gossip girl 12 终结-第21部分
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Nate squeezed his green eyes shut; hoping when he opened them he’d discover he’d been dreaming during one of his daily naps in the cow barn。 But when he opened his eyes; he saw the dark; overcast sky; hovering above the Upper East Side rooftops。 The clouds looked ominous; ready to unleash a torrent of hail that would destroy the white lilies outside the church。
A tear begin to trickle down the side of Nate’s nose。 He squinted to try to stop the flow; but it was no use。
“Fuck it。” He roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand。
“Dude; you okay?” Chuck pulled his gold Gucci aviators out of his pocket and handed them to Nate。 “You’re crying;” he remarked; unnecessarily but not unkindly。
“Thanks; man。 It’s just a lot…。” Nate’s voice cracked。 Chuck had been surprisingly thoughtful this trip; but he hadn’t known Chips; and Nate felt like this was something he needed to handle on his own。
“Are you Nathaniel?” A tiny; elderly woman wearing a pink tweed St。 John’s suit wobbled from the church entrance toward him on a pair of black Prada pumps。
Nate nodded。 Did he know this lady?
“Well; aren’t you handsome;” she mused; smiling broadly as if they’d met at a charity event and not outside a funeral。
“Thanks;” Nate grunted。 He was used to women of all ages menting on his looks。 It was just a fact of his life; like the fact he liked to sail and was naturally good at lacrosse。
Hey; it’s not bragging if it’s true。
“You know; Charles never had a son。 I see why he took a shine to you。 I’m his sister; Nan。 He and I had our differences; but I won’t speak ill of the dead;” she clucked as she reached into her ivory…colored Chanel purse。 “This is for you;” she said; thrusting a thick; ivory…colored envelope in his hand。 “And; of course; you’re invited to the small luncheon I’m having for friends。 It’s at my apartment。 Shall I give you the address?” she asked expectantly。
“I’m afraid—I can’t attend;” Nate said haltingly; hoping he wasn’t being rude。 All he wanted to do was go home; curl up in his bed; and shut the world out。 He wondered if he had any pot knotted in a black dress sock stuffed in the back of his top drawer。 He hadn’t wanted to smoke in ages; but right now he wanted to enter a deep pot…induced haze and never e out。
Nan gazed at Nate quizzically。 Deep crinkles appeared around the edges of her blue eyes; eyes that if he looked at from a certain angle; reminded him of Chips’s。 “Of course。 Good luck; son;” she added as she tottered away on her high heels。
“Thanks。” Nate regarded the wrinkled cream…colored envelope quizzically。 A wet snowflake landed on the envelope; smearing the N in his name。 Now it looked more like Fate。
“Ready to get out of here?” he asked Chuck as he marched down the wide stone steps。 He wondered if he could get a flight back to California tonight。 “I think I’m going back to the airport。 See if I can get back to Deep Springs;” Nate explained as they waited for the light to cross Lexington。
Chuck looked at him skeptically。 There was a glimmer of how he used to look back in high school; whenever someone suggested leaving a party。 “Are you sure about that?”
Nate stiffened; balling his hands in his jacket pockets。 “Yes;” he said firmly。 There was no one in New York he wanted to see。 New York was bad for him—full of past mistakes and regrets。
In little black dresses。
The light changed and they crossed the street。 “It’s New Year’s Eve。 No way will you be able to get out of here。 Just stay a couple days。” Chuck pointed out; trailing behind him across Eightieth Street。 Snow was beginning to stick to the street; blanketing the city in a thin layer of white。 “Besides; I’m having a party。”
Nate stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to Chuck。 Didn’t he get it? He’d just been at the funeral of someone who’d meant a lot to him; and all Chuck could talk about was a party? “I don’t party anymore;” Nate said flatly。
“Too busy feeling sorry for yourself?” Chuck asked; briefly losing his patience。
Nate narrowed his green eyes。 Chuck sounded like Chips。 Nate could almost conjure the salt…sea air; standing on the deck of the Belinda; Chips angrily waving his tumbler of scotch out to an uncaring ocean。 “e on!” Chuck said; slapping Nate on the back as if to force him to buck up。
Chuck put hailed a cab。 “You’re ing with me;” he manded; pushing Nate into the backseat。
Aye; aye; Captain!
bohemian like them
“Is that it? Or was that just your winter…into…spring wardrobe? At least summer into fall might be slightly lighter。” Hollis wiped his brow theatrically and plopped down on the red hemp…fiber sewn couch。 He sighed in exhaustion; as if he’d nearly broken his back。 Really; all he’d done was help Vanessa carry her two suitcases of worldly possessions into the new Williamsburg apartment。
The new apartment; on the right side of the sugar factory this time。 In a brand…new luxury building with a concierge。 “Shut up!” Vanessa teased; perching on the overstuffed taupe ottoman across from him。
After Dan had kicked her out of the Humphreys’ last year; Vanessa had felt lost and heartbroken。 Not to mention very; very guilty。 Everything with Hollis had happened so quickly; she didn’t really have time to think about it; they had kissed once; and then they had kissed again; and then suddenly there was Dan; watching it all happen。 After he told Vanessa that he never wanted to see her again; a tiny part of her had died。 But there was nothing she could do to change what had happened。 She had to look forward; not back。 With nowhere else to turn; she’d called Hollis。 They’d slowly gotten to know each other over long nights of falafel; cheap red wine; and Vanessa with no place to crash except Hollis’s bed。
For the last year; she’d spent most nights at Hollis’s Alphabet City apartment。 But technically she resided in a curtained…off corner of the living room of a Bushwick apartment with Mackenzie and Rhiannon; two girls from NYU。 It was a far cry from what she now called home: an eighteen…hundred…square…foot glass and exposed…brick apartment with its own elevator; black…stained wood floors; and a winding staircase that connected a sleeping loft to the sprawling main living area。 It was incredible。 She and Hollis had been planning to move in together after her lease was up on December 31; but she hadn’t expected an apartment so…
“It’s so big here;” Vanessa said; her voice echoing off the still…bare walls。 Hollis had hired a decorator to furnish the apartment with the basics; but neither of them had put up any artwork yet。 She couldn’t wait to find cool prints and stills together to put on the walls; and really make it their own。 For now; she just wanted to run around the loft in her socks。 Because she could。
That’s one way to dial down the maturity level。
It was all like a fairy tale; with Hollis as her indie prince。 He hadn’t even told her how expensive it was; assuring Vanessa that her tiny contribution to the rent from her student job working in the digital film archives at school would more than cover her share。
At first; Vanessa had protested。 It felt so terribly cliché。 She was practically a kept woman! Although it wasn’t her fault Hollis’s film Between the B and the A; a ing…of…age story about a twenty…one…year…old’s spiritual journey; had been the darling at Sundance and a surprise indie hit the summer before。 It was pretty obvious he wasn’t exactly living off a TA salary anymore。 And Hollis had countered Vanessa’s protests by explaining that his success was her success and vice versa。 They were a team。 Even though it was sort of corny; she couldn’t help but swoon a little。
She wandered over to the large arching windows; where she could just make out the East River rushing by in the distance。 She could hear Williamsburg denizens on the sidewalk below; just getting started on their New Year’s Eve festivities。 Vanessa was happy she and Hollis weren’t going out。
There are plenty of ways to have fun staying in。
Hollis hoisted himself up from the couch and wrapped his strong; lean arms around her。 Vanessa smiled and leaned back into him; feeling