gossip girl 8 英文- 第32节

Dan　dropped　his　cigarette　on　the　burgundy…and…gold　oriental　carpet；　nearly　jumping　out　of　his　
faded　blue　Vans　sneakers　in　surprise。　It　was　his　dad；　in　his　favorite　purple　cotton　sweatpants　and　
black　Mets　T…shirt；　looking　ruddy…cheeked　from　too　much　red　wine。　

？I　guess；？　Dan　responded　slowly。　The　music　in　the　lounge　was　absurdly　loud。　Dan　led　Rufus　


outside。　Out　on　Vanderbilt　Avenue；　the　air　was　steamy　and　the　sidewalks　glittered　black。　Across　
the　street；　Grand　Central　Station　looked　like　a　giant　relic　of　the　city？s　past。　A　metallic　blue　？77　
Buick　Skylark？another　relic　from　the　past？was　parked　outside　the　Yale　Club；　looking　pletely　
out　of　place。　Two　skinny　L？？cole　girls　were　sitting　on　the　curb　having　a　fight　over　who　was　
prettier　or　who　smoked　Gauloises　with　more　panache。　Behind　them；　their　gold　Gucci　toe…ring　
sandals　lay　discarded　in　a　pile。　Suddenly　they　started　kissing。　

？Jesus；？　Rufus　muttered；　tugging　on　his　matted　salt…and…pepper　beard；　which　resembled　a　used　
Brillo　pad。　

？What；　Dad？？　Dan　whined　impatiently。　It　was　kind　of　embarrassing　standing　outside　the　party　
with　his　father。　He　felt　like　he　was　eleven　years　old。　

Rufus　tucked　his　hands　inside　the　stretched…out　waistband　of　his　purple　sweatpants　and　Dan　
flinched　at　how　unattractive　the　gesture　was。　

？After　you　left　you　got　a　call　from　some　raving　Greek　professor　at　Evergreen。　First　he　was　going　
nuts　about　how　you　were　supposed　to　sleep　in　his　hammock　and　eat　grape　leaves　with　him；　but　
then　he　started　waxing　philosophical　about　how　kids　your　age　can？t　differentiate　between　sex　and　
love。　Apparently　he？s　quite　an　expert　on　the　subject。　

？Anyway；　I　talked　to　him　for　a　while；　and　what　it　came　down　to　was；　he？s　going　to　make　them　
hold　your　place　open　for　the　fall　a）　because　I　asked　him　to　and　b）　because　he　was　supposed　to　be　
your　advisor　and　he　wants　you　to　help　him　with　his　book　and　c）　because　we　both　like　you；　even　
though　you？re　a　knucklehead。？　

Dan　resented　his　dad？s　fond；　vaguely　patronizing　tone。　？You　can？t　tell　me　what　to　do；？　he　
countered；　crossing　his　hands　over　his　chest　and　sounding　younger　by　the　minute。　？You　can？t。？　

？That？s　true；？　Rufus　agreed。　He　gestured　toward　the　funky　vintage　Buick　parked　outside　the　Yale　
Club。　？But　I　already　got　you　the　car。　The　least　you　could　do　is　let　me　teach　you　how　to　drive　it　this　
summer　and　then　get　the　hell　out　of　here。？　

Dan　had　read　about　epiphanies　and　written　about　epiphanies；　but　he？d　never　actually　had　one。　
He？d　gotten　into　nearly　every　college　he　applied　to。　He？d　had　a　poem　published　in　theNew　
Yorker　。　And　what　was　he　going　to　do　next　year？work　at　a　bookstore　or　wait　tables　to　keep　busy　
while　Vanessa　was　in　class？　

？I　could　take　the　summer　to　work　things　out；？　he　allowed；　unwilling　to　let　his　father　think　he　
could　be　that　easily　persuaded。　He　and　Vanessa　could　spend　the　summer　hanging　out　whenever　
she　wasn？t　busy　working　on　that　movie　and　he　wasn？t　busy　driving　around　in　that　？　chick　magnet。　
Who　knew？　Maybe　there？d　be　other　girls　to　love　besides　Vanessa？all　he　had　to　do　was　get　his　
license　and　drive　out　west　to　find　out。　


Rufus　reached　out　to　clap　him　on　the　back；　but　Dan　opened　up　his　arms　and　gave　his　dad　a　
hug。　？This　party　was　kind　of　lame　anyway；？　he　confessed。　

Rufus　grunted　and　led　him　over　to　the　car；　which　was　basking　in　its　own　coolness　under　a　
streetlamp　near　the　curb。　？Then　how　？bout　I　give　you　your　first　driving　lesson？？　

Aw。　Don？t　you　just　love　happy　endings？　

Sex；　drugs；　and　rock？n？roll　

Jenny　latched　the　door　to　the　handicapped　stall　in　the　men？s　room；　unsure　of　whether　to　take　off　
her　clothes　or　fish　the　tab　of　E　out　of　her　purse。　There　was　an　impatient　flare　to　Nate？s　nostrils　but　
she　wasn？t　sure　which　he　wanted　first；　sex　or　drugs。　

She　unzipped　her　black　LeSportsac　with　the　white　Persian　cats　on　it　and　clicked　open　her　
matching　change　purse。　？Here　it　is。？　She　removed　the　tiny　piece　of　Saran　Wrap　with　the　pill　inside　
and　carefully　began　to　unfold　it。　

Nate　peered　over　her　shoulder。　？Do　you　want　to　take　it　or　should　I？？　

Jenny　didn？t　want　it；　and　he　obviously　did。　？You　take　it。？　She　held　out　her　palm　and　Nate　
pinched　the　tab　between　his　thumb　and　forefinger。　He　opened　his　mouth；　closed　his　eyes；　and　
stuck　out　his　tongue；　pressing　the　tab　onto　it　before　opening　his　eyes　and　closing　his　mouth　again。　
Like　that；　he　didn？t　look　very　hot；　but　Jenny　was　still　intent　on　hooking　up　with　him。　This　was　her　
swan　song；　her　last　chance　to　forge　her　own　memories　and　be　remembered。　

Oh；　she？d　be　remembered　all　right。　

？Does　it　taste　like　anything？？　she　asked；　genuinely　curious。　

？Nope。？　Nate　smiled。　The　more　time　he　spent　alone　with　Jennifer；　the　more　he　felt　like　his　old　
self　again。　All　she　wanted　was　a　little　no…obligation；　no…expectations　end…of…the…year　fun　before　
she　took　off　for　boarding　school　or　wherever　the　hell　she　was　going　this　summer；　and　that　was　his　
specialty。　He　bent　down　and　kissed　her　carefully　on　the　lips；　like　he　was　biting　into　something　that　
was　still　too　hot　to　eat。　？But　you　do。？　

Jenny　loved　the　idea　that　she　was　using　Nate；　and　the　fact　that　hewanted　her　to　use　him　gave　her　
even　more　of　a　thrill。　He　stroked　her　curly　brown　hair　and　she　tilted　her　chin　up　and　gazed　into　his　
stunning　green　eyes。　？Remember　when　I　fell　so　in　love　with　you？？　

Nate　smiled　again　and　kissed　her　again。　He　did　that　for　a　while；　smiling　and　kissing；　smiling　and　


kissing；　like　he　was　lapping　up　a　delicious　ice　cream　cone。　

？You？ve　got　skin　like　？　like　？petals　；？　Nate　remarked　as　the　E　began　to　take　effect。　He　rubbed　the　
tip　of　his　nose　against　her　temple。　？Grr。？　

Jenny　giggled。　It　felt　pletely　amazing　to　be　this　close　and　fortable　with　Nate　again。　He　
was　absurdly　handsome；　and　being　kissed　by　him　felt　really；　really；really　good。　But　Nate　was　
beginning　to　trip；　and　she　didn？t　want　to　lose　her　virginity　to　a　boy　who　thought　he　was　a　
Labrador　puppy。　She　wouldn？t。　

Well；　at　least　she　has　that　much　integrity。　

Still；　this　was　her　last　crazy　night　out　before　she　flew　to　Prague　for　the　summer。　She　wasn？t　quite　
ready　for　it　to　end。　

Nate　rubbed　his　chin　against　her　carefully　plucked　dark　brown　eyebrows；　and　she　lifted　her　chin　
to　catch　him　in　another　long；　hungry　kiss。　Her　brother　was　always　moaning　about　how　much　his　
life　sucked。　But　she　couldn？t　have　disagreed　more。　It　wasn？t　like　she？d　planned　for　life　to　be　this　
thrilling。　It　just　was；　it　really　was。　

Nothing　like　a　little　mystery　

？Marcus；　darling？？　Blair　called　tentatively　through　the　molded　white　wooden　door　to　Marcus？s　
suite。　She？d　never　actually　called　him　？darling？　out　loud　before；　but　it　was　being　her　favorite　
endearment。　？Are　you　in　there？？　

She　considered　stripping　down　to　only　her　Bvlgari　pearls　right　there　in　the　hallway；　but　the　Yale　
Club　was　booked　solid；　and　what　if　some　bow…tie…wearing　Yale　professor　saw　her　naked　tonight　
and　then　she　wound　up　having　him　in　Intro　to　Law　or　another　one　of　her　freshman　classes　next　
year？　

Well；　it　would　certainly　make　the　class　more　interesting。　

？Marcus？？　Blair　pressed　her　ear　against　the　door；　listening　for　him。　Nothing。　She　tried　the　knob。　
The　door　was　unlocked。　She　pushed　it　open　a　few　inches　and　stuck　her　head　inside。　？Marcus？？　
Still　nothing。　She　pushed　the　door　open　all　the　way。　

The　drawers　of　the　suite？s　antique　oak　armoire　had　been　pulled　open　and　a　damp　towel　lay　
strewn　on　the　bed。　The　air　was　heavy　with　steam　and　the　scent　of　Marcus？s　Carolina　Herrera　for　
Men　cologne。　The　closet　door　stood　open。　The　cedar　suit　hangers　were　all　bare。　Marcus　was　gone。　


　Whoops。　

Blair　sat　down　heavily　on　the　bed；　feeling　very　much　like　the　jilted　but　beautiful　heroine　in　one　
of　the　epic　films　in　her　head　that　she？d　temporarily　stopped　watching。　She？d　forgone　her　
enormous　Jackie　O　sunglasses；　her　signature　Herm？s　head　scarf；　and　her　Burberry　tea…length　
trench　coat；　because　the　heroine　who　was　in　love　and　part　of　a　couple　didn？t　need　them。　Now　she　
wanted　them　back。　

How　had　this　happened？　Was　her　only　purpose　in　life　to　serve　as　a　fuck…over　mat　for　boys　like　
Nate　and　Lord　Marcus　to　wipe　the　soles