hindquarters onto a teak chaise。 Her only accessories were a tiny gold Me&Ro anklet and oversize
black Ray…Bans。
？Vhat is going on？？ demanded Ibiza； yanking her ninety…pound frame out of the pool。 She was so
emaciated she looked like one of those send…money…now third…world kids in the TV mercials；
totally overdressed in her icky trade…mark lavender…and…gold striped cutout one…piece。
？What do you mean？？ Serena casually tossed her maga…zine onto the chaise next to Blair。
？Your clothes；？ accused Svetlana； still in the water； her colorless； overprocessed hair matted flat
to her head。 ？You？re not wearing any clothes！？
？Oh dear。？ Blair sighed dramatically and turned onto her stomach。 The sweltering sun felt nice
on her bare bottom。 ？You haven？t heard？？
？Heard what？？ demanded Ibiza； glaring down at her pert； naked body。
？I guess the latest issue of EstonianVogue or whatever it is you usually read neglected to cover
the naked trend。？ Blair yawned。 ？It？s the very latest thing。？
Serena stubbed her cigarette out in a large seashell on a glass side table next to her chaise。 She
tried to avoid looking at Blair in order to suppress the unstoppable hysterics and probably a snort
that would spill out of her if she did。
？Is latest thing to go naked？？ Svetlana glanced down at her spindly bikini…thong； which she？d
probably mail…ordered from the Victoria？s Secret catalog。 The water distorted her body？s
appearance； so that it almost looked like she had actual hips and curves。
Merely an optical illusion。
？Yes； is obvious；？ scolded Ibiza； pulling down the straps on the top of her cutout suit。 Her body；
with its circular cutout tan lines； looked like a Twister mat。 ？Is much better like this。 Is European
way； really。？
？Topless is sodone though。？ Serena gave an exaggerated yawn； staring down at her magazine and
trying not to lose it。 ？Blair and I have been going topless at the beach since we were eleven； at
least。？
？At least；？ Blair chimed in。 Flat on her stomach； she put her head down and closed her eyes。
？Right。？ Ibiza took the bait。 She hopped up on one leg and then the other； tugging off the rest of
the hideous suit。 It fell to the ground with a wet slap。 ？Of course； I don？t want you to feel
unfortable； yes？？
？Yes；？ concurred Svetlana miserably。 She slipped out of her sad red polka…dot bikini and dropped
it at the pool？s edge。 Then she leapt into the water and swam away embar…rassed； her body a
skeletal flash of underfed whiteness。
？Zo glad we can all just relax now； yes？？ Ibiza asked； sounding confident but looking
unfortable just standing there； her Twister…mat body pletely naked； like she didn？t know
what to do with herself。 Blair noticed that her boobs were totally asymmetrical； like they？d been
glued on wrong。 Maybe they had。
？Have you seen hottie that lives next door？？ Ibiza started to say in a feeble attempt at casual
small talk while naked。 She shook her hands out like they were burning up。
？Maybe weshould ask Stefan for some iced coffee；？ Serena suggested； ignoring her。
？Yes； sound very good。？ Ibiza nodded then strode slowly and deliberately to the umbrella…shaded
table。 She pulled out one of the heavy wooden chairs and curled up on it oh…so…casually。 ？I call
him。 Stefan！ Stefan！？
Serena held her breath； listening for the sound of approaching footsteps。
？Now；？ hissed Blair quietly。
On cue； they jumped off of their lounges and took off running； giggling hysterically； over the
plush velvety lawn and into the thicket of leafy trees on the perimeter of the large； sunny yard。
？Look； look！？ Serena ducked behind the leafy boughs of a baby oak； pointing at the scene they？d
just fled： Stefan had appeared； as beckoned； clad in his usual ensemble of tight white tee and cargo
shorts。 He was also sporting a cute little grosgrain ribbon headband to keep his thick hair out of
his brown eyes； which were wide with shock。 Ibiza sat before him in all her bizarre
pale…and…tanned polka…dottedness。 She stuck out her chest； trying to look sexy； but her oddly
shaped boobs just pointed in different directions。 Svetlana had chosen just that minute to finally
emerge from the pool； dripping wet。 She picked up her iPod； stuck in her headphones； and began
to dance； flapping her pale； spindly arms。 She looked like an albino flamingo。 ？Ratfucker！？ she
sang loudly； totally misunderstanding the words to the latest Coldplay song。
Serena and Blair laughed so hard they nearly peed them…selves。 Serena felt flushed and giggly；
almost like a little kid again。 A very powerful wave of d？j？ vu washed over her； and she was
transported to a moment exactly like this one； only years ago； when they were much younger。 She
and Blair were changing out of their one…piece Lands？ End bathing suits behind some raspberry
bushes at her house in Ridgefield； Connecticut。 Nate kept threatening to chase them； and they
were giggling so hard they kept pricking themselves and sticking their feet into the wrong holes of
their terrycloth shorts。
？What the f？？？
Serena couldn？t believe her eyes？it was almost as if she？d conjured him。 Nate stood in front of
them； his eye…brows furrowed； brushing the splinters off the seat of his khaki shorts after jumping
the wooden fence between the two properties。
？Natie！？ Serena ran over and threw her arms around him； forgetting how pletely naked she
was。 He hugged her back； awkwardly patting her bare shoulder。 She giggled and bounded back to
Blair？s side； obscuring her privates with a leafy branch。
Blair grinned devilishly。 It somehow seemed so right to run into Nate like this。 There was just
something soobvious about the three of them together again； even if two…thirds of them weren？t
wearing any clothes。
？Strip； Nate！？ Blair cried； running after him like she was going to pull down his cargo shorts。 He
ducked behind an oak tree。
？Skinny…dipping？？ Nate asked； peeking out from behind the slim tree trunk。
Serena smiled as she studied her old friend or boyfriend or whatever Nate was？she wasn？t even
sure。 That confused expression； those sleepy； stoner green eyes？he hadn？t changed a bit。 But for
once； Nate wasn？t looking back at her at all？ he was staring； mouth agape； atBlair。
？Naked is the new clothed；？ Blair told him matter of factly。 She placed a hand on the fleshy
curve of her hip。 ？Haven？t you heard？？
Blair had known he was around here somewhere； of course； but she hadn？t expected him to
findher。 Their whole relationship had always been about chasing him and trying to pin him
down？she？d kind of wanted to just handcuff him to her bed； and not even in a dirty way； but just
so she could keep track of him and make sure he wasn？t doing something idiotic。 But now he was
here and he？d obviously e looking for them。 Or； judging by the way he was looking at her；
he？d e looking forher。
？Totally；？ Serena confirmed； crossing her arms over her sun…dappled chest。 The fact that Nate
wasn？t looking at her made her feel even more naked。 She？d never clamored for Nate？s attention；
but she？d wanted it。 She？d always wanted it。 Just then Blair lunged for Serena？s elbow； yanking
her in the general direction of Bailey Winter？s pool。
？Wait； where are you going？？ Nate stammered。
Blair held tightly to Serena？s hand as they ran。 ？Get a good look！？ she called behind them as
they pranced up the flagstone path to the screen door。 ？And think about us tonight！？
Don？t worry； he will。
？
newyork。craigslist/groups
Announcing Inaugural Meeting； Song of Myself Literary Salon （Manhattan）
Rejoice； righteous wordsmiths！ We are pleased to announce a new and exclusive literary group in
the grand tradition of the European salons of Gertrude Stein and Edith Sitwell。
We are two humble servants of the written word： one a vaunted young poet and songwriter with a
semi…international reputation； the other a reader and thinker who cherishes Wilde and Proust over
all else。 We are looking for like…minded young men and women who love to read； write； and talk
about reading and writing； and maybe drink a little Chianti or whatever。 Consider the following
statements/questions。 We？ll read every response closely and then send invitations to our inaugural
meeting to a carefully handpicked group of discerning New Yorkers。
1。 Poetry deserves a more central role in the culture today。 There should be an American Poet
Idol show。 Agree or disagree？
2。 What is your favorite word？ What is your least favorite word？ Write a sentence using both at
the same time。 Example： Mayhem。 Snack。 Sitting in the middle of the iridescent…brown cockroach
mayhem； Bonita ate a snack of butterfly wings。
Interested participants should attach a photograph。 We need to make sure you？re not 12。 Or 112。
Looking forward to some inspiring conversation！ （BYOB！）
n？s great escape
？There you are！？
Babs Michaels stood at the cheap Formica counter of her ramshackle kitchen； artfully arranging
slices of cantaloupe on a plate of scrambled eggs and buttery toast。 Nate rubbed at his bloodshot
eyes with the heel of his hand and yawned？ for a second the sight of a very tanned woman
preparing breakfast gave him a weird flashback to when he was a kid。 He used to stumble
downstairs to the kitchen of his Upper East Side town house to find Cecille； his parents？
Barbadian chef； preparing cinnamon wheat toast or a bowl of Irish oatmeal for him before he
headed off to St。 Jude？s in the morning。
But he wasn？t a kid； he didn？t have to go to school any…more； and Babs； in her tissue…thin pale
purple robe； with her tight； leathery skin； was definitely not Cecille。 Besides； he？d already eaten
two strawberry frosted Pop…Tarts at his house in Georgica Pond。
？Morning；？ Nate muttered； watching suspiciously as Babs set the loaded plate on the table；
humming throatily。
？You need a big breakfast today； don？t you； Nate？ All that sweating and straining in the hot sun。？
She sidled over to Nate； placing her cool hand on his right bicep； which was peeking out of his
navy blue Ben Sherman polo。
？R…r…right。？ Nate pulled out of her determined gri