Chapter II
The D Word
Spotted: Chuck Bass playing truant in order to delve into the delights of decadence. Haven't you heard Chuck, excess isn't always best, especially when Daddy's home early.
The soft lights travelled over the dark skin of the girl on the stage. Chuck lay on the champagne coloured sofa up front. His eyes caressing the dancing girl as two women sat beside him, one brushing his cheek with a feather while the other ran fingers through his hair. Admittedly he no longer owned Victrola, but that didn't prevent him from coming here often to enjoy the many delights which had drawn him to buy it in the first place. The bouncer never turned him away, and Chuck didn't expect any less.
Right then it was sparse of customers. It was the busiest during night, but a few business men frequented it during lunch time, which was in about half an hour. Chuck was hoping to be gone by then. Though he believed in equal opportunity, when it came to running into some of his classmates fathers at an establishment such as this, it was awkward even for him. Besides it wasn't good for business to have a young faced boy sitting up front, it made them feel old and foolish. And Chuck may not have owned the place, but he was all for furthering business ventures. Who knew, maybe when Bart deposited the usual amount in his bank account when he arrived home, Chuck might even consider putting in an offer.
Right then he was concentrating on enjoying the show however, attempting to bleach out the memory of this morning in the rain. Despite his best efforts he wasn't having much success.
"Ladies, maybe you could procure me another drink, get something for yourselves too," he drawled, not even bothering to glance at the girls on either side of them. He held out a wad of cash to them, and it was his fingers were quickly relieved of it. The girls got up and strutted towards the bar, he watched them as they went, out of habit. Unfortunately all he noticed about them was their brunette hair. Sighing he ran his hand through his own hair, now dry and styled once more in the limo. He lent forward, his eyes travelled over the polished black table. His reflection was distorted, broken by the ten or so glasses scattered on it. Five of those were Chuck's.
His mind kept on wandering back to that moment in the courtyard, when Blair's lips had touched his. Playing games with her, he'd almost forgotten how amazing she could be. Unintentionally his fingers came up to brush his lip, when he realised what he was doing he quickly drew them away as if he had been burnt. He felt like an absolute fool, acting like a love sick puppy. Blair had made it perfectly clear what her condition was for them being together, and Chuck was perfectly sure it could never happen. Even if he wanted to...but he was being stupid. He didn't want to, he couldn't. Because those three little words could destroy a man, he'd already been witness to that and sworn he'd never be so foolish.
"Here's your drink," a sultry voice interrupted his thoughts. Chuck took it without even bothering a glance at the girl, placing it on the table. She slid down beside him, a cosmopolitan in hand. "A penny for your thoughts Mr Bass," she looked at him from under dark lashes, an inviting smile on her lips.
Chuck smirked as her hand reached out to trail along his school tie, which was already markedly loosened. This was the whole reason he'd come to Victrola, for the distractions.
He didn't bother replying to her, merely lent closer to her. She placed her cocktail glass down quickly as he reached out to lace his fingers through her hair, noting it was straight rather than curled, touching her lips with his own.
It was anti climatic really, after this morning. Chuck felt annoyance rise in him, as his mind compared the kisses without his leave. Growling in frustration he disengaged from the girl, picking up the glass of scotch he'd left lying on the table he took a gulp, drowning half the glass in one go. He was already feeling that dull numbness, a fuzzy edge to his thoughts, but it still wasn't enough to drown out thoughts of a Blair.
"Would you like anything else?" she voiced, he could feel her eyes watching him with confusion.
"No, that's all," he said shortly, his voice barely concealing his annoyance. Wisely she rose, he didn't bother watching her go this time. He wondered where the other one had gotten to, he'd almost finished his glass and was still thirsty. He supposed she had been caught up in something else, that was the risk of this place. His eyes were trained on the stage once more, though he was barely seeing the dance. His phone lay on the table, the metallic purple contrasting with the black surface.
His fingers absently brushed over it. She would be in third period by now, Chemistry if he remembered correctly. He wondered if she would answer his text. His thoughts were interrupted as the phone began to vibrate under his fingers, travelling across the table. He watched it make its progress, and then as it almost hit his glass he picked it up. Flicking it open he glanced at the ID.
It read Bart Bass in large black print. Staring at the display stunned he had a momentary thought to snap the phone shut. He brushed that aside after he got over his initial shock, it's not like Bart couldn't just call him back. Quickly Chuck grabbed his almost empty glass and drowned down the remaining drink. He then pressed the phone against his ear, luckily during the day the music in here was low. Unconsciously his fingers travelled over his tie, attempting to straighten it one handed. He quickly dropped it though, feeling foolish and annoyed at himself. It wasn't like his Father could see him, or even knew where he was.
"Chuck I know you're there," Bart's clipped tone came through the receiver, warningly.
"Hello Father," he drawled, more insolent than usual. Amber liquid always gave him courage."And to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I came home early today," Bart said, his voice steely. Chuck could anticipate there was going to be a rant on his father's part, with little intake of breath "And when I walked through that door the first thing I did was to answer a ringing phone, to find out that my son was absent from school without my leave and that the school now wishes to hold a parent teacher conference to discuss his 'colourful record' as your headmistress put it."
Chuck shut his eyes, almost groaning aloud at his own stupidity. He hadn't bothered to fake a call to the school because he hadn't expected his father to be back so soon. One absence really shouldn't have mattered in the scheme of things. Of course being Chuck Bass the amount of times he'd been absent from school, especially this first term of senior year, far outweighed the times he'd attended it.
"Father I..." Chuck began, quickly trying to form some sort of excuse.
"Don't," Bart cut him off sharply, his tone implying he didn't have the patience to listen to one of Chuck's many excuses. "I know you're at Victrola, I've instructed Arthur to pick you up. If you're not waiting outside for him by the time he gets there Charles you're going to be walking home. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Chuck murmured, feeling that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach which always accompanied his father's scolding. The dial tone followed his acquiesce. He sat there for a second, looking at it, his knuckles white as they gripped the phone.
He contemplated staying there, but then figured it was not worth making his father angrier then he was, especially with the impending parent teacher conference which was now joyfully in his future. Instead he shoved the phone in his pocket and quickly rose from the antique couch. Despite himself he found he was rushing, unconsciously tucking in his shirt roughly, and attempting to fix his knotted tie. He brushed his hand through his hair as he exited the door, giving the bouncer a nod. He felt relief wash through him as he noted there was no black limo parked outside in the usual reserved spot. He allowed himself a small bitter smirk as he thought of what his classmates would say if they saw their resident bad boy jumping at his Daddy's word. Then again none of them were unlucky enough to have Bart Bass as their father, so what did they know. Sighing he meandered over to the bouncer, he wasn't really into smoking, drinking was more his thing. But it seemed like the situation called for a cigarette, or two.
Serena sighed, running her fingers through her mussed blonde locks. She had spent most of the morning in bed, her champagne curtains drawn over the windows, keeping the light out. It had been a while since she had drunk to such an extent. She didn't know why, but something about Poppy Lifton made her feel fifteen again, competing for the wildest girl in school. She wasn't sure if she entirely enjoyed the feeling however, especially now with a hangover.
She rolled over onto her belly, reaching for her bedside table she grabbed her pink phone and pressed the centre button, checking the time. It was already past lunchtime, and despite her initial nausea she was beginning to get an appetite back. Maybe she could even try making the hangover cure Chuck was always so good at. She thought she might know some of the ingredients from the many times Blair had gotten him to make it for her. Something about bagels...or maybe that was just her stomach speaking.
Getting up she glanced at herself in the full length mirror. Her hair was all over the place, she wore old comfy pink shorts and a large t-shirt which had a hole on the arm. There were large black circles under her eyes. Groaning she quickly grabbed some sunglasses which lay on the dressing table. At least if she covered her bloodshot eyes, if she ran into any of the help they wouldn't scream and run. Well hopefully anyway.
Yawning she made her way down the stairs, realising she had the whole suite, and the whole day to herself. Eric and surprisingly Chuck were both at school, which she remembered to ring with her best Lilly voice and only minimal guilt. Feeling slightly more chipper at the fact she was completely and entirely free, she jumped down the last few stairs.
She stopped short as she spotted Bart standing at the kitchen counter, staring at her with those unnerving blue eyes.
"Serena?" he voiced, looking at her with surprise and raised eyebrows.
"Oh..uhh...Bart," Serena turned pink, feeling tongue tied. She felt painfully aware of her pink short shorts and holey shirt, as compared to the always immaculate business man who stood before her in a pressed designer suit. There was also the little issue of her playing hooky. She bit her lip, feeling uncertain and flustered, like a five year old.
"I wasn't expecting you home today," she settled on saying as Bart continued to look at her with raised eyebrows.
"The deal went smoother then I thought it would," he said in his same severe voice, "I must say I wasn't expecting you home either, seeing as it's a Monday."
"I...I wasn't feeling well," she said, quickly averting her eyes. Her fingers reached up to grip a lock of hair, twirling it.
"Really?" he said, she could tell he wasn't buying her story. Bart may be a man of few words, and frequently absent, but out of all of Lilly's husbands he seemed to be the one that was most perceptive when it came to Serena or Eric. There was also the newspaper he held in his hand, Serena's heart sank as she wondered whether her picture had made it onto the society page yet again.
"Is wearing sunglasses indoors some new trend I've missed?" Bart asked abruptly, interrupting her thoughts.
"Oh," she said, forgetting she had them on. Her hands reached up to take the designer Gucci shades off, but she quickly stilled the, remembering why she was wearing them in the first place. "Actually I'm still feeling pretty under the weather, I might just go upstairs and..." she trailed off, turning to head up the landing.
"Serena, a moment please," Bart called after her, in the voice of a man used to being obeyed. Serena found herself turning, dread building in her stomach, but also the usual defiance which always raised its head when anyone in authority took a tone with her. She raised her chin, meeting Bart's cool eyes defiantly. Before Bart could open his mouth however the elevator let off a loud sound, indicating the arrival of someone in their suite.
"Chuck," Serena said brightly as her step brother appeared from the elevator. His hair was ruffled, his tie knotted. Serena could smell the strong scent of scotch and the unusual one of nicotine, even from where she was standing. She was sure his unruly state would take precedence with Bart.
"Sis," he leered, making her painfully aware of her apparel once more. Serena quickly crossed her arms over her chest, and narrowed her eyes as he leered.
"Charles, you smell of a brewery," Bart commented, glaring at his son. Serena could see a small vein in his forehead pop out as he took in Chuck's appearance. Like she had predicted all thoughts of her transgressions were forgotten.
"Glasses fly when you're having fun," Chuck smirked. Serena could tell he was slightly inebriated, that was the only time he managed to be openly snarky towards Bart.
"Are you even going to try and explain your actions this time Charles?" Bart asked, voice steely. Serena backed up a step, wondering if maybe she could sneak away quietly. Since Lilly had married Bart, Chuck and him hadn't fought, not outright anyway. But Serena knew that Chuck could push Bart like no one else, and even the controlled business man had his limits. She, like Nate and Blair, knew that on occasion Bart would snap and he and Chuck would have outright rows, which ended in Chuck's absence to some foreign country and Bart's annoyance when they called.
"Did Serena?" Chuck asked, glancing insolently at Bart. He walked over to the fridge and swung it open, as if his father's displeasure was of no consequence.
"We are not discussing Serena right now," Bart growled through his teeth, glaring at his son.
"Oh really?" Chuck commented without removing his head from the fridge. He was rummaging around inside, by the sound of the clinking bottles Serena knew what he was looking for. True to her guess he appeared with a bottle in hand, shutting the fridge door he then proceeded to the cupboard where the champagne glasses were kept. "Because I hear she was out all last night drinking with Poppy Lifton. I can't imagine that's good for business Father, especially with those new conservatives you've been courting."
Serena felt like strangling Chuck's smug face as he glanced over at her. Bart also glanced at her, but his attention turned back to his son as Chuck made a louse noise searching in the draw for a corkscrew.
"Don't you think you've had enough son," Bart snapped, voice growing dangerous as Chuck ignored him and continued to rummage. Bart walked over to where Chuck stood, grabbing the bottle he'd left lying on the table.
Chuck did look up at this. "I thought we could celebrate," he said mildly. "You know, the first parent teacher conference you'll actually attend."
"If I came back for every conference your school called me to, to talk about you, I would never get any work done," Bart stated, voice cutting. "Do not try and do what you've become so good at, and lay the blame at my door for your ridiculous screw ups. I don't have the time nor the patience to pick up after you every time, you're lucky the deal brokered early or you would have been facing this on your own."
Serena watched this exchange, shocked as she saw Chuck almost cringe at his father's word. His face had gone very still, his eyes guarded. The look she was familiar seeing on his face, and yet there was still some vulnerability on it, as if he actually cared.
"So what will it be this time father. Now that I've inconvenienced you ?" he drawled after a moment's pause where Bart's words hung between them. "Are you going to ground me? Ban my TV privileges?" a mocking smile tugged at his mouth.
Bart sighed suddenly, the fight seeming to go out of him as he looked at his son. He shook his head instead, in disgust or defeat Serena wasn't sure.
"Maybe some time using public transport will teach you how privileged you are," he stated.
"You're taking the limo," Chuck didn't seem surprised at this at all, it was expected. The limo was always the first to go when his father was annoyed with him. He didn't expect it to last even a week, which was about as long as Bart remembered that he was a Father as well as the CEO of Bass industries.
"I've organized an appointment with your headmistress tomorrow before school." Bart said, dismissive now he turned back to the papers he left on the counter, placing the bottle of wine down firmly next to it. He only ever spared enough time on Chuck to admonish him and highlight his short failings. "I expect you to be ready and waiting downstairs. I have to check on some things at the office, but if you so much as a put a foot outdoor Charles..." he didn't follow through with the threat, but merely glared at his son.
"Of course," Chuck said bitterly, sneering slightly. Taking it as his dismissal he headed for the stairs, brushing past Serena. Bart's eyes followed his son as he made his way to his room, a frown creasing his forehead. He turned back to the papers he'd left on the counter when Chuck arrived, collecting them together. Serena hesitated, not sure whether to leave or not, then turned.
"Oh and Serena," Bart called after her, she turned with wide blue eyes, but he wasn't looking at her still shuffling through his papers. "If you don't mind I'd like to have a chat with you later."
"Of course," she said, then quickly turned and made her way up the rest of the stairs, wondering what she was in for.
A/N: Here's the new chapter, please review and don't just add to story alert or Big Bad Bart may be arriving at your house. = )
Special thank you to Chair fan, Ami, LY, ellibells, QueenBee10, colourmehappy, Criswell and ChairLoveK. Your reviews inspired me to write, and I'm glad you liked the first chapter, thank you so much for your reviews!. = ).
(ellibells: I guess it kind of is Chuck-Blair centric, as I love Chair. But I think it's necessary to have the other characters have some sort of storyline to balance it out, as they can also be interesting in their own rights. They're is also the fact that Chuck and Blair need to grow as people a bit. So though I will have Chair scenes, they're not going to be in every chapter. I hope this does not diminish your love for me = P lol jks.)
In future chapters there will be some Jack Bass action too = P. Because he and Georgina were two of the best villains! I also want to note I was very inspired by amomentintime3 gossip girl trilogy, which is under my favourites!
Inspiring picture: google "gossip-girl 44" it's the pic where Chuck is slouching on the Victrola couch. Would really appreciate it if anyone knows how to put a successful link on ff = ).
I've just finished the next chapter and will post it on Saturday, maybe Friday. = )