Part 2/4: Going the Distance
Dan looks at Blair, back to her normal self, dressed pristine wearing her funny little blue round hat and he thinks to himself just how ridiculous she is. He was tempted to give a snide remark about her obsessive compulsive tendencies to wear things on her head. It was obvious she was replacing headbands with hats, but he decided to save the insult for better use later.
The real reason her hat annoyed him was because she bought it at Heathrow airport earlier that day.
When they got off the plane, she immediately got on a payphone.
"Who are you calling?"
"Hi, I'd like to request a personal retail consultant please. It's an emergency. Terminal one…and make sure it's someone who is well versed with Chanel's fall collection. Thank you!" she hung up the phone with delight.
"Personal retail consultant?" Dan asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." Blair said like he was such an idiot, "Almost every European airport has them."
"But, we can go to the mall…later. You know. The real kind? Outside the airport?"
"Seven and a half hours of you being better dressed than me is more than I can take," she says looking down at his flannel shirt she's wearing. "Plus, someone of my stature should be properly dressed at an airport."
Dan makes an even more confused face. "Why?"
Blair let's out a frustrated breath, "And to think they let you work at W…," she said mockingly. "Need I explain everything to you, Humphrey? Audrey, Jackie O, Kate Moss…airports are the most important runways influential women walk."
Thus their 4 hour airport shopping venture began. After Blair bought an outfit to shop in (rolls eyes), she bought Dan a dress shirt and slacks for him to change into, even though he insisted for her not to. Dan didn't realize just how many boutiques could be in a single terminal. He was sitting on some store's couch, he lost track of store names a long time ago. Tired from lugging her wedding dress around, Dan leaned on the armrest while he watched Walter, the personal consultant, and Blair talk about the latest John Galliano scandal and their agreement on the 2011 fashion faux pas of brightly colored furs.
She smiled full of chipper, as Walter twirled her around in her pencil skirt and silk blouse in front of the mirror.
"Daniel, what do you think?" Walter asked.
He wanted to say that she looked cute in everything, but found he was being very careful about his words around Blair these days.
"It's nice." He said with half a smile.
With Blair shopping, Dan had lots of time to dwell on his current situation. That's what he was good at. Overthinking. Blair didn't want to talk about anything during the flight, so they watched Colombiana (which they hated) and slept. While she was at the register, Dan did a mental overview of what exactly was happening to him:
One. Serena apparently told Blair something about him. He was pretty sure it was that he had feelings for Blair, but he kept wondering what exactly she might have said.
Two. Blair ran from her wedding with Chuck for… a number of reasons…one of which might be because of Dan. Dan didn't know. He was confused to say the least, but he knew that he wasn't going to talk about anything if she wasn't ready to.
"I think I actually do want to buy that hat" Blair says when they're five feet from the airport's exit doors.
He knocks.
"Promise you'll be civil." Dan whispers to Blair as they're standing at the door.
"I don't need a lecture on social graces from you." She says quickly in her sarcastically sweet voice.
The door opens and Jenny answers. She's a little taller and is wearing less make up than usual. Her hair is short again and less platinum blonde, and she's wearing pajama pants and a tank top.
She greets Dan excitedly, "Dan!" with a huge smile on her face; still bubbly sounding as ever.
Her eyes finally make contact with Blair who's standing next to him. Blair gives one of her fake little smiles and says coyly, "Hi little J!"
Jenny shuts the door on them.
Dan let's out a sigh, like he should have known this was going to be another horrible idea. "Jen…" he says as he knocks on the door. No answer. "Jen, come on. Open the door."
"I cannot believe you." Jenny says mid-bite to Dan as they're sitting across from each other at a little sandwich shop across the street from her apartment.
"It's fine. Blair's tucked away sleeping in your room now."
"Yeah, after she dissed my futon." Jenny reminded him.
Dan gives a little laugh as he bites into his sandwich.
"It's not like she's staying with us. She just needs a place to crash before she can check into her hotel room."
"What is she doing here anyway? Isn't she supposed to be on her honeymoon with Chuck or ruining people's lives or something?"
"That's an interesting story." He says pointing at her with sandwich in hand, "Remember I told you I was her best man?"
"Maid of honor." Jenny corrected teasingly.
He gives her a look. "Well, I don't know. I guess she was scared and confused and…she ran out of her wedding." Dan thinks he might have said that last part too quickly and matter-of-factly.
Jenny looks confused, "To…you." She finishes the sentence for him.
Dan tries to play it cool, "What? No. No. She saw I was at the airport on Gossip Girl, so she just wanted to get away from the city for a while. That's all."
Jenny looks at him with a smile like she sees right through him, "And you were at the airport and not at her wedding because…"
Dan immediately regrets not thinking about how he was going to explain this sooner, "Because…" he tries to think on his feet, "I had a sudden urge to see my annoying little sister." He smiles and teasingly throws a chip at her and she gasps cutely and throws one back at him.
Dan laughs, "Seriously Jenny, she's had a rough…48 hours. She really isn't that bad, so…be nice."
"Fiiiine." She says in her reluctant teenage voice as she pulls out her phone and starts texting. He really missed his sister.
They're in London for a total of 5 days. Dan stays at his sister's every night and never really sets foot into Blair's hotel because he wants to respect her space. Days 2-4, he's commuting about 20 minutes between Dalston and Mayfair to do things with Jenny and Blair, and he manages to do alright. He laughs because the whole thing is ironically reminiscent of his life in New York. At Dalston, he and Jenny would do things like visit the farmers market, try Turkish food, or visit this place called The Vortex for the jazz music festival. With Blair in Mayfair, they'd do things like shop at high end stores on Oxford Street, visit the Handel House Museum, or watch movies at the Curzon. They watch a film called Habemus Papam (which they both hated).
On their last day in London, Dan walked Blair back to The Dorchester, the hotel where she was staying at. As they walk, both of their phones chime with a message.
It's a Gossip Girl blast about Chuck having his people start on returning gifts to the wedding guests. Blair looks at her phone and the smile on her face disappears.
Dan finished reading and put his phone back in his pocket. "You ok?" He asked.
"Yeah," Blair says rather unconvincing.
"How've you been doing with all that?"
"I…" she looks away from him, "I'm not really ready to talk about it." She looks down at her phone, "About him."
Dan nods and they've reached the door to the hotel lobby.
"Hey, I was going to ask you earlier. Would you want to grab dinner with me at this French restaurant I found a few blocks away?" she asked.
During the trip, they only really saw each other during the day. Dan was so tempted because that sure as hell sounded like they would be going out on a real date.
"Ah, I can't." Dan said somewhat disappointed, "Sorry, I promised Jenny I'd try her cooking before I left and…"
"That's fine" Blair said quickly interrupting. Dan couldn't tell if she seemed disappointed.
He improvised, "You know what? You should join us. It's our last night here anyway. You shouldn't be cooped up in a hotel by yourself."
Stand off at Jenny's apartment. It's only been 2 minutes with the three of them eating silently. Dan looks around the room for some inspiration for conversation starters…
"Jenny. Why do you have so much wine!" His eye catches a fully stocked wine cooler he clearly hadn't noticed before.
Blair holds back her laugh.
"Dan. The drinking age is 18 in the UK." Jenny says embarrassed.
Dan lets out a breath of frustration trying to remove the picture in his head of his baby sister buying wine. He quickly changes the subject and asks a question he already knows the answer to, "So, how's school going Jen?"
"It's good. It's challenging. Not like New York where everyone just kind of loved my designs."
Blair interrupted with that smile of hers, "Maybe that's because grunge and plaid aren't in season anymore" she said sarcastically.
Jenny retorted, "At least some of us have a progressive perspective on fashion and aren't stuck dressing like we're in some lame out of touch 60's movie."
Dan puts his hands to his face.
Blair rebuttals, "How does one study fashion in a place like Dalston anyway?"
They're staring at each furiously. Blair finishes, "Dalston. The London equivalent of New York's Brooklyn. A perfect place for the socially outcasted."
"Coming from someone who outcasts herself by running away from her own wedding. Speaking of which, how is Chuck? Does he still talk about me?" There was something about Blair that brought out a vicious side in Jenny.
Blair gives a look like she's disgusted but Dan figures she's probably hurt.
Dan chimes in, "Jen. I told you to be nice." He says quietly.
"What! I'm not afraid to hurt her feelings Dan," Jenny says heated.
Dan gets up from the table, "Ok!" he claps his hands together like he has a plan, "Let's put some of that wine to use."
For one reason or another, Dan and Blair end up drunk off their asses, while Jenny is still sober. Everyone's calmed down and Jenny is now in a good mood and is pretty entertained. Dan and Blair were drunk, sitting on the floor on opposite ends of the rug under her coffee table. Jenny is lying down on the couch and she sees this time as an opportunity to ask questions.
"So how did you guys end up becoming friends in the first place?" She asks.
"Orangutans!" Blair drunkenly chirps cutely, giggling holding her glass of wine in the air like she's making a toast.
Jenny smiles, "Uh…what?"
Dan is a slow speaker when he's drunk, he laughs to himself then says, "She means – we saw a Nanette documentary last year at film forum…about orang-." Blair and Dan both giggle to themselves before he can finish the word. Jenny is so amused to see them like this so she can't help but laugh too.
"I'm…hungry." Dan finally announces. He slowly walks over to the fridge.
"There's no food in here J!" he yells pretty loud.
Jenny laughs and suggests, "That sandwich place is open late."
Dan walks slowly to the door like a zombie. Jenny asks, "Are you gonna be ok?"
Dan motions with his hand like he's swatting a fly, or like he's suggesting he'll be fine. He closed the door and left.
Just Blair and Jenny are left alone in the living room. Blair's back is leaning on the couch facing her TV that's turned off while Jenny is lying down.
"I wish I had siblings…" Blair says as she squints at the door where Dan left.
Jenny continues, "Yeah. Dan's all right."
Blair turns to Jenny, "No!" She drunkenly points at her, "Seriously. I wish I had…and older brother to protect me from…" The not so eloquent drunk Blair can't figure out the rest of her sentence.
Jenny finishes, "People like you?"
Blair smiles, "Exactly, Little J."
Jenny smiles back, "Why do you still call me that anyway?"
Blair puts her drink down on the coffee table, "I…"
She's drunk, but she composes herself and sits up straighter, "Look, I hate you but…I…used to…like when you looked up to me. I only…give you a hard time because… I see you as like a little sister or something. Little sister. Little J." She softly laughs to herself amused by her own parallel.
Jenny makes a face like she's surprised, but it secretly made her happy. Part of her always wanted Blair's approval.
It's quiet for a second and Jenny wonders what else she can get out of Blair. "Blair. Why did you come here with my brother? Do you…like him or something?" Jenny asks.
Blair looks at her and lightly laughs, "Are you kidding? No. Even the thought of…" she pauses and has a revelation, "He is a good kisser though."
"What! Ew! Blair!" Jenny sits up and laughs.
Blair, mortified in realizing what she just said, sits up and seriously looks at Jenny, "Do not tell Dan I said that." Jenny smiled as she laid back down. "Don't worry I won't." It's quiet for a second.
"It's good you don't like him though. Dan's way too good for you anyway," Jenny says. Her comment surprises Blair. Ever since Blair knew Dan, she'd always seen Dan as the one who wasn't good enough for a lot of things.
Later they're all watching Twilight because Jenny didn't have cable, and that was the only DVD she was willing to watch.
"This whole trip has been like…a slew of bad movies." Blair says drinking her wine as they watch Jacob turn into a wolf.
Dan and Blair are sitting on opposite ends of the rug. They're usually quiet and concentrated when they watch a movie they haven't seen before, but the irony of two frequenting IFC cinema buffs watching Twilight was just an occasion asking for Dan and Blair movie commentary.
"Why couldn't Edward read Bella's mind?" Dan drunkenly mumbled as he bit into his sandwich.
Jenny starts explaining, "Well it's because…"
Dan interrupts, "Because there was nothing to read." Dan and Blair crack up and as much as Jenny loves this movie, she smiles at his corny joke.
"How do you piss off a vampire?" Dan continues.
Blair asks, "How?"
"You buy him a dog and name it Jacob."
Dan and Blair laugh and Jenny smiles with her eyes closed and says while she's falling asleep, "You guys totally suck. You're both such movie snobs." Jenny turns around on the couch to sleep.
Dan and Blair look at Jenny and then over the coffee table at each other then quickly break away from each other's glances and continue watching the movie. This time quietly, like they didn't know how to act around each other.
About 20 minutes later Blair calls over to Dan in a whisper like he's really far away, "Hey lonely boy…"
Dan looks over at her.
"How are things on that side of the rug?" she whispers.
"Uh…lonely." He whispers with a quiet laugh.
Blair quietly crawls over and drunkenly plops herself next to him on the floor and cutely smiles at him.
Dan's heart starts to pound. They continue watching the movie side by side for a while.
He doesn't remember how it started, but Dan Humphrey was kissing Blair Waldorf. It was all so surreal. He could feel her lips caressing his, and he gently put his hand to her face and inhaled deeper into the kiss. He could taste the cheap wine they'd been drinking on her tongue. This wasn't the peck on the lips in Blair's foyer, or the politely choreographed kiss as the pink party. His heart was pounding, and she was leaning into him, her hand on his chest like she cared about him. This is what he wanted for so long. He could feel his heart giving into her and with every beat of their kiss he grew more and more in love with her.
The next morning, he woke up on the living room rug…with a massive headache. "Hey Dan," Jenny smiled as her and Blair were eating waffles at the dining table. He immediately remembered the kiss.
Blair looked over at Dan, "Humphrey, your hair is making me nauseous" she took a sip of her juice. He wondered if Blair remembered it too. Jenny chimed in, "Blair doesn't remember anything from last night." She smiled, "It's crazy. And to think, you guys are the ones that are 21."
They're at the airport and Blair is sitting reading a magazine a few feet away. Dan hugs Jenny as he says goodbye. Jenny tells him, "I was gonna wait until I got you alone…but when I woke up I saw you guys were all…cuddled and close on the floor?"
"Yeah that happens sometimes when we watch movies. Doesn't mean anything." Dan shrugged.
Jenny makes a face, "Anything you want to fill me in on?"
Dan laughs nervously, "What are you talking about?"
Jenny pushes him teasingly, "I'm not an idiot Dan. If you…" she lowers her voice, "like her…" she continues, "you have my blessing. You're right. She's not that bad."
Dan makes a face like he's confused, "I uh…I don't…so…thanks anyway?"
Jenny smiles and rolls her eyes, "Whatever. A word of advice…I know how you get. If you like her, you should tell her. I'm not going to be in New York pushing you to do it like I did with Serena."
Dan smiles, "Bye Jen. It was fun." and he lovingly kisses the forehead of his grown up little sister.
On the plane ride home, Blair seemed distant even though she was sitting right next to him. She doesn't say much the entire plane ride. She passes on Dan's offer to watch a movie together, and she continues to read her book. With every beat of their silence on the way back to New York, Dan's heart breaks more and more.
