super…cool black…and…white French film she'd watched earlier that day on AP French。 The blond
female lead always looked so chic and beautiful and was never without lipstick。 All the people in
the movie did all day was ride around on a Vespa motorbike； have sex； sit in cafés； and smoke。 Of
course they always looked gorgeous。 But Blair had to keep her grades up if she wanted to get off
Yale's wait list； and what with school and homework and sex with Nate everyday after school；
there was hardly time for primping。 Blair's wavy brown hair was matted and sweaty； her lips were
chapped from prolonged kissing and infrequent lip gloss application； and she hadn't plucked her
eyebrows in two whole days。 Not that she really minded。 Sacrificing a little personal grooming
time for sex was totally worth it。 Besides； she'd read somewhere that an hour of sex burns three
hundred and sixty calories； so even if she was a little scruffy； at least she'd be skinny！
She reached up and felt the stubble gathering between her dark； neat arched eyebrows。 Okay； so
maybe she minded just a teensy bit； but she could always grab a cab down to Elizabeth Arden for
an eyebrow wax。
Stubble aside； Blair had never felt so happy。 After finally doing it with Nate nearly two weeks ago；
she was a whole new woman。 The only dark cloud in her rosy sky was the irritating fact that she
was still only wait…listed at Yale。 Just exactly how where her and Nate going to get together every
afternoon if she wound up having to go to Georgetown in DC… the only school that had actually
accepted her…and he was up at Yale in New Haven； Connecticut； or Brown in Providence； Rhode
Island； or one of the other great schools he'd so unfairly gotten into？ Not that she was bitter； but
Nate had shown up stoned for the SAT's； took no AP's and barely had a B average； while she was
in ever AP Constance Billard offered； had gotten a 1490 on her SAT； and had almost an A＋
average。 Okay so maybe she was slightly bitter。
〃If I joined the peace Corps and spent a couple of years building sewers and making sandwiches
for starving children in； like； Rio or somewhere； then Yale would have to take me； wouldn't they？〃
she said aloud。
Nate grinned。 Here was the thing about Blair that he loved。 She was spoiled； but she wasn't lazy。
She knew what she wanted； and because she believed absolutely that she could have everything
she wanted if she tried hard enough to get it； she never stopped trying。
〃 I heard everyone gets sick in the Peace Corps。 And you have to speak the native language。〃
〃I'll so it in France than。〃 Blaire blew smoke up at the ceiling。 〃Or one of those African countries
where t hey speak French。〃 She tried to imagine herself conversing with the natives in some arid
African village while balancing a clay pot of fresh goat's milk on her head and wearing an
elaborately dyed caftan that could be supremely sexy if tied in the right places。 She'd have a killer
tan and would be nothing but muscle and bone from all the hard work and horrible intestinal
diseases。 Children would clamor at her knees for the Godiva chocolates she'd order for them and
she'd smile sincerely down at them like a beautiful； unwrinkled Mother Teresa。 When she returned
to the States she'd win some Peace Corps award for best volunteer； or even the Nobel peace Prize。
She'd have dinner with the president； who would write her a remendation to Yale； and then
Yale would fall over themselves to accept her。
Nate was pretty sure the Peace Corps only helped out in third…world countries； not economically
thriving places like France； and no way would Blair last more than half and hour in some remote
African Village where they didn't have Sephora or even flushing toilets。 Poor Blair。 It was
pletely unfair that he'd gotten into Yale without really trying； while she； who'd wanted to go to
Yale since she was two years old； had been wait…listed。 Then again； Nate was used to getting
things without really trying。
He propped his head up on his hand and tenderly smoothed Blair's dark hair away from her
forehead。 〃Unless you hear soon that you got in； I promise I won't go to Yale；〃 he vowed。 〃I'm fine
with going to Brown or whatever。〃
〃Really？〃 Blair stamped out her cigarette in the sailboat… shaped marble ashtray beside Nate's bed
and flung her arms around his neck。 Nate was by far the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for。
She couldn't imagine why she'd ever broken up with him； not once； but again and again。
Because he cheated on her again and again？
All Blair knew now was that she was never ever wanted to leave Nate's side。 She rested her cheek
against his strong； bare chest。 Now that she thought about it； moving into the Archibalds' town
house wasn't such a bad idea； since her own house wasn't exactly an episode of 〃Seventh Heaven〃
right now。 Her mother had just given birth to her baby sister just over two weeks ago and was now
suffering from severe postpartum depression。 Just this morning Blair had left her mother weeping
over a DVD sent from Peruvian Alpaca farm。 Apparently； if you adopted a herd of alpaca yearling；
you could custom…order hand…woven blankets and sweaters made from the hair of the animals in
your herd。 Her baby sister would soon be the proud new owner of a hairy white alpaca blanket that
would be pletely useless all summer long； and probably the rest of her life； unless as a
teenager she got into the hippie handmade…chic thing； cut a head hole into the blanket； and
fashioned it into a poncho。
Back when her mother was still pregnant； she had asked Blair to name the baby； and out of
devotion to her favorite college Blair had chosen the name Yale。 Now baby Yale served as a living；
breathing； very noisy reminder that no matter how stunning Blair's record was； the school had all
but rejected her。 Worse still； the baby had taken over her bedroom； and she was forced to sleep in
her stepbrother Aaron's room until after she left for school in the fall。 Aaron was a vegan
Rastafarian dog…lover； so the room had been decorated specifically for him in wall…to…wall organic；
environmentally sound products in shades of egg plant and wild sage。 To add insult to injury；
Blair's cat； Kitty Minky； had taken to peeing on the barley husk cushions and throwing up on the
woven sea grass floor mats in an effort to rid the room of the scent of Aaron's dog； a drooling
boxer named Mookie。
Hello； Nasty？
Move in with Nate。 Blaire didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before。 A freaky mother； a
cat…pee…soaked bedroom； and a newborn baby sister named after Yale were not exactly conductive
to studying or s…e…x。 it was only natural for her to seek other acmodation。 Of course there was
always Serena's house； but they'd tried that before and wound up fighting。 Besides； Serena
couldn't offer her much in the way of s…e…x。
Unless those old rumors were actually true。。。
Nate ran his hands lazily up and down her smooth bare back。 〃have you ever thought about getting
a tattoo？〃 he asked out of nowhere as he traced the lines of her shoulder blades。
Except for a brief stin