not。 It was like Halloween in fourth grade when she and Blair had dressed up like their homeroom
teachers； plete with wigs； ugly Talbots cardigans； and brown loafers。
？It？s going to be like a giant slumber party！？ Bailey screamed like a six…year…old girl。
Ibiza and Svetlana giggled fakely。 ？Pillow fight！？ they yelled in unison in their thick eastern bloc
accents。
？God； you two are divine！？ Bailey threw his glass onto the velvety green lawn and clapped his
hands together again in rapid…fire applause。
Blair glared at the quasi？mirror images of her and Serena。 To everyone else； they probably
looked like happy； carefree； malnourished Barbie dolls； but Blair had always been more perceptive
than the average girl。 Sure； Ibiza and Svetlana were probably supposed to just sit around waiting
for Blair and Serena to rub off on them； but Blair could see something else in their beady foreign
eyes。 Something calculated and decidedly bitchy。
And it takes one to know one。
These girls weren？t interested in being second best。 Ibiza and Svetlana definitely had other plans。
Well； then。
Blair turned and grinned at Serena； suddenly very happy that she had her best friend with her。
She grabbed Serena？s hand。 ？Let？s cool off；？ she whispered naughtily。
？Good idea。？ Serena understood immediately。 She let Coco wriggle out of her grasp。 Then the
pair leapt into the tempting blue swimming pool； shoes and all； squealing as they landed in the
perfectly body…temperature water。
？Eek！？ screeched Bailey as the chlorinated pool water splashed his gleaming white linen
trousers。 ？Now this；？ he announced to no one in particular； ？is inspiring。Hilfe！ Stefan； quickly： my
sketchbook！Bitte； dearest！？
Blair dunked her head under the glittering； rippling water； feeling her dark hair swirl around her。
She surfaced just in time to see Ibiza turn to Svetlana conspiratorially。 And with that； the copycats
stepped to the edge of the pool and cannonballed into the deep end； their bones slapping the water。
Wele to your new family； girls！
truth？stranger than fiction after all
？Turn your head now； just to the left a tiny centimeter。。。。 Another centimeter 。 。 。？ Vanessa
plied； turning her head slightly to the left to allow Bailey Winter an unfettered look at her
profile。
？My goodness； isn？t that just yummy？？ Bailey was talking to no one in particular as he scribbled
furiously in his crocodile…bound sketchbook； wielding his pencil and turning the pages like a
madman。 ？Yes； yes； Vanessa； my dear； this is it； you？ve really got it。 You give Giselle and Kate
and those little chickadees a run for their money now； don？t you； dearest？ Mmmm！？
Only half…listening and unsure who Giselle and Kate were anyway； Vanessa fiddled with the
camera that was perched on her lap like a kitten。 She was reclining on a long stone divan laden
with enough pillows and fur throws to actually make it pretty fortable； but hot for a July
after…noon； with a nice； clear view of the pool。 She watched Chuck Bass frolicking in the shallow
end； clad only in a floral…print European…style bathing suit that left nothing to the imagination；
while his monkey perched on the diving board； eating a bowlful of grapes。
How erotic。
She wasn？t supposed to fiddle too much； so she couldn？t study the shot through the viewfinder；
but she was confident it was all cinematic gold： there was Chuck wading through the waist…high
water； chattering into his Bluetooth headset with Sweetie chomping in the background。 Behind
him； Stefan； the skinny houseboy； was sweeping the flagstone path that led from the tennis courts
to the main residence； trying not to accidentally whack the five overindulged pugs that were
angrily attacking the broom。 Every so often； she slid the camera across her lap to face Bailey
Winter himself； who was wearing a vintage boy？s khaki suit？short pants and all？that he？d had
remade to acmodate his girth。 It was the raw material for a jaw…dropping documentary。
？Don？t fiddle too much； darling；？ clucked Bailey disap…provingly。
Vanessa smiled placidly and turned her camera back to the action in the pool。 As she sat still like
that； her mind drifted idly over the whirlwind of the past couple of weeks。 She？d gone from
Hollywood player to friendless Hamptons servant to kept woman。 It was all pretty exciting； in a
way； but the thing was； she missed having someone to share it with。
Vanessa surprised herself when she realized that she wasn？t just staring idly into space： she was
admiring Chuck Bass？s perfectly toned torso； the little ripple in his muscles as he ran his fingers
through his damp…but…still…perfectly…mussed dark locks。 Forgetting for a minute everything she
knew about the guy； every interaction she？d ever had with him； and every grody rumor she？d tried
to ignore； she kind of wanted to reach out and 。 。 。 touch him。 She licked her lips involuntarily。
？That？s it！？ Bailey Winter threw his pencil into the nearby swimming pool； then grabbed
another。 ？You look amazing。You look satisfied and hungry all at once。 Like you？re ready for
dessert； even though you？ve just had the yummiest meal ever！？
Vanessa blushed； embarrassed； and then reminded her…self she wasn？t admiring Chuck Bass；
necessarily； just his various physical attributes。 The truth was； her type was a little skinnier and
paler than Chuck。 The thought of Dan suddenly tugged the corners of her mouth down。
？Chin up； dear！ Where？s that smile gone？？ Bailey Winter clapped his hands once； twice； three
times； like a demented cheerleader。
Vanessa tried to will a smile onto her face； but somehow the thought of Dan had tainted
everything。 She missed him。 And Chuck Bass？s beefy chest was no substitute for love。 Vanessa
sighed； panning the camera around the property？s emerald green lawn。 Once again； all she really
had was her art。
She trained the camera back on Chuck； who was now leaning up against the edge of the pool
chatting with Stefan。 Sweetie bobbed up and down behind him； teasing the pugs； which were
barking angrily。
？Girls！ Please！ Quiet down！？ Bailey stuck his fingers in his mouth and gave a shrill； surprisingly
loud whistle。 ？Daddy is working！ I can？t concentrate with all this racket！？
？Sorry； Bailey。？ Chuck turned and grinned over his shoulder。 ？I？ll try and make sure Sweetie
doesn？t bother them。？
？What is that plague…ridden monster doing in my swimming pool anyway？？ Bailey screeched；
his skin turning from bronze to scarlet。
Vanessa focused her camera on the other side of the pool； and it was immediately clear to her
what that plague…ridden animal was doing： Bailey？s discarded pencil wasn？t the only thing
floating on the pool？s surface。
？Tell me that is not what I think it is！？ Bailey was definitely screaming now。
？I？m sorry； Bailey。？ Chuck waded toward the offending turd。 ？Sweetie can？t control himself
sometimes。？
？Get out！ Get out！ I will not have you turn my sanctum sanctorum into some kind of sewer！ This
is East Hampton； not Calcutta！？
Vanessa pushed herself up from the divan； using both hands to steady the camera as she zoomed
in quickly。 This was a cinematicgold mine。
Yeah； or a land mine。
？
Air Mail … Par Avion … July 12
Dear Jenny；
I？m gay。
Love；
Dan
back in time
？We？re h…o…o…o…o…o…me！？ Serena？s voice echoed through the foyer and deep into her parents？
apartment； which she knew； as soon as she pushed the door open； was empty。 It had that dark；
quiet； cold quality of a home without anyone inside it； which was hardly surprising； since her
parents spent more time out of the country than they did curled up on the couch。 She wasn？t even
sure when she？d last seen them on the couch。
？God； I have to pee。？ Blair shoved past her and into the apartment； turning on lights as she
went？the landscape of Serena？s penthouse apartment was as familiar to her as that of her own
home。 She disappeared down the gallery hallway； making a beeline for Serena？s bedroom。 Nate
shuffled in behind them； closing the door a little too noisily。 The slam magnified in the eerily quiet
rooms。
？Sorry。？ He shot Serena a crooked smile。
？It？s okay。？ Serena tossed her keys onto the mahogany console table； where they landed with a
clatter。 ？Let？s find something to eat。？ She led Nate into the apartment and through the kitchen？s
swinging door。
Peering into the nearly barren Sub…Zero； Serena considered their options。 ？We？ve got some
olives；？ she announced。 ？A bag of baby carrots。 I think there？s some cheese。You can probably find
some crackers or something somewhere。 I don？t know where the new maid keeps everything。？
Itis so hard to find good help。
？I？ll take care of it。？ Nate charged over to the pantry and started plundering it； removing jars and
containers and setting them on the travertine counter with a bang。
？I？ll load up on supplies； I guess。？The whole reason they？d e back to the van der Woodsen
apartment was to crash before they embarked on a road trip to find theCharlotte； and to stock up
on the essentials： clothes and booze。
Serena made her way to the liquor