Shelley Williams meets J.T. and the two start to date as friends. But when Shelley has a feeling that J.T.'s not his type of man to be dating with, it comes down to it when Rita and Janie think that the two are a perfect couple and that Shelley should give him another chance.
Shelly is on the verge of falling for J.T. and ending her celibate ways, but Janie's brief encounter with J.T. at the supermarket may change her plans.
After catching Shelly rifling through his wallet, a skeptical J.T. does some background checking of his own; Nick opts to get a tattoo. Rappers DMX and Bizarre have cameos.
Shelly ponders whether she and J.T. are an item after seeing him with another woman at Rita's party; Nick's girlfriend (Carmen Electra) is wearing him out; Rita learns the truth about her financial state. Julio Iglesias Jr. has a cameo.
J.T. gives up taking salsa lessons, but Shelly continues with a handsome instructor; Nick helps Rita move into a studio apartment.
J.T. unexpectedly agrees to Shelly's offer to pay for dinner, not knowing that she doesn't have enough money to actually pick up the tab. Shelly asks Rita for help, but she gets sidetracked by an encounter with supermodel Kylie Bax. Meanwhile, Nick borrows from Donovan's wardrobe in an attempt to become more attractive to women.
J.T. and Shelly are all set to celebrate their three-month anniversary with a romantic weekend getaway until J.T. realizes he's already committed to play in a basketball tournament with his friends, and despite his attempt to soften the blow of canceling the trip with dinner and gifts, he still lands in the doghouse. L.A. Laker Derek Fisher guest stars.
When J.T.'s mother walks in on him and Shelly in bed, Shelly fears their romance will sour unless she can win his mother's acceptance and respect, and Rita breaks up with her ""perfect man"" when their sexual role-playing typecasts her as the submissive one.
J.T. is upset when Shelly discusses details of his bedroom antics with her gal pals, who disclose them to Missy Elliott (playing herself) in a nightclub during a celebration for Janie.
J.T.'s old flame comes to town so Shelly feels she must up her game in order to keep her man from being tempted away.
J.T. gets fed up with the long hours Shelly is working during the holidays; Donovan's ex-girlfriend visits. J.T.'s mother tries to fix her son up with another woman (Kelly Rowland) when he tires of Shelley's busy schedule.
After drinking his apple juice, shattering his favorite beer mug and walking in on him shadowboxing naked, Nick tells Shelly that she has overstayed her welcome at their townhouse, placing J.T. in the middle of a showdown between his best friend and his girlfriend.
On Valentine's Day, the friends debate whether or not it was fate that Shelly and J.T. became acquainted. In a series of flashbacks to six months earlier, J.T. almost meets Shelly in line at a coffeehouse but becomes frustrated by her lengthy order. He also nearly encounters her at DivaStyle, but leaves after getting frightened by the sight of a wedding veil. Meanwhile, also in flashbacks, Shelly comes close to being seduced by handsome cheater Kevin Thorpe , with whom she had broken up. But at the last minute, she asserts her independence, leaves him and puts on the sexy dress to finally meet J.T.—and her destiny—at Z Lounge.
Shelly's successful, fun-loving sister, Simone, comes for a visit, and Shelly frustratingly finds herself slipping back into the role of over-shadowed little sister as Simone starts taking the limelight.
Janie discovers Marty's secret porn stash, and fearing there's a problem in her marriage, sets about trying to remedy the problem with help from Shelly and Rita. Also, J.T. has made a new friend in Cedric the Entertainer, but when this new friend never, ever leaves his side, he becomes an annoyance that J.T. wonders how to ""break up"" with.
Shelly's childhood friend, April, reappears in her life, and her party-crashing antics begin to influence Shelly's behavior, which causes friction between Shelly and her friends Rita and Janie. Meanwhile, Nick receives an email of a dancing stripper and tries to delete it before his boss can see it.
Shelly convinces J.T. to visit her very popular hairstylist Coleman, but when J.T. voices his dissatisfaction with the haircut, Coleman bans both of them from his salon. Shelly begs J.T. to apologize. Meanwhile, when Nick flirts with beautiful delivery woman Danni, a jealous Rita attempts to prove to Nick that Danni may actually find Rita the more attractive package.
Shelly jumps into J.T.'s bar brawl and, with one punch, puts an end to the fight before it even really starts, causing J.T. to feel his masculinity has been undermined. Meanwhile, Donovan breaks up with his latest girlfriend and cons his friends into thinking she dumped him so he can get as much sympathy as possible from his pals.
The women at DivaStyle accidentally accept a client who turns out to be a pimp, Rodney P. When Shelly refuses to do business with him, Rodney calls in his lawyers, Sugar-Free and Comfort. Meanwhile, Rodney's colleagues take his ""discrimination"" fight to the streets by picketing outside the store.
After her car accidentally catches on fire, Shelly asks J.T. to lend her money for a down payment on a new one, but when he refuses, it causes her to question their relationship. Meanwhile, stuck with an extra ticket to a charity ball, Rita asks Donovan to escort her to the event, and the two friends share a surprising kiss at the end of the evening.
A humiliated J.T. admits to Shelly that he doubts she's the type of girl he could marry after he and his parents see Shelly and her girlfriends drunk and topless in a new commercial for a racy reality video. For her behavior in the video, Janie's husband Marty forbids her to go out. Donovan and Rita valiantly attempt to not discuss their recent kiss. And Nick's appalled that his new girlfriend Dani has an ex-lover's name tattooed on her. )Part 1 of 2)
In an attempt to mend their rocky relationship, J.T. and Shelly sit down for an honest conversation about the effort and compromises each must make if they're going to stay together, but just when she thinks they're making progress, Shelly is shocked to learn that J.T.'s idea of compromise involves her changing her lifestyle. Meanwhile, Nick tries to pretend that he is happy about Donovan's romantic interest in Rita after learning of their newfound mutual attraction.
It's very hard for Shelley to get over her breakup relationship with J.T. So she gets help from a first ever book called ""Self Helpful"" which makes her feel independant while Rita and Janie worry that Shelley is still upset inside. Meanwhile J.T. can't get over the breakup relationship with Shelley and decides to let Nick and Donovan help him get over the breakup.
Shelly and J. T. ‘dip back' and break Nick's pool table in the process. J. T. tries to make Nick believe he broke it. Janie and Rita express their concern to Shelly when she ‘double dips back' with J. T. Donavan asks Rita on a date that turns into a disaster.
Shelly wants her things that she left at J. T.'s apartment. When she uses email to ask for them back, he responds he wants the money he ‘loaned' her to buy a car. Shelly decides to get the things from the apartment with the help of Rita and Janie. While there, Shelly decides to take the things she gave J. T. as gifts. After the police get involved, Rita and Donavon see the ugly side of the breakup, they decide to remain friends.
Shelly hurts her knee when working out with Rita. J.T. has fixed the problem before so Janie and Rita urge Shelly to go see him. She finally gives in and meets a handsome doctor who asks her out. J.T. is not happy about the date and sets out to wreck it. Donovan bets a bragging Nick that he cannot run the bar for one night.
After getting kicked out of her apartment Rita moves in with Janie. They discover common Cajun roots and begin to bond leaving Shelly out. Nick has an expensive sports package added to his and J.T's cable which J.T. wants to watch but doesn't want help pay for since they didn't discuss buying it.
Shelly's buds Janie and Rita convince her it is time to move on after she bickers with J.T. at the movies and they ruin the night for everyone. Shelly has a new friend who convinces her to get a little revenge on J.T. Rita sells all her things in a garage sale but doesn't handle it well.
Shelly has a date with a new beau Adrian which J. T. is okay with until he meets the handsome, buff boxer. Rita's cozy living arrangement with Janie deteriorates. Shelly is afraid she may end up with Rita as a roommate, so she attempts to broker a peace between her two friends.
When Shelly and Rita's competition for the affections of Joe (Carlos Ponce), a handsome bachelor, gets out of control, Janie steps in to save their friendship.
Shelley breaks the ""no dates"" rule and invites her new boyfriend to the New Year's Eve party, and everyone swaps stories about past dates. Everyone discusses their worst New Year's Eve dates ever! Whoever had the worse one got an entire bottle of champagne. Rita's date: died on New Year's Eve of a heart attack after she showed herself nude to him. Nick's date: a ventriloquist dummie. JT's date: believed that she was ""Wonder Woman"" Janie & Marty's first New Year's Eve in their new house was ruined by the surprise visit by Marty's mother. Donovan's date hooked up with an old boyfriend during her date with Donovan. Shelley found out that Mark was once gay and proposed to his ex-boyfriend on the top of a mountain.
DivaStyle finds itself in a publicity nightmare when fashion commentator Robert Verdi slams one of its dresses, worn by Brooke Burke to a televised awards show.
When Shelley starts wearing fake breasts, men begin to give her special treatment. She later considers getting breast implants.
Shelly and Rita take a martial arts class, but a rivalry ensues when Rita proves to be more adept. Meanwhile, Donovan begins dating Rebecca (guest star Tayna Roberts), a dynamic older woman, but trouble arises when he attempts to set J.T. and Nick up with her friends.
Shelly pretends to be disabled when a potential buyer in a wheelchair (Daryl ``Chill'' Mitchell) catches her using a handicapped parking spot.
When Shelly and Rita's stepmother (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) fight, it is up to Shelly to swallow her pride and apologize.
Eve agrees to a ""mercy date"" when a younger man (Sharif Atkins) asks her out, but the evening turns into a romantic attraction.
When Shelly and Rita discover that Janie had a secret fling with Troy (guest star Ricky Fanté), an old high-school classmate, they decide that that Janie can't lecture them on right and wrong anymore. Meanwhile, J.T. and Nick suspect that Donovan might be keeping a big secret from them.
Shelly, desperately trying to impress Grant (Sharif Atkins) by cooking for him, asks for everyone's help in the kitchen.
When Grant (guest star Sharif Atkins) tells Shelly he’s had an HIV test because he’s ready to take their relationship to the next level, it sparks the whole gang to go get tested. Golden Brooks (UPN's GIRLFRIENDS) guest stars as Nurse LaDonna and Marteniz Brown, a HIV/AIDS educator from Detroit, guest stars as Roderick, a clinic counselor. Donovan's request for residency into the United States is denied; he is informed that he must leave the country within 30 days. JT realizes that he's still in love with Shelly.
When Coleman's (guest star Phil LaMarr) hair salon gets shut down, Shelly and the girls help set him up in their shop temporarily, but they soon regret the decision when the demanding stylist takes over DivaStyle. Meanwhile, the gang learns some surprising information about Donovan after an immigration raid on Z Lounge.
A surprise camping trip causes Shelly to question whether Grant's simple, down-to-earth sensibility is really right for her. Meanwhile, J.T. decides to confess his love to Shelly.
After spotting Janie helping Grant (guest star Sharif Atkins) shop for an engagement ring, a distraught J.T. turns to Rita and his parents for advice, which leads to a dramatic showdown between the two men at Shelly's birthday party. Meanwhile, wanting to avoid tearful goodbyes as he leaves for England, Donovan sneaks out of the party and mulls over his future plans in the cab to the airport with driver Rufus (guest star Ludacris).
Shelly has to decide between two marriage proposals, by J.T. and Grant. Donovan, who skipped his flight back to England, is now living as an illegal citizen and he has to decide what to do with his life.
An excited Shelly starts planning her wedding to J.T., but an unexpected visit from her mother might make her rethink the decision she made. Meanwhile, J.T. gets accepted to medical school. Donovan finds a way to stay in the U.S. as a legal citizen
Rita and Janie, realizing that Shelly ignores their creative input in DivaStyle, decide to start their own line of items, which causes a fierce competition between the women. J.T. realizes medical school isn't as easy as he thought it would be. Nick regrets dating a co-worker.
A night of grazing on junk food leads the gang to realize they can each stand to lose some weight, but Shelly cheats on her diet, and crosses the line when she can't fit into her clothes. Also, the diet agreement is put in danger when Janie enlists the gang to help her prepare for her church bake sale.
A severe storm makes the gang confront issues concerning greed and faith: Shelly squabbles with Janie over her lottery winnings, while Nick has a religious experience.
Rita wants to be the face of DivaStyle, but Shelly and Janie oppose the idea, so Rita threatens to leave their partnership. Meanwhile, Donovan gets Nick hooked on makeup for men
Shelly and Janie select a hot young model to represent the new DivaStyle line, and discover that Rita is modeling for a rival brand. Meanwhile, Nick is tempted by J.T.'s study partner.
Janie spills some of the gang's secrets on a live radio show with Tom Joyner, affecting the budding relationship between Rita and Nick. Meanwhile, Shelly is in hot water with J.T.
Rita hires a firm to produce DivaStyle's new line, but the women get unwanted press when it comes out the company is a sweatshop. Donovan convinces Nick and J.T. to help him sell make-up.
Janie overhears Marty's flattering comments about Shelly and becomes convinced he still has an interest in her. She then accuses Shelly of trying to steal her man. Meanwhile, J.T. ignores his studies to go out partying with Donovan, and he pays the price
While spending Christmas at her mother's, Shelly wants to deck more than the halls when one of her mom's students, who's also staying there, replaces Shelly as the center of attention. J.T., Donovan and Nick decide to watch football instead of celebrating the holidays, but soon they come to a conclusion how much they miss the tradition
J.T.'s new girlfriend Rochelle is threatened by his former relationship with Shelly and his friends, so she demands that J.T. choose between her and his friends. Janie decides to change her outlook and attitude when one of the waitresses mistakes her for Shelly's mother
Shelly believes she's unfit to ever be a mother when Janie brings her cousin's infant to DivaStyle and Shelly drops the child. Meanwhile, Nick plays for an all-gay basketball team, but hurts his teammates with his insensitivity.
The success of DivaStyle brings big bonus checks to the ladies, but also brings big problems for Shelly when she goes on a wild shopping spree. Janie learns her husband wants to quit his job. J.T. turns to Nick for a money loan to cover his medical school expenses.
Shelly finds out that Janie's baby brother Paul still has a crush on her after all this time, but she doesn't know how to handle the situation now that Paul is an adult. Nick embarrasses the gang at Janie's church when he accidentally drops a $100 bill in the collection plate and then attempts to either get it back or at least, get his change
Shelley thinks she can be friends with her ex-boyfriend Grant, but her theory is tested when he announces he's engaged during a lunch date, and he wants her to meet his fiance. Rita moves into her new loft. Nick and J.T. become buds with a youngster through a local Big Buddies program.
When J.T. fails an exam because of a stupid mistake, his overbearing mother tries to persuade the professor to give J.T. a retest; and Marty considers becoming a professional bowler. Shelly tries to help Rita set up her new apartment.
Nick finally finds a woman he wants to date exclusively, only to have her tell him she's married. Meanwhile, Shelly discovers that Rita thinks her apartment is haunted.
Shelly and Janie cajole Rita to pretend she wants to get back together with Brenda after learning she's the buyer for a department store where they hope to display their clothing line. Donovan enlists Nick's help to win the money he lost in an expensive bet with J.T., by playing poker
Everyone finds out that Donovan was a pop star in England when a rapper asks his permission to sample one of his hits; then Shelly tries to impress the man with her raps. Rita and Janie's attempt to write a romance novel has a hot conclusion
Shelly is surprised when her estranged father Yusef shows up after being absent for years, and she is even more shocked when her mother encourages her to give him a second chance. A curious Janie finds a large amount of money in Rita's purse, and decides to find out where she got it.
Shelly's mother Beverly finally admits to Yusef, Shelly's father, that she is carrying his child, and Shelly questions Yusef's ability to be a father again. Meanwhile, Janie finds out that Rita is having Botox parties after hours at DivsStyle. Nick is caught in a love triangle when Lynn tries to break it off with her husband, Jamal
