* @vanderwoods3ns … “ how do you take your coffee? ”
as far as austin knows, he's not prone to lucid dreaming. so why then is the serena van der woodsen herself asking how he takes his goddamn coffee ? he's grown up here in new york. he'd know who she was even if somehow, no one else did. this part of the world is new to him -- the networking ; the events. his agent sets everything up & all he has to do for a few hours is smile & act charming. easier said than done, he'd argue. the money, however, is by far the thing he finds most difficult to wrap his head around. he's been cut checks, given sponsorship deals, & he has to take a look in the mirror every time to confirm he is still himself, & he didn't somehow accidentally stumble into a picture of dorian gray situation. ( he's already made a post some years back on how instagram is conceivably a modern-day version of wilde's story. he doesn't really remember how that post went, but the irony of putting it up on instagram & it getting as many likes as it did was not lost on him then, & certainly is not lost on him now. )
" uh, " he blinks, running his hand through his hair out of habit more than necessity. austin's never truly been a morning person, but his brain seems to have short-circuited more than usual. new york's ' it ' girl. right there. goddamn. " black, " he says finally, having made fool enough of himself for now. " or really i'll drink it whatever way. " ( . . . ) " thanks. " ( . . . ) " you ? "
