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little low on air； so he？d pulled into the BP station on Springs Road。 It had been an incredibly hot
day； the kind of day with no ocean breeze to break up the haze； so Nate？s hours of backbreaking
labor had left him sweaty； sunburned； and exhausted。 Judging from the horrified look on Chuck
Bass？s smooth； naturally tanned face； Nate figured he must look pretty terrible。
That？s a first。
？Whathappened to you？？ gasped Chuck。 He pulled his vintage Ray…Ban aviators down the length
of his nose and handed the gas station attendant a fifty…dollar bill。 ？Keep the change。？
？Nothing happened； man；？ Nate responded； annoyed。 He removed the hose from his tire and
bounced the bike up and down to check the pressure。
Despite the thick heat； Chuck Bass was wearing madras board shorts and a gray cashmere hoodie。
He looked as perfectly primped as usual； his thick eyebrows arched tidily above his piercing
brown eyes； his aftershave…mercial…handsome square chin shaved smooth。 He extended a hand
to help Nate to his feet。
？Given up on cars？？ Chuck asked； nodding at Nate？s bike。 ？Don？t tell me you？ve gone green on
us。？
？Yeah。？ Nate looked hopefully toward the tastefully gray…shingled BP gas station for someone to
save him from Chuck。
？Let me give you a ride。？ Chuck rattled the ice in the plastic cup of chilled mocha latte that he？d
drained。 ？It？s a hundred degrees out and you look like you？ve been through hell。 I don？t want to
imagine how you？ll look after riding all the way back to Georgica Pond on that bike。？
Nate weighed his options： half an hour sweating versus ten minutes alone with Chuck Bass？
Damned if you do； damned if you don？t。
？Let？s go。？ Nate sighed。 The thought of Chuck？s air…conditioned dove gray Jag was too hard to
resist。
Chuck unlocked the car？s trunk and Nate stuffed the bike into it？he wasn？t sure it would fit； but
the trunk was surprisingly big and they were able to rig it so only the tip of the tire poked through。
Nate slid onto the white leather seat and slammed the heavy door； fastening his seat belt and
gearing up for the ride。
Chuck turned on the ignition and the car immediately flooded with cold air and blared
Zeppelin？s ？Houses of the Holy。？
？I？ve been lying on the beach in Sag Harbor all day； feeling retro；？ Chuck explained； turning the
volume down。 ？So 。 。 。 let？s catch up。？
？Catch up；？ echoed Nate blankly。 He could tell from Chuck？s tone of voice that he was going to
launch into a barrage of questions。 Talking with Chuck was like having a job interview。
？I assume you heard about Blair。？ Chuck fiddled with the air conditioner； even though it was
already freezing。 He pulled out onto the road connecting Hampton Bays to East Hampton； which
Nate had practically memorized by now。 Wine…grape fields alternated with tasteful Colonial…style；
gray…shingled houses； and occasionally he caught a glimpse of the dark blue ocean behind
someone？s backyard。
？Blair？？ Nate asked as they passed the Oyster Shack on the left。 He？d been so preoccupied with
Tawny； even saying Blair？s name aloud felt weird。 She was off in England for the summer with
her new British boyfriend as far as he knew。 She seemed far away when he thought about her；
even though their paths would soon cross again。 She might be madly in love with that new English
dude； but there was no way Blair Waldorf was going to abandon her lifelong dream of going to
Yale in the fall。 A September reunion on campus was inevitable。
？She？sba…a…a…a…a…ck 。？ Chuck drew it out like that creepy little girl in the moviePoltergeist 。 He
rattled the ice in his cup and slurped up the coffee…flavored water that had gathered at the
bottom。 ？Just got off the plane this morning。？
？Oh yeah？？ Nate fiddled with the shoulder strap on his seat belt。 Blair was back from London？
Thatwas news。
？Yeah。？ Chuck nodded casually； turning the stereo down further。 ？I wonder if she and Serena
have kissed and made up。Again 。 If you know what I mean。？
？Blair and Serena never could stay mad at each other for long；？ Nate muttered； drumming his
thumb against the door handle in time to the music。 He would know？he usually caused the rifts
between them。
？It？s good news for Serena； though；？ Chuck added coyly。 ？She could really use a friend right
about now。？
Nate didn？t respond。 Everything Chuck said made him feel a little uneasy； like the world was
moving on without him。 He？d only been in the Hamptons for a week； and already he didn？t know
what the fuck was happening。
？Word is she？s having alittle trouble with the whole acting thing；？ Chuck observed。 ？But I？m
sure she？ll e out on top。 She always does。？
？Acting； right；？ Nate repeated。 He？d forgotten about Serena？s movie。 It seemed totally alien
from his life as a day laborer。 Nate was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire for a smoke。 He
shoved in the car？s electric lighter。 ？You don？t mind； do you？？
Chuck shrugged。 ？No matter how much trouble Serena might be having； it？s nothing pared
to the mess Blair？s got herself into。？ He drove fast； veered right at a fork； and caused the tires to
squeal。 The houses were getting grander and the lawns bigger the farther they drove。
？What trouble？？ Nate demanded； igniting the half…smoked joint he？d wisely saved for just such a
moment。 ？Blair just came back from London in a hurry。 With some 。。。parcels 。？
？What parcels？？ Nate already felt extremely stoned。 Was it him； or was Chuck such a huge
asshole he was almost not human； like an android or something。
？Well； when she was in London； Blair bought a bunch of things she just couldn？t live without。
Like a wedding dress。 And one of those old…fashioned English baby carriages。 Then she booked a
ticket back to New York。？
？What are you trying to say？？ Nate demanded。 A big white event tent set up on a lawn caught his
eye。 A frou…frou bride and mangy…haired groom holding a guitar were posing for pictures by an
old oak tree not far from it。 Wannabe rock star types were always getting married in the
Hamptons。
？Blair？s back in a big hurry； packing a wedding dress and a baby carriage。。。。 I don？t know。？
Chuck sighed impatiently。 ？You do the math。？
That math wasn？t hard？even for a stoner。
It would definitely take a major event to convince Blair Waldorf to cut her trip short。 Had she
e home to plan her wedding？ Nate wouldn？t put it past her； but he just couldn？t imagine Blair
putting on a wedding dress and marching down the aisle unless he was there； too； in a tuxedo；
right by her side。 Of course they weren？t even together anymore； but some…how it was impossible
for Nate to imagine Blair？hisBlair？ marrying anyone but him。
Nate was beyond relieved when they pulled into the winding gravel driveway of the Archibald
estate。 He needed to be alone with this news and another； much larger joint。
？Thanks for the ride； man；？ Nate muttered distractedly； fumbling with his roach as he climbed
out of the car。
？If you want to talk some more； Nate；？ Chuck called through the passenger window； ？I can e
in。 We could order sushi。？
Ignoring Chuck？s pathetic； lonely offer； Nate retrieved his bike from the trunk and trudged up the
driveway。 He needed to clear his head。
He also needs to learn not to believe everything he hears。 （Not that we don？t all make that
mistake from time to time。）
s follows in audrey？s footsteps。 literally。
Serena stepped out of a flaming yellow taxi onto a crowded stretch of Fifth Avenue； wearing a
simple black shift and a pair of enormous sunglasses； courtesy of the designer Bailey Winter。 She
was in costume？even Serena wouldn？t prance around the city in the middle of the day in a cocktail
dress？ rehearsing the opening scene of the movie。 Holly had to peer into the display windows of
the famous jewelry store Tiffany and pany while eating breakfast after a long night out； just
like Audrey Hepburn did in the original movie。
Gripping a takeout cup of coffee and brown paper bag full of pastries provided by the prop
department； Serena strolled primly toward the elegant building； counting the steps to her…self；
slowly and deliberately。One；two；three；four。
？Watch it；？ barked a suited businessman； brushing by her as he snarled into a cell phone。
？Sorry；？ Serena mumbled； feeling flustered。 She walked back to the curb； turned around； and
retraced her steps。 She tried to keep her back perfectly straight； the way Ken had instructed her to；
but she had to focus on making a direct path to the store； too； which was nearly impossible
because there were so many people around。 She finally made it； but the windows were pletely
blocked out by tourists； frantically snapping pictures of the window displays。 That was
definitelynot in the script。
A chubby older woman in a tennis skirt held her camera out to Serena； gesturing that she wanted
Serena to take her photograph。 Serena shrugged； dropped the paper bag onto the street； and took
the camera。 She focused and took a picture of the woman； smiling and pointing to the Tiffany
logo。
？Thanks！ And now may I take a picture of you？ You work for the store； right？？ Serena