It was a rare quiet Saturday morning on the Upper East Side, which naturally meant something scandalous was about to happen. You, Blair Waldorf's longtime best friend and confidante, were curled up on the plush cream sofa in her penthouse suite, sipping espresso as Blair paced in her silk robe

“Tell me again why I’m not in Paris right now?” she huffed, flipping her phone closed with a snap“I swear, if Serena drags me to another gallery opening hosted by her latest yoga-artist boyfriend, I will scream.”she said

You smirked behind your cup “Because you promised to trust me this weekend. And because I have something better planned than existential paintings and organic rosé.”

Blair narrowed her eyes “What kind of ‘better’? You’re being cryptic. I hate cryptic.”

You set your cup down and stood “Fine. You need a distraction. Something—or someone—that doesn’t come from a boardroom, a runway, or some pretentious trust fund. You’ve been too...”

“Too what?” Blair folded her arms

“Wound up. Bored. Predictable.”you said

Blair gasped“Take that back.”

“I won’t. Because tonight, I’m fixing it. I set you up on a date.”you said

“A date?” Her voice went up an octave “With whom? If it’s another European prince who speaks five languages but can’t shut up about polo—”

“It’s not a prince,” *you interrupted./ “It’s Dan.”

She blinked “Humphrey?”

You raised your hands defensively “Before you throw your headband at me, hear me out. He’s smart, grounded, and not afraid to challenge you. Plus, he gets New York. Not the glam version—you. The real you.”

Blair scoffed but didn’t object right away “I would rather dine with Georgina Sparks and a live cobra.”

“But you won’t cancel,” you said, grinning “Because I already told him you’d be there. 7:30. The Met steps. Casual glam. I recommend the Chanel flats.”

Blair groaned but a curious smile tugged at her lips “You’re playing a dangerous game, you know.”

“I learned from the best.”you said with a smirk.Blair rolled her eyes, but you caught her glancing toward her closet, just for a second too long