Steve attends the Olympics with Brandon, who spent most of the summer travelling alone. Their car breaks down in Hadley City, a small town in Texas. Steve decides to catch a bus to Houston and fly home to surprise Clare. He discovers that Clare has already left for San Antonio to surprise him. He flies back to San Antonio; thanks to a weather delay, they are able to find each other. Brandon meets a young black woman, who quits her job as assistant librarian after her boss hassles her for talking to him. Brandon’s friendship with Mariah riles many of the townspeople; they have confrontations with two redneck mechanics, and her ex-boyfriend and a cohort. Mariah decides to move to New York and write a book about angels. She thanks Brandon for encouraging her to change her life. David constantly criticizes Donna as they try to complete a video shoot with a temperamental singer. Their boss is fired, and David panics at the prospect of losing his contract. Donna ends the partnership after le