Bobbi and Frances make up from Frances’s hurtful accusation of jealousy, but Bobbi remains bewildered that Frances likes Nick. When Nick leaves for an acting job in Scotland, Frances’s communication with him breaks down. They primarily talk over email and instant message platforms, but they both have such ironic, insincere tones in these messages that each thinks the other is pulling away.

When Nick invites her and Bobbi to stay at a villa in France with him and Melissa later that summer, she responds by bluntly asking if she and he are “still having an affair” (86). Confused, he admits that he does not know what she wants and thinks it will be hard to carry on an affair behind Melissa’s back. She sees this as a breakup, and though she is very hurt, she pretends to act unfazed. When he asks if she is seriously upset, she ends the conversation and logs off.

Melissa invites Bobbi and Frances to the French villa. Bobbi wants to go, and Frances agrees despite the potential awkwardness of seeing