Six Degrees of Separation

When Geoffrey leaves, Kitty and Larkin, “another couple in their forties” (54) whose son attends Harvard with the Kittredge children, come on stage and Ouisa and Flan “take off their robes and are dressed for day” (54). Ouisa says, “Do we have a story to tell you!”; Kitty counters by saying, “Do we have a story to tell you!” (54).

Kitty gets to “go first” (54) because their story took place on Friday night rather than the previous evening. She reveals that she and Larkin “are going to be in the movie of Cats” (55). Ouisa and Flan quickly realize that the others had an almost identical experience except that they woke up to “somebody screaming Burglar! Burglar!” and found Paul “chasing this naked blonde thief down the corridor” and believe that “[t]he kid saved our lives” (55).

As the two couples exchange details about the night before and try to get hold of Sidney Poitier, who they believe is staying at a hotel Paul had mentioned, “an elaborate arrangement of flowers” (58) arrives. The card reads, “To thank you for a wonderful time. Paul Poitier” (58). To everyone’s confusion, the bouquet also contains “a pot of jam” (58).