FF: Seducing the Throne::NEW Thread PG 1 - Page 64

The daughter of two people who had both singularly on their own managed to drive her parents generation of Upper East Sider's to the brink of near Brooklyn-ville, Bevin had managed to pick up a few tricks of her own.

And while unlike her parents Bevin was a part and parcel of the inner circle of the UES ruling clique, a fact her Aunt Blair referred to as the 'irony of all fishing irony's (which actually made no sense when you thought about it) - a Baizen by blood she was not adverse to using a few underhanded techniques to ferret out what she wanted to know.

And having been best friends nearly since they were in diapers attending the same day-care, (during summer and winter vacations for Aasha as opposed to the regular everyday feature for Renee and Bevin) Aasha knew when to accept defeat.

Or rather she knew when to relinquish control'temporarily of course'

"I asked him to kiss me."

"What?!" chorused the two distended voices behind her.

Damien who had till then, been lounging uninterestedly against the festively decked parlor's side-board, drink in hand turned ever so slightly to peer over his shoulder at the teenage moppet behind him. As always her infectious grin garnered a matching crooked smirk from him. "Hey Gorgeous'How're the holiday's treating you?"

It was his first official soiree attendance since he'd left for University last Fall, and he'd subconsciously known the little termagant wouldn't miss it. University Education being what it was, he'd had to forgo his usual seasonal weekend stop-over to see his favorite honorary Aunt and in effect her. And admit it or not he'd missed her. Her infectious laugh, her crazy antics'somehow life even on the Upper East Side felt slightly too sane without her.

"Alright'" shrugged Aasha, her tone indicating that despite her mere fifteen years, or as she would put it her near sixteen years, she was altogether unimpressed by the lavish decorations and perfectly dressed crush. "So'" she prompted, "Aunt Blair says you brought the dain with you?"

His brows furrowing slightly he turned around properly to ensure he'd heard properly, dain indeed as if he'd have survived Aunt Khushi's I-hate-the-models-fawning-over-my-husband-jalebi-sessions without knowing what that meant. "What was that, sweetheart?"

Flustered but much to proud to show it, he watched his dark-haired moppet recover with a sickeningly sweet, "Voh...kya naam hain'Dana'I'm sorry I meant Aunt Blair said you brought Dana."

"She's around'" he drawled, with a well concealed knowing glint.

"Hain ass paas e toh hogi, dain jo hain'." She muttered only half under her breath.

Damien chuckled amused as Aasha, clad in what on a slightly older person would be a sinfully sculpted Waldorf original from his mothers Christmas line, tugged irritably at the hem line. Despite being born heir to a fashion empire, her ideology on fashion was most often superseded by comfort, preferably worn denim and loose T-'s , he was half-surprised she hadn't talked her way out of this bash, as she did most others.

But then again, he wasn't.

Aasha had over the past-year, developed a strange case of hero-worship, where he was concerned. Ever since he'd saved her kitten from a fate worse than death. The fate being 'Kit's' lunch fodder, the fact that the huge hulking German Sheppard named 'Kit' had belonged Tiffany Sinclair, his then girlfriend had served as a reason for her to develop an intense dislike for her.

Oddly enough the only thing that had changed along with his then girlfriend was Aasha's tendency to cart her giant monster of a feline around the world with her. Ever since she had left them here with her mother, claiming she refused to risk having Mr.Whiskers abused by the fiendish canines here in New York.

Her distaste for his girlfriends however had seemed to extend itself regardless of who they were. His eyes lighting with amusement in remembrance of the fact he motioned that she step-away from the door way, where she was half peeking into the parlor and half into the main drawing room where most of the guests had settled down with drinks and cigars, Damien seated himself in one of the upholstered-leather chairs, and rested his on drink on one of his knees.

"Fill me in' what have you been up to?"

Aasha had been planning and plotting for this moment for what seemed like ages now. Ever since that incident last Easter at Aunt Serena's Hampton's beach house, she'd begun to feel glittery and bright every time she ran into Damien, and when she'd told Bevin, the unhelpful wretch had asked her what she was on.

Based on her analysis over the past few months, her reaction was definitely confined solely to Damien's presence. Neither James nor any of the other boys she knew made her feel that particular way; now all she had to figure out was if he felt it too.

And she knew exactly how to find out.

While she may fail to enjoy the company of his steady stream of manufactured bimbettes, she honestly wasn't that bothered. After all it wasn't like he belonged to her.

But Damien Bass had always had very different opinions in regards to ownership. Rather childish in her opinion. But'well'they all had their quirks. Damien's was an inability to share.

Smiling sweetly as she crossed over, but instead of joining him at the sitting area she backed herself against the table and swung herself up on it, toeing off her sky-high heels in the process.

Damien she noticed had arched his brow at her choice of seat, but said nothing instead stretching himself out, and tilting his head towards her to indicate that she continue. For some reason his nonchalance irked her.

A lot.

Stretching her own bare toes out in front of her, Aasha began ...

"Well, school is boring, Constance is more of a hangout for shrewish plots than educational enlightenment , but Dad and Aunt Blair are convince that one year here will help me broaden my horizons, whatever that is supposed to mean.."

Damien shook his head in amusement - Constance never really had been a place for educational enlightenment as Aasha had so aptly put it'it was better known for a different form of enlightenment altogether.

He should know.

One she had evidently steered clear of, no matter how exotic being ASR's unattainable only daughter was, having Chuck Bass as a God-father tended to automatically do that for her.

"Except..."

Or had it?

"Except what?"

"I need some help'it's just'I think I'm having trouble with etiquette lessons..."

Etiquette lessons? Since when did they have etiquette lessons? And besides Aasha had impeccable table manners, what the hell was she on about'?

Biting back the instinctive smirk that threatened to take over her countence as she lead him right where she wanted him Aasha swung herself down from the table and went over to join Damien, plopping herself down unceremoniously in the seat opposite his, with a bright smile and a imperceptibly fake look of just dawning understanding at his look of perplexed wonder.

"Not etiquette etiquette, Damien!"

Damien who had evidently finally decided to give in, finally asked ' "I'm sorry sweetheart, what etiquette are we talking about then?"

Aasha entirely forgetting her intention to act shy, smiled brilliantly as she answered -

"Why kissing etiquette of course!"