strolling along Catachungo Road in Hampton Bays； wearing a Yale baseball cap and standing
quite close to a mystery girl wearing a pink tube top embellished with Old Navy logos。 I must
have missed their Hamptons store opening。 V settling into a maroon leather barber chair at an
old…school barbershop on the Upper West Side； ignoring the men…only rule。 Maybe someone
should tell her that she？s definitely not in Brooklyn anymore。 D curled up on a bench in Union
Square； reading a thick paperback book on kundalini yoga while smoking a cigarette。 Is he
planning to write an epic poem about yoga positions for lung cancer patients？ Who wants to know？
I know I do。
And you know you love me。
gossip girl
townies are people too
Nate guided his trusty Schwinn off the gravelly road and onto the dirt shoulder in front of the
Oyster Shack； managing to avoid a replay of his humiliating wipeout yesterday。 After their ice
cream； Tawny had taken him to get his tire fixed at Bob？s Gas ？n？ Dogs and it was as good as new。
He breathed in the fresh air appreciatively。 He？d only smoked a third of a joint that morning； so
his head was clear。
That？s a first。
Even though it was only six o？clock； the Oyster Shack was crowded with kids in shorts and
halter tops eating fries and drinking canned Bud。 Leaning the bike on the kickstand； Nate ambled
over to the barnred picnic bench where Tawny sat smoking a Virginia Slim； a devilish little smile
on her full； opalescent peach？glossed lips。
Normally Nate would have felt kind of stupid meeting a girl on a bike； but he kind of enjoyed the
workout； the breeze in his face and the wind in his hair。 Of course； he could enjoy the wind in his
hair behind the wheel of his dad？s powder blue 1978 vintage Aston Martin convertible parked in
his garage only twenty minutes away； but the car was the Captain？s pride and joy； and Nate
wasn？t allowed to drive it alone； much less into one of the Hamptons？ less desirable
neighborhoods； like Hampton Bays。
After they？d shared an innocent ice cream cone and gotten Nate？s bike fixed yesterday；Tawny
had suggested they meet up for dinner today。 Nate hardly needed convincing； like a good
ex…girlfriend； Fate always pulled through for him； right when he needed her。 Just when his
loneliness had started to get him down； he？d happened to meet confident； sexy Tawny。
？You made it；？ she chirped； stubbing her cigarette out on the table and tossing the butt in the
grass behind her。 She was wearing a peach…colored bikini top and a black jersey wrap…around skirt
that showed off her tanned； round； but firm thighs。 Her hair was down； grazing her freckled
shoulders； and her peachy lips matched the bikini straps that were falling off her
shoulders。 ？Without falling。？
？Yeah； no accidents this time。？ Nate laughed； shaking his head。 He flipped down the collar of the
clean but faded light blue Brooks Brothers shirt he？d changed into after work and slipped onto the
bench across from her。 ？So I？d say the day is going pretty well。？
？How was work？？Tawny asked as she smeared some goopy vanilla…scented stuff on her lips。
Nate could smell it from where he sat。
？Just the usual： backbreaking manual labor。？ He？d spent all of yesterday and today nailing new
shingles onto Coach Michaels？s roof。 His hands were riddled with calluses and his arms
ached。 ？I？m working for my coach； so it？s not like I can slack off。 He？s kind of an asshole。 I guess
it？s just like practice。？
Only without the stick。 And the ball。 And the rest of the team。
？You must really like him； though； to want to work for him all summer；？Tawny countered。
Nate shrugged； rubbing his hand over his stiff neck。 ？I guess。？ No need to tell her about the
stolen Viagra and the withheld diploma； right？
Best not。
？Poor boy；？ she cooed。 ？Maybe you need a massage。 I can practice on you。 I？m totally going to
be an LMT after I graduate。？
He had no idea what she was talking about。 LMT？
Low…class mega…slut townie？
？Alicensed massage therapist； silly！ I can？t believe you didn？t know that。 Anyway； I talked to
these people at this spa in Sag Harbor and they might let me do an actual internship。 You know；
practicing on real people？ I？m so psyched。？ She leaned in across the table and began massaging
Nate？s forearm； using both of her hands and applying a surprising amount of pressure； her long
manicured fingertips scraping his skin like ice scrapers on a car windshield。 ？See？？ she
asked。 ？Doesn？t that feel good？？
It did feel good； sort of； but Nate was much more interested in the view： Tawny was leaning so
far forward that her impressive pear…shaped boobs were totally visible。
？So； um； you？re still in high school； then？？ Nate mumbled； remembering that it was his turn to
say something。 ？I just graduated。？ Saying that felt good。 It made him feel manly。
Oh boy。
？I？m graduating next year；？ she explained； moving her hands from his forearm to his chest；
which was tight from hammering。 ？I can？t wait。 I？m so sick of high school。 I figure I？ll get my
certification； you know； get a house in the Bays。 If you？re good； you can make such awesome cash
from the summer crowd you don？t have to work the rest of the year。 That？s totally my plan： make
a good living mooching off summer people。？ She laughed。
？Cool。？ Nate was having trouble concentrating on what Tawny was saying because her boobs
were practically in his lap。 He？d tuned her out so pletely she sounded kind of like the parents
in a Peanuts cartoon。Wah…wah…wah…wah…wah。 Her lips looked so full and peach…colored and shiny；
and she smelled like vanilla。
He pitched his head forward and lightly kissed her； touching her cheeks gently。 Her mouth tasted
like Diet Coke and some sort of artificial but totally delicious fruit。
After a few moments she giggled and pulled away。 ？We can do that all night； but I want to know
about your plans too；？ she went on； sitting back down and taking his hand。 ？You can tell me all
about it over dinner。？
？Sure； yeah。？ Nate stood and patted his pocket to make sure he？d remembered to bring his wallet。
He wondered if the Oyster Shack accepted platinum American Express。 He licked his lips； which
tasted sort of slick and fruity now themselves and would probably make his beer taste like pi？a
colada。 ？Let？s get something to eat and I？ll tell you my whole master plan。？
Nate Archibald has a master plan？
？Sounds impressive。？ Tawny giggled again as she stood and gathered up her cigarettes； her
lighter； and her gold pleather XOXO clutch with buckles all over it。
？Well； I？m starting Yale in a couple of months？？
？Yale？ Really？ Damn； that？s a good school。？ She linked her arm with Nate？s。 ？And expensive。？
Then again； education is like a Birkin bag？how can you put a price on such things？
b is for betrothed
Blair Waldorf crossed her legs and leaned back in the deep…brown high…backed leather chair。
Lifting the white Spode porcelain teacup to her lips； she took a dainty sip of lukewarm Earl Grey
tea and smiled at Jemima； the salesgirl who was hovering over her。 ？Miss Waldorf；？ Jemima
tittered； handing Blair a small navy blue leather portfolio。 ？Whenever you？re ready。？
Blair opened the book； inside were her black American Express card； a receipt； and a pen； which
she grabbed； signing the dotted line without glancing at it。
？Lovely。 Now； I？ve had your parcels packed up and they？ll be off to Claridge？s shortly。 Can I do
anything else for you？ Fetch a taxi； perhaps？？
？No； thank you。？ She smiled gracefully。 ？I think I？ll walk。？
She had been sitting fortably in a private back room in a new boutique called Kid in West
London for an hour； keeping Jemima； a pretty brunette with terrible teeth； busy fetching every
style of boot they stocked。 As she tried on the twenty…plus pairs of boots； she？d had two cups of
tea； glanced at the new issue of FrenchVogue ； and made a telephone call to Lord Marcus。
Voicemail。 She wondered if he was working； or if he was off with Camilla somewhere； buying
new croquet mallets； or 。。。
Orwhat？
Blair didn？t give up easily and she was determined not to let yesterday get her down。 Maybe
Marcus and Camilla needed to get their cousinly bonding thing out of the way。 They？d
undoubtedly soon tire of each other？s pany。 Besides； Marcus was likely to forget
Camilla？sname when he caught a glimpse of Blair in her new knee…high black python…skin boots
and her new black lace Gossard corset and matching boy shorts； which she planned on modeling
for him that very night in between courses during the champagne…and…chocolate room service
dinner she？d planned。
Tucking the still…warm credit card back into her new Smythson billfold； Blair dropped her wallet
inside the limited…edition hand…painted Goyard bag she？d picked up the day before and walked out
of the store and onto the quiet stretch of Press Street。 She？d been to London only once with her
family； when she was twelve。 They？d stayed at the Langham Hotel just off Regent Street； visited
Old Ben and Buckingham Palace； seen the crown jewels； watched the changing of the guard；