Empire

Chapter 54

Fanfic: Empire Ch 54, Gossip Girl | FanFiction

Chapter 54

Lux's Point of View

The elevator had dinged so many times as guests arrived I was half tempted to have maintenance turn it off for the evening. Indistinctive chatter mixed with bursts of overly enthusiastic bouts of laughter flitted up the staircase and down the hallway into my bedroom where I was just finishing up getting ready. I smoothed out the bottom of my black satin dress looking myself over in the floor length mirror in the corner of my room. Loose chocolate brown curls surrounded my face, flowing down over my bare shoulders in this halter dress. The air conditioner has been wacky all day making the entire apartment feel stale and stuffy. It felt almost as if I were being suffocated. Sighing I pulled my hair up into a high pony tail and spun around on my heel to join the festivities on the main floor.

Making my way down the hall I noticed the soft glow of the hall lights diminish momentarily then reappear. I shrugged it off as I descended the staircase, resting one hand on the cool wrought iron railing as I went. Parents and their children were scattered throughout our apartment indulging themselves on the finest Perrier-Jouet Belle Époque Rose Cuvee Champagne that money could buy.

The bass of the music rang through my ears as I weaved my way through kids I hardly knew dressed in expensive suits and sweaters. The boys looked like they were torn from the pages of a Ralph Lauren catalog. I took a Balsamic Strawberries with Goat Cheese Crostini a waitress had offered me and nibbled on it scouring the room for Blair or Nate or Caleb. He was supposed to be here as well along with his mother Julie and his little sister Carly. His father was away on business yet again. I spotted Blair talking to Nelly and Penelope over by the grand piano and swiftly made my way towards them.

"Well, the ancestral home is next to Balmoral. Marcus tells the funniest story about Harry running naked across their lawn." I heard Blair giggle as I approached her side. She smiled warmly and faux kissed me on the cheek. A waitress passed us with flutes of champagne and Blair snagged one and handed it to me.

"Prince Harry? I love him!" Nelly gushed adjusted the thick rimmed coke bottle glasses over her eyes.

"Don't we all." I smiled, holding my glass up to toast her then laughing. I felt a hand touch the small of my back and for a split second I had assumed it would be Chuck, tensing up and rolling my eyes I turned to see Caleb. Immediately I smiled and hugged him hoping he didn't see the look of disgust that presented itself on my face at the mere thought of that bass-hole.

"I'm so glad you made it!" I said while he smirked and gave me the one over, clearly liking what he saw.

"Yeah, me too. You look gorgeous." He whispered leaning in and kissing the side of my cheek lightly. I took a deep breath and ignored the fluttering in my lower stomach and beamed back at him. I'd completely tuned out Blair and the girls behind me at the moment standing beside Caleb with his hand on the small of my back. I sipped on my champagne ignoring the thoughts swirling in my head of all the things I wished Caleb would do to me...What is wrong with me?

"But you've been planning on Yale ever since you were a little girl." Penelope shrieked in disbelief at Blair. I turned away from Caleb and focused my attention back on the conversation at hand.

"I know, but Marcus keeps begging me to consider Oxford." Blair informed her sending a smile to Marcus across the crowded room. He was entertaining his high class mother. Why she needed to be invited was beyond me. I mean Nate could probably seriously use a night away from her.

"Are you still considering Princeton?" Caleb asked glancing at me before he shoved a Blackberry Brie Bite into his mouth. The tiny muscles along his strong jaw long flexed and tensed as he chewed.