Katie's movie was an hour and a half long, and Jennifer took full advantage of that time. She needed to find the perfect dress, because Earnest's was a very fancy restaurant. If she wanted to be honest, she didn't know how Buddha Bob could afford it, he was but a humble janitor after all. She knew that this was judgy, but it was still an interesting choice.

Her dress-hunt was successful: she found a dark blue, elegant evening gown that came down to her knees, and matching shoes. Finally, she bought cheap but pretty jewelry and waited for Katie to come out of the movies.

"... and then the killer slashed her throat, and blood spewed everywhere, it was awesome!" Katie seemed way too excited about murder, but Jennifer didn't mind as long as her daughter didn't go on a killing spree.

"Yeah, that does sound awesome." She replied, her mind clearly elsewhere. "Wanna go for ice cream, honey?"

"Nah." Katie replied. "I gotta catch my series, with this tempo we'll be just on time."

Jennifer nodded and didn't argue, although Katie's screen time needed to be controlled sooner or later - in this case, later, because there were more important things at hand. Or at least one more important thing.

~The next day

Jennifer started getting ready for her 5 pm date at 2 pm, because... well, just because. Just in case. She was finally finished at 16:30. She had full make-up on, her dress, her shoes and her jewelry.

"Well, Jen..." She said to herself loudly while looking in the mirror. "You're actually not that bad-looking."

Again, she thought about whether or not she should go through with this. But she soon realized she already made up her mind. This could blow up in her face, but she felt stronger and tougher than 7 years ago. She had nothing to lose.

She had to admit: single life wasn't easy. Sometimes she longed for a hand to hold, a body to touch, to share kisses. And yes, she missed sex, too.

Finally, she grabbed her purse and went into the living room to say goodbye to the kids.

"Hey, kids, I..." She couldn't finish the sentence. They all looked up at her arrival, their jaw dropping at the sight.

"Mom?" Asked Katie once she got over her "shock". She fought hard not to grin: clearly her mom decided to give Buddha Bob a chance! "Oh my God, Mom, you look beautiful!"

Suddenly, everyone started talking at the same time, agreeing with Katie but also being very confused. At the end, Kendall asked:

"Where are you going all dolled-up, Mom?" He too, was fighting a smile. He and Katie shared a quick, content look as he waited for an answer.

"Nowhere." Said Jennifer a little too quickly. She bit down on her lip, quickly trying to think of a lie but nothing came to mind. "Can't a woman just look nice every now and then?"

James, Carlos, Logan, Kendall and Katie all looked each other, then shrugged.

"I guess." They replied in unison, then Kendall spoke up again.

"Oh, Mom, I almost forgot: Bitters is having a day off and Jo's having a party, can we pleeeeease go and stay until like... two, three-ish am?" He flashed her his most innocent smile, and his mom immediately melted. Kendall was a good kid. They were all good kids, but of course she loved him the most of the boys. He took care of his friends.

"Sure." Jennifer smiled. "But no alcohol. You're too young. Understood?"

"Yes!" The guys fist bumped each other, then Katie spoke up.

"Ooh, I almost forgot, too! Chelsea invited me to a pajama party today, can I pleeeease go, Mom, please?"

Jennifer sighed.

"You're not going to watch any horror movies, are you?"

"Nope, not a chance." Katie added a bit of disappointment to her voice. "Her mom's going to be checking in on us every half an hour."

"Good, very good." Said Jennifer, then looked at her watch. It was time for her to leave. Earnest's was a five minute walk from The Palmwoods, she'd be early, but that was the point.

"Alright kids, be good! Love you all!"

"We love you too!" They chorused sweetly, and Jennifer felt a sudden rush of gratitude: she was so lucky to have these sweet four boys and her adorable daughter. She waved goodbye before finally leaving the apartment.

~ Earlier that day

Buddha Bob didn't have money for a new suit, and that drove him crazy. The only suit he had was old, althought it didn't look bad on him: he was having a hard time tying his tie, murmering curse words as he did. It was almost time to go.

Finally, his tie and everything else was in place, and he stepped out of his small room at the Palmwoods. He walked out the door, his gaze forward but he could still see people turning when they saw him. Some of those gazes were almost lustful, and he blushed. It had been a long time since people looked at him like that.

His heart beat fast as he began his short walk towards the restaurant. He would be early, but that was the point: to get there before Jennifer so he could pull out her chair; just one of the nice things he wanted to do for her.

Before he noticed, he was standing in front if Earnest's; the fancy restaurant mesmerizing him. He never even dreamed of ever entering this place: it was known for celebrity cameos. But Jennifer invited him, there was no way he would miss this.

With a deep sigh, he walked into the restaurant, his jaw dropping. The restaurant was even more beautiful inside.

It was a 50's style restaurant, everything new and shiny, but retro. Heavy chandeliers hung from the ceiling and jazz music played in the background.

"May I help you, sir?" A waiter suddenly appeared, smiling at him politely.

It took a little while for Buddha Bob to regain his composure but when he did, he cleared his throat and said.

"Yes, please. I believe there's a reservation in the name of a certain Jennifer Knight and-"

"Oh but of course, Mr. Poopsalot!" The waiter exclaimed, and people at the nearest table laughed out loudly. Buddha Bob looked at the waiter, who had an apologetic look on his face. "Right this way, sir."

He lead him to their table and Buddha Bob was relievd to see that Jennifer wasn't there yet. He sat down, nervously cracking his knuckles.

"Can I get you anything, sir? Or shall we wait for the lady to arrive?"

"Yes, yes, let's wait." Said Buddha Bob, then added with a slight smile. "Thank you."

The waiter bowed and walked away. Buddha Bob took a deep breath in, then a deep breath out. He couldn't believe Jennifer would soon be sitting across her.

Jennifer was standing in front of Earnest's, trying to gather the strength to open the door and walk in. Her hands were shaky and hear heart was beating out of her chest.

It's normal to be nervous, she told herself. This is your first date in 7 years, Jen. You've got this. Just walk in. All you have to do is walk in, and you'll be fine.

She finally nodded to herself and pressed on the handle. What she saw inside, took her breath away. This place was way more gorgeous than she ever anticipated.

Looking around, she just stood in one place, unable to hide her enthusiasm.

"May I help you, madam?" A waiter popped up out of nowhere, and Jennifer jumped a bit before smiling at him.

"Y-yes... I believe there's a reservation for a certain Robert Poopsalot and-"

"Oh, but of course, Miss Knight!"

"Mrs. Knight." She corrected him automatically, and the waiter blushed.

"My apologies, Mrs. Knight. Right this way. Your date has already arrived."

Jennifer followed the waiter, thinking she was going to faint. A few more seconds. A few more seconds, and she's going to meet Buddha Bob. For their date. She was on a date. She couldn't believe it. Even now, she couldn't believe it.

Buddha Bob suddenly felt like bolting. Jennifer was wearing a beautiful, dark blue dress with matching shoes and some jewelry, looking like a real-life queen.

I'm not worthy of this woman, he thought. Get out of here, Bob, get out of here as soon as you can. Don't play with fire.

But before he knew it, Jennifer was standing in front of their table with a timid smile, and he immediately jumped up to pull out her chair.

"Hi, Bob." Her voice was shaky, but she let him help her sit down. "Thank you."

"Of course, Jennifer, I didn't..." Buddha Bob coughed. "I didn't think you would come. Even after your letter, I just... couldn't bring myself to believe it."

To his greatest surprise, one of Jennifer's eyebrows rose.

"My letter?" She asked, confused. "What letter?"

Now it was Buddha Bob's turn to frown.

"You... you sent me a letter of apology."

Jennifer still looked at him dumbfounded.

"Right?" He asked, now unsure. Surely he wasn't hallucinating... "And asked me out as well... here, look." He reached in his pocket and gave her the envelope. Jennifer took it eagerly and soon began to read.

After a while, her expression changed from confused to... something else.

"Well, that's very interesting." She said as she put the envelope down. "Because I got an exact same kind of letter from you." She opened her purse, and gave her own envelope to Buddha Bob.

"From me?" Asked Buddha Bob in disbelief, but took the letter anyway, beggining to read. After a while, he let it down with a shocked look on his face.

They stared at each other in unison before exclaiming at the same time:

"Katie!"

"Kendall!"

They shared a look: a look of disbelief and confusion. Then, suddenly, Jennifer's lips started to curl, as did Buddha Bob's. And then, they burst out laughing.

They giggled and giggled until they were hollering, and it was clear they were bothering the guests but they just couldn't stop, not yet. When their laughter finally came to an end, Jennifer spoke up.

"We've been parent trapped!" She wheezed, and Buddha Bob nodded in agreement, giving a final chuckle.

"It seems so, yes."

Their eyes met and they stared at each other; Jennifer couldn't tell what Buddha Bob was thinking but his beautiful green eyes made her weak. She quickly glanced away and cleared her throat before saying:

"Well, whether or not I wrote the letter, you have to know that it's true, Bob. I really am sorry about what happened, and... I'd like to get to know you more."

Buddha Bob could have cried in joy. But he held himself together in front of Jennifer.

"Well, you also need to know, even if I didn't write that letter, that its content is also true. I do think that you're a beautiful, smart and kind woman, Jennifer, and I too, would love to get to know you better."

Jennifer blushed, but didn't hide her smile.

"Well..." She gestured to herself. "Here I am."

"I see." Laughed Buddha Bob. "And here I am."

Jennifer chuckled too. After a moment of silence, Buddha Bob spoke up.

"Well, should we order something, or...?"

"Oh... yeah." Jennifer nodded, reaching for the menu. "Yes, let's..." She paled as soon as she read the first page. The cheapest thing here was... very, very expensive to say the least. "I don't know, Bob, do you really think we should eat here? I mean, these prices..."

"Don't worry, I'm paying." Said Buddha Bob, although he himself also nearly fainted at the numbers.

"No, I think we should split the bill." She opened her purse. "Let me see how much I've got in my..." She took a sip of water and then nearly choked on it, coughing violently as she looked inside her purse. "I've..." She said hoarsely. "There's two hundred dollars in here."

Buddha Bob looked suprised, and decided to check his own wallet. Same there. Two hundred dollars. They looked at each other, then said in unison:

"The kids!"

They both started laughing again, getting disapproving looks again but they didn't care.

"You know..." Said Jennifer when she caught her breath. "When I came here, I felt like I was never this nervous in my life, but all this laughter is actually helping."

Buddha Bob chuckled.

"And just how nervous were you?" His tone was challenging, and Jennifer bit down on her lip.

"Well, to get started, it took me two and a half hours to get ready." She said, and Buddha Bob gave a laugh. "Isn't it pathetic?"

"No, no, not at all." He responded. "You're not nearly as pathetic as I am. To make sure that everything goes smoothly, I went on the internet and memorized 15 questions to ask on a first date."

Jennifer burst out laughing.

"No you didn't."

"I did."

"No way." Jennifer stopped laughing, a smile remaining on her face. "Did you really?"

"Yeah." Buddha Bob seemed a little embarrassed. "Us Poopsalots tend to freeze in these kinds of situations."

"I see." Jennifer nodded, just before a waiter arrived at their table.

"Madam." He looked at Jennifer. "Sir." He looked at Buddha Bob. "May I take your order?"

They looked at each other, holding in their laughter before Jennifer broke the silence.

"You know what?" She asked Buddha Bob. "I think the kids would be disappointed if we didn't order the most expensive meal on this menu."

Buddha Bob thought about it, then nodded.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." He looked up at the waiter. "Two of your most expensive meals, please." He said, then added. "And your most expensive champagne."

The waiter bowed and left, leaving them alone again. Jennifer looked at Buddha Bob with sparkling eyes, then said in a slightly flirtish way.

"You know what? I'm actually interested in those questions. Come on, hit me. Ask me something, and then I'll pass the question right back to you. How does that sound?"

"Really?" Asked Buddha Bob, but then just chuckled. "Okay, if that's what you want." He took a deep sigh. "Jennifer." He looked into her eyes. "What made you interested in going out with me? Beside Kendall's letter."

They both laughed a bit at that.

"That's easy." Answered Jennifer. "You are the kindest, most generous person I know. You're great with my kids and you always help everyone who comes your way. And..." She blushed. "Last but not least, you're quite handsome. I only figured that out recently. Really, why did you decide to cut your beard and hair? Besides your mom, I mean. Or was she the only reason?"

"Wow." Giggled Buddha Bob. "That's a lot of compliments to take all at once. About my hair and beard, let's just say I felt like it was time for a change. And, well, my mother would have murdered me if she saw that I look like a homeless man."

They both laughed a little at that.

"Okay." Said Jennifer. "It's my turn now. What made you interested in going out with me?"

Buddha Bob whistled, then scratched his beard.

"Am I only supposed to say one reason?" He asked, making Jennifer blush. "Well, first of all, you're a single mom of five, and that is incredibly attractive."

"Really?" Jennifer marveled. "I thought that was my least attractive trait."

"Well, you're wrong." Smiled Buddha Bob. "It's incredibly attractive, at least to me. And you're so wonderful at it too! You're compassionate, beautiful, thoughtful, kind, smart, funny... I could go all night." He said in all honesty.

"Oh my God." Jennifer giggled, burying her face in her hands. "I feel like a teenage girl on her first date."

Buddha Bob laughed at that.

"I feel much younger than I am, too." He admitted. He gave Jennifer a break, that asked. "Should we move on to the next question?"

"Oh, yeah." Said Jennifer, feeling all her nervousness float away. "This is fun. Let's hear the next question."

"Okay." Buddha Bob once again looked into her eyes. "What are you looking for in a man?"

Wow, Jennifer thought. Seven years ago, she could have answered that with one word: Kent. She was looking for Kent in everyone. Fortunately, that has changed since then.

"Someone who doesn't mind my kids, first of all." She said after a while, her eyebrows furrowed together whilst thinking.

"Someone honest and respectful. A good listener and a good talker. And someone who makes me laugh." She shrugged sheepishly. "I guess that's it."

Buddha Bob nodded.

"A very reasonable list. Wanna know mine?" He asked, and Jennifer nodded. "Luscious lips, big boobs, a fat ass and lots and lots of money."

Jennifer burst out laughing, glad she now didn't have anything in her mouth to choke on.

"Bob!"

"Okay, okay, I'm joking." He laughed. "I'm looking for intelligence. Someone's who's very feminine, but doesn't mind messy activities. Someone who's kind and compassionate. And like you said, a good listener and a good talker." He took a breath. "Yeah, I guess that's it."

Jennifer nodded.

"Nice list indeed. Very reasonable." She said, then tilted her head to the side. "Next question."

Buddha Bob nodded.

"What would you do if you had a week off? From being a mom, I mean. What would you do?"

"Wow." Said Jennifer. "Which site are you getting these questions from? These are really good!"

"I don't remember." Chuckled Buddha Bob. "So, what's your answer?"

Jennifer smiled, letting lose completely and staring at the ceiling.

"Well, I'd..."

Minutes and hours passed, and Jennifer and Buddha Bob seemed to be going on forever. They talked about everything and nothing at all, flirting here and there and laughing often. Finally, it was time for the last question, and Bob asked:

"What was your first impression of me? Beside the time you thought I was an axe maniac."

Jennifer laughed heartily, looking down in embarrassment.

"Oh, don't even mention that, please! I'm still so ashamed!" She caught her breath. "But honestly? I thought you were a bit, you know... crazy." Buddha Bob chuckled. "I mean, everybody calls you Buddha Bob, and you walk around with your little boom box at work and you're impossible to wind up... hence the name Buddha Bob. Really, how did that come about?"

Suddenly, Buddha Bob's face dropped.

"That's..." He sighed deeply. "That's not a very happy story."

"Well, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." Said Jennifer carefully. "But I'm interested, if you don't mind."

Buddha Bob thought a bit, then shrugged.

"It's not that big of a story, actually. You know, I came to Los Angeles just like everyone else: full of hopes and dreams, ready to conquer the world. I wasn't alone, either. I had my wife Zoey with me... things didn't end very well between her and me."

"Wait." Jennifer lowered her voice. "So you're..." She looked around, then whispered: "D-i-v-o-r-c-e-d?"

Buddha Bob leaned closer, too.

"Why are we whispering?" He asked, smiling as Jennifer chuckled. Then, in a normal voice he said. "No, I'm not d-i-v-or-c-e-d. I'm a w-i-d-o-w-e-r."

Jennifer gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Oh my God, Bob, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, Jennifer, don't worry about it." Smiled Buddha Bob sadly. "It was ten years ago and she died after a long illness. We were together for fifteen wonderful years, but she was in such a bad shape in the end... she wanted to go. And she did. That's... that's what happened."

"I'm so sorry." Jennifer reached out to squeeze his hand, happy to feel him squeeze back. "You must miss her a lot."

Buddha Bob shrugged.

"It gets easier after a while. You know how it is. You know, Katie told me about Kent's car crash, and..." He shrugged again. "That must have been awful, too. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Jennifer."

She smiled at him warmly, then leaned closer, and gave his hand another squeeze.

"Call me Jen." She said, and Buddha Bob smiled back at her.

"Jen it is then, Jen."

There was a moment of silence again before Buddha Bob shrugged.

"Getting back to the original question though..." He continued. "After Zoey's death, I became completely depressed. I even thought about drinking or doing drugs, but I never actually did any of that stuff. I saw in an ad that The Palmwoods was looking dor a janitor and I applied... it didn't matter to me what I did anymore, to be honest. Survival was the only thing I was going for. And when Reggie - Bitters - hired me, I found out that I'm not only good at being a janitor, but I enjoy it, too. Keeping things clean and fixing people's broken things kept - and still keeps me - busy. My depression made sure that I didn't care about what other people thought about me. I was always calm and quiet. One of the Palmwoods kids - I think his name was - Tommy - named me Buddha Bob, and it became a thing. It was just my depression, but they thought that my calmness made me cool. So, yeah... that's how I became Buddha Bob."

"Ahemm..." They both jumped as a waiter apeared next to them, seemingly out of thin air. "I hate do interrupt your date, kind madam and sir, but I'm afraid we're closing in five minutes."

"Oh, that's right!" Buddha Bob exclaimed, and Jennifer once again reached into her purse.

"We're splitting the bill." Buddha Bob wanted to argue, but she shushed him. "No arguing. Here, sir."

After they left Earnest's, they walked around a few blocks just chatting, then they finally arrived to The Palmwoods. Buddha Bob followed Jennifer all the way to 2J before stopping at the door.

"Well..." They both said at the same time, then laughed at the same time.

"Well..." Said Buddha Bob, his green eyes sparkling. "I don't know how to say this, Jen, but this is the best time I had since... since... you know... since..."

"I get it, Bob." She placed a hand on his toned arm, rubbing it. "I feel the exact same way. Tonight was simply... perfect."

Buddha Bob nodded, then mentally got ready to leave, but the look in Jennifer's eyes stopped him. Her hand was still on his arm, and suddenly, her other hand wandered to his chest.

"Jen, I..."

"Shh." She whispered, putting her index finger to his lips. "Close your eyes."

Buddha Bob obeyed.

Before he knew it, their lips collided and Jennifer's tongued slipped into his mouth. They kissed again and again, leaning against 2J's door, only stopping before they both became breathless.

When they stopped, they stared at each other hungrily, and Jennifer smiled a naughty smile.

"You know, the kids aren't coming home until 3 in the morning..." She whispered and Buddha Bob blushed.

"You mean..."

"Yes, I mean..." She touched her lips to his ear and loosened his tie, making Buddha Bob shiver. Finally, a smile graced his lips as he took Jennifer's hand and let her lead him in, closing the door behind them.