like； eleven years； and he？s going to try and have it published this year and he asked me to look at
it for him。 Me！ Imagine！ It？s such an honor。？
An honor？ Sounds more like a pain in her well…yogacized ass。
？Anyway； I have to confess；？ she went on； looking Dan right in the eye。 ？I didn？t just e by to
talk books。？
？You didn？t？？
She didn？t？
Dan blushed and looked down at the ground； kicking idly at the cigarette butt he？d claimed
wasn？t his。 He wished he had it back。
？No； I wanted to see if you？d be interested in getting together sometime。 I know that might
sound kind of forward； but you know； I？m a person who believes in taking chances。 I believe that
the universe rewards bold actions； don？t you？？
Dan nodded eagerly。
？Anyway； I？m kind of lonely this summer。 I grew up here in Greenwich Village but I was in
boarding school out west； so I don？t really know anyone in the city anymore。 I？m going to UC
Santa Cruz in the fall； but I don？t want to spend my last summer in the city all by myself。？
？No； definitely not；？ Dan agreed。 ？I？d love to hang out。？
？Awesome！？ Bree cried； hopping down from the ledge。 ？What？s your schedule like？？
？Well； I work days。 So anytime after six。？
？Cool。 Do you think you？d be up for Bikram？？
？Sure；？ Dan nodded； even though he？d never heard of it。 He didn？t go out to clubs very often。
？Awesome！？ she squealed again。 ？Give me your number and I？ll call and confirm； but let？s say
Saturday？？
Dan recited his number and she typed it into her hot pink Razr。 He had officially taken a much
longer break than he was entitled to； but after Bree strolled away he had to light another Camel to
calm his nerves。 He wasn？t quite sure what Bikram was？a trendy new nightclub？ Some new
Indian restaurant？ Maybe it was a new underground independent film？ But it didn？t matter。
Vanessa was busy filming； and he？d scored a hot date with a sweet； gorgeous girl who loved to
read。
Oh； it？s sure to be a hot date indeed。
lights； camera； but no action
？Cut！？ barked Ken Mogul。 ？Fuck！？ He threw his fluorescent green clipboard onto the floor and
leapt out of the metal swivel chair he？d been slumped in。 ？Let？s take ten； please。 I need a fucking
smoke。？
Serena？s hands trembled as she held the tip of her Gauloise cigarette to the flame from
Thaddeus？s silver Zippo。 She inhaled deeply but the nicotine did little to calm her nerves。
Memorizing her lines and reciting them properly had turned out to be harder than she thought。 On
top of everything； it was majorly scary to have Ken； freak show director extraordi…naire； yelling at
her every five seconds。
？Don？t worry about him；？ Thaddeus assured her； running his hands through his dark blond curls
and smiling at her with his adorable light blue eyes。 He put his arm around Serena？s shoulders and
squeezed。 ？I know it？s rough； and personally； I think you？ve done great for your first film。 We？re
just on a tight schedule； you know； and he？s nervous about pleasing the producers。 Believe me； it
has nothing to do with you。？
It doesn？t？
？Do you really think so？？ Serena wondered； burrowing into Thaddeus？s protective embrace。
Normally she wouldn？t have been quite so touchy…feely with a guy she？d only known for a couple
of days； but Thaddeus wasn？t your average guy。 It was more than the simple fact that he was a
movie star： they were pretending to be in love。 They？d already kissed eight times for the stupid
climax scene。 Cuddling on the couch like old friends seemed natural。
？Listen up！？ boomed the director； striding back into the room； tucking his pack of Marlboros into
the chest pocket of his rumpled denim shirt； which； oddly enough； had the sleeves cut out； so it
was really more of a vest than a shirt。
Serena shivered at the sound of his voice and Thaddeus put his hand protectively over hers。
？I lost it back there；？ Ken apologized。 ？Let？s call it a day； shall we？ Vanessa and I have to go
over our shot list anyway； but I want you two to keep working。 Go to dinner？it？s on me。？
？Thanks； Ken。？ Thaddeus stood and stretched； yawning noisily and giving off the heavenly odors
of sweat and Carolina Herrera for Men cologne。 ？It really has been a long day。 I could definitely
use a drink。？
？And this will give you a chance to work on your chemistry； right； Holly？ Get to know your
leading man。 Talk to him； listen to him； learn from him。 I really want to see youmeld ； okay？？
Serena nodded and stubbed her cigarette out in the mother…of…pearl ashtray perched precariously
on the arm of the brown leather couch。 She could meld； especially with Thaddeus； but maybe not
while Ken was watching。
？Good；？ grunted the disgruntled director。 ？So go； have a bite。 That？s your homework。？
Dinner with a major Hollywood hottie？ Is there extra credit？
After gorging themselves on the city？s best steak tartare？ mixed with two delicate quail eggs and
served with a healthy portion of sea…salt…encrusted French fries？Serena and Thaddeus emerged
from As Such on Clinton Street； currentlythe coolest； most crowded spot for the summer。 They？d
shared a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a molten chocolate cake with fresh huckleberries for dessert；
and Serena had tipsily blurted out the story of how she？d wound up not getting asked back to
Hanover Academy last fall。
She？d spent the summer in Europe； partying with her older brother； Erik； and flirting with
Frenchmen。 Erik had left for Brown in August； but Serena had stayed and stayed。 School just
seemed so boring and unnecessary when the beaches in Saint…Tropez were so inviting； even in
September。 Thankfully Constance Billard； the New York City all…girls private school she？d
attended since kindergarten； had been kind enough to take her back。
？I？d sort of thought I was bound for munity college and living with my parents for the rest of
my life；？ she admitted。 ？Now here I am acting in this movie； living on my own； and going to Yale
in the fall。？ She grinned drunkenly and a little seductively at Thaddeus。 ？I guess you just never
knowwhat？s going to happen。？ Secretly； it was an invitation to kiss her。 But they were in a
crowded restaurant full of starers and gossips？it was probably best that he didn？t。
？Should we go？？ Thaddeus asked； as if he couldn？t wait to take her somewhere more private。
As the pair stepped outside onto the crowded； steaming street corner； they were startled by a
sudden； insistent cry。
？Thad！ Thad！？ A bulky； bearded figure emerged from the shadows wielding a camera。 He
snapped pictures as he hurried toward them； the bright flash illuminating the otherwise dark
stretch of street。
Thaddeus put his arm protectively around Serena？s waist； a phony but still charming smile
plastered to his handsome face。
Serena smiled； too。 She was used to having her photo taken for newspaper society columns。
She？d even modeled a few times； but it felt a little scary to be hounded like this。
？Let？s go；？ sighed Thaddeus。 He waved at the photographer。 ？Okay； man； that？s cool； that？s
enough。 We？re going。？
But the guy trailed them； weaving and bobbing li