Title: Love Story
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I don't own Titanic, Gossip Girl or any of its characters.
A/N Sorry for the delay! I've been going crazy with university! But finally I found time out of my hectic schedule to update! Thank you so much for the reviews! I love love love them! And thanks for some of the suggestions too, please feel free to share anymore for the story!
Chapter 3
Chuck stepped out onto the private fifty foot deck outside the Empire style suite. His tall and stiff collar choked him along with his ascot tie. He was in need of a strong drink – or two.
A room service waiter poured champagne into a tulip glass of orange juice and handed the Bucks Fizz to Serena as she sorted through her new paintings.
"Juice, sir?" the waiter asked Chuck.
"Scotch," he smoothly retorted earning a warning glare from Bart.
"Oh, it smells so brand new," Serena chanted as her maid hung up her clothing, "like they built it all just for us." Chuck choked on his drink and stared at his wife-to-be. She was gorgeous, a complete beauty; however, according to him she had the appeal and brains of a rock. Chuck had had many women, after all he was Chuck Bass, yet none of them ever made his heart flutter. Chuck convinced himself that he was a man of desire not love, and did not possess a heart.
A porter wheeled Serena's private safe into the room on a hand truck.
"Put that into the wardrobe," Lily firmly instructed the poor man. The man obediently nodded and placed the safe where she asked him to. "Serena dear, make sure your belongings are well kept. We would not want anything to get misplaced, darling."
"Very well, mother," Serena cooed smoothing out her Parisian haute couture dress as she opened her safe. She pulled out a large velvet jewel case. Serena slowly opened the box showing of the glorious necklace. It was a huge malevolent blue stone glittering with infinity of scalpel-like inner reflections. She cradled the necklace like a precious baby.
"Well help her put it on, Charles," Bart ordered Chuck. Chuck unwillingly lowered his darling scotch and stiffly walked towards Serena, helping her with her necklace.
"Isn't it a beauty?" Lily asked Chuck without taking her eyes of the beloved diamond.
"Yes, very much so," Chuck answered blandly barely looking at the necklace. "It's –"
"A diamond?" Serena cut him off admiring the diamond on her tender neck. "Yes it is. Fifty-six carats."
"It was once worn by Louis the Sixteenth. They call it, Le Coeur de la Mer. The Heart of the Ocean," Lily sang in praise of the jewel.
"That's well…impressive," Chuck replied feigning interest in the rock.
"It is for royalty. And we are royalty," Serena declared turning towards Chuck. Chuck felt as if he were suffocating; he could not breathe. Serena inched closer, their lips about to touch as Chuck quickly jerked away.
"Of course," he whispered harshly. "Father, Lily, please excuse me." Chuck picked up his Homburg and stroller, swiftly exiting the room.
That night, Titanic stood silhouetted against a purple post-sunset sky. She was lit up like a floating palace, and her thousand portholes reflected in the calm harbor waters.
By the next afternoon, Titanic had made its final stop at Queenstown and was off steaming west from the coast of Ireland with nothing ahead of but ocean.
"She is the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man in all history," Thomas Andrew, an Irish gentlemen, spoke. "I designed her from the keel plates up." Chuck sat with Thomas Andrew, the designer of the Titanic, and the rest of his family and friends in the Palm Court. It was a beautiful, sunny spot enclosed by high arched windows, well suited for the upper class.
"Quite impressive," Bart praised while sipping his drink. Chuck eyed his father and looked around in disbelief. How could anyone possibly be enjoying this dull conversation? It was beyond him, so he reached for his glass of scotch. The delightful drink burned his throat, something genuine in his well-planned, perfect excuse for a life.
"Well, I may have knocked her together, but the idea was Mr. Ismay's. He envisioned a steamer so grand in scale, and so luxurious, that its supremacy would never be challenged. And here she is," Thomas Andrew cried as he slapped the table, "willed into solid reality."
The waiter arrived to take orders and Chuck lit a cigar. Serena noticed while sipping her tea and shook her head in displeasure.
"Charles, darling. Please, you know I hate it when you smoke," Serena whined while batting her eyelashes. Chuck shot her a look and continued to smoke filling the table with smoke.
"He knows," Bart snapped pulling the cigar out of Chuck's mouth, "and lose the scotch. It's barely noon." Chuck fumed in anger and embarrassment. Bart expected him to marry and run the Bass Empire, yet treated Chuck like a child. Serena beamed in her victory and motioned for the waiter to come take her order.
"Yes, Charles and I will both have the lamb. Rare, with a little mint sauce," Serena smiled sweetly. "You like lamb, don't you sweetpea?" Nate watched in amusement. The great Chuck Bass never allowed for anyone to behave towards him in this way, especially a woman.
"You gonna cut the meat for him too there, Miss Serena?" Nate chuckled lightly, watching Chuck glower at him as Serena simply giggled and ogled at Chuck.
"Shut up," Chuck whispered to his best friend. He seethed and glared at his father. The only reason he was putting up with this nonsense was because of his father. Otherwise, he would have put Serena and her mother in their place a long time ago. "Please excuse me." Chuck stalked off trying to get as far away as possible from this circus, ignoring Serena's cries of protest behind him.
Outside on the deck, Chuck's eyes squinted against the bright sun and he stared down at the water. Everything was so open, so free. Unlike how he felt whenever he was near his father or fiancée. Glancing at his pocket watch, Chuck realized how prearranged his life had become. In fury, he ripped of the watch and flung it overboard. He had had enough, he could not marry Serena Van der Woodsen nor would he run his father's empire. As soon as they arrived to New York, he would leave his father and fiancé and be on his way. Moving his gaze away from the water Chuck looked into a pair of doe brown eyes, staring intently into his.
Please Review
xoxo