Strike of Love (2025) Movie Script

1
(bright music)
I can hear your hand
turning off the alarm
Reaching out for a dream
as you stretch your arm
And the lights go down,
that's where we belong
Everlasting sparks between two oh-oh
You don't need to close your eyes
I don't mean to tell you twice
It's the lesson that
we'll learn long ago
Long ago
Long ago
As you travel, see
what you miss the most
It's a sound sort of
fleet, that feeds you oh-oh
But if you're ever late,
you'll be late for good
Find a knot fallen
by the field with you
You don't need to close your eyes
I won't need to tell you twice
It's a lesson that we learned long ago
Long ago
Oh, honey, we were so young.
I must have been quite
the lucky number back then.
You still are, dear.
The screen needs to be high enough
so that everyone can see it properly.
That will play after the
speeches and before dessert.
And if Uncle Bob's speech
starts to run too long,
just press play.
Yes, dear.
Can you believe we're
actually saying goodbye
to that old bowling alley?
No one is saying goodbye, Mom.
Knowing Dad he'll find a way
to keep that old place going
even from Florida.
I thought Hank was taking it over?
(phone buzzes)
Oh, excuse me. That's Mandy.
Mandy, where are you?
You should be here by now.
Yes, Mom. I know.
I'll be there soon, okay?
[Mrs. Patterson] With the cake?
Yes, with the cake.
Please tell me you did not get one
with a photo of a bowling ball on it.
No, no.
I got one in the shape of a bowling ball.
Mom, I'm joking.
I got one with a really cute
photo of Grams and Gramps.
They're gonna love it.
You're not funny, dear.
I'm a little funny.
I'm just going to let you know
that even though I'm running
late, I will be there soon.
I'm about to close my first big sale,
and my clients will be here any second,
and they asked me to prepare paperwork.
This is a really big deal, Mom.
That's great, honey.
Good luck and be here soon.
Thanks. I will.
Bye.
So this is the living room.
As you can see, everything's
been freshly painted.
Wow. I love the vaulted ceilings.
It's perfect.
Emma, what do you think?
Did a princess live here before?
No, sweetie, you'll be the first.
Can I go see the playroom downstairs?
Of course you can.
I'll bet it's just like the
pictures Dad showed you.
Follow me.
Let's go.
Okay, so this is the basement.
Lots of room for games.
There's pool over there.
Darts.
Space for the kids.
I think my wife and
daughter are sold on this home.
Do you have the paperwork ready?
We'd like to move forward
as quickly as possible?
Absolutely. Yeah.
(animal skittering)
Mommy, what's that noise?
Yeah, I hear it too.
Um...
You know what?
It's probably just a
leaky pipe or something.
Or maybe it's a friendly ghost.
A what? A ghost?
Mommy, is there a ghost in the house?
Um, no, there's no ghost.
And even if there was,
I said he was friendly,
so you're safe either way.
Mommy. (whines)
I just wanna go.
Scary here. I wanna go.
[Emma's Mom] Okay, sweetie.
[Emma] Mommy.
Let's get outta here.
[Emma] It's just scary.
Yeah.
[Emma] Can we go, please?
Sorry. Sorry.
[Emma] Don't like ghosts.
It's all right.
Go back up.
(animal skittering)
Can we go please?
Mommy.
Don't have kids, do you?
Uh, no, I don't.
Well, thank you for your time.
We'll be in touch.
Yes. Thank you so much.
Okay, let's go.
Bye.
(pensive music)
Okay, ghost, friendly or
not, I'm coming to get ya.
(animal skittering)
(pensive music)
Oh my goodness. Hello.
How did you get in here?
(cat meows)
Where's your family, huh?
Can't just leave you in here.
Do you wanna go to a party?
Yeah, let's go to a party, okay?
Come on.
(party-goers chattering)
Sorry. Tom.
Tom.
Mandy, how'd it go?
Could you hold this for a second?
Sure, sure, sure.
How did the showing go?
Did they sign?
No, they didn't.
No?
What happened?
I gave you that sale on a silver platter.
I know, but it's not my fault.
It's his fault.
What's that?
[Mandy] A cat.
A kitten?
You're giving Grandma and Grandpa a kitten
for their retirement?
That's ludicrous.
They're moving to Florida.
That fur ball will be eaten by an alligator
in less than a week.
Hi, Mom.
No, I am not giving
Grams and Gramps a kitten.
Then why did you wrap it?
Well, I already had
the box for the flippers-
Hi, Tom. You look handsome.
Is that the cake?
[Tom] Yes, ma'am.
Thank you so much.
It's lovely.
Good choice.
It was actually my choice.
I picked it out.
Could you take this to the
gift table for me, please?
You wrapped a kitten, but
not your grandparents' gift?
Oh, honey, sometimes I just
don't get your sense of humor.
Come on, Tom.
I'll show you where to put that cake.
Oh, and I wanna
introduce you to Dr. Harris.
He has an executive office.
Come on, little buddy.
Let's try a carrot, okay?
They're good for your eyes.
They're good for your eyes.
You might wanna try a
piece of that chicken instead.
What?
Cats are carnivores.
They prefer chicken over carrots.
Well, bunnies eat carrots.
(cat meows)
And cats eat bunnies.
What?
Not a cat person are you?
Uh, no.
Hi.
What's his name?
Little Monster.
Cute.
Hey, Little Monster.
Do you always bring your cat to parties?
No. That's a new thing I'm trying.
I'm Mandy, by the way.
Hi, Mandy.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Jack.
Hmm.
So how do you know so
much about cats, Jack?
It's my job.
I'm a vet.
Oh, Jack.
You're Handsome Vet Jack.
Well, I wouldn't say
that's my official title,
but thank you?
Sorry, that's just what
my Grams calls you.
She talks about you.
You saved Bear's life last Christmas
when he swallowed a chicken bone,
and you do the shelter pet adoption event
at the bowling alley.
Well, I'm very flattered
your grandma talks about me.
So, Jack, what does one
do to find a kitten a home?
You're not gonna keep him?
Me? With a cat?
No. (scoffs)
No.
Why not?
I just-
Well, let me guess.
You couldn't keep a
plant alive in university.
So now the thought of being responsible
for a pet seems overwhelming.
That obvious?
My boyfriend is also allergic.
I just found him at this
house I was showing today,
and he looked cold and scared,
so thought I would bring him here.
Oh.
How's your boyfriend doing now?
Ha ha.
I'll tell you what, here's my card.
[Mandy] Oh.
Why don't you swing by tomorrow?
We'll check him for a microchip,
make sure he is healthy.
If he does have a chip, we'll
know where to return him.
That's perfect.
Thank you so much.
Mandy, there you are.
Your mother's been
looking everywhere for you.
Speeches are about to begin.
Okay, I'll be right there.
It was nice meeting you.
Come on, Little Monster.
(cat meows)
Come on.
Seriously, Mandy, what's
the story with the cat?
It's not yours, is it?
You know I'm allergic.
(gentle music)
(Gramps sighs)
Aren't we lucky, dear?
You know, when I met the
love of my life 60 years ago
in that small little bowling alley,
I just knew we were going to
have a wonderful life together.
We spent years saving every penny we had,
purchased that little bowling alley,
and we called it Larry
and Lucy's Lucky Lanes.
It was the right fit.
It's been a beautiful ride,
but now it's time to move
on to our next adventure,
retirement in Florida.
(everyone applauds)
(cat meows)
It's your own tail. I know.
(Gramps chuckles)
Rumor has it that little fur
ball cost you the sale today.
I don't think it was
just the cat, Gramps.
I don't think I'm a very
good real estate agent.
Don't be so hard on yourself.
Still new. You're learning.
Yeah, but what if this
just isn't the right fit for me?
Do you know why I
bought the bowling alley
when I was your age?
Because it's where you and Grams met
and it was special to you.
That's a part of
the story I like to tell.
But when I was your age,
I didn't know what I
wanted to do with my life.
Your grandma was an
angel and so supportive.
We loved that little bowling alley.
We saved up, and when the time was right,
we jumped in and never looked back.
But it didn't happen overnight.
I had a lot of other jobs
before I landed there.
I'm sure you'll find a place where you fit.
Yeah.
As for the little kitty here,
don't give up on him so quick.
Some things come into our
life when we need them most.
Thanks, Gramps.
Hey, are we still on for our last game
at the bowling alley tomorrow?
Of course.
Don't think I'll let you win
just 'cause you're leaving.
I wouldn't dream of it.
So far so good, little one.
Have a good night.
(cat meows)
(bell jingles)
Okay, yeah, sounds good.
We'll squeeze you in for 2:00.
Yeah. Yeah, just don't
forget to put the cone on him.
Okay. Great.
Yeah, we'll see you at 2:00.
Hi, how can I help you?
Hi, I'm just here to see Jack.
Do you have an appointment?
No, sorry.
He just told me to stop by.
Of course he did.
I'll just add you
to the Jack can't say no to animals in need
even though we're booked solid list.
Okay. Is that a long list or?
[Jenny] Long.
Okay.
Mandy, hi.
Hey.
Good to see you.
Is that Little Monster?
Sure is.
[Jenny] Great name.
[Mandy] It's temporary.
Come to me, little friend.
Hi, buddy.
How'd you guys do last night?
Good. Really good actually.
A lot better than I thought.
Good.
Glad to hear it.
(cat meows)
Yes, I know.
Hey, we're a little swamped today,
but I'll be able to squeeze
you in within the hour.
The hour?
I actually have to meet Gramps
before he catches his flight
and then I have a showing across town.
Any chance you can
squeeze us in a little earlier?
Yeah, I tell you what,
how about you just leave
Little Monster here with me
for a few hours, go do what you need to do,
we'll get 'em all sorted, he'll
be here when you get back.
Really?
Okay. That would be amazing.
Great.
Thanks.
I'll leave that for you.
Okay. Bye, Little Monster.
Goodbye. Goodbye.
Seriously?
Oh, don't even.
We'll have 100 things to do.
(bowling pins clatter)
Your Gramps is at his favorite lane.
I think he's getting a
few practice shots in.
Sounds about right.
Thanks, Hank.
Hey, Gramps.
Hi, sweetheart.
Are you sneaking in
some unfair practice reps?
Any advantage these old bones can get.
Where's your shirt?
I'll be right back.
Okay.
(bright music)
(bowling pins clatter)
Watch a road and river
and the rain rippling at night
And I saw the silver
moon beams on the trees
And I heard the spring
wind in the weeds whistling
But I never heard the secrets
(bowling pins clatter)
Yes!
Whoo-ooh
Whoo-ooh
(bowling pins clatter)
Still got it.
No, you got lucky.
Always do.
That's why they call it...
-Lucky Lanes.
-Lucky Lanes.
What is this place gonna
be without you, Gramps?
That's what I wanted
to talk to you about.
Your grandmother and I discussed it
and we want to give this place to you.
To me?
But I thought Hank was taking over.
Nope.
Have you seen his shirt?
Of course I've seen his shirt.
Nice shirt, Hank!
Thanks, Mandy.
Hey, you know, they
got a real live alligator,
lives in this retirement community.
His name is Brutus.
He's following you and Grams to Florida?
Couldn't pack fast enough.
But what happened?
I thought he was so excited
to take over the bowling alley?
He was, but he's not much younger
than your grandmother and I.
The more he heard us talking about Florida,
the more he realized
that sunshine and beaches
sound pretty good for his old bones.
Sounds pretty good
for my young bones too.
(Gramps chuckles)
Any chance I can just
skip the whole career thing
and go like straight to retirement?
What do you say?
I know this place is a lot of work
and we need to discuss
the struggling finances,
but your grandmother and I both agree
you're the perfect person
to take over this place.
I don't know.
Tell you what, take the keys for a month.
Hank will stick around
until you're settled in.
After a month, it's not
the right fit, sell the place.
Sell it?
If it's not for you,
I trust that you'll find
the perfect owners.
Hey, Larry.
They got a beach where
you can dig for shark teeth
where we're going.
Shark teeth, Larry.
And people say
retirement's gonna be boring.
(Mandy laughs)
So as you can see,
the kitchen is plenty big
enough for big family dinners.
But there's so much
more I have to show you.
Come on. Come on.
So this is the laundry room.
As you can see, there's
so much space in here.
Wow. So much space.
Look, Betty, there's even
a cat door for Mr. Binky.
Oh.
So perfect.
So that's how you got in.
Huh.
I love this living room.
Beautiful.
We could live here.
So what do we think?
-It's perfect.
-Gorgeous.
Great. Should I prepare the paperwork?
-Yes.
-Yes, please,
Great.
You guys are gonna love it here.
Thank you. Thank you.
I sold it!
Mandy, hi.
What are you doing here?
I sold my first house.
That's amazing, Mandy.
Congratulations.
I am so proud of you.
Ron. Ron.
Mandy, this is my editor, Ron.
Ron, this is my girlfriend, Mandy.
Nice to meet you.
Well, likewise. Congratulations.
How do you have time for a girlfriend?
Well, we work together.
That makes sense.
Chapter six, amortize your assets.
Oh, I wouldn't say-
Oh, and chapter eight,
the art of multitasking.
You do live by your principles.
[Tom] Well...
I don't think I'm a chapter in your book.
Mandy, I am so glad you're here.
We're trying to come up with a new title.
"Real Estate Guru 2: How to Stay on Top".
What do you think?
I think it's very
similar to your first book,
"Real Estate Guru: How to Get to the Top".
So if that's the intent,
then it's great, yeah.
Of course that's the intent.
Look, we're on a tight deadline.
Gotta capitalize on the
hype of the last book.
And we don't wanna wait
until no one remembers
who Thomas Reginald James is
until we release book numero deuce.
Right.
(phone rings)
Sorry. Okay, I gotta take this.
You two love birds have
exactly three minutes,
then it's back to the whiteboard.
Mandy, it was great meeting you.
It was nice meeting you too.
So I was thinking we could celebrate.
The book?
Mandy, that's a little
preliminary, don't you think?
We haven't even chosen a title yet.
I meant the sale.
We should celebrate the sale tonight.
Oh. (sighs)
Sweetie, I can't do tonight.
But I can do a late lunch.
Between 3:00 and 4:00?
That Thai place that you
like might be going for sale
and I was hoping to drop
by to speak to the owner.
Two birds, one stone.
What do you say?
I can't this afternoon.
I left the kitten at Jack's office,
so I have to go pick him up later.
Jack.
Jack.
Who's Jack?
The vet.
Right, right, right, right.
You still haven't found a
home for that thing yet?
I'm working on it.
Well, rain check for
tomorrow to celebrate.
Yeah, there's something big
that I wanted to talk to you about too.
Okay, I'll phone you in tonight.
I wanna hear all about it.
Mandy, congratulations.
I am so proud of you.
(bell jingles)
Hi.
Jenny.
This is Clover.
Hi, Clover.
Mandy.
Hey.
How'd today go?
Amazing. I sold my very first house.
Hey, congrats. That's fantastic.
And thank you guys so much
for watching Little Monster.
I really hope he wasn't too much trouble.
Oh, Jack doesn't pet sit.
He agrees to it and next thing I know,
I'm answering phones
with a bunny in my arms.
He was great.
We didn't find a microchip,
but he's a super healthy and happy kitten,
so it should be really easy
to find him a good home.
Great. And how exactly do I do that?
Uh, well, you can put up
flyers in the neighborhood
where you found him, see
if anyone's looking for him.
If you don't hear from anyone for a week,
bring him back here and
we'll find him a good home.
(Jenny clears her throat)
And Jenny will find him a good home.
Here.
Hold Clover.
I'm gonna go find Little Monster.
Okay, here, Clover.
You got him? Okay.
And if you need help with the flyers,
just, you know, let me know.
I finish here today around 5:00,
so I can quickly print some
off and come meet you.
Really? That would be great.
No trouble at all.
Oh, be careful.
Cats eat bunnies.
I think he'll be okay.
(cat meows)
Here. I can take Clover back.
Hi, buddy.
Let's get a quick photo for the flyer.
Oh sure.
And yeah, that'll be great.
(cat meows)
Just shoot me a text with the details,
and I'll meet you there right around 5:00.
Great. Thanks so much.
Oh.
We thought this might be a
better way for him to travel.
[Mandy] Oh.
Free of charge.
(cat meows)
How long will you be gone?
Just a few hours.
Don't worry, okay?
I won't be gone a long time.
I just needed someone to
watch him because Tom's allergic.
Do we need to walk it or anything?
Um, I don't actually know.
I don't think so.
I really should have
bought you a pet growing up.
Both of you.
Okay, I gotta go.
Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.
I will see you both later.
Honey, where do you
keep your knitting yarn?
Why?
You gonna teach that thing to knit?
Where she comes from is way upstate
Was I supposed to be in this picture?
Probably not, but you
just look so cute together.
Couldn't bring myself to crop you out.
Cool.
Well, you know there's
like a 50/50 chance people
think this is a missing
person poster, right?
Huh.
I stand by my decision.
Um, how did you throw
that together so quickly?
Oh, well people come to
us looking for missing pets,
so we just made a quick template
and we offer free flyers
to anyone that needs it.
That's really sweet.
What inspired you to become a vet?
Oh, I love animals.
You know, my grandfather had a farm.
Spent my summers there.
Always knew I wanted to help animals,
but didn't really wanna take over the farm,
so I don't know,
becoming a vet just
kind of felt like the right fit.
Hmm. The right fit.
What?
Sorry.
That's just something my
Gramps says to me all the time.
I don't know if I've found mine yet though.
What about real estate?
I like it.
I like people and pretty houses,
but I don't know if I'm
passionate about it.
I don't even know if I'm
good at it to be honest.
What are you talking about?
You sold a house today.
True. I guess I should
reserve my judgment.
What are you doing to celebrate?
Handing out missing cat posters.
What?
Your first sale is a big deal!
You're telling me you're
doing nothing to celebrate?
Um, does binging TV
and eating popcorn count?
No!
Absolutely not. That does not count.
I don't know.
But I do have an idea.
Let's finish handing
these out and we'll go.
Go where?
To celebrate.
Okay.
Restless beauty of Coney Isle
What is this?
Are you a vet by day and a
florist by night or something?
Yep.
Really?
It's my mom's shop.
Oh.
So what are we doing here after hours?
Well, my mom always
said there's no better way
to recognize a special moment in life
than with a perfect bouquet of flowers.
Hmm.
So figured we'll pop some
champagne, make a bouquet,
maybe order some pizza.
Ooh, fun.
How about pineapple and pepperoni?
Mandy, this is your night
and you can have whatever you want,
but if you wanna ruin it
with pineapple and pepperoni,
by all means.
(both laugh)
So how do we start?
By picking a flower.
What's your favorite?
Hmm.
I love yellow roses.
Hmm.
Classic flower with a twist on the color.
Interesting.
Tells me a little bit more about you.
Really. How?
Well, the rose, that tells
me you like the classics,
but the color yellow,
that's an uncommon choice.
Tells me you like to put
your own spin on things.
Yellow is bright and vibrant and uplifting.
Reveals your personality
and what you're drawn to.
You got all of that
from my favorite flower?
You should see what I can
tell from what vase you pick.
Should we get started?
Sure.
(gentle music)
So what do you think?
Just one more thing.
Oh.
It represents cheerfulness and beauty.
Thanks so much for
such a fun night, Jack.
I'm having a lot of fun.
And you're very welcome.
Definitely better than
stale popcorn and TV.
And it helped get my mind off of things.
Yeah, it always does.
I come here whenever I need to think.
Working on something
creative really helps, you know?
What's on your mind?
Life.
Oh, yeah, well, you know,
that sneaks up on us sometimes.
Hmm.
I found out my grandparents
are giving me the bowling alley.
It's mine to keep or sell.
Wow!
That is another big deal.
We should have made a bigger bouquet!
Was it expected?
No. No.
I thought their buddy
Hank was gonna take it over
until they figured out what to do with it,
but since that's not happening
anymore, they gave it to me.
I spent a lot of time there growing up,
and I've always loved
bowling with my gramps.
We've been on the same league for 20 years.
Wow.
Hey, the flowers don't lie.
You do like the classics.
I guess I do.
So that sounds like good news.
What are you struggling with?
I just don't know if I can
run the place like they did,
but I don't know if I have
the heart to sell it either.
You don't have to run it like they did.
No, they gave it to you,
so you can run it or
sell it how you see fit.
They already said goodbye to the place.
I'm sure they'll respect
whatever decision you make.
Yeah.
Plus think what you
can do with it, you know?
Grow the clientele,
bring some fresh ideas in.
Put your own spin on it.
It does sound fun.
So give it a real shot, you know?
What's the worst that could happen?
I could run the business into the ground.
No. No, no, no.
I've owned a business for a long time.
I know it takes at least two months
to run a business into the ground.
Yeah, well, my gramps showed me the books
and we might be halfway there already.
I'm gonna have to spend
a lot of time restoring it
to its glory days if I want it to survive.
Well, they must trust you're
the right person to do that
or they wouldn't have left it to you.
I guess.
Worst case scenario,
if you can't revive it, which you can,
but if you can't, but you can,
but if you can't, you put it
on the market and you sell it.
It's another big sale in the books.
What do you have to lose?
You're right.
Nothing to lose.
Plus I need you to keep it afloat
for like a couple more weeks.
I have the adoption event.
Right.
I'm really excited about that.
Yeah, me too.
(phone buzzes)
Sorry, Jack. I need to take this.
Hello?
Honey, it's 10 o'clock.
Where have you been all night?
I'll be home soon.
Is everything okay?
Everything is not okay.
Your father has had a goofy
smile on his face all night.
My couch is a pin cushion.
And I don't know how
much longer I can resist
falling in love with this fur factory.
Okay, I'm on my way.
Jack, I'm really sorry, but I have to go.
Thanks so much for a wonderful night.
My pleasure.
Thanks.
Hey, you never told me
what your favorite flower is.
Um, red roses.
And what does that mean?
Let me guess.
Classic romantic?
It means I get my heart broken a lot.
Good night, Jack.
Good night, Mandy.
Bye.
[Tom] Your grandfather's letting you
sell the bowling alley?
That's huge!
No, he's giving me
the bowling alley to run.
I would only sell it if
it wasn't the right fit.
Right fit?
Mandy, the bowling
alley is prime real estate.
Chapter one, location, location, location.
You know how much a
commission on that place would be?
Tom, that's not the point.
Of course, that's the point.
And why are you whispering
The kitten is asleep.
[Tom] I thought you said you were gonna
find him a new home today?
I am. I put up flyers.
It just, it takes time.
Mandy, you can't consider
keeping the bowling alley.
You're a real estate agent.
We sell. It's what we do.
When are you gonna
find time to run a business?
You have time to write a book.
Yeah, about real estate.
That's different.
It's a promotional tool.
What you're talking
about is a full-time job.
Not everything is a strategy, Tom.
Of course it is.
And I understand
that you don't want to
disappoint your grandfather,
so here's what we're gonna do.
You'll humor him for a month
while I find potential buyers.
Look, Mandy, I have to go.
Still tweaking chapters 10 through 12,
and it looks like it's
gonna be an all-nighter.
Okay. Goodnight.
What are we gonna do, Little Monster?
(gentle music)
(bowling pins clatter)
Lane 15 and one ball at a time.
Good morning, Mandy.
Hi, Hank.
Interesting choice of
shoes for a bowling alley.
I have a showing at 3:00 PM today.
Great.
In the meantime, there's an
issue in the concession area
and the coffee machine
is on the fritz again.
How can I help?
Follow me.
(gentle music)
Is it weird that I'm feeling nostalgic
about mopping these floors again?
If I remember correctly,
this ain't the first time
that you've mopped
these floors in fancy heels.
Prom, right?
I insisted on having the after party here,
and then you and Grams
agreed to be chaperones.
Yes, we did.
Susie ate bad shrimp and
then threw up all over the place.
We're sticking with the bad shrimp story.
Yes, we are.
Copy that.
And Vanessa brought that glitter confetti
that she sprinkled over everybody.
And everything.
That was a crazy
night, but it was really fun.
Was also pretty smart
and thoughtful of you.
You remember why you insisted
on having that prom party here?
Yeah.
Business was down,
and I thought that by having
everyone here after prom,
they would fall in love with the place
and the memories of that night
and that maybe it
would bring in new clients
and reinvigorate it a little.
And it did.
Business boomed that summer.
Yeah.
That was a fun summer, wasn't it?
You were a pretty
smart girl to pull that off.
Thanks, Hank.
Okay, what's next?
(bowling pins clatter)
(pensive music)
Ta-da.
Thank you.
Hey, Hank.
What if we revamped
the shelter pet fundraiser?
What do you mean, kid?
Well, reminiscing about
prom earlier got me thinking.
I'm listening.
What if we do a gala event?
Something retro and fun
with prom gowns and music.
We can set up cute pictures
of all the adoptable shelter pets.
People can dress up.
It would be a great
opportunity for social media.
There's that ingenuity.
Do we have time to redo
the promotional materials?
Hasn't gone out yet, so absolutely.
Great.
Then I'll ask Jack what he thinks.
I'm really excited about this, Hank.
It's gonna be so much fun.
There's our girl.
Oh, hi.
Mandy, you didn't pick up your phone.
I've been trying to reach you.
Sorry. I must have left
it behind the desk earlier.
You look, uh...
Happy?
I was gonna say comfortable.
Where are your shoes?
Hello.
Hi
Mandy, this is Mrs. Wilson.
Mrs. Wilson, this is Mandy Patterson.
Lovely to meet you.
Likewise, dear.
I've heard a lot about you.
Mandy, Mrs. Wilson is
interested in purchasing real estate
in the area with her husband.
Purchasing?
But it's not for sale yet.
Of course.
But the early bird gets the worm.
And Mrs. Wilson wanted to see it
before it goes to market next month.
Right. Of course.
Hank, will you excuse me for a moment?
Sure thing, kid.
Oh, I love your shoes.
First thing you'll learn
about running a bowling alley
is always have comfortable shoes on you.
I learned that lesson the hard way today.
Oh. (chuckles)
We have no interest in
running a bowling alley.
This location is incredible
for our chain of steakhouses.
Steakhouses?
Mandy, don't you have
a showing this afternoon?
Yes. What time is it?
It's 2:30.
2:30! Wow, okay.
I'm very sorry.
Hank will have to show you
around because I need to go.
I need to find my shoes,
I need to find my phone,
and I need to do my hair
because chapter 11, dress for success.
I'll see you later, Tom.
And it was nice meeting you, ma'am.
Okay, I'll see you tonight.
(bowling pins clatter)
(Tom chuckles)
Hi. Sorry I'm late.
Hello?
Hello?
Shoot.
(cat meows)
You hungry?
There you go.
So...
(Tom sneezes)
Bless you.
Thank you.
So I was thinking, I
think I can get the Wilsons
to close above market price
if we let them come in early
before we place it on the market.
Tom, I told you I'm
not ready to list it yet.
That's the best part, Mandy.
You won't have to list it ever.
We can prepare the paperwork ahead of time.
Close on the date of your choice.
No fuss. Easy commission.
We'll split it.
It's not about the money, Tom.
I told Gramps I would give it a real shot.
He doesn't have to know.
Just pick a date close
to the end of the month
and tell him it didn't work out.
What if it does?
[Tom] If what does?
If it works out.
Mandy, what's the number
one principle that I teach?
Focus is the key to success.
Exactly! Focus.
I spent a lot of time
getting you the contacts
and opportunities that you have today.
You can't be splitting your focus
between running a bowling alley
and being a successful real estate agent.
(Tom sneezes)
Oh.
I mean, look at me.
Everything I do is to
succeed in real estate.
People that I talk to,
the clothes that I wear,
the restaurants that I go
to, the neighborhood I live in,
who I choose to spend my time with, eh?
Oh.
It all matters.
Yeah, I understand that,
and I do appreciate everything
you've taught me, but...
But what?
But I do wanna keep my word to Gramps.
(Tom sneezes)
Do you have any allergy medication?
I am dying here.
Um, I don't think so.
But I do have some tissue if you want that.
Great.
(phone buzzes)
Excuse me.
Hello?
Mandy, hi.
Hi. Jack, how are you?
Great, thanks.
Did you like the artwork I sent
for the bow ties and tails event?
Yeah, yeah, I love the new direction.
Awesome.
Are you still free for the
photo shoot on Thursday?
Absolutely. Yeah.
Yeah, but that's not
actually why I'm calling.
I'm hosting a game night tonight,
and I wanna know if you
and Tom wanted to join us.
Yeah. Yeah, that sounds really fun.
Let me just, uh, let me ask Tom.
Hey, do you wanna do a
games night at Jack's tonight?
Who's Jack?
The vet.
Does he have any plans
on selling his business?
I don't know.
I don't think so.
You go ahead.
Think I'm gonna call it a night.
Maybe find an antihistamine.
Eye drops too and disinfectant
and probably gasoline.
I need to burn these clothes.
Okay, it's not that bad.
I would love to come.
Tom will take a rain check.
Okay, great.
Well, I'll see you soon.
I'll text you my address.
Bye.
Are you sure you don't wanna come?
I think it'll be really fun.
Yeah, yeah. I'm sure.
I have no time for fun.
-Okay.
-Hands.
-Mountain.
-Hand.
Hands. Like, two hands.
Okay, a pair of... High-fiving?
Gloves!
Those are gloves!
Fingers!
Chicken!
You said fingers and
I like chicken fingers.
It's a good guess, right?
Good guess, honey.
Keep going. Keep going.
Okay, they're shaking-
Guys, time's up.
-Oh.
-Oh.
It was applause.
Oh, that makes sense.
Applause.
I do see that now.
Okay, another game?
Yeah.
Actually I think we
should call it a night.
Some of us have a date with
a sneezy parrot in the morning.
Never a dull moment at the clinic.
It's okay.
I'm gonna head out too.
Hey, Mandy, it was lovely to meet you.
You know what, Ralph and
I, I think we'll bring the kids
by the bowling alley and play a game
and check the place out.
Oh, that would be great.
We need all the new
clients we can get right now.
I'm actually really excited
for Jack's event next week.
Should get a lot of new people out,
and it's for a great cause.
Yeah, the team's really excited
about the bow ties and tails idea,
and I finally have an
excuse to get dressed up.
Yeah, it'll be fun.
There are photo ops,
there's a dance floor, music,
and bowling of course.
That sounds like a blast.
You know, why don't
you send me the invitation.
I would love to send
that across my socials.
Really?
Yeah.
Yeah. Of course.
Amazing.
Okay, see you guys.
Bye. It was nice meeting you.
Um, Mandy, if business
is slow, I have an idea.
I help this one friend
with a speed dating event once a month,
and the venue we initially
booked canceled on us.
We were gonna do it at a coffee shop,
but bowling would be way more fun.
Yeah, that would be amazing.
Do you want to meet for lunch tomorrow?
We can go over the details?
I would love to.
Thanks, Jenny.
No problem.
Plus, I've been trying to get my brother
to come out to these things for months.
Now you can't say no.
Um...
Wait, Jack is your brother?
Yeah, of course he's my brother.
Why else would I spend my free nights here?
Family obligations.
Everything is making a lot of sense now.
Okay, so it's set.
We'll have the event there,
and you can help me
find my poor brother a date
so he can stop moping around.
Yeah. Deal.
Okay, sounds great.
Ready?
Thanks for a great night, Jack.
Yeah.
Bye, Mandy.
Bye.
See you guys soon?
-Bye, Gage.
-Take it easy.
See you in the morning.
Jenny-
Yeah.
She's your-
Yep.
Mm.
Did you have-
Yes, yes, of course.
Do you want-
Sure.
Cream and sugar.
Oh, thank you.
I was curious about
why you didn't have a pet.
Mm. Yeah, I did.
Yeah. Had a cat named
Bob for about 20 years and-
They live that long?
Yeah, they can. Yeah.
That's a big commitment.
It is. It is.
That cat outlasted my marriage.
Oh, ouch.
Sorry. I'm sorry.
It's okay.
I cried more for Bob than I
did when my wife left me, so...
What happened?
Old age.
Your wife?
No. (laughs)
Oh. (laughs)
I thought you meant your wife.
No, no, my cat Bob. Yeah.
My wife, she left me for a colleague.
Oh.
It was okay.
It was a long time ago.
You know, we kind of just drifted apart.
Got married too young.
Weren't right for each other, you know?
Well, I know the
right girl will come along
and sweep you off your feet.
Open you right back up.
Sure she will.
(Mandy coughs)
Sorry.
That's okay.
That was impolite.
Maybe you'll meet someone
at your sister's speed dating event.
Oh, highly unlikely.
Then maybe you can adopt another cat.
Yeah.
What about you?
Is Tom the one?
Uh...
Wow. Um...
Sorry.
I didn't mean to get too personal.
No, no, it's okay.
It's just still pretty new,
so I haven't really
thought about it like that.
And how'd you two meet?
When I was getting
my real estate license.
He gave a presentation in one of my classes
because he wrote this really big book
called "Real Estate Guru:
How to Get to the Top".
Have you heard of it?
I haven't.
Yeah, anyway, he's
been really supportive.
He got me in with his firm, actually.
Oh. Sounds like a nice guy.
He is.
I just, I don't always know
that we want the same thing.
It feels like we spent so
long getting my career started
that we don't actually
know each other very well.
Mm.
Well you're in a new
chapter of your life, you know?
I mean, it's gonna take a while
for your relationship to catch up to that.
Yeah.
I just hope we can get
on the same page soon
or the same chapter.
Hey. (chuckles)
What's the biggest issue?
Well, I can talk about
the smallest issue.
Which is?
My fur ball.
I think I'm getting attached.
That is great.
Yes, but Tom is very allergic.
Right.
And Tom wants me to sell
my grandparents bowling alley,
but I'm not even sure
if that's what I want yet.
Well, the good thing
is that your grandparents
left you the bowling alley and not Tom.
Right.
There's no rush, Mandy.
You know, just take your time.
You'll find what's right for you.
Yeah.
Thanks so much.
Okay, so we're all organized.
Set up rotating teams.
Everyone will play a few
rounds with a possible match,
and as the night goes
on and matches are made,
they'll move to the further lanes
where they can play as couples.
It's really smart, Jenny.
And it's gonna be super busy
for what's usually a really quiet night.
Perfect. It's a win-win.
So do you plan on joining a team?
Me?
No. No.
I'm not really the speed dating type.
And I have Tom.
Right.
The one with the cat allergy.
Yeah. That's the one.
Shame.
I was really hoping on playing matchmaker
and putting you on my brother's team.
I haven't seen Jack this
happy around someone
in a long time.
Uh, yeah, he's very easy to talk to.
See? That's the thing.
He's usually not.
He's a pretty quiet guy, sticks to himself.
But around you, he lights up.
Well, whatever it is,
I'm just happy to see it.
Yeah.
Anyways, I should probably
be heading back to work.
Jack's probably wondering
where I am right now.
Thank you so much for the coffee.
Yeah, anytime.
I'll see you later?
Yes.
Oh, and have fun at the photo shoot.
Thank you.
See you, Mandy.
Bye, Jenny.
(cat toy jingles)
I found the bow ties!
Oh, those are perfect.
I think you should put
this one on Little Monster.
Blue is definitely his color.
Dad, are you gonna be okay
when I have to find him a new home?
Why? Has someone
responded to your posters?
No, but you do know I have
to find him a home eventually,
right?
Kid, I'll be okay.
As long as you're happy.
So the big question here is
whether or not you'll be okay
when you give him up.
I mean, I don't really have a choice.
Tom's allergic.
You always have a choice, honey.
This is your life.
You get to decide what's best for you.
What would you do, Dad?
If you love him
and you feel that giving up Little Monster
is the right choice for your relationship,
then I understand that,
and I'll be happy for you.
But, Mandy, you spent your whole life
doing things you believe are best
because it's what other
people expect of you.
I just wanna make sure you
start listening to your heart
and stop worrying about
what other people want.
I don't know how to do that.
I don't wanna let anyone down.
All we want is for you to be happy.
What you decide to
do with the bowling alley
is completely up to you.
Don't keep it for Gramps
and don't sell it for Tom.
Do what's best for you.
Come here, little guy.
Okay, I'm gonna be a
little sad to see him go.
Thanks for the chat, Dad.
Anytime, kiddo.
Do me a favor and send
me a pic of this little guy
in his bow tie, would you?
You got it.
Hey. Do you guys still
have my prom dress?
(bell jingles)
Thanks.
My gosh. It looks amazing in here.
I didn't realize you're a photographer too.
Actually, it's a client of mine.
He owns all the equipment,
and he's a big supporter of the event,
so he lets us use it for photo shoots.
Oh, that's awesome.
Jenny will be here in half an hour
with some more adoptable shelter pets.
But until then we can get
started with Little Monster.
That sounds great.
Oh, I'm so excited.
This is gonna be so fun!
(bright music)
He tells me his thoughts
Crazy as they are
I am confused
He says that he loves me
He always will
I've come to know you
I wipe her cheek
Give her a kiss
She stares into my heart
That's all right
We've come to know this
One more.
These photos are so good.
This event is gonna be amazing.
Yeah, I have to
admit they're pretty cute.
This was a great idea, Mandy.
Thanks.
No, thank you.
I mean, this is gonna help
find a lot of animals at home,
and I feel like the
turnout's gonna be huge.
I hope so.
You know, I think I know
why you became a vet now.
It's pretty hard to have a bad day
when you're surrounded by these faces.
Yeah, yeah.
They do have a way of turning
your hard days into good ones.
I wish I had that.
Had what?
Just something to
make me smile every day.
How's the bowling alley?
It's good.
It's really good actually.
It does make me happy,
but not knowing what to do
at the end of the month has been hard.
So why stress, you know?
Just enjoy the moment and
decide when you're ready.
It's not that easy.
I'm splitting my focus right now,
and my real estate
career's starting to suffer.
I had so much fun brainstorming ideas
for the event with Hank the other day
that I completely missed my showing.
Well, I think that tells you something
about where you should
be putting your focus.
I wish it were that simple.
But Tom has put in a lot of time and energy
into helping me start a career,
and I just feel like I'm letting him down.
I don't think you could
let anybody down, Mandy.
Oh my gosh, look at this one.
My dad's gonna love it.
This event is gonna be amazing.
You're amazing, Mandy.
What?
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said that.
Um...
You know, it's just, you
shouldn't doubt yourself ever.
You have so much talent, Mandy.
And in my eyes, you are absolutely amazing.
Getting to spend these
last couple weeks with you
has been just so wonderful.
I don't think I've laughed that hard
or been able to open up to
someone in a really long time.
Jack, I can't.
I have Tom.
And getting to know you has
been amazing too, but I just-
No, I know.
I guess I just wanted you to know
that I think you're so funny
and so smart and so beautiful,
and Tom is really lucky
to have you in his life.
Thank you.
- I-
- No, it's okay.
You don't have to say anything.
I'm a grown man, you know.
I can, I can take it.
I knew the chances of
you feeling the same way
were probably pretty slim.
It's just that I haven't felt
this way in a long time.
Um...
Yeah, I, um...
Well. (clears throat)
Okay. Well, I've made this
incredibly awkward now, so-
No.
No, that's, uh, here.
I'll, uh, thank you so much for today.
I will pack up.
I can help you.
No, that's...
That's okay.
I'm good. We're good.
That's fine.
Well, I'll see you on
Tuesday then, right?
Right. Tuesday.
'Cause you promised Jenny
to help find me a perfect match
at her speed dating event.
Yeah, I did.
I did do that.
Awkward.
Um, okay, well I'm gonna hold you to it.
-Great.
-Great.
I will grab Little Monster
and then be on my merry way.
Okay.
I'll see you later, Jack.
See you Tuesday.
(bowling pins clatter)
You're a rainbow
And you don't know
why you're here with me
That's a very fine shirt, Hank.
Reminds me of all my best trips.
Really?
Really.
I spent many years going
to Florida in the winters
and they are so popular there.
It was the best time of my life
spending time in that beautiful sunshine.
Have you ever been
to the beach in Sarasota
where you can dig for shark teeth?
Well, I found some to make
a necklace for my grandson.
-Exactly.
-And it doesn't matter.
You can just accept that, right?
You can just accept it.
Today's a bad day at the bowling alley.
That's fine.
It's okay.
Oh.
Well, you're a vet, right?
Yeah. Yeah, Jenny told
me that you're a doctor.
Family practice.
We have a clinic on Main Street, actually.
Oh, no way.
Hey, we're on Main Street.
Yeah, we're just next to
the, uh, next to the bakery.
Small world.
Very small world.
Unbelievable.
Yeah, yeah.
Now I remember.
Yeah, they have really great scones.
Scones.
Come on and wait and
see what it's like to be
Be my better half
So what do you think?
Looks like they're really hitting it off.
My bet is on her or
Maggie, the school teacher.
Also very nice.
Looks like you found a
lot of really good matches.
I've been looking long enough.
As I said before, I've been
trying to get him to come out
to one of these things for months.
I think my money is on the doctor.
Maybe.
But if I didn't know any better,
I would say my brother's
heart is spoken for these days.
Um, actually, I just remembered
the coffee maker's broken.
Printer.
Something's broken in the office,
and so I'm gonna find
what it is and then fix it.
Bye.
See you.
What it's like to be
Be my better half
(Mandy sighs)
What am I doing?
(phone chimes)
Hello.
Hi, Mandy. How's the event going?
Great. It's really great.
Are you okay?
Yeah, just finishing up some paperwork
while doing my squats.
Time management, remember?
Of course.
Listen, you haven't sent
me those financial records yet.
Can you send those over to me tonight?
Tom, I told you I wasn't
ready to commit to selling yet.
I'm just looking out for you, Mandy.
Take another day or so, but
we need to move forward quickly.
Your attention is really split right now
and it's hurting our plan.
I know.
Okay, well good luck
with the rest of the event tonight, Mandy.
And don't forget, I set up a meeting
with another potential
client tomorrow afternoon.
Don't be late.
And bring that new purse that I bought you.
Nothing screams
success like Italian leather.
I will be there with my screaming purse.
(gentle music)
Mandy.
Oh, hi, Jack. How are you?
Hey, don't you just hate
when you can't decide
if you wanna sit or stand?
Yeah, I was doing squats.
Multitasking is one of
Tom's key principles,
so that's why I was doing that.
How else could you be
successful and have strong glutes?
Exactly.
Listen, Mandy, about the other night-
Already forgotten.
Great. Okay.
Well, I just, you know, wanted
to say it was unfair of me
to put you on the spot like
that, and it won't happen again.
And I apologize.
No worries.
Cool.
So, hey, I was finalizing the list
for our event next weekend.
Just wanted to double check.
Any calls for Little Monster?
No, not yet.
But on the upside between
the missing cat posters
and the for sale signs,
I am the most recognizable
face in the neighborhood, so...
That's a win.
Yay! (laughs)
Did you find a match tonight?
Ah, um, maybe.
Yeah, met a nice woman.
Doctor or teacher?
Doctor.
That was my pick. It's good.
Okay, well I'll get outta your hair
unless there's anything
you need before the event.
No, I should be okay.
-Thank you.
-Okay.
Well, I'll see you then.
Yeah. Have a good night, Jack.
Yeah.
(gentle music)
(Mandy clears her throat)
Pro, it makes me happy.
Con, not sure I can
keep it going financially.
Pro, I love coming up with
ways to revitalize the business.
Con, Tom will be
disappointed if I don't sell.
And pro, I love it there.
Those are some pretty convincing pros.
Tom, Mr. Caldwell, I'm very sorry I'm late.
I had a situation at the bowling alley
that I needed to tend to
and then the printers were running late.
Bowling alley?
Yes.
Mandy's grandparents retired
and left her a bowling alley.
Isn't that wonderful?
Larry and Lucy's Lucky Lanes.
Do you know it?
Of course I do.
Great place. Wonderful location.
So I've heard.
Anyway, we're having
this bow ties and tails event
next Saturday if you're interested.
It's for a really great
cause adopting shelter pets.
I'll pass it along to the Mrs.
She's a real animal enthusiast,
so I'm sure she has a lot of friends
that would love to attend.
Great.
Thanks so much.
Yes, it's best to attend
if you want to play there one last time.
Mandy's gonna be placing it on the market
at the end of the month, aren't you, Mandy?
Yeah.
Good for you.
That's a big property to represent.
Absolutely.
And I'm very proud
with how quickly Mandy's
been learning the ropes,
which is why I wanted you two to meet
'cause I think that Mandy
would be the perfect partner
for all of your real estate
needs, Mr. Caldwell.
Wonderful.
(elevator chimes)
Mandy, where's your head?
Where's your focus?
You almost lost that contract
because you wouldn't stop
talking about the bowling alley.
Tom, we have to talk.
We are talking.
Look, I know a lot has
happened in your life recently,
but let's remember the 12
principles and get back on track.
But that's what I wanna talk about.
What if I am on the right track?
Pumpkin, I know that nostalgia
and good memories might
make you feel good for a while,
and maybe that's clouding your judgment,
but that's why I think you
need to take the evening
to revise what you learned
and refocus on what makes most sense.
But what if this does make sense to me?
You can't be serious.
You're thinking with your
heart and not with your head.
Exactly.
I've been doing this for a long time,
and trust me when I say this,
that selling this prime location
will do amazing things for
your career and my book sales,
not to mention our pocketbooks.
I know, You've said that.
I've said it because it's true.
I know that you're attached
to your grandfather's place,
but you need to think about yourself
and do what's right for you.
I'm trying.
I just need some time, okay?
Okay.
Do me a favor, give this a read.
You're the first to have it.
Hopefully it'll help you get back on track.
Okay.
(bright music)
Oh, lover lover, why so blue
Just because I don't need you
You've never been one to hide
You ask me if I ever cry
I never leave you, so you'd say
The challenge set, the game in play
I told my lies and fought my bliss
I needled you until you quit
Oh banjo banjo, play me home
I've lost my love and I'm all alone
I don't deserve it, but I pray
You'll lead me to the light some day
Hey.
Good morning, little friend.
Got a pretty big day today, don't we?
Gotta go get your bow
tie for your new family.
How am I supposed to give you up, huh?
You've been the very best distraction ever.
I'm gonna miss you, Little Monster.
Okay, you can sleep for 15
more minutes, but that's it.
I can't believe you're
wearing this old thing.
I can't believe it still fits.
So?
Oh my.
What do you think?
Your father has gone insane.
I love it. It's perfect.
[Mrs. Patterson] Are you
really going to wear that?
Of course I am.
We need to find a good
home for Little Monster.
And what better way to
get people to ask about him?
You're the best.
If he brings home any more cat swag,
I'm putting his face on a T-shirt
and putting him up for adoption.
That's fair.
Hey, I love you guys.
Thank you so much for coming
out tonight and supporting me.
Oh, honey, I'm just so
happy to see you smile.
I was a little skeptical
when your grandfather decided to do this,
but now I see what he saw.
You're really good at this, Mandy.
I'm so proud of you, honey.
Thanks, Mom. That means a lot.
Now let's finish getting ready
before your father makes
me put on a cat shirt.
That second shirt is for Mandy.
You made me one?
Yes.
And it's exactly like this one. (chuckles)
Oh, Hank, would you
mind taking these over there
for me please?
Oh, sure thing, kid.
Thank you.
Mandy.
Oh, hi,
This place looks amazing.
And you look beautiful.
What am I? Chopped liver?
No, no, you look good too, Hank.
Thank you, young man.
I have a date with Margo this evening.
Yeah, you do.
You guys look amazing too, by the way.
And, Christy, I love your dress.
Oh, thanks.
Wonderful. Everybody looks amazing.
Now I have 100 balloons, streamers,
and 20 more posters to put up.
Where do you want everything?
That way.
I'll show you where.
Perfect.
I think I'll go help her.
Okay. Yeah, see you soon.
Thank you.
Oh, by the way,
Little Monster is just
behind the desk over there.
I packed his little bow
tie for his new family.
Oh, really giving him up, huh?
Yeah. I just really can't make it work.
And I also really cannot
afford another distraction
right now, so yeah.
Well, I'll make sure Little
Monster finds a great home.
Oh, these are for you, by the way.
Oh.
Yeah, just a small thank you bouquet
for all your help with tonight's event.
Thanks.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, well everyone, they're
over there, so I'm gonna, okay.
Makes sense.
Okay.
Yeah, and I also have so much to do.
[Jack] Of course. Yeah.
I'm busy. Thanks.
Oh, Tom.
Hi. Hi.
Thank you so much for coming.
Oh, I wouldn't have
missed it for the world.
I'm sorry about the other night, Mandy.
Oh.
It was wrong of me to pressure you.
But I'm so happy that you read my new book,
and I'm glad I got you back on track.
Yeah, I really liked it.
It was a good reminder of how to focus.
Well, I've done my job then.
Yeah, I still haven't made
up my mind completely
about the bowling alley, but
I'm weighing everything out
and I will get back to you soon.
Of course, of course.
No pressure, no pressure.
I wanted to be here to wish you good luck.
(Tom sneezes)
Bless you.
How can I help?
Why don't you help my
dad with the photo booth,
and I will help Jack and Jenny.
Sure thing, Mandy.
Why don't I put these down in your office?
Oh, thanks, Tom.
It's gotta be here somewhere.
(cat meows)
What are you looking at?
(cat meows)
I'm looking out for Mandy.
She might not know it yet,
but this is what's best for her.
(cat meows)
She made her choice.
I'm sure you'll find a nice home tonight.
(cat meows)
Ah, here, it is.
Tom, what are you doing back here?
I was just placing these
flowers here for Mandy
and of course saying
goodbye to Little Monster.
Bye, buddy.
(cat hisses)
Well, I better get back to
helping Mr. and Mrs. Patterson.
Okay. See you out there.
All right, yeah.
Hey, Mandy.
Yeah? Hey.
I got a call.
I need to head out.
But you just got here.
Yeah, it's, uh, it's work.
I understand.
Well, thanks for coming anyway.
Of course, of course.
Good luck tonight.
Thank you.
Bye.
(upbeat music)
(bowling pins clattering)
Sitting in the back
Having a time
We adopted Chester!
Congratulations.
Are you having fun?
Yes. Wonderful.
Amazing.
Oh, hey, I'll talk to you soon.
Okay.
Mandy. Hey.
Hi.
Congratulations.
Thanks.
This event is spectacular.
Great job.
No, seriously.
The bow tie theme is such a hit,
and I think almost all of
our pets have been adopted.
Yeah, it's good for bowling too
'cause it's been the biggest
night since I took over
and it's even bigger than speed dating.
Oh, well, I'm very happy for you.
Thanks.
Speaking of speed dating, where is Christy?
Oh yeah, she left me for
a Boston Terrier, actually,
but it's okay.
He looked better in a tux.
Ouch.
I pull off casual much better, so...
Ha ha.
No, it just turns out we didn't
have that much in common.
Where's Tom?
He left.
Work, you know?
Yeah.
Well, sorry.
No, eh, it's okay.
Hey, I love this song.
Would you maybe care to dance?
I would love to.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Find the perfect harmony
and bring it all to life
Wrap it up in a box,
send it to your door
Just in case it wasn't obvious
I'm in love with you
Mandy, can I talk to you for a moment?
Yeah. Sure.
Somewhere private.
Oh, sorry, Tom, this is
Jack and, Jack, this is Tom.
Yeah, hey, Tom, nice to meet you.
I've heard a lot about you.
Yeah, nice to meet you.
Yeah.
Now?
Okay.
Sorry.
Who's Jack?
Seriously? He's the vet.
(cat meows)
Why is he still here?
I thought you said you
were gonna put him up
for adoption tonight.
I am.
I just, I didn't realize how
hard it would be, I guess.
The event's almost over.
Just give me a sec, okay?
(cat meows)
Let's go get you a new family, okay?
Hank?
Can you give this guy to Jack,
so we can get him on the adoption list?
He'll know what to do.
You sure, kid?
Yeah. I'm sure.
(cat meows)
Bye, Little Monster.
(cat meows)
Let's go see Jack.
(cat meows)
What do you wanna talk about?
We need to sign these documents now.
We talked about this.
I need more time.
I thought you understood that.
I know what you said, but
if we don't sign these now,
they're gonna go to a different site.
And trust me,
this offer will be extremely
difficult to duplicate.
Can we please talk about this tomorrow?
Mandy, I'm telling you,
we need to sign these
or you might lose everything.
What do you mean I might lose everything?
I know you didn't want me to,
but I saw the financial
records of this place.
You went through my things.
How? When?
Just only for your own good.
Tom, how could you do that?
Maybe your grandfather has
some amazing, wonderful faith
in you, but realistically, you
can't sustain this business.
Look how busy it is out there.
Look what I did in just this month alone.
That's just one month.
Be logical.
I'm only thinking about your future.
My future?
You don't even know about
or care about what I want.
You're projecting your
fears and your goals onto me.
I need you to leave right now, okay?
I need to think.
But, Mandy-
Tom, you went through my things.
What about the deal?
Leave.
You have until 10:00 PM
tonight or the offer expires.
You can be mad at me all you want,
but you need to sign these papers tonight.
Mandy.
Hi.
Just saw Tom leave.
Thought you might
need a shoulder or an ear.
What am I gonna do, Hank?
About what, kid?
Tom looked at the financials
and he doesn't think I
can sustain it long term.
Well, we both knew it
would take some hard work,
but we also know exactly what you did here
in a very short time.
Where did this doubt come from?
Where's the girl who was here an hour ago?
And I thought you weren't
going to give Tom the paperwork
until you had time to figure
out what you really wanted?
I didn't. I guess he,
uh, found it on his own.
I knew something was fishy.
What do you mean?
I was in here earlier
and he was saying
goodbye to Little Monster.
It felt odd.
Oh my gosh. Little Monster, where is he?
I gave him to Jack, like you asked.
Oh no.
What?
Hank, I've been so blind.
What is it, kid?
I think I know where my right fit is now.
It's an old bowling alley, a little cat,
and maybe a handsome vet.
I gotta go.
Perfect.
Thank you so much for adopting Peanut.
Thank you.
Jenny, where's Little Monster?
He was just adopted.
What about Jack?
Oh, I've tried.
No one wants him.
I guess bad jokes run in the family?
They sure do.
He just left.
If you run you might be able to catch him.
Okay, thanks.
I'll call you back, Mrs. Wilson.
(Tom laughs)
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.
Of course.
Talk to you soon.
Mandy.
Tom, I really don't have
time to talk right now, okay?
Have you seen the books?
Yes, I've seen the books.
I've been running this place
for three weeks by myself,
and my grandfather made
me very clear on the finances,
so yes, okay?
Then you know what you need to do.
Yeah. I do.
We're done.
Done? What do you mean done?
You and me, we're done.
And the deal isn't happening, okay?
Is that clear enough?
You can't do this on your own.
You'll lose everything.
Chapter 15, believe in yourself.
My grandfather seems
to have a lot of faith in me,
and it's about time that I do too.
(phone rings)
Now if you'll excuse
me, I have to take this.
There is no chapter 15.
Hi, Gramps.
Hiya, kiddo.
Just thought I'd call and
see how your big night went.
It went great.
The place was packed, and
we found homes for all the pets.
[Gramps] That's great, darling.
Yeah, and I made my decision.
I wanna keep the bowling alley.
That's great news.
What made you decide to keep it?
I stopped listening to everyone else
and started listening to my heart.
And my heart says that
this is the right fit for me.
I thought it might be.
It seems like everything
has fallen into place.
Almost everything.
Hey, did Jack say anything before he left?
Just said he wanted some time to think.
Is everything okay?
Yeah, it's great.
Thank you.
(knocking on door)
Sorry, we're closed.
Mandy?
I was hoping you'd be here.
Your sister said you
needed time to think,
so I took a chance.
You left without saying goodbye.
You were busy with Tom,
so I figured I should get outta there.
I broke up with Tom.
Oh. You did?
Yeah, and I told him the
bowling alley wasn't for sale.
Good for you.
Yeah, but that's
actually not why I'm here.
I'm here to say thank you.
For what?
Everything.
Believing in me.
Making me believe
that I can actually do this.
You can do anything you want, Mandy.
Like I said, you're amazing.
You're amazing.
I've always listened to my head,
tried to do the most logical thing,
but you taught me to listen to my heart.
What does your heart say now?
That I finally found my right fit.
I was hoping you'd say that.
(romantic music)
I should have listened
to my heart earlier.
I let go of Little Monster.
Yeah...
(cat meows)
I was just working on his
welcome home bouquet.
Mm-hmm.
You adopted him?
Yeah.
Just kind of felt like the right fit.
Hi, Little Monster.
Hi.
(bright music)
It was really nice meeting you, Jack.
Come on, Little Monster.
I can hear your hand
turning off the alarm
Reaching out for a dream
as you stretch your arm
[Gramps] Rumor has it,
that little fur ball cost
you the sale today.
I don't think it was just the cat.
And the lights go down,
that's where we belong
Everlasting sparks between two oh-oh
Look, Boo, that's a wrap.
You don't need to close your eyes
I don't need to tell you twice
Are you guys having fun?
It's a lesson that we learned long ago
Sorry.
Did I make you laugh?
It's okay.
(everyone laughs)
Long ago
And do my hair because
chapter 11, dress for...
I had it. I had it.
I had it.
This is difficult, probably
'cause I'm squatting.
Long ago
You're so cute.
Long ago