Palace Hotel; Upper East Side; New York City
One thing Dan could say about the Basses, they did not screw around when it came to security. Or at least they were pretty freaking suspicious over anyone who didn't wear designer clothes, even if the person looked as innocent and non-hostile as Dan.
"You were where when Ms. van der Woodsen dropped her phone?" the concierge asked.
Dan really wished he didn't share so much sometimes. "Um...can we pretend I didn't say where I was?"
The concierge raised an eyebrow at him.
"Uh, look, I just want to give back her phone," Dan said. "When Prince Charming returned the shoe to Cinderella people didn't accuse him of having a foot fetish."
"And you're Prince Charming?"
Dan shrugged.
"Well, there's Ms. van der Woodsen now," the concierge said. "Serena! Do you know this young man?"
Dan turned around, looking horrified. He didn't actually want to speak to Serena, holy lord. "Um, it's fine. Nobody knows me. It's cool."
The concierge wasn't about to let Dan off the hook. "He claims to have found your cell phone."
"Oh you found it!" Serena said, smiling at Dan (and, yes, he melted a bit at that). She looked like she was about to say something to him, but got distracted when an older blonde came into the lobby. "Hey, mom."
"Guess what I got for you?" Lily van der Woodsen said, holding up a bag. "A dress, for the Kiss On The Lips. I found the invitation on your nightstand."
Serena looked a bit flustered at the mention of the party. "Oh, um, I'm not going to that."
Lily frowned. "Why not? Blair's throwing it."
"Um, see, when I got the invitation, I kind of already made plans?" Serena tried. "With someone else."
"With whom?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
And, boy, Dan nearly had a heart attack when Serena pointed at him a moment later. "My friend."
Friend. Serena van der Woodsen called him a friend. Wait, he should probably not stand there looking like an idiot. Right. Say something. "Um, right. Nice to meet you, Mrs. van der Woodsen, I'm Dan Humphrey."
For some reason Lily really didn't look pleased by that. "And what are you and Dan Humphrey doing?"
"We're...um..." Serena trailed off and looked to Dan for help.
"We're going to a concert. Lincoln Hawk," Dan said, thinking on his feet. "Number nine on Rolling Stone's ten forgotten bands of the 90's."
Serena lifted her hands in the air. "Woo! I'm a big fan."
Lily looked less than amused. "Well the party would have been a huge opportunity to announce your return, but I suppose I'll just keep the dress for myself."
Serena turned towards Dan with a grateful look on her face after her mother walked off towards the elevator. "Thank you."
"Yeah, it's no problem," Dan said, turning to walk away himself. He had given Serena her phone and even talked to her a bit. That should be enough to last him a lifetime.
"So pick me up at eight?" Serena asked.
Dan's jaw dropped open. "You'd really go out with some guy you don't know?"
Serena shrugged. "Can't be any worse than the guys I do know."
Now that Dan couldn't disagree with.
[NFI and NFB due to distance. Events taken from Gossip Girl 1x01]
"You were where when Ms. van der Woodsen dropped her phone?" the concierge asked.
Dan really wished he didn't share so much sometimes. "Um...can we pretend I didn't say where I was?"
The concierge raised an eyebrow at him.
"Uh, look, I just want to give back her phone," Dan said. "When Prince Charming returned the shoe to Cinderella people didn't accuse him of having a foot fetish."
"And you're Prince Charming?"
Dan shrugged.
"Well, there's Ms. van der Woodsen now," the concierge said. "Serena! Do you know this young man?"
Dan turned around, looking horrified. He didn't actually want to speak to Serena, holy lord. "Um, it's fine. Nobody knows me. It's cool."
The concierge wasn't about to let Dan off the hook. "He claims to have found your cell phone."
"Oh you found it!" Serena said, smiling at Dan (and, yes, he melted a bit at that). She looked like she was about to say something to him, but got distracted when an older blonde came into the lobby. "Hey, mom."
"Guess what I got for you?" Lily van der Woodsen said, holding up a bag. "A dress, for the Kiss On The Lips. I found the invitation on your nightstand."
Serena looked a bit flustered at the mention of the party. "Oh, um, I'm not going to that."
Lily frowned. "Why not? Blair's throwing it."
"Um, see, when I got the invitation, I kind of already made plans?" Serena tried. "With someone else."
"With whom?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
And, boy, Dan nearly had a heart attack when Serena pointed at him a moment later. "My friend."
Friend. Serena van der Woodsen called him a friend. Wait, he should probably not stand there looking like an idiot. Right. Say something. "Um, right. Nice to meet you, Mrs. van der Woodsen, I'm Dan Humphrey."
For some reason Lily really didn't look pleased by that. "And what are you and Dan Humphrey doing?"
"We're...um..." Serena trailed off and looked to Dan for help.
"We're going to a concert. Lincoln Hawk," Dan said, thinking on his feet. "Number nine on Rolling Stone's ten forgotten bands of the 90's."
Serena lifted her hands in the air. "Woo! I'm a big fan."
Lily looked less than amused. "Well the party would have been a huge opportunity to announce your return, but I suppose I'll just keep the dress for myself."
Serena turned towards Dan with a grateful look on her face after her mother walked off towards the elevator. "Thank you."
"Yeah, it's no problem," Dan said, turning to walk away himself. He had given Serena her phone and even talked to her a bit. That should be enough to last him a lifetime.
"So pick me up at eight?" Serena asked.
Dan's jaw dropped open. "You'd really go out with some guy you don't know?"
Serena shrugged. "Can't be any worse than the guys I do know."
Now that Dan couldn't disagree with.
[NFI and NFB due to distance. Events taken from Gossip Girl 1x01]