news about Serena。 And indeed there was： Suzy？s column was all about how Bailey Winter had
signed on with Ken Mogul to provide the costumes for Mogul？s new film project；Breakfast at
Fred？s。 It wasn？t enough that Serena got to star in a movie with Thaddeus Smith； she also got to
wear custom designs by one of the best living American designers？
？I just think it？s a matter of responsibility； Blair；？ her mother declared。 ？You know； when you
turn twenty…one you？ll get access to your trust fund； and your father and Cyrus and I need to know
that you？ll handle the money responsibly。 We feel very strongly that a job is the perfect way for
you to learn to manage money and carry out other people？s wishes； not just your own。？
Blair glared at the ugly eggplant…colored bedspread。 Fine； she？d get a summer job。 But she was
not going to settle for anything less than the most glamorous summer job imaginable。
？You know；？ she mused； ？maybe you？re right。 Maybe a job is just what I need to keep myself
busy this summer。？
？Yes！？ her mother cried happily。 ？I knew you？d e around！？
？And maybe you can help me get one？？ Blair asked sweetly。
？Of course！？ Eleanor agreed。 ？I？m sure we can make some phone calls and find you something
wonderful in no time at all！？
There was； of course； only one telephone call she needed her mother to make。 Being the daughter
of Eleanor Rose； Bailey Winter？s most loyal couture client； would surely e in handy when it
came to landing an assistantship on the set ofBreakfast at Fred？s 。
If you can？t beat ？em； join ？em！
it？s getting hot in here
Furtively cupping the butt in his palm； Dan took a long last drag on his cigarette and tossed it to
the ground； stubbing it out quickly and exhaling smoke into the breeze。 He was stationed on a
bench at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Houston and could see Bree crossing the street。 He didn？t
want her to catch him smoking？again。
？Dan！？ Bree called out； dodging the battalion of cabs creeping up Sixth Avenue； waving
excitedly。 She was wearing short； stretchy black pants that flared a little at her calves and a
turquoise sports bra and was carrying a gray Nalgene water bottle。 She trotted through the traffic
and up to the bench。
？Hi！ It？s so good to see you。？
？You too；？ Dan replied； oh…so…casually closing his book and grinning at her。
？Oh！ You？re readingThe Way of the Artist ！？ she exclaimed。 ？Ilove that book。？
？Really？？ Dan had a feeling she might。 ？That？s a funny coincidence。？
Sure it is。
？Totally；？ giggled Bree。 ？FirstSiddhartha ；nowThe Way of the Artist ？ You must be the Strand？s
spiritual expert。？
？Oh； definitely；？ Dan lied。 ？Everyone they hire has a different specialty。？
？Cool。？ Bree grabbed his hand and yanked him up off the bench。 ？Now e on！ We？re going to
be late。？
？Okay；？ Dan agreed cheerfully。 ？I hate missing the previews。？
？Previews？？ Bree asked。 ？We？re not going to the movies。 Remember？ We？re going to Bikram。？
？Uh； yeah；？ Dan replied nervously。Bikram； Bikram； Bikram。 Not a movie。 Maybe a
restaurant？ ？Right。 Um； good； I？m； uh； starving。？
Bree laughed。 ？Yeah； I？m pretty hungry for some exercise myself。 Let？s hurry so we don？t miss
this class？the evening sessions are even more intense than the ones I usually take。 And maybe
afterwards I？ll buy you a Jamba Juice。？
Class？ Jamba Juice？ She might as well have been speaking Swahili。 Dan had no idea where they
were going but he followed Bree down the street； making idle chitchat about books he hadn？t
actually read and getting more and more worried。 It didn？t seem likely that they were going to a
restaurant。 Then Dan looked up and saw it； looming in the distance： a hand…painted sign with a
funny； Indian…style font that was supposed to look like Sanskrit that proudly proclaimed BIKRAM。
It wasn？t a movie。 It wasn？t a restaurant。 Bikram was a kind ofyoga 。 Bree was taking him to a
yoga class。
Namaste！
Bree trotted up the stairs eagerly； like a kid on Christmas morning。 She turned and glanced over
her shoulder at Dan； who was lagging behind； trying to think of an excuse not to participate。 He
decided to feign an injury and was trying to choose a part of his body he could claim to have hurt。
He had a cracked rib maybe； from lifting too many dictionaries。 He？d been hit by a car on his way
to work this morning and was pretty sure he was concussed。 He had a rare neural disorder that
caused him to black out in small crowded rooms full of sweaty people lying on colorful rubber
mats。
？PS； Dan；？ Bree called down to him。 ？I？m glad you didn？t bother with a change of clothes。 For
the evening sessions；Yogi keeps the heat even higher than usual； so we usually just go naked。？
Now things were getting plicated。 First； there was no way he was going to do yoga； and
second； he？d be damned if he was going to do yoganaked 。 On the other hand； Bree would be there
too； he？d get to see her pletely naked the very first time they hung out。
？Um； great！？ he enthused； already out of breath from climbing the stairs。 Dan had never
exercised in his life； but the sight of Bree？s round； yoga…firm butt a few steps above him was all
the motivation he needed。 Forget that he？d never done yoga； never mind that he was sure to be
humiliated； and fuck the seemingly endless flight of stairs： he was going to get into all sorts of
pretzel…like positions with Bree；naked 。 What was there not to love？
That？s the spirit！
？e on！？ Bree urged giddily。
Dan reached the top of the stairs and followed her into the Tranquility Yoga Studio； a wide…open
space with gleaming wide…plank pine floors。 The room was almost all windows and was flooded
with the late afternoon sun？and the rays only intensified the heat。 The temperature in the room
must have been near a hundred and twenty degrees； and with the sunlight and all the naked bodies；
it was also humid and very 。 。 。fragrant 。
On a platform in the front of the room was an emaciated…looking Indian man with gleaming；
well…oiled skin； dressed only in a loosely cinched white cotton robe； seated with his spindly legs
crossed in front of him。 Below his thinly tweezed eyebrows his eyes were closed； and he was
smiling beatifically。 In front of him was a fortyish Katie Couric？looking woman doing her
warm…up stretches； her paunchy tummy hanging loosely over her bare； veiny thighs。
A couple of guys warmed up by the windows？one with long； sinewy muscles who arched his
back in a way that just didn？t look natural； and a silver…haired grandfather type touching his toes
effortlessly。 He really put Dan to shame 。 。 。 in every department。
？Better get undressed。？ Bree winked at Dan。 ？Master doesn？t like to start class even a minute late。
Anyone who？s not undressed and ready to go is asked to leave。？
Dan had been on the verge of explaining to Bree that he was epileptic and had forgotten to take
his medication； but then she started to yank her turquoise sports bra over her head。 Wow。 What
could he do？
Strip！
He pulled his dirty T…shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground。 Then he unbuckled his belt；