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Nate nodded； frowning。 He tried to remember the last time he’d
surprised Blair。 The only thing that came to mind was the time he’d
brought her an ice cream cone when he picked her up at her tennis
lesson。 That was over a month ago； and it was a pretty lame
surprise by any standard。 At this rate； he and Blair might never
have sex。
Nate was one of those boys you look at and while you’re looking at
them； you know they’re thinking； that girl can’t take her eyes off
me because I’m so hot。 Although he didn’t act at all conceited about
it。 He couldn’t help looking hot； he was just born that way。 Poor guy。
That night Nate was wearing the moss…green cashmere V…neck
sweater Blair had given him last Easter； when her father had taken
them skiing in Sun Valley for a week。 Secretly； Blair had sewn a tiny
gold heart pendant onto the inside of one of the sweater’s sleeves；
so that Nate would always be wearing her heart on his sleeve。 Blair
liked to think of herself as a hopeless romantic in the style of old
movie actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe。 She was
always ing up with plot devices for the movie she was starring
in at the moment； the movie that was her life。
“I love you；” Blair had told Nate breathily when she gave him the
sweater。
“Me too；” Nate had said back； although he wasn’t exactly sure if it
was true or not。
When he put the sweater on； it looked so good on him that Blair
wanted to scream and rip all her clothes off。 But it seemed
unattractive to scream in the heat of the moment—more femme
fatale than girl…who…gets…boy—so Blair kept quiet； trying to remain
fragile and baby…birdlike in Nate’s arms。 They kissed for a long time；
their cheeks hot and cold at the same time from being out on the
slopes all day。 Nate twined his fingers in Blair’s hair and pulled her
down on the hotel bed。 Blair put her arms above her head and let
Nate begin to undress her； until she realized where this was all
heading； and that it wasn’t a movie after all； it was real。 So； like a
good girl； she sat up and made Nate stop。
She’d kept on making him stop right on up until today。 Only two
nights ago； Nate had e over after a party with a half…drunk flask
of brandy in his pocket and had lain down on her bed and
murmured； “I want you； Blair。” Once again； Blair had wanted to
scream and jump on top of him； but she resisted。 Nate fell asleep；
snoring softly； and Blair lay down next to him and imagined that she
and Nate were starring in a movie in which they were married and
he had a drinking problem； but she would stand by him always and
love him forever； even if he occasionally wet the bed。
Blair wasn’t trying to be a tease； she just wasn’t ready。 She and
Nate had barely seen each other at all over the summer because
she had gone to that horrible boot camp of a tennis school in North
Carolina； and Nate had gone sailing with his father off the coast of
Maine。 Blair wanted to make sure that after spending the whole
summer apart they still loved each other as much as ever。 She had
wanted to wait to have sex until her seventeenth birthday next
month。
But now she was through with waiting。
Nate was looking better than ever。 The moss…green sweater had
turned his eyes a dark； sparkling green； and his wavy brown hair
was streaked with golden blond from his summer on the ocean。
And； just like that； Blair knew she was ready。 She took another sip of
her scotch。 Oh； yes。 She was definitely ready。
“What are you two talking about？” Blair’s mother asked； sidling up
to Nate and squeezing Cyrus’s hand。
“Sex；” Cyrus said； giving her a wet kiss on the ear。
Yuck。
“Oh！” Eleanor Waldorf squealed； patting her blown…out blond bob。
Blair’s mother was wearing the fitted； graphite…beaded cashmere
dress that Blair had helped her pick out from Armani； and little
black velvet mules。 A year ago she wouldn’t have fit into the dress；
but she had lost twenty pounds since she met Cyrus。 She looked
fantastic。 Everyone thought so。
“She does look thinner；” Blair heard Mrs。 Bass whisper to Mrs。
Coates。 “But I’ll bet she’s had a chin tuck。”
“I bet you’re right。 She’s grown her hair out—that’s the telltale sign。
It hides the scars；” Mrs。 Coates whispered back。
The room was abuzz with snatches of gossip about Blair’s mother
and Cyrus Rose。 From what Blair could hear； her mother’s friends
felt exactly the same way she did； although they didn’t exactly use
words like annoying； fat； or loser。
“I smell Old Spice；” Mrs。 Coates whispered to Mrs。 Archibald。 “Do
you think he’s actually wearing Old Spice？”
That would be the male equivalent of wearing Impulse body spray；
which everyone knows is the female equivalent of nasty。
“I’m not sure；” Mrs。 Archibald whispered back。 “But I think he might
be。” She snatched a cod…and…caper spring roll off Esther’s platter；
popped it into her mouth； and chewed it vigorously； refusing to say
anything more。 She couldn’t bear for Eleanor Waldorf to overhear
them。 Gossip and idle chat were amusing； but not at the expense of
an old friend’s feelings。
Bullshit！ Blair would have said if she could have heard Mrs。
Archibald’s thoughts。 Hypocrite！ All of these people were terrible
gossips。 And if you’re going to do it； why not enjoy it？
Across the room； Cyrus grabbed Eleanor and kissed her on the lips
in full view of everyone。 Blair shrank away from the revolting sight
of her mother and Cyrus acting like geeky teens with a crush and
turned to look out the penthouse window at Fifth Avenue and
Central Park。 The fall foliage was on fire。 A lone bicyclist rode out of
the Seventy…second Street entrance to the park and stopped at the
hot…dog vendor on the corner to buy a bottle of water。 Blair had
never noticed the hot…dog vendor before； and she wondered if he
always parked there； or if he was new。 It was funny how much you
could miss in what you saw every day。
Suddenly Blair was starving； and she knew just what she wanted： A
hot dog。 She wanted one right now—a steaming hot Sabrette hot
dog with mustard and ketchup and onions and sauerkraut—and she
was going to eat it in three bites and then burp in her mother’s
face。 If Cyrus could stick his tongue down her mother’s throat in
front of all of her friends； then she could eat a stupid hot dog。
“I’ll be right back；” Blair told Kati and Isabel。
She whirled around and began to walk across the room to the front
hall。 She was going to put on her coat； go outside； get a hot dog
from the vendor； eat it in three bites； e back； burp in her
mother’s face； have another drink； and then have sex with Nate。
“Where are you going？” Kati called after her。 But Blair didn’t stop；
she headed straight for the door。
Nate saw Blair ing and extracted himself from Cyrus and Blair’s
mother just in time。
“Blair？” he said。 “What’s up？”
Blair stopped and looked up into Nate’s sexy green eyes。 They were
like the emeralds in the cufflinks her father wore with his tux when
he went to the opera。
He’s wearing your heart on his sleeve； she reminded herself；
forgetting all about the hot dog。 In the movie of her life； Nate would
pick her up and carry her away to the bedroom and ravish her。
But this was real life； unfortunately。
“I have to talk to you；” Blair said。 She held out her glass。 “Fill me
up； first？”
Nate took her glass and Blair led him over to the marble…topped wet
bar by the French doors that opened onto the dining room。 Nate
poured them each a tumbler full of scotch and then followed Blair
across the living room once more。
“Hey； where are you two going？” Chuck Bass asked as they walked
by。 He raised his eyebrows； leering at them suggestively。
Blair rolled her eyes at Chuck and kept walking； drinking as she
went。 Nate followed her； ignoring Chuck pletely。
Chuck Bass； the oldest son of Misty and Bartholomew Bass； was
handsome； aftershave…mercial handsome。 In fact； he’d starred
in a British Drakkar Noir mercial； much to his parents’ public
dismay and secret pride。 Chuck was also the horniest boy in Blair
and Nate’s group of friends。 Once； at a party in ninth grade； Chuck
had hidden in a guest bedroom closet for two hours； waiting to
crawl into bed with Kati Farkas； who was so drunk she kept throwing
up in her sleep。 Chuck didn’t even mind。 He just got in bed with her。
He was pletely unshakeable when it came to girls。
The only way to deal with a guy like Chuck is to laugh in his face；
which is exactly what all the girls who knew him did。 In other circles；
Chuck might have been banished as a slimeball of the highest
order； but these families had been friends for generations。 Chuck
was a Bass； and so they were stuck with him。 They had even gotten
used to his gold monogrammed pinky ring； his trademark navy blue
monogrammed cashmere scarf； and the copies of his headshot；
which littered his parent’s many houses and apartments and spilled
out of his locker at the Riverside Preparatory School for Boys。
“Don’t forget to use protection；” Chuck called； raising his glas