when Blair suddenly grabbed his pink…and…white checked shirt； nearly ripping it off his body。
？Kiss menow ；？ she told him urgently。 Of course it was sort of unexpected？they？d only just met
yesterday？but didn？t that make it all the more romantic？
Or all the more bizarre。
？Because somebody？s looking or because you want me to？？ Lord Marcus responded with an
amused； irresistible smile that made it very clear he didn？t care either way。
？Both。？ Blair closed her eyes in anticipation of the kiss。 Of course she wasn？t in love；yet。 It was
theidea of Lord Marcus she loved。 But their first kiss lasted longer than an on…screen kiss； tasted
better than steak frites； and felt better than a day…dream？waybetter。 It certainly wouldn？t take
much for her to fall genuinely in love。 She was definitely almost there。
A cab pulled to a stop beside them and； his lips still pressed against Blair？s； Lord Marcus raised
his hand to flag it。 But the cab was already occupied by a very tense Nate Archibald。 Nate opened
the cab door； and Lord Marcus and Blair stepped aside to allow Serena to breeze past them and
into the backseat。 She pulled the door closed； looking up at Blair and Lord Marcus through the
window with her huge blue eyes。 Blair stared back； her body pressed against Lord Marcus。 Serena
lifted her hand to wave at them； her perfect lips parting in a smile as the cab took off toward Fifth
Avenue。
And even though Serena was already gone； Blair smiled back。 Because for once in her life； she
honestly didn？t give a damn where they were going。
guess who？s bonking in bergdorf？s？
Located at Fifth Avenue and Fifty…eighth Street； Bergdorf Goodman was one of the oldest and
most beautiful luxury department stores in Manhattan。 It was the first store Serena？s mother had
ever taken her shopping in； and even though it was stuffier and more old…fashioned than Barneys
or Bendel？s； it seemed like the appropriate place to buy her graduation dress。 She？d asked Nate to
e along only because she needed a second opinion； although with his standard uniform of
well…worn knit polo shirts or white button…downs and khakis； Nate wasn？t exactly astute when it
came to fashion。
？I wonder where Blair met him；？ Serena mused aloud as Bergdorf？s sleek ivory…colored elevator
whisked them up to the third floor。
Nate didn？t respond。 He was staring at Serena？s boobs。 They were hard looking； like the small
Empire apples that grew on his family？s estate on Mt。 Desert Island； Maine。 He had taken a couple
of Coach Michaels？s Viagras on his way to pick her up and he was pretty sure he was beginning to
feel the effect。 There was a lot of pressure down there； like a handless hand job； and if he didn？t
do something about it soon； things were going to get kind of messy。
Like； how soon？
The elevator doors glided open and Serena was immediately drawn to a rack of exquisitely made
white Oscar de la Renta suits？swishy pleated knee…length skirts and fitted jackets with cool white
leather belts decorated with adorable little white leather bows。
？I don？t know why I even care；？ she continued as she fingered the suits without even noticing
that Nate was staring at her like she was a slice of extra…cheese pizza hot out of a Ray？s Original
Pizza oven。 ？Blair will probably never talk to me again。？
？May I help you？？ offered a bulky middle…aged sales…woman with a gold Bergdorf？s name tag
that read JOAN。 Joan was wearing a purple Chanel suit that did nothing for her lumpy hips and
piano legs。
？I need to try these on in a size four。？ Serena pointed to three of the white Oscar de la Renta suits。
Until now she hadn？t thought of wearing a suit to graduation instead of a dress； but it seemed to
make perfect sense。 She？d never been the frilly…white…dress type anyway； and there was something
so crisp and final about the suits that made them totally perfect for graduation。
Nate was practically bursting as he followed Serena and Joan to the ladies？fitting room。 He stood
just outside as Joan hung up the suits； closed the heavy gray velvet curtain； and then hurried off to
find something else she thought Serena might like。 Now was his chance。
He yanked the curtain open。 Serena had unbuttoned her uniform。 Her white polo shirt was around
her neck and she was wearing only a flimsy white camisole instead of a bra underneath。 ？Hey；？
she greeted him with a shy smile。 ？It？s okay if you e in。？
Nate yanked the curtain shut with one hand as he unbuckled his belt with the other。Go； go； go！
Serena began to remove one of the suits from the hanger。 Then she noticed Nate staring at her
with his pants around his ankles。
Hello？
？Nate； what are you doing？？ His brilliant green eyes glittered and his thin lips parted hungrily；
like he hadn？t eaten lunch or something。 She giggled and crossed her arms over her chest。 ？They
don？t have cameras in these things； do they？？
As if either of them cared？
He grabbed her camisole and yanked it away from her body； ripping it entirely in half in the
process。 Serena dropped the suit on the dressing room floor and grabbed him back。 For once； Nate
wasn？t weeping into a fistful of soggy tissues。 She wasn？t about to miss this opportunity。
Nate was eternally grateful that Serena was Serena and not Blair。 Blair would have wanted to
dissect his behavior。 She would have wanted to make a fuss or have an argument； while Serena
just flicked away the remains of her camisole and helped him off with his shirt。 ？You didn？t tell
me you were all hot and bothered。？
Slightly。
Nate grabbed the other pristine white satin Oscar suits off their hooks and scattered them at their
feet。 ？Remember when we were in the tub at my house； the summer before tenth grade？？ he told
her urgently； pressing his lips against her neck。
Serena blushed again。 How could she forget？ It had been their third time。 When they were both
still counting。
？Let？s do the same thing again；？ Nate practically shouted。 ？Pretend all these white dresses are
the bubbles！？
Whoa。 Who ever said boys lack imagination？
？Yes！？
？Oh； yes！？
？Found something you like； dear？？ Joan； ever the helpful Bergdorf sales matron； poked her gray
head through the opening in the thick velvet curtain。 She stared at the confusion of tanned；
writhing limbs and white satin on the floor of the dressing room and then quickly withdrew；
popping a few blood pressure pills before attending to a new shipment of Missoni sweaters。 That
sort of vulgar behavior was pletely unladylike and therefore pletely un…Bergdorf？s； but
there wasn？t much she could do。 Serena van der Woodsen had opened a Bergdorf？s charge
account when she was seven and had been a loyal customer ever since。 And of course it was nice
to see that she was so fortable in the store。
Nate began to cry as soon as it was over。 The Viagra had worn off just in time。 ？I just can？t
believe you？re going to be wearing one of these；？ he murmured； extracting the skirt to one of the
suits from underneath his bare ass。
？Well； I haven？t even tried it on yet。？ Serena let her head fall back； closing her enormous dark
blue eyes as Nate pressed his soggy cheek into her hair。 It was sweet and sort of feminine of him
to cry after they？d done it； and she suddenly realized she was the stronger； more ？masculine？ one
in their relationship。 At least they？d finally done it。 Now they were more authentically a couple。
That？s some couple。
？I already have this yellow Tocca dress I really like； anyway。 Maybe I could bleach it or
something；？ she continued distractedly。
Then Nate？s mind began to wander； too； to his final history term paper。
Talk about multitasking！
He was writing about the origins of lacrosse； but would his history teacher； Mr。 Knoeder； aka Mr。
No Dick； think it was un…PC or whatever to write about an old Native American sport without
really dealing with the politics of how the Indians had been treated in colonial times and all that？
After all； Nate was going to Yale next year toplay lacrosse； not to bee some kind of
lacrossehistorian。
Obviously。
He propped himself up on one elbow and tugged a tissue out of his navy blue canvas Jack Spade
book bag。 He？d grown accustomed to carrying tissues。
？Maybe we should have gone to Bendel？s to look for dresses instead of here；？ Serena mused；
fingering the buttons on one of the suits。
Nah； their dressing rooms aren？t nearly as big。
See b die and go to heaven
Why Blair had never been inside the Madison Avenue Oscar de la Renta boutique before was
beyond her。 The boutique was modeled after Mr。 de la Renta？s home in the Dominican Republic；
with imported Dominican coral stone walls； plaster palm trees； and a shoe display set up like a
catwalk。 The eveningwear was hung in a special lounge furnished with love seats from de la
Renta？s furniture collection。 Too bad Blair wasn？t in the market for a black tulle ball gown or she
would have tackled Marcus and pulled him down on one of the toile love seats just to thank him
for taking her there。
？Hello； Marthe；？ Marcus greeted the amazingly beautiful； Amazon…like； Latina saleswoman。 She
was wearing a gold pouf skirt and a tight； hot pink short…sleeved sweater that were simultaneously
fifties retro and ultramodern。
At first Blair？s hackles rose and she started to bare her fangs； but then she quickly realized that
being jealous of anyone that impossibly tall； curvy； and gorgeous would be a total waste of time。
？Miss Waldorf is looking for a gown in white；？ Marcus explained； putting his arm around Blair
and totally erasing any jealous or irrational thoughts she？d ever had； or ever would have。
Wow； heis good。
Marthe nodded seriously and led them to a rack of white goddess gowns that would have looked
stunning on Marthe； but that Blair already knew would make her look like a fat runt with no real
cleavage to speak of。 She was about to protest； but Marcus？bless him？had already figured it out。
？What about one of those suits？？ he asked； walking over to finger an exquisite pleated white
satin skirt。 The skirt was paired with a fitted white satin jacket that sported the most perfect white
leather belt around the waist； fastened with a nifty white leather bow。
？You have the perfect figure for his suits；？ Marthe declared in a wonderful； thick accent。 She
strode over to the rack and selected three of the suits for Blair to try on。 ？And you are a size four； I
am sure。？
？Maybe she is even a size two；？ a sonorous male voice chimed in from behind them。
Blair whirled around； her heart already aflutter at being mistaken for a size two； and nearly
choked on her own saliva when she saw who it was。 Standing just a few feet away from her was
Oscar de la Renta himself； wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit； a starched white shirt； and a pink
tie； his handsome bald head looking like it had been oiled with olive oil； his gray…black eyebrows
smoldering。 Blair had seen him hundreds of times in the pages of fashion magazines and in the
society columns but never in person。 And for an old man； he was supremely sexy。
？Ah； Mr。