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 like a boxer； snapping and clicking the camera？s
shutter so quickly it sounded like machine gun fire。 He finished a roll； deftly reloaded the camera
in a matter of seconds； and kept shooting。
？That？s enough；？Thaddeus ordered； more firmly this time。 He tugged on Serena？s arm； pulling
her across the street； ？e on。 Let？s go。？
Serena continued to smile but her huge blue eyes darted around； searching for a cab。
？Who is she； Thad？？ the photographer demanded from behind them。 ？What are you wearing
tonight； Thad？？ he continued in an almost mocking tone。 ？You？re gorgeous； sweet…heart。 What
about you？ What are you wearing？？
Actually； she was wearing her favorite black Les Best pique cotton sundress and black Capezio
ballet slippers； but she was too freaked out to open her mouth。
？That？s enough； man！？Thaddeus yelled angrily。
Was he going to pull a Cameron Diaz？
Thaddeus stepped into the oning traffic on Clinton Street； waving his arms frantically like a
survivor marooned on a desert island flagging down a plane。 A taxi pulled over； and he shoved
Serena into the backseat。 Then he jumped in behind her and slammed the door。 The photographer
pressed his camera close to the window and Serena buried her face in Thaddeus？s broad shoulder；
feeling a little like Princess Di must have just before she died。
？Let？s go； let？s go！？Thad barked at the driver。
As they sped away； the photographer called after them。 ？That？ll be the cover of thePost
tomorrow！？
When they reached Seventy…first and Third；Thaddeus paid the driver and hopped out so he could
open her door。 Their footfalls echoed into the night； and the distant traffic on Second Avenue
sounded vaguely like the ocean。 Serena climbed the bottom step of her stoop and then turned。
Standing there； she was at eye level with Thaddeus。
？Would you like to e up for a drink？？ she asked； determined that the ugly incident with the
paparazzi wouldn？t put a damper on the evening。 After all； this was the first time she？d had
Thaddeus all to herself。 There was no angry director； no fussy cinematographer； no script to follow。
She wasn？t going to let this moment pass。
He shrugged。 ？Maybe we should just sit here for a while。？ He sank down onto the stoop。 ？Are
you okay？？
？I？m fine；？ she breathed； delicately pulling at her dress before sitting down next to him。
？That fucking photographer；？ he growled sulkily。
Serena put a protective hand on his leg。 ？He was just an asshole。？ She smiled cheerfully at
him。 ？Don？t worry about it。 e up and I？ll make you a nice cold mojito。？
？Sometimes I just get tired of it？the way they talk to you like they know you。 The way he called
me Thad； you know？？ Thaddeus went on； ignoring her invitation。 Serena blinked at the sliver of
moon hovering over a Seventy…second Street high…rise。
？It must be hard for you。 I mean； people probably think they know you。 They see your movies；
they see you in maga…zines。？
But they don？t get to enjoy intimate dinners with him； poor babies。
？I mean； my name？s not even Thaddeus； for Christ？s sake。？
？What do you mean？？ she asked； confused。
？It？s Tim。 My agent thought it should be something catchier。？
？I guess it worked。？ Serena nodded； wondering suddenly if she shouldn？t changeher name。 It
might be good for her career。
Yeah； Serena van der Woodsen isn？t catchy at all。
He dug into his pocket and pulled out a soft pack of Parliament Lights。 ？At least it？s quiet here；？
he said； lighting up。
That？s right。 You？re safe； right here； with me。？No photographers here；？ Serena giggled。 ？Just the
two of us。？
？Working on our chemistry；？ Thaddeus laughed。 ？Our homework。 Chemistry homework； get it？？
Better stick to the script； dude。
It was easily the best homework assignment Serena had ever been given； and she was sure she
was acing it。 The question was how to nuzzle up to him but make it clear she wasn？t rehearsing。
She wanted to make sure he saw her as Serena and not Holly； and that he could distinguish the
fake kisses from the real thing。
？Hello； again；？ came a voice from above them。 It was Jason； her downstairs neighbor； wearing a
navy pinstripe suit。 His blue…and…yellow…striped tie was loose around his neck and the collar of his
white oxford shirt was unbuttoned。 She hadn？t seen him since he？d e to her rescue her first
day in the apartment； and she？d actually sort of forgotten about him。
？Hi； Jason。？ Serena wanted to be polite but she honestly hoped he？d just disappear。 He was
friendly and cute but she and Thaddeus had homework to do。
？What？s up？？ Thaddeus put on that same； friendly； flirty tone he used on the talk show circuit。
He extended a hand to Jason but remained perched on the stoop。 ？I？m Thaddeus。？
Jason came down the steps。 ？I was just getting my mail。 Hey； I？m Jason。？ He gave Thaddeus？s
hand a firm shake。 ？Nice to meet you。？
？Pull up a step；？ Thaddeus joked； scooting over a little。 ？There？s plenty of room。？
？Or we could go upstairs to my place and get a drink；？ Serena suggested hopefully。
？Why don？t I just grab some beers？？ Jason offered。 ？I？ve got some inside。 Then we don？t have
to bother with all those stairs。？
？Excellent。 I kind of like it right here。 Nice breeze。 Good pany。？Thaddeus grinned at Serena。
？Me too。？ She smiled back； even though she？d much rather have been upstairs and alone with
him。 If he wanted a breeze； she could always open a window。
Jason lived on the parlor floor； so it only took him a minute to dash inside and fetch three cold
bottles of Heineken。
？Thanks。？ Thaddeus sighed as he cracked the top and tossed the cap onto the next step。
？Long day？？ asked Jason。
？Seriously；？Thaddeus agreed。？What do you do？？
？I？m a summer associate at Lowell； Bonderoff； Foster and Wallace；？ Jason explained before
taking a long swig。 A car honked loudly in the street。 Serena looked at her watch。 This
conversation was really quite riveting； but frankly； she？d rather be soaking in a Bliss salt…and…sage
bubble bath。
？They？re my lawyers！？ Thaddeus exclaimed excitedly； like Jason was the most interesting guy
he？d ever met。 ？You don？t know Sam； do you？？
？I knowof him；？ Jason replied。 ？He？s a partner over in the LA office； right？？
A gentle breeze lifted Thaddeus？s messy hair off his fore…head。 ？He？s a real pit bull。 God； I
remember one time I was having this contract dispute with a studio and？？
？It？s a small world。？ Serena yawned and pointed her ballet…slippered toes。
？Here？s to a small world。？ Thaddeus lifted his bottle and clinked it against Jason？s and then
Serena？s。
She chugged the entire contents of her beer and inched a little closer to Thaddeus。 Even if their
conversation was deathly boring； she knew she was in the presence of two sweet young gentlemen
who would probably carry her up four flights of stairs to her apartment if she happened to drink
too much and couldn？t walk。
After all； she？s always depended on the kindnes