Chapter Ten- Mind Games

[Dan's P.O.V]

I can't see her anymore. I can't see Elizabeth Hurley in my dreams. I try to go to different sceneries in my mind to find her but still nothing that brings her back. Now, I'm not obsessed with Elizabeth Hurley. I just happen to have this thing when it comes to her, I don't know how to explain but it just started at a young, puberty driven age where I would wake to attention standing and I would freak out. My panicking went into overdrive as I had to get ready for school in the next hour or else I was going to be late so out nowhere I see this picture of Elizabeth Hurley in 1999 in a yellow bathing suit on Hawaiin sand and then….boom, the soldier went at ease. Many of my adolescent days were spent waking up and looking over the very picture that put me at ease every time until one day Jenny happened to take the magazine to cut out pictures for a collage. I nearly choked Jenny for that, but I had found that dreaming about Elizabeth helped tame me ever quicker and even helped the thoughts of sex at time where I was nowhere near having sex. So now in my dreams I try to search for her so that I would never again have a troublesome morning and lately it seemed as if those morning were coming more frequently. Waldorf and I went back and forth with sleeping together and me sleeping in Jenny's room because….well, that's just how she wanted it and I just wanted sleep or sex, so it was basically what she was in the mood for. Sitting up in the bed I looked down at my legs to see that the my own statue of liberty was standing proudly and I only did the logical thing. Hopping out of the bed, I ran back and forth in my mind if this was as logical as I thought but it was the only thing since there was no pictures on the internet of that specific one, and I couldn't get her in my dreams…I was left with no choice. Now I warn you that violence may ensue, but I have to do this. Quickly opening the door to my bedroom, I could see that Blaire was beginning to sit up in bed as she yawned.

"Good morning Hump…" Blaire yawned as she rubbed her eyes awake before she got a clear view "Humphrey what the hell!" she screamed as she jumped up in the bed

"I know, I know. I know what this looks like, but I can't find her" I said trying not to get emotional in a guy type of way

"Who?" Blaire asked "Is this a Serena thing?" she asked again

"No, this is a Liz thing" I said as I began to cry like a little girl

"Elizabeth Hurley" Blaire then said in disbelief that I was seriously obsessed with her

"Yeah, and I can't find her in my dreams so now I'm stuck with this" I said pointing down at my erection

"You do know this breaking the rule of sex in the morning" Blaire replied

"Blaire!" I screamed

"Humphrey that's so disgusting" Blaire whined

"You have sex with this, so what's the difference" I told her

"Because I'm usually horny and I'm not currently in the mood right now…I'm never in the mood in the mornings" Blaire said

"Well I'll get you in the mood, but I have class in two hours and this needs to be gone by then or else me being ahead of the class will be taken literally" I said as Blaire contemplated what she should do

"Well how are you going to get me in the mood?" Blaire asked

"Uh…maybe foreplay then we get to it" I told her wondering how that factored into the equation "Blaire we really need to" I said trying to speed up the thought process

"Can't you just masturbate, I swear I won't say anything…but please be neat" Blaire told me before I just finally walked over towards the bed and pulled her down before I leaned in to kiss her. Kissing her softly but yet in some weird way…passionately, I reminded myself that she had to be in the mood or else I'd never hear the end of it. Slowly pulling up her silk pajama top, I began to lead a trail of kisses down her stomach as my hands slowly pulled down her pajama bottoms to see that she all ready bare. Looking up at her, I could see that she was trying her best not to react but she was eager to my next move. Entering my finger slowly into her entrance, I went in and out at rhythmic pace that seemed to make her explode with excitement. Grabbing on to both sides of the bed, she did her best not to scream but the feeling of pleasure she just couldn't obtain any longer. That on its own had a calming effect on me as it served the purpose of what I wanted from her, but I couldn't stop. Continuing on, she met the penetration with her hips like it was just natural to her. More and more her moans became a symphony in my ears that was just so intoxicating. Pulling my finger out, I leaned forward to undo her top as I savagely kissed her breasts, enjoying the feel of her supple mounts in my mouth drove me insane. Her bare skin underneath me I could feel her heart racing a thousand miles per minute while her hands roamed freely in my hair as I continued on with my taste of her. Pulling back, I pulled down my pajama bottoms along with my boxers before I entered. Thrusting back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…her moans increased as I propped myself up so that I was leaning on my arm to balance out my weight on her. Grunts escaped me as my usual timing would have ended by now but I just couldn't stop, capturing her lips with mine once again as I continued on. We both felt our climax coming near, and with one final thrust we both succumbed to our pure satisfaction. Rolling over onto my back, we both gasped for air as we were trying to slow up our heart rates.

"Maybe sex in the morning isn't so bad" Blaire said still trying to gasp for air before she sat up in the bed

"An open mind will get you far" I smiled just as she got out of bed with a blanket wrapped around her body

"Yes, it will but now I need it to take me to work" Blaire said as she motioned for me to get out

"Right" I replied as I got out of bed to lean over and grab my pajama bottoms while she scurried over to the closet to pick out her clothes as all I could do was watch her. It was weird, a part of me expected her to not treat this like a booty call but then again I initiated it for my own personal reasons. Blaire had cured my lack of Elizabeth Hurley, but yet I still felt cheap afterwards.

[Blaire's P.O.V]

I had to admit that working with Epperly had held a bit more tension than I liked since our last discussion, but I was determined to prove to her that I was the person for the job one way or the other. You see, I feel like since my mugging that I have experienced a change of heart that has allowed my eyes to be fully opened to take in things I had once denied. The other night, Humphrey and I watched Glitter…the entire movie without dozing off. Society as a whole and Humphrey had called the movie a complete bore and just another way for Mariah Carey to prove she just can't act, but I sat there with my open mind and thought….well, what I thought isn't that important, but I still sat there and watched. Being robbed could have very well been the making of my turning point in my career, which has allowed me to hone in on the things I had ignored…it was like my 50 cent moment, I think that's his name, where I get shot nine times and come back better than ever. Though I prefer to only be robbed one time seeing as it was traumatic enough as is, we could distribute the other eight when I'm slipping on my path to becoming a powerful woman, like if I begin to pull a Britney by dating a low life, fame hungry, no talent Kevin Federline then I need to be robbed.

"The mock ups are ready for you" I said after knocking on Epperly's door to see her checking her computer

"Oh, thanks" Epperly smiled as she extended her hand for me to hand them to her "Quick question Blaire, I'm finishing up this article on signs to know that he's into you and I have excerpts from a good amount of people but I need one more, do you think you could give me one?" she asked me. I almost had the mind to tell her that I would be the worst person to ask seeing as my history with romance had been a complete failure to me having sex with a guy I had pleasure torturing in high school.

"Sure, can I see what you have so I don't repeat it?" I asked her as she turned her computer screen around to show me "Oh, those are some good ones" I said reading over a few

"I'm sure you can give me a good one. Just give me one you live by?" Epperly asked

"Maybe…the hair tuck" I replied thinking back to something that always made me swoon that surprisingly Chuck never did often, maybe if I told him we'd still be together…but knowing Chuck he'd still find a way to disappoint "If he tucks away a strand of your hair it shows that he likes you, the beauty of you" I then said

"That's a good one. Oh, and if he adds the extra kiss then that's definite liking" Epperly smiled

"It has to be a simple kiss because it's a simple gesture to show admiration not desire, though desire will come later, but admiration shows appreciation for the person and I love to know I'm appreciated" I then said

"I like your thoughts Waldorf, I like them a lot" Epperly smiled as I only hoped she'd like my thoughts after she see's those mock ups "How do they look?" she asked

"They look…interesting" I said trying not to display my true feelings on the shoot but when she pulled them out of the folder her facial expression said it all

"These are horrible" Epperly replied "I mean what did Christian do for that entire shoot, text the whole damn time" she said

"Knowing Christian, he probably did. He's fighting with Jose so that's drama as is" I replied as I filled her in on the office gossip

"Well Jose is going to make him lose his job. I can't turn this into Stefano by the end of the week, he'll hate it" Epperly sighed "I didn't even approve this designer, we were suppose to go unknown for the New York's finest piece" she went on to complain

"Can't we do another re-shoot? I mean we have enough time to do an emergency shoot, we'll have to put the peddle to the meddle on finding an unknown but it can be done" I told her

"Yeah, in our dreams. This, this is what we're stuck with and we have to run it or else the issue won't make it on time, and Stefano hates missing deadlines" Epperly said

"Is there anything we can do to improve it then?" I then asked

"Nothing" Epperly sighed "Look, I need to make a few calls and try to prepare the crew, but next week you should be planning to come in early for staff meeting because I'm pretty sure Stefano will be calling one" she then said before I headed out of her office. As I walked back to my desk, I just kept thinking that there had to be something that I could do…I mean fixing disasters was my specialty and with the vast amount of people I knew there had to be a way to improve things. This was a mission that I had to complete, and maybe this could be my stepping stone onto making Epperly see that I was qualified with newly formed open mind.

[Dan's P.O.V]

Waldorf insults had always been stingers, but I was always able to take the hit and fight back. Our bickering had become something I was use to and expected in order to see how we were for that day, never did I expect this stinger to stay with me though. I couldn't help but continually go back to what Darota had said because of everything that was going on, and it just made me crazed in the head. After a long day at work, I swung by the bar to have few drinks with Ryan, who probably my only excuse to get out the loft because if I went back to the loft then it just be a whole mind fart after another for me. As soon I headed inside I quickly spotted Ryan chatting it up with a few girls that I'm surely he barely even met a few seconds ago. Usually I would eye a few to at least stretch my flirt muscle but after the day I had, bringing a new girl into the mix would have lead to my downfall. Grabbing a seat beside Ryan, he barely noticed I was even there for the first twenty minutes as he was laying it on thick with this one girl, who I know for a fact he didn't know her name, but it was fine seeing as I was the wingman in many situations with him. Staring down at my shot of coke and rum, nothing else really mattered to me at this point.

"I think I'm going to marry that girl" Ryan said in complete star struck of the girl he had just finished talking to as he turned around to give me his attention now

"Marriage, so soon. Your clearly trying to get smashed tonight" I laughed before I took another sip of my drink

"Smashed is not the word. I got bitched out at work, then I have a term paper due next week…so smashed would be a light word for what I intend to happen" Ryan laughed "How is your day going so far?" he then asked

"Just peachy king" I replied sarcastically before I downed my drink then requested another one

"Peachy king? Okay, that sounds frightening" Ryan laughed "Is it the lack of ass getting to you?" he joked

"No, I'm getting ass" I replied realizing I just rephrased what he said but I didn't want to think of Blaire as a piece of ass because I had too much respect for her to just chalk her as that "I don't mean that. I mean I'm having sex but I'm not going to call her a piece of ass" I babbled on

"Okay, okay. Since you felt the need to babble on about Waldorf, this lets me know that something is certainly wrong" Ryan laughed

"No, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine" I laughed nervously "The sex is great. The girl is annoying at times. Everything is fine, I'm so glad I took your advice!" I said becoming sarcastic towards the end

"No, no. Please tell me you didn't break the golden rule?" Ryan asked as he couldn't help but laugh at me

"What golden rule?" I asked him

"Your starting to take it personally, this whole arrangement. Your starting to become sensitive" Ryan said

"What? That's ridiculous. I'm not taking this personally, I just would like to be treated with respect though" I said

"Respect? Dan, its just sex not a marriage pact" Ryan replied

"Okay, well you have low standards when it comes to sex, but my idea of sex is to at least show gratitude for what the other has busted their ass to do. I had to talk her into having sex with me this morning because of a little pitched tent I had…the only way we could have sex is if I got her in the mood. Get her in the mood? Can you believe that" I said

"Aren't you suppose to do that regardless?" Ryan asked

"It'd be breaking rule number thirty seven" I told him

"Rule number thirty seven? You actually have rules? I think I've met two people who could actually mess up the friends with benefit thing" Ryan said in total disbelief that we actually had rules

"Stop. I told you about the rules" I replied "What do I do? I have to end this thing with Waldorf because its messing me up in the head" I told him

"Now your over reacting. Look, there is a simple way of handling this. It's a way of getting the control back in the so called relationship and making her realizing that your doing her a favor" Ryan said

"What is it?" I asked almost a little afraid to hear what he was going to say

"Have sex with another girl. She comes in and see's that your actually looking to find that girlfriend…then she'll realize that the time is coming near" Ryan said

"That makes no sense whatsoever" I laughed "I have sex with another girl and then Blaire is probably going to make me jump through hoops just to have sex again…I'd probably have to do testing and then a lie detector test every day before I even drop my pants" I sighed

"See, your obliging her rules. You need to start making your own rules in this screwed up relationship" Ryan told me

"I just don't see the point in what your saying? I should just end things…I mean Darota was right, this could only end badly" I said

"Darota? The maid. You've lost your damn mind if your taking advice from her" Ryan said

"Yeah, well it's the only one that makes sense to me" I told him before I glanced over to see Blaire entering and making her way over towards us

"Hey" Blaire smiled at me as she pull up a stool beside me "Ryan" she greeted him

"Blaire, what a pleasure to have you here amongst the common people" Ryan joked

"You common, your flattering yourself too much" Blaire fired back as I couldn't help but laugh at her razor sharp wit while she ordered herself a drink "Boysenberry bash please" she requested

"Boysenberry, yes you fit right in with the common" Ryan laughed

"Oh, Ryan. Not even you could mess up my mood right now. I'm beyond elated that a second opportunity has been bestowed upon me" Blaire replied

"What happened?" I asked intrigued to know

"Epperly had a disaster happen at work" Blaire said as the bartender handed her the drink and she began to sip slowly

"How does that constitute as good…wait, it's you we're talking about. You see this as your opportunity to prove Epperly wrong about you being close minded" I said realizing that this was Blaire Waldorf I was talking to and where there was an accident she'd turn it into an opportunity to resurrect new followers

"You catch on well Humphrey" Blaire smiled "I'm using my mothers photographer to re-do the shoot, now I just need to find an unknown designer" she said

"A designer? Doesn't your mom know some?" I asked her

"Only well known, I need a gem. I need someone who is aching to have their big break" Blaire said in her trance like state that only had her succeeding

"Go to one of those fashion institutes then" Ryan suggested

"Before you reply, implement the open mind tactic" I told her knowing that I didn't have to look at her to know what facial expression she was making

"Maybe we could circulate Brooklyn tomorrow, and find the gem I've been searching for" Blaire suggested as I just looked on at my glass wondering how much it would take to get drunk "So what were you two discussing before I came in?" she then asked

"We were talking about…" I said trying to think of lie but Ryan had cut me off

"We were talking about which one of those girls over there should Dan leave here with" Ryan said as I quickly turned to him wondering what the hell he was doing as a moment of silence fell upon us as Blaire just looked on at the girls

"No, we weren't talking about that" I turned to tell her only to see that her attention was still on the girls

"He should ask the brunette. She seems a bit more your speed" Blaire said nearly shocking me with her response. Now I really felt cheap I thought to myself

"What?" I asked

"I agree. The brunette looks promising" Ryan laughed

"Yes, I mean she has that whole down played dressing going on for her so she's from here. She talks a lot, exactly like you" Blaire replied "Face it Humphrey, your soul mate may be at a bar" she smiled at me thinking it was a joke but I could tell that she was serious. I couldn't read her, I mean what did she expect of me, to just go out and be with someone else. At least I had the decency to respect her feelings and what our non relationship that was solely based on sex might mean to her. What the hell was I thinking? I mean this is nothing and I need to stop acting like it should be something or could be because it isn't. This is Darota's fault because all Blaire Waldorf will ever mean to me is just a friend. So calling her on her bluff, I finished off my drink then got up from my stool

"You said the brunette, right?" I asked her

"Yes" Blaire smiled

"Here we go, this is the Humphrey I know" Ryan cheered me on as I walked over towards the brunette she had selected for me. After a few moments of flirting and going back and forth, I managed to get the brunette, who had come to be known as Jessica, to leave with me and from that point on I knew her eyes were focused squarely on me as we left the bar. The leaving was all for show just to show her that I could get the girl, and that I wasn't some hopeless romantic that had wasted away his love on Serena van der Woodsen. After leaving the bar, I took Jessica home where she went in alone and after that I caught a movie just to kill time because being around Blaire wasn't an option right now especially since a part of me was a little irked with her.

[Blaire's P.O.V]

He thinks he's getting to me. I mean Humphrey really thinks he's getting to me by going home with that brunette. Maybe he's more like Chuck than I gave him credit for in the end, what he did was so Chuck like in more ways than one. He has to know that I'm the master of manipulators, so this won't work. Let's just forget the fact that I'm sitting up, waiting on him to come back…not because I'm worried but because that robber is still out there and I don't want to be the last person who saw him because I suck at testifying for others. No, I'm only up because I need to make sure that he's still alive so Ryan tomorrow could be the last person to see him. Okay, so it's one in the morning and he still hasn't made it home, he won't be getting sex for a long time with me…not until he get tested and everything else under the sun. Humphrey is such a jackass, I mean how can he be so inconsiderate. We're roommates and we're supposed to be considerate of each other, its like if there's no milk left, the only honorable thing to do is be considerate of the fact that the other person might want some milk. It's all about the consideration factor and he seems to lack it. Wondering if I should do a gossip girl blast just to find out where he was, I was quickly torn away from that task when I heard him fumbling around with his keys outside. Running into my room because I didn't want him to know that I had been up waiting for him, I quickly hopped back in the bed and closed my eyes as tight as I could to show that I was fast asleep not thinking about him. I could hear him tossing his keys onto the counter before he went into the kitchen to most likely grab something to drink. Closing my eyes once again, I heard him make his way towards my room.

"Waldorf, are you awake" Dan whispered as he walked over towards my side of the bed. I'll be damned if I have sex with him after he probably hooked up with the girl at the bar, he won't be getting anything from me so there's no point in me waking up to oblige his wish. "You sleep like a damn log" he sighed as I immediately thought of I sleep like a log dumbass, I'm asleep. He was smart but he sure had some dumb moments. For a moment I could just hear him sitting on the edge of the bed not really doing anything, and in the next moment he extended his hand and tucked away a loose strand of my hair behind my ear before he leaned in to kiss my forehead "Goodnight" he then whispered before he got up to leave, making sure to close the door behind him. Opening my eyes I stared up at the ceiling in disbelief as it all threw me of kilter, immediately sitting up in my bed I just began to wrack my head thinking this couldn't be, I mean it was crazy to even think that, not Humphrey. He couldn't like me.