Chapter 14
Have you heard Upper East Siders? Burlesque is all the rage again. And sometimes a little raging is exactly what you need. And as always, Chuck is aiming to be ahead of the curve, but let's not get ahead of ourselves…
As Blair slid into the waiting limo outside of her building, she smiled over at her companion for the last few days. Ever since she told Nate that they were going on a break from each other, Chuck and Blair had been spending a lot more time together. It started with them spending the night together in the hotel room that Blair reserved originally for her and Nate and had progressed to them talking and drinking. It reminded Blair of their time together during the summer after she found out about Nate and Serena.
Despite Chuck's reputation he had been almost a gentleman with Blair during their time together. Treating her the way she should have been treated by her boyfriend and, whether he was doing it on purpose or not, was proving that she did the right thing with requesting this time apart.
After they exchanged pleasantries, Blair asked him, "So what is this thing that you wanted to show me today of all days?" She was referring to her later appointment with Nate at the courtyard for lunch at school. Last night, while she was hanging out with Chuck in his suite, she received the text message from Nate requesting that they talk at school the next day about their relationship.
She was a bit skeptical about if she should accept or not, and strange enough Chuck encouraged her to hear him out. That maybe he needed the wake-up call that he could actually lose her for good and is ready to step up and be what she deserved in a boyfriend. After thinking about it for a few hours she replied that she accepted, but for some reason she didn't feel nearly as excited as she thought she should be. Blair remembered thinking then that she assumed that she was preparing for the worst case scenario and that he wanted to make the break a permanent one.
Even though it had been a few days, they still haven't told anyone, other than Chuck who was there when it occurred, that they were technically separated. So as far as anyone knew, Nate and Blair were still a couple and Blair was not looking forward to the whispers and speculations on the reason for the break up.
Blair shook her head to clear it as she listened to Chuck explain, "As I told you on the phone, Waldorf, it's a potential investment idea that I want to pitch to Bart. After you left the other night, I was feeling a bit "lonely"," he smirked at her which caused Blair to roll her eyes and smirk back as he continued, "and I found this place and it just came to me. I didn't even go home with anyone that night; I just stayed up and wrote out this business proposal."
"So this is the reason that you've been so busy and almost giddy for the past two days?" Blair asked, even more intrigued to find the source of his excitement as he nodded.
"This is something I have to see then to get you this worked up without a stripper on your lap," she teased lightly as the car went down the street.
Chuck barely refrained from keeping still. This was going to be the thing that would prove to his father that he was thinking of his future. That he had what it took to eventually take over for Bart when Bart was ready to step down and handed over the reins of Bass Industries to him. As he glanced at his best friend, one of his harshest critics when it came to things that mattered, he saw her glance at her watch. He smirked as he assured her, "Don't worry you won't miss your appointment with Nathaniel. I highly doubt that this is going to take the first half of the school day."
Blair sighed as she rested her head against the back of her seat. Chuck asked her softly, "What's wrong?"
Blair shrugged lightly before voicing her fear, only Chuck Bass could make her feel comfortable to the point that she could say what's on her mind, "What if he doesn't want to reconcile like you think? What if he wants to make the break permanent?"
Chuck shook his head firmly, "He doesn't. This is Nathaniel we're talking about; you know he's been having problems with his parents' situation. If he wanted to break up he wouldn't have requested it to happen in such a public place. He loves you and like I said yesterday, he's just waking up and stepping up."
Chuck truly hoped that he was right. He hoped that Nate wasn't as stupid as he had been acting this past week. The fact that he didn't even try to stop Blair after the masquerade ball or to even go after her proved his stupidity. Unfortunately, Chuck wasn't there to witness the reason why Nate didn't make it to Blair in time, so whatever his reasons, Chuck hoped that Nate recognized what it was that he had. The only thing was that Chuck did recognize what Nate had; he had recognized it for a while now. He saw the potential Blair Waldorf that could be fun, beautiful, and sexy that was locked up tight inside of her just waiting for her moment to break free.
The reason why he was so encouraging of Blair to see him was so that Blair wouldn't have any regrets about her decision. He knew that the ending of her and Nate's relationship, if they were honest with themselves, was inevitable, but he knew that Blair could play the pretend game for as long as it suited her until she was knocked on the head with it. He genuinely felt that if they did get back together today, that this would be the last straw for her. And, as always, he would be there to help her through it if/when Nate screwed it up again.
Blair took in his words and nodded softly, thankful that even though Chuck felt that she deserved better and was all for her breaking up with him back when she found out about him cheating on her and even as recently as Saturday at the masquerade ball, he understood that she needed to do this. She needed to personally declare that it was over and she wasn't quite ready to declare it yet.
She looked up as Arthur stopped the car and opened the door on Chuck's side; they had finally arrived. She could see Chuck's excitement as he waited for Blair to climb out after him, and the sight of it caused her to chuckle as she took in the building from outside.
It wasn't until she was showed inside that she had an idea of what the business was as she asked, "You want your dad to invest in a strip joint? How midtown," Blair said as she glanced over at two women who passed by them, obviously leaving for the day, as Chuck led her in. When he called her this morning asking for her to come check out something that he wanted to pitch to his father, she was thrilled for him. He was stepping up and taking initiative. She always knew he had it in him and now Bart Bass would see it too.
"A burlesque club," Chuck corrected as Blair smirked and took a look around as she listened to his pitch, "A respectable place where people can be transported to another time, where they can feel free to let loose."
Blair could hear the excitement in his voice as she turned around, taking mental notes here and there to allow the place to reach its full potential, but other than that the place itself screamed Chuck Bass with its 20's feel. It had already earned her approval when Chuck stood behind her and began whispering in her ear, "No judgment. Pure escape. What happens at Victrola, stays at Victrola"
She looked at him over her shoulder, not wanting to delay giving her opinion of the place, "Well, it does have franchise potential," she smiled up at him as he nodded, "Chuck Bass, I do believe all your years of underage boozing and womanizing have finally paid off."
Chuck sighed with a smile as he looked back at his best friend after glancing at one of the dancers leaving as Blair spoke she placed her hand over her heart as she beamed, "Truly, I am proud."
"And you are my toughest critic. Well, second toughest." He smirked at her. They both knew who he was referring to and it went without saying.
"So, do you think your father will go for it?" Blair asked.
"It is exactly the kind of innovative thinking upon which the Bass Empire was built," Chuck showed her the New York Observer newspaper that showed Bart as a cartoon on the front to emphasize his point as he continued on excitedly, "It is the perfect thing. I've been waiting for this."
Blair nodded, knowing that it was a great idea and hoping that Bart will see it too when Chuck pitched it to him, as she glanced at her watch seeing that she should have already been at school, "We are so late. Are you coming?"
Chuck shook his head as he showed Blair his folder that he was holding that held his business proposal, "Gotta pitch it to Bart, text me how it goes?" Blair nodded as if it was a given as he threw in, "Victory party here tomorrow."
Blair smiled at his excitement and headed out to the door to get to school for her appointment as she called out to him, "I wouldn't miss it."
"I'll send a car," Chuck added as he took a deep breath and looked around, feeling a bit nervous about his big presentation to his father.
Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, Blair called back to him as she opened the door, "Don't be nervous. He's gonna love it."
xoxo
Blair checked her phone as she finally arrived at school as the fifteen minute warning bell ranged. "Looks like I made it just in time, hopefully whatever it is that Nate wants to say to me won't take long so that I have plenty of time to spin it to my liking for the masses," she thought silently to herself. She paused as she saw the latest Gossip Girl blast about Serena and Dan being hot and heavy in one of the courtyards and shook her head as she headed inside to get to class.
The morning seemed to drag by at a snail's pace for Blair as she waited impatiently for the lunch period to come. She did her best to not appear too eager when she was finally released from her last class and was allowed to go find Nate. As she walked through the halls, checking her phone she saw the blast from this morning and sighed to herself. It was as if everyone was having sex except for her. And it wasn't as if she didn't want to either, it just seemed that every time she attempted to make it special it just blew up in her face.
She smiled over at her minions as they waved to her from their table, not seeing Nate around she went over to Kati and Iz to catch up on anything she may have missed and to confirm that Kati's older brother was still letting them use his place for Blair's birthday party this Saturday. She was turning 17 and she hoped that it would be a night of no drama other than the kind of her own making.
Blair smirked to herself as she glance over and saw Nate talking to Jenny, reminded that she needed to have a little talk with the freshman about her defiance in showing up at the ball after Blair explicitly forbade her to going. After dismissing her minions to go have lunch under the guise that she was eating with Nate, she made her way over with a smile, catching the end of Nate's sentence asking Jenny to promise him something.
"Promise what?" Blair asked with a smile as she slid onto the bench beside Nate.
"Uh, promise to help me come up with a more creative apology than these," Nate said carefully as he handed Blair a box of chocolates, "I'm sorry for taking you for granted lately, okay?"
"Oh!" Blair gasped at the sweet gesture as she took the box from him, accepting his genuine apology, "That is so sweet! But I prefer the Gold Collection, but thank you!" She smiled as she kissed his lips lightly as a show that she forgave him and that they were on the right track once again. Of course he'd be on a bit of a probationary period, but the fact that he took the initiative this time and at least tried spoke volumes to Blair.
She was so happy that she almost missed Jenny slipping away and remembered that she wanted to talk to the blonde, before she let herself get wrapped up in making up with Nate, she stood up from the bench and followed after the freshman calling out softly, "Hey Cinderella."
Jenny turned towards her with a smile, unaware of what was coming. Blair took a step closer and pulled something out of her pocket and lifted it into the blonde's face, "I think you dropped this at the ball," Blair relished in the look of pure fear on Jenny's face as she recognized what was in Blair's hand, it was the bracelet that she wore and lost.
Blair sighed as she put the bracelet in Jenny's hands with a sigh as she whispered to her, "I hate secrets more than anything. You know that. Friends don't lie, and we're friends, right?"
Jenny squeaked out, "Right," and Blair smiled almost in sympathy at her before turning away, her message clear that Jenny was on thin ice and she better watch her step, because Blair Waldorf only gives so many chances before she writes people off, especially when it came to projects. "How else are they going to learn their place? She hasn't been officially named my protégée yet, so she still has to be treated like everyone else." Blair thought silently as she sat next to her beloved boyfriend, feeling as if she could finally breathe and that everything was back as it should be as they made plans to have dinner together that night.
xoxo
Chuck walked into the elevator and pushed the appropriate button to arrive at the floor to Bart's office. He took a deep breath to calm himself down as his phone went off. Assuming that it was Blair, he glanced at it only to realize it was a Gossip Girl blast and frowned at the sight of Serena and Humphrey making out in the courtyard.
"That's the last thing I need in my head when I'm about to go pitch this deal to Bart," he thought silently as the bell of the elevator went off, informing him that he had arrived. Chuck slipped his phone in his pocket and walked up to his father's secretary, Tracey he believed her name was, and informed her who he was and that he was here to speak with his father. The woman looked frantic as she nodded him through as she went through piles of paperwork.
Chuck didn't even bother to say goodbye since it was obvious that the woman wasn't going to last much longer, judging by the way she was hyperventilating at her desk, as he opened up the door and walked in, only to pause at the sight of Lily, Serena's mother, and his father in a passionate embrace. "Father?" he made his presence known to them as he smirked. He did not see that one coming. Lily seemed to be the one who sought out her next husband, not her next flame.
"Chuck," Bart replied in surprise as he looked towards the door as Chuck walked farther into the room. Obviously wasn't informed by the secretary of Chuck's arrival.
Lily quickly tried to set her top to rights as she tried to come up with some excuse for why she was there, speaking to Bart in a professional manner as she tied her scarf around her neck and Bart obviously was fixing his own tie, "Um, well…Bart, um, I think your points earlier were excellent…and, um, I plan to bring them up at the next parent/teacher meeting."
The two shook hands as Lily picked up her purse. Bart thanked her before releasing her hand and allowing her to leave his side. Chuck smirked as he took in Lily and pointed to her top, indicating that she missed a button. She quickly covered it and began to smile in embarrassment as she quickly left the room.
Chuck shook his head and walked towards his father's desk as the door shut behind him as he spoke, "Not much future as an actress."
Bart glared at him as he stood next to his chair, "You don't say anything to Serena. You don't say anything to anyone. Lily would like this to play out in a certain way."
Chuck felt another shock to his system as he realized that maybe Lily was in the search of her next husband after all, and Bart seemed to be more than willing to play the game of monogamy. Could it be possible that Bart Bass was considering a second marriage after 17 years? He asked hesitantly, "So you're serious about her?"
Bart didn't even bother answering as he finally took his seat, answering Chuck's question with one of his own as he took in what Chuck was wearing, "What's with the business formal? Are you being arraigned for something?"
Chuck cleared his throat as he was reminded of the reason why he was here in the first place. Gathering up his courage and began his speech, "I have an investment idea I think is utterly unique to your company," Bart frowned in surprise as he gave Chuck his full attention, "Something avant-garde, yet nostalgic. It is the perfect way for you to loosen the top button of Bass Industries. Like you've been wanting, sir."
Bart chuckled in surprise as he lifted his hands in the air before he stated, "I am so pleased."
Chuck paused as he looked at his father, seeing that he was serious he asked, "You are?" He smiled as he thought silently to himself, "Today is a day full of shocks and surprises."
"Are you kidding me? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to be interested in something other than partying?" Bart said with a smile as he laced his hands in front of him.
Chuck laughed once as he walked even closer to the desk, taking out his business plan and showed it to his father as he spoke, "You should come see the place it sells itself."
Bart looked over at his calendar and flips through it as he clears his throat, "Um, I have some meetings, but, uh, how's after-,"
Chuck took his father's hand and shakes it eagerly, unable to contain himself as he stated, "After's great. After's good."
Bart looked at him as if he were finally seeing him as his son and as someone worthy of his time and Chuck just beamed. He was going to gain his father's approval for the first time in a long time and with something that actually mattered and he was going to make sure that he was going to make it happen.
xoxo
After Nate left Blair half way through lunch so he could go talk to a teacher about a paper that was coming up due, Blair began to find Serena so they could talk about that blast Gossip girl posted this morning in regards to her and Humphrey's activities. As Serena's best friend, Blair felt it was her right to know the details just like Serena knew most of Blair's. Most being that Serena was still in the dark about her decision to be on a break with Nate, but since Blair and Nate are back together, Blair felt there was no reason for her to mention it now.
Almost as if she were waiting for Blair to make that decision for herself, Serena appeared in Blair's sight almost out of nowhere, and Blair made her way over. "Hey S, care to share some chocolates with me and hang for the rest of lunch? I haven't seen you since the day of the masquerade ball."
Serena smiled and nodded as they walked over to the stairs leading into the courtyard and got situated, "So, what's the occasion for the chocolates?"
Blair smiled and opened the box up and offered S the first piece, "Nate was being very sweet and got them for me, we were having a bit of a rough patch when he didn't find me in time at the ball." She smiled it off as she took a piece of chocolate into her mouth, playing down the situation that her Nate were almost permanently over if it wasn't for their lunch meeting not ten minutes ago.
Not wanting to delve into her personal issues at this time, Blair changed the subject smoothly, "Speaking of boyfriends, so…I heard on Gossip Girl that you were having sex with Dan out here…in streaming video," she looked straight at Serena with a smirk as she bit into her chocolate.
Serena sighed as she threw her head back in exasperation, "Ugh! God, Kati and Iz filmed us?"
Blair continued to smile as she looked up, coming up with the perfect response, "It was all very "high school musical" scandalous," the pair shared a laugh before Blair continued on, "And no, they haven't streamed it yet, but…I heard it was…aggressive.
She watched Serena closely to see if she would give anything away on where Serena and Dan were headed, if they haven't already gone there already. She was grateful that Serena was so open to talking about it as she spoke, "I must say, Dan has been surprisingly good at everything we've done."
That was not good enough for Blair, she needed actual confirmation and details, "Which is…everything?"
"No!" Serena laughed at Blair's bluntness as she sarcastically added, "But feel free to ask any personal questions."
Blair, not at all perturbed by the sarcasm, continued on with her questions, "But you've talked about it, right?"
Serena looked down at the piece of chocolate in her hand as she leaned back against the railing behind her, "No, mom, we haven't!"
"May I remind you that this is your first real boyfriend, S, and in relationships, you talk about stuff," Blair explained to her as if it were law, which it was.
"I know, but I don't know, sometimes talking about it or planning it can ruin a good thing, you know?" Serena tried to explain, obviously not even thinking.
Blair didn't take the off-handed comment as an insult because Serena was right; look at what happened during the times that she tried to plan her big night with Nate. Blair was shooting 0 for 2 now as she spoke softly, a little bit tender about that fact, "I would know."
She looked down at her box of chocolate in her lap, not wishing to linger on her and her problems she got back to the matter at hand, "Well, as long as you're not worried."
"Well, I'm not, but I don't know, he might be…," Serena thought on it before asking Blair, "Is it possible for a guy to want to slow things down?"
"Only the guys we like," Blair quipped. They both laughed at their separate but similar situations. "But…with you, I can't imagine why." Blair said softly not trying to cause a problem, but just stating her opinion.
xoxo
Chuck was entertaining himself with one of the burlesque dancers as he waited for his father, smirking when the girl offered to show him her skill with a cherry stem. Not one to turn down a free show, He lifted the cherry to the brunette's red lips, that reminded him so much of another, more enticing pair, as she wrapped her lips around the cherry and takes it completely into her mouth, stem included.
It didn't take the attractive woman to open her mouth to reveal his prize that was lying on her tongue. Chuck smirked as he slowly reached for it, taking it out of her mouth as he examined the knotted stem before he spoke to her, "You are…really talented."
The girl smiled and leaned towards him for a kiss, but just before their lips could touch, Chuck heard the sounds of someone walking towards them. He glances up and feels a bit of fear at the sight of his father, who was not very happy nor impressed with his surroundings, "Dad."
Chuck tossed the stem in his hand away and quickly got rid of the girl off of his lap as he stood up and walked towards his father, checking his watch as he spoke as Bart just looked around the club, "I, uh, ahem. I didn't think you'd make it."
"And you want me to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into an excuse for you to be around booze and women?" Bart said coldly as he just looked at Chuck.
"No. No, I…," Chuck started to explain, but thought better of it and focus on this deal, "Did you read the proposal? It shows a much bigger picture."
Bart sighed, "I came down here because I saw the effort you made. You want to impress me with your commitment to something? Try getting a few A's in school or maybe a part-time job."
With Bart's words, Chuck saw that he had failed. Gone was the potential to earn his father's approval and he had to admit to himself that this time hurt more than the rest. Because he had genuinely wanted this to work; he wanted to make this a step towards his future, and to be more than just a disappointment to his father. But now he knew that he was an idiot to think that. He looked away from his father as Bart turned to leave. As he heard the front door close behind his father, Chuck decided to try one more time to plead his case to his father. He was nothing if not persistent when it came to things he cared about.
As he walked briskly towards the door, opening it just in time to see his father walk towards his waiting car, but he doesn't call out to him like he planned to. He just watches as his father approaches a hot Asian woman who was waiting by the car and touches her leg before ushering her into the car to head to lunch. I guess I was wrong. "He's still the same hypocrite he's always been," Chuck thought silently as he heads back inside, shutting the door behind him firmly as he takes a seat at the bar, ordering a drink.
A few hours later, Chuck was still sitting at the bar at Victrola when his phone began to ring beside him on the bar top, no longer in the frame of mind he was in just this morning he considered just hitting ignore and go back to his drinking. And he would have, if it were anyone else, Chuck would have ignored it, but for her he'd answer because he never got back to her about her own appointment, hoping that it turned out better than his he answered with a soft, "Hello."
"Hey Bass, did Bart approve of the idea? I didn't hear back from you for an update," Blair asked him, sounding as if her appointment went better than his.
"He was all for it until he saw what it was I was pitching. I, once again, am a disappointment and I need to focus on things of importance like school," he rolled his eyes as he repeated his father's words.
Blair pressed her lips together as she sat down on her bed, "I'm sorry, Chuck. I know how hard you worked on that business plan and how excited you were this morning."
Chuck sighed softly into the phone as he nodded even though he knew that she couldn't see him, "It's not a big deal, I should be used to being his largest disappointment. My plan for tonight is to get very drunk until I forget the entire thing. You up for joining me, Waldorf? I can invite Nathaniel, since from your tone that things are well on that front."
Blair nodded as she confirmed, "We made up. He's on probation of course, but he really made the effort and bought me chocolates and apologized," Blair smiled into the phone as she told him her news. "We were planning on having dinner tonight to talk it out more away from prying eyes, but if you need us we can easily cancel. You know we're here for you too Bass, whenever you need us." Blair offered sincerely.
Chuck shook his head and smiled a bit into the phone. This is why he felt at ease with opening himself up to Blair, she was loyal to her friends to a fault and would drop everything to help, even when she was going through a crisis of her own. "Waldorf, that's not necessary, go make up with your boyfriend hopefully for the last time."
Blair sighed into the phone, not ready to concede, "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure; I think it would be best if I took this time to be alone anyway. I'm allowing you to be selfish just this once, Waldorf," Chuck insisted into the phone as he stood up from his stool as he continued on, "Besides, since you're so insistent in being a good friend, I still have the place booked tomorrow, you and Nathaniel can come by then."
Blair nodded softly, not liking the thought of him going through this alone, "If you're sure. Of course we'll be there tomorrow. We'll come by after the dinner celebrating my mother and the Captain's business juncture."
Chuck walked out of the club and climbed into the back of his car with a nod to Arthur, "It's a plan. I'll send the car for you both. I'll leave you to get dressed for tonight."
"Bass, do me a favor? Drink at the Palace tonight? I don't want you wandering around the city drunk, I'll worry," Blair asked softly as she rubbed her forehead gently.
Chuck looked out his window as he took in Blair's plea, "Already ahead of you Waldorf, Arthur is driving me there now so I can drink and go upstairs to properly pass out if I so choose to."
Blair closed her eyes in relief that he was being reasonable, "Okay, great. Just be safe, and try not to cause too much trouble. I'll call you later on tomorrow?"
Chuck smirked into the phone, "I look forward to it. Don't worry about me, Waldorf. Go have fun tonight and we'll catch up on everything tomorrow."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow and if you change your mind tonight, I'm here." Blair stated, not wanting to push him any further.
Chuck said his goodbyes and hung up the phone with a sigh, looking out the window once again. Deciding that he might as well get a head start on his night of drinking, he leaned over towards the minibar for the bottle of scotch and just swallowed it straight from the bottle. It was definitely going to be a long night.
xoxo
Blair sighed softly and stood up from her bed to go into her closet after ending her phone call with Chuck. She more than anyone understood how badly he must be hurting after the rejection he received from his father and wished that he would let her at least hang out with him tonight so he'd have someone to talk to if the feeling every arose.
Knowing that she'd be thinking about him for the rest of the night, she contemplated canceling on Nate anyway for a moment and was still considering as she stood in front of her mirror with a dress pressed in front of her as her mother came into the room a few minutes later.
Eleanor knocked as she came in with a dress in her hands for Blair to try on. Blair should have known that she wouldn't have been allowed to dress herself while her mother was in town so she set the dress that was in her hand that she was considering for tonight aside as she turned towards her mother as Eleanor spoke, "You need to look elegant for the Archibald dinner tomorrow night, so what do you think?" she asked as she showed Blair this gray pilgrim inspired dress.
Blair lifted the sleeve of the dress briefly before dropping it and giving her opinion on the dress, "Yes, it would be very nice, if I was sailing up on the Mayflower."
Eleanor ignored the quip and turned Blair around towards Blair's mirror, holding the dress in front of Blair to see how it looked next to her as she began to speak, "Anne Archibald was wearing her amazing Cornelius Vanderbilt diamond ring the other night."
Blair listened vaguely as she took in herself in with the dress, seeing if she'd be willing to put up with wearing this dress for her mother for the night, even though it was by far more conservative except for the knee length than even Blair Waldorf would wear, as Eleanor continued on, "She was going on and on about how it would end up on your finger…someday."
Blair frowned as she turned her head towards her mother as Eleanor took the dress off the hanger and let the dress fall into Blair's hand. She couldn't have heard her mother right. Blair turned quickly to clarify, unable to stop the small smile of hope show on her face, "Wait. Nate spoke to his mother about our future?"
When Eleanor simply smiled at her and didn't say anything, Blair continued on with her question, her smiling growing more at the prospect, "He actually asked for the family ring?"
"Mm-hmm," Eleanor replied lightly as she turned and left Blair's room with a small smile. Blair felt her excitement grow the more she thought about it. "He really was stepping up. He was genuinely giving them a real shot at moving forward and them being together just like we have always planned!" Blair thought to herself as she turned back to the mirror.
Her decision being made very clear that she would go to dinner with Nate; Chuck would be fine at the Palace and she'll check in later on tomorrow after he has properly recovered from tonight. Blair nodded at her decision, unable to believe that everything was finally falling into place and she hoped that this time it would be for good.
xoxo
The next morning, Chuck was still drunk and he was walking out of the Palace, holding onto his portfolio that held his business plan. He spent the entire night at the bar last night and got good and drunk as he had planned to. It wasn't until he was walking down the steps, almost losing his footing, that he realized that he never got around to calling Nate about his news. And since Nate hadn't called him, he figured that Blair didn't tell Nate either, to which Chuck was grateful for.
Figuring that now was as good a time as any, he took out his phone and called his friend, only to get his voicemail. Chuck smirked as he began to talk into the phone as he walked across the courtyard unsteadily, "Nathaniel, your position in my esteem has been replaced by your voice mail. So…Bart didn't go for Victrola, but truth is I bought the house out already for tonight, and it's not a par-tay without my people. Or any people-,"
He stops speaking as he looks down at the sound of something falling, finding that he dropped his key. He sighs and ends the phone call with, "I'll see you there."
He drops his portfolio on the ground and then proceeds to attempt to bend over and get his key from the ground only successfully falling over and sitting on the ground with a sigh, forgetting for now about his key and completely oblivious that Lily Van Der Woodsen was coming out of the Palace herself and saw the entire scene.
She walked over towards him as he leaned his head back against the wall with his eyes closed and asked softly, "Long night?"
Chuck wasn't even surprised as he opened his eyes and glanced over at Lily and responds with, "Alfonso made me an omelet. I may have washed it down with a Bellini or two."
They share a smile as Lily looked towards the street for a moment, "Your father didn't go for your business proposal." She stated it not as a question.
Chuck sighed as he slowly shook his head, looking out at the street before him, not making any moves to stand up just yet. Lily reached for him with a soft, "Come on. Let me help you."
Chuck stood up, his cell phone still in his hand as he began to speak very clearly in spite of obviously being drunk, "He was born poor. I was born loaded."
Lily walked with him over to the stairs with a nod as he continued on, "But if the only way to impress him is if I started with nothing, then why doesn't he just take it all away?" Chuck asked the burning question that has plagued his mind for the past twelve hours.
Lily answered his question as Chuck plopped down onto the stairs with her following after him with a sigh and laugh as she lifts Chuck up from lying down on the ground, "Because he loves you. No good parent likes to see his child go without."
Chuck shook his head gently, looking off into the distance as he spoke, "I had the idea. I did the work," he sighs for a moment, feeling the need to lash out at his father. Fortunately for him he already had the ammo and the person he could use for his devices was sitting right beside him, "He tells me I can't be committed, and he's the one screwing 25 year olds…"
Lily laughed nervously as Chuck finished, "When he's supposedly committed to you."
"We're newly committed, as recent as last week," Lily explained.
Chuck nodded a bit as if he understood as he said offhandedly, "I wonder why he was pawing some Asian chick in his limo yesterday."
"How could I be surprised, really?" Lily sighed in obvious disappointment as she asked rhetorically. She excused herself with a soft embarrassed laugh and left Chuck with his misery and thoughts. He just sat there and watched Lily walk away.
xoxo
Blair walked into her room, followed by Jenny with a polite face on the outside, and a feeling of pure annoyance on the inside. After school Jenny came up to her to ask for her help with the bracelet that Jenny wore to the masquerade ball. Turns out that when it fell off Jenny's wrist it was because the clasp broke on it, and since it was under Blair's name at the store, Blair had to go there to sign and pay for it herself.
Blair considered this Jenny's second strike against her. This wouldn't have happened if she hadn't disobeyed her and went to the Ball anyway. Now she lost precious time trying to get ready for tonight with the dinner with the Archibald's because she was busy fixing Jenny Humphrey's problems. It only made Blair question on what she was thinking that Jenny could be her protégée and next in line for her throne.
The girl was poor and even though she was a quick learner and had obvious ambition, she wasn't showing herself worthy of all this extra work that Blair had to do for her. As if unaware of how thin the ice she was on Jenny began to speak, "Thanks for helping me out with the bracelet. I didn't know a broken clasp could cost that much."
When they arrived inside her room, Blair turned towards the blonde with her queen smile, "Oh, it was my pleasure," dropping the smile as if to think on it as she bluntly added, "Oh, wait. No, it wasn't. Game recognizes game, Little J., but you have to show more respect. This is the last time I've helped you. Next time you cross me, I won't be as forgiving."
Jenny shook her head as she placated Blair, "Don't worry. There won't be a next time."
Blair smiled as she decided to tell Jenny her good news as a sign that the conversation was over and that, this time, Blair wasn't holding a grudge, "Good, 'cause I wanna tell you something, something nobody knows, not even Serena. You can keep a secret, right?"
"Of course," Jenny responded softly.
Blair laced her hands together in anticipation as she began to speak, "Nate is planning on giving me his family diamond. It's the most incredible ring you've ever seen."
Blair smiled as she walked away and took a seat on her chaise lounge as Jenny asked, "Uh, ring as in engagement ring?"
Blair sighed as she crossed her legs and leaned towards the side as she mused to herself out loud in complete happiness, "I remember the first time I ever saw him. Maybe we were just little kids, but I knew- He's the one I wanna marry." She glanced over at Jenny as she finished her thought, "Now it seems like he feels the same way, too."
Blair felt her smile slowly disappear as she took in the look on Jenny's face, not seeing the excitement that one would expect with this news and bluntly asked, "Why are you not happy for me?"
Jenny looked down with a soft, "I'm sorry. It's-It's just been a really weird week. Um, there's this stuff with my parents and my family, so maybe I should just go."
Blair tilted her head to the side, not buying anything that was coming out of Jenny's mouth at this point. She thought she made herself clear yesterday that she hated secrets and was determined to unearth this one, "No, maybe you should look at me in the eye and tell me what you're hiding."
When Jenny finally looked Blair in the eye, but didn't say anything, Blair started fishing with a light smirk, "Are you jealous?"
"Of you and Nate?" Jenny began before Blair interrupted her.
"Do you like him?" Blair continued to watch the freshman.
"What? No," Jenny assured Blair, but Blair was like a dog with a bone as she continued to talk.
"Do you think because you talked to him once in the hall that you might have a shot?" Blair smiled at the absurdity of that idea.
"Blair, it's nothing like that," Jenny plead to Blair as the Blair took in how upset the freshman was getting.
"Then tell me, what is it like?" Blair tilted her head to the side with a smile as she waited for Jenny to just spit it out already.
"I don't want to hurt you," Jenny tried to explain.
Blair actually scoffed and lifted her head up straight as she asked, "How could you hurt me?"
Jenny reluctantly began to talk as her eyes began to fill with tears, "Yesterday wasn't the first time I talked to Nate. At the ball, he told me he wasn't over Serena."
Blair felt unable to breathe as she listened to what Jenny said, not wanting to take the blonde's word at face value she asked with a blank face, "Why would he tell you that?"
"Because I was wearing her mask," Jenny's tears began to fall as she spoke, "and he thought I was her. He kissed me."
Blair slowly began to process everything that she was told and knew that the freshman wasn't lying to her, but consequences had to be dealt, she refused to appear weak in front of this freshman. Softly, yet firmly she stated as her own eyes began to fill up, "That's enough."
"Blair, I-I didn't want you to find out," Jenny began to walk towards her as if to try and comfort her and explain.
All Blair saw was pity in the freshman's eyes. And she would not allow some lowly freshman to pity her. She was the Queen of Constance and Blair Waldorf. She considered this the last and final strike against Jenny Humphrey and dismissed her, "You're dismissed, Jenny…for good."
As Jenny left her room, Blair finally let the tears fall down her face. Honestly not knowing what to do now with this information. If she could even pretend like she thought she could back when Serena first came back into town. The obvious choice would be to confront Nate and find out if it were true, but she didn't know if she could handle having her fears confirmed. What was she going to do now?
A/N: Yeah, what is she going to do now?! Next chapter will be up next week, but I can be persuaded to post it sooner ;) and I'm so excited to see what you guys think of it. I love you all and I can't tell you how pleased I am that you guys love this story so much, almost as much as I do! I remember when I first saw this episode that some of my friends were mad at my B for dismissing J for just being the messenger so I feel the need to defend her now here lol Jenny has messed up several times over a short period of time. If she hadn't have gone to the ball without permission the bracelet wouldn't have broken and she wouldn't have gone through her two strikes in a week, therefore taking the luxury away of being a messenger of bad news.
Much love to my beta EvelynBass and her story Return Someday and all 40+ of my followers and 11 who have put my story as a favorite! It's Spring break so you know I've been writing like a beast this week with all my free time! So I'll see you then and I hope you like where I'm going on this journey! :D And I'm still looking for a second pre-reader/beta for this story! So if you're interested shoot me a pm here. :)
-Plei4fun