the coffee table； where it landed with a bang。 ？Anyway； as long as you？re here； let？s run some
lines。？
？Lines？？ asked Serena。
？You can use my script；？ Thaddeus said； sinking into the armchair with a sigh。 ？I？ve got my lines
down。？ ？Let？s start with scene seventeen；？ she offered hopefully。 ？You know； the love scene？？
Rehearsinga love scene might be as close as she？s going to get。
tea for two
？You okay？？ Vanessa asked Dan。 He was sprawled across his bed； wincing in pain。 There were
Camel butts all over the worn brown carpet； as if he couldn？t be bothered to get up and get one of
the half…empty coffee mugs he usually used as an ashtray。
？Fuuuuu…uuuck；？ he muttered。 ？I think I pulled something。？
Vanessa picked up the dog…eared beige copy of the Bhagavad Gita from his unmade bed。 She
knew it was some sacred Indian text； but she？d never had any interest in finding out any more
about it。 Then she noticed Dan was working on a poem in his big black notebook。 He rolled over
onto his back。
？Whatcha writing？？ she asked； reaching for the notebook。 She read the first couple of lines：
Pure love。 Pure lust。 Trust trust。
Buddha was no Jesus。 Neither am I。
I？m just a guy。
News flash： Bikram yoga kills creative brain cells； causing poets who already write bad poetry to
writereally bad poetry。
？You can？t read that！？ Dan snatched the notebook out of her hands。 ？It？s； um； private。？
？Do you want some tea？？ he asked； sitting up。 ？I just bought some Mint Meltdown。 It？s
supposed to empty the body of toxins and help your body reallybreathe 。？
Vanessa snorted。 ？You？re joking； right？？
？e on。？ Dan yawned。 He rose to his feet unsteadily； and Vanessa followed him out of the
bedroom and down the dark hall； moving at a grandfather？s pace through the swinging door into
the kitchen； which was filled with stacks of dirty dishes。 There were breadcrumbs all over the
counter and the toaster was lying on its side。 Rufus had left a fondue pot filled with cheese in the
middle of the butcher…block island。 Vanessa took a fork and poked at its thick skin while Dan
microwaved two mugs full of water。
Dan dropped two bags of Mint Meltdown into the mugs and handed her one。 Vanessa tried to
catch his eye； but weirdly； he wouldn？t look at her。 This was partly due to the fact that Vanessa
looked pretty in her new black cap…sleeve dress and partly because he was wracked with guilt for
getting sweaty with Bree and not even mentioning anything about it to his supposed girlfriend。
？So；？ she began tentatively。 ？I feel like I？ve hardly seen you。？
？I？ve been working a lot；？ he replied； burying his nose in his mug。 ？They really need me at the
Strand。 And I？ve made some new friends。？
Vanessa chuckled。 ？I guess the high…stakes world of used…book retail never quits。？ Why was he
acting so bizarre？ She？d been able to tell he was disappointed a couple days ago about her
working such long hours； but ever since she moved in they？d been likenew roommates who didn？t
even know each other。
？You don？t have to be rude；？ Dan countered； tapping his spoon against the top of his
BEATPOETSDOIT ON THEROADtravel mug。 ？Judgment leads but to the path of negative
energy。？
？Excuse me？？ Vanessa whispered shrilly。 ？Could you run that by me again？？
？I don？t expect you to understand。？ He sipped his tea even though it was still scalding hot。 ？It？s
one of the elemental sign…posts of the yogi？s philosophy。？
？The only yogi I know is the bear who steals the picnic baskets。 I don？t know where you picked
up this New Age talk； but the Dan Humphrey I used to know and love and kind of had the hots for
would think you are full of shit。？
？Well； the Vanessa AbramsI used to know and love wouldn？t be caught dead slaving for a
Hollywood sellout；？ Dan retorted angrily。 He left out the ？kind of had the hots for？ part since he
kind of had the hots for someone else at the moment。
？Excuse me？？Vanessa set her cup down。 Now that was just plain unfair。 Heknew Ruby had
kicked her out and she needed the money。 And wasn？t he proud of her working on a feature film at
the age of only eighteen？ ？At least my job requires more skill than alphabetizing dusty old books
by author name。？
He closed his eyes and breathed in noisily through his flared nostrils； something he？d learned
yesterday in yoga。In with the good； out with the bad。 ？I thought living together would be so great；
but I think you？ve changed。？
Vanessa sighed over her steaming cup of tea。 It tasted like Aquafresh toothpaste and
Pine…Sol。 ？You？re the one who？s changed；？ she shot back。 ？Maybe I should just get out of your
hair。？ She blew into her mug。
？Please；？ Dan retorted angrily。 ？You wantedme out of your hair； not the other way around。I was
the one who cared about this summer together。You just wanted to work。？
？Well； I guess we？re both getting what we want。？ Vanessa took another sip of Mint Meltdown tea
before setting it down on the counter among the old newspapers and food…encrusted saucepans。
Then she stomped out of the kitchen and out of the apartment to get a decent cup of coffee at the
greasy deli up on Broadway。
Dan ran his hands through his messy light brown hair。 He was having a meltdown all right； but
not the right kind of meltdown。 He pulled a pack of Camels out of the pocket of his faded black
cords and lit one using the front burner on the gas stove。
Surely Yogi would not approve。
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Blair slipped her feet into the ivory calfskin Winter by Bailey Winter stilettos she？d chosen as the
finishing touch to her interview outfit。 They were a tad over the top； maybe； but she had to wear
something by the man himself。 It would have been so cheesy to show up in his clothes； but shoes
were a sly； subtle way to acknowledge his greatness without looking like some dorky； desperate
fashion groupie。
Blair was in baby Yale？s nursery？aka her former bedroom？admiring herself in the full…length
mirrors？the light was so much better there than in Aaron？s dingy room； where the stink of his
herbal cigarettes was embedded in the walls。 She nodded at herself in the mirror。 She looked
confident； but she felt nervous。 Blair had a history of bad luck with interviews？she had
actuallykissed her interviewer when she was applying to Yale。 Then； when she？d requested a
second interview with a Yale alumnus； she？d almostslept with him。 Chances were slim she？d end
up making a pass at Bailey Winter？he was handsome enough in a supertan； blinding…white…teeth
kind of way； but Blair was definitely not his type。
Ahem。 Not unless she changed her name toSir Blair。
She turned and glanced over her shoulder to catch her reflection from a different angle。 Getting
this interview had been even easier than she？d hoped？all it had taken was a call from Eleanor
Rose？but this was her big chance and she didn？t want to blow it。
Serena could have her Hollywood stardom； Blair would have a career in fashion。 She knew all
the right designers； stores； and magazines： she really understood clothes and how to wear them。
One day very soon she？d be a world…famous fashion muse。 She？d sit in the front row at every
Bailey Winter show； have a fragrance named after her； and appear in his ad campaigns。 Their
relationship would be just like Audrey Hepburn？s relationship with the house of Givenchy？the
stuff of legend。 Let Serena play at being Audrey Hepburn onscreen： Blair wouldbe Audrey
Hepburn in real life。
But didn？t Serenaalready have a perfume named after her？ Oops。
The insistent chime of her Vertu cell phone echoed from Aaron？s old room； interrupting her
daydream。 She？d been back in New York for forty…eight hours； but no one had called her； on either
her U。K。 line； which only Lord Marcus had the number to； or her regular phone； which was how
the whole world reached her。 She was living in exile； she told herself； and refused to rejoin society
until she could make some dramatic statement？for example； that she？d flown back from the U。K。
at Bailey Winter？s special request。 She couldn？t have it leaking out that she was back because
Lord Marcus was more interested in making googly eyes at his horse…faced cousin than in
ravishing Blair in her huge hotel bed。
As if we don？t have ways of finding out the truth。
She dashed back to Aaron？s room and whisked the phone off the bureau。 The display read
MARCUS。 His Lordship himself。
She pressed the receive button。 ？What？？ she demanded rudely。
？Blair； darling； what happened？ I？ve been trying to reach you。？
？I don？t really see what we have to talk about；？ Blair replied icily。 ？If you wanted to talk； you
had plenty of time when we were still on the samecontinent 。？
？You mean you？ve left？？ Lord Marcus remarked； clearly surprised。 ？I thought maybe you？d just
moved hotels or gone off to Paris to see your father or something。 I was so worried。？
？I？m sure you were；？ Blair snapped sarcastically； heading back toward Yale？s room。
？This isn？t about Camilla； is it； dearest？ Because； you see； we？re second cousins； so of course？？
？Of coursewhat ？？ Blair