Shift + Delete

Blair's fingers stay just a centimeter above the keys, hesitant to press down. Before her is the document that has guided the last 11 years of her life. From freshman year of high school to this very moment. The document that dictated everything from where she went to school, to which positions she accepted, to a precise career timeline. Until now.

6 months ago, Blair Waldorf turned down a promotion, which she had never done before in her life. She kept waiting for the realization that doing such a thing was crazy, but it never came. Because it wasn't. Taking the job would have been the crazy thing to do. So here she was, with the boy that she didn't have to break-up with because she stayed and potentially moving up the career timeline at his urging. His exact words were, "You're far too ambitious and intelligent to let a piece of paper guide your entire life."

She had replied, "It's not a piece of paper, it's a bible."

"Well, maybe it's time for a new bible. You don't have to have a copy to still have faith. Have faith in yourself, Blair. You can get anything you want. Text on a screen shouldn't tell you when you can or can't." Somehow, she couldn't argue his words and with that, she had agreed.

Or so she thought. But now here she was, hesitant to delete her so meticulously planned out 15-year plan (it was actually a 20-year plan but she hid that part from Dan. Even though he probably knew she was totally neurotic as soon as she mentioned it, she couldn't bring herself to admit just how neurotic she was.)

"Blair?" Dan asks, sliding his hand over hers reassuringly. "Are you changing your mind?"

"No," She shakes her head now. "You're right, it's silly-"

"It's not silly," He says kindly. "I get it."

"But you are right, I shouldn't let this dictate whether or not I apply for my dream job. I should believe in myself." Blair sighs and Dan squeezes her hand.

"How about this?" His soft eyes meet hers. "Just delete for now, so it's not permanent. If you really can't bear to live without it, you go and retrieve the document. But only after you apply to the job."

Blair smiles and is reminded all over ago of why she loves him. With that, she lifts her ring finger from the shift key and taps delete instead. It's gone. But not really gone. But gone enough she can't rely on it anymore. "Someday I'll delete it for real."

"I know." He smiles at her and kisses her. "Now, time to send in your resume. Vogue, here comes Blair Waldorf!"

Blair laughs, "Stop, we don't know if I'll get it yet."

"You will." Dan's insistence doesn't leave any room for further rebute so instead, she follows his instruction and goes back to the career page. The one that's been left open in a tab for weeks. Instead of just staring at it dreamily, this time she fills it out as she imagined herself doing so a million times.

Once it's complete, Cover Letter, Resume, and all attached, her finger hovers nervously over the submit button. She looks at Dan, where she knows she will find reassurance and sure enough she does.

Her manicured finger presses into the mouse. Submit.

18 months later

It's Sunday and Blair should be at brunch with Dan, or maybe the new exhibit at the Moma, or even watching a film screening in the park. But instead, she's getting a manicure with Georgina at her best friend's loft, thank you on-call manicurist, sipping on wine, and venting about how she's 90 percent sure Dan is going to break up with her.

"I mean, we have a routine. We always spend Sunday's together, but he just last minute announces he has to go into work. He's a professor, what work is there to be done on a Sunday?" Blair huffs and slumps in annoyance and her manicurist tuts at her for moving and almost messing up her handywork.

"Honey, no one breaks up with Blair Waldorf. It's the other way around, everyone knows that." Georgina levels her gaze.

"Well it might be that way if he keeps acting so aloof and distant. Maybe moving in together was a bad idea…" Blair latches on to this idea and starts formulating possible domestic reasons Dan may have found trouble in their relationship.

Georgina laughs, "You're spiraling. Chill. Isn't that why we are getting manicures? So he ditched you on a Sunday, one time. It's nothing. He probably had papers to grade and couldn't concentrate with you chatting it up with Dorota."

"Sunday is Dorota's day off." Blair corrects.

Georgina waves this away. "You get the idea. Unless it becomes a pattern, you have nothing to worry about."

Blair's eyes widen. "It is becoming a pattern. Oh my god, on Thursday he said he had to get into work early but it was a school holiday. I know because the school calendar is up in our office and it clearly said it. So where the fuck was he?"

Georgina now looks completely exhausted, Blair notes with irritation. She's supposed to be her best friend, the person that has to listen to all of this and agree with her whenever necessary.

"More wine please, Irene," Georgina instructs her manicurist who stops painting and gets up to retrieve the bottle of white from the fridge. When she returns, she points to Blair's glass. "Top her off."

"How about this? Next time Dan is acting all mysterious, we'll follow him. You always did love a good scheme. Disguises and everything. Then we'll figure it out?" Georgina waits for Blair's answer.

Blair has to admit she likes this idea so she nods reluctantly, already imagining what they'll find and feeling nauseous.

"Not today though, next time. For now, you have to drink your wine and listen to my sordid tale from last night. Let's just say, I broke my personal record for most times in one night with Thad last night."

Blair wrinkles her nose. "Do I really want to hear about this?"

"No, but you have to." Georgina smiles.

One manicure, pedicure, two glasses of wine, and an outfit change later, Blair strides out of Georgina's apartment feeling completely relieved. As Blair was showing Georgina the dress she had bought for a co-worker's wedding next weekend, Dan had texted her saying he was done grading paper's and that they should go out tonight. Georgina had an annoying 'I told you so expression' when Blair read aloud the text. He had booked them a reservation at the little Italian place they liked in Brooklyn, yes Brooklyn, somehow two years on she had grown well accustomed to the neighborhood. She looked down at her phone as it pinged, another text from Dan.

Do you mind meeting me here actually? I had to stop by my dad's gallery to check out some new installations. We can head over to the restaurant together if you want to meet me at the gallery.

Sure, but your dad better be prepared for a second opinion. You know I can't hold back an opinion.

Blair informs the driver of the change in plans and smiles down at her phone. It's almost as though the worries of earlier today never happened as they easily banter via text.

When the car pulls up the gallery, she frowns at it's dim exterior. It's lit but barely. Is this part of the new installation? She wonders idly, as she pushes open the door. Once she's fully inside, she sees now that the whole open space is bathed in candlelight. Tea lights all around the floor, flickering, pillar candles resting on marble columns in the corner.

Then, she sees Dan. Crossing the room from the hallway toward her. She doesn't fully take him in before remarking. "This is the new installation? Dan, your dad cannot be serious. It's the biggest fire hazard I have ever seen. The fire department will have him shut down in a matter of days if not hours, do you know how flammable paint is? In fact, I should call them as a precau-"

She had been circling the room, taking in the dozens and dozens of candles as she informed him of her concerns, very well placed concerns. But now, her shoulders are held steady, as she's in the middle of her monologue and she's spun around. Before she can finish her sentence Dan places his lips to hers. When she opens her eyes again, he's down on one knee and all the criticism fades away. All that's left is surprise, wonder, and delight.

"I hope you haven't called them yet. Because I have something really important to ask you and I do think that a room full of firemen wouldn't exactly add to the ambience. So may I proceed and we will cross our fingers that we don't go down in flames?"

Blair manages a nod, unable to speak.

"Okay good," Dan lets out a breath and she notices now how nervous he looks. Then, he's proposing. He's voicing words aloud that she thought to herself a million times. That he could never quite forget her, like she could never forget her. That it felt like destiny when she walked into the gallery office that night. That if it wouldn't have seemed totally insane he would have proposed to her that very night, or maybe on the first date. Which he says he always kicked himself for not kissing her on. That he's too wise now to let her get away again. That even if she was to move to Tokyo, or Berlin, there would be nothing to keep them apart now. Because that article, the one she shouldn't have had to write at all, was the closest thing to destiny he's ever seen.

Then, a ring is out in front of her. His hands quiver slightly as they open a velvet box. A blue box.

She says yes with zero hesitation and is suddenly very aware of tears spilling over the edges of her carefully mascara-applied eyelashes. She blinks them away as he rises to her, kissing her endlessly.

When they finally pull away, Dan gestures to the candles, still burning bright. "Look, the place didn't turn down before I finished proposing."

Blair laughs, wiping away a stray tear. "That's very fortunate." Blair winces. "Oh my god, I threatened to call the fire department before you proposed. Are you sure you still want to marry me?"

"I was even more sure than I already was when you started listing the numerous fire code violations. It's not like I'd ask some unobservant and ignorant journalist to marry me."

"Don't you mean Fashion Director?" Blair teases playfully. "Vogue wouldn't like me being described as just a journalist."

Before Dan can reply, a snarky voice replies, "Oh, someone has clearly let their job title get to their head."

She swivels to see Georgina with a huge bouquet of flowers in hand, rolling her eyes from the gallery entrence. "What are you doing here?"

"Congratulating you, duh." She hugs Dan and then gives Blair the tightest hug Blair has ever experienced, she didn't know Georgina was even capable of such physical contact without malice intended. Then she hands her the flowers. "And helping clean up so you two can go to dinner."

"You knew?" Blair looks from Georgina to Dan back to Georgina.

"Of course I knew, why else would I have us get manicures today?" Georgina shakes her head. "Your welcome, by the way." Georgina gestures to Blair's ring-clad manicured hand which does look much better than it would had it been left unvarnished.

"But- But you listened to me talk for over an hour about how I thought Dan was going to break up with me and you didn't say anything!"

Dan cuts in at this. "What?"

"I told you she was getting suspicious." Georgina supplies.

"I thought you meant she was suspicious of me proposing. Why would you think I was breaking up with you?" He turns back to Blair.

Georgina answers instead. "Dan, you told her you had to work on both a Sunday and on a school holiday that day you were getting the ring sized." To Blair she says about Dan, "Such an amateur at schemes."

It suddenly dawns on Blair, that of course Georgina knew. It explains the way she seemed to not want to hear any of Blair's concerns. How she kept insisting Blair wore the dress she had bought tonight instead of next weekend at the wedding. "He obviously isn't if he chose you to help him. Huh?"

"Touche." Georgina smiles.

"Thank you, again, Georgina." Dan says. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"I know, I know." She says playfully. "Now go, by the way, your actual dinner reservation is in the city. He knows better than to make you celebrate your engagement in Brooklyn, huh Humphrey?"

Dan slides his hand into Blair's and nods. "Come on, I think you'll like where were going."

Once they're in the car, Blair asks him. "Do you really trust Georgina with your dad's gallery? Cause you just called it our destiny so it's rather a special place to me and I would hate for something to happen to it like be burned down by Georgina. Or ew, worse yet, frolicked about by her. Knowing her she will probably invite Thad over for another night of endless sex this time lit by candlelight."

Dan chuckles, "My dad is going over there now to help clean up. I wouldn't take a chance like that."

"Good, because I was thinking that could be a good place for our wedding," Blair says as she admires her ring.

Dan looks at her, scanning her face. "Really? You thought about it?"

"Of course I did. Do you forget you're now engaged to the girl that had a 20-year career plan mapped out?"

"20 years? I thought it was 15."

Blair flushes remembering the way she had downplayed it before, "15, 20, same thing." She shrugs. "The point is, I will probably have it planned out in its entirety by the end of dinner."

Dan smiles, "Good, the sooner I marry you the better. I've waited ten years too many."

"Me too," Blair sighs happily, resting her head on his shoulder a movie already playing out in her head. One that stars a boy from Brooklyn, a girl from the Upper East Side, finding their way back to each other in an art gallery. A movie with the happiest of ever afters.

End.

Hope you guys liked it! I had originally planned on the story ending ambiguously with Blair applying for a job with the help of Dan but then realized circling the story back around to the gallery was a more fitting end and it felt right. Plus, I know vague endings aren't always the most rewarding so I hope this was.

Next, I'll be sharing my new multi-chapter story, Pearl Island which will feature Blair in a very "fish-out-of-water" scenario! Expect the first chapter on Monday.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Each review I receive means so much and I do appreciate all of your encouragement on this story.