Maame

Ben calls Maddie and asks her to come over to his house for dinner. She hasn’t had a date since high school and researches tips online, overwhelmed by all the effort women are expected to put into a first date. Jo and Cam help her pick out an outfit. Ben lives in a fancy apartment, and, as he cooks dinner, Maddie admires his good looks. She’s surprised to learn he’s 34 years old. When Ben calls her beautiful, she becomes sheepish. He is surprised that people don’t tell Maddie she’s beautiful and kisses her. They talk about cooking, and Ben gives Maddie a cookbook so she can experiment with different recipes. She tells him about her idea for a cookbook that identifies and explains flavor pairings. He encourages her to pitch the idea to her boss. Ben then tells her about his last relationship, which lasted four years and ended when they grew apart. Maddie admits she doesn’t date often. Ben kisses her again before she leaves.

At OTP, Maddie’s line manager, Kris, tells her that their last creative meeting didn’t go well because they’re running out of ideas. Maddie pitches her pairing cookbook, Cooking Combos. Kris promises to think about the pitch more.