second　chance。　I？m　volunteering　my　services　as　your　alumnus　interviewer；　and　the　admissions

office　has　already　agreed　to　use　my　write…up　when　they　review　your　application；　instead　of　the

interview　you　did　back　in　November。？

Blair　was　dumbstruck。　A　second　chance？it　was　almost　too　good　to　be　true。　Tired　of　waiting；

Gianni　dropped　his　scissors　on　the　wheeled　cart　next　to　Blair？s　chair；　snatched　the　latest　issue

ofVogue　out　of　Blair？s　lap；　and　minced　away　to　plain　about　her　to　his　colleagues。

？So　when　are　you　available？？　Owen　Wells　persisted。

Now；　Blair　wanted　to　say。　But　she　couldn？t　very　well　ask　Owen　to　sit　and　watch　Gianni　cut　her

hair　while　he　asked　her　all　those　boring　stereotypical　interview　questions　like；　Who　are　the　most

influential　people　in　your　life？

？Anytime；？　she　chirped。　Then　she　realized　she　shouldn？t　soundtoo　desperate；　not　when　she　was

supposed　to　be　a　total　whiz　kid　with　an　insane　schedule。　？Actually；　today　is　kind　of　busy　for　me

and　tomorrow　might　be　a　little　crazy；　too。　Wednesday　or　Thursday　after　school　would　be　better。？

？I　tend　to　work　pretty　late；　and　I？ve　got　meetings　up　the　wazoo　this　week；　but　how　about

Thursday　night？　Around　eight…thirty？？

？Fine；？　Blair　responded　eagerly。　？Do　you　want　me　to　e　to　your　office？？

Owen　paused。　Blair　could　hear　his　office　chair　creak　and　she　imagined　him　surveying　his

Philippe　Starck？designed　Tribeca　office　with　its　view　of　New　York　Harbor；　wondering　if　it　was　an

appropriate　place　to　meet。　She　imagined　him　tall　and　blond；　with　a　tennis　tan；　like　her　father。　But

Owen　Wells　would　be　at　least　ten　years　younger　than　her　dad；　and　so　much　better　looking。　She

wondered　if　he　knew　how