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up in a green twist…tie； there were peanut shells in his salt…and…pepper beard； and his glasses had
slid all the way down his broad red nose。 He was wearing a tattered pair of beige cargo shorts with
several pens and highlighters sticking out of one of the pockets； a light blue way…too…tight
wine…stained polo that Vanessa recognized as one of Dan？s discarded school shirts； and a pink
plastic apron embellished with daisies。
？I？m so sorry；？ Vanessa apologized。 ？I didn？t mean to dis…turb you。？
？What day is this？？ Rufus demanded； staring at her intently without any hint of recognition。
She wondered if she should remind him who she was。 ？Sunday。？
？Sunday； yes； Sunday。？ Rufus nodded； tearing off his rim…less reading glasses and tucking them
into one of his many pockets。 ？So； are you home late or early？ Should I scold you or something？？
Vanessa laughed； relieved that he seemed to know exactly who she was。 ？Don？t worry。 I can
assure you I？ve been behaving。？
？e in； then；？ he urged； turning and retreating to the steamy and disorderly kitchen。 ？I？ve
been working on dinner； and I need a fresh palate to sample what I？ve e up with。？
As if she hasn？t had a rough enough day already。
Vanessa stationed herself on one of the rickety； uneven chairs at the kitchen table； sipping a glass
of murky tap water and watching Rufus Humphrey busy himself at the stove。 Whatever he was
cooking it was very fragrant and it made her stomach growl noisily。 The only thing she？d eaten
that day was her hastily scarfed ice cream sandwich； after the whole scene in the park she just
hadn？t been in the mood for lunch。
？Taste this；？ Rufus manded； handing Vanessa a wooden spoon。
She blew on the steaming mound of couscous and sampled it。 ？Really good。？
？It？s a tagine；？ Rufus informed her。 ？Paul Bowles？s recipe。 I totally forgot I had it。 Where？s Dan？
He loves Paul Bowles。 He？d get a kick out of this； I just know it。 I replaced the saffron with
vermouth！？
？Dan？ I？m not really sure；？ Vanessa admitted。 She fiddled unfortably with the faded white
linen place mat； which was embroidered with little lavender flowers。 It seemed so out of place in
that moldy； disorganized kitchen。
？Trouble in paradise？？ Rufus asked； energetically stirring the bubbling pot。
Vanessa hesitated。 She was really in the mood to just spill her guts。 She hadn？t spoken to Ruby
since leaving the apartment in a huff； she hadn？t talked to her parents in ages。 She didn？t even
care that Rufus was Dan？s dad； she just needed to talk to someone。
？Paradise；？ she scoffed。 ？I don？t think we？re living there anymore。？
？What do you mean？？ Rufus paged through a cookbook； nodding sagely。 ？Shit！Two teaspoons。
Well 。 。 。 six teaspoons isn？t going to kill anyone。？
？I mean；？ explained Vanessa； a lump forming in her throat； ？I think we？re broken up。？
？What happened？？ Rufus asked as he rifled through a drawer； clattering the utensils together。
？I don？t know；？ Vanessa lied； suddenly embarrassed。 Did he really need to hear all the gory
details？
？You kids。？ He shook his head。 ？Young love。？
Or young loveless。
Trying not to lose control； Vanessa continued。 ？And the thing is； he doesn？t even know what else
is going on in my life。 I mean； I lost my job today。 I got fired by Ken Mogul。？ She sighed； her
whole body trembling。 Hearing the words out loud； even out of her own mouth； made the reality
even more harsh。
？Fired？？ Rufus repeated； adding what looked like way too much honey to the couscous
pot。 ？Don？t worry about it。 Believe it or not； I once got fired from a job。 I was an usher at the
Brattle Theater； back when I was a student。？ He chuckled。 ？I got canned for screaming obscenities
during a play about red Russia； but it？s kind of a long story。？
？Well； I really appreciate you letting me stay here。 I？m sure I？ll figure out another place to go
soon；？ Vanessa mumbled miserably。 ？I can call Ruby and maybe she？ll let me crash on the couch。
Or maybe I can ask Blair Waldorf for help。 I mean； I helped her out when she didn？t have any
place to go。？
Miss Sleeps…in…a…new…bed…every…week？ Don？t count on it； sister。
？Hold the phone； dude！？ Rufus exclaimed with one of his classic nonsensical outbursts。 ？Last I
checked； this was my apartment； not Dan？s。 Jenny？s in Europe； and then she？s off to that
schmancy boarding school。 Dan？s going to Evergreen； of all places； and I？m gonna be stuck
talking to myself and cooking for one。 I don？t think so； dude。？
Vanessa had never been called ？dude？ before； at least not by someone？s dad。 She kind of liked it。
？I don？t know；？ she protested。 Finally； someone was beingnice to her； and she had no idea how to
handle it。 ？I？m not sure I？d feel right taking advantage of your hospitality like that。？
？If that？s really how you feel。？ Rufus replaced the lid on the cast…iron pot with a bang。 ？We can
work something out。 You？re going to be at NYU in the fall； right？ Not much ine there； and
you？ll be studying too hard to work。 Maybe you can rent Jenny？s room for a small fee。 As long as
you promise to let me cook for you。？
Vanessa rubbed her stubbly head and blinked up at wild…haired Rufus。
？Ah！ Chili powder！？ he yelled； before dumping in several tablespoons。
Sure； he was a little weird； but he was really nice and she was sure the rent would be more than
reasonable。 She could make herself scarce until Dan left for Evergreen。 And maybe it would
actually be fun rooming with Rufus。 He？d be the wacky dad she？d never had。 Actually； she did
have one； but it couldn？t hurt to have two。
？Thank you； Mr。 Humphrey。？ Vanessa wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands。 ？I？d love to。？
？Great。 Now grab some bowls and a couple of wineglasses。 Supper？s on。？
Better grab the Pepto while you？re at it。
a star is born？take two
Serena cowered inside her trailer for as long as possible； studying her script for the millionth
time； trying to soothe her horrible Monday morning jitters。 She sipped her second latte of the
morning and thought back to her weekend rehearsals with Blair。
？Close your eyes；？ ordered Kristina； her thin…as…a…wisp German makeup artist。 Kristina wore
insanely heavy black eyeliner and Serena was slightly terrified of her。
She felt the soft caress of a brush across her closed eyes。
？Okay； open；？ Kristina said。 ？All done。？
Serena opened her eyes and sighed。 At least she didn？t have any lines in this big scene； just lyrics：
that morning they were shooting a direct reference to the scene in the original film when Audrey
Hepburn sings ？Moon River？ on the fire escape。 Ken Mogul had decided to recreate the scene in
its entirety； so Serena？s trailer was stationed outside of the dilapidated East Village tenement that
was her character？s home in the movie。 Serena downed the last drop of her Starbucks latte and
thought about what Blair had told her the day before。 She could almost hear Blair？s voice inside
her head。
Now there？s a scary thought。
？You don？t have to act。 You？re alreadyher。 That dress isyourdress。 That voice is yourvoice。 Own
it。？
？I think they？re waiting for you；？ Kristina reminded her。
Glancing at herself one last time in the bulb…lined vanity； Serena swallowed。 She was as ready as
she was going to get； but it was going to take a miracle to pull this off。
A miracle named Blair Waldorf。
She stepped out of her gleaming chrome Airstream trailer and onto the sidewalk。 St。 Marks Place
felt even more claus…trophobic than usual： it was crowded with an army of crew members and a
forest of incredibly hot lights。 Ken Mogul was slumped in his usual canvas director？s chair；
smoking a cigarette； since they were shooting in the open air and not the pristine environs of
Barneys； and fiddling with his new BlackBerry。
Blair waited between the two trailers with her loyal shadow/assistant Jasmine。 The younger girl
had a long Kelly green garment bag stamped with the ornate logo of the designer Bailey Winter
tossed over her shoulder； ready to protect Serena？s gown from the elements when the scene was
over。
It must be nice to have a sherpa。
？Serena on set！？ called the second assistant director； and Ken？s army of crew began to dash
around like ants。
As soon as he noticed his leading lady； Ken Mogul leapt out of his seat； almost colliding with a
four…eyed intern。 Behind the director； Serena could see the chiseled profile of Thaddeus Smith；
leaning against his own trailer？a vintage Airstream identical to hers； only painted baby
blue？chattering into a tiny black cell phone。
？Holly； love；？ cooed Ken； tucking his BlackBerry into the back pocket of his weirdly
inappropriate tuxedo pants。 ？You look ravishing。 The costume is absolutely flawless。？
Serena was wearing Bailey Winter？s night…blue velvet smock dress and the prettiest silver
bow…tie flats。 Of course her legs were long and perfect； not that she ever exercised。
Exercise？ How gauche。
？Thanks；？ Serena replied shakily。 She couldn？t wait get this over with。
？Good；？ Ken barked。 ？Let？s get some light in here！ This is the real thing； people！？
Serena strolled over