of Serena prancing around the runway at the Les Best show wearing her school uniform and that
stupid I LOVEAARONT…shirt。 Even in the bar; she could hear people murmuring; ?Who is she??
and ?Who?s Aaron?? It was enough to drive Blair right up the red velvet?covered wall。
?I wore my Yale tie this time;? Owen announced with a sly grin as he strode through the door
wearing a tan Burberry trench coat and a black wool fedora hat that made him look even more
manly and dashing than when she?d first met him。 He slid into the red velvet?covered bench next
to Blair and kissed her on the cheek。 His face was damp and cold from the storm; and the feel of it
against her face made her whole body tingle。 ?Hello; gorgeous。?
Instantly Blair forgot all about Serena。 She was with a sexy older man who called
her ?gorgeous。?So there。
?Hi。? She twisted her ruby ring around and around on her ring finger。 ?I?m sorry I dragged you
out on a night like this。 I was just so 。 。 。bored 。?
The cocktail waitress came over and Owen ordered a Bombay Sapphire martini straight up。 He
pulled a pack of Marlboro Lights from his pocket; put two cigarettes in his mouth; lit them both
and passed one to Blair。 His black eyebrows furrowed with brooding concern as he gazed at her
with his piercingly bright blue eyes。 ?You?re not in any trouble; are you??
Trouble?Blair took a drag off her cigarette and considered her answer。 If you could call having a
crush on your older; married Yale alum interviewer trouble; then yes; she was interrible
trouble。 ?Maybe;? she replied coyly。 ?Are you??
The waitress brought Owen his martini。 He ate the green olive floating inside it and then wiped
his mouth with a cocktail napkin。 A trace of dark five o?clock shadow cloaked his sharply defined
chin。 ?I was in a breakfast meeting this morning; eating Cheerios with five other lawyers; and I
was thinking about you;? he admitted。
Blair ran her fingernail over her fishnet…stockinged knee。 ?Really?? she asked; immediately
wishing her voice didn?t sound quite so eager and hopeful。
Owen raised his glass to his lips; his blue eyes smoldering。 ?Yeah。 I?ve been so crazy busy this
week; but I promise I?ll get that report over to the guys at Yale ASAP。?
?Oh;? Blair responded disappointedly。 She twirled her little brown cocktail straw around in her
drink。 For once she hadn?t even been thinking about Yale。 Being with Owen made her feel like she
wasbeyond Yale。 She was his ?gorgeous;? the star of his show。 Or maybe she was only deluding
herself。
Glancing through the paned glass window behind them; Blair could barely see the cars parked
out on the street。 They were just masses of white; like big; dumb sleeping elephants。
She could feel Owen watching her as she puffed on her cigarette and blew a stream of gray
smoke into the air above their heads。 He?d asked to see her again; hadn?t he? And he wouldn?t
have done that if he wasn?t attracted to her。 He was just nervous; that was all。 Inside Blair?s head;
the cameras were starting to roll。 She was the femme fatale seducing the handsome; good; older
lawyer。 Yale was the last thing she wanted to talk about right now。