was huge and bald and probably moonlighted as a nightclub bouncer。 He squeezed his eyes shut to
ward off the bright； late…morning sun。 ？Summer is right around the corner。？
Nate pressed his knuckles into his closed eyelids to keep the tears from streaming down his
cheeks。 He could blame it on the sun； or he could blame it on being dragged along to a trunk show
with a girl； but the truth was that lately he？d been； crying a lot。 It was the end of their senior year；
and he was with Serena； the girl he？d loved forever？kind of。 It was like he was finally tasting the
meal he？d been looking at under glass all those years。 He wanted to savor it； but everyone else
was eating so quickly； there wasn？t time。 And there was also this nagging feeling that he？d
ordered the wrong thing。
Wait； doesn？t he mean the wrong girl？
？Should I be worried about one of your girlfriends in there stealing something？？ Darwin asked。
He pulled a silvery blue cell phone out of his pants pocket； scrolled through a few text messages
on the screen； then stuffed the phone back in his pocket。 He didn？t seem too worried。 Then again；
why would someone with biceps that large get nervous about a few devious teenage girls？
Blair had been known to shoplift； but not in front of her friends。 Nate had never heard about
Serena shoplifting； but she had a naughty streak。 She would do it out of sheer boredom。 He
shrugged。 ？Probably。？
Just then the hotel porter opened the door and Blair skipped down the red…carpeted stairs；
brushing past Nate with her pointed foxlike chin in the air and a white shopping bag with white
tissue paper sticking out of it swinging back and forth from her hand。
？She？scute ；？ Darwin whistled。
？Uh…huh；？ Nate grunted； as if checking Blair out for the first time。 Her silky； dark hair had grown
into a very French…looking short and sexy bob that suited her finely featured face and hot little
body。 Oh； she was cute all right。
And she was no longer his。
？Want me to stop her？ Check her bags？？ Darwin offered。
Nate puffed on his joint； considering how Blair would react if Darwin called her over。 The
thought made him smile wistfully； and as he watched Blair disappear down the crowded block；
fresh tears began to spill down his cheeks。 Bitchy and stubborn and selfish and neurotic； Blair was
the epitome of high maintenance； but no matter how many times he？d fucked up； she？d always
taken him back。 It usually started with a sidelong glance or an irate phone call； and then he？d
show up at her door and they？d kiss and make up。 But Blair wasn？t sending him any
if…you？re…really…nice…to…me…I？ll…consider…it vibes。 It seemed he？d fucked up for the last time。
Besides； he was with Serena now； everybody？s dream girl。
Everybody including him？
The porter opened the door again； and Serena glided out of the hotel sporting a mint green linen
Les Best tennis visor。 With her pale golden hair cascading down from beneath the visor； her long；
tanned； athletic…even…though…she…got…no…exercise…except…for…gym…class legs； and radiant smile； she
looked like an advertisement for the type of haute couture tennis clothes that were way too
gorgeous to actually sweat in。
？Taxi back to school？？ she asked Nate with a sly wink。 She might have been too tired to walk；
but she wasn？t too tired to fool around in the back of a taxi。
Who could ever be too tired for that？
Then she noticed the tears。 ？Poor baby；？ she crooned； reaching out to dab at Nate？s cheeks with
her thumb。 The crying had started a few days ago； and at first it had been sort of alarming。 What
was a handsome stoner stud like Nate doingcrying？ But then she？d grown to think of it as sexy
and extremely touching。 Who knew Nate had such a sweet； gooey center？
Darwin took a step forward。 He wasn？t about to let this blond bombshell get away as quickly as
the hot brunette had。 ？You got a receipt for that hat； miss？？
Serena reached up to touch the linen visor like she？d forgotten she was wearing it。 She bit her
luxuriously full； cherry…ChapSticked lips。 ？Oops。？ Her dark blue eyes flashed； challenging Darwin
to arrest her。 ？I？m friends with the designer；？ she declared。
Darwin grinned？yet another guy to fall under her spell。 ？Aw； that？s okay；？ he replied
bashfully。 ？I guess I just wanted an excuse to talk to you。？
Nate realized suddenly that he ought to have been jealous。 He took Serena？s dry； warm hand in
his damp； tear…streaked one。 ？e on；？ he urged； trying to sound manly and firm despite the
quaver in his voice。
？God； I love it when you fight for me；？ Serena murmured。 She leaned her head against his
shoulder and kissed his right ear。 He put his arm around her waist； encouraged by the strong curve
of her hip。 They tripped down the steps； barely resisting the urge to tear each other？s clothes off
right there in front of the hundreds of fanny…pack…toting tourists mobbing the Brooks Brothers
flagship store across the street。 Their getting together might have been a total accident； but they
were still two beautiful； irresistibly kissable people？why not take every possible opportunity to
fool around？
Exactly。
？Lucky guy。？ Darwin whistled as he headed back inside to hit on Rain or Kati or whichever cute
Constance girl had the most stuff in her bag。
Nate fought back another rush of tears。 He was into Yale。 The most beautiful girl in the universe；
whom he？d known forever； was practically begging him to do it with him in a taxi on the way
back to school。 Hewas insanely lucky。
So why couldn？t he stop the tears from falling？
S gets to say her lines twice
Serena worried that she should have dressed up like the other girls。 Would the director think she
wasn？t trying hard enough because she hadn？t worn pearls and a black cocktail dress？ Plus； she
was blond and big…boned and tall and didn？t look a thing like Audrey Hepburn。 In fact； now that
she thought about it； she really shouldn？t have been trying out for the part at all。
Too late。
？Oh； thank God；？ Ken Mogul exclaimed when he saw her。 ？Go ahead。Action 。？
Serena hadn？t bothered to Google Ken Mogul； and she didn？t know anything about his directing
style； but she knew what the wordaction meant； and the minute she heard it； she started to do her
thing。
？How do you do？？ she chirped brightly； holding her hand out to an imaginary bartender。 She took
a seat and then spun once around on the bar stool； giggling and kicking her feet with girlish
satisfaction。 ？Don？t you just love it here？ Isn？t it wonderful waking up and knowing this place is
right here； every day？ It？s my absolute paradise！？
Ken Mogul did that weird peekaboo thing with his hands again。 He glanced at one of his
Swedish…looking blond crew girls； ripped off the pair of mirrored aviator shades she had propped
on her head； and tossed them to Serena。
？Do it again with these on；？ he ordered。
Serena did as she was told； wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Ken Mogul
closed his eyes when she started to talk。
？Next！？ he shouted； dismissing her。
Nate was standing by the elevators； a damp tiss