Chapter Four
Spotted: Nate and Serena reunited in Central Park. The blonde bombshell reunites with her longtime best friend Nate. They were seen spotted walking in Central Park enjoying some gelato. Some say sparks still fly. My sources have said that Serena did not return alone. She brought her boyfriend from Australia who was seen sightseeing with little Erik. Has anyone told Serena that Nate is with someone? Looks, like this, may complicate things further.
Nate and Serena walked home together only to meet up with Erik and Oliver out the front of The Empire. Nate shook hands firmly with Oliver before hugging Erik.
"Hey babe," Serena smiled and pecked Oliver on the lips. "How was sightseeing?"
"It was fun. Erik took me to see the Statue of Liberty and other places to see and eat. There is good food here. Erik also showed me different places that we should avoid too."
"Serena, this man is full of knowledge when it comes to food, and he can eat a lot but still look this fit. You should see how much he ate!"
"Oh Erik, you know what Oliver is like when it comes to food. You saw it when you visited our home." Nate grimaced when Serena mentioned home. He believed that home was New York for all of them, even Serena.
"Hey mate, just because I eat a lot, does not mean I don't work hard to burn it off," Oliver said in his strong Australian accent. Nate's eyes wandered over Oliver's body – he had to admit, Oliver was one big man and did not look to have an inch of fat. Nate looked down at himself – and at that moment, he decided that he needed to go to the gym more and workout. Nate looked at the time on his watch.
"I have to go. It's getting late and I need to head to the gym before I head to back work." Nate pretended.
"Nate, you go to the gym?" Erik asked curiously. Erik had never heard or seen Nate going to the gym in recent times, so it was a surprise that at that moment, he was going to the gym.
"Yes, I do. I have been for a while."
"Let me give you a tip, don't diet and gym. Just have a healthy, balanced diet and protein shakes are not supplement meals." Oliver winked with his arm wrapped around Serena's shoulders. Serena giggled and nodded in agreement.
"Thanks, man. I had fun today Serena. It was so good catching up with you." Nate walked away slightly jittered with the Serena and Oliver's interaction as a couple.
As he walking down the street, his phone began buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled at the face on his screen.
"Hey. Yes, we did have fun. Yes, I will be. Oh, really? Sure. I'm on my way."
Serena and Oliver walked up hand in hand back up to their suite in The Empire.
"Have you heard from Fox Sports yet?" Serena asked as they were settling on the lounge watching some television.
"No, not yet. If I get the job, would you move back with me? I mean I know you have your stuff shipped over already, but I want you to come with me." Oliver looked at her with his bright brown eyes.
"Of course I would. There's nothing left here for me. My life is back in Australia with you." Serena smiled warmly. Oliver sighed with relief and ran his hand through his ash-brown locks. As they were sitting, drinking some beer and watching some television, the sound of the elevator alerted the two.
"Serena! Are you home?" Blair came walking in with Chuck holding bags following behind right behind her.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"S, I never thought to see you drink beer. Are you crazy? You are a lady who drinks Chardonnay and expensive wine, not this manly heathen drink. Oliver, tell her." Blair said pointedly.
"I can't because I introduced her to beer and she can thank me for it."
"Blair, leave Serena and her beer. We brought Chinese food." Chuck grinned as he placed the bags on the coffee table. As they were eating, they were sharing stories and having a great time. Blair and Serena were restrengthening their sister-like friendship while Chuck was teaching Oliver the life of an Upper East Sider. Deep down inside, Oliver could see that Serena's best friends were her family and he did not understand how Serena managed to live so far away from them for so long. Oliver knew how much Serena loved her friends and family and the lifestyle that she was brought up. He had seen the change in her, but he knew that New York will always be her home. He realised that he was being selfish asking her to leave her family to come with him if he got the job.
As the night continued, it seemed that they were getting along very well and it became slightly more evident that they were becoming the new Breakfast Club and that Nate was no longer a part of this.
"Tonight was great." Oliver smiled.
"Yeah, it was. It seems that Chuck has taken you under his wing." Serena smiled warmly and Oliver chuckled. Serena walked up to Oliver and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You know what I love about you? It's how relaxed and laid-back you are. You don't have businesses to run and you always make time for me" Serena whispered lowly.
"Let me show you how much I love you." Oliver carried Serena towards their bedroom, bridal style.
Lily's place was filled with the lovely smell of fresh waffles and pancakes. Lily walked out of her bedroom in her usual style of a dress, heels and lots of jewels. She smiled at the sight of seeing Serena and Oliver cooking breakfast while Erik watches on and talks with them.
"Serena, Greg, what are you two doing?"
"Good morning Oliver. You look beautiful this morning. We are making breakfast this morning."
"Oh, you are such a sweetheart Oliver." Lily blushed.
"Mom, you said that we having some people over this morning for breakfast, so we thought it would be nice to show off our cooking skills and impress your guests."
"Mom, Serena can actually cook. Sis, you don't have to worry so much. It's just Blair, Chuck and Henry and Nate with his girlfriend." Serena was surprised. She was cooking up some scrambled eggs and lost her train of thought.
"Nate has a girlfriend?" Serena asked casually.
"Yeah, you'll meet her later. You will be surprised to see who it is." Erik scoffed. It was clear to Serena that Erik did not like the girl. Erik had always liked Nate, ever since a young age. He was a brotherly figure considering Erik did not have an older male in the house that cared enough to stay. Whenever Erik had issues with work or a boyfriend or just his friends, Nate was the guy to go to. Sure, he could've gone to Chuck, but Chuck wasn't around as often as Nate was. He thought that Serena belongs with Nate however, he was glad that Serena had met a great guy and she was truly happy. That's all Erik wanted.
Blair and her family had come in looking cosy as ever and Serena was slightly envious of how Blair had become such a successful businesswoman along with a small beautiful family.
"Blair, look at this. S is cooking breakfast." Chuck smirked.
"Dear God, I hope she doesn't poison us."
"She won't. I was helping her. She did everything right." Oliver smiled with pride.
"I've tasted it, it's really good." Erik muffled with his mouth full.
"Erik, don't talk with your mouth full and help set the table." Erik nodded obediently and went to set the table as Rufus was walking out all dressed.
"Good morning Rufus. Where are your lovely son and daughter?" Blair asked sarcastically.
"Oh Blair, always lovely to see you…if you must know, they are back in Brooklyn." Rufus grinned. Rufus understood why hatred was felt towards his son and daughter, after all, they had messed with people's life all just for Dan's love for Serena. Rufus took a while forgive them, only to realise that they were his children and that he loved them. He accepted how people feel about them and would not defend their action. He was slightly glad that Serena had not reciprocated Dan's feelings for her, as he could write his own happy ending with Lily whom he had loved for a long time.
"Alright, let's settle down and go enjoy some lovely breakfast." As they settled down to enjoy the delicious breakfast, Nate walked in, hand-in-hand with a skinny brunette.
"Sorry, we're late. Juliet had a small emergency." Serena looked at Nate's girlfriend. It was Juliet Sharpe – the sister of her former boarding school teacher. Although they had made their peace, Serena could not forget all the things that Juliet had done to put her through misery especially in her first year at Brown
"Juliet?"
"Serena?" Serena stood up and walked over to hug her friend.
"Wow, you look great!" Serena politely complimented as they broke the hug.
"Wish I could say the same about you." Juliet grinned innocently.
"Bitch" Erik fake-coughed. Both Lily and Blair pinched his arms in response.
"Ow." Lily gave him a glare. When everyone was seated, Serena eagerly picked up her plate and loaded it up with food. Once, Serena was done, everyone stared at her while Oliver leaned back and smiled.
As Serena cut up her waffle and spread it with jam and whipped cream and about to take a bite, she looked up to everyone's eyes pointed at her.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Juliet scoffed.
"You're eating a plate full of carbs and fat – bacon, scrambled eggs, half a roast tomato, waffles with jam and whipped cream and a piece of toasted sourdough."
"Yes, and?" Serena said nonchalantly.
"We've never seen you eat so much," Lily said slowly. Greg chuckled as he was putting his food on his plate.
"Yeah, I realised that I should eat more and I have learnt to love and enjoy the food. Hence, I went to cooking school and can now cook good food, such as all this." Serena smiled and ate her waffle. Everyone laughed except Nate and Juliet and began loading up their plate and eating their breakfast.
"You cooked all this?" Nate asked curiously.
"Yeah, Oliver helped me while Erik tested it." Serena giggled. As the conversations began flowing, Juliet was, of course, trying to talk with Blair and Lily, only for her to be ignored by the both of them. Nate knew how much everyone disliked Juliet but he liked her and that's all that mattered.
"So, Oliver, tell us about yourself, about your family and everything." Lily smiled.
"Well, I was born in Melbourne, Australia. I'm 28 years old, the second eldest out of three kids in the family. My parents are both chefs and own their own farm which my older brother help run with his family and my parents. My younger sister is a food journalist and I'm a sports journalist." As everyone kept asking Oliver and Serena questions, Nate was watchful of Oliver and tried to find some sort of fault in him as Serena often dated men who weren't right or honest. He huffed in defeat knowing that Oliver was a genuinely nice guy.
"Oliver, maybe Nate wants to play with you?" Serena piped in, breaking Nate out of his own trance.
"Play what?"
"Play tennis. Oliver was a junior champion." Serena boasted.
"Sis, what about me?" Chuck asked playfully.
"You had your chance with him last night. It's time to share." Serena winked. What happened last night? Nate wondered.
"Alright, fine." Chuck gave in. It seemed not only Juliet was feeling excluded but so was Nate. Since Serena came back, it seemed Blair and Chuck was spending some time with the two of them, without him. Nate was extremely frustrated with Chuck as his best friend was always bailing on him or having an excuse to not be with him.
After leaving for breakfast, Nate dropped Juliet back at her apartment as quick as he could to avoid his ears being chewed off with the constant complaints that Juliet has about his friends. Nate walked into his apartment and made himself a cup of coffee, drinking while he stares out to the window. Serena's return has seemed to have brought old feelings back, in hope that he may reunite with his one true love (or that's what everyone thinks they are).
"Nate, are you in?" Nate turned around to see Chuck walking in wearing a long coat and a scarf hanging around his neck.
"Hey, Chuck. What are you doing here?" Nate walked towards Chuck and gave him a brotherly hug.
"Just came to check up on you. You seemed distant at breakfast." Chuck said worriedly.
"Me, distant? I highly doubt that."
"You were. You didn't engage in many conversations except when the she-devil was talking to you."
"Don't call her that."
"You would call her that if you knew what she was really like when you are not around." Nate was still clinging to being called distant.
"How could you call me distant? It's not like want to be when I'm constantly being excluded and Oliver is now being called one of us. I mean, you guys never told me about visiting Serena or anything that she hasn't told me about when we skyped."
"Nate, you're not being excluded. You're our best friend or in the words of my darling wife, the non-judging Breakfast Club."
"Sure, doesn't feel like it." He muttered. The two of them went down to the local country club where they played a bit of golf.
It felt nice that Chuck and Nate were catching up on old times if only Blair and Serena could be a part of it as well.
Yes, I had to bring back Juliet... she seemed the like the only one that Nate dated that could really rival Serena in all aspects - so we'll go with Juliet for now!