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man。 “Well； of course she is；” she said。 “Your family has been very
generous with our foundation。”
Nate plucked two flutes of champagne off a passing tray and
handed one to her。 He raised his glass。 “To the birds；” he said；
clinking his glass with hers and trying to fend off an outbreak of the
giggles。
Ms。 Agnelli blushed again。 This boy was too cute！
“Hey； those two girls helped plan the party； too；” Nate said；
pointing at Kati and Isabel； who were standing on the edge of the
dance floor； useless as usual。 He waved them over。
“Hello； Nate；” said Kati； tottering over on four…inch stilettos。
Isabel clutched her drink and stared at the strange woman standing
next to Nate。 “Hi；” she said。 “I love your suit。”
“Thank you； dear。 I’m Rebecca Agnelli； from the Central Park Save
the Peregrine Falcons Foundation；” the woman said。 She held her
hand out to Isabel； who reached out with both arms to give her a
drunken hug。
“Excuse me；” said Nate； bowing out right on cue。
“Blair？” Nate called； cautiously pushing open the ladies’ room door。
“Are you in there？”
Blair was crouched in the end stall。 “Shit；” she said softly； wiping
her mouth with toilet paper。 She stood up and flushed。 “I’ll be right
out；” she said； waiting for him to leave。
But Nate pushed the ladies’ room door open all the way and
stepped inside。 On a counter by the sinks were little bottles of
Evian； perfume； hairspray； Advil； and hand lotion。 He unscrewed a
bottle of water and shook a couple Advil onto his palm。
Blair opened the stall door。 “You’re still here；” she said。
Nate handed her the pills and the water。 “I’m still here；” he
repeated。
Blair swallowed the pills； sipping the water slowly。 “I’m really fine；”
she said。 “You can go back to the party。”
“You look nice；” Nate said； ignoring her。 He reached out and rubbed
one of Blair’s bare shoulders。 Her skin felt warm and soft； and Nate
wished they could lie down on her bed and fall asleep together like
they always used to。
“Thanks；” said Blair； her lower lip beginning to tremble。 “So do
you。”
“I’m sorry； Blair。 I really am；” Nate began。
Blair nodded and began to cry。 Nate pulled a paper towel from the
dispenser and handed it to her。
“I think the only real reason I did it 。 。 。 I mean； that I did it with
Serena 。 。 。 is because I knew she’d do it；” he said； grasping for the
right words。 “But it was you I wanted all along。”
Nice one。
Blair swallowed。 He’d said it just right； exactly the way she’d written
it in the script in her head。 She put her arms around Nate’s neck
and let him hold her。 His clothes smelled like pot。
Nate pushed her away and looked down into her eyes。 “So
everything is okay now？” he said。 “You still want me？”
Blair caught the reflection of the two of them together in the
bathroom mirror and gazed up into Nate’s gorgeous green eyes and
nodded yes。
“But only if you promise to stay away from Serena；” she sniffled。
Nate wound a strand of Blair’s hair around his finger and breathed
in the scent of her perfume。 It felt okay； standing there； holding her。
It felt like something he could do。 For now； and maybe forever。 He
didn’t need Serena。
He nodded。 “I promise。”
And then they kissed—a sad； soft kiss。 In her head； Blair could hear
the swell of music signaling the end of the scene。 It had started out
a little rocky； but at least the ending was okay。
“e on；” she said； pulling away and wiping the mascara smudges
from under her eyes。 “Let’s go see who’s here。”
Holding hands； they left the ladies’ room。 Kati Farkas smiled
knowingly as she tottered past them on the way in。
“You guys；” she scolded。 “Get a room！”
“This band rocks！” Serena shouted at Vanessa over the pounding
drum and bass。 She wriggled her butt from side to side in her chair；
her eyes shining。 Dan was having trouble breathing normally。 He’d
barely touched his drink。
Vanessa smiled； pleased that Serena liked the music。 Personally；
she hated it； although she’d never tell her sister Ruby that。
SugarDaddy was all about people dancing and sweating and
shaking their bodies around； which was definitely not Vanessa’s
thing。
She’d rather lie around in the dark listening to Gregorian chants or
whatever。 Yeehaw！
“e on；” Serena said； standing up。 “Let’s dance。”
Vanessa shook her head。 “That’s okay；” she said。 “You go。”
“Dan？” Serena said； tugging on his jacket sleeve。 “e on！”
Dan never； ever danced。 He was bad at it； and it made him feel like
a goofball。 He hesitated； glancing at Vanessa； who raised her black
eyebrows； challenging him。 If you get up and dance right now； you
will go straight to the top of my loser list； her look said。
Dan stood up。 “Sure； why not；” he said。
Serena grabbed his hand and pushed her way into the gyrating
throng with Dan stumbling after her。 Then Serena began to dance；
her arms raised over her head； kicking her feet out in front of her
and shaking her shoulders。 She definitely knew how to dance。
Dan nodded his head up and down and waggled his knees in time to
the beat； watching her。
Serena reached out and clasped Dan’s hips； rocking them back and
forth and around and around； mimicking what her hips were doing
all on their own。 Dan laughed and Serena smiled and closed her
eyes； getting seriously down。 Dan closed his eyes too； letting his
body follow hers。 It really didn’t matter that he danced like a moron；
or that he was the only one in the room wearing a tuxedo—probably
the only one in Williamsburg。 He was with her； and that was what
mattered。
Alone at the table； Vanessa finished first her drink and then Dan’s。
Then she got up and went to sit down at the bar。
“Nice shirt；” the bartender remarked when he saw her。 He was in
his early twenties； with red hair； long sideburns； and a cute； sly
smile。 Her sister was always talking about how cute he was。
“Thanks；” Vanessa said； smiling back at him。 “It’s new。”
“You should wear red more often；” he said。 He held his hand out。
“I’m Clark。 You’re Vanessa； right？ Ruby’s sister？”
Vanessa nodded。 She wondered if he was just being nice to her
because he liked her sister。
“Can I tell you a secret？” Clark said。 He poured a few different
things into a martini shaker and shook it up。
Oh； fuck； Vanessa thought。 Here’s when he pours out his heart and
tells me all about how he’s been in love with Ruby forever； but she
doesn’t seem to notice him。 And he wants me to play Cupid and
blah； blah； blah。
“What？” she said。
“Well；” Clark said。 “I see you and Ruby e in here all the time。”
Here he goes； thought Vanessa。
“And you never e up to the bar and talk to me。 But I’ve kind of
had a crush on you since I first saw you。”
Vanessa stared at him。 Was he joking？
Clark poured the drink out of the martini shaker into a short little
glass and squeezed a few limes into it。 He pushed it toward her。 “Try
that；” he said。 “It’s on the house。”
Vanessa picked up the glass and tasted it。 It tasted sweet and sour
at the same time； and she couldn’t taste any alcohol in it at all。 It
was good。
“What’s it called？” she said。
“Kiss me；” Clark said； with an absolutely straight face。
Vanessa put the drink down and leaned over the bar。 Serena and
Dan could dance their pretty asses off for all she cared。 She was
about to be kissed。
The Kiss on the Lips DJ had just broken up with her boyfriend of four
years and was playing sad； slow； love songs back to back。
Gorgeously dressed couples held onto each other and swayed to
the lonesome riffs； barely moving beneath the soft lights。 The air
smelled of orchids and candle wax and raw fish and cigarette
smoke； and there was a peaceful sophistication to the evening that
was both unexpected and familiar。 It wasn’t the rocking slam…fest
that some had hoped for； but it wasn’t a bad party； either。 There
was still plenty of booze left； nothing had caught fire； and the cops
hadn’t shown up to card people。 Besides； the year was just getting
started—there were tons more parties to look forward to。
Nate and Blair were dancing together； her cheek against his chest；
both of their eyes closed； his lips brushing the top of her head。 Blair
had put her brain on pause； and her head was full of static。 She was
tired of dreaming up movies。 Right now； real life suited her just fine。
A few couples away； Chuck had his hands full of Jenny Humphrey。
Jenny wished the DJ would bring up the tempo。 She was trying to
dance as fast as she could； to keep Chuck from groping her； but it
was having the opposite effect。 Every time she moved her
shoulders； her boobs bounced out of her dress and practically hit
him in the face。
Chuck was absolutely delighted。 He put his arms around Jenny’s
waist and pulled her close； dancing off the dance floor and into the
ladies’ room。
“What are we doing？” Jenny said； confused。 She gazed up into his
eyes。 She knew Chuck was friends with Serena and Blair； and she
wanted to trust him。 But Chuck still hadn’t asked h