AN: Angst and fluff and secrets, oh my! Hope you enjoy! Please keep reading and reviewing!
Dining with Bart Bass was not like any other dining experience. Bat was ready to have dinner at The Palace and while it might have been a solid option for anyone else in the city, Chuck, a permanent resident of the hotel, wanted nothing to do with it. He had to remind his father that he ate at The Palace practically every day. Bart made reservations at another restaurant but seemed ignorant to his son's exasperation with the hotel wife.
"How was school?" Bart asked stiffly just as the waiter served their drinks. Bart, like his son, was scotch man.
"It was fine." Chuck responded blandly. "Everything is the same as it was the year before."
"Hopefully not everything." Bart leaned forward and looked as though he were ready to start a difficult negotiation. Chuck resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father, knowing it would be unappreciated. "Charles, this is your junior year. In many ways it's the most important year of your high school career. Until now, you've been a decent student, you've managed to stay on the honor roll but you've done nothing to really stand out."
Chuck sipped his drink and stared at the tablecloth while his father went on about how unimpressive he was. Was this supposed to be motivational? The first day of school sure can be depressing.
"… and while I was impressed by your dedication to work this summer, after the Waldorf party, I can't help but wonder what kind of work you'd be capable of without any distractions."
"Distractions?" Chuck asked. "What do you mean?"
"Your friends." Bart paused, as if he were trying to get his wording just perfect. "Charles, I had to work very hard to create my little empire and I understand the value of my money. I also understand the importance of trust and loyalty as you cannot survive without them. You and your friends have been given everything you've wanted since the moment you were born and I'm afraid it's spoiled all of you."
Chuck wondered if he was supposed to respond to this but Bart kept going. "I see the way you all go around starting rumors and scandals as though you had nothing better to do with your time. It's time to put these games away for good Charles, you're getting too old."
"With all due respect," Chuck's eyes had turned cold. "I think you're being unfair. After all, father, my friends were raised by your friends. If we don't know how to behave maybe that's because we never had any instruction."
Bart wasted no time in responding. "Consider this your instruction then. You're too old to continue to blame me for all of your mistakes. Be a man, Charles, accept some responsibility for your actions."
"And how would you like me to go about doing this?" Chuck knew Bart must have something specific in mind or else they wouldn't even be at dinner.
"If I were you, I'd rethink the company that I keep."
"Are you suggesting that I find new friends?" He was appalled at the mere thought of it.
"That's up to you, Charles." Bart's voice was stern. "But if you don't change your ways, it will catch up with and when it does you will have no one left to turn to and no one but yourself to blame and all of my money will do you no good."
Lita had been volunteering at the Ostroff Center ever since her freshman year when she decided that she might want to pursue a career in psychology. The center was very particular about taking on interns and volunteers as it was regarded by the elite because of its privacy and discretion. Lita had to sign a privacy agreement before they would even consider her for an interview. None of her friends even knew where she volunteered. They all thought she worked at the hospital and Lita never bothered to correct them. She did not want to deal with them pestering her about the clients of the center. Several of their classmates had stints there.
Standing in the lobby, Lita took the time to listen to check her voicemails. She had two from Blair asking her where she was. Lita sighed, she'd told Blair that she had to
volunteer after school but clearly her friend hadn't remembered. She also had a message from her father checking in. And the last message was from Chuck- he sounded out of sorts and Lita wondered if his dinner with Bart had anything to do with it.
She was just about to exit the building when she realized that she hadn't signed out at the front desk. Lita turned around and slammed right into Serena. Both girls jumped apart in shock.
"Serena?" Lita couldn't hide the shock in her voice. Were the rumors true- had rehab been the reason for her disappearance?
"Lita? What are you doing here?" Serena asked nervously glancing around as if she were afraid that Blair and Chuck would come around the corner at any moment.
"I volunteer here…um… what are you doing here?" Lita asked awkwardly. "Actually, no, you don't have to say. In fact it's probably better if you don't."
"I had a meeting." Serena told her quickly. "Um, I came here for a meeting. I guess now you know where I was all summer."
Lita nodded her head slowly but she could tell Serena was lying. Meetings at the center never lasted this late and Serena was still wearing her visitor's ID. "That's okay, Serena, you don't have to say anything. And don't worry, I signed a privacy agreement. Not that I would ever say anything but you know, don't worry, because…I uh, signed-"
"The privacy agreement." Serena finished her friend's awkward sentence for her. "Thanks Lita, I think I would die if any more rumors started to go around.um, I'll see you tomorrow, okay? "
"Yeah…" Lita decided not to tell Serena she still had her ID on; it was obvious that the other girl was hiding something. But what? Who was Serena trying to protect?
SPOTTED: I and K, shopping at Chanel with little J in tow. Playing dress up J? We know you're not buying. L walking down 5th ave looking like a girl with a lot on her mind- we hope it's not too serious, but if it is, we'll be the first to know. B at Papier Elite, ordering 200 invitations. A party? We hope we're on the list. B, also spotted arguing with N outside of Sofrito. We smell trouble in paradise.
It was late by the time, Lita got to Chuck's suite. After running into Serena, Lita decided to walk home instead of taking a cab. She thought the air would do her some
good. At home, Lita had a quick dinner with her sister and mother. She returned her father's phone call-he was off on business in L.A and then Lita lied to her mother and said she was spending the night at Blair's. Lucia Nadalia wouldn't have minded if Lita had said she was staying with Chuck but Lita wasn't ready to talk about her relationship just yet. In fact, she wasn't even sure if it was a relationship.
"I didn't think you were coming." Chuck answered the door in just his pajama bottoms and Lita had to remind herself that it wasn't polite to stare. He kissed her cheek as she walked past him.
"I'm sorry, I got caught up." Lita sighed deeply and collapsed onto the couch. "I'm so exhausted. I don't even feel like doing my homework."
Chuck watched her dramatic display with amusement. He joined her on the couch, lifting her head and shoulders so that she could rest in his lap. "I never feel like doing my homework." He ran his hands through her loose curls, enjoying the feel of their coarse but silky texture.
Lita smiled up at him but then noticed that he looked equally as tired and there was a hint of something else in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. "What's the matter, Chuck?"
"Nothing." He gave her a small smile and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "Just thinking about my work."
"How was dinner with Bart?"
Again his smile was fake. "Same as always, he gave me a lecture about being a better student."
Lita sighed softly and took one of his hands in hers, squeezing it tightly. "He doesn't know how to deal with his feelings."
"Feelings about what?" Chuck made a face.
"About you, silly." Lita told him. "You're growing up and he's probably scared and trying to get in his last bits of fatherly advice while he can. You're his only child."
"Right, that's why I live here instead of in the town house with him, right?" Chuck shook his head. "Nice try Lita, but you don't have to try and make me feel better about
my relationship with Bart. I've come to terms with it." His voice was turning cold and Lita didn't like the sound of it.
Lita sighed again and sat up. It was late and they both had homework so there was no sense in arguing with Chuck. When he was ready to talk to her about his father, she would be there. "Do you mind if I spend the night? I don't have the energy to go back home and I brought clothes for school."
Chuck's smile was genuine. "I don't mind at all." He leaned down and kissed her. It was meant to be a quick peck but her lips felt so good against his- Chuck couldn't stop himself from going for more.
Later that night, with Lita laying fast asleep, curled up against his chest, Chuck thought hard about the things his father had said to him. It pained him to admit that Bart was right. There were very few people in his life that Chuck trusted. In fact, there were only two- Lita and Nate. But did they trust him? Well, Chuck knew that Nate trusted him but did Lita? He wondered if she had really forgiven him for how he had taken her for granted when they were dating or how he had callously ended things between them.
"Why are you still awake?" Lita asked in a sleepy voice, rolling onto her back and opening her eyes slightly.
"Just thinking." Chuck turned on his side so he could face her. There was no sight as comforting as watching Lita sleep, clad only in one of his St. Jude's t-shirts and underwear. It made him think of their many years of friendship and the countless sleepovers. For some reason it gave him pleasure knowing that Lita liked to wear his clothes to bed; Blair probably would have been horrified at the idea of sleeping in anything other than a silk nightie from her favorite lingerie store. "I've really missed you, L."
Lita sleepily smiled up at him. "I missed you too, Charles." Chuck exhaled a breath he didn't remember holding and allowed himself to relax against her. Resting his head against her chest and entwining their legs. He pressed a kiss to her heart. Lita was quiet as she stroked his hair with one hand and rubbed his back with the other- lulling him into a deep sleep.
His last thoughts were that he was determined to gain Lita's trust back and eventually earn her love- again.