Scarlett bit her finger and thought.

“Why?” he said. “Why are we not Chip? He doesn’t have this problem.”

“He’s going to rich camp in Boston,” Scarlett said, trying to cheer him with that morning’s gossip. “He wants to drag Lola along because he can’t hack it there by himself.”

This did not have the desired effect.

“Great,” he said, pressing the heels of his hands into his forehead. “That’s just great. I can’t think about Chip. I can’t think about why Lola is with him, I can’t think about any of it. How does that guy…live? How can he do so much nothing and get paid for it?”

“You’re not thinking about this,” Scarlett said.

“Yes, I am,” Spencer said. “This is all I am going to think about all night. Why are all rich people so useless? And why are they all around us?”

“Because we live in New York?” Scarlett said. “Best city in the world? And we live in a hotel? Where they sometimes come and stay, and that’s how we survive?”

“It’s not fair,” he said. “Why does Lola bring him here?”

“Because he’s her boyfriend.”

“You say that like it makes sense. Okay. Okay. Have to think.”

He took a deep breath and sat down on the sidewalk.

“They liked Eric,” he said. “That’s good. That’s something. They can see I’m in a show with someone who’s polite. Not a complete freak. That always helps.”

“Yeah…” she said. “And he’s good. He’s just like you. He does all those things you do. Mime, or…”

“I’m not a mime,” Spencer quickly corrected her. “Or, just the once. They made us do it for school. Never tell anyone I’m a mime. People punch mimes. It’s just stage combat, physical comedy…basic actor stuff.”

“Whatever it is,” Scarlett amended, “you know you’re incredible at it. Eric said so, too.”

“Yeah, well, everyone does something. He got a commercial out of it, anyway.”

The door swung open, and Marlene stood there, hands on hips.

“Are you getting a real job?” she asked.

“No comment,” Spencer said.

Marlene didn’t move.

“We’re having a talk in private,” Scarlett said.

“The street isn’t private.”

Now Marlene was a lawyer.

“Come on, Marlene,” Spencer said gently, “give us a minute.”

“But I want to hear.”

“That’s why private was invented,” Scarlett said. “For times just like this.”

Their privacy was further interrupted by the appearance of Chip and Lola. Spencer narrowed his eyes and looked like he was on the verge of coming out with something truly exceptional to say about his nemesis, when Lola cut in quietly.

“Mr. Kobayashi in the Sterling Suite needs his toilet unblocked,” she said. “And then Mom and Dad want to meet you in the Jazz Suite.”

It was very hard to make a good snap following that. Marlene giggled softly and went back inside.

“Thanks for passing the message,” Spencer said.

Chip didn’t linger. He gave them a nod of good-bye, and Lola walked him up the block.