“Was she,” Paul said, bewildered, motioning behind him to where Abbie had left the room. “Was Abbie telling the truth? Are you going to dinner with Chris?”
          “Abs made it sound worse than it actually is,” Gina frowned, dropping the scourer onto the draining board. “He asked me if I’d fill him in on a couple of things that happened at work, it’s all very innocent.”
          “Genie, he’s your ex-whatever,” Paul sniffled. “That’s not innocent! You’ll be thinking about each other naked all evening.”
          Gina pouted knowing full well she probably would be thinking of Chris naked, it was hard not too. He had a fantastic body and was a generous lover. “And I suppose if you went to dinner with, I don’t know, Jo say, you wouldn’t be thinking of her bare breasts?”
          Paul went wide eyed and coy. “As if I’d do such a thing,” he coughed. “Besides we’re talking about you here.”
          Gina crossed her arms and sighed. “It’s just work, it’s important. I wouldn’t go otherwise.”
          Paul looked unconvinced. “What about the e-mails?”
          “What about them? I keep him informed about what’s going on here,” Gina shrugged. “We were friends before we were lovers you know.”
          “I want it known I’m not happy about it,” Paul huffed, closing his colouring book and looking miserably at Gina. “I mean would you have even told me if Abs hadn’t announced it in a slanging match?”
          “Of course I would,” Gina said feebly, wandering over to where Paul was sitting and draping her arms around his shoulders. “I’d never keep secrets from you.”
          Paul stifled a cough and tilted his chin up to look at her. “And here I was thinking we might play doctors and nurses…”
          “If you’re a good boy I’ll give you a bed bath when I get home,” Gina smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.
          “Y’know this is a great angle for me,” Paul mused, stoking her hair as it brushed over his shoulder. “Keeps the mucus from gushing out of my nose.”
          “That’s sexy, really hon,” Gina chided, kissing him again before she went back to the pile of dishes that were waiting.

          “You know, you can tell what a woman is expecting from an evening by the way she dresses,” Abbie declared as she sat curled in an armchair sporting a pair of baggy flannelette pyjamas. Paul was sprawled on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, a box of tissues by his side.
          “What do you mean?” he asked as they both concentrated on the tacky game show that was on.
          “Well, if a woman is wearing like a pant suit, skirt below the knees or a cardie you’re so totally not getting any so don’t even try,” Abbie replied, sipping a mug of hot chocolate. “On the other hand, if she’s wearing anything figure hugging, short or cleavage enhancing you’re going to get so lucky you’d better have serious stamina.”
          “Really,” Paul blinked, running over every outfit he’d ever seen on a woman. “What about accessories.?”
          “Big handbags are a no, while dangly earrings and high heels are a definite yes,” Abbie nodded. “It’s a proven fact that we know whether you’re getting laid before you’ve even got your pants on.”
          “I don’t think guys have a wardrobe that monitors the possibility of sex,” Paul sighed, reaching for a tissue.
          “That would be because it’s not needed as you don’t really get a say in the matter,” Abbie smirked and Paul sneered at her as Gina appeared from her bedroom. Paul’s heart fell through the floor with hopes she’d gone the pant suit when instead she appeared in a sexy figure hugging skirt that stopped just below the knee, a low cut dark purple top, long black jacket and zip up knee high boots. Her hair was loose and Paul caught a glimpse of some drop earrings under her blonde locks.
          “How do I look?” Gina asked, doing a little twirl and then stopping to look at her friend and boyfriend.
          “I’m borrowing that top,” Abbie replied and then went back to the television.
          “You look beautiful,” Paul said miserably and Gina leant down to kiss him. “Don’t be late.”
          “I’ll be a couple of hours at most,” Gina smiled and grabbed her bag, it was small clutch style one and Paul had to hide his startled expression. “Later guys and try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”
          “Have fun poppet,” Abbie chided as Gina headed for the door.
          “No, don’t have fun,” Paul groused. “Have a fucking awful time and insult the staff.”
          “Someone’s a jealous monkey,” Abbie teased and Paul shot her daggers as the door closed.

          Gina arrived at a rather posh looking establishment in the heart of Sydney and felt slightly foolish as she hopped out of the taxi in her casual approach to the dress code. She would have chucked on her usual little black number but she had a feeling Paul, collapsed lungs or not, would have barricaded her in the apartment. She sauntered into the lobby of the restaurant where a man quickly appeared and offered to take her jacket. He then took her name and led her through the dimly lit eatery to a table in what must have been the darkest corner.
          “My Coleman you look stunning,” Chris smiled, jumping to his feet.
          “Thanks,” Gina replied as he pulled her close and dropped a kiss on her cheek.
          “You smell gorgeous too, what fragrance is that?”
          “It’s deodorant, Impulse actually that absurdly named one from the commercial where the bottle blonde sprays it on and all the men follow her down the street including a dog which I find just perversely wrong.”
          Chris chuckled and shook his head. “I’m using Lynx, the one where the hot model seduces the little weedy bloke in the elevator.”
          “We’ve all seduced little weedy blokes in elevators,” Gina said coyly, thinking of the lead up to her first sexual encounter with Paul. “How are things in the States?”
          “No more hectic than usual,” Chris replied and reached across the table to take her hand in his.. “Let’s not talk about work. I’m sorry we left things on such a sour note last time.”
          “I believe I told you to fuck off,” Gina smirked, taking her hand back. “And I thought we were here to talk about work?”
          “Gina, gorgeous, we’ll get around to talking about the necessities later,” Chris smarmed as a waiter appeared. “Bottle of the house red thanks,” he nodded to the apron clad man who scurried off again. “But can’t we talk? Just as friends for a while.”
          “Chris I don’t think I should…”
          “You’re old enough to do whatever you want babe,” Chris smiled and Gina swallowed and smiled back. She hated him but he was annoyingly charming and persuasive and so lovely to look at.
          “Shall we order,” she blurted, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke and averted her attention to looking for another waiter.

          “I can’t believe you let her go out,” Abbie piped up as she and Paul now watched a rather atrocious Australian soapie.
          “She’s a grown woman,” Paul replied. “What are they doing?”
          “It’s the annual Summer Bay surfing carnival,” Abbie answered. “Yes, but she’s gone out with Chris, THE CHRIS. Do you not understand the implications of that?”
          “Really? They have one every year?” Paul breathed. “I know that Chris is by far and large the biggest wanker on the planet.”
          “Well, this is the first one they’ve ever shown,” Abbie explained. “He might be a wanker but Gina has been infatuated with the slimy bastard for years.”
          “How infatuated?” Paul asked, sitting up and losing interest in the surfing carnival.
          “Why do you think she moved to Sydney, Paul?” Abbie sighed and twisted around to look at him. “Gina met Chris a couple of years ago when they were both covering the same story. It was lust at first sight and they penned their pieces between, well, penning each other I imagine. Then Gina had to come back to Adelaide and it was seemingly all over until the dickwit turned up a rather long time later on the doorstep begging her to come back to Sydney.”
          “And?” Paul asked, not sure if he really wanted to hear any more.
          “Well, she knew to live in Sydney she’d need a decent job and Chris said there was one going at the Herald. What he didn’t tell her was that she was up against his friend…”
          “Brannigan?”
          Abbie nodded. “Chris was, I don’t know, some big wig at the time and it was him that swung the vote and got them both employed there.”
          “I’m not actually seeing his bad side Abs,” Paul huffed, worrying that Chris was actually coming across as a bit of a hero.
          “Chris is a playboy,” Abbie said coldly. “He fucked around behind and in front of Gina more times than you’ve said ‘root’ on television. He was sleeping with someone else when he met her and no doubt he still is. In fact that was the only reason the unfaithful bastard moved to the States, he was chasing tail.”
          “So why does he keep coming back to Gina?” Paul asked, pleased his general dislike of Chris had a purpose.
          Abbie cocked her head to the side. “Because he thinks she’s easy, which she totally is when he’s around because as I said, she’s infatuated.”
          Paul frowned deeply. “I shouldn’t have let her go to dinner should I?”
          “No, I’m assuming that’s why she had no intention of telling you,” Abbie nodded as Paul threw off his blanket.
          “I should go and bring her home,” he declared and then coughed painfully. “Oh man…”
          “Or maybe just wait until she gets home,” Abbie suggested but Paul shook his head.
          “Don’t get me wrong, I trust Genie with all my heart,” he breathed. “But as for that bastard…”
          “Well if you’re going,” Abbie declared getting to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”

          “You know I’ve been thinking about you a lot really,” Chris smiled, resting his fork on the edge of the plate.
          “Really?” Gina mused as she placed a piece of fish in her mouth.
          “I was thinking about that holiday we took on the Gold Coast, you got so tanned.”
          Gina paused mid chew and forced herself to swallow the piece of fish in her mouth. She remembered all too well their holiday, the sun, surf, his toned naked body. She grabbed her glass of water and took a large gulp. “It was a very nice time.”
          “I remember when we made love on the beach,” Chris grinned. “And stayed there until the sun rose.”
          “Chris…” Gina began but he cut her off and reached over to grab her hand again.
          “Gina, we made a great team,” Chris said in a hushed voice. “It kills me that we might lose that.”
          “Chris…”
          “Don’t you miss me?” Chris asked, his eyes round and innocent, his voice soft and sweet.
          “No she damn well doesn’t,” Abbie declared, appearing at the side of the table, her arms crossed.
          “ABBIE!” Gina shrieked and then looked guiltily as the other patrons stared at her over their dinners. “What the hell are you doing here?”
          “Making an intervention,” Abbie announced, slapping Chris’s hand away from Gina’s.
          “Excuse me?” Chris gasped, looking furiously at Abbie. “This is nothing to do with you!”
          “It’s everything to do with me Kennedy,” Abbie sneered. “(a) She’s my friend and I’m sure as hell not going to stand around and wait for her to do something stupid as she’s guaranteed to do, it’s her nature. (b) I put in a call to your friend Daniel before I came and he filled me in nicely on the lovely Mika who you’re shacked up with in the States.”
          Gina’s mouth open and she looked mortified at Chris who looked sheepishly at her. “Your friend is clearly insane,” he muttered.
          “And of course (c) Gina’s boyfriend, who I might add wore himself out putting on a suit to come down here, is waiting in the car for her,” Abbie breathed. “And you know, he’s a nice guy and I’d hate to think a fucking worm like you might ruin their relationship.”
          “Paul’s here,” Gina said softly, shocked and disgusted at herself for being in the position that she was. Abbie nodded and Gina pushed her chair back and got to her feet.
          “Genie,” Chris pleaded and Gina glared at him.
          “Don’t you EVER call me that,” she hissed, grabbed his glass of wine and deposited the contents into his lap.
          “Gina!” he yelped and she looked at him and shook her head before grabbing her bag and heading toward the exit.
          “Don’t you ever go sniffing around her again,” Abbie warned, leaning over the table. “Or it’ll be more than wine in your lap you’ll have to worry about.”

          “I can’t believe I went to dinner with him,” Gina wailed as she pulled on her jacket.
          “Easy mistake, he’s an alluring bastard,” Abbie agreed as she caught up with her.
          “I wouldn’t have cheated on Paul,” Gina said as if reaffirming herself on that. “I honestly thought it was just about work.”
          “Of course you did,” Abbie chided. “Millions wouldn’t believe you but I do.”
          Gina frowned as they stepped out into the cold night air. “And Paul came all the way down here?”
          “Yeah,” Abbie nodded. “It was his idea.”
          “Spurned by who I wonder,” Gina mused as they headed for the car park. “What did you tell him?”
          “The truth about Chris,” Abbie shrugged. “He has a right know a bit about your sordid history since you know about most of his.”
          Gina stopped and looked at her bomb of car, she could see Paul’s silhouette in the passenger window. “Y’know I always thought Chris was the one.”
          “He’s so not the one,” Abbie scorned. “I’m giving myself permission to slap you should you ever think that again.”
          “Fair enough,” Gina nodded. “Thanks for saving me from the dinner date from hell.”
          “Anytime,” Abbie mused. “Was it that bad?”
          “He seemed to be reminiscing a lot about naked flesh,” Gina smiled. “To be honest I was paying more attention to a stain on the table cloth.”
          “You have serious issues you know that,” Abbie laughed as they started walking again.
          “You think they’d never seen a stain remover before,” Gina giggled as she opened the passenger door. Paul was listening to an easy listening radio station that was playing love songs as he sniffled and coughed. Gina couldn’t help but feel touched. He’d gone to the trouble of putting on a suit even though he was exhausted and sick. “You Mr McDermott are full of surprises,” she perked, falling into his lap.
          “Am I?” he replied, trying to stay vaguely annoyed as her hands crept under his jacket and she snuggled against him.
          “Yeah, getting all tarted up and coming down here,” Gina cooed. “If you weren’t brimming with mucus I’d ravish you.”
          “Not in front of me I hope,” Abbie chided, slipping into the drivers seat. “I mean I love you guys but not that much.”
          “Trust me Abs, I have no desire to frolic naked with Paul in front of you,” Gina perked and gently brushed her lips over Paul’s cheek. “You angry at me?”
          “Do I have reason to be?” he asked, his voice hushed yet calm.
          “I poured wine onto his crotch, Abs can vouch for that,” Gina pouted and cheekily rubbed her nose against his.
          Paul broke into giggles and shook his head. “Christ, so long as you didn’t lick it off, we speak of this no more.”
          “No, I hate wine,” Gina declared innocently as her lips crept toward his. They were sharing small teasing kisses until Paul started coughing and Abbie groaned with relief.
          “Thank god for that, I was about to ask if you wanted me to leave,” she chided. “So where to now people?”
          “It feels wrong to be all dressed up and not do something” Paul agreed, turning down the radio a little.
          “I hardly think you’re well enough to go out and do anything,” Gina scorned, frowning.
          “What are you his mother?” Abbie giggled and Paul broke into a smile. “You’ll be taking him home and rubbing Vicks on his chest next.”
          “That’s not a bad idea actually,” Paul and Gina said in unison and then cracked up laughing. “No, we should at least go somewhere for dinner,” Paul added.
          “Not another posh restaurant,” Gina groaned, resting her head against Paul’s.
          Paul and Abbie looked at each other a moment and then Paul started to giggle again. “Know what we should do, since we’re in our best gear?”
          “I think we’d be more vocal if we did,” Gina chided and Paul shot her an amused look.
          “We should go to McDonalds, how bizarre are we going to look up against a bunch of kids in baggy pants and junkies?”
          “That’s brilliant!” Abbie beamed. “You do realise one of you is going to have to move as canoodling in the passenger seat is against the law?”
          “Oh you’re right,” Gina agreed. “Get in the back Abs, I’ll drive,” she added and Abbie frowned at her and Paul cough-cackled.
          “I hope Mr Celebrity is paying,” Abbie groused as she got out of the driver’s seat and clambered into the back.
          “Of course he is,” Gina smiled and patted Paul’s thigh as she dropped into the driver’s seat. “It was his idea.”
          “Thanks honey,” Paul sarced and patted her thigh. “We’ll discuss your frequent correspondence with Mr Kennedy as I hand over the cash shall we?”
          “Or we could just discuss Abbie and the maths teacher,” Gina perked and both she and Paul looked through the gap in the seats at Abbie.
          “I’m not opposed to attacking you both with Happy Meal toys you know,” Abbie sneered as Gina started the engine.

          A short while later the threesome strode into the nearest McDonalds restaurant and quickly found a table that hadn’t been contaminated by pimply teenagers and grotty toddlers.
          “What do you want?” Gina asked, fishing out her purse and then looking at Paul.
          “Just grease, lots of grease,” he replied. “I can’t taste any of it anyway with the fucking disease.”
          “I’m sure if you asked them nicely they’d slop some grease into a cup for him,” Abbie nodded and Paul shook his head at her.
          “Put your money away woman,” Paul chided. “I’ll get it.”
          “Are you sure…”
          “I’ll be fine, I can give some germs to the kids,” Paul mused. “What do you want?” he asked looking at Abbie.
          “Large McChicken Meal,” Abbie replied in a style that showed it wasn’t the first time she’d asked for that particular meal. “Oh and some cookies.”
          “Babe,” he added and looked at Gina. “Nah fuck ya, you’ll get what you’re given,” he grinned and strode off to queue behind a young man that seemed consumed in denim and a basketball top and a couple of woman who were so frighteningly bogan that he was almost intrigued.
          He waited as patiently as possibly making sure to hack up a few germs onto the other patrons and eavesdropping on the bogan conversation that went from “and when Craig finishes his 18 months,” to “Hey isn’t that that little guy from TV.”
          “Excuse me,” one of the woman piped up, tapping Paul on the arm. He glanced over his shoulder and fought the urge to cringe. “Are you that guy from TV?”
          Seeing as the women didn’t really fit into the usual abc demographic he figured it must be a fluke that they recognised him but he really wasn’t in the mood to play celebrity at that moment so he did what he did best and lied.
          “I’m sorry,” he announced in a crisp British accent. “I think you’ve got the wrong chap.”
          “Oh,” said the other woman swatting her dirty, lank hair over her shoulder. “Sorry you just look like…”
          “Can I take your order?” perked the uniform clad girl behind the counter.
          “Sorry, must dash,” Paul smarmed and then stepped up to place his order. It took approximately 45 seconds for everything to be handed to him on a plastic tray and the money to be exchanged.
          Paul carefully walked back to the table where Gina and Abbie were giggling insanely at something he really didn’t want to know about but he could tell just by the looks on their faces it was about him.
          “Right,” Paul declared, plonking himself next to Gina. “One large McChicken Meal with cookies for Abs,” he handed the burger, fries, drink and cookies to Abbie.
          “Thankyou muchly,” she giggled, stuffing several fries into her mouth.
          “Big Mac, fries and a coke for me because I’m fucking hungry,” he continued, moving his meal to one side of the tray. “And a large fries and a chocolate thickshake for the little lady.”
          “My god, he does know you,” Abbie jeered, nearly snorting her coke.
          “I have him well trained,” Gina smiled, inserting a straw into her thickshake.
          “Some would say he’s just pussy whipped,” Abbie countered and smiled wry at Paul.
          “Would that be masochistic bestiality?” Paul queried and sniggered. “Now all I can think of is being handcuffed to the bed by a cat in knee high boots and a corset.”
          “I used to have a cat costume,” Gina mused and Abbie looked at her pained.
          “You two are going to force me into therapy…”
          “You’ve got knee high boots too!” Paul laughed and broke into a cough.
          Gina rubbed his back until the coughing fit was over. “I think the whole cat fetish thing can wait until you’re not about to die.”
          “I think you might be right,” Paul agreed, taking a long drink of his coke.
          “Well I’m just going to steer this conversation somewhere else entirely,” Abbie declared. “I’ve got an announcement to make.”
          “You’re with child?” Paul asked before taking a bite of his burger.
          “No,” Abbie replied, shooting him a strange look. “I’ve decided that Gina was right and I need to go back to Adelaide and deal with things.”
          “Woohoo!” Gina cheered and then looked innocently at her friend. “I mean that in a ‘happy problem solving’ way not a ‘glad you’re leaving’ way.”
          “No you didn’t,” Paul laughed. “It was a ‘my home will be anally neat again’ cheer.”
          “Oh hush,” Gina chided and smiled at Abbie. “So when are you going to leave us?”
          “When I organise myself,” Abbie replied, wiping the mayonnaise that was dripping out of her burger with her finger. “In the next couple of days or so.”
          “So this is like your send off then?” Paul mused and grabbed Abbie’s hand with her mayonnaise covered finger. “I mean since Genie and I’ll be stuck at work every other day.”
          “What are you do…” Abbie’s eyes closed, her cheeks turned red and she shrieked as Paul clamped his mouth around her finger and sucked the mayonnaise off. “Ew!”
          “You sick bastard,” Gina laughed as Paul licked his lips and giggled.
          “I just had to fuck with her, just once,” he declared as Abbie looked at her finger not sure what to do with it. After a few seconds shock she leaned over and wiped her finger on his sleeve.
          “I don’t want your germs,” she pouted, still blushing slightly. She looked up at Paul who was grinning and they both burst into laughter as Gina shook her head, not surprised at either of them.
          “So what do you propose we do now?” she asked as Paul and Abbie tried to regain their composure but every time they looked at each other they’d burst into laughter again. “Such children…”
          “He used his tongue,” Abbie giggled, using a napkin to dab the tears in her ears.
          “Ah you enjoyed it,” Paul sniggered before taking a drink of coke and nearly causing it to come out his nose.
          “I’m so glad you two get on,” Gina mused as Paul went into anther coughing fit. “I was getting worried for a while there.”
          “We share a moment now,” Paul said with mock seriousness. “We’ll be friends for life.”
          “Yes, I now know what Paul would be like if he ever starred in gay porn,” Abbie replied and both she and Paul snorted with laughter. Gina closed her eyes, getting the mental image perfectly and started giggling as well. Soon the three of them were laughing so hard that it wasn’t just their fancy getup that had people looking at them like they’d just been let out on day release.

          After they’d eventually managed to calm down and finish their meals it was decided that they still needed to do something else to show Abbie they cared. They would have gone onto somewhere fancy with lots of cocktails but Gina refused to drive their drunk arses home and Paul, although trying to be manly about the whole thing, was exhausted. So they stopped off at the video store and picked up a few movies before going back to Gina’s apartment.
          Abbie quickly changed back into her pyjamas and set about making some popcorn and hunting out other snacks. While Gina and Paul went off to change into something equally as comfortable.

          “I’m fucked,” Paul groaned falling back onto the bed, still fully clothed. He gave a tired cough. “My stomach aches from coughing and all that bloody laughing.”
          “Well laughter is supposed to be the best medicine,” Gina mused, hanging up her jacket. “But I’ve never seen it cure terminal diseases,” she added, sitting next to Paul as she unzipped her boots.
          “I always find lots of medicine is the best medicine,” Paul sighed and then frowned at his own lame joke. He watched as Gina got back off the bed and slid her skirt off and then hung it up before she removed her top. “Genie.”
          “Yes my phlegmy monkey,” Gina smiled as she hunted out a pair of pyjama pants from a draw.
          “That’s very sexy underwear you’re wearing,” he declared sitting up. “I’d say a bit too raunchy for a work dinner wouldn’t you say?”
          “I never really thought about it,” Gina shrugged, pulling on the pyjama pants and then sauntering back over to the bed. “As it turns out you were the one that got to see it.”
          “Good point,” Paul nodded as he loosened his tie. He left it hanging undone around his neck. “I feel so pathetic, I don’t even have the energy to undress myself.”
          “Aww,” Gina cooed as she swapped her bra for her pyjama top. “Shall I help you?” she asked, padding over and removing the tie from his neck. She dropped it on the bed and slid her hands under his jacket and helped slip it off his shoulders.
          “You’re way too good to me,” Paul yawned, wrapping his arms around her waist as she tried to unbutton his shirt. She tried to balance herself but he deliberately leaned back and she fell onto the bed on top of him.
          “I thought you were tired and pained and generally dying,” Gina mused, finally getting the last button if his shirt undone.
          “I am but I felt like having a cuddle,” he smiled as the warmth from his bare skin crept through the material of her light pyjama top.
          “That’s so sweet,” Gina giggled. “I’ll file it under ‘those things the fans must never know’,” she added as she brought her lips to his for a kiss so tender that it sent shivers down her spine.
          “You better go back to Abs before she thinks we’re doing something fun like having sex,” Paul sighed, running his fingers gently though her hair.
          “Yes, I’d better make sure she hasn’t destroyed my kitchen making popcorn,” Gina agreed and teasingly dropped a trail of kisses down Paul’s chest and she slid off the bed. “I’ll make you a hot toddy if you’re quick.”
          “Can I just have the bottle of whisky?” he perked, pulling himself to a reluctant sitting position. “I could handle just the toddy, really I could.”
          “You’ll have to wait and see,” Gina smiled over her shoulder before she disappeared out of the room.

          “Finally you emerge,” Abbie teased as she filled a large bowl with popcorn. “How’s Paul?”
          “Feeling pretty crappy,” Gina replied as she put the kettle on. “He’ll soldier on though. Might dent his macho persona if he doesn’t.”
          “Yet when you’re on your own he whines like a girl,” Abbie chided, grabbing a bottle of Coke from the fridge.
          “I know, men’s minds baffle me,” Gina shrugged as she hunted for some alcohol. “Did you drink my emergency bottle of booze?”
          “Possibly,” Abbie replied. “Why?”
          “I promised Paul a toddy,” Gina frowned, abandoning the search and grabbing a mug instead.
          “I’ve got a bottle of Bundy somewhere,” Abbie offered and quickly found the bottle behind a couple of tins.
          “Ta,” Gina smiled as she took the bottle and Paul shuffled into the room sporting his trackies and t-shirt. He watched as Gina poured a rather large amount of rum into the mug and then handed the bottle to Abbie without looking. Paul looked despondently at Abbie who passed him the bottle and he drank deeply before passing it back. Abbie fought a snigger and drank some of the rum from the bottle herself before Gina turned around. “What?” she said bemused as Abbie and Paul started sniggering again.
          “Nothing babe,” Paul smiled wryly as he took the mug from her. “Thanks for the drink.”
          Gina shook her head and with a fair idea what had happened she led the way into the living room.

          Abbie curled herself up in an armchair again and pulled a blanket over her legs. While Paul and Gina snuggled on the couch under a doona and close to the tissues. What had set out to be an all nighter with lots of movies, snacks and witty banter turned out to be much less. Paul was asleep by about halfway through the first movie and when Abbie looked over at Gina at the exciting climax of the third movie she too was sleeping.
          “Party poopers,” Abbie whispered but wasn’t too bothered. She’d had a pretty good time staying with Gina despite a few little bumps along the way. Granted it has seemed very weird to have your best friend dating someone you’ve only ever seen on television but in reality she’d forgotten over that entirely when they were in fits of laughter at McDonalds. No, Abbie had wondered if Gina hadn’t just been blinded by who Paul was rather than been seriously dating him. But as she glanced over at them snuggled together on the couch in their pyjamas under a cheesy floral doona she had no doubt that they were nauseatingly happy and you know what, she was damn jealous.
          Abbie sighed contentedly, if her best friend who was by and large the most socially retarded, anal retentive human being on the planet could find the man of her dreams then by god there was hope for her. Abbie pulled her blanket up further and felt her eyes start to droop. There was something to be said about love but she wasn’t entirely sure what it was. But what she did know was that Chris Kennedy wasn’t even remotely close to it and if Gina didn’t make a stand against him soon there would be some serious ramifications.