Blaine looked to Heidi for confirmation, then stopped the audio recording and e-mailed it off to be transcribed, in case they needed to refer to it later. He waited while they filled out their score sheets and note cards. Uh oh. I know that look. Nina isn't happy about something. I wonder what it is.

"Are we good?" Heidi asked. The other three nodded. "Thank you, Blaine. We'll see you later this evening." Blaine collected the mannequin and went to join Kurt in the green room.

"Ernesto, you look great! They're going to love you!" Kurt was doing his best to reassure the other designer, but it didn't seem to be working. Blaine exchanged glances with Matt, who shrugged. Oh, man! You got a rough one. Too bad. Blaine could tell from Ernesto's body language -- shoulders hunched, hands tightly fisted, arms folded across his chest, jaw clenched -- that the interview was going to be a disaster unless something changed immediately. He gave Matt a sympathetic smile. Heidi tended to blame the assistants when things like this happened, and rightfully so, he supposed. After all, it was their job to make sure the contestants had everything they needed and were prepared and comfortable.

"Tell me about this beautiful dress. Did you make it for anyone in particular? Not everyone could wear that color," Kurt continued, gently placing his hand on Ernesto's forearm.

Blaine watched in amazement as all the tension left Ernesto's body and a smile graced his face. Evidently Kurt had found just the right thing to say. "I made it for my sister, Serena, to wear to her prom. I worked on it every day after school. She would sit with me and do her homework while I sewed. Her coloring is lighter than mine, and …. Oh, here. I have a picture." He opened his wallet.

"Oh, she's gorgeous! Blaine, come look! And that color would be perfect on her. She must be so proud of you."

"Hi, Ernesto. I'm Blaine, and Kurt is right; your sister is lovely. Kurt and I need to get going now, though, and I'm sure Matt has some things to discuss with you. Good luck in your interview," Blaine said, gently steering Kurt toward the door.

"Bye, Ernesto."

"See you later, Kurt."

"That was a nice thing you did, Kurt. Not everyone would have been so kind," Blaine said when they paused to wait for the crossing signal to change.

"What do you mean?"

"Ernesto would have completely bombed his interview if you hadn't gotten him to relax. Some people would have left him alone, figuring the worse he did, the better it was for them," Blaine explained as they stepped off the curb.

Kurt stopped dead and turned to face Blaine. "Are you suggesting that's what I should have done?" he demanded angrily. "Because I'm not that kind of person and I didn't think you were, either, Blaine."

Whoa! Where did that come from? "No, no, Kurt," Blaine protested, pulling Kurt by the arm to get him across the street before the light changed. "I didn't mean that at all. I meant what I said -- it was a very nice thing for you to do."

They walked in silence for another block, before Kurt put his hand on Blaine's arm. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I overreacted. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, but if there were, I would forgive you," Blaine said with a warm smile. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Kurt bit his lip. "Losing my mom … almost losing my dad …made me realize … sometimes you only get one chance to get things right, to do the right thing. You have to seize every opportunity that comes along because you never know when some insignificant act on your part is going to make a world of difference to someone else. You never know if this chance is the only one you're ever going to get."

There must be more to this story, but I'm not going to pry. Maybe he'll tell me someday. They walked in silence while Blaine thought about Kurt's words. "But how … how do you know …" Blaine struggled to put his thoughts into words. "How do you know what to do? How do you know you won't hurt more than you help?"

"That's easy. I just ask myself what my mother would have done."

When they entered the lounge, Blaine saw that someone had put up signs for each excursion, and his group had already assembled. While Kurt rushed to greet his father, Blaine pulled out his phone to check the names against the text he had gotten earlier. They're all here … oh, no wait … I'm missing one. "Where's Aaron?" he asked Michele.

She laughed. "I couldn't get his sorry behind out of bed this morning. He mumbled something about one activity being enough for him and told me to have a good time, so I guess we'll just have to go without him."

Blaine nodded and took a minute to text the status update to Cheryl. She would check on Aaron a little later. "Okay, then. For those of you who don't know who I am, my name is Blaine and I'll be your guide for this morning. Have you all gotten acquainted while you were waiting for us?"

"That we have," answered Annie. "Kurt, do you remember my flatmate, Jen?"

"Of course. I've been dying to ask her about those tats. Are they purely decorative, or do they have significance?"

"Ooh, save it for the car, Kurt. If you get her started now, we'll miss the whole excursion," Annie put in quickly. She knew all too well how much Jen loved to talk about the ink and metal that covered her body.

Jen laughed and stuck out her tongue at the shorter girl, revealing yet another piercing. Ouch! She must have a very high tolerance for pain. "The SUV is waiting right out here. Burt, do you want the front seat again?" Blaine asked as he held the door and motioned for them to precede him.

"Is Mike driving again? Absolutely! We didn't get a chance to finish our conversation yesterday."

Michele, Kurt and Jen filed into the back, leaving Blaine and Annie to take the middle seat. While everyone was getting situated, Annie leaned over to Blaine and said quietly, "Did Kurt get anything to eat? He just had coffee this morning. Said he was too excited."

Blaine frowned. I should have thought about that, asked if he wanted something. "Would you guys mind if we took at little detour?" he asked the group. "There's a project I'd like to show you that the city is really proud of." When he didn't hear any objections, he turned to Mike and said, "Can you run us by the Union Square Greenmarket, please?"

"Is that like a farmers' market?" asked Michele.

"Yes, but multiplied a thousand times. We have a number of Greenmarkets throughout New York, but this is the flagship; it's the biggest and it's been around since 1976. Some days as many as 60,000 people visit."

"What kind of stuff do they have?"

"Well, Jen, they've got fish, milk and cheese, exotic meats like wild game, bison and ostrich, vegetables, fruit, honey, wine, you name it. If it can be grown around here, it's available at the Greenmarket. They also have a textile recycling project."

"Do they sell crafts? I'm looking for some jewelry for Christmas presents," Annie asked, not knowing he had overheard her earlier conversation with Kurt.

"No, but there should be plenty of vendors at Bryant Park, and we'll go there next," Blaine assured her.

Mike pulled up to the curb. "I'm going to drop you here and see if I can find a place to park. You want to text me when you're ready, Blaine?"

"Yeah, that should work," Blaine agreed. "Come on, Kurt. A little bird told me you didn't get any breakfast, and I, for one, could use some coffee. There's a stall here that sells marvelous bagels. Anyone else?" Everyone nodded assent and piled out of the vehicle.

Kurt looked around in disbelief. "This is just like that scene in You've Got Mail, only bigger."

"So which one of us is Tom Hanks?" Blaine teased. Too much?

Kurt's jaw dropped and his eyes danced with amusement. "Are you kidding? I always get to play Meg Ryan."

"In that case, I think I need to pay for your bagel. Unless you'd rather have a mango."

"Tom Hanks was the one with the mango. She had apples, I think." Taking their food, they moved aside to wait for the others.

"Um … Blaine?" Kurt asked hesitantly.

"What is it Kurt?"

"I don't want to appear ungrateful or anything, but the lunch today … there weren't any choices that were on my dad's diet."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kurt. I should have thought about that. We can make arrangements for something else. Just tell me what you want."

"Well, if it's okay …. You said the kitchen was fully stocked? Does that mean I could actually cook?"

"Oh, yeah, the kitchens have already been set up for when we tape the show. It doesn't take long to get tired of restaurant food, so we let the designers make their own meals if they want to. We don't have every single little gadget, but the basics are there. You should be able to cook whatever you want."

"Everything here looks wonderful! If I could … I'd like to bake some fish and roast some vegetables. It would be so much healthier. Oh, no …." Kurt's face suddenly fell. "That won't work. The fish won't keep. Maybe I can get some other protein."

"Mike can put the fish in the fridge after he drops us at Bryant Park. He'll be going back to the Atlas then anyway." Why does it feel so good when I can make him happy?

Kurt turned to the women, bouncing on his toes with excitement. "Okay, who's joining us for lunch? We're having baked fish -- trout, if they have it -- and roasted veggies."

"That sounds marvelous," said Michele. "Aaron loves fish. I'll go get some vegetables. What do you want?"

"Lots of onions, mushrooms, summer squash if you can find some, new potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery, and anything else that looks like it would be good roasted."

After a glance at Annie, Jen replied, "We'd love to, Kurt, but we can't just leave the sex fiend to eat by herself. It would be rude."

"The sex …? Oh, April must be your other roommate." Kurt laughed, comprehension dawning. "That's not a problem. Invite her, too. Does she know you call her that?"

"Does she know? It was her idea." Jen checked her watch. "Her interview's not for another hour, so it's okay for me to text her, right Blaine?" When he nodded, she sent the text and waited for a reply.

"We need some bread," decided Annie. "I'll pop over to that stall down there. I think it said 'Rockhill Bakehouse'. I shall be right back."

"She's in," announced Jen. "I think I'll find us some fruit for dessert, and maybe a little cheese. This is so great, Kurt!"

"I need three -- no make it four -- lemons for the fish," Kurt called after her. "And see if you can find some fresh herbs, too."

"I'm on it!" Jen hollered back.

Blaine blinked. Whoa! How did this turn into a party? "I'll cancel the lunches."

"Let's see. We'll need service for eight. Do you know if the apartments have that much stuff, Blaine?"

"Seven," corrected Blaine with a smile. Kurt's face fell again. Now what? Did I hurt his feelings?

"Oh, I'm sorry, Blaine. I shouldn't have assumed. Of course, you probably need a break from all of us. I understand."

Oh! He wants me to come! Well … he's probably just being nice. Blaine suddenly realized Burt was glaring at him. "I uh... I didn't realize you were including me," he gulped.

"We wouldn't leave you out, Blaine. Not after the way you've taken care of us," Burt exclaimed as he put an arm around Blaine's shoulders. He turned to Kurt. "Kiddo, it's nine. You've forgotten Mike."

Blaine spent a few minutes with his phone. "Okay, I've cancelled the lunch orders for everyone, and I've let Sandy know what is going on with her group."

"Is Sandy their assistant? See if she wants to come." Kurt fell silent, lost in thought. "Blaine, does George work for Atlas New York?" When Blaine, nodded, he continued, smiling in satisfaction. "Then we can invite him, too."

So that's what he was doing going over the rules in his head. 'Only contestants, a parent or guardian in the case of contestants under 21 years of age, employees of Project Runway and employees of Atlas New York may enter the apartments during round two of the selection process.' "Kurt, I'm pretty sure the intention was to allow the cleaning staff to have access to the apartments."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "It's not up to me to figure out the intent of their rules. I just have to follow them as written." Blaine opened his mouth to reply, but was silenced by a wave of Burt's hand. Obstinate-Kurt. I haven't seen that side of him before.

"Kiddo, I know you want to include George, but Blaine is responsible for us. We don't want to cause problems for him," Burt said gently. "I think when Blaine said you could cook, he thought you just meant for the two of us."

"That's true, Dad. I'm sorry, Blaine. I didn't think," conceded Kurt.

"Let me make a phone call," offered Blaine. "Maybe we can work this out." Blaine stepped away from the group and scrolled through his contact list. I can't call Heidi -- she's busy. Iza doesn't have the authority. Robert will just say 'no', so he's out. He made a decision and completed the call."Jon, this is Blaine. One of my designers … no, not Aaron, Kurt … no, he's not causing a problem. In fact, he's being responsible. The lunch menu isn't suitable for his father and he wants to cook lunch for him … and he wants to invite Aaron and Michele … he can't just cook in front of them and not offer them any … and Jen and Annie … because they're on the excursion with us, and it would be rude not to invite them … and April … yes, that April … because Jen and Annie are her roomies and they didn't want to leave her to eat lunch by herself … no, there's a little more … just Sandy and me … and Mike … Mike Jacobs … he and Burt have a lot in common … Kurt's dad … no, they're not trying to influence anyone. They wouldn't do that, and none of these people have any influence anyway ... No, there's one more … George … George Grant … Grant, you know, the concierge … I know, but he does work for Atlas New York, so the rules allow it … You're right he probably won't even consider it, but in case he does, it is okay? … Yes? Great!" Blaine gave Kurt a thumbs-up before turning back to the phone. "What? … Oh, we're getting food at the Union Square Greenmarket. … I know it wasn't. … We made a little detour. … I know that's frowned upon ... Kurt had the first interview and didn't get breakfast ... I didn't realize it until Annie told me in the car, and this is one of the destinations we've used before … Yes, I should have notified the camera crew … I thought we were going to be in and out with coffee and bagels … About 15 minutes longer …" Blaine looked at Kurt and rolled his eyes. "No, Kurt isn't paying for everything. They divided it up among themselves. Everyone is paying for something. Why? … Oh. Thanks, Jon. That's really nice of you. … What? …. No, I won't let him invite anyone else."

Blaine turned around to find that he was encircled by eager designers and parents. "Okay, here's the deal: You can have your lunch and you can invite everyone you listed, including George, but you can't add any more people."

Kurt looked puzzled. "Who else would I invite?" I love that face!

"In a few minutes we'll be at Bryant Park, and there will probably be a camera crew there."

"Okay, I guess I can live with that," Kurt laughed. "No more invitations."

"And Jon said for you all to give me your receipts for the things you've already bought. Be sure you put your names on them. He'll see that you are reimbursed. To make it simpler, I'll pay for anything else we need. Let's head down to PE DD Seafood."

PE DD didn't have the trout that Kurt wanted, but they had some lovely striped sea bass. Annie had gotten honey to go with the assortment of rolls and bread she picked up, and Michele had two large bags of vegetables. Jen had found the lemons Kurt asked for, as well as several varieties of grapes, some apples, an assortment of fresh herbs including mint, three ripe mangos, and much to Blaine's delight, a pound of kumquats. Mike was astounded at the load his passengers were carrying. "I thought you guys went for bagels and coffee!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, Kurt had other ideas," laughed Blaine.

"So, Mike," Burt asked when everyone was settled in the vehicle again, "how do you feel about sea bass?"

Bryant Park was marvelous. Blaine, Annie and Kurt made a quick detour into the Children's Room of the library to see Christopher Robin's stuffed animals before hitting the vendors. As Blaine had promised, the camera crew was there, but they were so professional that the designers almost immediately became accustomed to their presence. Annie picked up several pairs of delicate blown glass earrings, Michele and Jen each got purses, and Kurt found a necklace that had Mercedes' name written all over it, literally, in rhinestones. Burt got a few little trinkets for the stockings he filled every Christmas for the children of his mechanics: Eric's son, Nathan; and Becca's twins, Max and Holly. Even Blaine took advantage of the opportunity to purchase a gift or two. They had just gotten cups of hot cider and seated themselves at a table to rest for a minute and watch the ice skaters when Blaine felt his phone vibrate.

"Sorry, guys. I guess I let the time get away from me. That was Mike, wondering where we wanted to be picked up. It's time to head back."

Kurt used the travel time to plan their meal. The veggies took the longest, so he would start those first, then put the fish on to marinade with the herbs and some olive oil. "Michele, did you get any hot peppers?" he asked, mental fingers crossed.

"Of course. It isn't a meal without some jalapenos."

"Great! Jen, can I have two of your mangos?"

"You can have anything you want, sugar," she said, leering suggestively. "What have you got in mind?"

"Hey, cut that out, you twit," objected Annie. "One sex fiend in our flat is enough."

Kurt laughed. "I thought some mango salsa would go well with the fish."

"That sounds great," agreed Michele, "and I have a wonderful recipe. If it's okay with you, I'll start on it when we get to the apartment."

"But you're supposed to be a guest. You all are," protested Kurt.

"It would be more fun to cook together. I'm not a great cook, but I can slice veg, and Jen can do the fruit."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Annie," Burt said as they pulled up to the front door of the Atlas. "See you in about an hour, Mike?"

Mike smiled. "I wouldn't miss it. Here's your room key, Burt. I put everything in the fridge."

As they walked through the lobby, Burt nudged his son. "I'm going to see George. I'll be up in a bit, okay?"

"Maybe I should tag along, Burt." Blaine suggested. "I have a feeling George won't accept your invitation unless I tell him that we have permission."