dating a hot Hamptons chick。 Well； why not？ If Blair could change everything？she was getting
married； for Christ？s sake？why couldn？t he？ It was easier to be with Tawny than it was to be with
any other girl he？d ever known； she wasn？t demanding and self…absorbed like Blair； she wasn？t
na？ve and needy like Jenny； she wasn？t unpredictable and inattentive like Serena。 She just 。。。 was。
Classic stoner logic。
？e on；？ Tawny urged； backtracking to grab his hand and pull him through the bushes。
She led him into a sun…dappled clearing where two massive trees had fallen on top of one another；
creating natural benches that were obviously popular with the locals； since the forest floor was
littered with old beer bottles and cigarette butts。 Three guys hunkered on one of the felled logs；
passing a joint between them。 Behind them； through the trees； the blue…black water of the sound
glinted and swelled。
？Hey guys！？Tawny cried。
Three heads swiveled in their direction。 With their baggy jeans and plucked eyebrows； gelled hair；
and dorky striped button…downs； these were the kind of guys Nate and his friends would have
scoffed at if they？d ever e across them in the city。 They were the kind of guys who got into
fights with bouncers and wore gallons of cheesy drug…store cologne。 And they were also；
apparently；Tawny？s friends。
？Nate；these are Greg；Tony；and Vince。？
？What？s up？？ Nate asked； nodding uneasily in their direction。
Tawny clambered over the trunk and took a seat next to Greg； a deeply tanned guy cupping a
joint in his palm and jutting his chest out into the air territorially in a way that reminded Nate of a
bulldog。
？We？ve got some herb； bro；？ announced Vince； who appeared to be Greg？s twin。 ？Have a seat。？
Nate？s ears pricked up at this offer。 He hated being called ？bro？ by guys he didn？t even know；
and he hated guys who pretended to be cool when they were really losers； but he had to admit a
smoke？even with these dorks？sounded like his kind of dessert。
Tawny took a hit and handed over the slightly damp roach。 Nate inhaled greedily。
？Good stuff； right？？ the guy called Greg asked gruffly。 ？I got it off my regular guy。 He？s always
busiest in the summer； you know； but he saves the best shit for loyal year…round cus…tomers like
me。？
It wasn？t great stuff？the Hawaiian stash Nate had stored back in his bedroom was much
better？but he couldn？t plain。
？Fucking city kids；？ growled Vince； taking the joint from Nate。 ？They always fuck everything up
during the summer。 Fucking traffic。 Fucking clubs。 Fucking pain in the ass。？
Eloquently put。
？Summer crowds； man；？ mumbled Tony； who hadn？t yet spoken。 He was glaring at Nate；
studying him suspiciously from under the perfectly creased bill of his Coney Island Cyclones
baseball cap。
Nate was zoning out as usual； the way he liked to when he was smoking herb； but he heard what
the guys were saying。 Loud and clear。
？Totally。？ Tawny yawned； lazily resting her blond； curly…haired head on Nate？s shoulder。
Nate glanced down at his tattered work outfit。 It was pretty clear Tawny disliked the wealthy
crowd that flooded the Hamptons every summer； and Nate was definitely part of that crowd。 With
his workingman？s tan and ragged clothes； she？d probably taken him for the kind of guy who had
to spend his summerearning his money； presumably to pay his way through Yale in the fall。 He felt
a stab of guilt。 He hadn？t exactly been honest with her。
Old habits die hard。 ？Same old story every year；？ Tony continued。 ？Why don？t they find
someplace else to go； like France or some shit？？ ？They？re not so bad；？ Nate ventured。 ？I mean；
I？m kind of from the city？？ ？Youare ？？ Tawny demanded； lifting her head。 She narrowed her
normally wide blue eyes。 ？You never said anything。？
？You never asked；？ Nate pointed out。 There were murmurs from the other guys。 Vince spat into
the sand。 Out on the water； a fishing boat flashed its lights。
？I knew it；？ Tony said； spitting on the ground。 ？I could just smell it on you。？
？But I mean； it？s no big deal。？ Nate shook his head。 ？I mean 。 。 。 I？m not like a lot of those kids。？
？Well； I guess 。 。 。？ Tawny sank back into him； rubbing the side of her face against his
work…strong chest。 ？Maybe you？ll take me back to the city some time？？
？Sure； sure。？ Nate wrapped his tanned arm around her waist。 ？That？d be fun。？
As long as he keeps her away from Blair Not…so…good…with…jealousy Waldorf。
e up and see me sometime
The evening after their study session and another disheart…ening day of rehearsal； Serena sat in
the backseat of a taxi on her way back to the Chelsea Hotel。 But this time； she had something to
look forward to。 She checked the text messages on her phone again； mostly because she wanted to
reread the note from Thaddeus。
e down and see me。 I miss you。 xx
Serena had been starting to doubt herself after all the insults from Ken Mogul； but here it was：
incontrovertible； digital proof that she； Serena van der Woodsen； still had it。
The taxi made a wide turn onto Twenty…third Street and Serena felt her heart start to pound a little
faster？in just a few minutes she？d be at the hotel。 She？d been with handsome guys before； but
she？d never fallen for anyone quite like Thaddeus。 Of course he was gorgeous； but there was
something else about him。 Serena felt like they could be more than costars； more than lovers？they
could be best friends； too。
Not that she needed a new best friend。 Or did she？ She could never remember。
When they reached the Chelsea at last； she stuffed a twenty…dollar bill into the driver？s hand；
burst from the back…seat； and dashed into the lobby of the hotel。 Even though filming had begun at
Barneys； Ken had said she needed as much off…set practice as she could get。 The familiar dark
hallways lined with famous paintings gave Serena a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach； but
she tried to forget about all the negative things that Ken had yelled at her in the building and focus
on what was about to happen： she was about to get together with Thaddeus Smith。
She knocked softly on his door and he pulled it open almost immediately； a startled look on his
face。 His very baggy cargo shorts had slid down to reveal his simple gray boxers。
？Serena；？ he exclaimed。 ？What？s going on？？
？Nothing；？ she breathed； brushing past him and into the room。 She tossed her khaki…colored
Marc Jacobs drawstring beach bag on the floor and plopped onto the couch。
Thaddeus closed the door and pulled his shorts up； blushing slightly。 ？So；？ he said。 ？What？s
happening？ Were you just in the neighborhood？？
？Something like that。？ Serena laughed。 It was cute to see the world…famous actor squirming。 God；
she loved flirting with him。
？So；？ Thaddeus mumbled； picking up his discarded T…shirt from the floor and pulling it over his
head。 He sat in the arm…chair and placed his feet on the coffee table。 ？Have you been rehearsing on
your own？？
？It？s such a drag；？ Serena sighed。 ？But Ken acts like I？m never going to get it right。？
？I always say it？s harder work than people think；？Thaddeus agreed。 ？People think it？s all
glamour； all parties and premieres； but I fuckingearn my paychecks。 I guess I don？t need to tell
you that。？
Making three million per movie must be hard。
？I wish someone had warned me。？ Serena picked her bag up off the floor and dug her hand inside。
She？d gotten so worked up on her way over； she needed to relax。 ？Mind if I smoke？？
？No； of course not。？ Thaddeus gestured lamely at the coffee table； which was already set with an
ashtray and several lighters。 ？The thing is； Serena； this isn？t a great time。 My friend Serge is
supposed to stop by。？
Serena stayed where she was。 Why was it so hard to get a minute alone with him？
？Well； your text message didn？t sound like you were that busy。？ She smiled nervously。 His coy
actwas a little confusing。
Only a little？
？Shit；？Thaddeus exclaimed。？Yougot my text message？？
？Uh…huh；？ she murmured breathily。
？Well； I？m glad you did；？ he stammered。 ？I thought that we could； um； well； I thought that
maybe we should get some work done。？
Why was he so nervous？ It was hard to believe that someone as gorgeous and successful as
Thaddeus Smith could be so shy around girls！ ？Work。？ She pouted。 ？I thought you might want to；
you know； have a little fun？？
？Fun；？ repeated Thaddeus。 ？Work can be？？ His chirping cell phone interrupted him。 He glanced
at the display。 ？Serena； I？ve got to grab this。 I？m sorry。 I？ll be just be a second。？ He scurried into
the bedroom； so all Serena could hear was ？Hello。？
She stubbed out her half…smoked cigarette。 Thaddeus？s freaky behavior was starting to make her
nervous。 Was she ing on too strong？ Not strong enough？ He was the one who？d sent her a
sexy text message。 Why would he invite a friend over？ Maybe Thaddeus was kinky？ That wasn？t
really her thing。
Oh； really？
？Sorry about that；？ Thaddeus apologized； shuffling back into the room。 He tossed his phone onto
the coffee table； where it landed with a bang。 ？Anyway； as long as