Coffee and Croissants

Chapter 12

Dan felt a jolt next to him. He opened his eyes, still delirious. Blair was rising from his chest and smoothing her hair. Through half opened eyes he could see she was flustered.

"Shit." He heard her mutter. And then she fumbled with her shoes, trying to put them back on in the dark.

He was definitely awake now. "Blair?"

She didn't say anything, just continued tying the laces of her oxford heels. Then, she was standing up.

He grabbed her hand and she turned to face him.

"Sorry, I guess I fell asleep. We fell asleep. Anyways I'm leaving, bye Humphrey." She said, yanking her hand away.

"What? Blair, it's past 2 AM."

"Exactly!" She said as though he was clueless. She was putting her coat on now.

"Blair, stop. You can't go home now. It's too late. It's not safe for you to be walking around at this hour."

"I'm not going to walk, I'm taking a cab." Again, she said this as though he was completely ignorant.

"So? That's still dangerous." He walked over to the front door and stood in front of it.

She laughed. "No more dangerous than sleeping on rented bed bug infested furniture." This remark warranted eye rolling. "Since when did you get so protective? I have to go home. I have class tomorrow."

"I know, so do I. I'm teaching, remember? We can ride together." He brightened at this last thought.

"What?" She looked incredulously at him. "Humphrey, the last thing I need is to show up wearing yesterday's clothes with my professor. In case you aren't aware, that's not a great way to kick off my final semester."

Now she seemed irritated with him. "Blair, look I'm just saying you're already here and sleepy. I'll sleep on the couch you can take my bed. Before you start up about bed bugs, I will have you know the mattress is new. Just the bed frame which has been cleaned is rented. You can leave as soon as the suns up. I'm sure that'll give you plenty of time to go home and get ready."

She swayed as she contemplated everything he said. Then, she kicked off each shoe. "Fine Humphrey. I'll take the couch, though."

"No, I will. I insist." Dan countered.

"And they say chivalry is dead." She said with a slightly sarcastic tone, an under layer of sarcasm. She sighed. "Thank you."

He sighed in relief. He was glad she wouldn't be roaming the streets of Paris this late. It was unimaginable.

The bed and his dresser were separated by an antique screen which he ducked behind. He retrieved an NYU tee and silk pajama pants, a pair she had given him back when they dated. He returned to the living room where she was standing awkwardly, a word he wouldn't have previously used to describe someone as composed as Blair Waldorf.

He handed them to her. "Thank you." She said. He saw a flicker of recognition on her face as she rubbed a hand over the silk pajamas.

"I'm just going to go change if that's okay."

"Oh yeah of course. The bathroom is well it's the only room with a door so I'm sure you can figure it out." He stammered, suddenly flustered just like she had been.

He went to change opening his top dresser drawer to find another pair of pajama pants. He was taking off his shirt as she stepped out of the bathroom. The door faced right where he was standing.

"Oh." She said and turned away.

He thought about how weird it was. Two people who had been so close and had been so intimate were now so uncomfortable at the thought of one another being undressed. He pulled on his shirt, a soft red tee. "You're good." He told her.

"Do you need water or anything?" He asked.

"Actually, do you have coconut oil?"

He was confused until she continued. "I want to take off my eye makeup so I don't wake up looking like a member of KISS. Coconut oil usually works."

"Right. Of course." He grabbed a jar from the kitchen and handed it to her. Then, he went and got a washcloth out of the tiny linen closet and handed it to her.

She thanked him and headed back into the bathroom. In the meantime, he set up the couch with a blanket and pillow for himself. Then, he set his alarm to 7.

She emerged and she was just as beautiful without makeup as he had remembered. "I'm ready I guess, for bed."

"Okay. Goodnight Blair." He said softly. They lingered for a moment before she headed behind the screen and he heard her climb into the bed.

"Goodnight Dan." She called and his breath caught. The use of his first name feeling more intimate than if she had just kissed him.

Then, he drifted to sleep.

Hours later, Dan woke to the sound of his alarm. The first thing he noticed was the note on the coffee table in front of him.

"See you in class. Thanks again." Blair was gone. He imagined her setting it there. Being just inches from his sleeping self. How had he not heard her? He had to admit he was disappointed, even if he would see her soon. He had hoped to make her coffee at least. To dissipate the tension of last night. The image of her looking impossibly adorable in his tee and pajamas still lingered in his mind.

Get a grip. He told himself. He wondered if the whole thing was a bad idea. He felt more in love with her than ever. Which rendered him awkward and nervous around her since she had given no indication she still harbored any feelings for him.

He struggled to make coffee and breakfast without replaying their interactions for signs she might like or even love him still. He came up empty and left for class with a sigh.