sympathetic。 ？That？s too bad。？
？It？s just life in fashion。 Where are you； anyway？？
？East Hampton。 My parents？ place。 I？m doing some work for my coach down here； helping him
with his house。？
？I wish I could get away；？ Blair replied dreamily。 ？Just for a minute。 But you know what it？s
like。。。。？
？Yeah；？ Nate agreed。 ？If you？re working； that？s how it goes。？
？Did I mention I？m doing wardrobe on that new movie？Breakfast at Fred？s ？？
？Cool；？ Nate intoned。 Why hadn？t she said anything about her engagement？ ？So； you？re back
from London； I guess。？
？Oh； yes。？ Blair sighed deeply； ？I had to get back to New York。 I decided this was the best way
to build up my r？sum？ before we start Yale； you know； get some real； professional experience
under my belt。？
？That sounds like a good plan；？ Nate agreed； suddenly wishing he？d rolled a joint before making
the call。 ？Especially now that you？re； you know； making plans for the future。？
？Aren？t you？？ asked Blair。 ？You？ve got to think about what lies ahead； you know that； Nate；
right？？
？Right；？ Nate agreed； even though he rarely thought farther ahead than whether to get a burrito
or pizza for dinner。 ？So； anyway； I guess I was just calling to say congratulations； you know。？
？Oh； it？s nothing。 Just a little summer job with one of the best designers in America。？
？I was talking about the engagement。 I heard everything。？
？Engagement？？ Blair echoed。 ？Who have you been talking to？？
？Chuck told me；？ Nate admitted； pulling a pillow over his head。
？Chuck told you I was engaged？？ Blair barked。 ？As usual； he？s got the story all wrong。？
？What do you mean？？ Nate pulled the pillow off and sat up。
？Well； I？m back；？ Blair pointed out。 ？It just wasn？t working out in London。 I couldn？t marry him。
I need to think about my future。？
Like someone had actually proposed？ As if。
？So you？renot getting married？ I should set Chuck straight。？
Good luck with that。
？He？s an idiot；？ Blair declared。 ？Who cares what he thinks？ Why would you ever listen to him？？
Nate shrugged； even though Blair couldn？t see him over the telephone。 ？I just didn？t know； you
know； I hadn？t heard from you or anything。 But I？m glad you？re back。 I know it was always your
dream to be Katharine Hepburn； but it？s cool that at least you get to be close to the action。？
？It？sAudrey Hepburn；？ Blair corrected him。 ？And I？m notclose to the action； I？m an integral part
of the action。 In a major motion picture like this； wardrobe is critical。？
？Remember that time we watched that movie and you kept pausing it and making me practice the
lines with you？？ Nate reminisced wistfully。 It had been a snow day and school was canceled； so
they spent the afternoon cuddling in her bed and watchingBreakfast at Tiffany？s ； only Blair kept
pausing it to recite the lines and trying to convince Nate to go along with it。 He？d tried； because it
was easier to just keep her happy。 Now he was in the Hamptons and Blair was in New York and
their relationship was over？even the bedroom was gone； turned into Blair？s baby sister？s
luxurious pastel…colored nursery。
？I？ve decided that as a long…term career goal； working in fashion； behind the scenes； makes a lot
more sense；？ Blair explained。
？Yeah；？ Nate agreed。 ？Serena？s the one who？s really cut out to be a movie star anyway。？
Ouch。
Blair paused for a moment。 ？I should really get going； Nate。 I？ve got to run some samples
uptown to the set。？
？Okay。？ Nate was disappointed。 ？That sounds important。？
？It is important。 Have fun at the beach。？ Blair hung up。
Nate pressed end and dropped the receiver onto the floor； then turned over and stared at the
ceiling。Have fun？ Suddenly； the Hamptons didn？t seem fun at all。 His whole summer stretched
before him and he felt lonely and isolated。 He missed the city； he missed his friends； he missed
Blair。
And no island babe could ever make him forget that。
v finds a father figure
Slamming the heavy door behind her； Vanessa stormed into the foyer of the Humphrey
homestead； dropping her battered army surplus knapsack onto the creaky parquet floor and
upsetting a stack of old newspapers in the process。
？Damn！？ She knelt and restacked the newspapers as tidily as she could； but the apartment was
always in such a state of disarray it hardly seemed to matter。
？What？s that？？ a booming voice called out。 ？Who？s there？？
Vanessa stood and looked around guiltily。 She was so exhausted from her afternoon with the
tireless twins； so humiliated and pissed off from her run…in with Dan and his tight…butted
rollerblading slut； so furious about getting fired by the psychotic Ken Mogul； that she had
forgotten that she wasn？t at home： she couldn？t just stomp around； slamming doors。 She was
technically a guest。
？What？s all this racket？？ Rufus Humphrey shuffled into the dimly lit foyer； clutching a sheaf of
loose…leaf papers to his barrel chest。 His thick tangle of frizzy gray shoulder…length hair was tied
up in a green twist…tie； there were peanut shells in his salt…and…pepper beard； and his glasses had
slid all the way down his broad red nose。 He was wearing a tattered pair of beige cargo shorts with
several pens and highlighters sticking out of one of the pockets； a light blue way…too…tight
wine…stained polo that Vanessa recognized as one of Dan？s discarded school shirts； and a pink
plastic apron embellished with daisies。
？I？m so sorry；？ Vanessa apologized。 ？I didn？t mean to dis…turb you。？
？What day is this？？ Rufus demanded； staring at her intently without any hint of recognition。
She wondered if she should remind him who she was。 ？Sunday。？
？Sunday； yes； Sunday。？ Rufus nodded； tearing off his rim…less reading glasses and tucking them
into one of his many pockets。 ？So； are you home late or early？ Should I scold you or something？？
Vanessa laughed； relieved that he seemed to know exactly who she was。 ？Don？t worry。 I can
assure you I？ve been behaving。？
？e in； then；？ he urged； turning and retreating to the steamy and disorderly kitchen。 ？I？ve
been working on dinner； and I need a fresh palate to sample what I？ve e up with。？
As if she hasn？t had a rough enough day already。
Vanessa stationed herself on one of the rickety； uneven chairs at the kitchen table； sipping a glass
of murky tap water and watching Rufus Humphrey busy himself at the stove。 Whatever he was
cooking it was very fragrant and it made her stomach growl noisily。 The only thing she？d eaten
that day was her hastily scarfed ice cream sandwich； after the whole scene in the park she just
hadn？t been in the mood for lunch。
？Taste this；？ Rufus manded； handing Vanessa a wooden spoon。
She blew on the steaming mound of couscous and sampled it。 ？Really good。？
？It？s a tagine；？ Rufus informed her。 ？Paul Bowles？s recipe。 I totally forgot I had it。 Where？s Dan？
He loves Paul Bowles。 He？d get a kick out of this； I just know it。 I replaced the saffron with
vermouth！？
？Dan？ I？m not really sure；？ Vanessa admitted。 She fiddled unfortably with the faded white
linen place mat； which was embroidered with little lavender flowers。 It seemed so out of place in
that moldy； disorganized kitchen。
？Trouble in paradise？？ Rufus asked； energetically stirring the bubbling pot。
Vanessa hesitated。 She was really in the mood to just spill her guts。 She hadn？t spoken to Ruby
since leaving the apartment in a huff； she hadn？t talked to her parents in ages。 She didn？t even
care that Rufus was Dan？s dad； she just needed to talk to someone。
？Paradise；？ she scoffed。 ？I don？t think we？re living there anymore。？
？What do you mean？？ Rufus paged through a cookbook； nodding sagely。 ？Shit！Two teaspoons。
Well 。 。 。 six teaspoons isn？t going to kill anyone。？
？I mean；？ explained Vanessa； a lump forming in her throat； ？I think we？re broken up。？
？What happened？？ Rufus asked as he rifled through a drawer； clattering the utensils together。
？I don？t know；？ Vanessa lied； suddenly embarrassed。 Did he really need to hear all the gory
details？
？You kids。？ He shook his head。 ？Young love。？
Or young loveless。
Trying not to lose control； Vanessa continued。 ？And the thing is； he doesn？t even know what else
is going on in my life。 I mean； I lost my job today。 I got fired by Ken Mogul。？ She sighed； her
whole body trembling。 Hearing the words out loud； even out of her own mouth； made the reality
even more harsh。
？Fired？？ Rufus repeated； adding what looked like way too much honey to the couscous
pot。 ？Don？t worry about it。 Believe it or not； I once got fired from a job。 I was an usher at the
Brattle Theater； back when I was a student。？ He chuckled。 ？I got canned for screaming obscenities
during a play about red Russia； but it？s kind of a long story。？
？Well； I really appreciate you letting me stay here。 I？m sure I？ll figure out another place to go
soon；？ Vanessa mumbled miserably。 ？I can call Ruby and maybe she？ll let me crash on the couch。
Or maybe I can ask Blair Waldorf for help。 I mean； I helped her out when she didn？t have any
place to go。？
Miss Sleeps…in…a…new…bed…every…week？ Don？t count on it； sister。
？Hold the phone； dude！？ Rufus exclaimed with one of his classic nonsensical outbursts。 ？Last I
checked； this was my apartment； not Dan？s。 Jenny？s in Europe； and then she？s off to that
schmancy boarding school。 Dan？s going to Evergreen； of all places； and I？m gonna be stuck
talking to myself and cooking for one。 I don？t think so； dude。？
Vanessa had never been called ？dude？ before； at least not by someone？s dad。 She kind of liked it。
？I don？t know；？ she protested。 Finally； someone was beingnice to her； and she had no idea how to
handle it。 ？I？m not sure I？d feel right taking advantage of your hospitality like that。？
？If that？s really how you feel。？ Rufus replaced the lid on the cast…iron pot with a bang。 ？We can
work something out。 You？re going to be at NYU in the fall； right？ Not much ine there； and
you？ll be studying too hard to work。 Maybe you can rent Jenny？s room for a small fee。 As long as
you promise to let me cook for you。？
Vanessa rubbed her stu