stick napkins in his armpits to sop up the sweat trickling down his sides and staining his light blue
oxford shirt before reading his poem。
？Isn？t this romantic？？ Jenny？s voice broke through his thoughts。 She gazed up at the trees as she
walked； a dreamy expression on her round； freckled face。 She was wearing a pink； gauzy sundress
that looked a heck of a lot more fortable than the long…sleeve button…down shirt and tie Dan
had worn for the occasion。 ？Easy for you to say； little Miss Barely There Sundress。？ He grunted
and tried to unstick his shirt from his sweaty back。
？Oh； eon ； Dan；？ Jenny scoffed。 ？Don？t you just think weddings are the most amazing
things？？ Actually； he did。 There was something really romantic about watching two people stand
up in front of their friends and family and promise to stay together forever。 It was almost 。 。 。 noble。
What would it be like to have someone who loved him enough to want to be with him
forever？ ？Yeah； I guess so；？ Dan mumbled； weaving around a suspicious…looking clod of dirt。
They approached a large oak tree with rose petals sprinkled at its roots。 Piotr stood beneath the
tree； wearing a canary…yellow tuxedo and holding onto Ruby？s hand。 She wore an antique…looking
ivory…colored dress with a hot…pink sash around the middle。 And next to her was Vanessa； looking
beautiful in a slinky blue slip dress。 Dan looked down at her feet？ she was wearing her trademark
bat boots。 At least some things never changed。 Dan dropped Jenny？s arm and moved closer；
taking in the curve of Vanessa？s hips swaying under the thin material of the dress。 He felt his
pulse start to race。
？Hey。？ Vanessa？s throaty voice broke into his thoughts； and he realized his feet had brought him
directly in front of her。 Ruby stood behind her； madly kissing Piotr even though there had been
no ？You may kiss the bride？ yet。 The ceremony hadn？t even begun。
？Hey。？ Dan smiled shyly。 ？You look 。 。 。 uh； nice。？ Damn。 He was a poet； and he couldn？t e
up with anything better than ？nice？？
Roses are red； violets are blue； your lips are real nice； and so are you！
She smiled back shyly。 ？Um 。 。 。 just trying something new for the wedding。？ ？He means
gorgeous。？ Jenny threw her arms around Vanessa。 ？I love your dress！？ ？You guys can sit here if
you want。？ Vanessa pointed at an empty bench； and Dan and Jenny sat down。 ？I have to go cue up
the music and get my camera ready。 You？re up after Piotr？s friends； okay？？ she told Dan and then
quickly made her way to a picnic table farther down the aisle； where one of Piotr？s friends；
wearing a white T…shirt with a black skull and crossbones printed on it； was fiddling with an
iBook。
Dan inspected the other partygoers； who were mostly dressed in casual clothes？except for Piotr？s
friends； who were wearing black…； white…； and red…striped suits。 They resembled a pack of hipster
clowns just released from some bizarre Czech prison。
Just then a Czech ballad struck up； and Ruby and Piotr began skipping backwards hand in hand
around the giant oak tree。 Some guy in one of those weird striped suits whom Dan could only
assume was Piotr？s best man joined in the skipping and the crowd cheered。
Whatever happened to ？Here es the Bride？？
They stopped skipping and stood off to the side as the Czech ballad quieted and a group of four
striped…suited guys made their way over to the tree。 One guy stuck out his tongue and wagged it
obscenely。
？I am animal！？ he yelled。 ？Filled with lust of carnivore！？ ？I am love；？ the group behind him
began to chant； crouching down on the ground。 ？I am love； I am love； I am love。 。 。 。？ Ruby and
Piotr held hands； entranced by their friends？ display。 Behind them； a yellow Lab chased a squirrel
up a tree； barking loudly。
？。 。 。 love； love； love； love 。 。 。？
Jenny？s brow was wrinkled in thought； as if she were trying to decode the symbolism。 Dan could
barely contain his giggles？and there was only one other person who probably felt the same way。
He glanced at Vanessa； who was standing off to the side； her camera trained on the altar as she
desperately tried to keep a straight face。 He caught her eye and grinned； then he stuck out his
tongue and wiggled it； imitating Piotr？s crazy friends。
The striped…suited guys finally stopped screaming and bowed to a confused smattering of polite
applause。 Jenny elbowed Dan in the ribs。 ？You？re up。？ He smiled nervously。 He didn？t even know
if this poem was any good； and now he was going to have to test…drive it in front of Ruby？s entire
wedding party？not to mention his ex…girlfriend。
No pressure。
Dan walked to the front of the crowd and opened his notebook。 He cleared his throat and began
to read； his voice wavering。
Open the fridge and put
My heart on a plate。
I？m just as you left me； and I taste even better leftover。
He kept his eyes on the page。 It took all his effort to decipher his own scrawl。 As he focused on
the white paper； he couldn？t help feeling moved by what he？d written。 He looked up and locked
eyes with Vanessa。
Pale fury； why did you leave me？
You？re prickly in the morning。 So prickly。
This isn？t a cooking show。
This isn？t chemistry or geography。
It？s physics。 Pure physics；
I？m falling fast and faster still。
So fall with me。 Fall down with me。
And stay。
Vanessa blushed deeply； her cheeks turning bright pink； and Dan found it hard to tear his gaze
away from her。 She looked so beautiful in her light blue dress； her skin glowing white against the
sky blue fabric。 。 。 。
The sound of clapping woke him from his reverie。 ？Um； thank you；？ he mumbled as he headed
back to his seat in a daze。 He sat back down； and Jenny grabbed his arm。 ？That was really great。
But we？vegot to talk about something later；？ she whispered loudly in his ear。
？Um； okay；？ Dan whispered back。 He patted his damp forehead with a paper napkin； just as
Ruby？s bandmates began cartwheeling down the rose…petaled aisle。
Guess someone didn？t hire a wedding planner。
chips ahoy！
Nate leaned out over the bow of the boat and dipped his hand in the white froth of the waves。
Chips stood in theBelinda ？s stern？named for his late wife？as he simultaneously steered the huge
wheel of the forty…foot yacht and nursed a scotch on the rocks。 The white sails billowed in the
wind。 It was a perfect； cloudless summer day； but after his afternoon with both Blair and Serena
yesterday； Nate？s thoughts were more muddled than ever。 When Chips had called this morning
and invited him out for a sail on the Hudson； he？d jumped at the chance to get back out on the
water and as far away from the girls as possible。 A little scotch wouldn？t hurt either。
Wearing a pair of white Ralph Lauren sailing pants and a navy blue cashmere sweater； Chips
looked sophisticated and stately manning the wheel of the pristine yacht。
？This is the life；？ he boomed； his wizened hands resting lightly on the wheel。 ？The open sea； the
sun； and the wind。？ He took a deep breath and tilted his head toward the sky； breathing the clear；
warm air deep into his lungs。
？I guess。？ Nate scuffed the toe of his sneakers against the planks of the deck。 He was waiting for
a big lecture on thinking with his balls； Chips？s favorite topic。
The old man？s stubby white beard sparkled in the late afternoon sunshine。 ？So； what？s crawled
up your arse； then？？ he asked； his Scottish accent rolling around in his mouth like marbles。
？Oh。 I？m？I？m fine；？ Nate answered quickly。 ？Sort of。？ Chips looked at him knowingly； waiting
for Nate to continue。 Nate took a deep breath； inhaling the briny air into his lungs； and； for the first
time in days； felt his head start to clear。 When he was out on the ocean； everything just felt so
much simpler。 The whole world was reduced to its essentials： sun； sky； and water。
？I have to repeat my senior year of high school；？ he heard himself say。 ？I？m not going to Yale。
I？m sure my dad told you； right？？ Chips nodded。 ？Apparently you stole Viagra from your coach
because you thought it would make you more of a man？？ He raised an eyebrow。
？Uh； yeah；？ Nate mumbled； turning a little red。 ？But that？s not the only problem。 There are these
two girls。 。 。 。？ his voice trailed off into the breeze。 ？I think I have to choose between them； and I
don？t know who to pick。？ The boat hit a rough patch of water and Nate staggered backward。
？Whoa； there； Natie！？ Chips laughed out loud and grabbed hold of Nate？s arm。 He steered him
toward the bench behind the wheel； indicating that he should steer。 Chips sat down heavily beside
him and placed a large blue pillow behind his back for support。 He pulled out a fat brown cigar
from his pants pocket and rolled it around between his lips。 Then he lit the tip and puffed away
until the end glowed amber and the stench of cigar smoke filled the air； sweet and acrid。 Nate
looked out at the water； steering the boat and fretting over what he？d just said。 Talking about it
meant thinking about it； and that was the last thing he wanted to do。
？Now。？ Chips blew a ring of smoke over his head。 ？Let？s start from the beginning。？ ？Well 。 。 。
first there？s Blair；？ Nate began tentatively as he steered the boat expertly between the green and
red buoys marking the entrance to Manhattan？s harbor。 ？We？ve been together forever； and I really
love her。 She likes getting her way； and she just 。 。 。 wants everything to be perfect。 She？s leaving
for Yale tomorrow； and she wants me to e live in New Haven with her。？ He reached into his
pocket and ran his finger over the smooth surface of the silver lighter Blair had given him two
years ago。 ？But I？ve always loved Serena； too。 She？s 。 。 。 the plete opposite of Blair。 All light
and mystery and laughter； but hard to pin down。？ Chips nodded； listening carefully。
？And to make things even more plicated； they？ve been best friends forever； and I？m always
kind of messing things up between them。？ Kind of？
He took a deep breath； and Chips passed him his glass of scotch。 ？I know it？s idiotic； but I just
can？t make up my mind。？ Nate took a deep swallow and handed the glass gratefully back to
Chips。 ？Aboutanything。 ？ He glanced out at the water again； hoping for a sign？aB …shaped cloud
in the sky or anS reflected on the water？s surface。 Instead； all he could see was the two girls？ faces
winking at him。You know you love me ； each one was saying。
Chips took a sip of scotch and looked thoughtfully at Nate； his gold wedding band glinting in the
light。 ？Well； Nate； I？ve always believed that honesty is an essential ponent to happiness？along
with all of this；？ he said； gesturing with his hand at the boat。 ？But there？s also something to be
said for protecting someone you love from unnecessary pain。？ He stood and tapped the ashes of
his cigar over the side of the yacht before sitting back down again。 Nate noticed for the first time
that Chips？s left leg looked a little stiff as he walked。
？You？re right；？ Nate mused aloud。 He leaned his head back to take in the warmth of the sun on
his face； and closed his eyes for a minute。 ？I mean； what good would it do t