After Blaine left, Kurt decided to spend a little time updating his blog. He logged into his computer, still puzzled about the password. He could just barely see an idea peeking out of a dark corner of his consciousness, but he wasn't quite able to coax it forward into the light so he could examine it. He knew better than to let it bother him; things like that had happened before, and he always figured them out eventually. He put it out of his mind and checked his e-mail, discovering that he and Chris were needed in the workroom at 8:30. There was a follow-up from Jo saying that she would have his materials there and would do her best to keep Blaine out, but he might want to be prepared with a cover story about the shirt, just in case. That's a good idea. If he catches me, I'll just say it's for myself ... or Lars. He replied to Blaine, confirming the time and adding a personal message complimenting Blaine's musicianship. There was also an e-mail from Heidi about using the lunch footage with Andrew, asking him if he had any objections to including the part where Andrew had chastised him about the way he referred to Christy. He responded that he was fine with it.

It felt funny to work on the blog knowing that it wouldn't be posted until the episode aired in mid-January, but he was sure it would be better to write it while the events were fresh in his mind. He found it quite empowering to have something to say and a platform on which to say it. It was mind-boggling to think of the number of people he might reach.

The first challenge is finished! If you're reading this, you probably already saw the show (and if not, you should have!), so I won't describe what went on, but I have to say that Andrew's story about his friend Christy really took me back to my high school days. I was briefly a member of our cheerleading squad, and the pressure to be thin, both from the coach and the other students, was insane. One of my friends made herself ill before we both realized that it wasn't healthy.

Marisol's dress was absolutely beautiful. I wish I could see the quilt she made when she was a little girl. One of the techniques she used is called trapunto and she very kindly taught me how to do it. That's one of the best things about this experience: the opportunity to learn from other people. It was a huge ego boost to be in the top three, but if I had been one of the bottom three, I still would have gotten to learn from Heidi, Michael, and Nina, and that is something money can't buy.

All the designers gathered at our apartment after the runway show for supper. I ate Coq au Vin for the very first time (thank you, Marcel) and all the food was delicious, but the camaraderie was the best part. Mark is a gifted mimic. I wish you all could have heard him channeling Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada". If the fashion industry doesn't work out for him, he has a future as a stand-up comic. One of Heidi's assistants brought his guitar and we had a sing-along. He has an amazing voice, and he's a natural performer. Somehow he managed to get everyone to participate. It got to the point where we were all suggesting really obscure songs, just trying to find something he didn't know how to play, but we never managed to stump him. Heidi has perfected the art of surrounding herself with wonderful, talented people. All the staff members go out of their way to be kind and helpful and it's a pleasure working with them. It would be fun to sing in the workroom some time. If we do, though, you won't see it on the show because they'd have to purchase the performance rights to the songs, and I doubt they'd do that.

Here's some fashion advice for you: Accessories might be the most important part of your look. The right elements can take clothing from 'just fine' to 'absolutely fabulous' easily and inexpensively. Whether it's a brooch or a belt, a hat or a handbag, a pair of earrings or a pair of shoes; it's that little extra touch that makes an outfit your own creation, even if every single piece of it came off the rack. If you can't make your own accessories, check out your friends. One of the makeup artists for the show has a fifteen-year-old daughter who makes beautiful jewelry. You may find a very talented artist right in your own back yard.

That's it from Kurt's little corner of the world. I'll see you all next week.

When he finished, he read it again, checking for typos, but also for any hint of negativity. He was determined that his blog be completely upbeat, since he was positive his dad would be reading it. Kurt was a glass-half-full kind of guy -- in contrast to some people he knew, who not only perpetually saw the glass as half empty, but also thought it was dirty and weren't sure they liked what it contained -- so it was easy for him to put a positive spin on things most of the time. He wanted to taste it all, to experience everything that life had to offer, and he planned to take full advantage of anything that happened to come his way. He submitted the blog and went to the kitchen to check on the cookie-making schedule.

"Chris and I are supposed to be in the workroom by 8:30 tomorrow morning, so we'll be able to get all the gift bags done then. Annie, are you going to start your Christmas Rock Cookies tomorrow?"

"First thing in the morning. Marisol and I already have it planned. The dough is supposed to sit in the fridge overnight, but if I mix it in the early morning, we can bake the cookies in the afternoon. How many of each type of cookie do you think we need to make?"

"Well, each of the designers, including all of us -- I'm not missing out on the goodies -- needs a bag, so that's twelve. There's Heidi, Jon, Nina, Michael, and Tim, so that makes 17. There are six assistants, two cameramen, and Mike, so that's 26. I know there are lots of others that we don't know about who work behind the scenes, but I think it's okay if we only give them to people we've actually met. If we have extras, maybe we can make up a plate for the editing department or something. Oh, and if we can, I'd like to give some to Mandy and John in the fitness center, and George, the concierge."

"That sounds good to me," Annie replied, "but who is Mike?"

"You remember Mike -- he drove us to Bryant Park and he probably picked you up at the airport."

"Oh, he was very nice. I'm glad you included him. So that's roughly 30 people. Why don't we call it three dozen, since most cookie recipes specify their yield in dozens," suggested Marisol. "We're not trying to feed people for a week; we just want to give them a little treat, so six or eight cookies each ought to be plenty, depending on the size of the cookie, of course. We're making four kinds of cookies, so six dozen of each ought to do it."

Annie groaned. "I hate maths! So if my recipe makes 96 cookies, how many batches do I need?"

"96 is eight dozen, so one recipe should be plenty unless the cookies are so small that you think we need more. Each person would get two and we'd have about 24 left over. Two batches would be way too many, so if you want to make more than one, it should be one and a half batches."

"Nope. Not gonna do it! I'm not trying to figure out 1 ½ times all those ingredients. I'd mess it up and we really would have Christmas rocks," Annie declared adamantly. "So, when are we going to pass these bags out?"

"That's a problem," mused Kurt. "Christmas is Tuesday, and all the designers will be here, of course, but I don't think any of the staff members will be around. The talent show is Saturday, and the models …. oh, my gosh! I forgot about the models. That's either 11 or 12 more. I don't know if we should give all the models cookies, but I think I should at least give Lars some, and you all probably want to give your models a bag, too."

"It seems kind of rude to give some of the models something and not give it to all of them. I think we're still okay. Annie's recipe makes 8 dozen, and mine makes at least that many, so that would take care of 48 people if you and Jen each make 8 dozen, as long as you have enough fabric for the bags. Why don't we plan on passing out as many as we can at the talent show, and catching everyone else sometime on Monday? Can you make 48 bags?"

Kurt frowned. "I guess it's my turn to do some 'maths', as Annie says. The fabric is 56" wide, so if I cut the pieces 14" by 12", I can get 12 from a yard of fabric. I got two different three-yard pieces, so yes, I can easily make 48 bags."

"Do you have a rotary cutter, Kurt?" Marisol asked.

"A what? Whatever it is, I don't have one."

"It's a circular blade attached to a handle. We quilters use them. I tell you what I'll come with you in the morning and help you. You'll see; the cutting will go much faster. Once the pieces are all cut, I can come back and help Jen and Annie with the cookies while you and Chris sew."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll e-mail Jo, and then I think I'm headed for the shower, if that's okay with you, Marisol. Good night, ladies."

When Blaine logged out of Facebook, he was happy on several levels. First, he had some more ideas for Kurt's CD. Second, it was great to be back in touch with Wes. He was older, of course, and much more confident than the homesick Dalton freshman had been, but it didn't seem like he had changed much, and Blaine was looking forward to getting to know him again. Third, Blaine finally had someone with whom to talk about Kurt. Wes knew Kurt, but Kurt wouldn't be allowed any outside contacts for the duration of the show, so Blaine could say anything he wanted without worrying that Wes might accidentally let something slip. Facebook chat was fine for now, but he hoped they would exchange phone numbers soon.

He checked his e-mail one more time before leaving the office and was pleased to see that Chris, Jo and Kurt had responded. All three e-mails were confirmations, and Blaine was skimming them so quickly he almost missed the note at the bottom of Kurt's.

The party was much more fun because you were there! Wes wasn't kidding about your charisma or your musical virtuosity. You're just an amazing person, Blaine. You and I didn't get to talk much, though. Were you avoiding me? JK If I find out you told Tim about my little faux pas, you're dead meat. Consider yourself threatened. I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. Are you coming to supper? ~K

Blaine wished they had been able to spend more time together, too, but it seemed rude to talk while Mark was performing. Once the singing started, there hadn't been time for conversation since he was providing all the music, and he certainly didn't want to take up any of Kurt's precious phone time. He was content just to be spending time in Kurt's company, listening to his incomparable voice and gazing into those beautiful eyes that seemed to change colors at random. At times, he had gotten so wrapped up in the beautiful man in front of him that he had missed a chord here and there, but no one seemed to notice. Blaine read the e-mail again, savoring the words, committing them to memory. He said I was amazing! This e-mail's going in the treasure box when I get home. He began to hum contentedly to himself as he stashed his guitar in the corner of the office, ready for Thursday night's practice, and headed for the subway, using the commute to start learning the 14 background tracks of the Billy Joel song and review the songs from Rent.

When got to the office on Thursday morning, Heidi was already ensconced in her office. As was his custom on the rare occasions when she arrived first, he stuck his head in her door as soon as he got in. If she was there first and the door was open, she usually had something she needed him to work on.

"Good morning, Blaine. Please come in. I've got several things for you this morning. First of all, I want you to call all the families to remind them to send the video cameras back today. When Sandy comes in, please ask her to order 11 iPod Shuffles for Monday. The color isn't important, and the smallest capacity will be fine. Jon should be e-mailing her the list of songs to download." Blaine was making notes as she talked. "Can you read this if I turn my monitor?"

He nodded assent, and looked at the screen. So this is Kurt's blog. He writes well. He felt his ears turning pink when he got to the third paragraph, but kept reading. He knew that wasn't what Heidi wanted. "Oh, that would be Isaac. He usually wears an earring, and it's been different every time I've seen him. Sometimes it's beads, and sometimes it has feathers, but it's always dangly and quite distinctive. If his daughter made all of them, she has talent."

"Find out if she makes them in pairs and bring me a selection. If she has something I like, I'll wear them on the show, if Isaac approves, of course. You know my color pallet, and I'll choose the dress to match the earrings. How is it that Kurt knew about this and I didn't?"

"He seems genuinely interested in people. He notices things, and comments on them. I've seen the earrings, but I've never asked Isaac about them. Evidently, Kurt did."

"People respond well to him, too. They tell him things they might not tell other people."

"Yes, I've noticed that. Should I give Isaac the backstory on this?"

"Yes, that's fine. Be sure he knows Kurt didn't mention any names. Speaking of Kurt, does he have an issue with sharing food? No, wait, let me rephrase that. Something made Kurt uncomfortable last night. Is it anything I need to be concerned with?"

I thought I had distracted her. I should have known better; nothing ever gets past Heidi. "No, he's fine. We had a humorous miscommunication. He didn't find it quite as funny as I did, even though I was the one who made the mistake. I think he'd rather you didn't know the details, though." And I'm sure I'd rather you didn't know the details.

"Okay. I'll leave it in your hands." Heidi suddenly dropped out of business-mode. "Blaine, Tim and I both want you to know that we enjoyed your performance last night. I had no idea you were so talented."

"Thank you, but it wasn't really a performance. It was just a group of people singing together."

"You led them, you provided the accompaniment, and you got them to participate. It was a performance. I saw that you're on the program for the talent show. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action again. Oh, one more thing." Heidi's business demeanor was back as suddenly as it had left. "Ask Amy to collect Mark and bring him to my office at 9:30. Did he respond to your e-mail?"

"Not as of about 9:00 last night, but I haven't checked this morning. If he hasn't responded, shall I have Amy go early to make sure he gets here on time?"

"Yes, thank you. I think that's all for now. Oh, … no, it's not. How did we manage to forget about socks on the accessory wall? We need to do something about that by Monday."

"We're using Blue Fly again this season, and they don't sell socks," Blaine explained, "and it never even occurred to me. Sorry about that. I'd be happy to pick up socks for the designers when necessary, or we could just get a few basic colors from Saks." Blaine was never shy about taking ownership of a problem; it was one of the traits that Heidi appreciated in him.

"It wasn't your fault; we all forgot. I have a feeling Kurt won't be happy with a few basic colors. Let's do both -- get some solid colors but give all the menswear designers an opportunity to request the socks they want."

When Blaine returned to his desk, he checked his e-mail. Mark had not responded, but there was a message from Heidi. When did she send that? I hope I didn't miss something important. He opened it.

I could have told you in person, but I wanted you to have this in writing. You've been working some very long hours lately. I know you'll take time off later, but you worked last weekend and you'll be working again this weekend with the talent show. I know you're going to say last night was just fun, but it was work, too. You took care of the phones without complaint, even though I dropped it on you with no warning, and if there had been any problem with the designers, you would have handled it. Your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. I don't want to see you after lunch today. Go do something fun! H.K.

Blaine was astounded. Heidi was always generous with her praise, but this was the first time he'd ever been told to take time off. He appreciated the gesture, but he really couldn't think of anything 'fun' that he wanted to do. He needed to work on the song he was writing for the talent show, but he planned to do that after he rehearsed with Kurt. I wonder if he's free this afternoon. We could practice early, and maybe get coffee together afterwards. He began to reach for his phone, but  pulled his hand back with a sigh. Right. I can't text him. He started a new e-mail message.

Hey, Kurt possible change of plans. Heidi kicked me out of the office for the afternoon; she says I'm working too many hours. I thought maybe we could rehearse after lunch instead of this evening. Let me know if that works for you. And we never did settle that whole 'top or bottom' question. I'm in favor of switching. Our voices are different, so we each bring something unique to the harmony. But if you'd rather sing the melody, I'm good with that, too. B

It was getting close to 8:00 and people were beginning to arrive at work. Sandy came in and Blaine passed along the message about the iPods. "And, I should let you know, I'll be out of the office this afternoon," he told her. "Just some personal business." For some reason, he felt a little silly saying he had been told to take time off. He called Amy to tell her to her she needed to collect Mark, but she evidently wasn't at her desk yet. He left a voice mail and started on the next item on his list: calling the families.

Kurt was ready to meet Jo in the lobby, as per her instructions, but Marisol was still getting dressed. He decided to check his e-mail while he waited. The corners of his mouth turned down when he saw the subject of Blaine's e-mail. 'Change of Plans'? I hope he isn't cancelling. He smiled when he read the message; it was good to know that Heidi noticed how hard Blaine was working, and practicing after lunch would be more convenient because he still needed to make his cookies, and Annie planned to do hers in the afternoon. He realized he was able to read the 'top or bottom' reference without cringing, so maybe Blaine was right, he would be laughing about the misunderstanding soon. What is it about Blaine that makes him so easy to be around? Marisol came out of the bathroom, so he sent a quick reply and they headed down to meet Chris and Jo.

Blaine was just getting ready to call Burt when Kurt's reply came in. Feeling only slightly guilty, since the talent show was part of his job even though it felt personal, he opened the e-mail.

I'm all yours! Say about 1:00? I've got my laptop with me, so e-mail me if you need to. K

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the first three words. One day, I'm going to hold you to that.