Chapter 4

When Chuck entered Les Bains, he had to admit his pulse was racing. He searched throughout the club looking for Serena and Blair. It was almost a relief that Eva was going to have to meet up with him later that night. Maybe he'd be able to get some alone time with Blair...explain everything that had happened with Prague and Eva. He didn't know why, but he felt like once again he was betraying her by not telling her the whole story of Prague...which of course led him to finding Eva. It wasn't as if he had planned on rushing into another relationship. In fact, after losing Blair, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to be in a relationship again...at least not for a while. He pushed those thoughts aside temporarily. He walked up to the bar where he found Serena and two French guys, talking and laughing as if they'd known each other for years. "Chuck! You came! Oh my gosh! I'm so excited. Let me introduce you to our friends, Tristan and Adrian. We met these two the first night out here, and they're wonderful. Our own personal tour guides!" She giggled. Chuck respectfully shook each of the guys' hands, but his glance around the bar must have given him away. "Blair's not here yet," Serena smiled at him. "Dorota was able to SKYPE tonight, and Blair refuses to pass up an opportunity to see Anastasia. You know, you'd be surprised. B never seemed like the "goo goo gah gah over babies" type girl, but you should see her! It's downright hilarious!" Serena giggled. Chuck smiled at the thought of Blair's giddy facial expressions and silly baby talk, but he couldn't help but wish she were there. Again, his own facial expression must have given him away yet again. "B's still coming. She wouldn't miss an opportunity to come out with everyone. You know how she likes to make an entrance, anyway." Serena said almost reassuringly to Chuck. Adrian motioned for the bar tender, and he asked Chuck, "Hey man, you want a drink?" Chuck shook his head, and Serena couldn't help but notice. "What, no Scotch for you, dear brother? Am I missing something here?" she asked seriously. "I found that Scotch was one of the many symptoms of my downward spiral. You probably won't believe me, but I very rarely drink anymore, sis. It's nice to have a clear head and be in control of my own actions for once." he admitted. Serena grabbed Chuck's face with both hands. "What's happened to you?" she questioned with genuine concern.

Before Chuck could answer, a vision waltzing through the front door of the club caught his eye. It was Blair. He took her in-from head to toe, noticing the delicate feet of the "queen" herself that were solely used to patten heels or designer wedges were clad in casual gladiator sandals. Her hair was wavy, and although, he loved her chocolate, tightly-bound curls usually, he had to admit the wavy, natural look was becoming on her. She was wearing a long tulle, ivory skirt with a loose fitting racerback grey tank-top. "Who is this girl?" he found himself asking silently. This was not the same Blair who once dreamed of ruling Constance and NYU who strictly wore prim and proper attire only worthy of a true queen. No, he'd never dare say so, but this style reminded him of Vanessa Abrams...carefree, urban. Of course, Blair could make anything look sexy...that's where she and Vanessa differed. He had to admit, he liked what he saw. He watched as she floated up to to the bar, kissing the cheeks of first Serena, then Adrian, followed by Tristan immediately after. He watched carefully as Tristan pulled her closer to him, whispering in her ear. Blair jerked her head back, laughing out loud at the comment made. Still shaking her head at Tristan, she turned to face Chuck. "Chuck." she acknowledged him, smiling lightly. "What? No kiss for me, Waldorf?" he joked, and for a second, Blair could see the smirk she found herself missing earlier that afternoon in Dior. She approached him, bent down, and kissed first his left cheek and then his right. Her scent lingered over him, and it was intoxicating. It wasn't the same stuffy, over-the-top, designer perfume she used to wear. It was her natural scent that he always so loved waking up to. Before she pulled her face away from his, he half-choked out, "I've never seen you look so beautiful." At this comment, she immediately pulled herself away much quicker than Chuck anticipated. "Once a Bass, always a Bass. What a line. " Blair scoffed. She shook her head at him but with a genuine smile, a smile he loved on her. "So..." Blair turned more to face her other three friends, "Can I just say that Anastasia gets more and more beautiful every time I see her! You should see the way Dorota and Vanya swoon over her. It's seriously the sweetest thing I've ever seen." she beamed. Chuck noticed the way she directed the comment to the others surrounding her. Before, he'd been the one she'd confide in...usually the only one. Tristan spoke up, "Blair, you just SKYPED with them on Tuesday. Her beauty has grown since?" he laughed grabbing her dainty hand. The hand that used to belong to Chuck. "Seriously Tris, I've never seen anything like it. You should see the way her little, innocent eyes peer into the screen, almost as if she can truly see her Aunt B!" Chuck watched as Tristan smiled at her, pulling her onto the dance floor. "Come on, Aunt B!" Tristan said in a mocking tone. "Let's drive everyone in the room mad with her sexual chemistry on the dance floor." Chuck smiled because he knew what Blair's remark would be. She hated to dance. He remembered her distaste for it, and he smiled at their common ground once again. Truth be told, the only dancing Chuck and Blair liked were the intimate slow dances in the comfort of their own suite or the occasional ones at social functions. It was unlikely that Blair could attempt this type of dancing to the hip-hop song currently booming from the speakers. He sat back on the bar stool, smirking that signature Chuck Bass smirk, waiting for Tristan to be shot down completely. He knew what it was like to be shot down by Blair Waldorf. It wasn't fun, but it'd be fun to watch this French fool go down.

You can imagine his surprise when he heard Blair giggle...maybe the cutest and sexiest giggle he had ever heard, turn towards the dance floor more than willingly, hand-in-hand with Tristan. He watched her turn, her tulle skirt swishing at every move of her hips. He gazed at her, eyes wide, mouth opened, as the two of them danced...almost vulgarly one might add. He watched her body sway, her hand reach up to hold her long, wavy hair off of her neck, and the sexy look of those dark brown eyes. Every guy in the room wanted to be the one dancing with Blair. Therefore, every guy in the room wanted to beat the shit out of Tristan. "At least one does, anyway," Chuck thought to himself. He didn't know why he was having these jealous tendencies. He had Eva. "Why the hell is this getting to me?" he questioned himself with a look of concern etched on his face. However, the look of concern soon changed as the song through the stereos changed too. He couldn't help but smile as the song changed, and a rock and roll song now played out. Blair raised her arms, closed her eyes, and bobbed up and down naturally to the steady beat of the music. He saw Tristan lean towards her, gesture towards the bar, and turn away from the dance floor. He figured Blair would be right behind Tristan, but he had to say now that he had seen this new Blair, he wasn't even surprised that she stayed out there, dancing by her lonesome. He thought back to how little self-confidence Blair used to have in herself. He never could fathom it. To him, she was perfect, but in her own mind, she was far from it. This memory of Blair was not at all the Blair he saw out on the dance floor. This Blair lit up the room with the type of sexiness that one can only achieve by truly being comfortable and at-ease with one's self. "S, come dance with me!" he heard Blair beckon her best friend. Serena giggled and joined Blair on the dance floor. The two best friends commenced to ridiculous, over-the-top dance moves as a more upbeat song began playing, and Chuck couldn't help but laugh out loud as the two best friends put on a show for all the men in the club.

Tristan and Adrian took the two girls martinis, and only Tristan returned back to the bar to sit beside Chuck. The two sat silently watching as Adrian tried to keep up with Blair and Serena on the dance floor. The poor bloke didn't have a chance. "So, you and Blair have a history, I hear." Tristan tried to break the ice between he and Chuck. "Yeah," Chuck admitted. "You could say that." He was actually pleased to know that the topic of "Chuck and Blair" had at least been mentioned among the friends. Tristan nodded, "Gah, I can't imagine being in a relationship with someone like Blair. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to whisk her away, convince her to stay here in Paris with me, but I know how unlikely that is. The truth is I don't know if I would have what it takes anyway. Before Blair, I'd never met someone so sure of themselves, so comfortable in their own skin. It's truly the sexiest thing I've ever seen in a woman, and I've dated some hot European ass, ya know?" he questioned, hoping for the great Chuck Bass to shed some light on getting a girl like Blair. "Yeah, there's nobody else in the world like her. Everyday with her was like a new adventure, ya know?" Chuck explained, wanting to admit that this present day in particular he had learned so much more about her that he ever knew possible. The new adventure was getting more and more intriguing. Tristan nodded, and the two sat silently watching Blair dance with quite possibly the oldest Frenchman in the club. As the seventy year old, whirled and twirled her on the dance floor, Blair's face lit up with happiness, and she never looked more beautiful. Chuck smiled, watching her intently.

Chuck caught a glimpse of a group of bachelorettes approaching the DJ with what he assumed was a song request. He could only imagine what god-awful song would be played next. He had taken advantage of desperate bachelorette outings before in his day after all. He laughed out loud as "Cupid Shuffle" screamed from the speakers next. What an obvious choice. Before he knew it, Serena was grabbing his hands, forcing him out on the dance floor to attempt the infamous line dance.

Dancing in between Mr. Pierre, a sweet, but slightly perverted seventy-year old and her beloved friend Tristan, Blair eyed Serena's attempt at getting Chuck on the dance floor. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he didn't fight Serena on this. She knew how happy that made Serena. She could see it all over her best friend's face. "Unbelievable. Bass actually has rhythm. Not bad, Bass. Not bad, at all." she critiqued him with honest appreciation. Up until then, she hadn't really had time to take Chuck in. After the awkward greeting Chuck forced on her, Tristan had pulled her out to dance. Dancing was something she found herself loving now. She felt alive and sexy, and truth be told, she knew she didn't have any rhythm once so ever, but she didn't care. She loved the feeling that dancing gave her. She couldn't believe she'd gone this long without it, so it was only natural that one had to pull her away from the dance floor nowadays. As the song continued and the group of friends attempted the shuffle, she gave herself a chance to absorb Chuck's appearance. She was used to the uptight, "only a fine suit will do" Chuck Bass. She had to admit she liked his loose-fitting khaki linen pants and tight, basic white tee. His dress shoes were replaced with K-Swiss sneakers. His hair was longer around his face... and his face...no longer was his face freshly shaven like usual. Blair admitted to herself that a little stubble was sexy on him. "Who was he?" she found herself wondering. It seemed as if Mr. Pierre's tiring body couldn't last any longer, and that put Chuck right beside her on the dance floor. As she danced, Blair watched as he attempted to keep up with the steps of the dance, smiling that sexy Chuck Bass smile. She couldn't help but smile too. It was like he could feel her eyes on him because for whatever reason he turned to look at her amidst all the hopping, sliding, and kicking. In doing so, he slid to the right instead of to the left, and their bodies crashed into each other. As the song finally reached its end, and others dispersed to the bar or joined in with the new song playing, the two of them stood motionless now, side-by-side, eyes locked. It wasn't until they started grinning at one another...followed with hysterical laughing that Chuck finally realized Eva was standing directly behind Blair, eyeing him suspiciously.

Spotted: C and B caught in one of their infamous, magnetic moments during the Cupid's Shuffle. Wonder how many women Cupid is expecting C to shuffle now. From the looks of it, we bet Eva Balenger is wondering the same thing.

You know you love me,

XOXO Gossip Girl