Serena and Nate sat, front row, Serena was just next to Anna Wintour and she was surprised when Anna actually told her that she liked her blog on the Spectator, she did even add.
« As you are here with our future Major and owner if the Spectator, I think it is not possible to make you an offer but if one day you want to try something else, give me a call. I love your style and it should not be a problem for you to find my personal number » said Anna with a smile
Nate and Serena looked at each other surprised.
« Thanks, I will remember that » said Serena who could not believe what Anna Wintour just said. Serena wanted to scream, get in the middle of the set and scream how happy she was that Anna Wintour almost said that she would hire her. She also wanted to kiss Nate for believing in her when nobody did. He gave her a job, he let her create that blog when everybody else thought that she was able to do a job, except being a socialist.
She smiled at him and grabbed his hand again and murmured
« thanks for always having faith in me Nate »
« you are worth it, always » he said with a smile and shining eyes. He should not have say that in that tone, he regretted it because he saw the confusion on Serena's eyes but she was so close to him, it made him forget that he was not in his dream but in reality
thanks God, show was about to start but Serena was still looking into his eyes, looking for an answer. She was not sure if it was her and her own confusion or if Nate's words really meant something deeper.
Anna Wintour saved him as she asked Serena about her opinion on the first outfit.
...
Later at the party, the all Waldorf Design team were celebrating after the huge success of the show. Anna Wintour told Serena that her sister in law was really talented before to leave just after the show.
Blair, Eleanor and Jenny were so happy, after days of pressure it was all happiness now. Serena was with them while Chuck and Nate escape to the bar.
Serena did congratulate Jenny.
« Your collection is beautiful Jenny and I am glad that we sat front row, Anna Wintour almost offered me a job » she said happy to share the news
Blair and Eleanor congratulated her but Jenny did not.
« of course she did, there is no way that Serena can't steal the attention. You always have to be the most shining one in the room. It is my big night, I have been working so hard and here you are standing in your louboutin, with a smile, telling us that Anna Wintour told you to call her if you ever looked for a job. »
« I am just happy to share the news with you, I thought you would be happy for me as I am happy for you now » replied Serena. She decided to stay calm. She was not going to enter into another catfight with Jenny.
« My question is what did you do to get that, nothing. You are Serena Van Der Woodsen and it is enough to get inside of Vogue or anywhere else, tonight is my big night, can't you just stand in the dark for few hours. » said Jenny ironically
« well I am working hard too but apparently you and your brother do never noticed that, she talked to me because she likes my blog » answered Serena
...
Blair was observing in silence. She could easily put herself in Jenny's shoes. It had been pretty much her all life, she was getting something and then Serena was coming, bringing the attention on her all the time. Serena was no doing it on purpose that's what Blair understood over the years and this is how her relationship with Serena finally escape from those fights.
However, she did not know what to do to separate the two blondes. For once it was probably better to do not say anything and let those ladies deal with their problems alone. At least they were in a private room and not in front of everybody.
Eleanor left the room, she told Blair that she should go to answer the questions of the journalists. She added that Blair should wait few more minutes and then do the same, at the end this fight was none of their business.
...
Jenny was not ready to give up, she had so much anger
« your blog, that stupid blog where people ask you question about their love life and you help them as the super psychologist that you are, don't you dare to compare that to my work. You had nothing to do and one morning you just asked Nate to give you a new chance at the Spectator and he did and he let you do whatever you want because he can't say no to you. »
« Nate gave me a chance and he believes in me, I would love to say the same thing about others but I can't. » replied Serena offended
« you can think whatever you want, I know how hard I am working and just for the record as I did record it to your brother. You got that chance and you did work yes but only because I dated your brother so you got the opportunity to get closer to Blair and Eleanor, if not you would have never done any internship at Waldorf design. If my mum would not had been married to your dad, you would have never get the opportunity to meet big names and you would not be here today. So actually you should be thankful instead of always being jealous of me. Tell me what I've ever done to you, the only thing I've ever tried was to help you and we bith know I am right, so what is this all about, Nate. » asked Serena who was hurt.
She knew what Jenny thought but Serena always tried to help the young girl back at the Constance's day, she even fought with Blair because of Jenny and suddendly Jenny saw her as her ennemy when she has never done anything to own that anger.
Blair did Jenny's life impossible and Jenny did forget Blair and they were working together now, they were not friends but their relation was cordial when she has never done anything bad to Jenny and Jenny was still trying to put her down all the time. That was the peak for Serena
« no Serena, it is not because of Nate. It is because of you and only you. You are effortless, always but we still have to look at you getting the icing on the cake, all the time. »
« Jenny, jealousy is something you have to deal with on your own. I've never done anything bad to you and we all know that so don't try to put the blame on me. I have enough with Dan already »
« speaking if my brother, does he know that you are here with Nate. »
« I do whatever I want with my life Jenny »
« yes but it doesn't give you the right to use the poor Nate or my brother »
« I am not ok »
« come on, you are trying to make my brother to feel bad, so what a better person to make him jealous than hanging out with Nate. I saw you two holding hands when you arrives »
« it is not like that Jenny and this is getting ridiculous, I have better things to do that being here arguing with you about things that you have no idea about. I am not using Nate and yes I was holding his hand and what do you want me to tell that we are sleeping together just to make your brother jealous. But is he jealous or are you » finished Serena and she left. She ran into Chuck and Nate who have heard the last part of the conversation.
Serena grabbed Nate's hand and with a smirk to Jenny, she crossed the door
« Come on Nate we are leaving, we have to find a room » she said laughing
Nate knew she was trying to drive Jenny crazy but he thought that it was actually funny and he laughed to, letting Jenny, Blair and Chuck perplexe
« Chuck are you sure that they aren't sleeping together » asked Blair once Jenny left
...
Serena and Nate walked out of the Palace hotel
Serena was hurt, why people used to think that she needed to get people's attention all the time, it was not like that. She looked at Nate
« I am sorry, I drive you out like that but I just got mad and wanted to leave »
Nate confessed that actually he came back to the girls to say that he was going to leave.
« It is late already and we have to work tomorrow, I have lunch with my grandfather so it is gonna be a long day »
Serena looked at her phone, it was almost 11pm already.
...
They did not say much, they were both lost in their thoughts. Serena was trying to understand the reason why Jenny was still jealous, she was also trying to forget about Nate.
Somehow the man was always coming up the conversations as if he was a part of her life and yes he was a part of her life, Nate was her best friend but Serena had the feeling that people disagreed with that like if for them Serena and Nate would always be more than just friends.
Most of the time, she had the feeling that Nate and her were, for everybody, still that forbidden love as they were when he started to date Blair while he was in love with her and she was in love with him too.
As for Nate, he was confused, Serena's words to Jenny had the effect of a bomb. He knew that Serena replied that only to piss Jenny off but did it mean that Serena had been thinking about it or the words came out of her mouth, just like that. Since he was a kid, he wished that he could read Serena's mind, his life would have been less complicated with that power. He would give all his money, everything he owned just to know if Serena still has feelings for him because if she has, he could fight for her heart as Chuck told him many times. He had so many doubts.
...
« Yes, it is gonna be a long day » sighed Serena
« I am gonna get a taxi, are you going home walking » she asked him. She knew that Nate took the habit to walk around the city
« yes, it is a but far but I can do it, I see you tomorrow Serena. Have a good night »
« you too and Nate, I am sorry that I ruined the party, I know you said you wanted to leave anyway but I feel like I ruined it and since I am the one who forced you to come »
« Serena, it is ok, really, I really wanted to leave and don't think that much all the time, nothing happened »
and he stopped a taxi and opened the door for her. She got in and looked at him out of the window. If only things could be as easy as they were with Nate...
...
on the next morning Serena found Dan in the kitchen. She was not sure if he was still angry or not. She said good morning and he replied with a smile so she smiled too and asked how his meeting in Chicago went. They spoke for almost 30minutes, atmosphere was still a bit tense but less than 2 days ago.
Before he left, he remembered Serena that Jenny, his dad and her parents were coming for dinner to celebrate the success of Jenny 's collection. Serena thought that he would do a comment about the party, Jenny could have send him a message about what she saw and about she thinks she saw... but he did not and Serena appreciated it.
She said she won't forget and that she would be at home at 6pm. Then he left and she went to the bathroom to get ready before to go to the Spectator.
...
The day went slowly for Serena, she got the feeling that Nate was trying to avoid her, which was stupid because she knew that he had lunch with his grandfather but he seemed distant. She went to Columbia after lunch and decided to stop by the Spectator before to go home. She would be a bit late but she ordered the dinner already for 7pm and she would be home before 6:30pm anyway.
She had to talk with Nate. She skipped her daily lunch with Blair because she did not want to listen to her and her comments about what happened last night.
She needed to be sure, first, that Nate was not mad at her.
She found him working in his office.
« Hi Serena, what are you doing here, don't you have family dinner tonight » he asked with a smile. He was always smiling at her, he couldn't be not smiling when she was around
that smile borrowed Serena's doubts, he was not mad.
« I wanted to check if you were ok after your lunch »
Nate laughed
« I survived, my grandfather is a smart man and he is here to help me even if he bothers me sometimes, I know he wants me to win »
« of course and we all do want to see you win, so now that I am sure that you are ok, I am gonna go home » she said. She did not want to leave but she had no more excuse to stay here
...
she arrived home at 6:40pm, her parents, Rufus and Jenny were there already and so were Chuck and Blair. Lily probably asked them to come.
before Serena could say anything Dan looked at her. He was mad obviously
« Sis, better later than never » said Chuck trying to relax the atmosphere
«Serena, where were you, I tried to call you » asked Dan
she looked at her phone, saw the missed calls and apologized. She said that her phone was still mute and that she was late because she forgot her keys at the Spectator. Dan obvisouly did not believe her. He took her arm and took her apart.
« Serena, do you know how it feels to have our guests here and you are not picking the phone and I have no idea where you are or what time you will come home »
« Dan, you are overreacting here, it is our families, not the president of the United States and I am sorry I was late, it can happened to everybody, it does happen to you sometimes too »
« you are right, except that people usually let the rest of the group knows that they are gonna be late, is it too much for you and what is this outfit. Did you go to work like this. What is that underwear »
« Dan, you are not the boss here and I can dress as I want, I am sick and tired of having you on my back all the time and I like this top and you are the only who has a problem with it »
« funny, I do because you are my wife and I know that all the man that cross your way today must have been thinking about you, may be they still are. Serena don't laugh please. You look like an escort, you think you are sexy and yes you are but this top is not appropriate to go to work or to Columbia »
Serena pushed him away and furious she went to their bedroom. Dan looked at their guests, he tried to smile
...
Serena came back 5min later with 2 travel bags in her hands
« where do you think that you are going » Dan asked
« far away from you Dan, I need to get out of here before I explode, I am sorry mum, dad, Blair, Chuck, Rufus but I can't stay here and if you wanna know why ask Dan »
« Serena, you stay here, where are you going »
« I don't have to get any order from you and I am going somewhere I can be myself and dress up as I want » she replied on the same tone that Dan
« Serena, if you get in the elevator and walk out of the apartment » he warned her but she cut him
« what, you are going to ask for divorce, come on Dan, you still need me too much, don't you have a book coming out soon. I need fresh air Dan, I am gonna explode for real, I am sorry » she said and she left