Give him a little credit; of those three things he's at least most likely to do the last (unless the street cleaner is bearing right down on them, in which case he might lose his head entirely). He squeezes her hand back and looks over at her in surprise. "Then you know," he says, confirming his earlier thoughts with a rush of relief. "You know how these things go, right? I've never...."

He trails off, embarrassed and frustrated. He's just some spoiled American kid, and he knows it.