gossip girl 10 英文- 第15节

？Don？t　fiddle　too　much；　darling；？　clucked　Bailey　disap…provingly。　

Vanessa　smiled　placidly　and　turned　her　camera　back　to　the　action　in　the　pool。　As　she　sat　still　like　
that；　her　mind　drifted　idly　over　the　whirlwind　of　the　past　couple　of　weeks。　She？d　gone　from　
Hollywood　player　to　friendless　Hamptons　servant　to　kept　woman。　It　was　all　pretty　exciting；　in　a　
way；　but　the　thing　was；　she　missed　having　someone　to　share　it　with。　

　Vanessa　surprised　herself　when　she　realized　that　she　wasn？t　just　staring　idly　into　space：　she　was　
admiring　Chuck　Bass？s　perfectly　toned　torso；　the　little　ripple　in　his　muscles　as　he　ran　his　fingers　
through　his　damp…but…still…perfectly…mussed　dark　locks。　Forgetting　for　a　minute　everything　she　
knew　about　the　guy；　every　interaction　she？d　ever　had　with　him；　and　every　grody　rumor　she？d　tried　
to　ignore；　she　kind　of　wanted　to　reach　out　and　。　。　。　touch　him。　She　licked　her　lips　involuntarily。　


？That？s　it！？　Bailey　Winter　threw　his　pencil　into　the　nearby　swimming　pool；　then　grabbed　
another。　？You　look　amazing。You　look　satisfied　and　hungry　all　at　once。　Like　you？re　ready　for　
dessert；　even　though　you？ve　just　had　the　yummiest　meal　ever！？　

Vanessa　blushed；　embarrassed；　and　then　reminded　her…self　she　wasn？t　admiring　Chuck　Bass；　
necessarily；　just　his　various　physical　attributes。　The　truth　was；　her　type　was　a　little　skinnier　and　
paler　than　Chuck。　The　thought　of　Dan　suddenly　tugged　the　corners　of　her　mouth　down。　

？Chin　up；　dear！　Where？s　that　smile　gone？？　Bailey　Winter　clapped　his　hands　once；　twice；　three　
times；　like　a　demented　cheerleader。　

　Vanessa　tried　to　will　a　smile　onto　her　face；　but　somehow　the　thought　of　Dan　had　tainted　
everything。　She　missed　him。　And　Chuck　Bass？s　beefy　chest　was　no　substitute　for　love。　Vanessa　
sighed；　panning　the　camera　around　the　property？s　emerald　green　lawn。　Once　again；　all　she　really　
had　was　her　art。　

She　trained　the　camera　back　on　Chuck；　who　was　now　leaning　up　against　the　edge　of　the　pool　
chatting　with　Stefan。　Sweetie　bobbed　up　and　down　behind　him；　teasing　the　pugs；　which　were　
barking　angrily。　

？Girls！　Please！　Quiet　down！？　Bailey　stuck　his　fingers　in　his　mouth　and　gave　a　shrill；　surprisingly　
loud　whistle。　？Daddy　is　working！　I　can？t　concentrate　with　all　this　racket！？　

？Sorry；　Bailey。？　Chuck　turned　and　grinned　over　his　shoulder。　？I？ll　try　and　make　sure　Sweetie　
doesn？t　bother　them。？　

？What　is　that　plague…ridden　monster　doing　in　my　swimming　pool　anyway？？　Bailey　screeched；　
his　skin　turning　from　bronze　to　scarlet。　

Vanessa　focused　her　camera　on　the　other　side　of　the　pool；　and　it　was　immediately　clear　to　her　
what　that　plague…ridden　animal　was　doing：　Bailey？s　discarded　pencil　wasn？t　the　only　thing　
floating　on　the　pool？s　surface。　

？Tell　me　that　is　not　what　I　think　it　is！？　Bailey　was　definitely　screaming　now。　

？I？m　sorry；　Bailey。？　Chuck　waded　toward　the　offending　turd。　？Sweetie　can？t　control　himself　
sometimes。？　

？Get　out！　Get　out！　I　will　not　have　you　turn　my　sanctum　sanctorum　into　some　kind　of　sewer！　This　
is　East　Hampton；　not　Calcutta！？　

Vanessa　pushed　herself　up　from　the　divan；　using　both　hands　to　steady　the　camera　as　she　zoomed　
in　quickly。　This　was　a　cinematicgold　mine。　


Yeah；　or　a　land　mine。　

？　

Air　Mail　…　Par　Avion　…　July　12　

　Dear　Jenny；

　I？m　gay。

　Love；　

Dan

　back　in　time　

？We？re　h…o…o…o…o…o…me！？　Serena？s　voice　echoed　through　the　foyer　and　deep　into　her　parents？　
apartment；　which　she　knew；　as　soon　as　she　pushed　the　door　open；　was　empty。　It　had　that　dark；　
quiet；　cold　quality　of　a　home　without　anyone　inside　it；　which　was　hardly　surprising；　since　her　
parents　spent　more　time　out　of　the　country　than　they　did　curled　up　on　the　couch。　She　wasn？t　even　
sure　when　she？d　last　seen　them　on　the　couch。　

？God；　I　have　to　pee。？　Blair　shoved　past　her　and　into　the　apartment；　turning　on　lights　as　she　
went？the　landscape　of　Serena？s　penthouse　apartment　was　as　familiar　to　her　as　that　of　her　own　
home。　She　disappeared　down　the　gallery　hallway；　making　a　beeline　for　Serena？s　bedroom。　Nate　
shuffled　in　behind　them；　closing　the　door　a　little　too　noisily。　The　slam　magnified　in　the　eerily　quiet　
rooms。　

？Sorry。？　He　shot　Serena　a　crooked　smile。　

？It？s　okay。？　Serena　tossed　her　keys　onto　the　mahogany　console　table；　where　they　landed　with　a　
clatter。　？Let？s　find　something　to　eat。？　She　led　Nate　into　the　apartment　and　through　the　kitchen？s　
swinging　door。　

Peering　into　the　nearly　barren　Sub…Zero；　Serena　considered　their　options。　？We？ve　got　some　
olives；？　she　announced。　？A　bag　of　baby　carrots。　I　think　there？s　some　cheese。You　can　probably　find　
some　crackers　or　something　somewhere。　I　don？t　know　where　the　new　maid　keeps　everything。？　


Itis　so　hard　to　find　good　help。　

？I？ll　take　care　of　it。？　Nate　charged　over　to　the　pantry　and　started　plundering　it；　removing　jars　and　
containers　and　setting　them　on　the　travertine　counter　with　a　bang。　

？I？ll　load　up　on　supplies；　I　guess。？The　whole　reason　they？d　e　back　to　the　van　der　Woodsen　
apartment　was　to　crash　before　they　embarked　on　a　road　trip　to　find　theCharlotte；　and　to　stock　up　
on　the　essentials：　clothes　and　booze。　

Serena　made　her　way　to　the　liquor　cabinet　that　her　parents　had　never　had　the　foresight　to　lock；　
placing　bottles　of　Grey　Goose；　Hendrick？s；　Havana　Club；　and　Patr？n　into　her　Herm？s　tote。　There　
was　something　about　raiding　her　parents？　stash　while　Nate　and　Blair　puttered　around　her　house　
that　reminded　Serena　of　days　long　past。　Nothing　had　changed　and　yet　everything　had。　That　
thought　made　her　unexpectedly　sad。　

We　all　get　a　little　moody　around　our　birthdays。　

Serena　padded　into　her　father？s　library　and　slunk　into　his　swiveling　Aeron　chair。　She　grabbed　the　
telephone　from　his　desk　and　dialed　one　of　the　few　telephone　numbers　she？d　ever　memorized。　

？Hello？？　Her　brother　Erik？s　voice　sounded　very　suspicious。　It　was　six　o？clock　in　the　morning；　
after　all。　

？It？s　me。？　Serena　leaned　back；　placing　her　bare　feet　on　her　dad？s　old　mahogany　desk。　

？Shit；　Serena。　Came　up　as　the　home　number？was　worried　for　a　minute。？　Her　brother　laughed。　

？They？re　not　here。？　She　studied　the　book…lined　walls；　examining　the　framed　family　photos　of　
Erik　playing　tennis；　of　Serena　astride　a　black　horse；　of　her　tanned　parents　sipping　
Campari…and…sodas　at　an　outdoor　caf？　on　the　Amalfi　coast。　？Wimbledon；？　Serena　and　her　brother　
said　in　unison。　

？They？re　so　damn　predictable。？　Erik　scoffed。　？What　are　you　doing　home；　anyway？？　

？Just　planning　a　little　summer　getaway。　Thought　I？d　give　my　brother　a　call。　And　where　are　you　
exactly？？　

？Connecticut；？　Erik　told　her。　？I　thought　Dad　might　be　calling　to　say　they　were　ing　out。？　

Serena　glanced　through　the　French　doors　into　the　living　room；　where　Nate　was　chasing　Blair　
around　a　buttoned…leather　ottoman；　trying　to　stick　cornichons　in　her　ears。　？We？re　taking　a　road　
trip；？　Serena　told　him。　？You　want　to　e？　We？ve　got　room　in　the　car　for　one　more。？　


And　maybe　she　didn？t　feel　like　being　the　third　wheel？　

？Tempting。　But　I？m　kind　of　digging　it　up　here。　How　about　a　pit　stop　in　Ridgefield　instead？？　

She　did　some　quick　mental　planning？they　could　crash　here　today；　then　head　out　tomorrow　
morning。　Then　maybe　she　could　convince　Blair　and　Nate　to　spend　a　night　in　Ridgefield；　and　
hopefully　someone　would　realize　that　the　next　day　was　her　birthday。　？I　think　we　can　arrange　that。？　

Serena　said　goodbye　to　her　bother；　replacing　the　phone　on　her　dad？s　desk。　She　glanced　toward　
the　closet；　wondering　idly　if　her　parents　had　stashed　a　surprise　birthday　present　for　her　somewhere　
in　the　apartment。　

Aren？t　surprises　always　the　most　fun？　

Blair　yawned？the　kind　of　deep　yawn　you　feel　all　through　your　body？and　ran　Serena？s　Mason　
Pearson　brush　through　her　hair　roughly。　She？d　never　been　one　of　those　
one…thousand…strokes…of…the…brush…before…bed　types　but　still；　it　couldn？t　hurt。　It　was　only　eight　
o？clock　in　the　morning　and　the　sun　was　streaming　in　through　the　window；　but　it　seemed　like　years；　
not　hours；　since　she？d　had　a　proper　night？s　sleep。　

？I　can？t　believe　I？m　so　tired。？　Serena　collapsed　onto　the　wide　plain　of　her　bed；　arms　and　legs　
stretched　out　around　her。　

？Yeah。？　Nate　hes