their clothes and always watches the shows on the Metro Channel。 I don？t know why Rusty Klein
thinksyou would want to go； though。 What do you care about clothes？ And it？ll be full of posers
and wanna…bes？you know； that whole vapid fashion scene。？
Dan looked thoughtful as he puffed on his cigarette。 ？I think I？m gonna check it out。？ He
wouldn？t have cared if Rusty Klein had asked to meet him at a pro wrestling match。 This was
about building his writing career。
Filming Dan at the Better Than Naked show would have been perfect material for her film； but
Vanessa didn？t want to butt in if Dan was meeting someone as important as Rusty Klein at the
show。 ？Okay； Mr。 Hot Shit Poet。 Don？t forget your old friends when you？re driving around in a
limo drinking champagne with naked models and whatnot。？ She reached up and mussed his neat
little haircut。 ？Congratulations。？
Dan grinned widely back at her。 ？It？s pretty amazing；？ he agreed happily。 Then； with one last
sweet kiss； he turned and walked up Riverside Drive toward home； the iridescent silver Puma
logos flashing on his heels as he went。
Vanessa smiled fondly at the spring in his step。 ？See you later； alligator。？
shas just what they？ve been looking for
？I？m looking for one of those groovy new men？s golfing jackets in a funky Day…Glo color like
bright green or yellow；？ Serena told the salesgirl in the Les Best boutique on Tuesday after school。
During French that day Serena had remembered admiring the new Les Best men？s golfing jacket
in the latest issue ofW magazine and decided it was the perfect gift for Aaron。 She never got tired
of giving Aaron gifts。 Everything she bought just looked so cute on him。 It was like dressing a doll；
her own adorable life…sized； dreadlocked； guitar…playing； Harvard…bound doll。
The boutique was on West Fourteenth Street in the meat…packing district； where the streets
actually smelled like carcasses and manure from all the old meat warehouses。 Leave it to Les Best；
creator of the most beautifully tailored leisure wear in the world； to think that the rawness of the
neighborhood was so cool； he just had to open up shop there。 The space was huge and decorated
all in white muslin with only one or two brightly colored tennis dresses or polo jackets hanging
from giant steel hooks sticking out of the walls。 The idea was that unless you really knew enough
about the clothes to ask to see more； you had no purpose shopping there。
？We？re all out of the golfing jackets； I？m afraid；？ the bleached…blond salesgirl answered in an
English accent。 She was dressed all in white； too。 Even her sneakers were made of white pony
fur。 ？My manager nicked the last one for himself。？
Serena examined a gorgeous red…and…white…striped silk tennis dress hanging on a hook
nearby。 ？Damn；？ she said under her breath。 ？I keep seeing that jacket in magazines and I thought it
would be the perfect thing。？ Les Best was her favorite new designer； but maybe the clothes were a
little too haute couture for Aaron anyway。 He was more of a skater…boy kind of dresser。 She
hitched her deep gold leather Longchamp bag onto her shoulder。 ？Thanks for your help；？ she
called； hoping to make it over to XLarge？a skate store on Lafayette Street？before it closed。
？Wait！？ someone called out。
Serena paused in the doorway and turned around。 Were they talking to her？
A tanned guy with a bleached…blond crew cut wearing the exact bright green golfing jacket she？d
been hoping to buy for Aaron was holding open a white door in the back of the store。 He smiled as
he walked toward her。 ？I hope you don？t mind my asking。？ He cocked his head and gave Serena
the once…over。 ？Les asked me to look for a ？real girl？ for his show in Bryant Park on Friday。 I only
caught a glimpse of you as you were leaving； but I justknow you？d be perfect。 I？ve seen your
picture in the society pages。 You？re Serena； right？？
Serena nodded； unfazed。 She was used to being recognized from photographs in gossip columns。
She？d even had an unnamed body part photographed by the famous Remi brothers in October。 The
photo had been picked up by a New York Transit Authority arts project and had wound up being
pasted all over the city。
？Are you interested？？ the guy asked； raising his blond…tinted eyebrows hopefully。 ？You？re just
what we？ve been looking for。？
Serena fiddled with the ties on her white cashmere earflap hat。 This Friday she and Aaron had
planned to spend the whole night together； drinking at Soap on the Lower East Side； watching
late…night TV in her bedroom； and 。 。 。 hanging out。
Whateverthat means。
Yes； Iaminterested； Serena thought。 She and Aaron could hang out any time。 They had the rest of
their lives to hang out together！ Getting asked to be in Les Best？s show during New York Fashion
Week was a once…in…a…lifetime opportunity。 It wasn？t like she wanted to make a career of
modeling or anything； but this was her chance to show Les Best how much she truly appreciated
his clothes。 Plus； it would befun 。 Aaron would understand that。 In fact； he was such a wonderful
boyfriend； he？d probablyencourage her to do it。
？I？d love to；？ Serena answered finally。 She pursed her not…too…full； not…too…thin lips and then
grinned at her own ballsiness。 ？But only if I can have your jacket。 I was looking for that exact one
for my boyfriend and a little bird told me you took the last one。？
？Oh my God； totally。？ The blond guy whipped off the bright green jacket and folded it expertly。
Walking over to the register； he wrapped the jacket in black tissue paper and tucked it into a prized
white Les Best shopping bag。 ？There you are； darling。？ He offered the bag to Serena。 ？I？ve only
worn it for like； an hour。 And it？s on us； gratis。 So； we？ll see you in Les？s tent in Bryant Park on
Friday at 4P。M。 sharp； okay？ You？ll be on the list and you can invite four friends。 Look for the
girls holding clipboards and wearing headsets。 They？ll tell you exactly where to go。？
Serena took the bag。Score！
？Don？t I need to be fitted for anything； or practice walking on the runway； or whatever？？ she
asked； pulling her white cashmere cap down over her ears。
The guy rolled his eyes in a camp； don？t…be…silly way。 ？Honey； you？re a natural。 Trust me； you？ll
look good no matterwhat you do。？ He handed her his card。Guy Reed； Chief d？Affairs； Les Best
Couture； it read。 ？If you have any questions； just call。？ He gave her a quick kiss on the
cheek。 ？Hey； whatis that scent you？re wearing？？
Serena smiled。 She was used to people asking about her scent； too。 ？I mix it myself；？ she told
him； fully aware that her answer was just as mysterious as the scent。
Guy closed his eyes and inhaled deeply。 ？Mmm。 Dee…lish。？ He opened his eyes again。 ？I？m
going to have to tell Les about that； too。 He？s been searching for a signature scent。？ He reached up
and gave Serena？s hat strings a playful tug with his tanned fingers。 ？See you Friday； doll。 Stay
warm。 And don？t forget； the after…party is even better than the show！？
Serena gave him a quick air kiss and then headed out into the cold。 She couldn？t wait to give
Aaron his present and tell him the news。 He could wear the jacket to the show and then they could
drop by the after…party together so she could show him off。
Outside； she no sooner lifted her cashmere…mittened hand than four cabs on West Fourteenth
Street screeched to a halt and honked for her attention。
See how difficult it is to be so beautiful？
vrocks people？s worlds
Ruby was on another Martha Stewart spree； and the tantalizing scent of freshly baked brownies
wafted into Vanessa？s bedroom as she sorted through submissions forRancor ； the Constance
Billard student…run arts magazine of which she was editor…in…chief。 Heat blasted from the steaming
radiators； and the sounds of ambulance sirens and car horns wailed through the two open windows。
Vanessa？s bare wooden floor was scattered with the usualRancor submissions： twenty
black…and…white photographs of clouds； feet； eyes； or the family dog； three short stories about
learning to drive and feeling the tug of independe