“Really? That was sweet. Thank you.”

I grinned. “You’re welcome. Now tell me what you were thinking.”

She opened her mouth to speak, then suddenly stopped. “I don’t want to offend you.”

“Offend me?”

“Yeah. I think what I was thinking applies to you, too, but since I don’t know you well, I can’t be sure. But I don’t want to inadvertently criticize you.”

“But what if you’re right? Then it would be good of you to criticize me, so I can fix whatever it is I’m doing that I shouldn’t be doing.”

She smiled. “That’s diplomatic of you.”

“Hey, I’ll say anything at this point just to find out what you were thinking.”

“It wasn’t that big a deal, really.”

“All the more reason why you can tell me.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Incorrigible! Okay, fine. But just remember you asked for it, okay?” She sighed and fidgeted in her seat. “I was looking at all that food, and the flowers, and the hired help, and the string quartet in the corner, and then thinking about the furniture, and the art, and the crystal, and the gold plating, and the marble floor, and the massive house itself, and wondering how much it all cost. I mean, I can’t fathom the amount of money that went into that party, much less her house. And the premiere itself! And what it took to make the movie … I mean, it’s just a movie, it’s just entertainment. And then you think how much it is to see a movie these days, and how many people will see this one, and all the other movies out there … millions and millions of dollars surround this movie alone. And when I student-taught I had kids in my class who came to school half an hour early for breakfast because their parents couldn’t afford cereal. The imbalance of resources is mind-boggling.”

She straightened, warming to her subject. “And to what end? Is Alexis happier than me because she makes about a hundred million dollars more a year than I do? Is she content? Is anyone in Hollywood content? Or do you spend all you have on cars and houses and jewelry and art and then demand a higher salary for your next movie because ten million isn’t enough to live on in a year?” She stopped talking and clapped a hand to her mouth. “I mean ‘they,’ not you; like I said, I don’t—Oh my.” She sighed. “I’ve said way, way too much. I’m so sorry.” She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. That was very judgmental. I’m not usually like that, honestly.”

Well. This was awkward. Truth be told, I was defensive, but she definitely had a point. It was pretty sad just how much money was pumped into this business.