The Smoking Spot

Blair Vanderbilt

Blair didn't smoke all that often; only when she was feeling like her life particularly sucked. Which was a lot, lately, actually. She couldn't help but blame Oliver in her head. She knew he didn't mean to do anything that would hurt or or anything (unless he did, in which case he totally deserved it), but when she thought, Hmmmm, I only just started smoking and drinking and ODing on Lexapro every day and throwing up after every meal - she had been doing that stuff, but not quite as often - I wonder what's different about my life, her question was easily answered with, Well, I met Oliver.

Thanks, Oliver.

Blair's cigarette was finished, so she rummaged around in her bag for her pack of Marlboro Lights and her lighter. Finally, she found her cigarettes, but when she opened the pack, it was empty. Sh*t, she thought. She was seriously craving a smoke, especially after the fiasco at the courtyard. Was that really necessary? she thought irritably, remembering the way Oliver had just walked out on her.

Blair smoothed down her all-black outfit (she had gotten up in the morning, decided that she wanted to vamp that day - guess why? - and put on a black skirt and sweater and no make-up except for red lipstick and smoky eyeshadow. She looked like a cross between Snow White and a vampire) and sighed irritably.

Thanks a lot.

Nathaniel "Nate" Grant

When he walked into the school's smoking spot (he had a knack for figuring out where those were), his face immediately took on that look. That look that seemed to register, 'hot girl' and was quickly replaced by nonchalance.

The girl had glossy, red lips that matched the ruby ring on the middle finger of her right hand. Her hair was long and dark and curly. Her skin was pale, like ivory or porcelain. She looked like Snow White or someone.

Basically, she looked hot.

She was just opening a pack of Marlboro Lights (he grinned at his own, identical packet) and sighing irritably because she had no cigarettes. Well, this is perfect, he thought and went over to her.

"Hey," he said. "Want a light?" He offered her a cigarette from his pack and put on in his mouth. He stooped down and lit them both at the same time.

"So I'm new," he said, "and my name's Nathaniel Grant. But you," he added, "can call me Nate." He put emphasis on the 'you,' implying that only hot girls like her could call him by his nickname.

"You must be the Queen B everyone's been talking about," he said, recalling someone pointing her out in the hallway. "It's an honor to meet you, your Majesty," he said, taking her hand and bowing. As he rose, he kissed her hand. "I could tell because, a, you're easily the most beautiful girl I've seen in the whole school, and, b, there's something that sets the original far apart from the cheap imitations."

Blair Vanderbilt

Just as she was about to leave, a voice interrupted her thoughts, "Hey," she heard a male voice say. "Want a light?" "Yeah, thanks," she said, taking the cigarette. Blair was about to light up and not even say hi - she wasn't in the mood to put up with one of her many admirers - when she looked at his face and realized, Whoa, he's hot.

Easy there, girl.

"Hi," she said, her face lighting up with her signature, 'you just can't stop looking at me, can you?' smile. She put the cigarette in her mouth, and he stooped down and lit both of their cigarettes at the same time. Suave, she noted appreciatively. Their faces were really close, so she could see that his eyes were blue and really pretty. He gave her a sexy grin and stood back up.

"So I'm new," he said, "and my name's Nathaniel Grant. But you," he added, "can call me Nate."

Her smile widened. "Well, hello, there, Nate. It's very nice to meet you," she said meaningfully.

"You must be the Queen B everyone's been talking about," he said. "It's an honor to meet you, your Majesty," he said, taking her hand and bowing. As he rose, he kissed her hand.

She giggled - he was really cute - and said, "Well, that's what people call me, but how did you guess?"

"I could tell because, a, you're easily the most beautiful girl I've seen in the whole school, and, b, there's something that sets the original far apart from the cheap imitations." He was still giving her that sexy grin. She recognized her own words to Oliver in the courtyard earlier. This guy was like a male her!

Only there was something missing. She didn't feel anything other than a few butterflies that chose to make their way into the stomach. Not like with Oliver, who dazzled her without even trying.

Blair took a long drag of her cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke. Screw Oliver. He didn't show any interest in her, he humiliated her, made her feel like crap...screw him. This guy was just as hot, and he was interested in her and suave and just like her. "I like to think so," she said, "but every queen needs a king, something which I'm currently lacking." Blair moved in a little closer, her most seductive smile in place.

Nathaniel "Nate" Grant

Before she replied to his flirtatious comment (that would be totally embarrassing if she rejected him right then), she took a long drag on her - his - cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke. Wow, she knows how to do rings. Smooth. "Well, I like to think so," she said, moving in closer to Nate and smiling seductively, "but every queen needs a king, something which I am currently lacking."

"Does that mean you want me to change that?" he asked, flashing his own seductive smile at her. I am so good at this, he thought. Charming the school's queen before the first day of this school is over. Nathaniel Grant, you are the man.

"Or do you have...someone else in mind?" he asked, deciding to eliminate the competition early in the game. If she said another name, he'd hunt that person down and destroy him. Nathaniel Grant always got what he wanted, no matter how many people he had to step on to get it, and he decided that he wanted this girl.

After all, he'd never dated royalty before.

Blair Vanderbilt

"Does that mean you want me to change that?" Nate asked her, with an sexier smile than before. This guy is good, she thought. But then again, so was she. Hadn't she gotten the admiration of every guy in the school (save Oliver)? Couldn't she get whatever she wanted from anyone (save her mother and Oliver) by just batting her long, curly eyelashes?

"Possibly," she said, still smiling flirtatiously and skating around the subject like any self-respecting girl and flirt would do. It was just too pathetic to outright admit that she wanted him to sweep her off her feet and make some grand gesture that would assure her of her self-worth and make Oliver insanely jealous.

Whoops, did she just really think that?

"Or do you have someone else in mind?" Nate said, and Blair could tell from the steely glint of determination on those pretty eyes of his that he was going to eliminate all competition.

She was about to say, 'That's for me to know and for you to find out' when an idea occurred to her. Why not say a name of a guy she hated or who'd done something to her so that he would make his life miserable?

Now, let's see, who had made her feel like crap lately?

"Well, there's this one guy..." she said. "But if you show that you're more worthy to be my king, then I'm sure you'll be rewarded appropriately." Blair smiled again and waggled her eyebrows, as if to say, 'What's it gonna be?' "His name is Oliver Vandrose."

The bell rang then, and she stubbed out her cigarette dramatically on her Jimmy Choos. "See you around," she murmured and breezed past him, her hair brushing against him as she went.

Blair has left the Smoking Spot.

Nathaniel "Nate" Grant

"Well, there's this one guy..." said Blair. sh**, he thought. Oh, well. I bet I could eliminate him, no problem "But ifyou show that you're more worthy to be my king, then I'm sure you'll be rewarded appropriately." She waggled her eyebrows, smiling - a good sign, an invitation to show that he was more worthy. Nate found himself wanting the girl more than he did two seconds ago. Not only was she gorgeous, but she obviously knew how to play the game. He vowed to eliminate the competition as efficiently - but subtly; she seemed like the type who valued social subtlety - as possible.

"His name is Oliver Vandrose," she said. Nate took down the name in his mind. Oliver Vandrose...

It was then that the bell rang for their next class (which he really hoped they shared). "See you around," she murmured, a seductive grin in place, her hair brushing him as she left. Nate followed, discreetly watching her as he did so.

Nate has left the Smoking Spot.

Blair Vanderbilt

She was trying to teach herself how to blow smoke rings. After all, since smoking was starting to become a habit - she'd been having two or three cigarettes a day for the past few days - so why not smoke in style? Blair had smoked her way through four cigarettes already trying, and she was only just starting to get the hang of it. She tried again, blowing out a perfect ring. Not bad, she noted.

Blair was in an unusually good mood today. Operation Destroy Oliver was well under way. Phase one was completed - get the seed planted in Oliver and Nate's minds. Phase two was to get closer to Nate. Flirt with him like crazy in class, in the hallways, over here - especially when Oliver was around - and get him to ask her on a date. Phase two was well under way.

The third phase? Seduce Oliver. Turn on the charm. And if that failed...well, then, she'd have to wing it. She was always good at thinking on her feet, even though she would prefer it if things went according to plan.

It was totally easy to get Nate to fall for her; already she had him wrapped around her little finger. He was ridiculously easy to figure out. Not that she minded much. It was a refreshing change from Oliver.

Nathaniel "Nate" Grant

His relationship with Blair was progressing really well. He was pretty sure she was into him. She flirted with him a lot. She paired up with him in classes (and ended up doing most of the work herself, which was a plus). She dropped little hints about wanting to go out sometime. Well, her hints hadn't gone to waste. He was about to ask her out. And he was pretty sure she was going to say yes.

Someone had told him that he'd seen Blair going to the smoking spot, so he had made his way here too (plus, he had some really great new French cigarettes that were way better than regular old Merits or Marlboros, and he wanted to smoke a couple before lunch was over).

He spotted Blair blowing out a perfect smoke ring (Very smooth, he noted appreciatively). "Hey," he said. "What's up?" Nate held out a pack of his new cigarettes. "Want one of these? They're way better than those Merits." Nate handed one to her and put one in his mouth and lit them both at the same time, like he had when he met her.

"So, I was thinking...you wanna hang out sometime? Like, at the beach, maybe, on Friday night?"

Blair Vanderbilt

Nate caught her in the middle of blowing out one of the few good smoke rings that she'd managed to make. Good timing, she thought as she took another drag of her cigarette. "Hey," Nate said. "What's up? Want one of these? They're way better than those Merits." He held out a package of French cigarettes Blair had never seen before (she preferred to import shoes from France rather than cigarettes).

She tossed her cigarette behind her with a flourish, blowing out the smoke from the drag she'd just taken. "Thanks," she said, taking a cigarette. Nate lighted his and hers at the same time, bending his head close so he could do so. Blair's huge brown eyes met his blue ones. They're sort of greenish, she observed and took a drag out of the French cigarette. "Wow, this is strong," she remarked.

""So, I was thinking..." Nate said, you wanna hang out sometime? Like, at the beach, maybe, on Friday night?"

Blair smiled. Everything was going according to plan. Well, almost everything. Oliver wasn't as responsive as she would have liked, but she could work with it. She blew out another perfect smoke ring. "Sounds perfect," she said.

Nathaniel "Nate" Grant

When he heard Blair say, "Sounds perfect," after blowing out another smoke ring, he let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding with a whoosh. Everything was going according to plan. There was something reassuring about a plan, about knowing where you were going next. It was like those little red pinpoints that he used when he navigated a route on his (unnamed, as of that moment) sailboat. He could just head for that direction and not have to think about much else.

"Great, then," he said, and sucked his cigarette a little too hard (he had to struggle to keep his composure and not cough). Nate blew out a smoke ring of his own, mostly to impress Blair, even though she didn't seem like the type to be impressed by smoke rings since she could do them herself. "It's a date." Nate grinned in the way that got him whatever he wanted, whether it was a girl or a chance to get extra credit or anything.

It would be nice to assume that Nate was blissfully, adorably unaware of how hot he was, but he knew exactly how hot he was. Whenever you looked at him, you could tell he was thinking, That girl can't take her eyes off me because I'm so hot. And it was true.

Just then, the bell rang. Damn, he thought. "Ugh," he said. "Well, see you, then, he said, stubbing out his cigarette on his Italian leather loafers and smiling that sexy smile of his as he went away.

Nate has left the Smoking Spot.

Anthony Rhodes

Their agreement was almost business-like, with rules and regulations that were to be followed, barriers that none of them were to cross, but since he'd crossed other barriers of hers, he didn't see why he couldn't bend the rules a bit and visit her in school. Besides, no one would suspect that he was anything more than her father's colleague, and she was probably dying for some entertainment in this boring little town. A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this; she was far too cosmopolitan, too worldly for the people in this town, and too mature to be hanging around with these children.

He passed by giggling girls, all whispering about who this hot man was and if maybe he could be a new teacher and that they wouldn't mind getting a detention with him and he got flashbacks to his own high school experience. It had been in New York, but the whispers and giggles were similar. It was just that, back there, the bar was higher for scandal. Blair would belong in a place like that.

When they were in a little alcove behind the English department, the air misty and cool, he smirked down at Blair, his back against the wall. "I just thought I would visit you," he said and then turned them around so that it was her who was pressed against the wall. "I know you're excited. Don't deny it," he told her, all the while wanting that lipstick she was wearing smudged against his neck.

Blair Vanderbilt

When she had seen Anthony approaching her in the hallways, looking incredibly out of place (in a good way), her eyes had widened with shock for a moment. "Who is he?" he heard some girl she was with whispering. "Is he here to see you?"

"He's just an old colleague of my father's," Blair told her. "I'll just be a moment," she added, walking up to Anthony with a fake smile plastered on her face and her heart beating furiously in her chest. "Anthony," she greeted him, "it's such a surprise to see you here. Come on," she said, near-dragging him to the smoking spot behind the English department and then slamming him against the wall. "What are you doing here?" she hissed, their faces just inches apart.

"I just thought I would visit you," he said with that infuriatingly sexy smirk. She wanted to . . . well she didn't know what she wanted to do.

"You can't be doing this. We agreed," she told him, but he didn't seem to hear, because he turned them around swiftly so that he was pressing her against the wall. Her breath caught in her throat shamelessly.

"I know you're excited," he said. "Don't deny it."

She gathered her thoughts and mustered up her willpower and was about to open her mouth to tell him that they could do this later, out of the corner of her eye, she could see a familiar silhouette that could belong to only one person and she grabbed him and pressed her lips hard against his, her hand fisting into his hair and her body pressing itself shamelessly against his as they gasped and panted and writhed.

Oliver Vandrose

He just wanted to get out.

It was pass time between classes, still fairly early in the morning- before lunch, at least - but already he had a growing headache in the vicinity of his left temple. This whole school routine was getting exceedingly annoying. He was escaping classes and getting some fresh air more and more these days.

No one saw him as he slipped out the access door in the English department; the smoking spot would most likely be empty at this time. Usually there were only students there before school, during lunch, or during homeroom.

But Blair Vanderbilt was always one to surprise.

He pushed the door open and saw two figures against the wall, a male and a female; the man had the girl pressed against the wall, in a position that almost seemed violent in its intensity. Pinning Blair to the wall was a man Oliver had never seen before, but he could figure it out.

He took a step forward, but before he could say anything - excuse me, but I think the lady would rather prefer to have feeling in her fingertips - Blair's mouth made hard contact with the man's; she kissed him, thrusting her body against his. Oliver almost rolled his eyes, but he surprised himself instead.

He rushed forward and yanked the man off of Blair; in one swift movement he'd spun him and thrown him against the wall next to where Blair stood, holding him there with one hand.

"Let me guess," Oliver said, breathing hard, shocked at his own actions. "You're Anthony."

Anthony Rhodes

When she kissed him, he smirked against her mouth as she writhed beneath him, pulling at his hair and digging her fingernails into the back of his suit and responding to his every touch. He returned the favor, enjoying the feeling of being completely in control. She was so innocent-looking, so proper that it was just that much more pleasurable to corrupt her than anyone else. Anthony placed his hand on her lower back, pressing her into him as she gasped and writhed and panted against him. She couldn't control herself when she was around him, and that gave him more than a little gratification.

But suddenly he felt himself being yanked off her and slammed into the wall. He blinked, regaining control of his senses, and saw that it was a teenager - a male teenager. He was breathing heavily as he said, "Let me guess. You're Anthony."

Anthony straightened his suit jacket. "That's right," he said pleasantly and then looked over to Blair. "Ex-boyfriend of yours?" he said casually, nonchalantly, while tightening his tie, making sure the knot was in place.

Blair Vanderbilt

She had actually begun to forget about who was watching them, actually losing control as she pressed himself against him harder, losing control and losing herself in the moment for a few blissful, greedy moments. His large hands roamed her body and she wasn't sure what they were doing but she didn't care. She knew it was so wrong, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. He was too rough, too fast, too hard, but she didn't care. It just meant that he wanted her - what a nice change.

But then she remembered again why she had kissed him in the first place when she felt him being yanked off her by an unseen force. Blair opened her eyes to see that it was Oliver, breathing heavily as he said, "Let me guess. You're Anthony."

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him. "Get off him!"

Anthony appeared unfazed as he straightened his suit jacket and said, "That's right," and then looked over to Blair. "Ex-boyfriend of yours?" he said in a nonchalant, almost matter-of-fact tone with that sexy smirk of his.

"He was never my boyfriend," she told him.

Oliver Vandrose

There was movement to his left; he turned to see Blair glaring at him.

"What are you doing?" she spat. "Get off him!"

He took a deep, not-quite settling breath and removed his hand from Anthony's torso. He took a step backward, away from the two of them, still fuming. Still not quite sure where his reaction had stemmed from.

Anthony straightened his suit jacket with a lazy smirk. "That's right," he said, before turning to Blair. "Ex-boyfriend of yours?" he asked her, his voice drawling in a bored way. As if he were unfazed, but Oliver could tell he was just slightly shaken. He was also willing to bet that there might be a hand-shaped bruise on his sternum in the morning.

Blair's expression was icy. "He was never my boyfriend," she said.

Oliver turned to her. "No, I wasn't," he said. "But that wasn't for your lack of desire. Or mine, for what it's worth." He shook his head and turned to Anthony, his voice cold. "You might want to leave. I don't know how well the faculty will react to you being here."

Anthony Rhodes

"Ex-boyfriend of yours?" Anthony asked Blair, straightening his tie and making sure the silken knot was in place as he straightened up. Whoever this guy was was clearly burning for Blair - just like him - but, unlike him, this guy didn't have Blair. At least, he didn't anymore, although he wondered if he had ever had the same . . . opportunities as him, where Blair was concerned.

"He was never my boyfriend," Blair said, her expression icy and cool and calm, failing to alert one to the fireball within. She was both hot and cold and it sent him burning. And, apparently, the other guy, whoever he was.

"No, I wasn't. But that wasn't for your lack of desire. Or mine, for what it's worth." Who did this guy think he was, some hero set out to save the day? This wasn't a movie, or a romance novel; real life was nittier and grittier than that. This guy was kind of crazy and a little bit delusional. Anthony's smirk widened as he turned to him. "You might want to leave. I don't know how well the faculty will react to you being here."

"No problem," he drawled and then went over to Blair, so close that she could feel her body warmth. "I'll see you tonight," he told her before (just to spite the other guy) grinding his lips against hers and pressing her against him roughly before releasing her. "Have fun in school," he told the other guy before turning around to leave.

Anthony has left the Smoking Spot.

Blair Vanderbilt

"Ex-boyfriend of yours?" Anthony asked Blair with a slightly amused expression on his face as he straightened his tie, which had been off-center due to the roughness with which they were handling each other. Blair thought about how different it was from Nate, who had been picturesque and perfect, and Oliver, who was at once hard and soft, and how it made her feel wanted, needed. Every touch too hard symbolized exactly how much she was wanted.

She was obsessed with being loved, and she craved the feeling more than anything. But if she couldn't have love, desire was the best substitution. And Anthony desired her, he wanted her; she could feel it in the heat of his body as he pressed up against her.

"He was never my boyfriend," she said icily.

"No, I wasn't. But that wasn't for your lack of desire. Or mine, for what it's worth." Blair's expression softened slightly, almost imperceptibly as she swallowed and Oliver turned to Anthony. "You might want to leave. I don't know how well the faculty will react to you being here."

"No problem," Anthony said, smirk and tie in place, before facing Blair once more. "I'll see you tonight," he said and Blair nodded, trying to keep business-like, before he grabbed her into a kiss and pressed his lips against hers. Blair was like a doll in his arms and he could do whatever he wanted with her, push and pull and press wherever and whenever he wanted. It was always like that, and it both scared and excited her.

He pulled away and they both breathed heavily for a moment before he pulled away and said to Oliver, "Have fun in school," before leaving.

She turned to Oliver, her face icy once more. "Why did you do that?" she demanded. "That was completely inappropriate of you."

Oliver Vandrose

Oliver rolled his eyes and looked away, fuming, when Anthony pressed himself against Blair. "I'll see you tonight," he said, and kissed her roughly. "Have fun in school," he smirked in Oliver's direction, before leaving.

Oliver took a deep break and ran his hands through his hair. Blair turned to him, tone and expression icy, bitter to the bone.

"Why did you do that?" she hissed, demanding an answer. "That was completely inappropriate of you."

Oliver looked up at her slowly. "Inapproriate of me?" He let loose a humorless laugh. "How very hypocritical of you, Blair. I wasn't the one grinding against a 30-something guy in the middle of school hours, on school property." He shook his head and took a few steps away from her, before turning around and approaching her again, pacing, ending up just a foot and a half away from her in the cramped space. "Do you even know what you're doing, Blair? What something like this could do to your precious reputation? You're going to get hurt, Blair. Don't try and deny it."

Blair Vanderbilt

"Why did you do that?" Blair hissed at Oliver when Anthony left, suddenly aware of how thoroughly ravished she must look. "That was completely inappropriate of you," she finished, hearing the hypocrisy of her own words. But still. What she did was her business; he had relinquished the right to interfere a long time ago, with rejections and rebuttals that weighed on the surface of her heart, causing it to crack and form fatal faultlines.

"Inapproriate of me?" He laughed, but it was clear that he didn't find anything funny. "How very hypocritical of you, Blair. I wasn't the one grinding against a 30-something guy in the middle of school hours, on school property." He shook his head and stepped away as if disgusted, but then turned back. "Do you even know what you're doing, Blair? What something like this could do to your precious reputation? You're going to get hurt, Blair. Don't try and deny it."

"Because you care so much about whether I get hurt," she snapped at him. "You care so much that you did it yourself, over and over." She swallowed, tried to regain her composure. "I know what I'm doing," she said, "and it's none of your business. Anthony loves me." She was lying as far as she knew, but she knew that he wanted her, he wanted her so much that it engulfed them both in the fire of his desire, and that was close enough.

Oliver Vandrose

Blair bit back with venom. "Because you care so much about whether I get hurt," she said. "You care so much that you did it yourself, over and over." She paused, swallowing. She seemed to drawing up courage, or composure. "I know what I'm doing, and it's none of your business. Anthony loves me," she said, but Oliver wasn't sure he believed it.

Blair was capable of deceiving herself, Oliver knew as much. He'd just never heard her do it out loud.

He took a few steps closer, so that he was just a few inches away from her. He paused there, watching her expression as he reached out with a hand and allowed his thumb to trace one of her cheekbones. Leaning in, he whispered:

"Yes, but, Blair? You've confused proximity with love before, haven't you?" He dropped his hand. "Who's to say you haven't done it again."

He took a step backward, putting a bit of distance between them. "I'm asking you to be careful. Whether you listen to me or not is your choice. But I sincerely hope you do."

Blair Vanderbilt

She felt her breath hitch in her throat once again as Oliver touched her and broke through all of her defenses, like he always did eventually. Somehow. His cool thumb traced the outline of her cheekbones and Blair had to look away so that he couldn't see the infinite softness of her eyes. "Yes, but, Blair?" Oliver said and Blair looked at him again, wide-eyed and vulnerable. Just like he liked her. Blair longed for Anthony's familiar, comforting heat that burned away all her thoughts - yes, Anthony scared her with what he could do to her if he so chose, but Oliver scared her far more.

"You've confused proximity with love before, haven't you?" He dropped his hand and the place where he had touched her felt hot. "Who's to say you haven't done it again." Blair swallowed.

"I know what I'm doing," she repeated. "He wouldn't be the way he is with me - " rough, demanding, needy, almost " - if he didn't love me. I know it."

Oliver took a step backward. "I'm asking you to be careful. Whether you listen to me or not is your choice. But I sincerely hope you do."

Blair looked away once more, allowing a fragile silence to fill her ears before she broke it. "Why do you care?" she asked before looking back at him.

Oliver Vandrose

He could see her vulnerability; she was breaking, her resolve cracking. He was getting through to her, no matter how she tried to deny it.

He'd backed away, allowed her space. If she wanted to build the wall back up, she could. He couldn't stop her.

She looked away, and Oliver prepared for what would face him when she looked back up; her usual frosted demeanor, her Queen B facade hoisted back into place.

"Why do you care?" she asked, and her voice almost broke his heart. She looked back up at him, expecting an answer.

And what would he tell her?

"Are you really," he said, pausing and taking a deep breath, "going to make me say it?"

Blair Vanderbilt

"Why do you care?" she asked him. She honestly didn't know why he had reacted so violently, why he was acting the way he was now, why she felt so confused. She didn't know anything where he was concerned and that scared her. Blair was anything but in control, and she needed to regain some of that, and the best way to start was to understand.

"Are you really going to make me say it?" His voice was labored, as if simeltaneously forcing something out and holding something in.

"Yes," she whispered. "Please?" Blair stepped forward. "I need to know," she said. "I can't go on like this much longer." Blair took a deep breath once more. "Please," she repeated, looking at him beseechingly.

"I need a reason to take your advice," she said. "Three words. Eight letters," she said. "Say it . . . and I'm yours."