Nate wound a strand of Blair’s hair around his finger and breathed
in the scent of her perfume。 It felt okay； standing there； holding her。
It felt like something he could do。 For now； and maybe forever。 He
didn’t need Serena。
He nodded。 “I promise。”
And then they kissed—a sad； soft kiss。 In her head； Blair could hear
the swell of music signaling the end of the scene。 It had started out
a little rocky； but at least the ending was okay。
“e on；” she said； pulling away and wiping the mascara smudges
from under her eyes。 “Let’s go see who’s here。”
Holding hands； they left the ladies’ room。 Kati Farkas smiled
knowingly as she tottered past them on the way in。
“You guys；” she scolded。 “Get a room！”
“This band rocks！” Serena shouted at Vanessa over the pounding
drum and bass。 She wriggled her butt from side to side in her chair；
her eyes shining。 Dan was having trouble breathing normally。 He’d
barely touched his drink。
Vanessa smiled； pleased that Serena liked the music。 Personally；
she hated it； although she’d never tell her sister Ruby that。
SugarDaddy was all about people dancing and sweating and
shaking their bodies around； which was definitely not Vanessa’s
thing。
She’d rather lie around in the dark listening to Gregorian chants or
whatever。 Yeehaw！
“e on；” Serena said； standing up。 “Let’s dance。”
Vanessa shook her head。 “That’s okay；” she said。 “You go。”
“Dan？” Serena said； tugging on his jacket sleeve。 “e on！”
Dan never； ever danced。 He was bad at it； and it made him feel like
a goofball。 He hesitated； glancing at Vanessa； who raised her black
eyebrows； challenging him。 If you get up and dance right now； you
will go straight to the top of my loser list； her look said。
Dan stood up。 “Sure； why not；” he said。
Serena grabbed his hand and pushed her way into the gyrating
throng with Dan stumbling after her。 Then Serena began to dance；
her arms raised over her head； kicking her feet out in front of her
and shaking her shoulders。 She definitely knew how to dance。
Dan nodded his head up and down and waggled his knees in time to
the beat； watching her。
Serena reached out and clasped Dan’s hips； rocking them back and
forth and around and around； mimicking what her hips were doing
all on their own。 Dan laughed and Serena smiled and closed her
eyes； getting seriously down。 Dan closed his eyes too； letting his
body follow hers。 It really didn’t matter that he danced like a moron；
or that he was the only one in the room wearing a tuxedo—probably
the only one in Williamsburg。 He was with her； and that was what
mattered。
Alone at the table； Vanessa finished first her drink and then Dan’s。
Then she got up and went to sit down at the bar。
“Nice shirt；” the bartender remarked when he saw her。 He was in
his early twenties； with red hair； long sideburns； and a cute； sly
smile。 Her sister was always talking about how cute he was。
“Thanks；” Vanessa said； smiling back at him。 “It’s new。”
“You should wear red more often；” he said。 He held his hand out。
“I’m Clark。 You’re Vanessa； right？ Ruby’s sister？”
Vanessa nodded。 She wondered if he was just being nice to her
because he liked her sister。
“Can I tell you a secret？” Clark said。 He poured a few different
things into a martini shaker and shook it up。
Oh； fuck； Vanessa thought。 Here’s when he pours out his heart and
tells me all about how he’s been in love with Ruby forever； but she
doesn’t seem to notice him。 And he wants me to play Cupid and
blah； blah； blah。
“What？” she said。
“Well；” Clark said。 “I see you and Ruby e in here all the time。”
Here he goes； thought Vanessa。
“And you never e up to the bar and talk to me。 But I’ve kind of
had a crush on you since I first saw you。”
Vanessa stared at him。 Was he joking？
Clark poured the drink out of the martini shaker into a short little
glass and squeezed a few limes into it。 He pushed it toward her。 “Try
that；” he said。 “It’s on the house。”
Vanessa picked up the glass and tasted it。 It tasted sweet and sour
at the same time； and she couldn’t taste any alcohol in it at all。 It
was good。
“What’s it called？” she said。
“Kiss me；” Clark said； with an absolutely straight face。
Vanessa put the drink down and leaned over the bar。 Serena and
Dan could dance their pretty asses off for all she cared。 She was
about to be kissed。
The Kiss on the Lips DJ had just broken up with her boyfriend of four
years and was playing sad； slow； love songs back to back。
Gorgeously dressed couples held onto each other and swayed to
the lonesome riffs； barely moving beneath the soft lights。 The air
smelled of orchids and candle wax and raw fish and cigarette
smoke； and there was a peaceful sophistication to the evening that
was both unexpected and familiar。 It wasn’t the rocking slam…fest
that some had hoped for； but it wasn’t a bad party； either。 There
was still plenty of booze left； nothing had caught fire； and the cops
hadn’t shown up to card people。 Besides； the year was just getting
started—there were tons more parties to look forward to。
Nate and Blair were dancing together； her cheek against his chest；
both of their eyes closed； his lips brushing the top of her head。 Blair
had put her brain on pause； and her head was full of static。 She was
tired of dreaming up movies。 Right now； real life suited her just fine。
A few couples away； Chuck had his hands full of Jenny Humphrey。
Jenny wished the DJ would bring up the tempo。 She was trying to
dance as fast as she could； to keep Chuck from groping her； but it
was having the opposite effect。 Every time she moved her
shoulders； her boobs bounced out of her dress and practically hit
him in the face。
Chuck was absolutely delighted。 He put his arms around Jenny’s
waist and pulled her close； dancing off the dance floor and into the
ladies’ room。
“What are we doing？” Jenny said； confused。 She gazed up into his
eyes。 She knew Chuck was friends with Serena and Blair； and she
wanted to trust him。 But Chuck still hadn’t asked her what her name
was。 He’d barely spoken to her at all。
“I just want to kiss you；” Chuck said。 He bent his head down and
enveloped her mouth in his； pressing his tongue against her teeth
with such force that she let out a little gasp。 Jenny opened her
mouth and let him thrust his tongue deep into her throat。 She had
kissed boys before； playing games at parties。 But she’d never
tongue kissed like this。 Is this what it’s supposed to feel like？ she
wondered； suddenly feeling a little frightened。 She reached up and
pushed against Chuck’s chest； pulling her head away from him；
desperate for air。
“I have to go to the bathroom；” she mumbled； stumbling backwards
into a stall and locking the door。
She could see Chuck’s feet； standing outside the stall。
“All right；” he said。 “But I’m not finished with you yet。”
Jenny sat down on the toilet seat without pulling up her dress and
pretended to pee。 Then she stood up and flushed。
“All done？” Chuck called。
Jenny didn’t answer。 Her mind was racing。 What should she do？
Anxiously； she reached inside her little black handbag for her cell
phone。
Chuck crouched down to look under the stall door。 What was she
doing in there； the little tease？ He crawled forward on his hands and
knees。 “All right；” he said。 “That’s it； I’m ing in。”
Jenny closed her eyes and backed against the stall wall。 Quickly；
she pressed the buttons for Dan’s number into her cell phone；
praying that he’d answer。
Ruby’s band was playing their last song； and Serena and Dan were
slick with sweat。 Dan had some new moves down； and he was in the
middle of an experimental slide to the side with a pelvic thrust
when his cell phone went off。
“Damn；” he said； pulling it out of his pocket。 He flipped it open。
“Dan；” he heard his sister’s voice。 “I—”
“Hey Jen。 Hold on； all right？ I can’t hear you。” He tapped Serena on
the arm and pointed to his phone。 “Sorry；” he shouted over the
music。 He walked back to the table and put his hand over his free
ear。 “Jenny？”
“Dan？” Jenny said。 Her voice sounded very small and scared and far
away。 “I need your help。 Please e get me？”
“Now？” Dan said。 He looked up。 Serena was walking toward him； a
worried frown on her perfect face。
“Is everything okay？” she mouthed。
“Please； Dan？” Jenny pleaded。 She sounded really upset。
“What’s wrong？” Dan asked his sister。 “Can’t you take a cab？”
“No； I—” Jenny said； her voice trailing off。 “Just please e； okay；
Dan？” she finished hurriedly。 And then she hung up。
“Who was that？” Serena said。
“My little sister；” Dan told her。 “She’s at that party。 She wants me to
e get her。”
“Are you going？”
“Yeah； I think I’d better。 She sounded kind of weird；” he said。
“I’ll e with you；” Serena offered。
“All right；” Dan said； smiling shyly。 This night was getting better and
better。 “That would be cool。”
“We’d better tell Vanessa；” Serena said； heading for the bar。
Dan followed her。 He’d forgotten all about Vanessa。 But she looked
like she was having a good time talking to the bartender。
“Hey Vanessa；” Serena said； touching Vanessa’s arm。 “Dan just got
a call from his sister at the party。 He has to go get her。”
Vanessa turned around slowly。 She was waiting for Clark’s eyes to
settle on Serena。 For his eyeballs to suddenly register “beautiful
girl” in bold black letters like the cherries in a slot machine。 But
Clark only glanced at Serena like she was just another customer。
“What can I get you？” he said； slapping a cocktail napkin down on
the bar in front of her。
“Oh； nothing； thanks；” Serena said。 She turned to Vanessa。 “I think
I’m going to go with Dan。”
“Hey Serena； we better take off；” Dan called urgently from behind
them。
Vanessa turned around to look at him； waiting so eagerly for
Serena。 His tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth。
“Okay； have a good rest of the night；” Serena said。 She leaned over
and gave Vanessa a kiss on her cheek。 “Tell Ruby I thought she was
awesome。” Then she slipped away to join Dan。
“See you； Vanessa；” Dan called； turning to go。
Vanessa turned back to Clark without a word。 She couldn’t wait to
kiss him again； and forget all about Serena and Dan； heading off
into the night together。
“Who were they？” Clark said； resting his elbows on the bar。 He
picked an olive out of a dish and held it just in front of Vanessa’s
lips。
Vanessa bit into the olive and shrugged。 “Just some people I don’t
really know。”
Dan hailed a cab and opened the door for Serena。 The October air
was crisp and smelled of burnt sugar； and Dan suddenly felt very
elegant and mature—a man in a tuxedo out on the town with a
beautiful girl。 He slid into the seat beside her and looked down at
his hands as the cab pulled away from the curb。 They weren’t
shaking anymore。
Unbelievable as it seemed； he had touched Serena with those very
hands while they were dancing。 And now he was alone