The first act of the play had been wonderful. The cast was clearly at the top of their game, and Blaine's group was having a good time. Burt leaned forward in his seat every time Beau Bridges took the stage. After the first few minutes, Blaine had been able to ignore the hints of Eau de Kurt that occasionally wafted his way, and he had solved the problem of their hands bumping unexpectedly on the shared armrest by keeping his left hand in his lap. He had a bad moment when he realized Kurt was quietly humming along with Rosemary's part of Been a Long Day and it dawned on him exactly how closely Ponty's thoughts mirrored his own. It was so easy to imagine that Kurt was singing with him, about him.

Now she's thinking: I wonder if we take the same bus.
And he's thinking: There could be quite a thing between us. If he didn't live so far away
Now she's thinking: He really is a dear.
And he's thinking: But what of my career? I'd be looking for a job, that's for sure

Now she's thinking: I wish that he were more of a flirt.
And he's thinking: I guess a little flirting won't hurt. Yes, it will. Don't even think about it.
Now she's thinking: For dinner we could meet.
And he's thinking: We both have got to eat.  A date just the two of us I wish

Now she's thinking: What female kind of trap could I spring?
And he's thinking: I might as well forget the whole thing. That's exactly right
Now she's thinking: Suppose I take his arm.
And he's thinking: Well, really, what's the harm? Let's see, I get fired, Kurt gets kicked out<

He managed to drag his thoughts back to the play, losing himself in the story once again.

At intermission, Jonny and Ash went in search of something to drink, and Burt got up to stretch his legs, but Blaine and Kurt stayed in their seats, talking. It turned out that both had been in performance groups in high school, and both enjoyed acting, although neither had chosen to pursue careers in the field.

The second act was just as good, and Blaine managed to suppress his feelings, even when Ponty kissed Hedy and realized he was in love with Rosemary. They all joined happily in the standing ovations afforded the cast, then collected their belongings and started up the aisle.

"That was fantastic, Blaine," Ash said when they got outside and away from the crowd.

"Oh, we're not done yet," laughed Blaine. "Heidi's arranged for us all to go backstage and talk to Catherine Zuber, the costume designer." He led the way over to the stage door. "Hi, Neil. This is my group from Runway: Burt and Kurt Hummel, Ash Montague and Jonny Hart."

Neil checked his clipboard. "Okay, I've got all of you. Go on in. Alex said to tell you he'd see you inside."

Blaine led them through a short passageway and onto the stage where Alex awaited them. "Hi, guys. I'm Alex, and I'm an assistant stage manager here with How to Succeed. Ms. Zuber will be with you shortly, but I'd like to show you how some of our equipment works." He continued talking, showing them the orchestra pit and the conductor's platform that doubled as a staging area for Ponty when he rose into the air. They all got to stand in the elevator, reminding Blaine of Been a Long Day once again. He shook his head and tried to concentrate. After the tour, they were ushered into a little alcove where they were joined by Ms. Zuber. Alex introduced everyone, then pulled Burt aside. "I know the designers will find Ms. Zuber fascinating, but I doubt you'd enjoy the conversation much. If you'd like to wait here, I'll see if I can find someone more interesting for you to talk to."

After Ms. Zuber had told the designers all about the challenges of designing costumes for a production with such active choreography and so many quick changes, she answered their questions and signed their Playbills. As she handed his back, Kurt suddenly realized Burt wasn't there. "Blaine, where's my dad?" he asked in alarm. Blaine put a finger to his lips in the classic "ssh" signal and beckoned for Kurt to follow him. Kurt's hand flew to his mouth in surprise when he realized that Burt was deep in conversation with Beau Bridges. Mr. Bridges saw Kurt and turned to Alex. Alex nodded, and motioned for Kurt and Blaine to join them. "Is this your son, Burt?" Mr. Bridges inquired, offering his hand.

"Hello, Mr. Bridges. I'm Kurt."

"Please, call me 'Beau'. It's nice to meet you."

Blaine had been hanging back, not wanting to intrude on the Hummel's experience, but Beau was having none of that. "And you're Alex's friend?" he asked, extending his hand again.

Blaine stepped forward. "I'm Blaine Anderson. I'm one of the assistants with Project Runway."

"Oh, so you're one of the guys who really knows how to 'make it work', then."

Blaine smiled. He's seen the show, or at least knows Tim's catchphrase. "Just one of many."

Beau turned back to Kurt. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Kurt knew exactly what he wanted to ask. It was something he'd always wondered about. "Do you prefer television, movies, or the stage?"

Beau looked surprised. "That's a good question for a change. People usually want to know how long it took me to learn to knit. I enjoy all three media, but there's nothing like the energy of a live audience. It's easier to give your best when you're getting constant feedback. But I suspect you know that. Your dad told me you're a performer, too."

They continued chatting until Beau smiled and said, "Alex is giving me the signal that I need to go. Burt, I really enjoyed meeting you and your son. You, too, Blaine." He signed their Playbills, and Alex escorted them back to the area where Jonny and Ash were waiting and directed them out to the street.

As soon as they were outside, Kurt threw his arms around Blaine. "That was amazing! How did you know? You saw Dad get excited when he found the name in the Playbill, but this had to have been arranged in advance. You didn't have the opportunity during the show."

Why does it feel so good when I'm in his arms? It feels like I'm home."I'm glad it made you happy. I heard you talking to Marisol, so I called Alex. I didn't think Burt would enjoy meeting Ms. Zuber as much as the rest of you. So, Burt, what did you and Beau talk about?"

They were on the way back, enjoying the lights in Times Square, still hearing about Burt's visit with Beau, when Blaine felt his phone vibrate. He looked at the message and frowned. "They've moved the final selection up to tonight. We need to get back now."

The designers had gathered in the lounge again, sitting at the same tables they had used during the first meeting. Heidi surveyed the room, then mounted the dais. "First of all, I want to apologize for springing this on all of you. We discovered a conflict tomorrow morning and were forced to do this now. Did you all enjoy the shows?" She paused to wait for the applause to die down. "I'll take that as a 'yes', then," she said with a smile.

"It's late, so we're not going to drag this out. All of you can stay seated. However, before we start, I would like to emphasize that we think all of you are talented and have great futures ahead. We wish we could have selected all twenty of you, but that wasn't possible. If you weren't selected this time, please apply again.

"Whether you were selected or not, please remember the rules we went over on Friday. You must all act in such a manner that no one knows whether you were selected until after the show airs in two weeks. You may not tell anyone whether you were selected, and we would prefer that not mention the show at all if possible.

"Okay. Without further ado, the twelve designers who will appear on Project Runway are …"

Blaine was stunned. He really didn't expect Aaron to make the cut, but he thought Kurt was shoo-in. It had to be Nina. I wonder why. He looked around the table. Aaron looked a little sad, Michele looked relieved, Burt was glowering and Kurt was … gone. He looked around. Had Kurt been so upset that he had run out of the room? Oh, there he is. What is he doing? I don't believe it. Actually, yes, I do believe it. It's exactly what he would do.

"Annie, Jen, April congratulations all of you!" Kurt hugged each girl in turn. "I'm so happy for you, and I can't wait to see what you design."

The girls looked at each other. By unspoken agreement, Annie seemed to have been appointed spokesperson. "Kurt, we're so sorry. We wish you could be with us. We're going to miss you."

"Don't be sorry. I had a wonderful time, and I got to meet all of you. I know we can't communicate while you're on the show, but let's keep in touch afterwards, okay?"

"You can count on it," said April.

Kurt moved on to the next table. "Hey, Ernesto, good job. You made it! I'm so happy for you!" He realized that Ernesto looked tense and upset. "What's the matter?"

"I feel terrible, Kurt. I … I took your spot."

"That's ridiculous. You can't know that. Anyway, everything happens for a reason. Maybe the reason I was in New York was so that I could help you a little. I just wasn't supposed to be on the show this time, that's all." Kurt saw that, once again, stronger measures were needed. He pulled Ernesto into a hug. This time, Ernesto responded immediately, hugging back fiercely. "Now, go celebrate! There are one or two more people I want to talk to, so I'll see you later, okay?" Kurt continued on his rounds.

Ernesto was torn. He thought about how proud his mother and sister would be. He thought about how this was his chance to get out of that narrow-minded Texas town. Then he thought about how nervous he had been before the interview, and suddenly he wasn't torn at all. He went to find Tim.

"Excuse me, Tim. Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Congratulations Ernesto! I'm so glad you were selected. Now, what can I do for you?" Tim replied.

"I was so nervous before my interview. I would have really blown it, except … except Kurt … he helped me. He calmed me down. Now I feel like I stole his spot on the show -- that if he hadn't helped me, he would have gotten on. I feel like I should resign so he can have the spot."

"Did Kurt say anything to you?"

"No. Well, yes, he did. He said that he was happy for me, that he was glad I got it. And he really meant it, too. He wasn't mad at all. That's the worst part. He said maybe his purpose here was to help me."

Tim thought back over the deliberations. For some reason, Nina had been adamant about not wanting Kurt. Although the other judges didn't agree, they had given in, simply because they wanted to keep harmony on the show, and the three candidates were fairly even. "I can't reveal the standings of the contestants, Ernesto, but I think you should just forget about it. If Kurt isn't worried about it, then you shouldn't be, either. I don't think giving up your spot would do Kurt any good. Besides, do you think he would accept the spot under those circumstances?"

Ernesto smiled for the first time. "No, you're right. Kurt wouldn't take it. Okay, thanks Tim. I'm not going to forget it, but I'll stop worrying about it."

Blaine felt a vibration and pulled his phone from his pocket. Bring the Hummels. H

Blaine scanned the room again, finally locating Kurt with Marisol.

"Excuse me, Marisol," Blaine said. "Kurt, Heidi wants to see you and your dad."

They collected a still-fuming Burt and crossed the room. Does Heidi want me here? She said 'bring', not 'send'. Blaine decided to stay unless Heidi said otherwise.

"Hello, Kurt. I see you finally got to wear your tux. It looks marvelous on you. Is this your father?" Heidi could tell that Burt wasn't pleased.

"Yes, this is my dad, Burt Hummel. Dad, this is Heidi Klum."

"I know who it is, Kurt."

"Mr. Hummel, I must tell you how impressed we all were with Kurt. He's a lovely person, and very intelligent. As I'm sure you know, he outsmarted us on several counts." She turned to Kurt without giving Burt a chance to respond. "I want you to know that it was really close, Kurt. Your personality is a perfect fit for the show. We all think you have great potential, and we want you to get some design classes under your belt and apply again in a year or two."

Kurt smiled happily. "Thank you so much! It was an amazing experience, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Blaine shook his head. I don't get it. He doesn't sound disappointed at all.

"I'm curious. What did you like best?" Heidi was genuinely interested.

"Where to start? The show was fantastic, and going backstage was just incredible. Being taken around to tour the city -- that was so great, especially having such a wonderful guide." He smiled at Blaine. "But I have to say the best part was all the people we met. George, Mike, Annie, Jen, April, Andrew, Sandy … oh, I can't forget Ernesto. And Michele and Aaron ... well, you get the idea. I made friends this weekend that I'll probably have the rest of my life. Best of all, though, was meeting Blaine. I mean I know it was his job to take care of us, but he never made us feel like it was just a job, and he went way beyond what the job called for. It was like visiting a good friend."

Blaine swallowed hard. Wow. Just. Wow.

"What about you, Mr. Hummel? What did you like best?" Judging from Burt's expression, it was safe to pull him into the conversation now; he seemed to have mellowed a little.

"First of all, call me 'Burt', Ms. Klum."

"And you must call me 'Heidi', Burt."

"Okay, Heidi. I think Kurt summed it up very well. The experiences were great, but it was the people who made the trip memorable. And take everything he said about Blaine and double it."

The lounge had emptied out and Blaine had walked up with the Hummels, double-checked their flight time and told them goodnight. He was on his way back down to collect his clothes from the storage room and go home when he came to a sudden halt in the middle of the hallway. A broad smile spread across his face as he was struck by a sudden realization. He's not a contestant. ... He's not a contestant so I can tell him that I like him. The smile disappeared as fast as it had come. That was a fantastic opportunity and I'm happy because he missed out. I'm a horrible person. I'm putting my happiness ahead of his. I don't deserve to be with him. His mind was racing. I like him. … He's perfect. … He lives in Ohio. … How can we have a long-distance relationship when we barely know each other? … Blaine groaned. He had the feeling it was going to be a sleepless night.

Kurt and Burt were ready to go through security. The goodbye, which should have been quick and easy, was completely awkward. The heaviness of things left unsaid permeated the air, at least for Blaine. Finally, Burt decided he needed to wind this up or they would miss their plane. He extended his hand. "Blaine, it was a wonderful experience. Thank you for taking such good care of us." Still maintaining his hold, he tilted his chin down and looked directly into Blaine's eyes. "I want you to know, Blaine, that any contact you want to pursue with either of us is welcome. Call, text, Skype any time. And we'd be happy to have you visit, should you ever be unfortunate enough to find yourself in Ohio."

Did he just tell me he's okay with it if I want to see Kurt? "You know, I have the feeling that Ohio might be a pretty nice place. Maybe I'll take you up on that."

Burt nodded and released his grip.

Blaine turned to Kurt, preparing to repeat the gesture.

Kurt looked at the outstretched hand and shook his head. "We're way beyond shaking hands, Blaine. We're friends, right?" Kurt pulled Blaine into a hug. Blaine was ready this time, and hugged Kurt back, trying to forge some kind of bond, some way to keep Kurt with him. I wish this was more than friendship. "Kurt, I …"

"Kiddo, we've got to go or we'll miss the plane," Burt said gently.

"Wait, Dad, Blaine was saying something."

"No, your dad's right; you've got to get going. Have a safe trip. You have my number. Call me if there's anything I can do for you." Blaine forced himself to turn and walk away.