AN: Thanks for the review(S)? and alerts and here is the next chapter. I will be focusing a little bit more on Dan and Blair interaction from now on, but it has given me hard time writing those two together since I really don't know how to capture the essence of both characters. So i'll guess it is kind of OOC? Not Beta-d and I hope you enjoy it. feedback always appreciated, whether good or bad. =)
As the grey blue New York sky took a different shift of color and stars started collecting their seats in the black spots, Nylah started gathering her belongings taking in the comfortless of the loft before turning to Dan with one last genuine smile. She would always remember this day as the day a stranger "constructed" a successful comfort zone unlike the 'zone' of her therapist's office. 'Shrinks always were full of shit.' She played the thought of actually quitting therapy and instead replace it with this stranger's home and use his waffles as an equipment in her 'road of recovery' as her shrink so lovingly phrased it.
The writer that she had come to know little about interrupted her thoughts and held her purse, flinging it in the air lightly in front of her face, she yanked it out of his grip and gave him a displeased glare. Nobody messed with her Chanel. She noticed Dan give her a pout but pretended as if nothing. She strides to his door in her Jeffrey campbell shoes with the determination to start the rest of her day with a different rhythm in her life. Dan is there to help her on with her coat before leaning against the wall behind him with his arms crossed. Nylah finishes the last button and flicks her hair out from under the leopard-patterned collar of her coat.
"You all set?" Dan asks her and gives the loft a quick scan to see if she's forgotten anything.
"Yup, but I can see you are not" she inspects him critically and shrugs away the shiver that runs down her spine. She felt like submitting the guy to Bravo Network and give Tim Gunn power over the guy.
Dan huffs at the 'not so subtle' once over and leans over her to open the door.
"Look you're hot and obviously a gentleman it wouldn't hurt to freshen up your wardrobe and maybe get a new haircut, seriously what are you on the Italian football league or something? Nobody needs that much hair, with the exception of Fabio, cos he looks good in it. But whoever that girl is, and I'm sure she is nothing like ordinary, you better make some changes, otherwise you're really going to end up like Bukowski in a bar and I'll end up being the lesbian friend that comes to pick up your sorry drunk ass."
Dan had started touching his hair self-consciously in the middle of her speech but stopped once Nylah nudged him out of his trance. His dark brown eyes settled on a spot over her shoulder as he pondered on her words, nibbling on his lower lip restlessly he finally gave an answer to the stranger.
"I'm not going to change, for her or anyone else. I know it's what you all girls want and expect, for a guy to make this huge change and declare their undying love for you."
He inhales softly letting the words his mind is typing become a living voice. "I am not going to lose myself for her, if she loves me and wants me she'll just have to take me for who I am" Dan responds and feels the unsettling feeling chance of ending up like Bukowski. Nylah's eyes had softened at Dan's words, the curve of her teasing lips had straightened out as she was reminded that she had unfortunately made the mistake of loosing herself for a girl but the gates she had built around her emotions shook within her and she came to her senses. Her lips were once again curved into a smile and her eyes were no longer soft.
"Dude there are so many jokes I could do right now but I'm gonna play nice. I'm not telling you to change who you are, I'm telling you to impress her, make her doubt you and then once you're closing in on the finish line, make her jealous."
Dan feels the sudden change in the air and responds with an somewhat equal attitude. He chuckles unconvinced and rests a finger on his lips thoughtfully as he narrows his eyes.
"Again, that's not a thing for me to do, manipulation is one of Blair's strengths, not mine"
"Jealousy won't work on her, definitely not with me in the middle" Dan says firmly as he shakes his head and the thoughts twisting inside of him as they played up a scene of a furious Blair rushing over to him with the girl she is jealous of before grabbing his neck for a painful, passionate kiss. He enjoyed his daydreaming for another millisecond before furrowing his eyebrows at the real Blair out in the world, who has everything she's ever wanted, there was nothing else for her to strive for, not when she has a prince charming like lady Godiva chocolates in her hands.
"Dan you are, as you have stated a writer, you have read the stories, probably even written it yourself. Sometimes playing with someone's mind, by planting a seed of envy or whatever you want it to be, it can wrap the scene up. It can be the defining moment of a story. Listen, I left my number on your kitchen counter if you ever decide to listen to any of my advice-"
"More like preaches" Dan cuts in but she ignores him and continues,
"Give me a call and I promise to help you. Nothing is impossible Danni." She blows him a soft raspberry kiss before promptly leaving the loft. Dan barely gets to say his goodbye before the door is slammed in his face. He sighs heavily with another headache from last night drinking rushing over him before his body slumps against the metal-layered in exhaustion and in so shutting his eyelids.
When the intercom made a loud "Buzz" signaling a visitor, he knew without a doubt that it was Blair's driver frantically bouncing on his toes, praying for Dan to not be late at the fear of facing another loud scary tantrum by Blair.
So Dan hurried across the loft, taking on last look in the mirror and scanning for any visible imperfections before clearing his throat once nervously.
It wasn't much of a change, but it was a new Black slim Blazer he had received from his father not too long ago but never gotten around the chance to wear it. If anything from what Nylah said, the least he could do was to make a compromise and see what Blair reaction could be. He ran his fingers through his hair and along the newly formed curls. He shrugged. Maybe it was getting out of hand, maybe he was staring to look like a Stefano Mauri, whoever that was, as Jenny had called him on Skype.
Dan released a shuddering breath and jumped a little. Why was he nervous? This wasn't a date. But it definitely felt like one. Damn Nylah.
He gazed into the mirror and plastered on a grin and then frowned. Too much. He tried again and smiled so that it didn't take over his face like the Joker. The buzz of the intercom rang again, making him jump.
"Oh shit"
He straightened invisible crinkles on his clothes and made a leap to the door.
Seconds later when he stood in front of the limousine and a shivering grey-haired man was looking at him with wide fearful eyes he knew he was late. Which Blair had warned him once how much she hated late people.
"Brad, I'm so sorry for the delay, it won't happen again." Dan apologized whole-heartedly at the man.
"I got kids and a wife I would like to see again at the end of the day, Mr. Humphrey. With all respect, don't you ever do that again." He emphasized the 'you' with a harsh flick of his index finger directed at Dan's frame. Dan had to cover an amused chuckle with a cough before once again muttering an apology.
Brad gave a swift nod and turned to retreat to his stationary as Dan approached the end of the car and pulled the door open.
The warmth of the well equipped ac in the car hit his face and sent goose bumps along the back of his neck. He took his place on the leather seat opposite Blair and carefully avoided the glare he knew Blair was sending him. The entire car ride to Rosalies was spent in a catastrophic of silence until Blair spoke up the moment Brad opened her door for her.
"Don't be late again Humphrey, I'm on a tight schedule and I can't afford any hinders"
Blair informed him stiffly before sliding her wrist through the sling of her purse.
Dan couldn't help but to notice it was a similar one to Nylah's but shrugged away the thoughts by affirming Blair's comment with a" It won't happen again" The last thing he wanted was to upset Blair at this state of his mission.
They strode together through the entrance of the cobblestoned but expensive looking boutique. The tension between them was still evident and Dan could no longer take it.
"You know who else was late? Octomom" Dan leaned forward and whispered into Blair's ear. If Blair couldn't see him, she could definitely hear the smile he was wearing through his voice. Unknowingly to Dan she had shivered pleasantly at the warm breath of his whispering those words.
"You have a strange ability of word vomiting, Dan"
He let out a satisfied laughter and internally made a fist pump at his accomplishment.
The rest of the evening continued pleasantly and with alcohol induced giggles echoing from a corner to another. Dan wanted to write Blair from his point of view, describe every movement from her gracious hand gestures to her slender legs moving her across the floor to the expression of emotions flickering in her eyes and fading away only to come back stronger just to make her realize how much of a enchanting creature she is…if she doesn't already know. But that's all he can write, describe the figure of her body. He can't describe the touch of his fingers shaping themselves around her collarbone, can't remember the feeling of her lips against his, can't describe the taste of her flawless skin or mouth. He is restrained like an animal being teased by a glimpse of what he wants. It's all very slow-motion and cliché for Dan. The wine tastes better than it actually does, he imagines a slow twirl that Blair makes around him, only it's faster, so much faster.
"Gérard this tastes fabulous you certainly have updated from last year" Blair stumbles slightly before casually settling down on one of the dark purple block cushions Gérard had laid out on the floor just for the occasion.
"Madame Blair, S'il vous plaît, il est une nouvelle année une nouvelle chance" He spoke in a heavy french accent, too heavy to be real authentic french in Dan's mind.
Blair smiles knowingly at his words and raises her glass in the air.
"This is what I want chérie!" She gesture to the glass with a sip. Before thinking of something else.
"This is what I want. I want life to be as spectacular and fulfilling as it is in this moment." Blair trailed of with a barely visible drunken smile followed by a little hiccup. Dan pulled his block closer to Blair before sitting down on it.
"Is that right? You want it to be spectacular spectacular?" He joked and eyed openly the brunette beside him. An ecstatic look took over her face he witnessed and suddenly felt a warm hand on his.
"Will it come true if you say it twice?" She inquired with the gasp of a innocent 5 year old. Dan cocked an eyebrow questiongly at her and carefully reached for her glass.
"Alright I think that's enough for you Blair, here have some crackers" He offered the plate of mini crackers and cheese on it that Gérard had given to him earlier. Blair pouted, upset at the transistion.
"Crackers are for birds"
A silence was followed after that only to be broken by another hiccup from Blair that landed all three of them into a pile of laughter. Once things had calmed down and Dan had run through the contract Blair had signed one more time just for precaution he finally also managed to escort Blair out from the place to the cold city streets of New york. He was holding onto her waist for reassurance while Blair was blantly resting on him for support. Brad pulled up the limo and they were once again on the road with another task completed.
This time however, they were not sitting across from another, Blair had refused to let go of his sleeve and Dan feared that the end might've been near for his new blazer. Blair scrunched up her nose as she inspected the fabric she was holding onto.
"I must say Humphrey, you look very handsome this evening"
Dan's pulse skipped a beat at the rare moment of getting a compliment from Blair Waldorf.
"Wine tasting requires extreme measures right?"
He felt Blair release her tight grip on his sleeve and feared that her, sobering was coming too early, which immediately set his mind into a faze of guilt.
The moment of his shame was short lived as he suddenly felt her scoot closer until one side of her face was resting on his shoulder, and her lips close to his throat.
She ignored his question and continued on with;
"You smell really good too, but then you always do."
He didn't dare to say anything, too resiliant to speak his mind in fear of making her move away from him.
"I'm tired Dan" she whispered and it was diferent than anything he had ever heard before. She sounded different.
"I'm so tired" She repeated again till her eyelids dropped and Dan humphrey could no longer hear her voice. He didn't have to see her to know she had fallen asleep, it had been a long night for the both of them. He sighed and whispered to himself.
"Me too."
TBC