A/N: Again, thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story. I truly appreciate every review and I will try to get back to each of you soon. This chapter contains Lily's Christmas party and I found it difficult to write. There are different conversations happening at the same time, but hopefully its not too confusing to follow. I'm not really happy with it, but I just wanted to get this out so that we can move on. I guess I bit off more than I could chew!
I don't own anything.
Chapter 5
Blair analyzed her appearance in front of the full-length mirror one last time before to walking downstairs to meet Eleanor and Cyrus. She was dressed in a strapless red lace over black Dolce & Gabbana fitted dress that ended just above her knees that she accessorized with simple black platform peep-toe Christian Louboutin heels. She felt a renewed confidence in herself and thought she looked pretty damn good tonight. She knew that Chuck would love her choice in attire, and for some reason that seemed to ease the constant fear Blair felt of Eleanor's scrutiny.
As soon as Blair, Eleanor, and Cyrus arrived at the restaurant, they were immediately seated. Blair noticed right away that there was an empty chair and place setting at the table and she gave her mother a puzzled look, which Eleanor acted like she didn't see. Not more than two minutes later, a young man was shown to their table. He was about 6'4" tall, with piercing blue-green eyes and blonde hair that wasn't short, but it also wasn't long. It was somewhere in between, like Gabriel Aubry or Taylor Kitsch. He was extremely fit and undeniably attractive; this man could pass for a model. He was dressed to-the-nines in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit and black shirt, no tie. At once, Cyrus and Eleanor rose from their seats to greet the young man.
"Theodore, I'm so glad that you could make it. I want you to meet our lovely Blair," and Cyrus turned towards Blair, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Blair, this is Theodore Langdon, and Theodore this is Eleanor's daughter, Blair Waldorf."
"Its very nice to finally meet you Blair," he said charmingly as he extended his hand to Blair. "Please, call me Theo. Theodore is such a mouthful," he chuckled and Blair reached out to shake his hand. His mannerisms and the way he spoke demonstrated a distinguished upbringing.
"Yes, it is very nice to meet you too, although I must say that I had no idea you would be joining us this evening," and she turned towards Eleanor and glared. "Mother, you should have told me that someone would be accompanying us for dinner," the false cordiality in her tone did not hide her aggravation at the situation. She felt incredibly uncomfortable and suddenly thought about Chuck and what he would think if saw this cozy dinner for four. This wasn't even her idea, so he shouldn't be too mad at her. Her parents had set her up with a date without consulting her first, the nerve of them! How did they even know this guy? He was probably some loser friend of Aaron's from high school – just what she needed. Still, he conducted himself with propriety, so that was unlikely. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by her mother's voice.
"Blair dear, this was a last minute idea. It must have slipped my mind to tell you with everything else I had going on today," Eleanor replied with a wave of her hand, as if this was an everyday occurrence and clearly avoiding the anger in Blair's eyes. She had gone behind Blair's back and set up this dinner, there was no denying that.
"Yes, your mother and I ran into Theodore yesterday when we went by my office to drop off some holiday cheer," Cyrus quickly interjected. "Theodore, I mean Theo," and he smiled at Theo, "worked in my office two summers ago. We always seem to bump into each when Theo is back in town on break, and we usually catch up over a coffee. When I saw him yesterday, I thought it would be nice to have him join us for dinner. I'm sorry that I didn't mention it earlier Blair, but as I'm sure you'll see Theo is a great guy."
"Yeah, I promise I don't bite," joked Theo and everyone at the table laughed, and inside Blair cringed. This was going to be a long night.
"So, Theo, how is college going?" prompted Cyrus.
"Oh, you're still in college?" questioned Eleanor. "Where do you go?"
"I'm a senior at Duke University in North Carolina. I'm back in NYC for the holiday. There is simply no place like Manhattan during the holiday season, if I may say so," Theo replied.
"Does that mean you are from Manhattan?" Blair asked even though she wasn't particularly interested. She knew questioning Theo would take the focus off of her, which she really wouldn't mind at the moment. She hoped to get through this dinner with her mother, Cyrus, and Theo quickly and unscathed, and then she would explain the entire situation to Chuck. He would probably laugh about this at her expense.
"Yes, I am. I come back to the city for the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, as well as for the summer."
"You are certainly right about NYC during the holidays, it is a delightful city," Eleanor cut in, praising him and smirking at Cyrus. She was obviously pleased with Theo so far. "Theo, if you don't mind me asking, what do your parents do?" pried Eleanor with a hopeful look on her face. She was wishing that he didn't say anything to change her good opinion of him, while Blair was willing him to do so.
"My father is a neurosurgeon at Mr. Sinai Hospital and my mother is a professor of political science at Hunter College," and Eleanor began beaming. The look of approval on her face was frustrating the hell out of Blair. 'Why can't she just let me live my own life?' Blair thought. She was happy with Chuck, even if nobody knew that. She didn't need her mother butting into her love life. Besides, now was the time for her to focus on school and her future career, didn't Eleanor understand that!
"Do they live here, on the Upper East Side then?"
"Yes, they do Mrs. Rose. Actually, my mother grew up here and my grandparents on my mother's side live here still. My father is the import, he was raised in North Carolina. That is part of the reason why I chose to go to Duke, to be near his parents, my grandparents, for a few years and experience a little bit of my father's upbringing," he said confidently. Theo carried himself well and was not intimidated by Eleanor's line of questioning. He then turned to Blair and asked, "Blair, where do you go college? I know Mr. Rose told me previously, but I can't for the life of me remember."
"I'm in my second year at Columbia. Technically, its only my first year at Columbia because I transferred from NYU," she quickly added and steered the conversation back to Theo. He was bound to say something stupid and trip up soon, nobody was this perfect. "What are you majoring in Theo? You must be close to graduating, do you have future plans already laid out?" Blair had a feeling this would do it. Surely, he wasn't that put together. He was probably planning on living off of mommy and daddy or his rich grandparents, traipsing around the globe, like so many other trust fund babies do. Not her Chuck though, well not anymore. Even though he was rich beyond belief and didn't need to work, he still did and he was earning people's respect while doing it too, just like she hoped to do.
"I'm majoring in political science and I am currently applying to law school," and Blair realized that she lost this round as Cyrus and her mother exchanged approving glances. "I am hoping to come back to Manhattan for law school."
"You know, Blair has expressed an interest in law school as well, however she is still undecided about her major," Eleanor said in her normal condescending way, nothing Blair did would ever be good enough for her. That's when Blair decided to jump in feet first.
"Actually mother, I've recently decided on my major," Blair smiled, willing herself to continue.
"Really?" chimed both Eleanor and Cyrus as they turned their attentions to Blair, leaving Theo as an afterthought.
Using the band-aid approach, Blair elected to do this quickly. She knew her mother would never make a scene in the middle of a busy restaurant, and she would not condemn Blair in front of a virtual stranger. So she straightened her posture and spoke confidently, "I am going to major in art history."
In unison, her mother and Cyrus replied, "What!" and "That's wonderful!" respectively.
"Yes, art history. And I've secured an internship for the spring semester, but I'm still trying to decide which one to take, either Christie's or Sotheby's. I'll be able to learn the ins and outs of the art world at one of the most influential and reputable art dealers in the world," echoing Chuck's words and her own thoughts. She tried to maintain her self-confidence as she spoke. She glimpsed at Cyrus first knowing she would only find love, and she noticed the huge smile that graced his face and he was giving her a nod of approval. When she finally dared peek at Eleanor, she was surprised by what she saw. She was prepared for the worst. However, Eleanor was not wearing her customary look of disapproval, instead her face displayed an uncharacteristic look of concern.
"Blair, are you sure this is what you want?" Eleanor asked with a hint of worry.
"Absolutely," Blair answered with renewed self-assurance. "I've always loved the beauty in art, you know how often I frequent the galleries and museums in the city and I spent the summer touring the museums of Paris. I took AP Art History in high school and I just finished an art history class at Columbia, which I got an A in you should know," her voice laced with satisfaction. Blair then spoke softly, as if she was asking for her mother's support, "Mother, this just feels like the right decision for me. I've got an eye for it and I really believe that I can make my mark in the art world from behind the scenes."
"Well, if that is how you feel who am I to stand in your way. In the beginning, people doubted that I would succeed in the fashion industry, so I just had to prove them wrong. What I'm trying to say Blair is that you can be whoever you choose to be, you are a Waldorf woman!" Eleanor stated with pride.
"Thank you mom, you have no idea how much your encouragement means to me," blushed Blair and she rapidly covered her reaction by glancing at the napkin in her lap.
"We'll talk about your internship offers later," and she reached across the table, patted Blair's hand, and stared into her eyes. "I want to know all the details."
Blair was taken aback by her mother's sudden approval and affection, it was something she had been seeking for so long. She was brought back to earth by the sound of an unfamiliar voice - Theo. She had forgotten he was even at the table, listening to what should have been a personal family conversation.
"Blair, my grandparents are on the board at the Met and my grandmother is fairly good friends with the one of the curators there. If you like, I'm sure she could provide you with an introduction."
"Thank you Theo, I may just take you up on that offer," Blair answered politely, still in shock from her mother's reaction. Her mother and Cyrus again became distracted by their conversation with Theo, Eleanor was enthralled by him as soon as he mentioned he was a Garfield, so Blair excused herself to the ladies' room. When she was safely out of sight, she took out her phone and sent a quick text to Chuck, 'I'm so sorry. It wasn't my idea. I'll explain everything later. xoxo BCW-B.' After a few minutes of peace and solitude, Blair returned to the table for the rest of dinner and saw her parents fawning over Theo. It was going to be a long night, but maybe not the worst night ever.
Upon entering the van der Woodsen/Humphrey home, Blair instantly scanned the room for Chuck. She saw him, a scotch in hand and chatting with Nate. He didn't acknowledge her, which meant that he hadn't noticed her yet or he was deliberately ignoring her because she was on a 'date' with Theo. Gossip Girl had very nicely sent out a blast stating that the Queen B had found herself a new devil, a blue devil, with an accompanying photo of the two of them at dinner with Eleanor and Cyrus. She hoped that he had seen her earlier text and would wait for an explanation from her before jumping to any conclusions. While all the potential scenarios were racing around in her brain, Blair saw Jenny and Vanessa coming down the stairs out of the corner of her eye. They stopped midway and sat on the steps, engrossed in conversation. Blair had a sneaking suspicion that they were up to no good, so she decided to convene an impromptu meeting of the Non-Judging Breakfast Club. She quickly excused herself and made a beeline for Chuck and Nate. "Can you guys meet me at the bar near the kitchen in a couple of minutes? I'm going to grab Serena," and she left without even giving them a chance to respond. Who were they kidding, when Blair said jump, you didn't ask how high you just jumped!
While Blair was talking with Chuck and Nate, Serena greeted Abigail at the door. "Abigail, I am so happy that you're here," she gushed as she gave her a quick hug. Both Chuck and Blair were here too, and she couldn't wait to put 'Operation Chair', her plan for uncovering Chuck and Blair's secret affair by making Blair jealous, into full motion.
"Thank you for the invitation and for letting me borrow this dress. I feel a bit like Cinderella," Abigail said nervously.
"Well the dress looks fabulous on you. Oh, here comes my mother, let me introduce you," and Serena waved her mother over.
"Mom, this is a friend of mine from Columbia, Abigail West. We took psychology together. Abigail, this is my mother, Lily Humphrey."
Abigail extended her hand to Lily and spoke, "Its very nice to meet you Mrs. Humphrey. You have a lovely home and this is quite the party."
"Thank you Abigail," said Lily as she shook her hand. "Its always nice to meet Serena's friends. This," she gestured to Rufus who was putting his arm around Lily's waist, "is my husband Rufus Humphrey."
At the same time the introductions were being made, Blair touched Serena's shoulder and beckoned Serena to follow her over to the bar where Chuck and Nate were waiting. "Excuse me, I'll be right back," Serena quickly interrupted and then she whispered in her mother's ear, "I shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes. Please keep Abigail company until I get back." Lily's reply was simply a nod.
As fate would have it, as soon as Serena walked away the elevator doors opened and Dan Humphrey entered the apartment. "Daniel, so good of you to join us. Come, I'd like to introduce you to one of Serena's friends from school. Daniel, this is Abigail West. Abigail, this is Daniel Humphrey, Rufus's son."
They shook hands and Abigail felt herself blush. "So, you're Serena's step-brother?" Abigail couldn't help but inwardly thank Serena for arranging this. She and Dan settled into an easy conversation about college and the classes they were taking, which extended into a debate about literature that went on for the rest of the evening.
Standing at the secluded bar, both Nate and Chuck were wondering what Blair wanted and what this had to do with them. Chuck had been waiting to have a few moments alone with Blair, so that he could try to make sense of why Blair was having dinner with another guy, and he was starting to get anxious. Her earlier text said she would explain everything, and he wanted answers pronto. When she approached him earlier he assumed it was so they could talk privately, not with Nate and Serena too. In the picture Gossip Girl sent through, Blair was smiling and Chuck couldn't help but get a little bit jealous. He trusted her, but he was only human. It didn't matter that Chuck could tell she was smiling at Cyrus and not her 'date', he was still envious. It also didn't help that Gossip Girl kept sending in regular updates about Blair's amazing 'date'; he was tall and blonde, he was a mixture of both 'old' and 'new' money, he went to Dalton before enrolling in boarding school, he was a senior at Duke, he was everything that Chuck wasn't and that got under his skin. It didn't seem fair that this guy was able to enjoy a public dinner and evening out with Blair, while Chuck, her husband, had to hide almost shamefully in the corner.
"Okay, we're all here now. What did you need to talk to us about so urgently?" Nate demanded when the girls met them at the bar.
"Its good to see you too Nate," Blair said condescendingly. "This may not directly impact you or Chuck like it does Serena and I, but you two are already involved so I thought the four of us could discuss it together."
"Discuss what?" Serena asked, not understanding what Blair was talking about. Chuck had been quiet this whole time, studying Blair and trying to decipher what has gotten her so agitated.
"Did you know that Vanessa is here tonight? After what she has done to you, I can't believe she has the audacity to step foot into your mother's home," huffed Blair. As soon as she said Vanessa's name, the other three glanced around the party for her and spotted her on the stairs with Jenny.
"What is she doing here? I could just wring her neck," vented Serena. "Do you know how much trouble she has caused me? That's not even including her trying to sabotage our friendship. I think I'm going to give her a piece of my mind, and maybe she'll decide to leave town again like Juliet did," and she started to turn away from them in the direction of the two Brooklyn girls.
"No wait," interjected Chuck as he grabbed Serena's arm to stop her. "You can't just confront her in front of everyone. Plus you don't want to ruin Lily's party. What we need to do is come up with a plan."
"Great minds think alike Bass, I was going to say the same exact thing," Blair couldn't stop the smirk she was sporting. She loved Chuck and she loved scheming, and scheming with Chuck was double the fun!
"What do you propose Blair?" questioned Nate. Blair was excited to see Nate's willingness to be involved. She knew Serena would want revenge on Vanessa and she was certain Chuck would help her out, but she wasn't sure about Nate.
Blair thought about this for a minute, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Then a wicked look took over her face, a look that Chuck recognized instantly. "Public humiliation is always good," she said slyly, "but it's even better when it is self-inflicted. We need to get Vanessa to incriminate herself, preferably in front of the Humphreys because they are the only people here who actually care about her. Ooh," she said suddenly and her eyes widened, "wouldn't it be great if we could takedown Jenny too? God knows all the shit she did to you and Nate last year, as well as to Chuck and I."
"Blair," Nate grumbled but was quickly interrupted by Serena who seemed rather excited to get her bitch on.
"I could challenge Vanessa about attacking my reputation and trying to get me kicked out of Columbia. Then I could tell her that Jenny told us she went behind our backs and submitted an application to Anne on my behalf."
"She won't be able to deny it because Vanessa is a horrible liar and she'll either confess to her crimes or she'll threaten Jenny about what she supposedly said," Blair cut in. "Either way, Vanessa looks like a fool. It would be the icing on the cake though if she attacked Jenny since the blonde tart will probably slice her to pieces, revealing her true colors in the process and everyone will know that her reformed, precious Little J persona is just an act." Blair was almost giddy as she spoke, relishing the idea of both Brooklyn girls being taken down a notch or two. Chuck watched her and a feeling of pride overtook him. This was Blair in her element; she was smart, sexy, and devilish all rolled into one. He couldn't help but get aroused when he saw Blair like this, she was so sexy when she was fired up! He was brought out of his thoughts by Serena's voice.
"Maybe we should wait a little bit before doing this. I think I need a little bit of liquid courage first."
"No Serena, you need to stay sober!" Blair practically yelled and Chuck and Nate couldn't help but laugh. "Let's wait for the party to die down a little bit, maybe in an hour or two, unless she looks like she is going to leave. If that happens, we'll have to act fast."
"Okay," they all chimed at once and Nate and Serena started walking away.
"Wait," and they turned to Blair who was still standing at the bar with Chuck. "We're still on for tomorrow right? Pre-Christmas lunch at Chuck and Nate's place?"
"Yeah, I'll be there," Serena answered.
"Of course, since it's at my place," Nate replied.
"Great!" Blair enthused as they started to walk away again. She then turned to Chuck and said, "Thanks for your support. I should probably get back to my mother and Cyrus now."
"Not so fast," and Chuck couldn't resist her any longer so he pulled her into a passionate kiss. Blair found herself lost in the moment and forgot where she was as she wrapped her arms around Chuck. Their moment didn't last long before they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"Blair!" Eleanor murmured loudly in a scandalous tone, which caused Blair to turn beet red. "You have a date in the other room that you have left alone for long enough." Eleanor then turned her attention to Chuck and said with fake sincerity, "Hello Charles."
"Eleanor," Chuck nodded as he acknowledged her. "Blair and I were simply following holiday tradition," he smiled and pointed to the mistletoe that was hanging above them.
"I will never understand you two," sighed Eleanor, shaking her head as she walked away.
"Thanks Bass," Blair said as she swatted Chuck's chest.
"I aim to please," and she rolled her eyes at his words. "Meet me in my old room later. I'll make it worth your while," he whispered in her ear. Chuck then kissed Blair quickly on the lips and walked away before she could say no and leaving her wanting more.
As Serena and Nate walked away, she looped her arm through his and said, "How goes 'Operation Chair' on your end? I saw you talking with Chuck. Did he comment at all about Blair's date? We got an added bonus when Eleanor fixed Blair up."
"He hasn't said anything about Blair's date. Actually, he's been very quiet, brooding, since even before she arrived. And I think his scotch intake has increased, which usually isn't a sign that he's in a festive mood."
"Well, its time to put the next stage of 'Operation Chair' into action."
"I've got it covered," Nate quickly cut in. "Kristen just got here and she brought her friend Amy with her, so I'm going to introduce her to Chuck."
"What?" Serena probed. "Wait a second, who is Kristen?"
Nate shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, "She's my date." He then walked off in the opposite direction and Serena felt like someone just suckerpunched her in the gut. Nate was moving on and she was literally still standing in the same place. Not wanting to watch Nate with his date, Serena started towards the other side of room, which probably wasn't the best decision. She was stopped dead in her tracks by the site of Abigail and Dan together, and she felt her eyes begin to water. They were sitting very close, laughing, and clearly having a great time. It turns out that 'Operation Chair' didn't accomplish what Serena had hoped it would. Instead, it had only succeeded in making Serena, not Blair, very jealous and lonely.
Nate greeted Kristen and Amy each with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You look great Kristen, and so do you Amy. I am so happy that both of you could make it tonight."
"Thanks for the invite," Kristen said giddily as she kissed his cheek. "I think I'm going to go and get a drink. Can I get either of you something?"
"No thanks, I've already got one," and Nate showed her his glass of scotch.
"Sure," Amy nodded. "I'll take a glass of champagne Kristen." Once Kristen left, Amy sidled up to Nate. "You know," she said as she started gently caressing his arm, "I really appreciate you including me in your plans tonight. Maybe later you will let me thank you properly for the invitation." She whispered that last part in Nate's ear.
"Whoa, Amy," replied a slightly flustered Nate, taking a step back. "I'm here with Kristen. I asked you to come tonight so that I could introduce you to a friend of mine."
"Come on Nate, we both know there isn't any friend," and again Amy moved closer to Nate so that they were barely touching. "And, we both know the real reason you asked Kristen to bring me along." She then took his drink from his hand, sipped it, and licked her lips, all while staring directly into his eyes.
He knew it was wrong, but Amy's actions were making his mind wander to places it probably shouldn't. He started thinking that maybe he wouldn't introduce Amy to Chuck. It wasn't selfishness on his part keeping Amy to himself. He was actually helping Chuck because he is, after all, trying to get back into Blair's good graces and Amy wouldn't help his cause. Serena's plan for making Blair jealous will just have to wait for another night he decided. After a minute, Nate turned to Amy and asked, "And what would the real reason be?"
"So that we can get to know each other before we have our own little party later. Kristen, you, and me, underneath the Christmas tree." Nate nearly choked on his drink and his eyes clearly showed his surprise at her words. That was not what he expected her to say.
At that exact moment, Kristen rejoined them. "Here Amy," she said as she handed Amy a glass of champagne. "So, what have you two been talking about while I was gone?" and she glanced first at Amy and then to Nate with a seductive look in her eyes.
"I was just telling Nate about our plans for tonight," Amy answered for both of them. Suddenly all thoughts of Serena, Chuck, and Blair vanished from Nate's brain and he started thinking with another part of his anatomy. As he took another sip of scotch and eyed the girls beside him, he began imagining the fun he would have unwrapping his Christmas gifts later.
"Finally its just the two of us Blair," Theo said as Blair made her way back to him. "I've been waiting all evening for a chance to be alone with you."
"What?" Blair was both surprised and worried. While dinner ended up being quite pleasant and Theo was actually a nice guy, she never gave him any indication that she was even mildly interested in him. She needed to set some things straight before anything got out of her control. "I'm sorry Theo, you are a nice guy and everything, but nothing is going to happen between us." She immediately glanced around the room for Chuck, hoping he wouldn't misinterpret this conversation, but alas she couldn't spot him.
"Of course not," he scoffed. "You're not my type," and this clearly offended Blair even though that was not Theo's intention.
"Thanks for the compliment. And what is your type exactly. Let me guess, tall, blonde, beautiful, and named Serena," she scowled. Even though she had no interest in Theo, it still bothered her to be constantly passed over for the perfect golden girl Serena.
"Believe me, Serena's not my type either," and Blair rolled her eyes at this.
"Please," Blair bemoaned. "I saw your eyes light up when you realized that the party we were attending tonight was at Serena van der Woodsen's family home."
"Blair, you couldn't be further from the truth," Theo said with a small laugh. "God, I thought you of all people would understand," he murmured while shaking his head from side-to-side.
"Understand what?" Blair questioned him. Her curiosity was peaked - she hated being left in the dark about anything!
"Your father is Harold Waldorf, right?" and the lightbulb suddenly clicked on in Blair's head. He really didn't prefer Serena, or any other female in fact, to her. Now she felt like an idiot for going on like she had earlier.
"Yes," she said calmly while nodding. She then linked her arm with his, signaling to him that she understood completely and giving him a warm smile of acceptance.
"So we're clear now?" Theo asked as he turned to meet Blair's eyes, portraying a skeptical look by tilting his face and raising a brow. Their heads inching closer together.
"Crystal," Blair stared him in the eyes and returned an even bigger grin. Relief washed over Theo's face, his features relaxed, and he leaned back a bit. This look of tranquility was soon replaced by a mischievous smirk which Blair had a feeling could only mean trouble.
"Great, now I need you to introduce me to someone who is here tonight," the anticipation was evident in Theo's voice. "Listen I haven't read Gossip Girl in more than three years, but if I remember correctly you were pretty close friends with Chuck Bass."
"You want me to introduce you to Chuck Bass?" Blair asked him with genuine interest. What could Theo possible want from HER Chuck? "Why? Do you need money or job? Or are you interested in finding a great afterparty?" Now it was Theo's turn to roll his eyes.
"Why do you think Blair?" he was a little surprised at her question. "Chuck Bass is sex on legs, a gay guy's wet dream. He's unbelievably hot and oozes sex appeal." Blair couldn't help but agree with everything that Theo was saying. Suddenly, she was engulfed with an overwhelming feeling of jealousy. She always knew that she would have to worry about other women hitting on Chuck, but she didn't realize that she would have to worry about other men too. "He carries himself with such confidence he's irresistible, and I bet he's great in bed too," Theo continued, he was practically drooling and Blair's eyes widened in shock. "Oh come on Blair," he scoffed, "I'm sure you've fantasized about him too." At this comment, an appalled Blair gasped and swatted Theo's shoulder. She chanced a glance in Chuck's direction and discovered that he was staring at her with his devilish smirk.
"Wait a second, is this a trick? Did Chuck tell you to say those things to me?" and she glared at Theo, her eyes boring into his to try and tell if he was lying.
"Come on Blair, why would I make this up?" The look on his face told her that he was telling the truth, and she softened. "So are you going to help me or not?"
She contemplated this for a minute before agreeing. On one hand she remembered the hurt and disappointment Chuck had in her last year when she tricked him into kissing that guy in exchange for the speech, but on the other hand it would be fun to see Chuck's reaction to Theo's intentions. The thought alone brought a smile to Blair's face. And it was not like she was asking him to do anything, just merely introducing two fellow rich and soon-to-be powerful Upper East Side men. She found herself nodding and saying, "Fine, I'll introduce you to the 'Great Chuck Bass', as if his ego needs to be inflated anymore. A word of caution though, I don't think you are going to get the outcome you want."
"Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing Blair," he said cockily and she couldn't help but laugh at his arrogance. Maybe Theo and Chuck would get along better than she imagined, as long as they don't get along too well she'll be fine.
"Okay, it's your life. Don't say I didn't warn you," she chuckled and shook her head. "Now, if I do this for you what are you going to do for me in return?"
"Funny you should ask me that," he smirked. "While you were off chatting with God knows who, I overheard an interesting conversation between two young ladies, if you can really call them that, about you and your friend Serena."
"Really, that's what you've got. Everyone talks about Serena, have you never read Page Six?" she scoffed. Still, Blair couldn't help but be slightly intrigued, and she could use a little ego boost after that dinner with her mother. "Okay, where are these supposed ladies and what did they say?"
"You see those two girls over there in the corner, the ones with the horrible extensions. I mean seriously, that one girl looks like she dunked her head in a tub of peroxide." Blair didn't even need to look to know Theo was referring to, this story just got a bit more interesting.
"Oh yes, that bohemian-clad parasite with the horrible dark hair is Vanessa Abrams and the whorishly-dressed, peroxide-dyed, raccoon-eyed bloodsucker is Jenny Humphrey. They are both squatters from Brooklyn," Blair seethed. "They have been trying to make trouble for both Serena and I. You need to tell me everything that troll and hooker-in-training said. No paraphrasing." Maybe this was the break that she needed to catch those two and send them on their merry way. So she leaned in closer to Theo to make sure she didn't miss a word that he said.
"So you haven't heard anything from Juliet either?" a worried Vanessa asked.
"No I haven't since the Saints and Sinners party, I already told you that. I even went by her apartment and it was empty – all her stuff was cleared out!" Jenny exclaimed but in a hushed voice, trying not to attract attention to their conversation.
"You're lucky Jenny, none of this could get traced back to you. I don't have the same luxury."
"Listen, you just need to calm down. It was mostly Juliet's idea anyway, and she is the one who actually kissed Nate and Dan at the party. Plus, they already know Juliet was out to get Serena from the ballet."
"Yeah, and I was with her at the ballet! Helping her! I'm surprised they haven't done anything to me yet. It's only a matter of time before Nate's mom tells someone that I am the one who gave her Serena's application. I'm not too worried about Serena when that happens, but Blair will shred me to pieces."
"Jeez Vanessa, get a hold of yourself. Its not like Serena and Blair didn't deserve it – it's about time someone taught them a lesson. Besides, what I did is so much worse than what you did. I stole Serena's phone, lied to my father, sabotaged my brother, and revealed Blair's secret affair to the world."
"Wait, that was you?" interrupted Vanessa. "I thought that was Juliet."
"No, that was all me," Jenny said proudly and then she started chuckling. "I shot three birds with one stone! You should have been there, it was great. Blair was yelling 'Serena, what are you doing!' after I dropped the curtain. God, it was priceless." Then both of them fell into a fit of hysterical laughter.
"What?" Blair hissed loudly and grabbed Theo's arm tightly. "It was Jenny?" She asked in a very demanding tone. Blair was a bit shocked about this information. She had known for a while that someone had set Serena up, but she didn't know who. She really felt bad for her best friend because she had lost a lot due to these jealous, backstabbing bitches. But to find out that it was Little Jenny Humphrey shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did. This is the same girl who revealed her affair with Chuck to Nate in high school, slept with Chuck when she knew he loved her, sent the Gossip Girl blast about losing her V-card to Chuck in order to make a fool of Blair and Chuck, and now this. She wasn't about to let Jenny do anything else that could possibly hurt her relationship with Chuck, it was too important to her. The bitch was going down! "Thank you for telling me all of this. Now I need to figure out exactly how to take care of these bitches from Brooklyn." She and Theo huddled together and discussed potential plans of destruction.
Not far away, Chuck was watching the interactions between Blair and her 'date'. They were having a very animated discussion and were getting physically closer the more they spoke. At times they even touched and Chuck wanted to tear the guy's limbs off. He knew that he should trust Blair and control his emotions because this was not the place to act like a caveman and shout at this man to stay away from his woman, even if that is exactly what he wanted to do. When it became too much for him to take, he decided it was time to join their conversation so he made his way over to them. Blair couldn't see him coming, because her back was to him, but her 'date' could and when he recognized Chuck approaching his eyes suddenly opened very wide.
"Good evening, aren't you going to introduce me to your date Waldorf," and he coughed a couple of times before continuing, "Bass. I'm Chuck Bass." Chuck then extended his hand to Theo who had turned a slight shade of pink when he shook Chuck's hand. At first Blair thought Chuck was mad because he called her Waldorf, something he hadn't done in over a month since they were married, but then she caught the subtle Bass that he added on which would go completely unnoticed by most people. He was staking his claim, so Blair decided to appease any doubts he might have.
"Chuck, this is Theo Langdon. He worked in Cyrus's office two summers ago and is back in town for the holidays. Cyrus and Eleanor invited Theo to dinner tonight so that the men could catch up and talk about law school."
"Yes, I am hoping to come back to Manhattan next year for law school," Theo interjected, trying to get Chuck's attention as well as impress him.
"Well isn't that wonderful. The three of us will all be in NYC next year," Chuck said sarcastically as he eyed Blair seductively. "You know Theo, if there is anything you want to know about Blair, I could probably tell you. We've known each other for so long and we know each other so well, that sometimes I joke that I know Blair better than she knows herself. Like, did you know that when Blair was a little girl she wanted to be a ballerina?" Blair looked at Chuck, trying to figure out where he was going with this conversation. "I know she gave up that dream a long time ago, but I think she still practices in secret because she is extremely flexible."
"Bass," she groaned and elbowed him in the side. They both ignored that strange looks that Theo was giving the two of them.
"Oh, I bet you didn't know that Blair is quite an actress too," he said while looking directly into Blair's eyes, completely disregarding Theo's presence. "One time she was supposed to play Anna Karenina. Unfortunately that show was canceled prematurely, which is a shame because I would have loved to have seen her in that role."
"Please, Chuck," Blair pleaded but he just proceeded with his tale.
"She can also be very musical. Blair actually gave me a private concert on her piano once. She was so expressive when she was playing her favorite instrument, you should have seen the passion she exhibited during her performance."
"That's enough, Chuck," Blair sneered. Her face was flushed red from both embarrassment and anger. In an instant she grabbed him by his bowtie, pulled him towards her, and said very seriously, "Green is not a very good color on you Bass."
"Well, you look fucking amazing in red Blair. Maybe you should wear it more often," and he then licked his lips erotically, eyed her body up and down, and wiped his mouth slowly. Seeing Blair riled up with anger was an incredible turn on to Chuck and he was having a difficult time not taking her right there in front of everyone.
"Ugh, you're heinous Bass," and she gently shoved him in the chest. "Good luck with him Theo, I'm going to refresh my drink." She walked away with a little extra swagger in her step knowing that Chuck was following her with his eyes and she couldn't help the smile that graced her lips.
On the other side of the room, Eric was startled to see a vaguely familiar person talking to Lily, but he couldn't understand why she would be here. In order to ease his fears, he confronted Lily about her. "Mom, who is that girl you were just talking to? She looks familiar."
"Do you mean Amelia? You've met her before. She helped with the apartment renovations a few years ago, right after my wedding to Bart."
"Yeah, I remember her now." Really, he had never forgotten her or the ramifications of her existence. He just couldn't understand why she was here tonight. "What is she doing here? Is she someone's plus-one?" He was honestly afraid of what would happen if Blair found out who she was, but if she was someone's date that would soften the blow.
"Actually, I invited her. Eleanor phoned me last night to let me know that she had arranged a date for Blair. I know that Charles has some unresolved feelings for Blair and assumed that he would be upset to see her with a date. So, I thought that it would be a good idea to try to distract Charles by setting him up with someone, so I asked Amelia to come."
"Mom," Eric sighed. "Chuck doesn't simply have unresolved feelings for Blair, he is in love with her. He only wants her - that is why he is waiting for her." He emphasized the last bit to make sure that his mother understood. Shaking his head, he then proceeded, "God, of all the women on the Upper East Side, you had to pick Amelia. I hope that Blair doesn't find out who she is."
"Why would you say that? Amelia is only here because I asked her to come and as far as Blair knows she is an acquaintance of mine. I haven't even introduced her to Charles, so Blair never has to find out that she was invited under the premise of being Charles's date," Lily defended.
"Except for the fact that Chuck already knows her quite well," and Lily gave Eric a questioning look. "How do I say this delicately?" Eric considered his words carefully. "Right after your honeymoon, when Chuck was supposed to be on a plane flying to Tuscany with Blair, he was joining the not-so mile-high club here on the ground in NYC with Amelia."
"Oh," bemoaned Lily as she realized what Eric was saying and suddenly she appreciated why Eric was so concerned about Blair recognizing Amelia. "Poor Blair."
"Yeah, poor Blair is right," Eric interrupted. "Or maybe we should be saying poor Chuck. Between Jenny being here and now Amelia, there is a good chance that there are going to be pieces of Blair, and possibly Chuck, all over the place."
"Well, maybe it won't be that bad. Blair won't want to make a scene, especially with Eleanor and Cyrus here. Besides, chances are that Blair doesn't even know what Amelia looks like. Maybe we can distract Amelia, introduce her to someone so that she won't even be tempted to go near Charles."
"Okay, but who?" Eric asked and both he and Lily scoured the room for someone to aid them with their little scheme. Out of the blue, Eric had an idea. "What about Elliot? I'm sure if we explained the situation to him, he would be happy to help."
"I think we might be a little too late. Look," and Lily pointed her glass in the direction of Chuck, who now was talking alone with Theo after Blair left them to get a drink. When Eric gazed across the room, he saw what his mother was referring to – Amelia was walking towards Chuck.
"Oh no, I'm going to find Blair," Eric quickly interjected and he left to do just that.
When Eric approached Blair, she was standing to the side by herself, sipping her drink, off in her own little world. "Merry Christmas Blair," he said softly.
"Oh Eric," Blair sighed, coming out of her daze. "Merry Christmas. It's so good to see you," and she hugged him tightly.
"Is everything okay Blair? You seem a bit preoccupied."
Blair couldn't stop fascinating about the things she would like to be doing in private with Chuck right now, and while she was still slightly flushed from their earlier conversation these thoughts of hers were not helping the color that remained in her cheeks. "I'm just thinking about a promise that Chuck made me," and she blushed at her own frankness.
Eric peered across the room and noticed that Amelia was now pawing Chuck. He mistook the rising color in her face for anger and assumed the worst regarding the comment Blair just made. Eric decided to defend his brother to Blair. He hoped that he could make her see that Chuck didn't want Amelia, he only wanted her. "Blair, Chuck had no idea she was going to be here tonight. Please don't be mad at him, it will ruin his Christmas, it will ruin him. My mother is the one who invited her."
"Who are you talking about?" Blair asked Eric as her eyes caught sight of Chuck being practically molested by some skinny blonde.
"A-Amelia," Eric stuttered and he realized that he had mistakenly let the cat of the bag.
Blair was completely focused on Chuck and didn't move a muscle when she spoke. "The decorator from three summers ago? The slut that Chuck chose over me and Tuscany? That Amelia?" she demanded, her voice rising as she spoke.
"Yes, that Amelia."
Chuck and Theo were actually getting along and having an enjoyable conversation about Columbia, Chuck was enrolling there full-time next semester and it was Theo's top choice for law school, when a scantily-dressed skinny blonde approached them. "Chuck Bass?" she questioned with a flirtatious smile.
Chuck looked at her strangely, trying to recall if he knew her, before replying curtly, "Yes. Do I know you?"
"Why yes Chuck, you do. My name is Amelia," she purred as she positioned her body close to his. "And we know each other intimately." Amelia clutched his arm and then elaborated, "While I was helping your step-mother with the renovations to this place, you were more than willing to lend me hand."
As the identity of this woman finally dawned on Chuck, his face morphed into one of fear and anger. He fiercely jerked his arm from her talons and spat, "Get your dirty hands off of me." The last thing he needed was for Blair to see him talking with Amelia. Immediately, he searched the room for Blair only to see her staring right back at him. Her face was blank, expressionless, and he knew she was putting on a mask to hide her true feelings. She then abruptly took off down the hallway. "Shit," muttered Chuck and he excused himself to go find Blair.
Chuck found Blair sitting on the bed in his old room with her head down so he couldn't see her face. "Blair," he whispered as he approached her. He dropped down to his knees and took her hands in his own. "I didn't know she was going to be here tonight. Please believe me, I would never do that to you. I love you."
"I know, Eric told me," and she raised her face to look into Chuck's eyes. He noted the sadness in her eyes. "It just hurts, you know," she wiped a stray tear that escaped her eyes. After a minute or so she continued, "Who knows what would have happened if you had come to Tuscany. Do you think we would be where we are today?"
"I don't know Mrs. Bass, but I am so happy with our present that its hard to question the past." She quirked her brow at his words, but he ignored her look and kissed her. "Obviously I regret what I did because it hurt you, but we've moved forward and we're stronger because of it. I think we're in a really good place now Blair, and I am not going to let anything come between us again."
"God, Bass, you really do have a type, don't you? Sluttily-dressed, tall twiggy blondes." Blair chuckled and kissed him back. She then leaned her forehead against his, cupped his face in her hands, and turned serious. "This happened in the past Chuck, and we can't change what happened then as much as I wish we could. But we can control the future, to some extent at least. When we said 'I do', it was a fresh start for us, an empty canvas that we can paint a life together on. This marriage is it for me. You are it for me. You are my future, you are my forever and I have no intention of ever leaving. But if you cheat on me, I don't think I'll recover and magic between us will be over."
He looked into her glassy eyes and strived to think of the right words to convey how he felt. He failed to find them, so instead he kissed her and tried to put all of his feelings, all of his love for her into the kiss. When they broke the kiss, Chuck simply said, "I love you Mrs. Bass and," Chuck was cut off before he could continue by a loud gasp.
Both Chuck and Blair turned quickly in the direction of the noise. They were so consumed with each other that they hadn't noticed Eric enter the room. Eric struggled to find his words but at last spoke, "I wanted to make sure you two were okay." He paused and they just stared at him, wondering how much he had overheard. When he finally put together what he had heard and collected all his thoughts, a huge smile spread across his face. "Oh my god, I can't believe you two got married!"