On Thursday night, Alice and Hayden walk to Rum Room, talking about the difficulty of keeping their separate interviews with Margaret private. Hayden admits he often imagines how Alice would respond to what Margaret tells him, and proposes that after they deliver their pitches in a little over a week, he will share what he legally can. They shake on the plan, and their flirtation deepens despite the looming decision.

At the restaurant’s empty patio, they attempt to work but struggle to focus. Alice suggests doing something fun on Sunday, and Hayden tentatively asks whether she will try to see her mother again; Alice decides to wait until the following weekend. When Hayden questions why Alice won’t tell her mother how she feels about the lack of interest in her work, Alice explains she doesn’t want a performative change from her mother and prefers honesty over forced validation. Their physical chemistry intensifies at the table before a server interrupts, and they postpone ordering.

Back at Alice’s rental, they immediately begin kissing and undressing. Hayden reiterates his boundary that they will not have sex that night, and Alice reassures him about his body as they continue. Their encounter grows more intimate—Hayden brings Alice to climax, centering her pleasure while keeping the no-sex boundary.

Later, they drink decaf, eat pie, and fail at both working and playing Scrabble, ending up making out again. Alice performs oral sex on Hayden, and as he expresses pleasure, she reassures him she genuinely enjoys it, noting to herself that her optimism can make her seem unreliable about discomfort.

Afterward, when Alice asks for something no one knows about him, Hayden quietly tells her he is in love with her. He asks her not to respond about that until after Margaret chooses between them. They settle in to watch a movie, while Alice internally acknowledges she feels the same but will wait to say it.