wl before ing here。 He rarely smoked pot anymore； but he often missed it。 Especially when he was stressed out。 And this was the most stressed out he’d been since…
Last Christmas？
Jenny tugged his arm。 “I’ll sit on your lap for now！” she announced； giggling。 Against his better judgment； Nate sat on the chair and Jenny slid onto his knees； wiggling back and forth until she found a fortable perch。
Serena rolled her eyes good…naturedly as she took a swig of her wine。 “I would have brought Dan； but I didn’t know he was invited。”
“Oops；” Jenny squeaked nervously。 Her curly dark hair was right underneath Nate’s chin； and Nate could smell her lilac…scented shampoo。 It reminded him of taking showers together。 But instead of picturing Jenny in the shower； an image of Blair popped into his head。 Nate squeezed his eyes shut to block out those memories； concentrating only on the feel of Jenny resting on his lap。
“Wine？” a white…shirted server asked behind Nate’s shoulder； proffering a bottle of vintage 1981 L’Evangeline Bordeaux。
“Meow Meow？” Nate asked before picking up Jenny’s glass。 Jenny nodded her consent。 As the waiter poured； Nate nuzzled Jenny’s dark curls with his nose。
Serena shot Blair a horrified glance； surprised to find Blair’s face contorted into an equally horrified grimace。 Meow Meow？
Just then； Jenny felt a tap on her shoulder。
“Jennifer？” She whirled around and found Eleanor Waldorf frowning at her in annoyance。 For a second； she felt like an awkward ninth grader； caught by Mrs。 McLean for gossiping in the hallway when she was supposed to be in class。 “If you don’t mind； I’m going to move you over to the other end of the table。 There’s a bit more space for you down there；” Eleanor said。 Even after three years in LA； which had a looser social code than New York； it was clear Eleanor Waldorf was unfortable with public displays of affection at the table。
Can you blame her？
Jenny meekly slid off Nate’s lap and followed Eleanor to a seat next to a shaggy…haired guy about her age。 She glanced down the length of the table； where Nate was staring into his glass of wine； looking lonely。 She sighed unhappily。 Now they were separated。
Calm down； Juliet。 It’s just dinner。
“Hey。 You’re Jenny； right？” the boy next to her asked。
Jenny nodded； even though she had no idea who he was。
“Didn’t you go to some boarding school？” he continued； brushing his shaggy bangs out of his large brown eyes。
“Yeah； I went to Waverly； but now I’m at RISD；” Jenny said distractedly； watching Nate awkwardly make conversation across the table with Blair’s chubby； red…faced stepfather。
“I’m Tyler；” he told her。 “Blair’s brother。”
“Nice to meet you。” Jenny nodded。 “Are you in school？” she asked to be polite。
“Nah。” He shook his head。 “I graduated a year early back in LA。 I’m just DJ’ing around town for the next couple of months。” He shrugged。
“Oh；” Jenny murmured。 She was dimly aware that before meeting Nate； she would have been ridiculously attracted to Tyler。 Delaying college to DJ sounded so cool and downtown。 But at the end of the table was Nate scraping his chair back and heading toward her。 Her heart skipped a beat。 The only good thing about being separated； even if it was only for five minutes； was how amazing it felt when they saw each other again。
“You holding up； Meow？” Nate asked sweetly before turning to Tyler。 “How are you； man？” he asked； clapping him on the back。
Jenny smiled up at Nate。 “Meow！” she purred goofily； not caring who heard her。 After all； they were in love。 People as in love as they were spoke a language all their own。 So what if no one else could understand。
M…ew； m…ew。
great minds think alike
Blair poked at the gelatinous duck confit on her plate。 She couldn’t wait until Chuck got back to New York tomorrow。 It was torture being at her mom’s dinner party without a date—especially now that she had to witness Nate and Jenny together。 Not like she was jealous； it was just… nauseating。
“Meow？” Blair felt someone’s breath tickle her ear。 She turned to see Serena； her fingers curved toward Blair like claws。
“Hey； Meow Meow；” Blair reciprocated； giggling。 At least she had someone else to talk to besides Dick Cashman； the cowboy hat–wearing associate of her stepfather’s seated on her right。 Blair watched as Nate； hovering over Jenny； took a forkful of asparagus from her plate and popped it in her mouth； making little choo…choo noises as if she were a baby。 “Are they for real？” Blair shook her head in disbelief。
Serena wrinkled her nose。 “What would you do if Chuck started feeding you in public？”
“Stab him with a fork？” Blair guessed。 She was all for being pampered by her boyfriend； but that meant him opening doors or massaging her shoulders； not treating her like an infant or demented prisoner who couldn’t be trusted with utensils。
Serena giggled as Nate fed Jenny another bite。 “Well； she’s young。”
“She’s not that young；” Blair scoffed。 After all； Jenny Humphrey was a freshman in college。 When Blair had been a freshman； she’d practically turned down a marriage proposal。
“Well； whatever； she has time；” Serena said loyally； draining her glass of wine。 She put her knife and fork to the side of her plate。 It was nice that she and Blair were talking like normal people。 In fact； it was just nice to be talking to someone who wasn’t Dan。 Every Thursday after her Madness and Literature class； she’d take the train into the city and she and Dan would stay holed up in his tiny bedroom until Sunday evening； venturing out only to Lincoln Plaza to see a movie or to the diner on the corner for breakfast。 She loved Dan and loved spending time with him； but she sometimes felt they were missing out on something。
Um； like； life？
“Actually； it is kind of weird；” Serena decided； watching the way Jenny was gazing adoringly up at Nate。 She wasn’t annoyed to see Nate with Jenny—in a weird way； it made sense。 But she did care that Jenny was getting so caught up with playing house when she still had all of college in front of her； and that Nate didn’t seem interested in anything besides taking care of Jenny。
Blair gazed at her little brother； Tyler； across the room。 He was sixteen； and had grown up from being a weirdo little Cameron Crowe–obsessed kid to kind of a cool guy。 A smile played on her lips。
“What are you thinking？” Serena nervously chewed her bottom lip。 With Blair； you never knew。
Behind them； the servers cleared their plates away； making room for the dessert course。 “Tyler doesn’t have a girlfriend；” Blair began。
Tyler was cute。 He was skinny； with shaggy hair； and looked like the downtown DJ he was； Serena thought。 And he was a really good kid。
“I’ll have Tyler e…mail her and invite her to one of his events；” Blair announced。 “He needs a girlfriend。 He sometimes turns his dirty socks inside out and then wears them； because he thinks that means they’re clean。”
Serena burst into laughter。 “Dan used to do that； too！” she squealed。
Dick Cashman peered over at the two girls。 “Can you little ladies let me in on the joke？ Sounds like