Chapter 33 -Part 1

Chapter 33
Part 1

“So, how did you guys hook up?” Blair and Chuck were standing talking to a couple of sophomores at C’s party. Chuck had been shamelessly flaunting Blair for the past hour, showing off that he could, in fact, be committed to one girl.
“Well,” Chuck said, grinning, “it all started with a strip club, some cocktails, and a—” Blair jabbed her elbow into Chuck’s stomach, and smiled at the two sophomores.
“It’s a… long story,” she said as Chuck glared at her.
The guests walked off, and B whirled on her heels to face C. “I told you you could make us public,” she hissed, “not tell everyone our personal, private story!”
“Well, don’t you want people to know how we started?” Chuck had his usual smug grin on his face.
“No, I don’t! It’s not a very good, story, if you think about it!” Blair’s eyes were bright with anger. “And it sure as hell isn’t romantic!”
Chuck just stared at her, not saying a word. The smug grin was still on his lips, and Blair just wanted to slap it right off.
But they were in public.
“Behave yourself,” she breathed as she swiftly walked past him. C just watched her go, and swallowed the rest of his scotch.

B met Serena over on one of the sofas. “Dan hasn’t been answering my calls. He said he was busy.”
“Then he probably is,” Blair said, sitting down next to her. “Don’t worry about it. Maybe he just thinks you guys are spending too much time together.”
“Maybe...” Serena said, but she didn’t sound that sure of herself. “Oh, well. How’s your evening going?”
“Chuck’s screwing it up, as always,” Blair said, a little bitterly. “God, why does he have to be such an a** all the time?”
“Because he’s Chuck Bass,” Serena said, laughing. “He’s nothing without his smarminess.”
“Is that even a word?” Blair looked at her friend sceptically.
“Actually, I think it is. They made it up in honour of Chuck.”
“I’m sure they did.” Blair sighed and rose from the sofa. She got herself a cocktail at the bar, and noticed Jenny arriving. Before she could close the door, Chuck appeared by J’s side, offering to take her coat. B inched her way towards them casually, listening in.
“So glad you could make it, Little J,” Chuck was saying. “Yeah, well, I was in the neighbourhood.” Jenny laughed nervously as Chuck studied her face.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” C asked nonchalantly, adjusting the silver watch on his wrist.
“Oh, you mean Oliver? I don’t know; he couldn’t make it.” Chuck was about to say something when J quickly added, “And he’s not my boyfriend. We went out once.”
“Well, any guy would be lucky to have you.” Chuck said the words slowly, emphasizing every syllable. He kissed her hand gently; his eyes fixed to hers all the while. Sighing, Blair stood up from her seat nearby and walked over to them.
“Chuck, stop hitting on Jenny,” she scolded, giving J a sympathetic look.
“I wasn’t hitting on anyone, B. I was just being a friendly host.” Chuck gazed at Blair in a failed attempt to look innocent.
“Oh, please, I could spot you drooling from across the room,” Blair said, rolling her eyes. “Come on, J. Let’s leave old Bass here to his perverted fantasies.” B linked arms with Jenny, narrowed her eyes at Chuck, and headed to the other side of the room.