been a bridesmaid in less than a year ago。
?Now; I want it to be surprising and wonderful and luxurious; of course; but I don?t want
anything too over…the…top。 Nothingvulgar 。? Eleanor wrinkled her ski jump of a nose and
straightened the hem of her skintight bronze silk Valentino skirt。 After giving birth to baby Yale
that spring; she was on a strict Pilates…and…no…carbs diet; and it was clearly working。 ?Although
Cyrus justloved the belly dancers in Corfu。?
?Eleanor; my dear; stop worrying。 This party will befabulicious ;? Davita drawled; scribbling
notes in her hot pink; leather…bound notebook with a gold Montblanc pen; her signature
pencil…straight ass…length platinum blond hair draping almost to her knobby fishnetted knees。
Davita fumbled; dropping the pen; and then pulled an exact replica from her enormous
apricot…colored Marc Jacobs tote without missing a beat。
Serena ran her fingers over the miniskirt she?d made herself out of her faded Seven cutoffs。 Ever
since Blair and Nate had sailed off into the sunrise on her birthday morning; she had been
struggling to be her usual cheerful self。 Sitting in Blair?s living room wasn?t helping any。 As she
looked around at the gleaming oak floor; the heavy crimson silk drapes; the overstuffed
toffee…colored; silk…jacquard sofa; all Serena could think about was how she?d spent most of her
childhood running around this apartment。 She and Blair used to make forts out of all the silk
pillows; throwing them off the couch and piling them in the center of the room; pretending the rest
of the rug was the ocean while they were stranded on an island。 They hid beneath their soft; dark
weight for hours; whispering secrets and giggling the day away。 Things were so much easier back
then?before Nate had e between them。 Not that it was his fault。
Why is it never the boy?s fault?
Serena sighed and tried to concentrate as Eleanor?s nervously loud voice chattered away in her
ear; the ice cubes in her Bloody Mary clinking against the glass as she waved her arms about。
?Because; you know; when the Reynoldses had their party last year; they chose that hideous
bisque color scheme; which pletely washed out Mitzi?s plexion;? Eleanor was saying; her
brow wrinkled in worry。 ?I was envisioning shell pink or ivory; because those are Blair?s absolute
favorites; but I just can?t stop thinking about Mitzi looking as though she was about to besick all
over her very own soiree。? Davita leaned in conspiratorially。 ?My dear; that event was planned
bySamantha Powers and her troop of underlings。Amateurs 。 You have to relax and realize you?re
dealing with aprofessional here!? She threw her overbleached platinum locks over one shoulder
and turned toward Serena; her tanned face nearly as leathery as the distressed calfskin bag on the
sofa beside her。 ?Eleanor tells me that you?re Blair?s best friend;? she said with a stewardess smile;