Gossip Girl (Book Six)

Nine

Nate called me this morning wanting to meet for lunch. I made it to the restaurant, and he was waiting for me. I sat across from him, ordering a drink from the server. "Nathaniel. What do I owe the pleasure of lunch?" I asked, resting my arms on the table.

"We never spent time just the two of us anymore." Nate said, and my eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" I asked.

Nate sighed. "I need some advice."

"Do you need me to set you up with someone?" I asked not hiding my excitement. "I know the perfect person for you."

Nate chuckled. "No, I don't need to be set up."

"Are you sure? She works with my sister, she's smart, funny, and has a heart of gold. She is perfect first wife material for you."

Nate sighed. "I've been seeing Sage."

I didn't bother to hide my dismay. "Serena's future step-daughter. I think it's fitting that your ex-girlfriend is going to be your new girlfriend's mom."

"Don't say it like that."

I smirked. "Make you feel dirty?"

"I'm serious, Lena."

"So am I, Nate. You are either with women who are too old for you or too young for you. I met Sage and she's too much a teen for you."

Nate sat back in his chair. "I knew I should have talked to Chuck."

"Why didn't you?" I asked, taking a drink of my wine.

Nate sighed and I could tell he was debating how to say it, but I wasn't going to let it go. "It's not like Chuck knows what it's like to love someone other than you."

This sudden wave of sadness and worry traveled over me. "Yeah." I quickly drank my wine, hoping he didn't notice.

"Are you okay?"

Crap. I sighed, setting my glass down. "I love Chuck, you know that. But I'm worried that the waiting will never end."

"Why don't you just tell him that?"

"Because if he chooses me, he could end up resenting that I forced him to give up on his company. But if he keeps trying to stop Bart, we might never be together again."

"Everyone's worried about how this is hurting Chuck, we haven't thought to ask you."

I lightly shook my head. "I just don't want to look back and realize we made a mistake."

We finished lunch before walking out together. We made it outside where my car was waiting and I got this nagging feeling in my gut. The feeling you get when someone is watching you. I looked around stopping someone across the street taking pictures in our direction. "You okay?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, uh, is he taking pictures of us?" I asked and Nate looked in his direction. When he saw up looking, the man quickly walked away.

"Who the hell was that?" Nate asked.

I sighed. "I don't know. I wonder which one of us he was watching."

Nate shook his head, and he looked worried about something. "At this rate, who knows?" Nate asked and all I could do was agree. I thought life was supposed to get easier.

~~~

Work seemed to be the only thing somewhat working out, but even that is starting to stress me out. Days of meetings and listening to people's problems to the point I missed lunch for the third time in a row since my one with Nate. I rested my elbows on my desk, holding my head in my hands. There was a knock on the door and Dani walked in. "Please tell me I didn't forget a meeting." I stated from my desk.