kiss like whiskey—

victoria: yea. he was all "gg is gonna post about it & make it seem like somethings its not!!!!!" wah wah

victoria: then he yelled at me for not wearing a seatbelt

emma: she does have a knack for doing that

emma: babe

ROSALIE: Why don't you just tell him the truth, Em?

ROSALIE: There's nothing wrong with classic you, she grew on me. She'll grow on him too.

ROSALIE: He knows who you are. If he didn't like it, he'd be gone.

EMMA: maybe because i'm not even sure what the truth is?

EMMA: please, i didn't have to "grow on you." you loved me from the second you laid eyes on me

EMMA: that's the thing... does he?

victoria: you sure?

victoria: cause he kinda lost his marbles over it

emma: of course

emma: anything to avoid grabby hands, am i right?

@evdwoodsen: @emmasvanderbilt well catari's italian but it's really good.

@emmavbdilt: @evdwoodsen okay, so a night trip, then.

“Who would? That’s the real dream, isn’t it?” Serena was no stranger to the luxuries of Europe, or the people who lay within. A girl more accustomed to play than work, she had naturally spent the vast majority of her time in Europe travelling, toes dipped in the Mediterranean, speaking in broken Italian, sipping cocktails at bars and tumbling into hotel rooms with foreign strangers whose very mystery felt like an adventure in itself. “Please, you’re Emma Van der Bilt, I find it hard to believe that you can’t get exactly what you want.”

“I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one.” The comment was punctuated by a dreamy sigh, images of beautiful beaches and even more beautiful men a kaleidoscope in her brain. Serena’s comment caused the former exhale to transform from a sigh to a scoff, followed by a gentle roll of her eyes. “One would think, but, unfortunately, even Emma Vanderbilt is nothing more than an intern. I might have more success if I name drop you.”

       Seeing Emma had been a stroke of pure luck. Victoria had elected to start the night earlier rather than later, figuring she could jut hop from place to place until she got bored or until she found someone she wanted to spend the night with – either option having a high possibility of coming to fruition. It was as she was leaving her third bar of the night ( and for fucks sake it was only 9:30, New York really needed to step up its game that night ) that Victoria noticed the boy she had rebuffed before even finishing her first drink.  

       “Some people really don’t fucking understand the word no,” she says, slipping her hand out from her other half’s. “I swear the only way to get rid of some guys is to make them think you’re gay or taken by another guy. No respect for a good old fashion denial. Idiots.”

Some people really don't understand the word no. The sentiment rang far too true for the blonde, the girl who knew the meaning of that word a little too well, considering she had a knack for refusals. "All boys are idiots," Emma commented, voice carrying against the wind, probably back to the ears of Victoria's former companion. "It's the men you should be on the lookout for," she added absent-mindedly, her thoughts once again flickering to the same man who had been a near constant presence in her mind for the past two weeks. Blonde tendrils of hair bounced around her face as she gave a subtle shake of the head, almost as if she thought the action might rid herself of the thoughts of Wyatt Lawson. 

Emma took several steps in the opposite direction, cerulean irises wide as she stepped curbside, a slender arm waving through the air. A small sedan with a fluorescent light advertising taxi came to an abrupt halt in front of the pair. Fingers curled around the handle as blue eyes met brown. "Where to, mon chou?"

victoria: this bitch doesnt understand context

victoria: i was using my most effective "escape from creepy guy" ploy

victoria: in case you were wondering

emma: i get it

People put the weirdest things on resumes. Who knew taking photos for tourists was a skill– but apparently lots of people consider it to be. 

“Is this your way of telling me that I should take “Amateur Tourist Photographer” off of my relevant job skills? And here I was thinking that was what got me the job at Vogue.”

“Been a while, stranger,” Wyatt greeted his companion with a smile. “Didn’t think Mirage would survive without you showing your face around here again.”

“Are you saying I’m single-handedly responsible for keeping this place afloat?” Emma tsked and gave a small shake of her head, blonde curls tumbling around her visage. “Truth be told, I’ve been avoiding it.”

        In that moment, Kati was thankful that she had her dog by her side. Being seen talking to herself was one thing, but if she was talking to her dog? Lots of people did that. Hell, there were people on her block that treated their dogs like their children. Still, she smiled at Emma, taking a couple steps closer to the blonde. “You didn’t miss much,” she replied. “ I was just cursing Gossip Girl. Who makes a big come back and then goes silent?” Despite the flood of posts that were coming in now, there was no disputing the fact that it was very silent. If Gossip Girl was going to demand attention, then they couldn’t disappear on their public. “It’s a little odd, don’t you think?”

“Who isn’t?” Emma scoffed, palms hitting worn wood as she pushed herself off the bench she had taken up residence on. In the past week, Emma couldn’t count the number of times the words fuck Gossip Girl had crossed her mind. Brow scrunched, Emma glanced back at Kati’s words, “Maybe, but I wouldn’t complain about that.” If anything, we should be celebrating, Emma wanted to add, but refrained. In the past few hours alone, paranoia had seeped into every fibre of her being, so convinced was she that Gossip Girl had somehow bugged her. “Especially, since I seem to be the butt of nearly every joke.”

She’d always been a roller coaster, her emotions dipping and rising as they chose. Leaving those around her with an almost constant case of whiplash. Happiness however, true, undeniable happiness, was a rare shade to find on Penelope Schaaf. She played the part exceptionally well but most days she was too busy building schemes and being filled with doubt or envy to truly allow herself any happiness. 

Tonight however, her spirits were on cloud nine with a high possibility of remaining there for at least the next few days. She’d gotten a call back, her first call back and according to the praise the casting director gave Penelope’s agent, she was a shoe in for the part. 

Hopping over to the bar, every vein in her body buzzing with joy the brunette slapped down a wad of cash. “A round of shots on me! I’m in a very giving mood.”

It was late, the bass vibrating from the speakers up the heels of her shoes. Her toes were tingling, as were her bones, courtesy of the shots her current dance partner had slid her way. A clear liquor - could have been vodka, could have been tequila or it could have been a dangerous mix of both - kept her head even clearer for what seemed like the first time in the past week. 

The blonde had been avoiding the club since the Vogue Party, a constant tingle of worry slithering down her spine at the thought of running into Wyatt. The only interactions they had shared since the party, and the myriad of Gossip Girl blasts, had been riddled with hidden messages and puzzles that Emma still wasn’t quite sure she wanted to solve. 

Extracting herself from the possessive embrace and sticky fingers of the man in front of her, she flounced away toward the bar, leaving him behind in a cloud of sweaty air. Fingertips danced across the bar as she waited, the only thing to interrupt her thoughts the sound of a familiar voice yelling above the chorus. Blonde hair whipped around to find the brunette, a prickle of guilt weaving it’s way into her stomach. The last time she had heard the name Penelope had been at the hands of Gossip Girl, in a blast in which Emma had been spotted leaving Jamie’s apartment. 

“Don’t mind if I do,” Emma called back, a smile transforming fetching features as Penelope tossed a wad of bills onto the marble. “What has you feeling so charitable this evening, Penelope?”

@noahcartwright: i'll show you a few new places during our stay

@noahcartwright: and maybe you can show me a few in return ;)

@emmavdbilt: @noahcartwright why do you have to make everything sound like a dirty word?

@evdwoodsen: mykonos is also a great spot.

@emmasvanderbilt: @evdwoodsen maybe i'll have to take a day trip

ROSALIE: Does Wyatt know that?

ROSALIE: Have you tried idk talking to him?

EMMA: i mean we've talked

EMMA: but it was more just me apologizing for being a bitch