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Ruby laughed； and Vanessa could hear her mumbling to
Piotr in the background in some insane language she couldn？t understand。 Probably Martian。
？Don？t worry about that。 The ceremony is a week from Saturday； a picnic kind of thing at
Prospect Park？so it？s totally casual。 Everyone？s bringing some food and wearing their own
clothes anyway。？ Vanessa could hear the click of her sister？s lighter and then the sound of her
exhaling as she blew out the first drag。 Ruby never smoked before she met Piotr。Was ？Eurotrash？
a contagious disease？
And is there a vaccine？
？Thank God。？ Vanessa held the coffee up to her lips； letting the steam float over her skin。 ？You
really had me worried there for a second。？ ？Listen； the bachelorette party is on Thursday。 You？re
kind of supposed to plan it。 I？ve got some ideas though； so don？t worry too much。？ Bachelorette
party？Plan it？ ？Yeah；？ Vanessa managed to mumble while taking another sip of her coffee； which
tasted like ass。 ？I guess。？ Was there some unwritten rule that all coffee in the Humphreys？
apartment had to be terrible？
？Of course you？re going to film the whole wedding； too。 And before I forget； listen？can you ask
Dan if he？ll write a poem to read at the reception？ You know； something about love； that kind of
thing。 Piotr？s friends are planning some performance art； but we？d like someone to read
something and don？t know any other poets。 It would mean a lot to us。？ Vanessa snorted into the
phone。 Straight love poems weren？t exactly Dan？s thing。
？Anyway； listen； I have to run？I have a dress fitting at Kleinfeld first thing in the morning and I
gotta get some sleep。 Oh； and my last gig as a single woman is on Monday at the Galapagos Art
Space？if you？re free； e check it out！？ There was a click； and then the dial tone began buzzing
rudely in Vanessa？s ear。 Waking up early for adress fitting？ Ruby reallyhad been abducted by
aliens。
？My sister？s getting married；？ Vanessa intoned flatly； staring at a postcard of some really old
building in Prague that Jenny had sent。 The building was so pletely covered in pigeon shit it
looked like it was made of wax。
？Are youserious ？？ Ruby was the last person Dan ever thought would get married？except for
maybe Vanessa。 Vanessa had told him once that she thought marriage was all about money and
status and that it always had been； all throughout history？in the Middle Ages it was practically a
form of slavery。 Still； Dan had always believed that someday he would get to watch Vanessa walk
moodily down the aisle in a long black dress； carrying a bunch of brilliant white daisies。 He？d
even written a poem about it。 But now he was gay； and gay marriage wasn？t evenlegal in New
York。
？。 。 。 anyway； she wants you to write a poem and read it at the ceremony。？Vanessa？s voice broke
into Dan？s thoughts。
？Who？ Me？？ Dan tied the sleeves of the fuchsia jumpsuit around his shoulders like a cape？that
was the only way it was ever going to fit。
？Yeah。？ Vanessa downed the rest of her coffee in one gulp。 ？You。 The one in the cape。？ Supergay？
Captain Gaypants？
Dan scratched his head。 Ever since his recent ？revelation；？ he hadn？t felt much like writing。 In
fact； he hadn？t written a single word since he？d kissed Greg。 It was as if all his confused feelings
were trapped inside； circulating furiously； and he couldn？t get any of them out and onto the
page。 ？But； what？s it supposed to be about？？ he wondered aloud； rubbing his unshaven cheek
against the magenta silk。 The only thing he could possibly write about right now was penis…shaped
cream puffs； and he didn？t think that was going to go over too well at a wedding。 Even a European
one。
？I don？t know。？ Vanessa pulled out a chair from the table and sat down beside Dan； her
now…empty coffee cup in front of her。 ？Love； I guess。？ She shivered； suddenly cold。
？Okay；？ Dan responded。 It occurred to him that the only person he？d ever really loved was sitting
right next to him。 Certainly he could write a poem for Vanessa？s sister； who he actually happened
to like。 ？I can do that。？ ？I just hope their friends don？t like； boo you off the altar or whatever；？
Vanessa joked。 ？And that they understand a little English。？ Suddenly the weight of what Dan had
agreed to sank into him。 Get totally mushy and； well； pletely 。 。 。gay in front of a whole bunch
of Williamsburg hipsters？
That？s one way to e out。
can n weather this storm？
Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeak。
Nate Archibald opened the glass…and…wrought…iron front door of his Park Avenue town house；
cringing at the moan of the hinges。 With any luck； the Captain would be long asleep； and Nate
could just stumble off to bed？avoiding his father pletely。 He had waited until almost midnight
to e home for just that purpose。 After he？d left Blair？s； he？d headed for the boat pond in
Central Park； smoking joint after joint and watching the clouds of smoke drift over the calm
surface of the water。 It reminded him of sailing； of how peaceful it had been out there on the ocean；
surrounded by nothing but water and more water。
As Nate stood looking out at the boat pond； his brain all fuzzy from the pot； he couldn？t help
remembering the way he and Blair and Serena had spent afternoons at the park when they were
kids sailing miniature boats。 Their nannies would sit talking quietly on glossy； dark green benches；
and the three of them would throw rocks in the water and lick their Popsicles？which both girls
would eventually grow tired of； and Nate would promptly eat。 And now here he was； sneaking
around his own home at age eighteen； and not much had changed。 He was still a troublemaker。 He
still loved sailboats and popsicles。 And most of all； he still loved Blair and Serena。
Nate sighed； walking down the carpeted hall as noiselessly as possible。 Somehow； things seemed
so much simpler back then。 He didn？t need to be reminded that lately； things were far from simple。
After getting caught stealing Coach Michaels？s Viagra； Nate hadn？t received his diploma at
graduation。 He was supposed to work for Coach all summer； helping to fix up his house out on
Long Island and earn his diploma that way。 But after Mrs。 Michaels started ing onto him； Nate
took off without a word of explanation to anyone。 He？d stolen his dad？s car； kidnapped Blair；
andthen stolen theCharlotte 。 Jesus； what hadn？t he done？ And because of all his screwups； his
future was totally up in the air。 As he tiptoed past his father？s study； it was impossible to miss the
sliver of yellow light that peeked out from the half…open door。 Nate？s heart sank in his chest。Fuck 。
He ran his hands through his hair and tried his best to straighten up。 He wasn？t reallythat stoned；
was he？
Is that a serious question？
？Who？s there？？ His father？s voice boomed out into the hall； echoing off the polished wood
floors。 ？Nate？ You home？？ Nate sighed； ran his fingers through his hair one last time； and slowly
pushed open the door。
The study was paneled in rich； dark wood； and it reminded Nate of the sea caves he？d once
explored while sailing off the Amalfi coast in Greece。 Captain Archibald was sitting in a
rust…colored leather chair。 His feet； clad in gray cashmere Ralph Lauren socks； were propped up on
a matching leather ottoman。 A crystal tumbler of Glenlivet rested on the armrest； the amber liquid
sparkling in the light。 His father？s hair was gray； with a touch of yellow？a reminder of his younger
days as a hot…young…Yale…lacrosse…player…turned naval…captain。 His eyes were bottle…green； like
Nate？s； without the sparkle。 As usual； he was wearing a gray cashmere suit tailored in England
expressly for him； his navy blue silk tie slightly askew。
Nate braced himself for the shitstorm that was surely about to rain down on him。 All he wanted
right now was to take a long nap？maybe sleep until this whole stupid thing blew over。 But then；
shockingly； the Captain？s face broke into a wide grin。 Was heseeing things？ Nate blinked his eyes
rapidly； trying to clear them。
After three hours of smoking； he was kind of past the point of Visine。
？Nate； my boy！ Home at last！？ The captain threw down theWall Street Journal and jumped to his
feet； throwing his arms around his son and squeezing tightly； clapping him roughly on both
shoulders as he pulled away。 Nate felt dazed； as if he？d just woken up from a long sleep。 What the
hell was going on？
His father sat back down and motioned to the matching leather chair across from him。 ？Sit； my
boy。 We？ve got a lot to catch up on。？ Nate sank down in the chair and started fiddling with the
gold lighter in his pocket。 Blair had given him that lighter two summers ago； and the smooth
weight of it under his fingers calmed him down a little。
？So； you？ve been on quite the sailing adventure； haven？t you？？ Captain Archibald noted； peering
contemplatively at his son。 It was more of a statement than a question。
？Uh； yeah。 With Blair。 It was great。？ Nate shifted unfortably in his seat。 It wasn？t like his
father to make small talk。
？Tell me； son； are you looking forward to Yale？？ The Captain reached up and loosened his tie