the music keeps playing

Olivia wouldn't dare say she was fed up, but possibly she was. Things hadn't worked out in Paris. Even if she had met someone who could have been Louis Garrel's little brother. Oh, he knew he'd be famous, she knew that from the moment she met Bruno. Really, she loved meeting, up and coming people.

It was all so exciting in the beginning. Going places with him. Clubs she could only dream about, in far away places like Spain. It had been an early summer fling and it was still spring. She smiled about that now. So much fun, but no real substance. There seemed to be something missing, only Olivia couldn't quite put her finger on it. So she'd come back. Time to settle down, which meant another internship at a fashion magazines. Just when would she land a real job.

She'd had experiences in so many things, but it wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't her dream job. Maybe she didn't even know what that was anymore. These were woes she thought only Vanessa would understand. Of course, it wasn't something she wanted to bring down Vanessa about.

"How are you?" She grabbed both of Vanessa's hands as soon as she saw her at the little bar not so far from Vanessa's flat. It was great to find someone she knew. Olivia suddenly felt bubbly and full of laughter as she kissed Vanessa cheek before she could possibly get away. "Tell me everything, going on."

"You don't want to know." Vanessa was reluctant to say as Olivia pulled her along in the crowded space.

"Of course, I do." Olivia smiled. "We have so much to catch up on." Olivia ordered them both a rum drink with lots of fruit and found them a table in the corner.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Vanessa looked so low. Olivia couldn't imagine what had happened.

"This isn't like you? Seriously, V, you are so talented. And fun." Was fun, Olivia guessed. Not that she wanted to pry, but she thought Vannessa would be free of all that Gossip Girl clique.

"I dunno what fun is anymore." Vanessa, so sullen, looked as if someone had put an ugly spell on her.

"Dan have anything to do with this?" Olivia stared intently into Vanessa's diamond eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it." Vanessa looked away. Finally their drinks arrived. Olivia hoped this might mellow her out.

"You can't let Dan make you feel this way." Olivia winced. She took a sip of her thick drink that might as well have been an intoxicating milkshake.

"I don't mean too." Vanessa shrugged. "I keep seeing thing..happening, and I just can't let it go."

"Maybe you need to be a detective." Olivia bit her bottom lip from smiling to much of the thought. "You know, one of New York City's finest, fighting crime."

Vanessa shook her head, no as if perhaps Olivia was already drunk, and she'd have to stay sober for the two of them. Finally, she let a smile slip. She took a sip of her drink then told Olivia that she always felt she was at the wrong place at the right time. She hadn't meant to be involved with all the horrible things going on with Serena and Blair. It was all so accidental.

"You are seriously bad ass." Olivia cracked up. Finally, she had Vanessa laughing too. Olivia pulled out a colorful muslin tie-dyed scarf from her bag which all her essentials(She was a homeless person at the moment). "I found this for you." She wrapped it around Vanessa's neck then. "Now this isn't just any scarf. In fact, it might as well have been Louie Garrel's little brother's scarf. He's this up and coming rocker."

"Oh, really, you have a way of making everything sound better, O." Vanessa smiled as she felt the fabric of the scarf.

"What can I say?" Olivia smiled back. "I try."