on the screen； then stuffed the phone back in his pocket。 He didn？t seem too worried。 Then again；
why would someone with biceps that large get nervous about a few devious teenage girls？
Blair had been known to shoplift； but not in front of her friends。 Nate had never heard about
Serena shoplifting； but she had a naughty streak。 She would do it out of sheer boredom。 He
shrugged。 ？Probably。？
Just then the hotel porter opened the door and Blair skipped down the red…carpeted stairs；
brushing past Nate with her pointed foxlike chin in the air and a white shopping bag with white
tissue paper sticking out of it swinging back and forth from her hand。
？She？scute ；？ Darwin whistled。
？Uh…huh；？ Nate grunted； as if checking Blair out for the first time。 Her silky； dark hair had grown
into a very French…looking short and sexy bob that suited her finely featured face and hot little
body。 Oh； she was cute all right。
And she was no longer his。
？Want me to stop her？ Check her bags？？ Darwin offered。
Nate puffed on his joint； considering how Blair would react if Darwin called her over。 The
thought made him smile wistfully； and as he watched Blair disappear down the crowded block；
fresh tears began to spill down his cheeks。 Bitchy and stubborn and selfish and neurotic； Blair was
the epitome of high maintenance； but no matter how many times he？d fucked up； she？d always
taken him back。 It usually started with a sidelong glance or an irate phone call； and then he？d
show up at her door and they？d kiss and make up。 But Blair wasn？t sending him any
if…you？re…really…nice…to…me…I？ll…consider…it vibes。 It seemed he？d fucked up for the last time。
Besides； he was with Serena now； everybody？s dream girl。
Everybody including him？
The porter opened the door again； and Serena glided out of the hotel sporting a mint green linen
Les Best tennis visor。 With her pale golden hair cascading down from beneath the visor； her long；
tanned； athletic…even…though…she…got…no…exercise…except…for…gym…class legs； and radiant smile； she
looked like an advertisement for the type of haute couture tennis clothes that were way too
gorgeous to actually sweat in。
？Taxi back to school？？ she asked Nate with a sly wink。 She might have been too tired to walk；
but she wasn？t too tired to fool around in the back of a taxi。
Who could ever be too tired for that？
Then she noticed the tears。 ？Poor baby；？ she crooned； reaching out to dab at Nate？s cheeks with
her thumb。 The crying had started a few days ago； and at first it had been sort of alarming。 What
was a handsome stoner stud like Nate doingcrying？ But then she？d grown to think of it as sexy
and extremely touching。 Who knew Nate had such a sweet； gooey center？
Darwin took a step forward。 He wasn？t about to let this blond bombshell get away as quickly as
the hot brunette had。 ？You got a receipt for that hat； miss？？
Serena reached up to touch the linen visor like she？d forgotten she was wearing it。 She bit her
luxuriously full； cherry…ChapSticked lips。 ？Oops。？ Her dark blue eyes flashed； challenging Darwin
to arrest her。 ？I？m friends with the designer；？ she declared。
Darwin grinned？yet another guy to fall under her spell。 ？Aw； that？s okay；？ he replied
bashfully。 ？I guess I just wanted an excuse to talk to you。？
Nate realized suddenly that he ought to have been jealous。 He took Serena？s dry； warm hand in
his damp； tear…streaked one。 ？e on；？ he urged； trying to sound manly and firm despite the
quaver in his voice。
？God； I love it when you fight for me；？ Serena murmured。 She leaned her head against his
shoulder and kissed his right ear。 He put his arm around her waist； encouraged by the strong curve
of her hip。 They tripped down the steps； barely resisting the urge to tear each other？s clothes off
right there in front of the hundreds of fanny…pack…toting tourists mobbing the Brooks Brothers
flagship store across the street。 Their getting together might have been a total accident； but they
were still two beautiful； irresistibly kissable people？why not take every possible opportunity to
fool around？
Exactly。
？Lucky guy。？ Darwin whistled as he headed back inside to hit on Rain or Kati or whichever cute
Constance girl had the most stuff in her bag。
Nate fought back another rush of tears。 He was into Yale。 The most beautiful girl in the universe；
whom he？d known forever； was practically begging him to do it with him in a taxi on the way
back to school。 Hewas insanely lucky。
So why couldn？t he stop the tears from falling？
S gets to say her lines twice
Serena worried that she should have dressed up like the other girls。 Would the director think she
wasn？t trying hard enough because she hadn？t worn pearls and a black cocktail dress？ Plus； she
was blond and big…boned and tall and didn？t look a thing like Audrey Hepburn。 In fact； now that
she thought about it； she really shouldn？t have been trying out for the part at all。
Too late。
？Oh； thank God；？ Ken Mogul exclaimed when he saw her。 ？Go ahead。Action 。？
Serena hadn？t bothered to Google Ken Mogul； and she didn？t know anything about his directing
style； but she knew what the wordaction meant； and the minute she heard it； she started to do her
thing。
？How do you do？？ she chirped brightly； holding her hand out to an imaginary bartender。 She took
a seat and then spun once around on the bar stool； giggling and kicking her feet with girlish
satisfaction。 ？Don？t you just love it here？ Isn？t it wonderful waking up and knowing this place is
right here； every day？ It？s my absolute paradise！？
Ken Mogul did that weird peekaboo thing with his hands again。 He glanced at one of his
Swedish…looking blond crew girls； ripped off the pair of mirrored aviator shades she had propped
on her head； and tossed them to Serena。
？Do it again with these on；？ he ordered。
Serena did as she was told； wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Ken Mogul
closed his eyes when she started to talk。
？Next！？ he shouted； dismissing her。
Nate was standing by the elevators； a damp tissue wadded in his fist。 ？My mom brought me here
to buy my first real suit；？ he told Serena； his lower lip trembling。 ？Afterwards we got ice cream
and she took me to the zoo in the park。 It smelled like peanuts。？
？Aw。？ Serena hugged him and kissed his ear。 ？Listen； I think I know of a way to cheer you up。？
After the Viagra incident in Bergdorf？s on Tuesday； Serena thought Nate was basically up for it
any time； anywhere。 She nodded toward the ladies？ lounge。
Nate hesitated。 He？d smoked a tiny joint when he woke up； and he？d left the Viagra at home。
Besides； all this crying was so exhausting。 He really wasn？t in the mood。
The ladies？ lounge door swung open； and Blair and that sandy…haired hunk of hers came out；
holding hands。 ？How do you do？？ Blair gestured with her empty cigarette holder in an
exaggerated imitation of the part both girls had just played。 She giggled。 ？You guys want to go get
a drink？？
？Definitely；？ Serena gushed eagerly。
Of course； it was only ten…thirty on a Saturday morning； but the future Audreys of the world
clearly know how to enjoy themselves。
Lord Marcus pressed the button for the elevator and the doors rolled open。
？Wait！？ one of Ken Mogul？s black…tunic…wearing； blond crew girls yelled。 Blair？s heart skipped
a beat。 Surely they were going to offer her the part right now and send the other girls packing。 But
the girl was looking at Serena。
？Oops！？ Serena blushed； swiping the mirrored aviators off her head and handing them
back。 ？I？m such a klepto！？
The girl took the sunglasses and then stood on tiptoe to whisper in Serena？s ear。 Blair watched；
riveted； as Serena nodded； listening silently。 Then the crew girl left to supply her sunglasses to
another Holly hopeful。
Blair bit her lip； nearly drawing blood。 The need to know what the crewperson had whispered to
Serena was killing her； but she forced herself not to ask； and Serena decided not to tell her。 The
idea that they were sort of talking to each other again was so tenuous and so new； neither of them
wanted to ruin it。
Plus； Lord Marcus had only seen Blair on her best behavior。 She couldn？t pull anExorcist and
freak out in front of him now or he？d pack his bags and head back to the U。K。 as quick as you can
say； ？Bloody hell。？
Serena reached for Nate？s hand and gave it an excited squeeze； barely able to keep the secret to
herself。 ？Let？s go get silly。？
？Hear； hear！？ Lord Marcus agreed。
Blair didn？t even flinch at the sight of Serena and Nate holding hands。 She？d always wanted to
be a foursome； she？d just always thought it would be her and Nate and Serena and someone else。
She looked up into Lord Marcus？s handsome golf…course…green eyes and he swooped down and
kissed her tenderly on the tip of her nose。
Nate had never been that into public displays of affection。 And anyway； what had ever been so
special about Nate？
Boys will be boys and girls will be girls
？I heard about you。 You？re the kid who？s to take my place on the Yale lacrosse team。 Excuse me；
ladies。？ Lord Marcus reached across Blair and Serena to clasp Nate？s hand in the cramped
backseat of the cab as it raced down the hot Park Avenue blacktop。 ？Coach said you were a maniac
with a stick。？
That？s one way of putting it。
Nate hoped Lord Marcus wouldn？t guess that he？d been crying。 Now would？ve been a good time
to take another Viagra； just to give him an ego boost and keep the tears from flowing。 If it hadn？t
been for those annoying side effects； he？d have taken it every day。
What； like the major hard…ons？ But that？s not a side effect； that？s the whole point！
？So is Yale； like； seriously tough or what？？ Nate asked； because it was the only thing he could
think of to say。 Blair had her head on Lord Marcus？s shoulder； and she looked so fortable； it
was sort of unsettling and nice to see at the same time。 Her dark hair was growing out and it
looked so soft and shiny； Nate could almost feel it in his hands。
Oh； please。 Don？t cry。
？Not as hard as Coach Heffner？s arse；？ Lord Marcus joked。 ？She told us all about how she
stabbed you with a fork when you tried to hit on her。？
Nate had pretty much blocked that little episode out of his mind； and he flinched；
remembering。 ？I just wasn？t expecting a hot female coach；？ he admitted。
？Believe me； none of us were；？ Lord Marcus replied with a knowing smile。 He lit a Marlboro
Red； but the tiny； shriveled cabdriver flapped his hand in annoyance； so he threw it out the
window。
？Let？s all light cigarettes and see what he does；？ Serena whispered； still feeling giddy。 She
handed out four Merit Ultra Lights from her black suede Balenciaga fringed hobo bag and Lord
Marcus helped her light them with a silver Tiffany lighter。
The driver screeched to a halt when he noticed the smoke。 ？Get out of my cab！？ he shouted； his
tiny； shriveled fists raised in anger。
Lord Marcus； ever the polite Englishman； began to apologize； pretending he didn？t know it was
illegal to smoke in American taxis。 But they were al