Right before the awards banquet, Ted ended his relationship with Victoria and ruined his chances with Robin at the same time, and is wondering if he should still bring a date.
At the banquet, Ted finds himself more and more attracted to Mary, who says she is a paralegal at a law firm downtown.
Shortly afterward, Robin returns, reiterating that she does not date co-workers, and she brought Sandy Rivers only to make Ted jealous, and Marshall tells her that Ted brought Mary to make Robin jealous.
After a minute, Barney reveals that Mary is not really a prostitute, but a paralegal who lives in his building (having told Ted and Marshall that she was one as a prank).
Critic Ryan J Budke of TV Squad enjoyed the episode and praised it for being "true to life" in the way the characters relate to each other, noting everyone has someone they can have a "telepathic" conversation with.