Title: Strange ones

Author: Molize

Summary: AU. C/B. Two strange ones. A sweet voice, a devil smirk and a club. They run from their lives, but they didn't know they would run into each other.

A/N: First of all, I have to say the biggest SORRY in history. A year without an update is pretty embarrassing. I could write an entire entry about the reason why I couldn't keep writing this, but there's no point in it, all of us have our problems. I will be honest, half of this chapter was written long ago, actually, before I posted the last one, but I didn't know how to continue this and I was afraid to write something that I wouldn't know how to end. Now, I can say that the storyline is defined, and this fanfic will continue. I won't tire you anymore with this A/N, but before I finish it's the turn of the biggest THANK YOU in history. I'm not very good at English, but knowing you liked this story and a year later I still received reviews asking me we I stopped writing this… it just swelled my heart. Thank you all.

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Chapter 3. Whisper in the night.

As Blair neared the central booth she could have a close look to the man when he still was focused on the stage.

From afar, with dim light he had seemed older to her with his serious expression (focused listening to the music) and choice of attire; however, being a few meters away, Blair could see he wasn't much older than her.

He was dressed almost in black with dark pants, shirt and suit jacket which made his skin look pretty pale. His appearance was punctuated with his dark brown hair in disarray but at the same time stylish. He was lounged in the couch as if he was at his living room with his feet on the small table in front of him, a tumbler in one hand, the other on his pocket.

Blair had admitted to herself she didn't approach him to say just a simple thank you, she was curious. She was curious to know why a young man, something difficult to find at that place, was at Victrola on a friday night when he could be at some party with his friends. That was surely what she would do if she could. If she was what once she had been. But no, the boy in front of her just sat alone in the dark.

For some reason, she wanted to know why he chose this place, why he sat and drunk alone, why he was in a situation Blair thought was not happiness, a situation that she had lived and didn't bring her happiness. She wanted to know if he wanted to be there or if there was no other choice to him, because either way he was like her or the total opposite to her.

It was strange because she has never thought about it looking to any other client at the club, somehow he 'intrigued' her. She had the need to ask.

Blair stood at his left so she wouldn't cross on his sight on the stage. Her martini almost untouched in her hand.

"I was wondering why my fiancé is all alone in a beautiful night like this." She said in a soft voice. Victrola was a rather calm place so it was not necessary to talk really loud to be hearted.

He was surprised of her presence. His eyes left the stage and his head turned towards her slowly, still lounged on the back of the couch, and their eyes connected.

She had to hold her breath.

"Beautiful? Well, that depends to whom." His voice was as velvet. Low and soft.

His response was sad but true. Surely it was a beautiful night, but she didn't felt it like that neither.

Her eyes left his and averted to the floor. Blair felt as the bravery she had had to approach him disappeared. His words confused her. She didn't know if she should take them as a simple statement or a way to tell her to go away.

It seemed like he has noted her quiver at his words so he continued.

"A beautiful night is pretty much a subjective thing. Definitely, I wouldn't say the same to your own beauty..." Blair looked up to his eyes and discovered he hadn't left looking at her. "Something much more universal, I would say." He finished almost in a whisper. She blushed crimson at his last words. His eyes still analysing her features.

After a few seconds of silence, Blair had the urge to say something.

"I... um... I don't know how..." Blair was a bit embarrassed, her words wouldn't come out without stuttering. "Well, you know... how to thank you... for the situation with that guy." Finally they came out. It was a bit silly, she was just saying thank you, not a confession of love.

He smiled. It was a little one.

"Don't worry about it. It was a pleasure. I didn't do it to gain something, your visit and thank you are priceless enough." He said reassuringly.

Now, it was her turn to return the smile. Blair had to recognise he was very charming. And handsome. It was an understatement she was in some way attracted to him. She had not many time to meet guys as she was always working day and night and the ones she met here were not what she searched.

This one was different.

"At least let me buy you another drink. It's the fairest... you even bought me a martini." Blair showed her drink to him as to remind him. Her offer amused him.

"I would gladly accept it, but..." He signalled the table in front of him, so she looked. There were at least five scotch glasses. "I fear if I get another one I will turn into something like your friend." Then, he signalled behind her.

Blair looked behind her, at the bar. Her 'friend' was still seated on the same stool devouring a beer. She didn't know how she had resisted slapping him to get away of her.

Blair returned her eyes to him.

"Ok." She chuckled. "I'm sure I wouldn't like that." It wasn't her lucky night, a good guy and no good excuses for her to make their encounter a bit longer. He looked again to the stage. Maybe her interest towards him was not exactly reciprocated.

"Could I make an exchange?" He asked seriously but still not looking at her.

"Excuse me?" Blair furrowed her brows. She was a bit taken aback due to his question, first because she thought he had finished their conversation and second, she had no idea what he meant with an exchange.

Her confused expression make him chuckle. "An exchange. Your drink offer to your company."

"Oh."

"You know... I wouldn't like to waist away my fiancé trick and refuse your offer." His expression turned into a smirk.

Blair laughed a bit. "I have to say your trick went well." She said as she seated cautiously at his side, not too near but not too far neither. She took a sip of her drink.

Then he extended his hand in front of her. Blair eyed him curiously.

"I'm Chuck."

"Oh, sorry." She laughed and took his hand as to shake it looking straight to his eyes. "Blair."

She was surprised when he moved her hand to his lips and kissed softly her knuckles. His action made shivers run up her spine and a nice blush to colour her cheeks.

"Wow, I didn't expect that." She looked down to her hand once he freed it from his. She didn't know how she could still feel his lips on it. It was a first.

"My fiancée deserves a proper greeting."

"Sure." She said as she rolled her eyes.

Both two relaxed on the couch and a comfortable silence stay between them as they listened to the music.

"So... what are you doing in a place like this?" Blair asked finally.

"A place like what?" Chuck responded not understanding what she meant.

"Like this." She answered simply looking around. "Too classic, not for people under their forties... at least." Her eyes returned to his face curious.

"Who said I'm not forty... at least?" Chuck mocked her tone as he raised his brow suggestively.

"Oh, please..." Blair scoffed.

"What's wrong with this place?" Chuck asked. "I was just walking around and I hearted that guy playing that song at the piano. I took a seat and then you came up the stage with your wonderful voice..." At that Blair smiled softly and looked to her drink. Every time he said something good about her she just blushed. "And then I think you know the rest of the story."

Blair just nodded. "I guess it's not the same when you work here every night." Her tone turned a bit sadder.

"Don't you like working here?" His was more serious.

"No." It came surprisingly fast from her mouth. She was stunned of her own response and it seemed so was he. "I like the concept of it, but not the place or that I live of it." She cleared. His stare was fixed on her, and she saw something on his eyes that told her she could talk to him. "It was not on the plan." She said with a sad smile upon her face.

Chuck nodded at her words. "May I ask you what was on the plan then?" He spoke delicately, as his words could move the past to the surface and it was not his intention to disturb her.

"Yale." She sighed and ran a hand through her curls. "It doesn't matter." Blair shrugged. "Life is not always as planned."

"True." Chuck took his tumbler and drunk in a gulp the rest of his scotch. "Anyway, Yale is not as marvellous as they say." His voice was rasp of the alcohol but also was printed with something she couldn't quite read.

"What do you mean?" Even when Yale was far from her horizons Blair had never change her mind about it.

"You know..." Chuck trailed off and eyed longingly to his empty scotch, then he searched for a waiter. It looked like this matter was out of his comfort zone. He sighed after he desisted of his search. "Nevermind." He left his glass on the table with the other ones.

Blair made as she hadn't witnessed his little struggle deciding if he wanted another glass of scotch or not. "Yale is perfect." She sighed in a dreamy voice. "And you are really charming trying to make me think it's not".

It was the truth. Every time she had told someone about her plans about Yale, they had said that obviously it would have been a great experience. Probably they said that because they had never been there and all that they knew about college and that college were good words, but Blair really didn't care. She took their response as something she had done right in her life. Something she had dreamt right. It was not snobby or materialistic but cultural and self-improving.

"I would gladly lie to you about that if that would make you happier." His gaze become somehow warmer to her. But what really was warmer was her heart. It was silly, but that phrase was truly sweet.

Then he chuckled a little bit and continued. "But I'm saying the truth. Yale is not as amazing as to make you think your life without it is empty or something like that."

"That's obvious." Blair couldn't say her life was empty. "Maybe not empty, but incomplete".

"And 'Yale vacancy' only could be filled by Yale?" He seemed pretty interested in changing her opinion. Or that, at least, was what Blair thought.

"I can understand that for you, going there, to Yale… was a dream, and still is. But it's just a place. It's the materialization of your dreams concentrated in a little place in the face of the earth. But not the essence, it's not the dream itself. Did you asked yourself back then what did you wanted? Going to Yale? Or have a career? Your dream was going to a particular college or becoming a person that you would have been proud of?" When Chuck ended, silence embraced them. The intensity which they were looking in the eye at each other made it impossible for them to turn their gazes to another place, even if it was just an inch from their orbs.

"I… I don't know anymore, I don't know her anymore." Blair finally answered with a bit of a struggle with herself. With all her might, she turned her gaze to the stage and slumped a little in the booth.

This time the silence became dense. Blair's mind was running fast. It was crowded with memories and she tried to search, tried to find the response to that question. Why Yale? Because of her father? Because of her friends? Because it was what everyone expected? Because it had been really her dream? Obviously she knew the answer to that question right now but she wasn't sure it was the same back then.

She wasn't aware of it, but her features had frowned while deep in thought; as she wasn't aware that a strong hand approached her face and caressed her right brow. It was a gesture that woke her up from her reverie. She turned around again towards Chuck and eyed him curiously.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset." His expression was concerned as he retired his hand and put it on his leg.

At that statement Blair's eyes widened. "Oh, no, no, no, no." And she smiled softly. "You made me think, that's all. Really."

"Then I should stop saying pure nonsense, thinking too much is not good." Chuck chuckled returning the light mood to the conversation.

Blair didn't think at all that what Chuck had said was pure nonsense. In fact, aside from make her question herself about what was what she had truly wanted years ago, she wondered how he knew how to push the buttons in her head. It seemed that he knew what he was talking about. Had he fought for a childish dream? Had he done what everyone expected? Had he become a person he was proud of? Blair was on her way to ask him, she was really interested in knowing that answer because there was something about him that told her that they were alike in that aspect. However, a light vibration interrupted her.

Her gaze focused in the space between them as a black device vibrated and its screen lit. It was a cell phone.

Chuck stared at it as if he was wondering if the right thing to do was to take the call or not. In that time, Blair was able to read the caller ID before the phone stopped ringing. Just an S.

Chuck took the phone quickly and put it in the breast pocket inside his jacket. At this moment he seemed troubled for that call.

"I believe I have taken enough of your time." Chuck expressed with a little smile. It was pretty clear that he was not a smile type. In the time that they had shared, his were not the clearest expressions but this time, unlike the others it didn't reach his eyes. As he took her hand she thought he would kiss it again, but in this case he employed it to approach her. The space between them was non-existent and Chuck took the opportunity to lean forward and gave her a soft kiss in the cheek. If what she had felt when Chuck acknowledged her had been electrifying, that kiss was impossible to compare.

Her heart began to beat incredibly fast as their meeting was destined to end.

The feeling of his lips, warm over her ivory skin captivated her. If only had been that what captivated her…

"See you soon, Blair."

A whisper.

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A/N: A second encounter? Your reviews, comments and suggestions are welcomed, as always.