A/N: Well, I've been gone for a long time. I've been so busy with school. But my semester is coming to an end and winter break is less than a week away. Here's a little update. I wanted more from this chapter but it just wouldn't come. So here it is. I'm hoping the next couple chapters will be a bit better. Enjoy the Chuck-Blair dynamic. R&R! Thanks! –Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl.

Chapter Four

Taking Up The Offer For Uncomfortable Conversations

Blair dialed the familiar number and waited for him to pick up. She grew impatient as she listened to the monotone ring. He never took this long to answer. She mentally cursed him. Of course, when she finally decided to call, he wouldn't pick up. She was about to hang up when his voice appeared on the line.

"Blair?"

"Yeah, it's me, Chuck," Blair responded. "You took awhile to answer, are you busy? Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all," Chuck said, "I was actually just getting out of the shower."

"Oh," Blair paused, "Are you going somewhere?"

"I was supposed to be meeting my father to talk over the last minute details. But I could cancel if you can offer me a less excruciating alternative."

Blair smiled, "How about dinner and drinks with me? Does that qualify as 'less excruciating'?"

"Actually that sounds heavenly," Chuck replied.

"God," Blair laughed, "You haven't changed at all."

"I am Chuck Bass. Did anyone expect me to change?" Chuck asked.

"You got me there," Blair conceded. Then returning to the reason she called, "I'm in the mood for sushi. How does that sound to you?"

"Delicious," Chuck answered, "I'll pick you up at eight, and we'll go to Geisha."

"Perfect," Blair agreed.

Once she got off the phone with Chuck, she figured she had just enough time to get ready. She had no trouble picking out an outfit to wear and Blair wondered if she should be concerned about that. Inevitably, she pushed that from her mind and continued to get ready. She had nothing to worry about. She had already gotten Nate's approval twice—as she had talked to him about it again before she had called to make plans with Chuck. She was having dinner with a friend—nothing more and nothing less. If she could do so with Serena, then it should be no different with Chuck.

Blair ignored the little voice in the back of her mind that said she could believe whatever she wanted but it was different with Chuck.

At eight 'o' clock sharp Chuck's limo pulled up in front of Blair's building. She was ready and waiting outside. The driver jumped out to open the door for her. She thanked him graciously as she slid in beside Chuck. Once the door was closed behind her, he turned and greeted her with that smirk of his.

"Good evening Blair."

"Same to you, Chuck," Blair began, "You didn't have to bring the limo. I would have been just fine taking a taxi."

"I come in style or not at all," Chuck replied.

"Chuck Bass and his insatiable ego," Blair laughed lightly.

Chuck smirked, "I see no problem with that statement."

"I came to catch up not to encourage your narcissism," Blair responded.

"Alright then. 33 East 61st Street," Chuck leaned forward to speak to his driver.

"Right away, sir," The driver responded.

"I'm closing the partition," Chuck added.

"Of course, sir."

Once the partition was closed, Blair turned to Chuck, "So, Chuck, how have you been?"

"Honestly, I'm glad to be back in the city. There is nothing like this place in the world," Chuck answered. "And how have you been Blair Waldorf? And I don't mean what's the latest gossip or the problems you're having with your line. I mean, how have you been?"

Blair smiled, "I've been good, Chuck. I'm really happy with where I am in my life."

"I'm glad," Chuck responded.

"It's really nice to have you back, Chuck," Blair said. "My social reach has consisted of only Serena for so long. I've just been working so much."

"That's a shame. You know what they say about all work and no play…"

"And this coming from the definition of all play and no work?" Blair laughed to herself.

"I am a respectable business man now, Waldorf," Chuck countered.

"Right, I almost forgot," Blair responded.

Chuck was about to retort, but the limo pulled to a stop outside the restaurant. In moments, she had been whisked from the limo and into the restaurant. They were seated and the next thing she knew they were deciding what to order. That whole topic of conversation had been forgotten. A waitress came by to take their orders, and in the absence of something to focus their attention on, they lapsed into a light silence. Blair took to wringing her hands together, watching them in her lap, until she realized that Chuck was staring at her quite adamantly. She lifted her head to meet his gaze. She raised an eyebrow in question and he tilted his head slightly.

"So you and Nate," Chuck said simply. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Blair's eyes widened, "How did you know?"

"Serena might have let it slip," Chuck answered.

"Of course," Blair pursed her lips, "It's a wonder that I even tell her anything anymore."

"You didn't answer my question," Chuck stated, "Were you going to tell me?"

"Yes I was," Blair answered defiantly, "And don't give me that look like you don't believe me, I was. In fact, part of the reason why I asked to meet you was to tell you."

"I am going to have to stop you there Blair, because that is a lie. You did not call me to tell me that you and Nathaniel are back together. I know you better than that Blair. Even after all these years, I still know you best, better than Serena or Nate or anyone. You honestly haven't changed as much as you think you have. Now I don't know why you called me, but I know it wasn't that."

There was a part of Blair that wanted to dispute that fact, that wanted to fight him on it until he took it back. But she couldn't do that, because deep down—but not as deep as she would like to admit—she knew he was right. And God only knew what he would bring up if she tried to contradict him. She had always known Chuck knew her well, but to what extent she would like to leave a mystery.

Blair's voice was soft when she finally responded, "I was going to tell you. It might not have been the main reason I wanted to see you, but it was part of it. I barely got a chance to talk to Nate about the possibility of you coming back into our lives. You can understand my reservations when it comes to that."

"I don't actually, the past is the past," Chuck replied.

"And history repeats itself if we don't intervene," Blair shot back.

"Nate and you are getting serious then?" Chuck asked, and the anger that had been bubbling up in Blair evaporated.

"Well yes, we're trying to make it work like we couldn't before," Blair answered.

"And how is this time different?"

"I don't know. It just is."

"Nothing 'just is,'" Chuck replied.

"Well, this is," Blair said firmly. "But I didn't come here just to talk about me and Nate, so can we get off that subject?"

"Of course," Chuck agreed, "Now tell me about this line of yours."

Happy to not be talking about her relationship with Nate, Blair launched into a full fledged description of her first collection. Up until their food arrived, they continued to talk about work—Blair's line and any business ventures Chuck might be looking into. Blair had always been the first person he ran things by in high school, it didn't seem unusual to do so now. She gave him casual input and he suggested she expand her line to include accessories, namely scarves, which made Blair laugh.

While they ate and after dinner was finished, they moved onto talking about the latest gossip around the city, catching Chuck up with what he had missed while he had been gone. Eventually, they made their way out of the restaurant and back into the limo. As the driver slowly pulled away, Blair suddenly had the urge to ask Chuck something she didn't even dare ask Serena—mostly because she was afraid to hear the answer. Somehow, she felt having an answer from Chuck, if honest, meant more than her fear of having one.

"Do you think I'm making a mistake with Nate?" Blair asked, her eyes searching out Chuck's.

Chuck paused a moment, thinking it over she assumed, and then answered simply, "No."

"Really?" Blair murmured.

"Yes, I mean that," Chuck nodded, "If you're happy, and you seem like you are, then it can't possibly be a mistake."

"Do you think you and him will ever be able to be friends again?"

"It doesn't seem likely," Chuck responded, "But who knows? Maybe someday we'll be able to put everything behind us."

Blair sighed and didn't further the conversation. The rest of the drive was quiet and soon enough they were pulling up in front of her building. The driver pulled open the door and both her and Chuck slipped out. They stood together on the sidewalk for a few silent moments. Finally, Chuck shifted and began to speak.

"I had a great time tonight, Blair," Chuck said, "I'm glad you called."

"I am too," Blair agreed, "We'll have to do it again sometime."

"Anytime," Chuck nodded.

"Goodnight, Chuck."

Chuck leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek, "Goodnight, Blair."

Chuck was about to slide back into the limo when Blair called out to him, "Chuck."

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Blair replied.

She didn't say why, but Chuck understood exactly what she meant, "Anything for you, Waldorf."

Moments later, the limo was pulling away and Blair was heading into her building. When she was safe inside her place, Blair sighed in relief. With that done and over with, she should have known where she stood with Chuck, but somehow a part of her knew that she still stood where she had since that fateful night in her Junior year: right on the thin line between Nate and Chuck. That had an odd affect on Blair, so she did the only logical thing she could do. She displaced the blame on someone else and took it out on them rather than trying to reach a solution.

Blair clutched her phone tightly as she waited for the recorded message, "Serena van der Woodsen. You know why I am calling and you better call me back. I am not happy with you, not one bit. I know you think you were doing me a favor, but next time…refrain from doing so, please. Thank you."