"You're what?" Molly's voice was loud with disbelief, and her brown eyes looked like the proverbial saucers.

"I'm going to Europe with Luc deLaurentis for the summer," Haley repeated patiently.

They were sitting at an outdoor cafe near Washington Square Park, sipping cappuccinos while they ate their pastries. Spring blazed all around them, from the baby birds in the trees to the green that was sprouting everywhere.

"But how—when—I mean how—" Molly had now become nearly incoherent with curiosity.

Haley laughed and put a calming hand on her friend's arm. "I told you I met him at that party I served a few weeks ago, right?"

Molly nodded, curls bouncing.

"And he came on to you and you shut him down cold," Molly inserted, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Right. Well, he felt really bad about that, even though I told him it was cool, and he invited me along for the European leg of his tour as sort of an apology." Haley felt the small lie leave her lips, and wondered why she didn't just tell the truth, that he liked her and wanted to be friends with her, wanted a fresh perspective on his life.

No. Somehow she felt like she'd be bragging, like Luc thought she was so amazing that he just had to have her around. Better this way.

"Also, it's not actually all of Europe," she went on after taking a bite of her pineapple danish. "It sounds like it's mainly just Italy, with a little bit of Greece thrown in?"

"Oh, well, I'm surprised you said yes if it's only Italy and Greece," Molly responded, rolling her eyes. She shook her head again. "You lucky duck. Only you could brush off one of the sexiest, richest, best looking men in the world and somehow wind up with him offering you an apology tour of fucking Europe."

Haley grinned. "Well, it does sound sort of amazing when you put it that way, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does. And I'm going to be stuck at the family compound in Connecticut, so close to the city but yet so far at the same time." She reached out and grabbed Haley's hand. "What am I going to without you all summer? Up there in the hinterlands with nothing to do but play tennis and watch the deer?"

"You'll live," Haley said, feigning carelessness. "You'll spend the summer breaking hearts at your parents' country club like you always do, and come back in the fall with hilarious stories to tell me about the flings you had."

"I suppose so." Molly brightened. "Maybe I'll get a couple of marriage proposals, like last year. That was fun."

Haley nodded. Molly never could stay in a depressed mood for long.

"So, I need to get a passport ASAP, and hit my favorite thrift stores to see if I can find some appropriate summertime clothes for going on tour with Luc deLaurentis."

"Thrift stores?" Molly repeated. "Are you going to be comfortable gallivanting around Europe with his millionaire entourage in thrift store stuff?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't have a choice, do I? I mean, I can't afford to dress the way they do, I can't even come close. And nothing looks more pathetic than someone who tries to pretend to be someone they're not. I'm better off just being me." That's who Luc wants to be with, anyway, she added in her head. And people were more likely to be themselves around someone they didn't think mattered, someone who wasn't like them.

Which would make for a better story.

"In fact, I have to take my passport paperwork right now and head over to get it expedited in person," Haley said, finishing her cappuccino and rising. She flipped her heavy sheaf of blonde hair over her shoulder, twisting it up into a messy bun and securing it with the hair tie she had around her wrist.

Molly rose also, and the friends said good bye before heading off in opposite directions.

Haley walked to do her errand, enjoying the day and contemplating her good fortune. A summer in Europe, and possibly a new story for the magazine, wow.

In a tiny corner of her heart, a rogue thought popped up, asking how Luc would like it after he found out she'd used him to get a story about the more sordid side of his life, but she batted it away, banishing it with the wave of a mental hand.

It was work. He'd understand, wouldn't he?

After finishing up with her passport application (the very nice man promised she'd have it within a month), Haley went to her favorite thrift stores, including the Salvation Army Goodwill on 25th. She did find some floaty dresses and colorful tops, along with shorts, even a pair of strappy sandals.

Haley headed home with her treasures, happy that she'd done so well for so little money. She'd have to go back to Goodwill more often.

Her phone pinged with an incoming text.

You getting ready to leave? Luc had texted.

Just sent in my passport app today, Haley replied.

Good! I was wondering if you wanted to get together this weekend? I have a show on Saturday at MSG, you could come to the show and we could hang out after? Nothing crazy, very casual.

Haley considered. The sooner she started hanging around, the sooner she'd become part of the scenery and people would start acting like themselves around her, right?

Sure, sounds like fun, she responded. How does it work? I just buy a ticket?

No, idiot, lol, I'll send a car for you and you enter from the back and sit in the VIP section. Or stand, probably, most people like to stand and dance or whatever.

Wow, the VIP section, Haley texted back. Well, look, I'm standing in the middle of the sidewalk, impeding foot traffic, so let's talk more about this later, okay? I'm really looking forward to it.

Me too!

Haley hurried home through the deepening dusk, wondering about whether or not she could openly take notes, or if that would be considered offensive.

She got to her apartment and let herself in.

After a quick trip down to the laundry room to wash her new clothes, Haley made herself some ramen and settled down to watch Jeopardy! Her roommates weren't home, so she had the whole place to herself, and she spent a happy half hour shouting the answers she knew at the screen.

Then she took a quick shower and got into bed, even though it was barely eight o'clock. She had a book she was dying to finish, and had an early class the next day, anyway.

A Luc deLaurentis concert at Madison Square Garden. A seat in the VIP section. And an after party.

Her life was changing in so many ways, she mused as she drifted off to sleep.

And all because she'd turned down a drunken pass at a party.

Wow.