Paul paced his living room floor like he was on a mission. The rug beneath his feet might almost be showing wear had he not been in socks. He was furious at himself for breaking up with Gina, pissed he was still in love with her and vehemently opposed to Chris who was without a doubt going to be foraging through Gina's underwear sometime that evening. Paul snatched up a half-empty wineglass from the coffee table and sculled the rest of its contents before stalking into the kitchen where the phone had been abandoned on the breakfast bar. He grabbed it and hit the redial button; it rang for several seconds before it was answered.
          "Hello?"
          "She's going out with some pretentious fucker who just wants to get into her pants," Paul wailed.
          "What?" Mikey's voice replied absolutely confused.
          "Genie, she's gone out with her ex-boyfriend."
          "I thought you were her ex-boyfriend?"
          "The one before me dickwit."
          "Dare I ask why you know this?"
          "Remember how I told you about the Miro thing?"
          "I think so, somewhere between 'the art was fantastic' and 'Her dress was snug around her voluptuous breasts'."
          "Don't make me think of her breasts."
          "Sorry mate, you were saying…"
          "The Miro thing. I went round to lend her a couple of books and she was looking all gorgeous and sexy in some little black number, stockings, cute little earrings…"
          "Paul!"
          "What?"
          "You're drifting?"
          "Sorry mate, I'm distressed here."
          "Ok, ok, so her ex-boyfriend turns up?"
          "Yeah, Chris and she basically tells me that all he wants is to fuck her and she doesn't care…it's like she doesn't think she's worth more than that and she is mate…" Paul paused as the familiar 'call waiting' bleeps interrupted his conversation.
          "I'll just see who that is," Mikey announced and Paul was quickly greeted by some painful classical music. He soon tired of the music and went hunting for the rest of the bottle of wine he'd started on earlier but couldn't for the life of him find it and eventually settled on flicking through a discarded newspaper. It took Mikey five whole minutes to reappear and inform Paul that he'd call him back later, which Paul took as a polite way of saying that his problems weren't important and he didn't really care. Frustrated he lobbed the phone into an armchair and decided the only way to deal with things was to sulk like a child.

          Gina looked over the menu and then subtly scanned the expensive restaurant. She felt so out of place compared to the other fashionably dressed women who were toying with a few scattered lettuce leaves.
          "You look uncomfortable," Chris piped up, closing his menu.
          "Well, this is way more extravagant than I'm used to," Gina breathed.
          "Babe, I earn nearly four times as much as I used to," Chris beamed. "We don't need to stay home and eat your cooking anymore."
          "What's wrong with my cooking," Gina gasped.
          "Nothing, but it’s not gourmet cuisine is it?" Chris chuckled as a waitress appeared.
          "Good evening are you ready to order?" she smiled and flipped the page of her notepad over.
          "We certainly are," Chris replied. "I'll have the steak and she'll have a Caesar salad and we'll have a nice bottle of the house white."
          "Not a problem sir," the waitress nodded and scurried off toward the kitchen.
          "Oh, gee thanks," Gina groused. "I'd forgotten how the ordering thing worked."
          "Oh don't be like that," Chris sighed. "You know it takes you ages to decide what you want."
          "No it doesn't," Gina countered. "I always order the same thing. Chips and a chocolate milkshake."
          "Somehow I don't think they sell that delicacy here," Chris scorned.
          "No, there's nothing deep fried on the menu," Gina pouted.
          Chris let out a long sigh and decided to change the subject. "You know it’s great to be back in Oz, great to be back with you."
          "So why'd you leave without even saying goodbye?"
          "Because it would have hurt to much," Chris breathed, reaching across the table to take her hands in his. "If I'd come and seen you I probably wouldn't have left."
          "Maybe you should have come and seen me then," Gina smiled coyly and watched a sly grin spread across his face as she ran her toes up the inside of his leg. She felt his fingers clasp around her ankle.
          "You’re a sassy bitch Coleman," Chris mused and lowered his voice. "You wouldn't believe how I've missed you."
          "Might need a demonstration on that one," Gina smiled flirtatiously.

          After they'd broken the ice the dinner had gone quickly with Gina barely touching her salad and having a glass of wine forced upon her. Her near empty stomach sent the wine straight to her head and it wasn't long before she found herself flat on her back on the couch with Chris clawing at her dress and groping her in the least attractive manner possible.
          "American women have nothing on you," Chris panted as he dropped sloppy kisses onto her neck. Gina felt her skin crawl, nice to know he was so honest about his promiscuity. She began feel for his belt when there was a loud knock at the door. "Who the fuck…" Chris gasped falling off the couch, his face bright red and his hair a mess.
          "I don't know," Gina shrugged, getting to her feet. She hurried out of the room straightening her dress and hair before opening the door.
          "Did you know that if you drink tequila and vodka at the same time you get very drunk?" Paul slurred as he swayed slightly on the spot.
          "What the hell are you doing here?" Gina gasped.
          "I can't find my way home," Paul pouted.
          "Gina what's going on…" Chris grumbled as he stalked into the hallway behind her.
          "Oh Chris you're still here!" Paul perked and barged his way into the apartment. "It was very nice meeting you earlier and I think we should all have a drink to celebrate your return."
          "What is he doing?" Chris demanded as Paul tried unsuccessfully to shake his hand.
          "Trying to shake hands," Gina mused and Paul gave her a goofy smile and swayed a bit more.
          "For god's sake make him leave," Chris grumbled.
          "In that state? Are you mad? He'll frighten people," Gina declared.
          "It's true," Paul nodded. "I might start fucking dogs and stealing old ladies’ underwear."
          Chris looked mortified. "Well if he's not going I am," he pushed past Paul. "I'll call," he mumbled and slammed the door behind him.
          "Bye Chris," Paul waved giddily. Gina turned to him and crossed her arms. "Aw, don't be angry Genie, I'm happy, it’s a happy time, smile!" he used his fingers to tweak the corners of her mouth and form a smile. She tried to stay serious but he was so adorably stupid she started to giggle.
          "I'm so going to make you pay in the morning," she mused.
          "Are we having a sleep over?" Paul perked.
          "Don't get too excited, you're getting the couch," Gina sighed as he followed her back into the living room.
          "Oh this is gonna be great, just like old times but without the sex obviously," Paul perked as Gina disappeared into her room and came back a few seconds later with a pillow and a spare quilt for him.
          "I'm going to bed, sleep it off," Gina ordered as she turned and headed for her room.
          "Night Genie," Paul called after her. Once her door was closed he kicked off his shoes, jacket and jeans and dropped the pillow onto the couch. He snuggled under the quilt but couldn't sleep for the smile that was fixed to his face.

          Gina woke to a fierce rumbling in her stomach, her lack of food from the previous night had finally caught up with her and if she didn't get up and make breakfast there was risk her pillows might be eaten. She slid out of bed, stopped to run a brush through her hair and then padded out of the room. She peeked over at the couch and smiled as she saw Paul with his arms wrapped around the pillow and sleeping peacefully. Gina decided to leave him to sleep and made her way into the kitchen where she decided that pancakes were the only things that was going to save her from certain starvation. She'd just placed the first lot of pancakes onto a plate when Paul's voice piped up from the couch.
          "Are you cooking?"
          "No, the little old lady from round the corner has invaded my kitchen," Gina replied. "Of course I am dickwit."
          "What's with the angst babe," Paul mused as he appeared at the kitchen door. "Ohh pancakes," he added and sat himself opposite her at the table.
          "I never said I was supplying your drunk arse with breakfast," Gina declared.
          "Well, I'm sure I'll appreciate your cooking more than what's his face," Paul groused as he hunted out a plate then helped himself to pancakes.
          "Chris, you know his name's Chris, don't pretend you don’t."
          "Fine, Chris, add a fucking 't' to it and you get 'Christ' who is someone else I've never been fond of and ruined anything that could have been wonderful about my childhood," Paul huffed. "Add a 't, m, a, and s' and you get that one time of year that forces me to drink heavily and want to hurt people."
          "Add an 'h' to Paul and you get a gangsterish way of saying 'fool' which is what you are," Gina countered.
          "Oh you're so street," Paul chided as he stuffed a large bit of pancake into his mouth.
          "Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was when you turned up last night?" Gina spat.
          "Didn't interrupt anything did I?" Paul asked innocently.
          Gina narrowed her eyes and studied him a moment, her eyes slowly changed from anger to realisation. "You fucking bastard," she gasped. "You're not even hungover, you weren't even drunk when you turned up last night!" she pushed her chair back and stormed off into the living room.
          "Can you blame me?" Paul called as he followed her. "I wasn't going to let you fuck that pretentious prick."
          "As far as I know it's not any of your bloody business," Gina snapped.
          "No, you're right," Paul snapped back. "But I fucking love you Genie and I'll be damned if I'm letting you get treated like a piece of meat."
          "Love me," Gina declared with a short laugh. "You don’t love me. If you loved me you wouldn't have dumped me in the first place." They fell silent, the adrenaline pumping through them both.
          "I couldn't let you sleep with him," Paul breathed.
          "Well, you certainly achieved that little goal."
          "Genie, I do love you," Paul pleaded and tried to take her in his arms but she pulled back.
          "No way, I'm not letting you do this to me again," Gina swallowed, trying hard not to give in, no matter how much she wanted to. He'd broken her heart and caused her more pain than any other man she'd ever dated. "You had your chance and you fucked it up."
          "I've changed," Paul said feebly.
          "No you haven't, you're a kid McDermott, the second commitment comes your way you freak out and I don't want to deal with that, I can't deal with that," Gina breathed. "I think it's best you left." She turned away and went back into the kitchen. Paul stood staring after her for a moment, not sure how to react or what to do.

          The front door closed and Gina leaned forward, pushing her pancakes aside and burst into tears. The look on his face had ripped through her and it killed her to turn him away. She loved him, of course she loved him, she wouldn't have been dropping large tears onto the tablecloth if she hadn't. Gina desperately wanted him back but she was smarter than that. The last two months had been hell, a roller coaster of loneliness, hurt, torment and tears and if that was how things with Paul were going to be she'd rather just have lots of soulless sex and avoid emotional attachments to other human beings all together. She grabbed a napkin to wipe her face as the answering machine clicked on.
          "Guess who? Hahaha…I was thinking how about we catch up and continue last night…"

          A day later Paul was being groped by a couple of hair and make-up women as they combed his hair and made sure he looked perfect for television.
          "I dread to think what embarrassing footage they have this week," Mikey mused strolling past. "I hate they way they dig up all our old stuff."
          "Rather you than me mate," Paul shrugged.
          "Paul stay still," hissed an older make-up woman. He rolled his eyes as Mikey laughed at him. "Right, we're done. We'll touch you up just before you go on."
          "Thankyou lovely ladies," Paul perked until they were gone and then his face fell again.
          "You all right? You looked troubled mate," Mikey asked patting Paul on the back.
          "Yeah, great," Paul sighed. "I might get something to drink," he added and walked off the set and toward his dressing room. Once behind the sanctity of the door his whole body slumped and looked miserably into the mirror. He might have looked fantastic but he felt like shit. "You can't go on like this mate," he breathed before snatching up his wallet and heading back into the corridor.

          "What is your problem?" Chris huffed as Gina pulled away from him as they sat together on the couch.
          "I'm not in the mood Chris," Gina sighed.
          "You haven't been in the mood since I got back," Chris grumbled. "Which just isn't like you," he added and tried to kiss her neck.
          "Is that all you want? Sex?" Gina asked bluntly.
          "Well no, but it's a start," Chris mused.
          Gina looked at him like he'd just asked her to go five rounds with a camel. "You know what Chris?"
          "What?" He grinned lazily.
          "I think it’s time you fucked off," she scowled.
          "Aw but Gina…" He whined as she got off the couch and headed for the door.
          "Look, I'm even going to open the door for you," she mused and held the door open as Chris gave her daggers and stormed out. "What was I thinking?" she breathed as she closed the door and headed back to the couch. She'd just settled down again when there was a knock at the door. "Oh for god's sake," Gina breathed getting to her feet again and making her way back to the door. "Chris I told you to…" she stopped when she realised the man on her doorstep was Paul and not Chris. "What are you doing here?"
          "I know I was an idiot, stupid, fucking mental to break up with you and in such a pathetic and cowardly way," Paul declared, his eyes so sad Gina found herself transfixed on them. "I know I hurt you and I don't blame you for being scared to even consider taking me back, hell I wouldn't," he swallowed. "The thing is I can't live without you, I swear I am going out of my fucking mind. Since I walked out of here the other day I've been trying to think of ways to convince you that I love you and I realised there's nothing I can do…nothing." He moved inside the door and Gina turned her back on him and made her way back into the living room, Paul followed and stopped when she stopped and turned to him with her arms crossed. "I mean, I could tell you that I love the little things right, like the way you always have everything, those little notes you leave when I'm too hungover to think straight and even your fucking time keeping habit. I could tell you I love the big things, like the sex and the way you make me feel so damn vulnerable and dear god woman please, please, give me a break…"
          Gina felt her heart pounding, she stepped forward as she uncrossed her arms and cupped his face in her hands before kissing him gently. Paul closed his eyes as his hands sought out her body to bring it close to his. He realised then he'd missed absolutely everything about her, the way she felt, smelt and tasted.
          "I must be insane," she breathed, her forehead against his.
          "No more than me," Paul said softly kissing her again.
          "You've got to promise me that if you have problems you'll talk to me," Gina declared.
          "You've got it," Paul nodded. "Anything else you want me to promise to because right now you could ask me to stick a tea cosy on my head and sing songs from Rent and I would."
          "How about, never change," Gina smiled as her hands crept down onto his suit. "Are you wearing velvet?"
          "Yeah, it's my special suit. You like?" Paul perked, still refusing to let go of her.
          "Hmm," Gina mused as her hands slid onto his rear and gave it a squeeze. "I love it."
          "Fantastic," Paul beamed as they fell into another brief kiss.
          "So, are you supposed to be somewhere?" Gina breathed as she managed to pull herself away from him.
          "Oops," Paul said innocently. "We're filming in…." he paused and checked his watch. "Five minutes ago."
          "Shit," Gina giggled and grabbed her keys from the coffee table. "Come on you idiot, I'll take you back."
          "I thought you already had," he perked as she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the door. "Oh one other thing."
          "What?" Gina asked blankly.
          "Why was Chris leaving your apartment?"
          "Because I told him to fuck off."
          "Because he's a bastard?" Paul asked happily.
          "That and I'm still in love with you," Gina mused as they fell into each other's arms again and ended up tumbling down the last few steps.
          "By jingo," Paul winced.
          "You ok?" Gina gasped.
          "It's ok, I'm in denial about the pain in my ankle," he declared as they hurried toward Gina's car.
          "I broke the host," Gina giggled as Paul tried his hardest not to limp.
          "Shut up and drive woman," he smiled as she unlocked the doors.

          "What do you mean you don't know where he is?" Ted bellowed at Mikey who shrugged.
          "All he said to me was he was getting a drink."
          "Where from, Albania?" Ted wailed. "I'm going to kill him, I'm actually going to kill him."
          "Perhaps he lost his way?" suggested one of the writers.
          "Go away," Ted ordered. "NOW!"
          "Well, I've checked every toilet in the building and he's not there," Julie declared as she walked over to join them.
          "What am I going to do?" Ted babbled and shot a look to Mikey. "Where's Steve? Hunt him out and get him to do something."
          "You hunt him out," Mikey scorned and leaned back against the wall.
          "Why me? Why did I choose to do this…I could have been holidaying in Majorca but no, no…" Ted mumbled as he stormed off.
          "So where is he?" Julie asked with a sly smile.
          "Well, it’s toss up between throwing himself off a bridge or going to visit the lovely Gina," Mikey sighed. "Personally I hope it’s the first one."
          "That's a bit harsh Mikey, you've never even met his girlfriend," Julie scolded.
          "She's a journalist, what's there to know?" Mikey huffed.
          "I'm a journalist," Julie scorned.
          "And a very nice one you are too," Mikey beamed, Julie shook her head and they went back to waiting in silence.

          "Are you going to be in trouble?" Gina asked as they hurried into the reception area of the ABC building. The security guard looked at Paul strangely then went back to reading his paper.
          "Of course I am, but I don't care," Paul replied.
          "I should probably go then," Gina said as she stopped. "I mean, I can't go backstage can I?"
          "Of course you can," Paul breathed. "You're my girlfriend, besides which this is the ABC and they generally don't care who comes backstage whether it be man, woman or beast."
          "I suppose you're…"
          "MCDERMOTT!" Ted yelled storming up the corridor.
          "Ted, mate I've been looking all over for you," Paul grinned.
          "Don't fuck with me McDermott," Ted growled.
          "No, I plan to fuck with her," he perked as he kept walking. "You're not really my type."
          "You can't just disappear during taping," Ted declared.
          "You'll find I actually disappeared before taping," Paul countered as he saw Mikey and Julie waiting. "Anyway, I'm here now, no point in popping a vein is there mate?" he added patting Ted on the shoulder.
          "He's been more than popping a vein," Mikey chided as a make-up woman appeared as if from nowhere and started to attack Paul with a sponge while muttering about the state he was in. Gina bashfully hid her make-up-covered hands in her pockets.
          "I'll go tell them you'll be on in one," Ted huffed and stalked off.
          "You do that mate," Paul grinned.
          "Paul!" hissed the make-up woman.
          "Sorry," Paul lied and looked over at Mikey and Julie. "By the way that's Gina."
          "Hello," Julie smiled stepping forward to shake hands. "I hope you can be the one to stop him being so awful at times."
          "Why on earth would I want to do that?" Gina said with mock horror.
          "It was worth a try," Julie sighed as she headed off into the studio. Gina looked over at Mikey who was still leaning against the wall, crossed her arms and stepped toward him.
          "And you think I'm the devil incarnate apparently hey?" she mused.
          "He does, he thinks you kill kittens and eat children," Paul chimed in.
          "Paul!" the make-up woman wailed.
          "Sorry, sorry," he giggled.
          "Well, thanks for the concern and all Mikey," Gina breathed. "But if I was a money hungry hack who lusted after power I would have brought both his and your careers to a heap weeks ago. And should you decide to share you opinion on the whole world of journalism and journalists which you know just so much about in a derogatory fashion toward me again I will have you eaten alive by a pack of starving ferrets from Kashmir."
          Mikey looked at her blankly for a moment. "I was wrong, you two are perfect for each other," he muttered as he wandered back into the studio.
          "Enough woman," Paul scowled at the make-up woman, sending her scurrying backwards. "Go get yourself a seat in the audience," he added looking over at Gina as he straightened his tie.
          "Good luck," she smiled and went to kiss him. "Better not, the make-up woman might have a nervous breakdown."
          "MCDERMOTT! NOW!" Ted yelled from the studio.
          "After the show," he smiled giddily then raced into the studio screaming like a maniac.