Disclaimer: I do not own the Gossip Girl characters ... I'm just borrowing Chuck x] I own the rights to my original characters.

Chapter 1

He leaned against the window of his room in the Palace Hotel; looking down at the streets. As usual, the streets of the Upper East Side were bustling with people darting back and forth as though they were on some hidden mission. He was fully aware that the world did not stop for him, however, that did not make him want to waste anymore time dawdling … after all, father would not approve of such laziness.

He glanced at his Rolex and turned towards his mirror; fixing his bowtie. A second later, he turned the key to his door and headed out into the throng of Upper East Siders. But, he was not about to walk through the streets of Manhattan like the rest of these miscreants, no, he was above that kind of behavior.

His limo was waiting for him around the corner. He would ride to the charity ball in style. He would make a grand entrance, scope out the room for women, and have his picture in the gossip column, yet again.

He knew that all his friends, including Nate and Serena, would be there. Blair would be there too and would, no doubt, demand the attention of the entire room.

He climbed out of the limo and stopped in front of the banquet hall in which the fundraiser was being held.

Then he saw her.

She was unlike all the girls that he had met. She had round brown eyes that were like two tiger-eye gems. She wore an orange and blue sari. Her hair was the color of dark chocolate and cascaded down past her shoulder blades.

Blair walked towards him; "Chuck."

Chuck looked beyond her; watching the girl move through rotating glass door and vanish into the hall, "Blair."

Blair's brow furrowed, "Are you looking for someone?"

Chuck smirked, "Yes. You."

"Oh please," Blair rolled her eyes, "try your charm on someone else."

"Don't mind if I do," Chuck walked past Blair and into the banquet hall.

Chuck stood at the entrance to the room. The hall was just starting to fill; a few stragglers had arrived late and were now being ushered in hastily. He scanned the room to find that the girl was sitting at a table … alone.

He smiled as he made his way towards her. If there was something that Chuck Bass could not resist; it was a woman alone. He was an overly confident man that had never desired anything that he could not have, for, he had everything.

He had never seen this girl before and could only assume that she was what Blair called new money.

He sat next to her and smiled, "Hello."

She nodded and responded in a soft voice, "Hello."

"I'm Chuck Bass."

She snickered, "I know."

"Do you?" Chuck sized her up.

"Yes," the girl said in her foreign accent, "I was warned about you."

"Oh," Chuck paused, "were you really? What did they say?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out."

"Ah," Chuck smirked, "one of those games."

"I don't play games."

"Well, since you know everything about me," Chuck raised an eyebrow, "and I know nothing about you; I hardly think your game is fair."

The girl laughed. Chuck smiled; finding her laughter attractive. He could not place her accent and could not tell where she hailed from.

"What's your name?"

"Miriam Khan."

"Since you seem to know everything about me," Chuck chided, "I'm going to have to ask you a few questions."

"Go ahead."

Chuck's brow furrowed slightly, for, he had never met a woman that was comfortable discussing herself and that made him wonder about this new conquest.

"Where are you from?"

"Why don't you guess," the girl smiled.

"Um," Chuck looked at the girl oddly, "okay. India?"

"Nope," a small smile quivering upon her lips.

"But, you're wearing that," Chuck gestured towards her sari.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Persia?"

"No," the girl shook her head.

"Greece?"

"Wow," the girl laughed.

"Is that a yes?"

"No," the girl shook her head, "that's a no."

"I give up then," he coolly looked down at his watch.

"So easily?" The girl looked away from Chuck, "You didn't strike me as someone that gives up so fast."

Chuck looked at her, "I usually don't give up. But, I didn't want to run the risk of looking like an idiot."

"Too late," the girl laughed at Chuck's shocked face. "Sorry, I couldn't resist!"

There was silence until the girl replied, "Pakistan."

"What?"

"I'm from Pakistan." Miriam smiled, "But, I was raised in the UK. My dad got transferred here a few months ago."

"Okay," Chuck said absent-mindedly; watching Blair glare at him from across the room.

"You seem distracted."

"Mmm," Chuck nodded, "what?"

"You seem distracted," she repeated. "I hope I'm not keeping you from your friends."

Chuck glared back at Blair and turned to Miriam, "You're not."

Silence.

"So," Chuck asked, "does that mean you're Muslim?"

"Being from Pakistan, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Not necessarily," Miriam said, "there's a bunch of other religions in Pakistan, but, it's predominantly Muslim."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yes," the girl looked down uncomfortably, "I'm Muslim."

Chuck realized that he had made her feel uncomfortable because, in this room especially, there were many members of the uptight upper class elite that would think she should be destroyed … Blair being one of them.

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