How It All Goes Down
Nick Young — New York
- Fresh off the convo with her mother, Rachel asks Nick about the sleeping arrangements while they're in Asia. He says it'll all sort itself out when they arrive.
- Rachel's reaction isn't as go-with-the-flow as Nick's, and he senses the tension so he assures her his folks aren't the kind that give a hoot about sleeping arrangements.
- We get some insight into Nick's feelings about Rachel: so lucky to have her, she's so beautiful— "natural and uncomplicated," that is (1.4.6).
- He recalls his earlier phone conversation with his cousin Astrid:
- She levels with him about how bringing Rachel home will take their relationship to the next level.
- Nick wants to show Rachel his world and see how she'll react to it. He doesn't think this should become a "diplomatic incident" (1.4.15). Our spidey sense is tingling: It's a trap! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F4qzPbcFiA]
- Astrid can see that Nick is naïve to much of how their world works, either form living outside Asia so long or being sheltered by their grandmother.
- She tells Nick their relationship can handle it, but it's about how the rest of the family can.
- We find out Astrid is in Paris without her husband and son for her annual spring couture-shopping trip (what, you don't have one of those, too?).
- Nick reminds Astrid of a trip they took with cousin Eddie and Astrid cringes remembering amputee strippers. Yeah…us, too.
- Astrid finally asks Nick to think about how hard it was for her husband Michael to get used to all the public scrutiny and whether he and Rachel are really ready for that.
- Nick is "head over heels" and he wants to shout it from a mountain-top (1.4.43).
- Like a good friend, Astrid offers her warning one last time: prep Rachel before landing in Singapore.