impressed anyone who knew anything about art。 In the center of
the dining room table was an enormous silver bowl full of white
orchids； pussy willows； and chestnut tree branches—a modern
ensemble from Takashimaya； the Fifth Avenue luxury goods store。
Gold…leafed place cards lay on every porcelain plate。 In the kitchen；
Myrtle the cook was singing Bob Marley songs to the soufflé； and
the sloppy Irish maid； Esther； hadn’t poured scotch down anyone’s
dress yet； thank God。
Blair was the one getting sloppy。 And if Cyrus Rose didn’t stop
harassing Nate； her boyfriend； she was going to have to go over
there and spill her scotch all over his tacky Italian loafers。
“You and Blair have been going out a long time； am I right？” Cyrus
said； punching Nate in the arm。 He was trying to get the kid to
loosen up a little。 All these Upper East Side kids were way too
uptight。
That’s what he thinks。 Give them time。
“You sleep with her yet？” Cyrus asked。
Nate turned redder than the upholstery on the eighteenth…century
French chaise next to him。 “Well； we’ve known each other
practically since we were born；” he stuttered。 “But we’ve only been
going out for like； a year。 We don’t want to ruin it by； you know；
rushing； before we’re ready？” Nate was just spitting back the line
that Blair always gave him when he asked her if she was ready to
do it or not。 But he was talking to his girlfriend’s mother’s boyfriend。
What was he supposed to say； “Dude； if I had my way we’d be doing
it right now”？
“Absolutely；” Cyrus Rose said。 He clasped Nate’s shoulder with a
fleshy hand。 Around his wrist was one of those gold Cartier cuff
bracelets that you screw on and never take off—very popular in the
1980s and not so popular now； unless you’ve actually bought into
that whole ’80s revival thing。 Hello？
“Let me give you some advice；” Cyrus told Nate； as if Nate had a
choice。 “Don’t listen to a word that girl says。 Girls like surprises。
They want you to keep things interesting。 You know what I mean？”
Nate nodded； frowning。 He tried to remember the last time he’d
surprised Blair。 The only thing that came to mind was the time he’d
brought her an ice cream cone when he picked her up at her tennis
lesson。 That was over a month ago； and it was a pretty lame
surprise by any standard。 At this rate； he and Blair might never
have sex。
Nate was one of those boys you look at and while you’re looking at
them； you know they’re thinking； that girl can’t take her eyes off
me because I’m so hot。 Although he didn’t act at all conceited about
it。 He couldn’t help looking hot； he was just born that way。 Poor guy。
That night Nate was wearing the moss…green cashmere V…neck
sweater Blair had given him last Easter； when her father had taken
them skiing in Sun Valley for a week。 Secretly； Blair had sewn a tiny
gold heart pendant onto the inside of one of the sweater’s sleeves；
so that Nate would always be wearing her heart on his sleeve。 Blair
liked to think of herself as a hopeless romantic in the style of old
movie actresses like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe。 She was
always ing up with plot devices for the movie she was starring
in at the moment； the movie that was her life。
“I love you；” Blair had told Nate breathily when she gave him the
sweater。
“Me too；” Nate had said back； although he wasn’t exactly sure if it
was true or not。
When he put the sweater on； it looked so good on him that Blair
wanted to scream and rip all her clothes off。 But it seemed
unattractive to scream in the heat of the moment—more femme
fatale than girl…who…gets…boy—so Blair kept quiet； trying to remain
fragile and baby…birdlike in Nate’s arms。 They kissed for a long time；
their cheeks hot and cold at the same time from being out on the
slopes all day。 Nate twined his fingers in Blair’s hair and pulled her
down on the hotel bed。 Blair put her arms above her head and let
Nate begin to undress her； until she realized where this was all
heading； and that it wasn’t a movie after all； it was real。 So； like a
good girl； she sat up and made Nate stop。
She’d kept on making him stop right on up until today。 Only two
nights ago； Nate had e over after a party with a half…drunk flask
of brandy in his pocket and had lain down on her bed and
murmured； “I want you； Blair。” Once again； Blair had wanted to
scream and jump on top of him； but she resisted。 Nate fell asleep；
snoring softly； and Blair lay down next to him and imagined that she
and Nate were starring in a movie in which they were married and
he had a drinking problem； but she would stand by him always and
love him forever； even if he occasionally wet the bed。
Blair wasn’t trying to be a tease； she just wasn’t ready。 She and
Nate had barely seen each other at all over the summer because
she had gone to that horrible boot camp of a tennis school in North
Carolina； and Nate had gone sailing with his father off the coast of
Maine。 Blair wanted to make sure that after spending the whole
summer apart they still loved each other as much as ever。 She had
wanted to wait to have sex until her seventeenth birthday next
month。
But now she was through with waiting。
Nate was looking better than ever。 The moss…green sweater had
turned his eyes a dark； sparkling green； and his wavy brown hair
was streaked with golden blond from his summer on the ocean。
And； just like that； Blair knew she was ready。 She took another sip of
her scotch。 Oh； yes。 She was definitely ready。
“What are you two talking about？” Blair’s mother asked； sidling up
to Nate and squeezing Cyrus’s hand。
“Sex；” Cyrus said； giving her a wet kiss on the ear。
Yuck。
“Oh！” Eleanor Waldorf squealed； patting her blown…out blond bob。
Blair’s mother was wearing the fitted； graphite…beaded cashmere
dress that Blair had helped her pick out from Armani； and little
black velvet mules。 A year ago she wouldn’t have fit into the dress；
but she had lost twenty pounds since she met Cyrus。 She looked
fantastic。 Everyone thought so。
“She does look thinner；” Blair heard Mrs。 Bass whisper to Mrs。
Coates。 “But I’ll bet she’s had a chin tuck。”
“I bet you’re right。 She’s grown her hair out—that’s the telltale sign。
It hides the scars；” Mrs。 Coates whispered back。
The room was abuzz with snatches of gossip about Blair’s mother
and Cyrus Rose。 From what Blair could hear； her mother’s friends
felt exactly the same way she did； although they didn’t exactly use
words like annoying； fat； or loser。
“I smell Old Spice；” Mrs。 Coates whispered to Mrs。 Archibald。 “Do
you think he’s actually wearing Old Spice？”
That would be the male equivalent of wearing Impulse body spray；
which everyone knows is the female equivalent of nasty。
“I’m not sure；” Mrs。 Archibald whispered back。 “But I think he might
be。” She snatched a cod…and…caper spring roll off Esther’s platter；
popped it into her mouth； and chewed it vigorously； refusing to say
anything more。 She couldn’t bear for Eleanor Waldorf to overhear
them。 Gossip and id