After Elaine gives an aggressive stationery store salesman Jerry's phone number to call about the expensive mechanical pencil she ordered for her boss, she asks George and his new girlfriend to pick up a salad for her. Although George paid for the lunch, because Julie handed the salad to Elaine, she gets thanked for buying it. Meanwhile, following an argument with Kramer at the golf course, ex-baseball star Steve Gendason is suspected of murdering a dry cleaner.

With Julie off to meet her mother, George complains about the salad incident as Jerry is disturbed to learn that his date for the evening was once dumped by Newman. Told that Barry made a special trip just to get the pencil she ordered, having already found one someplace else, Elaine realizes she is going to have to tell him sooner or later. After Elaine tells Julie of George's petty complaint, Jerry learns that Newman found Margaret unattractive.

Worried that their argument precipitated the killing, Kramer decides to clear his conscience by seeing Gendason in person. Pressed by Julie about his remark, George denies ever being upset about the salad, while Elaine's guilt causes her to reluctantly accept a date with Barry. Meanwhile, when Jerry cannot get over the thought of her dating Newman, after throwing him out of her car, Margaret ends their relationship. Finally, as George complains about Elaine's lack of discretion, Kramer and Gendason surprise everyone as they flee the police on the New Jersey Turnpike.