 Rebecca cuts off unemployed Norm for being unable to pay his bar tab. Sam convinces her to give Norm a job at the bar, ultimately deciding on painting her "unneeded to be painted" office. As an aside, Cliff shows an obvious distaste for the painting profession. While Norm is in the office painting, Rebecca gets a call from boss and unrequited love, Evan Drake. He chews her out for the poor last fiscal performance at the bar. She s crushed and breaks down in front of Norm. This act is the first glimpse of any real human emotion anyone in the bar has seen of the previously cold-hearted Miss Howe, who admits herself that everyone sees her as being cold. Although the nature of this human connection is a secret between Norm and Rebecca, Norm does admit to Sam and Carla, to their utter amazement, that Rebecca showed some real emotion to him. Rebecca asks Norm to paint her apartment, and in an act of desperation in more ways than one, Sam pleads with Norm to let him come along as his assistant to see what Norm sees in Rebecca as a human being. Norm reluctantly agrees. Sam is a poor excuse for a painter s helper, but of course painting is not on Sam s mind. In the middle of the job, Norm is called away, leaving Sam and Rebecca alone in her apartment. Sam admits to Rebecca his real reason for coming over and Rebecca in turn does open up to Sam. Among her stories is an overachieving family and a desperate want on her part to please her father, a military captain. Things are going well between the two of them until Sam takes it one step too far. They end up back where they started, although at least knowing and understanding a little more about each other.