The Spectator

Chapter 10: Getting Dressed is Half the Fun

     Blair had been given two weeks to host the launch party of the century. Had she been able to manage it? As her meticulous eye swept across the transformed roof of the Spectator's high-rise, she knew that she really, truly had.

     It was mid-December, Christmas was around the corner and a real chill had settled across New York. Playing on the festive atmosphere, it made sense that everything was a sparkling silver. The little twist was that it wasn't a classic silver winter party— the silver was iridescent, flashing in a rainbow spectrum of colors like the back of a compact disc. A taste of the past, with a huge dose of the future.

     "Blair, it's..." Nate couldn't find the word for it.

     "Perfect, I know," She smiled, self-satisfied.

     "Won't it get cold?" Nate asked, noting the chilly wind that swept across the outdoor space.

     "They're going to turn on the standing heaters now, don't worry. You and your guests will be nice and toasty," Even as she spoke, some workers passed by carrying huge space heaters. Blair turned to her old friend and gave him a reassuring smile. "Go get dressed, you're hosting the biggest party of the season in an hour."

     Nate grinned at her gratefully. Her and Chuck had been there for him from the beginning, helping him face the never ending cycle of obstacles that threatened to trip up his newspaper's progress. Blair had even picked out a suit for him- black Armani, but the fabric had the most gorgeous sheen. She'd known from the moment she saw it that Nate had to wear it for his launch party. He couldn't have been more grateful for the help. 

     But while Nate could get dressed in his office, Ella was at the Humphrey household, climbing her way out of a pile of Serena's dresses.

     "Serena!" She exclaimed as the woman tossed yet another dress in her direction. "You've already pulled like fifty of them for me to try on—."

     "I know, but none of them are perfect!" Serena herself already looked like an angel, dressed in a white, sequined shift dress, makeup and hair perfectly chosen to complement the celestial aesthetic she was going for. "Blair said she was going for 'space age winter wonderland' and all of this is too... meh."

     "Well, has she sent you a picture of the space yet?" Ella asked, hoping for some help narrowing her options. At this point, she was considering just wearing black and being done with it. "You know, that black cocktail dress you showed me earlier is gorgeous..."

     "Absolutely not, all you do is wear black," Serena admonished her, emerging from her closet, phone in hand.

     "But it's Gucci..." Ella whimpered quietly, finding the classic black mini-dress and holding it close to her. She didn't think she'd ever held something this expensive.

     "Look, Blair sent the photos..." Serena showed her the pictures. Her screen dazzled in silver and flashes of rainbow light against white. It was breathtaking.

     "Your dress is perfect," Ella commented. Serena screwed up her mouth, thinking.

     "I think I have something... It's not Gucci but it's a lot more fun than black..." Serena disappeared back into her closet. It wasn't the most complicated of dresses, but who cared? She had a feeling her new friend would dig her heels in if she tried to put her in anything else she had in her closet, which all leaned towards ornate and bohemian. No, Ella like things simple. She gasped satisfyingly when Serena brought it out, letting go of the black Gucci dress without thought.

     "It's beautiful, S," She breathed. "You can't let me wear that, it's too special—."

     "This thing? It's really not a big deal, I think I got this from Urban," Serena laughed, tossing the dress at her. She actually knew exactly where she'd gotten it-- Rochas, the french fashion house-- but she knew Ella would make a bigger deal of borrowing it than it was, so S wasn't going to share this information. "Put it on and— I'm assuming you own a pair of actual stilettos? Not that block-heel cop-out crap you pulled for the soiree?"

     Ella pursed her lips. She supposed it was nice they'd gotten so comfortable with each other...

     "Yeah, actually."

     "Perfect, you're going to look beautiful," Serena smiled widely.