as if he were an ambassador。
To a very hostile country？
“Thanks； sir！” Serena said weakly as she shuffled into the house。 She didn’t really have a choice。
“So； what brings you this way？” Harold asked； throwing more logs onto the crackling fire and settling back into his leather wingback chair as if preparing for an all…night chat。 Jenny； Nate； and Dan all clustered around Serena； delegating explanation responsibilities to her。
“Mr。 Waldorf； I’m really sorry to intrude。 This is my boyfriend； Dan Humphrey。” Serena emphasized the word boyfriend。 Maybe if Blair knew she wasn’t with Nate； she’d soften a little。 “And his sister； Jenny。 Jenny was visiting colleges and ran into Nate on a tour of Brown。 And we were all driving back to the city and got stuck in the snow。” She shrugged； as if that explained everything。
Blair narrowed her eyes。 Of course Serena would play the Miss Innocent card； as if they’d just happened to be driving right past the Newport house。 Newport wasn’t exactly in Brown’s backyard。
“So you just ran into each other？” Blair asked icily。
“Yeah。” Nate tried to catch Blair’s eye。 In his time at Deep Springs； he’d almost forgotten how pretty she was。 Her hair framed her small； fine…featured face； her eyes were bright； and she wore a black sweater that hugged her petite frame。 Nate forced himself to glance away。 She looked happy now。 The last thing he wanted to do was get in the way。 “We can leave。 Blair； we’ll leave；” he repeated quietly； trying to let Blair know that he wasn’t here to fuck up her life。
Again。
“In this weather？ Nonsense！ We’re thrilled to have you。 I see Pierre and Pauline have already made a friend！” Harold nodded to the corner； where Jenny was kneeling on the Oriental…carpeted floor； patiently asking the twins about their train set。 “It’s almost their bedtime。 Almost my bedtime； too；” Harold chuckled； draining the last of his wine。 “But we have plenty of food； and we all know Blair has plenty of clothes to share with the girls。 Our house is your house； so please； make yourselves at home。 It’ll be like a big pajama party！”
Hooray！
“We’ll set Serena and Dan up in the downstairs guest room。 Jennifer； you can have the upstairs； and Nate gets the attic。 Will that work？”
Blair shrugged。 “Fine。 Chuck and I are going to bed；” she announced； grabbing Chuck’s elbow and yanking him up the stairs。 Hopefully by tomorrow morning the snow would have stopped and they could all go back to wherever the fuck they came from。 Better yet； she’d wake up and discover this was all just a big； terrible nightmare。
Sleep tight！
nice day for an imaginary white wedding
Jenny woke up to sunlight streaming onto her face。 She stretched lazily； reveling in the softness of the goose…down pillows surrounding her。 The delicate hands of the silver clock on the nightstand pointed to 7 a。m。 She was momentarily disoriented； then remembered that she was at Blair Waldorf’s Newport house。
It had been awkward when they’d first arrived。 Everyone had guiltily headed to the rooms Harold assigned them； but Jenny had lain awake in bed； thinking about Nate in the attic above her。
She swung her feet onto the walnut floor and looked out one of the east…facing bay windows。 Frost covered the windowpanes； and in the distance she could see the ocean； waves slowly rolling toward the shore。 The expansive land surrounding the house was covered with a thick blanket of snow； and icicles hung on the branches of the fir trees that edged the slate walkway。 Snow was still falling heavily。 Jenny felt a shiver of anticipation run up her spine。 How could she possibly sleep when she was in such a beautiful place？
She carefully pushed the door open and padded down the lengthy hallway； bringing her sketchbook and a pencil from her bag。 She’d head to the attic and sketch the snowstorm； and if she just happened to run into a boxer…clad Nate； she wouldn’t plain。
She slowly tiptoed up the creaky stairs that led to the attic and gasped。 She’d been imagining a creepy； cobwebby crawl space。 Instead； Oriental rugs covered the dark oak floors。 Louis Vuitton steamer trunks and abandoned antique furniture vied for space。 Clothes were hanging on coatracks； and bookshelves were overflowing with first editions。 The old sleigh bed in the corner looked slept in； but Nate wasn’t in it。 She couldn’t be disappointed； though—there was so much else to look at。
Jenny timidly pulled open one of the doors of an antique…looking wardrobe。
“Oh！” she breathed in surprise。 Packed in the small space were dresses of all different colors and styles； hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of couture。 It was even better than shopping at Next to New； the vintage store in Rhinecliff that all the Waverly girls visited when they needed a one…of…a…kind party outfit。 Jenny found herself pulling out a short Nina Ricci sparkly halter dress。 It probably hadn’t been worn or even looked at in years。 It was practically her duty to try it on。
She wedged herself behind the wardrobe； pulled off the baby pink Senior Spa Weekend T…shirt she’d found in the guest room； and shimmied into the dress。
She scampered over to a freestanding mirror and gazed at herself。 Her chest didn’t look as ginormous as usual； and her petite frame was lengthened by the halter straps。 She shook her curls around her face。 She felt like she was headed to a party at Studio 54。
Jenny continued to paw through the dresses in the wardrobe until she came to an oversize garment bag。 It was taller than she was and could fit a person inside。
We may need that body bag soon…。
She wrestled the hanger off the rack and pulled the heavy garment to the bed。 Then she unzipped the bag； revealing a white wedding dress with a heavily beaded bodice and a long train。 It probably cost more than a year at RISD； but she had to try it on。 She yanked the Nina Ricci dress over her head and dropped it on the floor in a sequined puddle。 Next； she stepped into the wedding gown feetfirst and pulled the heavy bodice up her torso。 She struggled with the zipper at the back； finally giving up when it was halfway done。 Her boobs easily held it up anyway。
Jenny eagerly scampered over to the mirror and sucked in her breath。 She looked beautiful。
If she does say so herself。
Jenny smiled at her reflection and a pretty； rosy…cheeked bride smiled back。 Would she ever get married？ And to whom？ She’d spent the past four years of her life falling in and out of love with various boys。 How could you possibly only kiss and love one person for the rest of your life？
Jenny twirled again； then paused。 Were those footsteps on the other side of the door？ She looked around for a place to hide。 A steamer trunk？ The wardrobe？
The body bag？
Too late。 A door on the other side of the attic opened； and Nate wandered out。 He wore a pair of blue boxers with sailboats printed on them and his hair was sticking up in every direction。
“Hi！” Jenny squeaked； her hands flying to her chest。
“Jennifer？” Nate blinked。 Was this some weird dream？ He opened his eyes again。 She was standing there all right。 Dressed in a wedding dress that created amazing cleavage and made her look innocent and sexy as hell all at once。
“I was just exploring。 Sorry！ I’m just going to take the dress off。 I mean； I’m going to change！” Jenny said quickly； even though she kind of liked the way Nate was looking at her。 “I didn’t think you were here。”
“I was in the bathroom。”
Nate grinned； causing cute crinkles to emerge around his sleepy green eyes。 “The dress looks nice。 You look nice；” Nate clarified； his eyes flicking from her chest up to her large dark brown eyes； and then； without meaning to； to the old antique sleigh bed behind her。
“You look nice too；” Jenny said； hooking her dark curls behind her small ears。 She grinned。
“Thanks。” Nate willed his bare feet to remain planted on the cold beams of the floor。 Girls made him crazy； an unproductive； pot…smoking mess。 The past year at Deep Springs he’d worked harder than he had in his life and had finally lived up to his potential in school。 And it was all because he’d given up chicks。 They’re bad for you；