Riley and Fran realize they don't have many common friends because of their generation gap, but find her friend Becca and his Danny ideal for a double date on their anniversary. When the girls overhear Riley saying he pretended the cool leather coat she gave him is too delicate for him to wear in construction, she's livid but decides to test him further by giving instead an indestructible watch. Meanwhile Josh has fixed his nasty sister Allison a date with hunky Cory, but she and her cahoot dump the lovely boy just because he's a freshman, hence 'social suicide for sophomores'.

Fran insists till Riley allows reporter Catherine Johnson to write a piece on them as a couple, supposedly as publicity for their businesses, in the local newspaper 'Long Island Life'. Just then Fran's ex Ted drops by to give Alison a driving lesson, but is too proud to decline helping Riley move the couch and gets a heart attack. Because Riley feels guilty even though he couldn't know, they take the recovering bachelor in at home. Josh finally sees a chance to get back at the ever abusive dad from hell when nurse Stacy declines Ted's flirting but eagerly goes out with Josh. When the reporter arrives, everything goes embarrassingly wrong.