"Shit," Spot muttered.
"It's a little embarrassing, but no need for language," said Charlotte.
Spot turned to Charlotte. "Will you wait here for a minute?"
"Um, sure."
"Don't go anywhere." Spot turned and walked across the street as Adelaide sold a paper to a customer.
"This strike has made it impossible to keep up on the news," the customer mumbled, walking away.
"I can see you're righting the good fight," said Spot.
Adelaide looked from Spot, to Charlotte for a beat, then back to Spot. "I ain't one to turn away free money."
"Money ain't free, doll."
"It is when they hand it to you."
Spot raised an eyebrow. "Does your fella know you're a scab?"
"No," said Adelaide. "He and my brother and Emma are probably too hungry to realize I'm gone."
"Mmm," Spot nodded. "You know what we do to scabs, don't ya?"
"You're not gonna soak me."
"No," said Spot. "But Jack and his boys ain't gonna be too happy with you when they find out you been sellin'."
Adelaide shook her head. "That's not your style."
"If you needed money, why didn't you say something?"
"I came lookin' for you, but it seems like you were…preoccupied."
They stood, watching each other for a few beats.
"I'll keep my mouth shut if you do," said Spot.
"You'd keep your mouth shut even if I didn't," smirked Adelaide.
Spot smirked. "Because I know you'd never tell Vi."
Adelaide chuckled. She glanced over his shoulder at Charlotte. "So…what about Vi?"
Spot looked at the ground and scuffed his toe, shrugging. He looked back up.
Adelaide raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing, because neither girl deserves that."
"You telling Spot Conlon what to do?"
"I'm one of the few who can." Adelaide smirked. She looked down at the small stack of newspapers still in her hand. "And with that, I'm going to sell my way back to the bridge, and I'll be back here tomorrow."
Spot watched her walk down the street, selling newspapers as she went. With the strike, she didn't even need to yell the headlines - people flocked to her as soon as they saw the papers.
Charlotte walked up behind him. "So…are you two…I mean, were you two…?"
"Me and Aide?" Spot laughed. "No."
Charlotte nodded. "Everything okay?"
Spot grinned and put his arm around her. "Never better."
Later that afternoon, Spot was walking Charlotte home when they decided to stop by Tibby's. Spot glanced around and saw Adelaide sitting with Skittery, his arm resting on the back of her chair. Adelaide glanced up and averted her eyes when she saw him.
Moments later, Boots and Snipeshooter burst into Tibby's, nearly knocking the bell off the door and startling all who were sitting in there. Reflexively, Spot stood up, ready for a fight.
"Fellas, we got problems," Boots said, catching his breath, his hands on his knees.
"What problems?" asked Jack, standing up.
"Pulitzer and Hearst got men out handin' free papes to street kids and payin' them to sell the papes. They get to keep the money they make too!"
Adelaide kept her poker face on, but she glanced up at Spot, who met her eyes for a brief moment.
"Why would Joe do that? That's just gonna lose him money," said Jack.
"But it will win him the strike," said David. "He's giving the street kids a taste of money. Soon, they'll be lining up to buy his papes and sell them. Then the strike will end, and we'll all be out of job."
Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked over at Spot. "We said we'd soak all the scabs."
"Some of them is girls!" said Snipeshooter.
"I can't soak a girl," said Jack.
"Speak for yourself," Spot said. "But so long as the fellas aren't sellin' papes, I think that's okay. I mean, the girls probably got families to support."
Jack nodded. "We leave the girls alone."
Adelaide hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until she exhaled at Jack's words.
