Will Not Remember, Cannot Forget

It’s a fun game, he thinks. The odds are good. Slightly less in his favor since Georgina joined them, but still acceptable. He takes the final sip of his champagne, then reaches down and spins the bottle.



He holds his breath as it turns in ever slower circles. He can see that it is going to be close. A matter of inches. Maybe this time…



His eyes flick momentarily to the dark haired waif at Nate’s side. He feels the familiar stab of guilt, and then returns his gaze resolutely to the bottle.



She’s Nate’s, he sternly reminds himself. Has always been Nate’s. He, Chuck Bass, has no business thinking of his best friend’s girlfriend that way. Still…it would be nice. A safe opportunity to indulge. No one need ever know it meant more to him than a game. If only the bottle would stop…



But no. Lady luck is not delivering today it seems. The bottle is pointing squarely at Georgina.



He lets his breath out in a small sigh. At least it isn’t Nate. That had been awkward, and the girls had laughed uproariously, which only made it worse. He doesn’t like being laughed at.



He crawls across the circle towards her, and unlike the other girls, she comes forward to meet him. As she does, her dress dips forward, giving him a glimpse of budding breasts and a hint of red lace. He forces his eyes back to her face, and she’s smiling. There’s something in her smile, and for a second he thinks that she knows that her dress had gaped open, that she’d done it deliberately. But he quickly dismisses the thought as ridiculous. Girls don’t do things like that.



He reaches her now, and there’s a moment of shyness. Licking his lips and taking a shaky breath, he leans in to kiss her. He keeps his eyes open, because he doesn’t know how to do it without bumping heads, and that’s how he knows she leans in too.



Her lips under his are soft, and he just begins to pull away when her hand is on the back of his head urging him to stay. He does, and for a second the world falls away. Then her mouth is suddenly insistent, her tongue slipping between his lips. Her fingers are tightening in his hair and she tastes like champagne and cloves and before he can even think to react, she breaks the kiss.



His breathing is ragged and he can feel heat rising in his cheeks. Nate is clapping him on the back, and Serena is giggling behind her manicured hands and Blair… Blair is turning away.



But Georgina is looking at him from across the circle now. Her eyes are alight with mischief as she grins a wicked little grin at him, and he can’t help but grin back. She lifts her champagne flute in a mock toast, downs the rest of the sparkling liquid, and winks. He laughs and feels a bit lightheaded, thinking it must be the kiss because he hasn’t really had that much champagne.



Then, abruptly Blair is announcing she has to leave, and she’s practically dragging a drunken stumbling Serena with her. Nate shoots him a confused and apologetic look, then dashes out of the suite after them. Chuck attempts to follow them, and stop them, and demand to they come back, but he’s too slow. The hallway outside his suite is deserted and they are already gone.



“Guess the party’s over,” he announces to Georgina as he reenters and collapses onto the couch. He feels like his bones are dissolving as he sinks deeper into the plush leather cushions.



“I figured,” Georgina whispers, joining him on the couch. “I just called my parents. They’re on their way.”



“Okay,” he murmurs, suddenly tired.



He closes his eyes and feels her small hand upon his chest, her body snuggling against him. It’s… different. Not bad. Just different. The only other person who has cuddled with him is Blair on those occasions when, abandoned by Nate and Serena, they fall asleep together on the couch watching classic films. It’s always a bit awkward afterward with Blair, and so he’s not certain about cuddling with Georgina.



But then again, he is very comfortable. It’d be a shame to move, and her parents would be here soon, and it was kind of nice to cuddle with a girl who seemed to like him. At least she kissed him as if she liked him. Besides, she smells good, like some expensive perfume with hints of vanilla.



For the rest of his life, he will hate that smell, but for now, it’s okay. More than okay. He breathes in the scent as his mind drifts off towards dreams of another girl with chestnut curls who smells more like flowers than food.