Blair Waldorf squealed with excitement when she saw the Nadalia family arrive. "L!" She raced over to Lita as fast quickly as her Prada pumps would allow her to. The girls shared a long embrace. "I've missed you so much."

"Me too B." Lita gave her friend one last squeeze before releasing her. "Any word from Serena?"

"No."Blair responded coldly. "She's completely disappeared. All her mother will say is that Serena felt like she needed a fresh start at boarding school."

"I just don't understand why she didn't tell any of us she was leaving." Lita made a face. "We've dealt with enough of her messes before, I don't know what she could have done that would have caused her to skip town."

Blair took a deep breath and shook her head, her ringlets bouncing. "Let's not worry about that right now." She looped her arm through Lita's and guided the other girl throughout the throngs of dinner guests. "I want to hear all about Brazil and how it is that you and Chuck ended up there together."

"Gossip Girl?" Lita rolled her eyes when Blair nodded. She should have known Gossip Girl would be talking about her and Chuck. "How does she always know what's going on?"

"Don't try to change the subject." Blair scolded. "I want details and I want them now."

"I don't know if we have the time for all of that." Lita looked around as though she were trying to find someone.. "I bet your mom wants you to mingle with all of her guests."

"She won't even notice we're gone." Blair pulled Lita out onto a deserted section of the balcony and sat down on a plush chair, patting the spot next to her. "Dish."

-

"Are you nervous or something?" Nathaniel Archibald asked his best friend. "You've been twitchy all afternoon."

"Twitchy?" Chuck Bass released a deep chuckle. "Chuck Bass doesn't do twitchy."

"Well, I don't know what you call it but you're acting like you're nervous. What's going on man?"

"Nothing." Chuck lied. "I think I just need a smoke to mellow out a bit. Do you have anything on you?"

"Nope, I used the last of what I had." Nate told him. "I knew I needed to be fully baked if I was going to get through this dinner."

Chuck took two glasses from the limo's mini bar and poured them each a glass of scotch. Nate took his gratefully. "What's the matter, is your darling Blair giving you a hard time?"

"No it's not that." Nate ran a hand through his slicked back hair. "If anything she's been nothing but sweet."

"So what's the problem?" Chuck sipped his drink.

"I'm not sure if I should tell her about Serena or not." Nate confessed. "She says she's ready for sex now but I think I'd feel too guilty if I didn't tell her."

Chuck thought about the situation for a moment before turning to his friend with an answer. "If she ever found out, she'd be devastated, which I think is fairly obvious to you. But Blair loves you so I think she'd forgive you, but only if you were the person who told her. If she found out from anyone else, now that would destroy her."

"Wow, Chuck Bass is actually suggesting that I be honest with a girl. I can't help but wonder what brought this change about."

Chuck laughed. "It's been an interesting summer, Nathaniel."

"So I read on Gossip Girl. Brazil? I thought you were going to Fiji."

"Bart had something else in mind for me." Chuck explained cryptically. "Can't say I really minded though."

-

"Mr. Bass, there's a message from your father waiting for you in your suite." One of the hotel workers told Chuck as he strode to the elevator. Chuck nodded an acknowledgement and wondered what his father wanted. It was almost August and Chuck's entire summer plans had been rearranged by Bart, who wanted to see Chuck taking a more active interest in the business. He would never admit it to any of his friends but Chuck Bass had a summer job.

The envelope was sitting on his table when he entered the suite. Chuck ignored it at first, going to the bar and pouring himself a stiff mixed drink. He tossed his suit jacket aside and stepped out of his loafers. All he wanted to do was relax. For a moment he thought about calling Nate and seeing if he wanted to smoke a joint and maybe play some basketball but then he remembered his best friend was back in the Hamptons, along with everyone else in their circle.

He collapsed onto his couch and turned the television on for company. Finding some ridiculous comedy, Chuck settled in with the envelope. Inside was a letter.

Charles,

I've heard that you've done some good work around the office. I know you were expecting to be in Fiji by now but I hope we can reach a suitable compromise. I need you to stand in for me at some press events for the opening of the hotel in Sao Paulo. I spoke with Carlos and Lucia and they agreed that you should stay with them- they assured me that Lita would help you get around in Brazil. They are already there and so I booked a jet for you and Lita to leave this Friday. All of the information is in the envelope. I leave for London this evening, if you have questions any of my assistants can help you.

It is extremely important that you do a good job so I urge you to take this seriously.

Dad

Chuck had to laugh. Only his father would think that going to Brazil with Lita Nadalia as his guide was an acceptable substitute for a trip to Fiji with no supervision. He wondered what Lita thought about this arrangement. He could almost see her now, pacing the grand foyer of her family's townhouse, on the phone with her parents, desperately trying to convince them to let her do anything else but spend time with him. Carlos and Lucia would sigh and ask her why she and Chuck couldn't forget about their silly little fight and make up and be friends just like they used to.

He thought about her parents. Out of all of his…friends… Lita had the only parents that Chuck could say that he genuinely liked. Like all parents on the Upper East Side they were probably a little too concerned about appearances and were prone to moments of self-involvement but they genuinely cared about their children and actually played active roles in their lives. Lucia Nadalia would be horrified that as a present for starting high school, Bart had given Chuck the "gift" of his own hotel suite and "allowed" him to move out of the main house.

Lita had been horrified.

Chuck thought back to the day he had told her about it….

"Why'd you want o meet at the Palace?" Lita greeted him at the bar with a kiss on the cheek. Chuck was already starting his second scotch. "I thought we were going to dinner."

"We are." Chuck forced a smile. "I thought I would give you a tour of my new home first."

"What?" Lita furrowed her perfectly arched eyebrows. "Bart wants to move into The Palace? Why? Your house is amazing."

"Not Bart." Chuck shook his head and took another sip, enjoying the burn of the alcohol going down his throat. "Just me."

Lita's face was getting flushed and Chuck could see the anger in her hazel eyes. He felt comfort in knowing that she was upset on his behalf. "That's absolutely ridiculous. Did you ask him to let you stay?"

"What for?" Chuck said in defeat. "My father clearly doesn't want me around."

Lita could hear the vulnerability in his voice and it made her heart ache for her best friend. "I don't think that's true, maybe he just thinks you'll be less lonely in the hotel since he's always away on business. I mean, your house is obscenely large."

"Yeah maybe…" Chuck wasn't convinced. He attempted to order another scotch but Lita stopped him.

"Come on, I have a better idea." She stood up and took his hand, dragging him with her. "Which way is your room?"

Chuck pointed in the direction of the proper elevator and the two were quickly arriving at his suite. He slid his room key in the door and opened it for her. Lita's eyes widened as she took in the impressive sight.

"Wow, this is amazing." She said truthfully.

"Yeah, I guess it is kind of nice." Chuck agreed. He sat down on the couch and sighed.

"Definitely." Lita sat down beside him, positioning her body so that she was facing him. "We're going to have so much fun here. You just hit the jackpot Chuck! Finally we have a space to party in with absolutely no parents around to interrupt."

Lita was wearing a snug tank dress and from the way she was sitting, Chuck could see just a flash of her Le Perla underwear. He felt his body reacting immediately. "No interruptions?"His voice was thick with lust.

Lita grinned. "No distractions at all." She moved closer so that she was straddling his lap. Chuck's hands immediately found their way to his waist as he held her closer. "No parents, no siblings, plenty of alcohol."

"True." Chuck kissed her neck, earning a soft whimper from Lita. Their mouths met and Lita felt her body melting into his. Their hips were grinding slowly together….

Chuck pushed those thoughts out of his head. There was no sense in dwelling on what wasn't meant to be. But the familiar ache in his body told him that was easier said than done.