gossip girl 12 终结- 第24部分

Vanessa　squeezed　Hollis’s　hand　tightly。　She　expected　him　to　roll　his　stormy　gray　eyes　and　tell　them　to　fuck　themselves。　But　instead；　he　was　nodding　as　if　he　was　agreeing。　What　the　fuck？　Vanessa　yanked　her　hand　away；　aware　that　her　palms　were　clammy。

“Here’s　my　pitch；”　Hollis　said；　his　deep　voice　manding　the　room。　“Love　the　Maori　boy；　love　Iceland。　So　what　if　we　double　the　fun　and　add　some　twins？　That　way；　we　can　really　explore　identity　and　selfhood　and　what　makes　a　family。”　Hollis　nodded；　leaning　forward　on　his　elbows　as　if　he　couldn’t　wait　to　see　what　else　Stacy　would　add　to　the　idea。　Vanessa　felt　like　she　was　going　to　throw　up。　He　was　agreeing　with　them？

“What　makes　a　family；”　Geoff　piped　up；　his　voice　going　up　an　octave　in　excitement。　“That　could　be　a　great　title。”

“Only　if　we’re　a　fucking　television　network　for　women。”　Stacy　rolled　her　eyes　in　his　direction。　“Remember；　we　need　to　get　the　guys。　Are　you　having　trouble　in　that　department？”　she　asked　sarcastically。　“No；　what　if　it’s　something　like　The　Tribe　Goes　Down？　See；　that’s　sexy。”

Vanessa　couldn’t　take　this　anymore。　If　Hollis　wasn’t　going　to　say　anything　because　he　was　afraid　of　offending　Stacy；　well　then；　she　was。　She　knew　you　had　to　make　some　promises　to　get　financing；　but　this　was　absurd。　“No；”　Vanessa　said　loudly；　her　voice　seeming　to　ricochet　off　the　glass　walls。

“Alyssa？”　Stacy　asked　curiously。

“It’s　Vanessa；”　Vanessa　snapped。　“I’m　sorry；　but　the　pitch　was　about　a　teenage　girl　who　moves　to　Brooklyn。　I’m　not　making　a　movie　about　twin　Maori　boys　who　move　to　Iceland；”　she　said　firmly；　hoping　Stacy　would　understand。　“I　don’t　know　anything　about　Iceland。　Or　Maoris。”

“Right。”　Stacy　nodded。　“But　this　is　a　Hollis　Lyons　film。　If　Streetscape　is　producing　it；　Hollis　is　directing　it；”　she　said；　as　if　she　were　a　kindergarten　teacher　explaining　to　a　five…year…old　why　she　couldn’t　have　two　snacks。　“It’ll　really　be　great；　Hollis。”　Stacy　smiled。　“Now；　let’s　keep　going。　So；　we　get　them　to　Reykjavík；　and　then…”　She　trailed　off；　glancing　around　the　room　for　the　next　pitch。

“Then　I　guess　I’m　not　needed　here。”　Vanessa　stood　up。　Tears　were　dangerously　close　to　flowing；　and　she　would　not　cry　in　front　of　them。　She　walked　toward　the　door。　Hollis　was　still　sitting　on　the　edge　of　his　chair；　leaning　his　elbows　on　the　table　as　if　he　couldn’t　wait　to　hear　Stacy’s　latest　absurd　idea。

“Hollis？”　Vanessa　asked；　her　voice　shaking。

“See　you　later；”　Hollis　called　distractedly。　He　turned　back　to　the　table。　“I　think　it　might　be　cool　if　one　of　them　got　involved　with　a　Dutch　girl　from　Amsterdam；”　he　mused。

At　this；　Vanessa　froze。　Her　hand　was　on　the　doorknob；　but　she　felt　paralyzed。　What　was　Hollis　doing？　How　could　he　betray　her　like　that？

“Zach；　can　you　walk　Alyssa　out；　while　we　hash　out　the　Amsterdam　plot　twist；”　Stacy　asked；　mistaking　Vanessa’s　pent…up　rage　for　confusion　over　where　the　exit　was　located。

Vanessa　swallowed　her　anger。　She　was　going　to　head　back　to　the　apartment；　pack　her　stuff；　and　then　go　straight　to　Ruby’s。　If　Hollis　thought　she　would　continue　to　live　with　him；　he　was　dead　wrong。　“Hollis　is　great　at　plot　twists；”　Vanessa　managed　icily　before　she　closed　the　door。

The　best　endings　are　the　ones　you　don’t　see　ing。

the　marriage　of　two　minds　works　better　over　beers

Dan　lit　up　a　Camel　as　he　stood　outside　Doma；　the　busy　café　on　Perry　Street。　It　was　already　almost　dark；　even　though　it　was　just　four　in　the　afternoon。　The　café　looked　warm　and　inviting；　with　people　reading　tattered　paperbacks　and　couples　leaning　over　their　lattes。　But　Dan　didn’t　go　in。　He　never　knew　the　protocol　for　meeting　someone　for　coffee。　Did　he　go　in　and　scout　out　a　table　and　order？　Did　he　wait　outside？

Someone’s　really　taking　this　seriously。

He　pulled　out　his　phone。　Four…oh…eight。　She　probably　wouldn’t　even　show。　This　was　the　last　time　he　was　meeting　up　with　a　model…slash…actress　or　whatever　Serena　was。　He　stuffed　his　hands　in　the　pockets　of　his　corduroys；　ready　to　walk　off。

“Dan！”　He　whirled　around　and　saw　Serena。　Dan　sucked　in　his　breath。　She　was　even　more　stunning　than　he　remembered。　She　was　wearing　a　long　gray　coat；　her　cheeks　flushed　from　the　cold　and　her　long　hair　loose　and　golden　around　her　shoulders。　She　looked　beautiful；　otherworldly；　like　a　Hans　Christian　Andersen　princess　who’d　taken　a　wrong　turn　and　wound　up　in　the　city　instead　of　a　forest　in　Norway。

“Oh　my　God！”　Serena　exclaimed；　hugging　Dan。　She　kissed　him　on　the　cheek；　leaving　a　sticky　lip　gloss　mark　and　a　tingling　sensation。

“Hey；”　Dan　said　casually；　trying　not　to　squeak。

“So　sorry　to　keep　you　waiting！”　Serena　shook　her　head　apologetically。　“Should　we　go　in？”

“It’s　sort　of　crowded；”　Dan　pointed　out。　Suddenly；　he　didn’t　want　to　share　Serena　with　the　nosy　coffee　drinkers　inside。

A　shadow　of　a　frown　crossed　Serena’s　face。　“Then　let’s　go　somewhere　else！”　she　decided；　grabbing　Dan’s　hand。　Dan　felt　himself　blush。　“We　could　go　for　a　walk　or　something；”　she　said　easily。

Walk？　No。　Dan　did　not　want　to　walk。　In　fact；　all　he　wanted　to　do　was　stare　at　Serena’s　silken　hair　and　ocean　blue　eyes　and…　“There　has　to　be　a　bar　around　here　somewhere；”　he　croaked。

Liquid　courage　always　helps。

They　crossed　Seventh　Avenue；　and　as　they　did；　a　flash　went　off。　Serena　turned　her　head　away　from　the　photographer；　clearly　used　to　this　kind　of　thing。　“How　about　there？”　She　nodded　toward　an　oak　door　to　a　bar　with　dark　windows　and　no　discernable　sign。

Dan　nodded。　It　seemed　like　a　good　bet；　the　sort　of　place　where　a　New　York　writer　would　take　his　muse。　“Let’s　go；”　he　decided；　pulling　Serena　inside。

The　bar　was　grimy　and　dark　and　smelled　like　Lysol　and　Bud　Lite。　They　were　the　only　people　there　besides　two　red…faced　old　men　frowning　over　crossword　puzzles。

“I　love　it！”　Serena　pronounced；　sliding　onto　one　of　the　cracked　vinyl　booths　in　the　front。　She　shrugged　off　her　coat；　then　took　off　her　gloves。　“Aren’t　you　hot？”　she　asked；　looking　expectantly　up　at　Dan；　who　was　still　clad　in　his　black　puffer　coat。

“Yeah；”　Dan　admitted；　feeling　slightly　nauseous。　He　shrugged　off　his　coat　and　slid　it　on　the　bench　opposite　her。　“I’ll　get　drinks。”　He　strode　up　to　the　pockmarked　bar；　wondering　what　the　hell　he　should　order　for　Serena。　She　probably　drank　hundred…dollar　glasses　of　champagne。

“We’ve　got　five…dollar　pitchers　of　Bud　Lite　until　five。　Manager’s　special；”　the　ancient　bartender　growled；　not　looking　up　from　his　sudoku　puzzle。

“Sure；　fine；”　Dan　said　distractedly；　slapping　the　money　on　the　table。　He　carried　back　the　pitcher；　along　with　two　plastic　cups；　and　carefully　poured　drinks　for　both　of　them。

“Cheers！”　Serena　held　up　her　cup　toward　Dan。　“Thanks　for　meeting　me。　I　know　it’s　random；　but　when　I　opened　up　that　New　Yorker；　I　can’t　even　tell　you　how　badly　I　needed　to　hear　something　nice。　And　then　I　saw　my　name…　and　then　I　saw　your　name…。　Anyway；　I　really　liked　it；”　Serena　trailed　off　uncertainly。　Did　she　sound　like　a　total　stalker？　Maybe　the　poem　wasn’t　about　her　at　all—maybe　it　was　about　his　dog　or　his　mom　or　maybe　he　just　randomly　chose　the　name　from　a　name　book。　Maybe　her　whole　problem　was　she　was　just　too　much　of　a　romantic；　seeing　love　when　it　wasn’t　there。　She　took　a　long　swig　of　beer。

“Oh。”　Dan　blushed。　He’d　been　trying　to　figure　out　how　to　explain　the　poem　to　Serena　without　sounding　like　a　stalker　or　a　loser；　but　so　far；　he　had　nothing。　He　figured　the　words　would　e　to　him。　He　took　a　big　gulp　of　beer；　even　though　he　hated　the　taste　of　it。　He　much　preferred　scotch　or　whiskey。　“I　actually　wrote　that　in　high　school。　Right　after　we　dated。”　Maybe　the　truth　was　the　best　way　to　go。

“Really？”　Serena　gazed　up　at　Dan’s　sweet　and　sincere　face。　She　and　Dan　had　dated　for　a　little　bit　their　senior　year；　but　had　quickly　realized　they　were　just　too　different。　He’d　been　nice；　but　way　too　intense　with　his　poetry；　and　looking　back；　she　could　hardly　remember　what　they’d　done　or　spoken　about　when　they’d　been　together。

“I　hope　you　don’t　mind；”　Dan　mumbled。　He　couldn’t　believe　he　and　Serena　van　der　Woodsen；　his　high　school　crush；　his　former　muse；　were　just　chatting　over　Bud　Lights　at　four　o’clock　in　the　afternoon。　It　was　so　bizarre；　it　almost　felt　normal。

Serena　broke　into　a　smile。　“I　loved　it。　Except　I　had　to　look　up　a　few　of　the　Ovid　references。　If　you　weren’t　such　a　good　writer；　I’d　think　you　were　trying　to　make　people　feel　dumb。”　She　smiled；　then　ducked　under　the　table；　pulling　out　a　dog…eared　copy　of　Ovid　from　her　large　white　purse。　“It’s　from　that　myth；　right？　About　the　two　lovers　who　are　turned　into　birds　because　one　can’t　live　without　the　other？　I　cried　when　I　read　it；”　Serena　confessed。　It　was　so　nice　to　actually　talk　about　everything　she’d　been　reading。

Dan　blinked。　Serena　had　actually　looked　up　the　Greek　mythology　allusion　in　the　poem？　He　didn’t　think　Serena　van　der　Woodsen　read　literature。

Or　The　New　Yorker？

“So；　how’s　Columbia？”　Serena　asked　after　a　pause。　She　hadn’t　been　sure　what　they’d　talk　about　when　they　met；　and　right　now；　Dan　wasn’t　doing　much　talking　at　all。　Maybe　it　was　an　artist　thing。　Maybe　she　was　distracting　him　from　an　afternoon　of　poetry　writing。　What　was　he　thinking？　His　eyes　looked　so　large　and　brown　and　kept　flicking　toward　her；　then　away。　He　was　mysterious。　He　had　substance。　And；　especially　recently；　Serena　hadn’t　hung　out　with　many　guys　who　had　substance。

“It’s　great！”　Dan　said　enthusiastically；　glad　they’d　landed　on　a　less　awkward　topic。　He　could　talk　about　college。　“I　get　to　spend　my　time　reading　great　books　and　talking　to　people　who　actually　care　about　them；　not　just　people　who　are　trying　to　get　good　grades；”　Dan　said；　hoping　Serena　didn’t　think　he　was　hopelessly　dorky。　“In　high　school　I　felt　like　I　was　just　wasting　my　life　doing　what　other　people　wanted　me　to　do。　I’m　reading　The　Fountainhead。　Have　you　read　it？”　Dan　asked　hopefully。

Serena　shook　her　head　slowly。　She’d　forgotten　how　intense　Dan　Humphrey　was。　She　leaned　in　close。　“Tell　me　about　it。”

“Oh；　well；　it’s　about　this　architect　who　decides　to　accept　obscurity　and　ridicule　instead　of　promising　his　ideals　in　his　designs。　It’s　about　choosing　good　art　above　all　else；”　Dan　said　seriously。　“And　that’s　what　I　feel　like　college　is　all　about。　Figuring　out　what’s　important　to　you　in　life；　the　thing　you’ll　follow　to　the　end　of　the　earth。　Figuring　out　what　you　care　about　most。”　Dan　blushed　and　looked　down　into　his　mug。　If　she　didn’t　think　he　was　a　giant　dork　before；　she　definitely　would　now。

Serena　nodded。　That　made　sense。　“I　could　see　that；”　she　offered。　“I’ve　been　taking　a　break　from　acting　to　figure　out　what　I　want；　but　I　still　don’t　know。”　She　grabbed　the　pitcher　and　refilled　their　plastic　cups。　“I’m　not　really　passionate　about　anything　like　you　are。”

“I　think　you’re　passionate；”　Dan　said。　“I　mean；　I　think　you　must　have　a　passion。”　He　blushed　and　gulped　his　beer。　What　was　his　problem？　The　more　he　tried　not　to　sound　like　a　creepy　stalker；　the　more　stalkerish　he　sounded。　“Would　you　ever　think　about　college？”　he　asked；　hoping　he　didn’t　sound　like　a　pushy　parent。

“I’m　actually　deferred　from　Yale　right　now。”　Serena　sighed。　Ins