“Which one was Gillian?”

“The one with the really long red hair. She broke up with me right in the middle of The Music Man.”

“I remember,” Scarlett said. “You sat in your room for three days over the long weekend and got drunk on that Johnnie Walker you stole from her apartment and told Mom you had the flu, except you smelled like booze. And you threw up a lot. And you never changed your clothes.”

Spencer nodded, not even a little taken aback by the description.

“Exactly. That’s what it feels like. I know.”

“Didn’t you go out with her best friend a week later?” Scarlett asked.

“That’s not the point…”

“And she broke up with you, so it’s not really the same.”

“All right. That was a bad example. Do you remember Emily, from junior year?”

“From The Glass Menagerie?”

“That’s the one. I broke up with her, and I felt horrible. I was a big, hot mess.”

“Yeah, but didn’t you break up with her because she was gay and about to break up with you anyway to date that other girl in your class?”

“Scarlett,” Spencer said, drawing himself up, “I am trying to teach you a lesson.”

“Sorry.”

“Lola’s way too calm.”

“Lola’s always calm,” Scarlett replied.

“Lola isn’t always calm.”

He said it like he knew what he was talking about, but Scarlett couldn’t figure out what he was referring to.

“You only look that calm when you feel relief,” he went on. “When you didn’t care in the first place.”

This was punctuated by a slamming door and heavy footfalls down the hallway. Marlene came tearing into the Orchid Suite and made right for Lola’s bed, clawing at the sheets and pulling them off the bed, then knocking things off the dresser. It was a very uncoordinated effort, one that screamed of a general frustration. Spencer caught her around the waist and hoisted her up. She flailed at him, but the blows were ineffective.

“Marlene,” he said, “you must chill a little, okay?”

He kept her dangling there until she gave up and went limp. Lola rejoined them and looked at Marlene sadly.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Marlene, I really am.”

Marlene wasn’t interested. She wiggled her way out of Spencer’s grasp and stalked out of the room.

“Why is she more upset than you?” Scarlett asked.

“I think she sees Chip as an older brother.”

“She has an older brother,” Spencer said. “I’m her older brother.”

“Her older brother with a boat and a driver,” Lola clarified. “She got attached to him. She’ll be all right. I’ll talk to her when she calms down. Don’t let her break anything, okay?”

Lola went off again, and Spencer just shook his head in amazement.

“That’s enough drama for tonight,” he said, peeling off his shirt. Even he was struck by the powerful odor that had been caused by the long day in the church. He held it at arm’s length. “I’m done. I’m going to go to bed and read important books about theater.”