Serena’s head felt thick； and she was dying for a glass of water。 “I
feel awful；” she said； sitting up and rubbing her forehead。 “I want to
go home。”
“e on；” Chuck said； flicking off the TV。 “We could take a hot tub
first。 That’ll make you feel better。”
“No；” Serena insisted。
“Fine；” Chuck said angrily。 He stood up。 “There’s water on the table。
Put your boots on； I’ll help you get a cab。”
Serena pulled on her boots and stared at the cold rain falling
outside the hotel room window。
“It’s raining；” she said； taking a sip of the water。
Chuck handed her a scarf； his trademark blue cashmere；
monogrammed with the letters C。B。 “Wrap it around your head；” he
said。 “e on； let’s go。”
Serena took the scarf and followed Chuck out to the elevator。 They
rode down in silence。 Serena knew Chuck was disappointed that she
was leaving； but she didn’t care。 She couldn’t wait to get out into
the fresh air and into her own bed。
A cab pulled up； the Remi brothers’ poster in the box on the cab’s
roof。 Serena thought it looked like a close…up photograph of lips
puckered into a kiss。
“What’s that？ Mars？” Chuck joked； pointing to it。 He glanced at
Serena without a trace of humor in his eyes。 “No； it’s your anus！”
Serena blinked at him。 She couldn’t tell if Chuck trying to be funny
or if that’s what he actually thought the picture was。
Chuck held the cab door open for her； and she slid into the back
seat。
“Thanks； Chuck；” she said sweetly； “I’ll see you soon； okay？”
“Whatever；” Chuck said。 He leaned into the cab and pressed Serena
against the seat。 “What’s your problem anyway？” he hissed。
“You’ve been fucking Nate Archibald since tenth grade； and I’m sure
you did just about every guy at boarding school； and in France； too。
What； are you like； too good to give me some？”
Serena stared directly into Chuck’s eyes； seeing him as he really
was for the first time。 He’d always been hard to like； but she’d
never actually hated him before。
“That’s okay； I wouldn’t want to do it with you anyway；” Chuck
sneered。 “I hear you have diseases。”
“Get away from me；” Serena hissed； putting her hands on his chest
and shoving him away。 She slammed the cab door shut in his face；
and gave the driver her address。
As the cab pulled away； Serena hugged herself； staring straight
ahead through the rain…spattered windshield。 When the taxi stopped
at a light on the corner of Broadway and Spring； she opened the
door； leaned out； and threw up into the gutter。
That will teach her not to drink on an empty stomach。
Chuck’s scarf swung from her neck and dangled in the puddle of
pink vomit on the pavement。 Serena pulled the scarf off； wiped her
mouth on it； and stuffed it into her bag。
“Gross；” she said； slamming the cab door closed again。
“Tissue； miss？” the cab driver offered； passing a box of Kleenex
back to her。
Serena pulled one from the box and wiped her mouth with it。
“Thanks；” she said。
Then she sat back in the seat and closed her eyes； grateful； as
always； for the kindness of strangers。
“What about a condom or something？” Blair murmured； gaping at
Nate’s hard…on。 It looked like it was going to take over the world。
She had managed to get all of his clothes off； and now they were
lying down on her bed on top of the covers。 They’d been fooling
around for almost an hour。 On the stereo； the Jennifer Lopez song
“Love Don’t Cost a Thing” was playing； and Blair was getting hotter
and hotter。 She reached for Nate’s hand and licked his fingers；
sucking greedily on the tip of each one。 She had a feeling sex was
going to be even better than food。
Nate rolled onto his back while Blair sucked his fingers。 He had been
so uptight about seeing Blair that he hadn’t eaten dinner； and now
he was feeling hungry。 Maybe when he went home he’d pick up a
burrito from the Mexican place on Lexington Avenue。 That’s what he
wanted； a chicken and black bean burrito with extra guacamole。
Blair bit down hard on his pinky。
“Ow；” Nate said； his hard…on deflating as if it had been pricked with
a pin。 He sat up and ran his hands through his hair。 “I can’t do this；”
he muttered under his breath。
“What？” Blair said； sitting up too。 “What’s wrong？” Her heart fell。
This wasn’t in the script。 Nate was ruining a perfect moment。
Clumsily； Nate took Blair’s hand and looked into her eyes for the
first time all night。 “I have to tell you something；” he said。 “I can’t
do this without you knowing。 I feel like an asshole。”
Blair could tell by the look in Nate’s eyes that the moment wasn’t
just ruined； it was killed。 “What？” she said softly。
Nate reached down and gathered up the edges of the quilt。 He
draped one end around Blair’s shoulders and wrapped the other end
around his waist。 It didn’t seem right to talk about this when they
were both so naked。 He took Blair’s hand again。
“Remember the summer before last when you were away in
Scotland； at your aunt’s wedding？” Nate began。
Blair nodded。
“It was so friggin’ hot that summer。 I was in the city with my Dad；
just hanging out while he went to some meetings and stuff。 I got
bored； so I called Serena in Ridgefield； and she came down。” Nate
noticed Blair’s back stiffen when he mentioned Serena’s name。 She
removed her hand from his and crossed her arms over her chest；
her eyes suddenly distrustful。
“We had some drinks and sat out in the garden。 It was so hot；
Serena started splashing around in the fountain； and then she
started splashing me。 And I guess I got kind of carried away。 I mean
—” Nate fumbled。 He remembered what Cyrus had told him about
girls liking surprises。 Well； Blair was about to be very surprised； and
he didn’t think she was going to like it one bit。
“And what？” Blair demanded。 “What happened？”
“We kissed；” Nate said。 He took a deep breath and held it。 He
couldn’t just leave it at that。 He blew the breath out。 “And then we
had sex。”
Blair threw the quilt off her shoulders and stood up。 “I knew it！” she
shouted。 “Who hasn’t had sex with Serena？ That nasty； slutty
bitch！”
“I’m sorry； Blair。 But it wasn’t like； planned or anything；” Nate said。
“It just happened。 And it was only that one time； promise。 I just
didn’t want you to think this was my first time； when it wasn’t。 I had
to tell you。”
Blair stomped into her bathroom and snatched her pink satin
bathrobe off its hook。 She put it on； cinching the belt tight。 “Get the
fuck out of here； Nate；” she said； angry tears sluicing her cheeks。 “I
can’t even look at you。 You’re pathetic。”
“Blair—” Nate pleaded。 For a split second he tried to think of
something charming to say。 He could usually think of something；
but nothing came。
Blair slammed the bathroom door shut in his face。
Nate stood up and pulled on his boxers。 Kitty Minky poked her head
out from under the bed and stared at him accusingly； her golden cat
eyes glowing eerily in the dark。 Nate grabbed his jeans； shirt； and
shoes and headed for the front door。 He could ha