天锡小说网

第30部分（第2页）

wondered　what　she　was　doing。　Standing　on　her　roof；　maybe；　smoking　a　Merit　Ultra　Light　and

sticking　thumbtacks　into　the　little　voodoo　dolls　she？d　probably　made　of　him　and　Serena。

Don？t　flatter　yourself；　honey。

Nate　flicked　the　tears　away　from　his　gorgeous　green　eyes　with　his　thumb　and　dropped　his　barely

touched　slice　of　pepperoni　pizza　into　the　garbage。　Anthony　came　over；　slung　his　thick…muscled

arm　around　Nate？s　shoulders；　and　kissed　him　on　the　cheek　with　mock　tenderness。　？What？s　the

matter；　sweetheart？？

？Fuck　off；？　Nate　replied；　jabbing　Anthony　in　the　ribs。

His　friend　refused　to　be　shaken　off　so　easily。　？Will　you　just　drink　a　beer　with　us　and　stop　moping

already？？　An　overgrown　hank　of　white…blond　hair　swung　over　Anthony？s　freckled　face　and　he

brushed　it　away。　？Dude；　it？s　party　time！？

Nate　laughed　and　allowed　himself　to　be　shepherded　over　to　where　the　other　guys　were　standing；

drinking　beer　and　listening　to　the　coach　talk。　Jeremy　hitched　up　his　way…too…big　dark　blue　Levi？s

and　tossed　Nate　a　bottle　of　Heineken。　？Hey；　did　you　hear　this？　Every　Wednesday　after　practice

Coach　has　been　popping　Viagra　and　meeting　his　wife　at　the　Pierre　Hotel。？　He　cracked　open

another　bottle　for　himself　and　took　a　long　swig。　？Who　would　have　thunk。？

Coach　Michaels　stuck　his　hands　into　the　pockets　of　his　ever…present　red　Lands？　End　windbreaker；

looking　pleased　with　himself。　？Who　says　we　can？t　enjoy　ourselves？？

Nate　raised　his　bottle　in　silent　answer　to　the　coach？s　question　and　chugged　half　its　contents。

Coach　Michaels　had　all　the　gruff；　fatherly　qualities　a　guy　could　wish　for　in　a　coach；　but　Nate　had

never　had　much　affection　for　him。　The　coach　had　made　him　captain　halfway　into　the　season　only

because　the　junior　who　was　supposed　to　be　captain　went　mysteriously　AWOL　from　school。　And

the　coach　had　yet　to　congratulate　Nate　on　getting　into　Yale；　Brown；and　Harvard。　It　didn？t　surprise

Nate　that　the　coach　needed　Viagra　to　get　it　on。　He　was　sort　of　a　cold　fish。

Not　that　Nate　was　one　to　judge。　After　the　trunk　show　at　the　St。　Claire　that　morning　Serena　had

been　all　over　him；　but　instead　of　working　up　a　sweat　with　her　as　the　cab　zoomed　up　Park　Avenue；

all　he？d　been　able　to　do　was　look　out　at　the　grassy　divider　running　down　the　center　of　the　street；

weeping　because　the　heat　had　caused　the　red　and　yellow　tulips　to　scatter　their　blossoms　and　wilt。

Guess　the　tulips　weren？t　the　only　things　wilting。

Coach　Michaels　started　on　a　tear　about　how　minivans　were　actually　the　sexiest　cars　on　the　road

because　they　had　two　sets　of　backseats。　Nate　sipped　his　beer　as　he　reevaluated　the　coach。　Even　in

his　stupid　red　Lands？　End　jacket　he　was　healthy；　sharp；　and　vital。　No　one　ever　caughthim　crying

like　a　girl　at　the　slightest　thing。　Maybe　a　little　Viagra　was　exactly　what　Nate　needed。

Oh；　no。

Nate　finished　off　his　beer　and　set　the　bottle　down　on　the　long　white　collapsible　table　the　school

kitchen　staff　had　set　up　for　the　party。　Then　he　turned　and　headed　toward　the　physical　education

staff　office　on　the　other　side　of　the　gym；　next　to　the　guys？　locker　room。　Everyone　would　think　he