At a friends' gathering, Buck Kent's partner and friends repeatedly invite him to dinner, but Buck keeps apologizing and canceling, saying he must work late on projects. The messages and promises to "make it up to you" heighten annoyance as guests observe his career comes first. A woman says, "My husband's on his way," and another envies Rudy, underscoring the group's shifting mood. Project managers arrive downstairs, forcing Buck to prioritize work again and leave his partner waiting. Then someone calls, "Honey, over here!"—an arrival that turns the night into an unresolved confrontation.