The Cheat Sheet

Bree ogles Nathan’s fresh-out-of-the-shower look, his hair wet and muscles visible above the towel wrapped around his waist. He gives Bree a brotherly kiss on the cheek and thanks her for the coffee and donuts, as it was his turn to supply breakfast. Bree lies and says that she had a charley horse cramp and couldn’t sleep, so she got up early to get the breakfast. In reality, she woke up early because she broke up with her boyfriend, Martin, the night before, realizing that Martin could never take Nathan’s place in her heart. Kelsey gets angry about Bree coming over on Nathan’s only morning off (Tuesdays are off days in the NFL) and tries to make Nathan choose between her and Bree. Nathan reminds her that he was not looking for anything serious, and Kelsey breaks up with him and storms out. Bree is secretly pleased, which Nathan can tell, so he asks if Kelsey was mean to her. Bree doesn’t confirm it, but Nathan can tell. He apologizes and says that he would’ve broken up with Kelsey sooner if he knew. Bree jokes about giving back her key to Nathan’s place and implementing boundaries, even though she knows they really won’t.

Nathan lies on the couch with Bree after their run and offers to have lunch with her at CalFi, the stadium where he plays and trains. Bree declines, as she has to teach a toddler movement class. Nathan asks if she’s teaching too many classes, but Bree has to add more to her workload to cover her landlord’s rent increase. Nathan is frustrated that Bree won’t let him help her financially, even though he has secretly been covering part of her rent for the past four years, after he contacted her landlord when he last increased the rent. Nathan asks Bree if her knee hurts, as she was favoring her other leg during her jog. Bree was accepted to Julliard but got t-boned by a car running a red light during their senior year, and her knee never recovered. She did physical therapy, but she could no longer dance professionally. Nathan wanted to tell Bree how he felt about her and date her officially before they went to college, but after her accident, Bree shut him out and did not talk to him while they went to college apart. Nathan still doesn’t know why, but they don’t talk about the past. When he ran into Bree again in LA, he almost asked her out, but she had a boyfriend at the time. Their friendship resumed despite their four years apart. 

Now, Nathan wants Bree to move in with him. He wants her to save money so that she can better afford her studio and move out of her current apartment, which is stinky and cramped. Bree refuses, and Nathan asks if it’s because of Martin. Bree tells him that she broke up with Martin but skirts talking about the details by giving Nathan a Magic 8 Ball. She often gives people trinkets related to their interests or shared memories, and Nathan’s jersey number is 8. Nathan is excited that Bree is single and wonders how she would react if he kissed her. He used his key to enter her apartment the week prior and accidentally saw her naked, which only makes him want Bree more. She goes to leave, and Nathan reminds her that he’s taking her to his teammate Jamal Mericks’s party tomorrow, as the Sharks all love Bree. The next day at practice, Nathan is distracted, and Jamal mentions knowing that he and Kelsey broke up, as Kelsey posted an Instagram story announcing their breakup and suggesting that Nathan has erectile dysfunction.

The teenage girls in Bree’s class drool over a shirtless photo of Nathan, struggling to believe that he and Bree are just friends. Bree pushes them to continue with the practice. Bree charges tuition on a sliding scale, and most of her students are low income and pay very little. Nonetheless, she takes these classes as seriously as any other studio. She also cares about her students as human beings. At the end of class, she gives each girl a cookie, and Hannah looks sad. Bree pushes her, and Hannah admits that her dad was laid off and she can’t afford class anymore. Bree tells her that it’s okay and that she’s covered until her family gets back on their feet. She thinks about applying for the Good Factory, a building that offers free rental space for nonprofit organizations.

Nathan arrives at Bree’s apartment to pick her up for Jamal’s party. He brings her a slushie, as she mentioned craving one. As Bree changes, Nathan listens to a voicemail on speakerphone, and Bree hears the voice of her landlord. She wrestles the phone away from Nathan and listens to the voicemail, finding out that Nathan bought her building and has been helping pay her rent for the last four years. Bree is angry, but Nathan refuses to apologize and insists that she doesn’t owe him or need to pay him back. Bree tells him that she’s uncomfortable with the financial help because one day Nathan will get married and his wife won’t want him paying for some other woman’s life. Nathan pushes back, and Bree refuses to go to Jamal’s party. Nathan picks her up and throws her over his shoulder.

Nathan carries Bree out of her apartment as she continues to argue with him about his financial help. They run into Mrs. Dorothea, Bree’s neighbor, who finds Nathan charming. Bree confirms that Mrs. Dorothea got the coupons she slid under her door, as Mrs. Dorothea struggles financially and Bree tries to help her. Bree remembers that Mrs. Dorothea once thanked her for slipping a $100 bill in her mailbox in the past—which Bree did not do—and now Bree realizes that it must have been Nathan who gave her the money. Bree tries to pinch Nathan’s butt as he continues to carry her to the car, but his glute is too firm to grip. He gets to his truck and puts Bree inside. Bree gives him the silent treatment until she sees a tweet about what Kelsey said about him. Bree is angry, but Nathan doesn’t care. The comments under the post are supportive of Nathan, as most people see through Kelsey’s cruelty. Nathan also mentions that it’s probably Kelsey’s way to get back at him for not having sex with her. Bree is shocked that Nathan did not sleep with Kelsey, but Nathan says that he’s waiting until he really wants to have sex with someone, which makes Bree’s heart skip a beat. He then mentions that he’s celibate during the football season. Bree is embarrassed by the conversation as they arrive at the restaurant.

As they enter the restaurant, everyone stares at Nathan, and he holds Bree close to his side. Bree is annoyed that Nathan let her leave the house in a t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, as the restaurant is upscale and most patrons are dressed more formally. They meet the rest of the Sharks, who are happy to see Bree, Jamal especially. Bree gives him a handheld mirror for his birthday present, as he likes to check his appearance on nights out. Jamal is thrilled, as he loves the trinkets Bree has given him in the past. Bree says hi to Derek, Price, and Lawrence, the other Sharks present at the party. Nathan tells them that they cannot drink more than a single alcoholic beverage, as they are in the playoffs. The guys give Bree shots to take, laughing at the memory of the last time she got drunk and did a karaoke rendition of “Hello” by Adele. Nathan promises to take care of Bree, so she takes a shot.