The Linguini Incident

Monte, a British bartender, hopes to marry Lucy to obtain his green card and American citizenship. He hints that returning to Britain could put him at risk of being killed. This setup creates the personal and legal stakes that drive their early decisions.

Lucy is an aspiring escape artist who, with her friend Vivian the lingerie designer, schemes to rob the restaurant to fund their ambitions. They see the heist as a means to achieve independence and bigger dreams. Their plan threads through the early relationship dynamics.

Monte agrees to help with the robbery if Lucy agrees to marry him. The arrangement ties his goal of citizenship to Lucy's daring scheme. It marks a turning point in their relationship, blending crime, romance, and personal stakes.

The heist does not unfold exactly as planned, but the trio manages to pull it off and secure the needed funds. Their success comes with complications and lessons about timing and trust. The successful outcome advances their ambitions while complicating their relationships.

Lucy inadvertently forgets to meet Monte at the marriage registrar, triggering the dramatic consequence of his two million dollar bet. The bet was for him to marry a waitress within a week, a deadline that now slips away. The setback intensifies the tension between Lucy, Monte, and the restaurant bosses.

In a double-or-nothing gambit, Monte wagers Lucy's escape skills as the instrument of the next act. He tricks the women into playing along, claiming the bosses have uncovered the prior robbery. Monte and Vivian begin drilling Vivian in her escape routine.

The morning before Vivian's performance, she and Monte share a private moment and make love. This reinforces their alliance even as deception looms over the plan. The emotional stakes deepen the collaboration between the characters.

During the performance, Lucy begins her escape from handcuffs and a locked mailbag underwater, building suspense. Monte gives her Bess Houdini's wedding ring for luck, linking her ritual to Houdini's legacy. The audience and participants hold their breath as the escape unfolds.

While Lucy is performing, Vivian conducts a second nighttime-style heist with the wealthy patrons treating it as a floor show. The double robbery intensifies the spectacle and blurs the line between performance and crime. The patrons' complicity secures the payment of the bet.

After several minutes the bag stops moving and Monte dives into the tank to rescue Lucy, only to find it empty. Lucy reappears unharmed, having completed the escape successfully. The apparent coincidence of danger and success heightens the celebratory mood.

The delighted restaurant owners pay the two-million-dollar bet, rewarding Monte and Lucy for pulling off the ruse. Lucy agrees to go on a date with Monte so they can get to know each other better. The trio plan to ride off with Vivian, ending the day with a new, unlikely partnership.

Lucy, Monte, and Vivian leave the restaurant together, turning their shared escape-artistry ambitions into a new chapter. Lucy's dream to become a star escape artist feels within reach, reinforced by the dramatic day. Monte looks forward to a possible future with Lucy as they ride off with Vivian.