, getting an annoyed look from his father and a "you-can-do-better-than-that" look from both Eric and Serena.
"Thank you, Blair. It's nice to have someone who appreciates fine dining in this house." Mr. Bass said pointedly.
"I love Taiwanese food. My dad always used to take me to get bubble tea on Fridays after school when I was little. I even speak a little of the language." Blair primly patted her mouth with her napkin.
"Woman of many talents." Lily smiled.
Chuck held back a remark this time.
"Mom, I'm thinking of getting a modeling agent." Serena said, apparently not enjoying the food as much as Blair.
"That's nice, dear."
"Fashion Week really put your name out there, huh, S?" Blair turned to her.
"It really did, B."
The two girls stared each other down until Eric cleared his throat. "I'm still gay. We can talk about that."
Everyone laughed a littler nervously, going back to their food.
"Charles was telling me the Yale trip is next week." Bart said.
"That's right. Your son just informed me today he was joining me." Blair said, trying not to react to Chuck's hand sliding up her bare leg under the table.
"That should be fun! Serena, darling, have you signed up?" Lily turned to her.
"For the New Haven trip?" Serena's froze, fork halfway to her mouth.
"Well, why not? You've got to start planning for the future sometime."
"I don't know if Yale would be a very good fit for Serena." Blair said, suppressing a pleasant shudder as Chuck's hand went to her inner thigh.
"Why not, B?" Serena looked at her, daring her to say what everyone was thinking.
"You want to go to Yale?" Eric looked at his sister, confused.
"I just want Blair to tell me why that's not even an option." Serena crossed her arms.
"Oh, by all means, give it a try, S. I just know you're not very good at handling rejection."
"And you are?"
Blair set down her silverware. "I'm getting seconds. Chuck? You still look hungry, come with me."
Chuck smiled, "I'm starved."
The moment they were out of sight, Blair pulled him into a coat closet, practically attacking him with a kiss. After a long, heated moment, they both broke away, breathing hard.
"That's all I've wanted to do all day." Blair smiled, her arms still around his neck.
"Me too." Chuck kissed her again, starting to unbutton her shirt. After she backed him into the wall and he took off her shirt, his hands went to her bra clasp. Blair pulled away, sighing. "Chuck, we don't have time."
He leaned his head back against the wall, taking a deep breath. "Are you serious?"
"Getting seconds doesn't take this long. They'll know something's going on."
"This doesn't have to take long either, you know." He smiled suggestively.
She looked torn for a moment, but the Waldorf table manners apparently beat out hormones. "We have to go back."
"How fickle is woman," Chuck sighed, picking her shirt up off the floor and handing it to her.
"Don't be so dramatic. Oh, and cut it out with all that under-the-table stuff. Or I'll do it right back."
"That's supposed to stop me?"
"You really want your little brother and dad to watch you-"
"Okay, okay. I'll never do that again."
"Oh, don't say never. Just not here." Blair grinned, kissing him chastely as she straightened his collar.
"We should actually get seconds, I guess." Chuck smoothed down her slightly mussed hair, looking her over discerningly.
"Good idea. Oh, and the balls joke? Not up to your usual standards."
"You have a debilitating effect on me, Waldorf."
They smiled at each other one last time, leaving the coat closet and walking by the butler with as much dignity as they could manage.
--
Blair and Chuck sat back down during a Serena story about her new socialite friend Poppy-whatever.
"—and I told her she should just get the bracelet for herself. Isn't that hilarious?" Serena said, almost looking as if she knew the entire table was bored to tears.
"What'd we miss?" Chuck asked Eric.
"Not much." He said under his breath.
Chuck and Blair both stifled a laugh.
"Chuck, would you care to explain the large withdrawal you made today from your college fund?" Bart suddenly said, killing the good mood of the room.
"What?" Chuck looked up, confused or pretending to be.
"My financial planner informed that you had taken a sizeable chunk out of your college fund. What's going on? Opening a new strip club?"
"Victrola wasn't a strip club, it was a burlesque." Blair said without thinking.
"He's just making a point, Blair. Ignore him." Chuck muttered.
"How about you don't talk about me like I'm not here?" Mr. Bass said.
The Van der Woodsens exchanged nervous glances.
"I was putting some money into investments, father. Nothing untoward, I promise."
Lily clapped her hands together. "Now, Bart, this is hardly dinner table talk!
Bart sighed, looking at his wife. "You're right. I'm sorry. Just don't think you can do things behind my back, Chuck."
"I would never think that." Chuck assured him.
Blair looked at him. She hated what Chuck let his dad do to him. He turned into a child, desperate for approval, hungry for even the smallest crumb of affection- she could barely even watch.
Even though she let her mother do the exact same thing to her.
Not knowing exactly why, Blair reached under the table and took his hand. Chuck looked at her fleetingly, his dark eyes shining with something she had never seen in them before.
Gratitude.
--
Blair got her coat from the closet where she and Chuck had been only an hour earlier, smiling to herself. This had hardly been a fun-filled family dinner, but she still felt weirdly happy.
"Blair?"
Until now. She turned around to see Serena, sadly holding the D&G heels.
"What, S? More Poppy stories for me? Save it for someone who cares."
"I miss you." Serena said, her voice breaking.
"But isn't this what you wanted? To finally be free of me?" Blair walked towards her, voice dripping with sarcasm, "To have your pathetic, jealous best friend out of the picture so you could really spread your sparkly little wings and fly?"
"I didn't mean what I said--"
"Of course you did. If you're going to be a bitch, at least own it. You meant every word. And now you think you're sorry because you're so used to having me around that it feels wrong without me. But you can forget it. I don't need you, Serena. And you've always needed me."
Serena opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. Blair tried not to care that Serena was clearly about to cry.
"This is really how you want things?" Serena said, swallowing hard.
"I didn't do this, S. You did. Have fun in your new life." Blair took the shoes out of Serena's hands, pushing the button for the elevator.
Serena walked away without another word. As the elevator doors opened and Blair stepped inside, Chuck materialized out of seemingly nowhere and held the doors open.
"May I join you?" He asked.
Blair smiled. "Be my guest."
"So Serena looked like a mess."
"Good."
Chuck watched her carefully for a moment. "You miss her too, Blair."
"Serena is just going to have to accept that she is not necessary to my survival."
"Am I?" Chuck suddenly asked.
She looked at him to see if he was kidding. He looked completely serious.
"More than I thought, Bass."
The elevator doors opened on the ground floor, and they walked out of the hotel together. Blair went to hail a taxi, but Chuck caught her arm.
"Take the car."
"You don't mind?"
"Of course not."
Blair smiled, walking up to the sleek Bass chauffeured car. "So what was that money from your college fund really for?"
Chuck debated lying for a moment, but decided against it. "Nate's in a lot of financial trouble. He needed a loan."
Blair looked at him, her expression hard to read. "That was a really decent thing to do, Chuck."
"He's my best friend. Always has been, always will be."
"I believe you." Blair said, a little sadly.
"Sorry our afternoon got so rudely interrupted." Chuck said, not letting go of her arm. He didn't want her to go.
"I actually had a good time."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"Bye, Chuck."
He impulsively kissed her good-bye. "Bye, Blair."
She turned around looking a little flustered, unable to work the door handle for some reason. Chuck did it for her, smiling.
She climbed into the car, watching him through the window as she was driven away from the home of her former best friend and the person she was coming dangerously close to falling for completely.
But she remembered this feeling. This was the feeling she got with Chuck right before things started to fall spectacularly apart.
Maybe this time would be different.
Or maybe she was just once again playing the fool, believing people could change.
--
Spotted: Blair Waldorf, getting the kiss-and-dismiss from C but with an interesting twist. Taking the family car? Not the usual order of business for C's revolving door of women. Could our favorite bad boy be changing? He sure looked love struck standing outside The Palace alone. Who knows, B- you might get those three magical words out of him after all.
But even if C won't say it, I will. I love ya, B. And you know you love me. XOXO Gossip Girl
Review if you want more! Thanks for reading!