standing on the threshold； taking in the scene。 ？e here and give me a big kissie…poo
immediately！？
Serena followed Blair？s example； depositing her hunter green Herm？s canvas tote on the
well…polished floor and embracing the diminutive designer。 The pugs swirled around her； rubbing
their fat； drool…dripping jowls against her already…tanned legs。
？Oh my goodness； behave！？ Bailey scolded the dogs； though they paid no attention； wagging
their tiny blond rumps crazily。 ？Girls； let me introduce you。 These are Azzedine； Coco； Crist？bal；
Gianni； and Madame Gr？s。？ He nodded to his five bug…eyed dogs。 ？Kiddies； these are the girls：
Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen； my new muses。 Play nice！？
？Should I get the bags？？ inquired a deep voice with a vaguely German accent。 Blair turned to see
a lanky； floppy…haired boy enter the room from the sunlight…flooded hallway that led to the back of
the house。 Blair could see an almost…black infinity…edge swimming pool through the
floor…to…ceiling windows behind him。 The boy was wearing a threadbare orange T…shirt that barely
covered his caramel…colored biceps； and tattered olive cargo shorts that hung below his knees。
Where had she seen him before？ In an Abercrombie catalog？ In his underwear on a billboard in
Times Square？
In her dreams？
？Oh hel…looooo；Stefan；？ Bailey squealed。 ？The girls will stay in the pool house。？
？Certainly。？ Stefan grinned； grabbing Blair？s and Serena？s abandoned bags。
？We？ve got more in the car；？ Blair informed him； admiring the way his biceps flexed as he
negotiated her overstuffed carryall。
？Naughty girl！？ Bailey stage…whispered； catching Blair？s eye。 He placed a well…tanned if slightly
orange arm around her shoulders； giving her a squeeze。 ？He？s a treat； isn？t he？？
Blair nodded enthusiastically； although the sight of Stefan？s taut arms and sun…kissed hair made
her think of the one…time/maybe…still love of her life； Nate Archibald。 The sun always seemed to
work magic on Nate？s body。 He could be wearing a nerdy polo from back in ninth grade and the
dorky pressed Brooks Brothers khaki Bermuda shorts his mom always bought for him； but with a
tan he still looked ridiculously hot。
Pulling up to Bailey？s concrete…and…glass house a few minutes ago； Blair hadn？t been able to
help but surreptitiously scan the neighboring driveways for sight of Nate？s car。 His family always
summered in Maine； but she？d heard he was staying at their new Hamptons beach house while he
worked for his coach。 She？d never been there； but it was around here some…where。 Not that she？d
really thought about it or anything。
Sure she hasn？t。
It was the last summer vacation of her entire life？ yes； college would have summer vacations； too；
but Blair expected they would be filled with important internships at fashion magazines；
archeological digs in the desert of Mumbai； or ？anthropological？ research in the south of France。
In a mere eight weeks she？d pack her new bisque…colored BMW （a graduation present from her
globe…trotting and gay but still…sweet dad） and drive to New Haven to begin her life as a Yalie。
Until then； she was determined to make the most of her life as a fashion muse。 She？d spend her
days sipping limoncello and chilled vodka by the pool and her nights kneading Stefan？s arm
muscles。 Or searching for Nate。 Or not searching for Nate。Whatever。
？Your house is beautiful。？
The sound of Serena？s voice snapped Blair out of her reverie； and she stopped admiring Stefan？s
shapely arms and studied her best friend； who was sitting on the floor surrounded by Bailey？s
dogs； smiling happily。 She wore a long white cotton spaghetti…strap Marni dress with purple
crochet trim。 On anyone else it would have looked horribly hippie Aunt Moonbeam from San
Francisco； but of course it looked pletely ravishing on Serena。
？I？m glad my humble abode meets Serena van der Woodsen？s exacting standards；？ Bailey
replied。
Six bedrooms； seven baths； aviary； pool house； helipad； and tennis court： humble abode； indeed。
Serena cradled Coco in her arms and kissed her adorably deformed…looking face。 The pug
wheezed and snorted happily。 Serena hadn？t rolled around on the floor with a dog since she？d
dated Blair？s stepbrother； Aaron。 His dog； Mookie； had drooled all over Blair？s bedroom and
scared Kitty Minky； Blair？s cat； into peeing everywhere； but Serena had a soft spot for him
anyway。 She wondered if Bailey would let Coco sleep with her in the guest house at night； like a
real…life teddy bear。
？Someone？s taken a shine to you； eh； Coco？？ Bailey cooed； tickling the dog under her furry chin
as though she were a hairy little baby。 ？e； e。 I？ll give you the grand tour。？
Blair frowned at the four other dogs； all staring at her expectantly。 The last thing she wanted was
some mutt drooling all over her linen Calypso tunic。
？This way； girls。？ Bailey beckoned； leading the five dogs and two girls like a flock of ducks
down the cavernous hall…way and into the main part of the house。 The hall was lined with
wall…size Ellsworth Kelly red circle paintings that Blair recognized from a spread on the Winter
estate in last sum…mer？sElle Decor； and opened onto a massive kitchen with poured concrete
counters。 A huge teak bowl filled with brilliant yellow lemons sat squarely on one counter。 ？This is
the kitchen；？ explained their jovial host。 ？But the only thing you really need to know is that the bar
is over there。？ He pointed to a metal corner table lined with an asymmetrical stack of glass
decanters。 ？Allow me。？
Bailey went to work pouring one of the clear liquors over ice and crushed mint leaves and
handed two full martini glasses to Blair and Serena； who had to shift Coco under her arm to accept
the drink。
？What is this anyway？？ Blair raised her dark； perfectly arched eyebrows suspiciously。
？Just a mint tea for my girls！？ Bailey emptied his own martini glass in a long gulp； and then
poured himself a refill。 ？And the fridge is stocked； so raid away。 Just don？t tell me about it？it？s
swimsuit season； don？t you know。？
？Right；？ Blair agreed； inwardly rolling her eyes。 Old people were always talking about watching
what they ate； but she intended to consume as much Cold Stone Creamery ice cream and Balthazar
French bread as she liked and still look glorious in her new ivory…and…sky…blue striped Blumarine
bikini。
Yummy。
？e； e。？ Bailey flung the doors open onto the sunny bluestone patio。 ？That？s the pool；
and that；？ he continued； pointing at a low； concrete bungalow that was like a miniature version of
the main house； ？is your home away from home。 The pool house。 I daresay you？ll be quite
fortable there。 We？ve got the AC cranked； the sheets are imported from Umbria； and Stefan
will fetch you anything you need。？
Anything？
？There are just two more very important people you girlsmust meet；？ Bailey gushed； and clapped
his hands gaily； spilling what remained of his cocktail。 ？Svetlana！ Ibiza！ Front and center； please！？
More dogs？
？ink； Meester Winter！？
Two leggy amazons burst out of the pool house？their pool house？and rushed toward Blair； Bailey；
and Serena。 The dogs erupted into an ecstatic barking chorus。
？I Svetlana；？ announced the girl with ass…length whitish…blond hair and no discernable hips。 She
was wearing a minuscule neon…orange bikini bottom and two tiny orange triangles over her
nonexistent boobs。
？Iam Ibiza；？ pronounced the other girl carefully。 She had chestnut…colored hair layered to frame
her almost foxlike face； brilliant blue eyes； and a bright smile that was slightly marred by two very
prominent buckteeth。 Her lavender…and…gold striped bathing suit was one of those horrible and
plicated cutout one…pieces that looks like a bikini from behind。 A carefully placed circular
cutout in front revealed her rather fuzzy navel。
Ew！
Ibiza； which sounded more like a brand of car than a name； placed her hands on Blair？s arm and
air kissed her twice。 Blair shuddered with horror； realizing that； except for her excruciating
orthodontic issues； this girl looked exactly like her。 She wrenched out of the girl？s grip and studied
the other model； who was； on closer inspection； a diluted version of Serena； minus the grace； poise；
and New England breeding。What the hell was going on？
？Ibiza and Svetlana are going to be the faces of the new line； darlings。 On the ads； you know；？
Bailey explained with a satisfied sigh。 ？You two are the inspiration； obviously。？
Obviously。
？They？re here to watch you。 Tobe you； really；？ he went on； dramatically raising his martini glass
as if he were starring inRent on Broadway。 ？I want them to capture your very essence！？
Um； hello； creepiness？
？Pleased to meet you。？ Serena offered her hand to the girls； turning to her own doppelganger first。
Serena was always unfailingly polite； but even she couldn？t stop skeeving out on the inside。 Apart
from the high…pitched voice and questionable taste in swimwear； Svetlana looked just like her； but
not。 It was like Halloween in fourth grade when she and Blair had dressed up like their homeroo