swimsuit season； don？t you know。？
？Right；？ Blair agreed； inwardly rolling her eyes。 Old people were always talking about watching
what they ate； but she intended to consume as much Cold Stone Creamery ice cream and Balthazar
French bread as she liked and still look glorious in her new ivory…and…sky…blue striped Blumarine
bikini。
Yummy。
？e； e。？ Bailey flung the doors open onto the sunny bluestone patio。 ？That？s the pool；
and that；？ he continued； pointing at a low； concrete bungalow that was like a miniature version of
the main house； ？is your home away from home。 The pool house。 I daresay you？ll be quite
fortable there。 We？ve got the AC cranked； the sheets are imported from Umbria； and Stefan
will fetch you anything you need。？
Anything？
？There are just two more very important people you girlsmust meet；？ Bailey gushed； and clapped
his hands gaily； spilling what remained of his cocktail。 ？Svetlana！ Ibiza！ Front and center； please！？
More dogs？
？ink； Meester Winter！？
Two leggy amazons burst out of the pool house？their pool house？and rushed toward Blair； Bailey；
and Serena。 The dogs erupted into an ecstatic barking chorus。
？I Svetlana；？ announced the girl with ass…length whitish…blond hair and no discernable hips。 She
was wearing a minuscule neon…orange bikini bottom and two tiny orange triangles over her
nonexistent boobs。
？Iam Ibiza；？ pronounced the other girl carefully。 She had chestnut…colored hair layered to frame
her almost foxlike face； brilliant blue eyes； and a bright smile that was slightly marred by two very
prominent buckteeth。 Her lavender…and…gold striped bathing suit was one of those horrible and
plicated cutout one…pieces that looks like a bikini from behind。 A carefully placed circular
cutout in front revealed her rather fuzzy navel。
Ew！
Ibiza； which sounded more like a brand of car than a name； placed her hands on Blair？s arm and
air kissed her twice。 Blair shuddered with horror； realizing that； except for her excruciating
orthodontic issues； this girl looked exactly like her。 She wrenched out of the girl？s grip and studied
the other model； who was； on closer inspection； a diluted version of Serena； minus the grace； poise；
and New England breeding。What the hell was going on？
？Ibiza and Svetlana are going to be the faces of the new line； darlings。 On the ads； you know；？
Bailey explained with a satisfied sigh。 ？You two are the inspiration； obviously。？
Obviously。
？They？re here to watch you。 Tobe you； really；？ he went on； dramatically raising his martini glass
as if he were starring inRent on Broadway。 ？I want them to capture your very essence！？
Um； hello； creepiness？
？Pleased to meet you。？ Serena offered her hand to the girls； turning to her own doppelganger first。
Serena was always unfailingly polite； but even she couldn？t stop skeeving out on the inside。 Apart
from the high…pitched voice and questionable taste in swimwear； Svetlana looked just like her； but
not。 It was like Halloween in fourth grade when she and Blair had dressed up like their homeroom
teachers； plete with wigs； ugly Talbots cardigans； and brown loafers。
？It？s going to be like a giant slumber party！？ Bailey screamed like a six…year…old girl。
Ibiza and Svetlana giggled fakely。 ？Pillow fight！？ they yelled in unison in their thick eastern bloc
accents。
？God； you two are divine！？ Bailey threw his glass onto the velvety green lawn and clapped his
hands together again in rapid…fire applause。
Blair glared at the quasi？mirror images of her and Serena。 To everyone else； they probably
looked like happy； carefree； malnourished Barbie dolls； but Blair had always been more perceptive
than the average girl。 Sure； Ibiza and Svetlana were probably supposed to just sit around waiting
for Blair and Serena to rub off on them； but Blair could see something else in their beady foreign
eyes。 Something calculated and decidedly bitchy。
And it takes one to know one。
These girls weren？t interested in being second best。 Ibiza and Svetlana definitely had other plans。
Well； then。
Blair turned and grinned at Serena； suddenly very happy that she had her best friend with her。
She grabbed Serena？s hand。 ？Let？s cool off；？ she whispered naughtily。
？Good idea。？ Serena understood immediately。 She let Coco wriggle out of her grasp。 Then the
pair leapt into the tempting blue swimming pool； shoes and all； squealing as they landed in the
perfectly body…temperature water。
？Eek！？ screeched Bailey as the chlorinated pool water splashed his gleaming white linen
trousers。 ？Now this；？ he announced to no one in particular； ？is inspiring。Hilfe！ Stefan； quickly： my
sketchbook！Bitte； dearest！？
Blair dunked her head under the glittering； rippling water； feeling her dark hair swirl around her。
She surfaced just in time to see Ibiza turn to Svetlana conspiratorially。 And with that； the copycats
stepped to the edge of the pool and cannonballed into the deep end； their bones slapping the water。
Wele to your new family； girls！
truth？stranger than fiction after all
？Turn your head now； just to the left a tiny centimeter。。。。 Another centimeter 。 。 。？ Vanessa
plied； turning her head slightly to the left to allow Bailey Winter an unfettered look at her
profile。
？My goodness； isn？t that just yummy？？ Bailey was talking to no one in particular as he scribbled
furiously in his crocodile…bound sketchbook； wielding his pencil and turning the pages like a
madman。 ？Yes； yes； Vanessa； my dear； this is it； you？ve really got it。 You give Giselle and Kate
and those little chickadees a run for their money now； don？t you； dearest？ Mmmm！？
Only half…listening and unsure who Giselle and Kate were anyway； Vanessa fiddled with the
camera that was perched on her lap like a kitten。 She was reclining on a long stone divan laden
with enough pillows and fur throws to actually make it pretty fortable； but hot for a July
after…noon； with a nice； clear view of the pool。 She watched Chuck Bass frolicking in the shallow
end； clad only in a floral…print European…style bathing suit that left nothing to the imagination；
while his monkey perched on the diving board； eating a bowlful of grapes。
How erotic。
She wasn？t supposed to fiddle too much； so she couldn？t study the shot through the viewfinder；
but she was confident it was all cinematic gold： there was Chuck wading through the waist…high
water； chattering into his Bluetooth headset with Sweetie chomping in the background。 Behind
him； Stefan； the skinny houseboy； was sweeping the flagstone path that led from the tennis courts
to the main residence； trying not to accidentally whack the five overindulged pugs that were
angrily attacking the broom。 Every so often； she slid the camera across her lap to face Bailey
Winter himself； who was wearing a vintage boy？s khaki suit？short pants and all？that he？d had
remade to acmodate his girth。 It was the raw material for a jaw…dropping documentary。
？Don？t fiddle too much； darling；？ clucked Bailey disap…provingly。
Vanessa smiled placidly and turned her camera back to the action in the po