okay？” she said。
Chuck laughed and stood up； holding out his hand to her。 “Of course
it’s okay。 e on。”
Even though it was raining out and he was freezing his ass off； Nate
was in no hurry to get to Blair’s house。 It was pretty ironic； really。
Here he was； a seventeen…year…old guy； about to have sex with his
girlfriend for the first time （hers； anyway）。 He should have been
running。
She must know by now； he kept telling himself； over and over and
over。 How could she not？ The whole city had to know by now that
he had had sex with Serena。 But if Blair knew； then why hadn’t she
said anything？
Thinking about it was driving Nate insane。
He ducked into a liquor store on Madison Avenue and bought a half
pint of Jack Daniels。 He’d already smoked a little joint at home； but
he’d need a shot of courage before he saw Blair。 He had no idea
what he was in for。
Nate walked the rest of the way as slowly as he could； taking
surreptitious sips from the bottle。 Just before turning down Seventy…
second Street to her apartment； he bought Blair a rose。
Chuck ordered another round of drinks from the bar； and Serena
followed him into the elevator and up to the Basses’ ninth…floor
suite。 It looked exactly the same as it always had： living room with
entertainment center and bar； huge bedroom with king…sized bed
and another entertainment center； as if they needed two； huge
marble bathroom with hot tub and two fluffy white bathrobes。 That
was other great thing Serena loved about hotels—the bathrobes。
Doesn’t everyone？
On the coffee table in the living room was a pile of photographs。
Serena recognized Nate’s face in the top one and she picked them
up and shuffled through them。
Chuck glanced at the pictures over her shoulder。 “Last year；” he
said； shaking his head。 “We were pretty crazy。”
Blair； Nate； Chuck； Isabel； Kati； everyone was in them； naked in the
hot tub； dancing in their underwear； drinking champagne in bed。
They were all party shots from last year—the date was in the corner
of each one—and they were all taken in the suite。
So Blair had lied。 Everyone did still party in the Basses’ suite； same
as always。 And Blair wasn’t the little goody…goody she pretended to
be either with her mock SAT and her prim black cardigan。 In one
picture Blair was wearing only her underwear； jumping up and down
on the bed with a magnum of champagne in her hand。
Serena gulped her drink and sat down on one end of the couch。
Chuck sat down at the other end and pulled her feet into his lap。
“Chuck；” Serena warned。
“What？ I’m taking your boots off for you；” Chuck said innocently。
“Don’t you want to take them off？”
Serena sighed。 She felt tired all of a sudden； really tired。 “Yeah；
sure；” she said。 She reached for the remote and clicked on the
television while Chuck removed her boots。 Dirty Dancing was on
TBS。 Perfect。
Chuck began to massage her feet。 It felt good。 He bit her big toe
and kissed her ankle。
“Chuck；” Serena giggled； falling back on the couch and closing her
eyes。 The room tilted a bit。 She never could hold her liquor。
Chuck worked his hands up her legs。 Within seconds his fingers
were plying the insides of her thighs。
“Chuck；” Serena said； opening her eyes again and sitting up。 “Do
you mind if we just sit here？ We don’t have to do anything； okay？
Let’s just hang out on the couch and watch Dirty Dancing。 You
know； like girls。”
Chuck crawled towards Serena on his hands and knees until he was
looming over her and she was pinned beneath him。 “But I’m not a
girl；” he said。 He lowered his face to hers； and began to kiss her。 His
mouth tasted like peanuts。
“Shit！” Blair shrieked when she heard the doorman buzz from
downstairs。 She was still wearing her clothes； and she had just
spilled red candle…wax all over her rug。
Blair switched off her bedroom light and ran to answer the buzzer in
the kitchen。
“Yes； send him up；” she told the doorman。 She unbuttoned her
jeans and flew back to her room； wriggling out of them。 Then she
pulled the rest of her clothes off and tossed them into the closet。
Naked； she spritzed herself with her favorite perfume； even
spritzing once between her legs。
Oooh； bad girl。
Blair checked out her naked body in the mirror。 Her legs were too
short for the rest of her body； and her boobs were small and not as
“pay attention to me” as she would have liked them。 Her jeans had
left an angry red mark on her waist； but it was barely noticeable in
the dim candlelight。 Her skin was still nice and tan from the
summer； but her face seemed young and scared； not nearly as sexy
as it was supposed to look。 And her hair was sticking up in a halo of
frizz from the rain。 Blair dashed into the bathroom and applied a
coat of the lip gloss Serena had left on her sink to her lips and ran
her hairbrush through her long brown hair until it cascaded onto her
shoulders in the sexiest way possible。 There； instant irresistibility。
The doorbell rang。 Blair dropped her hairbrush； and it clattered into
the sink。
“Hold on！” she called out。 She took a deep breath and closed her
eyes to say a little prayer； although she wasn’t exactly the praying
type。
I hope it goes well。 It was the best she could do。
Serena let Chuck kiss her for a while because he was heavy and she
couldn’t get him off her。 As he explored the inside of her mouth with
his tongue； she watched Jennifer Grey splash around in a lake with
Patrick Swayze。 Finally； Serena turned her head away and closed
her eyes。
“Chuck； I really don’t feel so well；” she said； pretending she was
about to be sick。 “Do you mind if I just lie here for a little while？”
Chuck sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand。 “Sure；
that’s cool；” he said。 He stood up。 “I’ll go get you some water。”
Chuck went over to the wet bar and filled up a glass with ice；
pouring in a bottle of Poland Spring water。
When he turned to take the water back to Serena； she was already
asleep。 Her head had fallen back against the cushions； and her long
legs twitched。 Chuck sank onto the couch beside her； grabbed the
clicker； and changed the channel。
“Hi；” Blair said； opening the door a crack and poking her face
through it。
“Hi；” Nate said； holding the rose。 His hair was wet and his cheeks
were pink。
“I’m naked；” Blair told him。
“Really？” Nate said； barely absorbing the information。 “Can I e
in？”
“Sure；” Blair said； opening the door wide。
Nate stared at her； frozen in the doorway。
Blair blushed； hugging her arms around herself。 “I told you I was
naked。” She reached her hand out to take the flower。
Nate pressed it into her hand。 “I got that for you；” he said gruffly。
Then he cleared his throat and looked at the floor。 “Should I take off
my shoes？”
Blair laughed and opened the door wider。 Nate was nervous； even
more nervous than she was。 He was so sweet。
“Just hurry up and take your clothes off；” she said。 She took his
hand。 “It’s okay。 e on。”
Nate followed her into her bedroom； not doing any of the things a
boy should normally have done under the circumstances。 Like check
out Blair’s bare ass； or worry about condoms； or bad breath； or try
to say the right thing。 He was barely thinking at all。
Blair’s room was a blaze of candles。 A bottle of red wine was open
on the floor； with two glasses beside it。 Blair knelt down and poured
each of them a glass like a little geisha。 She felt more fortable
naked in the darkness of her room。
“What kind of music do you want to listen to？” she asked Nate；
handing him a glass。
Nate gulped the wine； swallowing noisily。 “Music？ Anything you
want。 Whatever；” he said。
Of course； Blair had her CD mix all cued up。 The first song was
Coldplay； because she knew Nate liked them。
Slow and sexy； rocker boy。
Blair had made and remade the movie of this moment in her head
so many times she felt like an actress who was finally getting her
big break； playing the role of her career。
She reached up and put her hands on Nate’s shoulders。 He tried not
to look at her； but he couldn’t help it。 She was naked； and she was
beautiful。 She was a girl and he was a boy。
There have been plenty of songs written about this。
“Take off your clothes； Nate；” Blair whispered。
Maybe after we do it； I’ll tell her； Nate thought。
That didn’t seem pletely fair； but still； he kissed her。 And once
he started； he couldn’t stop。
When Serena woke up a little while later； Chuck had changed the
channel to MTV2 and was singing along loudly to Jay…Z。 Serena’s
Pucci dress had ridden up above her waist； and her lacy blue
underwear was showing。
Serena propped herself up on her elbows and wiped the lip…gloss
scum out of the corners of her mouth。 She pulled down her dress。
“What time is it？” she said。
Chuck glanced at her。 “Time for us to take off our clothes and get in
bed；” he said impatiently。 He’d been waiting long enough。
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