Is there really anything better than a lazy Sunday? Reading the paper in bed, sipping coffee, scrambling an egg or two. Yeah, right. We Upper East Siders don't do lazy: Breakfast is brunch and it comes with champagne, a dress code, and a hundred of our closest friends... and enemies. Chuck's dad, Bart Bass, is hosting the annual brunch for his foundation. Everyone is invited. Well, not everyone.
Madeleine got ready for her brunch trying to find the perfect outfit. Her father instructed black tie, she knew the event was a business opportunity and she would meet with her fathers partners, having repetitive conversations and fake niceties. She tucked in her shirt and left the room quietly as her brother and Nate were still sleeping
Madeleine walked in venue for brunch and took the itinerary from the assistant and went over to her father, to see which clients she needed to schmooze with. "What do you think you're wearing?" Bart asked in a hushed tone, "It's black tie so I'm dressed business casual?" she said tilting her head in confusion "Go home and put on something more feminine" he demanded.
"You're up early Maddy" Nate said as she walked in clearly upset "Did Father ask you to change?" Chuck asked laughing "Fuck you" she said flipping him off and slamming her door shut "Does that happen often?" Nate asked "Recently father wants to parade Mads around like a doll for business deals instead of being seen as a partner in business, I told her she should dress more feminine and she got mad, now I guess now father has told her the same thing."
"Just saying, death by scarf: Not that intimidating." Nate laughed, as Madeleine exited the room in a dress "Oh really?" she came behind Nate wrapping the scarf around his neck pretending to choke him "Better a broken nose than a broken heart" Chuck smirked "What? I didn't even talk to serena last night" Nate said hastily. "Oh my, Defensive much?" Madeleine laughed.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
"I think I just need to talk to Serena about last night" Nate said sipping his coffee "I don't think that's a good idea Blair was very upset seeing serena last night and you going to see her this morning isn't a good idea" She stated as she pulled her hair back and tying it. "I'll just talk to her about not talking to her." Nate said confidently "Oh?" she responded utterly confused "I mean I guess there's no harm, but before you go can you add the bow?" she asked and turned around. "Of course Maddy" he said as his gentle hands wrapped the bow around her soft hair, it had been a routine for Nate to do this, as when they were young Chuck was always rough and could never manage to tie a bow properly and her father couldn't care less.
Madeleine headed into Blairs apartment as Serena headed stormed out. "Why was S here?" she asked sitting down "She found out that Nate told me, and she won't be in attendance at the brunch or near Nate." "Oh well I guess that solves everything then" she said sitting down "Ready for a mani and pedi? " Blair asked "Of course B, it's my favorite 'new tradition' " she said as they both laughed.
Maddy left Blair's with fresh nails to head to the brunch with Chuck, to have the appearance of a "family unit" as her father so 'kindly' texted her "Nathaniel! There you are. What are you doing?" Chuck asked confused "Nothing... just waiting for you two" he said nonchalantly, Chuck notices Dan and takes of his sunglasses revealing his black eye "Him? What are you doing here?" as Nate held him back "Why? What is this your hotel?" Dan said getting closer to Chuck.
Madeleine stepped in between the boys "It actually is our hotel, maybe you should leave" She said to release tension "Sit out and wait on the curb with the rest of the trash!" Chuck yelled from behind Nate and Madeleine. "Trash? Look man, I live in Brooklyn, alright, not the Ozarks... no offense to the Ozarks- "No the Ozarks are gross" Madeleine interrupted "Okay, But don't you think we're taking this class warfare thing way too far?" Dan said getting even closer to chuck "I haven't even started man" Chuck said as he lunged toward Dan "Ok, man, let's just go" Nate said pulling him away. "This isn't over!" Chuck yelled as they left through the gate "Hey, any time, man. That one black eye looks a little lonely"
Madeleine turned around walking up to the kid "Listen Daniel, you aren't part of this world and antagonizing one of the richest families isn't the way to get in." she said trying to reason with him, "Wait you know my name?" Dan asked confused.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Madeleine, Blair, Chuck and Nate all sat at a table enjoying mimosas and laughing when Blair looks over and sees Serena and Dan entering the ball room. "You got to be kidding." Blair scoffed "This should be fun."
Looks like Chuck and Blair showed up with quite some appetite... for destruction that is.
Bart Bass signals over his Daughter to meet a potential client, Madeleine stands up and politely walks over to her Father "Madeleine meet Henry Ford III and his son Henry Ford IV" He said gesturing over to the two men. "Nice to meet you!" Madeleine stretched out her hand and the son gently held her hand "It's my pleasure" he said winking. Madeleine looked over at her father and he nodded, she was being used to secure a deal.
"So, Henry how's the car business?" she said swirling around her mimosa. "You know nothing about cars, don't pretend to care" he said staring at her but not quite making eye contact "Touchy, are we?" she smirked "Listen, my dad and your dad have business, you have to be nice" he said plainly "So pick me up tonight at 8?" Madeleine said tilting her head "Pleasure doing business with you." Henry said kissing her cheek and walking over to the two men. Bart looked back at Madeleine and smiled. "What the hell was that?" Chuck said walking by Madeleine "You unfortunately being right"
Madeleine had her small plate adding some fruit, when she over heard "Well, can't say much for his child bearing skills but Bart Bass knows brunch." Madeleine smirked clearly Dan hasn't noticed her. She looked over at Dan who was awkwardly talking to the statue ladies "They don't talk Daniel, and I'd like to think I turned out rather okay." she smiled. "Oh! I'm sorry Madeleine I didn't see you there" he said slightly panicked "It's quite alright Humphrey" She said laughing "How do you know me? No one knows me" he asked.
"After bumping into each other took me a moment to remember you from ninth grade, when we had English honors together and analyzed the Julie Carr poem" she said remembering his goofy hair cut "Oh god you remember that?" He said laughing "Yeah your dad called you about waffles when we were working on that!" she laughed loudly "Yeah he really likes them" Dan said seemingly embarrassed "I'd love to try them sometime ya know?" she said smiling "Wait really?" he said caught off guard "Yeah-" when all of a sudden Blair rushes over
"Dan? Hi, I'm Blair Waldorf, Serena's friend" she said masquerading in her fake smile "Oh, hey. Yeah, do you happen to know where she is?" Dan asked, "As a matter of fact I do" she said her smiling getting bigger "Blair!" Serena yelled trying to stop Blair.
"Where were you?" Dan asked unaware of the situation "She was waiting in a hotel room... for my boyfriend." "Oh fuck" Madeleine hadn't realized Nate followed through she thought everything had been figured out. "To talk!" Serena tried to defend herself "About why we weren't talking." Nate said walking into the now forming circle "That doesn't sound any smarter the second time." Blair and Madeleine said at the same time "Wait you knew?" Blair asked turning to her friend "Nate told me this morning and I told him not to, and you said he agreed to not talk to her" she said feeling defensive
"Why weren't you talking? Does this have anything to do with why you were waiting for Serena this morning?" Dan said trying to connect the dots "You were what?" Blair said in anger "And here I thought you were waiting for me." Chuck said as he wrapped his arm around his sisters shoulder "Oh, exactly what the situation needs: Chuck. Now what is going on here?" Dan rolled his eyes "We were just getting to that" Blair smirked "Blair, please, don't do this." Serena begged.
"Sorry, did you want to tell him?" Blair asked 'politely' "I'll tell him" Chuck smirked "You know?" the trio asked "I know everything." he laughed madeleine shuttered at the thought of how Chuck would know "And apparently I know nothing." he said throwing his hands up "Look, Dan, it was a long time ago and I regret it-" "Look, Serena, stop trying to pretend you're a good girl. So you slept with best friend's boyfriend. I kind of admire you for it."
"Is that true?" Dan looked over at Serena "Well, then she ran away and lied about it. I just thought you should know before you fall head over heels for your perfect girl in her perfect world... and then get left all alone with no one but your 'Cabbage Patch Kid'." Blair said "Cabbage Patch"? Madeleine and Nate asked then gave each other a quizzical look.
"Did you talk to my sister?" Dan could barely understand what was going on at this point "Ah, yes, little Jenny. Do believe she and I have some unfinished business" he said raising an eyebrow "Chuck" Madeleine said in a warning tone, she wasn't opposed to drama however Dan could get physical and this was their father's brunch.
"You stay away from her" Dan said closing the distance between them. "Poor Daniel, so little time, so many sluts to defend" He said smirking Madeleine started to back up. If she was caught in the cross fire this would surely ruin her fathers deal with the Fords.
Madeleine backed up and bumped into the younger Henry "Your friends seem rather interesting he said looking at the scene unfold as Dan pushed her brother "Yeah it's a lot" she said slightly embarrassed "Well I'd love to hear about later tonight" Henry smirked, Madeleine was relieved to have not ruined her fathers business deal.
Dan pushes Chuck who end up crashing into a waiter causing him to fall down, all guests turn around to look at the scene, Katy is taking photos, while Isabel is texting the two, both probably sending a tip to gossip girl. "It's fine! It's fine! Everyone can stop looking. He's a jerk. But it's my fault and... and I'm leaving." Blair has a smirk on her face while Madeleine looks horrified as she can feel her fathers glare across the room.
Some might call this a fustercluck... but on the Upper East Side we call it Sunday afternoon.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
Madeleine put on perfume and fiddled with a necklace getting ready for her date to appease her father. "Are you seriously going on this date, with that loser?" Chuck asked leaning against the door. "Yes" Madeleine rolled her eyes "It's important to father and the business"
There was a knock on the suite door "I'll get it" Chuck said leaving to obviously threaten the young socialite "Chuck no!" Madeleine said getting up from her vanity.
Leaving her vanity and entering the main room she could see Chuck glaring at him and Henry appeared to be one to not back down, equally glaring at Chuck. "Hey" Madeleine spoke up breaking the tension "Well don't you look gorgeous" Henry said handing her some Roses decorated with Baby's Breath.
"These are wonderful thank you." Madeleine smiled "You better have her home at a decent time Harry." Chuck said eyebrows furrowed "It's Henry." he said furrowing his eyebrows in response. Madeleine rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. "I'll see you later." and with that Henry wrapped his arm around her waist and left.
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.
"So you're seriously France's regional fencing champion?" Madeleine said leaning in at the table taking a sip of her martini. "My father had me spend my summers in France practicing fencing." He said sipping his scotch "That's so funny my father had me spend my summers in France taking tennis." she said smiling "Oh, I'd love to see you playing tennis" Henry smirked looking her up and down. "Oh, I'm sure you would, on the contrary I'd love to see you Fence"
Madeleine and Henry spent a few hours discussing their similar childhoods and inner circle drama. "I was actually really nervous to meet you" Henry spoke up while they had dessert "Really?" Madeleine looked up from her gelato "Yeah I thought you'd be superficial like all the other girls I've had to go on a date with" he said letting his guard down. "Well, I'm glad you aren't as pushy as the other boys I've had to go on dates with" Madeleine laughed. She noticed behind them, across the room at a circle booth sat Chuck and Nate having a drink. Chuck tilted his drink to 'cheers' her.
"Are you okay?" Henry asked noticing her seemingly distracted "Oh, yeah uh, my brother and friend are actually spying on us" Madeleine laughed. "Henry turned around noticing the two boys both glaring and unexpectedly loudly laughed "Holy shit! you have a whole protection squad huh?" He laughed wiping tears from his eyes. "Yeah pretty much" she said laughing.
My my, it seems M may have found her prince charming since the last one ran off. You know you love me XOXO , Gossip girl.