Both Abby and Karen are appointed to an Environmental Board, and argue whether to let Morikame drill for oil.Paige rents an executive apartment in the Sumner Group's name, and suggests to Greg they have an affair. Karen shows up at Mac's office in an overcoat and lingerie. She starts to do a striptease, then an old couple walks in, and she runs out, embarrassed. Michael and some friends go to a cabin for the weekend, and he is jealous when he sees Ellen and Johnny together. Later he talks over his women problems with a sympathetic park ranger, Paula. She tells him she'll be giving ecology lectures at his college. Olivia tells Abby she is going with Michael, but instead stays with Harold, who rejects her advances. He wants to wait until they are married. Val and Gary go out. Julie helps Frank and Pat make up after a fight.

Ellen thinks Michael is slacking off working on their computer program because he's jealous. She tells Johnny about the program. Michael introduces Karen to Paula. Paula agrees to help Karen with environmental reports, and Karen has her for dinner. Seeing Mac, Paula is uncomfortable.Ginny pushes Val to find herself a man. Ted tells Greg the President is going to appoint a new trade representative in Japan, and Greg wants Ted to get it for him. Greg wants to meet with Morikame about getting them oil permits, so Abby hires an actor to play Mr. Nogata. Paige hires Mr. Toya to verse Greg in Japanese business protocol. Paige takes an ""out of order"" sign off the elevator and Abby gets stuck for 2 hours. Later Abby tells Greg that he offended Nogata, and passed on his deal.

Michael and Ellen decide to copyright their computer program, but Johnny already has. He brings it to Greg, who's interested in buying it. Karen and Paula find that Murikami is going to drill for oil in protected parts of Lotus Point. They take photos and document it in Paula's computer at the University. Michael tells Abby, who releases a virus in the college computer system, and it eats all of Paula's data. Val begins to write again. Karen tries to set Gary up with Paula, but he's more interested in a woman who accidentally programmed his number into her phone. She doesn't give her name, so he calls her ""Sally's Friend"". Paige discovers that Nagata is an actor whom Ted hired. He says if she tells Greg, he'll tell him she released the story that cost him the election.

Michael and Ellen's professor tell them their program is plagiarized from a program donated by Greg, and puts them on probation. Greg tells Michael he bought it from Johnny. Michael tells Greg he is going to sue him. Paula admits to Michael she's in love with a married man, but doesn't tell him it's Mac. Paula and Karen go back to Lotus Point, but there's no sign of the oil drillers. Abby gives Nogata money to go back to Japan, but he blackmails her for more. Paige follows Nagata, and sees Ted give him a briefcase of money. She still follows, but loses him at a red light. Home, Paige sees on the news that Nagata was killed. Just then Ted comes by and tells her he was killed. Paige asks how he knew and he says he saw it on the TV in the lobby. Gary continues talking with Sally's friend. Ginny buys Val a computer, and hires Danny Waleska to teach her how to use it. He and Val go out to lunch.