第18部分(第2/7 頁)

ve　drinks　at　Top　of　the　Rock。　Even　though　Blair　hated　cheesiness；　she　didn’t　mind　it　when　she　was　with　Pete。

Aw。

“Ready。”　Pete　put　down　his　cup　and　signaled　to　the　waiter　for　the　check。　“So；　remind　me　who　I’m　going　to　meet　tonight？”　He　took　his　AmEx　from　his　worn　leather　wallet　and　slipped　it　in　the　folder。

“Well；　Chuck　is　hosting　the　party。　He’s…　plicated；”　Blair　began。　plicated　was　an　understatement。　Senior　year；　Chuck　had　practically　molested　every　member　of　the　Constance　Billard　student　body；　then　had　bee　what　could　only　be　described　as　gay；　wearing　socks　with　monkey　appliqués　on　them。　Now　he　went　to　Deep　Springs；　some　queer…sounding　all…guys　college　in　California。　Deep　Springs　was　a　working　farm　where　students　cultivated　alfalfa　and　read　Proust。　Which　was　all　random；　but　sort　of　fit　Chuck’s　try…anything…once　personality。　The　most　bizarre　thing　was　that　Nate　was　apparently　there　as　well。　When　he’d　run　out　on　her　and　Serena　last　winter；　Blair　had　half　expected　him　to　e　to　Yale　anyway。　But　when　the　first　week　of　classes　came　and　went　without　him；　and　when　she　called　his　cell　and　found　it　was　disconnected；　she’d　known　he　was　gone　for　good。　Which　was　probably　for　the　best。

A　few　weeks　after　the　start　of　the　semester；　on　a　snowy　Wednesday；　she’d　spotted　Pete　walking　into　the　student　center。　She’d　spontaneously　gone　to　the　coffee　bar；　bought　a　medium　coffee；　skim　milk；　no　sugar；　walked　up　to　the　table　where　he　was　reading　The　Love　Poems　of　Pablo　Neruda；　and　offered　it　to　him。　It　was　a　gesture　that　surprised　him—almost　as　much　as　she　surprised　herself。　They’d　ended　up　cutting　their　afternoon　classes；　cuddling　underneath　his　duvet；　and　ordering　a　greasy　pizza　from　Yorkside。　And　ever　since　then；　it　had　been　her　and　Pete。　They’d　lived　in　New　Haven