Love is a Losing Game
Chapter 5
Chuck Bass was suddenly woken by a hard hit to the head with a pillow.
"What the hell?" He grumbles as he sat up in bed.
"Wake up Bass."
Blair Waldorf stood beside his king size bed with a pillow in hand. She was dressed in a simple black dress, heels to kill and her sequined purse clutched tightly. She looked very impatient. Blair sat down beside him and threw her phone at his chest.
Chuck Bass looked at the screen displaying the flashy headline on Gossip Girl "SPOTTED: CHUCK LOSES JACKET AFTER WALK WITH VANESSA. Is it serious?" He scrolls down to see pictures of himself and Vanessa with smiles on their faces. Vanessa was wearing his jacket. His mind thought back to the cold breeze of the previous night and the oddly kind gesture he offered. But to make it onto Gossip Girl? The rumor mill must be running low on stories lately.
"Anything I should know?" She asks impatiently, folding her arms.
Chuck smirks and hands the phone back to Blair.
"Since when do you care who I see?"
"I don't." She replies coldly, "It's just...I didn't know your taste was so bad. But then again, you'd bang everything in sight, wouldn't you?"
"You included?" He grins, tracing circles on her arm.
Blair pulls away quickly and walks away from his bed.
"You're disgusting," She scoffs, "As if I'm not embarrassed enough by even being in your presence, Vanessa is a new record low for you."
Blair didn't understand why she was so upset. It's not like he'd even see a same girl twice anyways. With the exception of her, of course. But Blair was still taken back by the fact that he made it onto the front page of Gossip Girl looking...geniunely happy. Strolls through Central Park? That was defineatly not Chuck.
Chuck pouts as he throws the covers aside and stumble towards her. He slips his hands around her waist and grins.
Blair grunts and breaks away from his arms.
"Don't even think about it, I have plans this morning."
Plans. Chuck thought. Unspecified plans meant Nate.
"I'm going to remind you now since I'm sure you've forgotten," Blair calls back as she reaches the door, "your father's Black And White Party is tonight. So cut back on the drinking for a bit and try to look decent, alright? All our parents will be there, and I swear to god, if you make another scene-"
"You'll do what? Take me into another elevator and punish me?" Chuck teases.
Blair's face flushes red.
Chuck smiles as the door slams shut. He couldn't believe Blair actually came over to talk about Vanessa. She never cared about who he was seeing. Was she really jealous? Or just embarrassed by Vanessa? He shook off the feeling. He'd have clean up and head down to the bar if he wanted to find a date for his dad's function tonight.
Chuck walks by the front desk when a familar voice caught his ear.
"Look, no need to bother him, I'm just dropping it off here."
He turns to see Vanessa at the front desk handing his jacket over to the concierge.
"Vanessa!"
"Chuck!" She turns and smiles, grabbing the jacket back and handing it towards him, "Hey, I just wanted to drop off your jacket, which thank you, by the way. Did you see we made the front page of Gossip Girl? I hear I'm the new Dan Humphery."
He laughs and reaches for his jacket.
"Please, you're much easier on the eyes."
They share another laugh before she begins to walk away.
"Well, I'll see you later..." she says.
"Wait...would you want to attend a lovely Black And White Party with me tonight?" he asks.
"Are you kidding? Gossip Girl would go crazy...Ohhhhh, I see." She says, catching onto his plan.
"Look, I'd really appreciate the company." He offers, "And it's for a good cause...I think."
"I...I really can't. I don't have anything black...or white...or formal, in that case." she replies, as she thought about it.
"You forget who you're talking to" Chuck grins and grabs onto her arm, leading her out of the lobby while dialing away at a number with his other free hand.
"Where were you all morning?" Nate asks across the table from Blair. She was swallowing her sushi greedily.
"Oh, shopping. Needed a new necklace for the Black And White function tonight and all."
"Why don't you wear that pretty diamond one you have?"
Blair chokes on her sushi slightly before coughing it down. She takes a couple sips of water before Nate continued.
"You wear it constantly at home, but I don't think I've ever seen you wear it in public before,"
"Nate, I wore it to the Cotillion. And besides, you know I don't like to reuse accessories." She lies.
How was she going to tell Nate that she couldn't wear the necklace in public because Chuck Bass would actually know how much she cherished the gift. Nope, she couldn't tell Nate that she was afraid of the vulnerbility she felt towards the Upper East Side's residential ass. And she espeically could not explain why she felt that way. God, she hate it when she would think of one while out with the other. She understood they were best friends and all, but did her life have to be so uncomfortably cliche?
"I'm thinking tonight we could..." Nate grabs hold of her hand from across the table.
"Nate, I'm tired." She replies, moving her hand to bring another piece of sushi to her mouth.
"Already?" he asks bewildered.
She smiles sweetly and takes another sip of her water.
Typical Blair.
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Hours later they were gathered together at yet another charity event. The ballroom at the Palace was transformed into a dazzling function. Each table filled with the incredibly wealthy do gooders and over the top center pieces. Blair was seated at a table reserved for their inner circle. She had Nate to her right and Serena to her left. Life couldn't be more perfect, she thought to herself, scanning the room for the brown haired trouble maker. Dan was on the other side of Serena, followed by Kati, Iz, and their nameless dates. The two seats across the table was still empty. Blair couldn't wait to see what ridiculous bimbo Chuck would bring tonight.
As the lights were dimming and the spotlight focused onto the podium of the stage, the ballroom doors swung open. Chuck Bass, hand in hand, with his mystery date walked slowly towards their table.
As they got closer, everyone's jaw hit the ground.
"Vanessa?!" Blair and Dan cried out in unison.