a chicken。 ？The aviary is strictly off…limits。 This is where I e to think and be inspired！ You？ll
disturb the balance of creative energy simply by being in here！？
Of course！ The energy balance！
？Please； dear； just back away a little。 Not the drawings。 No one can see them until I？m done with
the preliminary sketches。？
？Sorry。？ Vanessa lamely backed away； trying to look repentant。 An aquamarine…speckled
parakeet squawked past her ear violently。 ？I guess I was just making myself at home。 You know；
like you？d suggested。？
？Well； there？s being a good guest and then there？s just plain intruding。？ Bailey frowned； hugging
his papers to his chest and shielding them from Vanessa？s view。 ？You may go any…where in the
pound you likeexcept for the aviary。 This is my sacred space； dear。 I？m spiritually naked when
I step past those doors。？
Well； as long as heliterally keeps his clothes on 。 。 。
？I？ll be more careful in the future；？ Vanessa promised him； backing away slowly； still keeping
the camera out of sight behind her back。
？Yes； yes； I know you will；？ Bailey replied； placing his papers back on the desk； but shielding
them with his chubby； outstretched arms。 ？All is forgiven。？
？Okay； well； I？ll just be going then。？ Vanessa turned quickly and started to bolt from the room。
？Eeeeeeek！？ Bailey？s screech drove the birds into a frenzy。 Suddenly； hundreds of scared
starlings dashed for safety； darting up toward the ceiling as far as their crippled wings would take
them。
？Yes？？ Vanessa asked； still lamely trying to hide the camera with her hands。
？I…I…Is that a 。 。 。camera ？？
Brilliant observation。
？Bailey； let me explain。？ Vanessa？s felt her face flush。 ？I was just hoping； I mean； I was only
interested in； I needed to； you know； I wanted to document the creative process； like the ideas
behind； and what goes into； I mean； the whole story of？？
Bailey leapt out of his seat and stood； trembling； staring at Vanessa。 ？Just tell me。 I need to
know。。。。 Did you？ You didn？t。 I mean； you didn？tfilm in here； did you？？
？Uh； no？？
Nice save。
？These sketches are top secret！ Oh my dear。 My good…ness me。 Do you know what would happen
if they got out？ Do you know that there are people who would pay 。。。well； I don？t know what； but
they would pay dearly for a glimpse； for just ahint of what I have planned for the ing seasons。
I simply can？t risk the petition。？ He looked like he was about to faint。 ？Oh my 。 。 。？
？Bailey； I promise you； I wasn？t going to sell your secrets or anything like that。 I？m just a
filmmaker； you know； and I thought this would be a great subject for a documentary。？ Vanessa
smiled at him hopefully。 A lime…colored macaw landed on his shoulder； and he batted it
away。 ？Maybe I should go 。 。 。？ Vanessa suggested； suddenly concerned that Bailey would demand
she turn over all the film she？d shot over the past couple of days。
？Yes； off to your room。？ Bailey looked like he was on the verge of tears。 ？I need a moment to
collect my thoughts。We？ll discuss what？s to be done about your misbehavior at dinner。？
？Right。？ Vanessa frowned。 Was hereally sending her to her room？ That hadn？t happened to
her 。 。 。 well； ever。 No one had ever sent Vanessa Abrams to her room！ She？d go to her room all
right； she？d go to her room and pack。 Documentary or no； she？d had about enough of the
Hamptons and Bailey？s absurdities to last her a lifetime。 As for dinner； well； if all went well； by
that time she？d be safely on a train headed back to the city and the only place she really felt at
home anymore： Dan Humphrey？s apartment。
Home is where the heart is！
those three little words
？How about a refill？？
Blair shook her head and pointed at her ears to indicate that she couldn？t really hear Nate over
the roar of the party； which had gotten considerably livelier as the day wound down。 The afternoon
sun was still high overhead； but the revelers were hot and hungry and drunk。 Erik had
thought…fully ignited the enormous gas grill and dispatched those guests still sober enough to drive
to the grocery store。 That distinctly summertime smell of barbecue wafted through the air； giving
Blair a head rush。
Or maybe it was the four Bloody Marys。
Nate leaned down and whispered in her ear。 ？I said； I？m going in for a refill。You want
something？？
His hot breath tickled her neck； and she closed her eyes to keep the room steady。 ？I？ll take a
glass of water。？
？Easy。？ Nate took her arm； led her into the library； and sat her down on the worn brown suede
sofa before heading into the kitchen for a drink。
Blair yawned。 Long car rides always made her sleepy； and last night hadn？t exactly been restful；
even if they had basically slept for twenty…four hours。 How could she sleep with Nate breathing
right next to her all night？ Every time she？d wanted to turn over or rearrange her pillows； she just
couldn？t； not if it meant letting go of Nate？s hand。 She closed her eyes thinking about it。
？Hey there； sleeping beauty。？ Blair felt a pair of soft lips graze her forehead。 She smiled； keeping
her eyes shut tight。 It felt like forever since she？d felt those lips on her face。 But when she finally
let her heavy lids flutter open she gasped。 The lips belonged not to Nate； but to Erik van der
Woodsen。 His grinning face loomed over her。 A handsome prince； but not theright handsome
prince。
Too many princes； too little time。。。。
？Hey Erik。？ Blair grabbed a nearby throw cushion and hugged it to her chest。 He looked just like
Serena； except a boy。 From his blond hair to his casual； all…is…right…with…the…world stride； to the
way he held his broad； tennis…toned shoulders； to the funny little wrinkle that formed at the corners
of his almost？navy blue eyes when he smiled。 It seemed like a million years ago when they？d sort
of had a thing。
Been there； done that。
？Scoot over。？ Erik plopped down next to her； draping his arm along the back of the couch。 He
sighed deeply。 ？This party is so out of hand I haven？t even had a chance to talk to anyone。？
？That？s the sign of a good party；？ Blair observed sleepily。 She peeked out the open door； looking
for Nate； but he？d been swallowed up by all the partygoers waiting for refills at the bar。
？Dude； I mean； I haven？t even seen you since； what； was it that time in Sun Valley？？ Blair
noticed that his words were starting to run together。 He was even more wasted than she was。
？I guess；？ Blair responded distractedly； even though they？d seen each other in passing at her and
Serena？s Constance Billard graduation only a few weeks prior。 It didn？t seem worth bringing up
right now？in fact； all she could think about was getting out of this conversation； not prolonging it。
My； how times have changed。
？You look so beautiful。？ He stroked Blair？s hair with his tanned hand and grinned at her
drunkenly and a little suggestively。
？Here？s your water。？ Nate appeared seemingly out of nowhere； proffering an ice…cold bottle of
Pellegrino。
Blair sat up a little straighter。 Her knight in shining armor。 Or faded khaki。
？？Sup； Nate？？ Erik slurred； leaning against Blair。 ？You having a good time？？
？Yeah； totally；？ Nate agreed。 ？But I think everyone？s getting kind of hungry。 Those guys just got
back from the store but they can？t figure out how to turn up the grill。？
？I？m the grill master； man。？ Erik stood and yawned； stretching his arms out wide。 ？Blair； find me
later？？ He clapped Nate on the shoulder and then disappeared out the door and into the crowd。
？Thanks for that。？ Blair sipped greedily at the cold water。
Nate grinned。 ？He？s wasted。 It looked like you needed saving。？
Will you always be the one to save me？She almost said it out loud as she thought it。 It was a line
fromBreakfast at Fred？s。 She？d run lines with Serena so many times that she？d mitted the
entire script to memory。 In the movie that was her life； Nate was the gorgeous leading man who
would always be there to swoop in and rescue her。
Nate settled onto the couch？still warm from the weight of Erik？s body？and dug into his pockets
for his lig