Monday…

          “Are you sure you’ve got everything?” Gina frowned as Abbie checked her flight time on a computer monitor that hung from the roof.
          “For god’s sake woman that’s the fifth time you’ve asked me that,” Abbie chided. “What are you my mother?”
          “I just don’t want you getting home and finding out you’ve forgotten something important as I know how irritating that can be.”
          “And low and behold that I should return so soon.”
          “I never said that.”
          “You wanted to.”
          Gina pouted and focused her attention on an overly tanned couple who had taken to smooching in the corner of the flight lounge. She was about to rebut Abbie’s last comment when a voice crackled over the loudspeaker announcing that the plane to Adelaide was ready for boarding.
          “Oh crap,” Abbie breathed realising she wasn’t sure if she was actually ready to go home. “Tell me again that my family aren’t going to find out and have me roasted on a spit at Uncle Mike’s birthday bash.”
          “You’ll be fine,” Gina laughed as the friends wrapped each other up in a hug. “Paul told me to remind you about the mayonnaise.”
          Abbie giggled. “Lazy bastard should have come down here and reminded me himself.”
          “He had to work apparently,” Gina sighed as they released each other. “I’m sorry I was such a cow while you were here.”
          “Ah it’s all right,” Abbie smiled. “Just promise me that you won’t go near Christopher Kennedy ever again.”
          “Believe me, hell would have to freeze over first,” Gina replied, sighing loudly. “Besides I have Paul who takes more looking after than a puppy, I don’t have time for illicit affairs with ex-lovers.”
          “I’m concerned you’ve actually thought about that,” Abbie mused, grabbing the small bag she was taking on the plane with her. “Don’t screw things up with Paul ok, you’re both good for each other.”
          “I can’t see how having an unhealthy obsession with each other is good,” Gina mused but was still eager to hear what Abbie had to say.
          “It’s not obsession, it’s contentment,” Abbie breathed, shaking her head. “You make him at ease with himself and he makes you glow with happiness.”
          “Oh,” Gina frowned. “Are you sure because I could have sworn we were just obsessed.”
          “I’m going home before you destroy any semblance of intelligence I have left,” Abbie giggled and wrapped her friend up in another quick hug before she headed toward the departure door.

          Monday Night…

          “Greetings, you’ve reached my answering machine which means I’m obviously doing something more exciting or I’m unconscious and you should call for medical assistance. Either way I’m not answering so leave a message and I’ll try to get back to you when I’m out of the coma…”
          “Where the hell are you?” Gina pouted, dropping her phone onto the coffee table and staring at it for a moment in case Paul was just screening his calls and was going to call her right back. She waited 25 minutes before giving up and switching the television from ‘mute’ to ‘sound’ which lead to her being greeted loudly by some terrible current affairs journalist who was prattling on about the price of lamb in the supermarkets.
          Gina managed to watch three minutes of the story before the tedium of them comparing the price of lamb in the various supermarkets made her want to hurl things around the room. She decided there was nothing better to do during awful prime time television, (minus Good News Week on Fridays and The Drew Carey Show on Tuesdays.) then to have a nice long bath and hope the bubbles might soothe her mild annoyance that Paul hadn’t even bothered to call.
          She pulled herself from the couch and padded into the bathroom where she ran a bath while removing the trackies she’d changed into when she had gotten home. A few minutes later Gina slid tentatively beneath the pleasant smelling water and let out a relaxed sigh. She quickly concluded she didn’t pamper herself enough and that Paul was an insensitive bastard before she closed her eyes and attempted to clear her rather clogged mind.
          Meanwhile in the living room her phone was screaming out I Can’t Take My Eye off You, and vibrating perilously at the edge of the table.
          “Hi you’ve reached Gina Coleman, I’m busy at the moment so please leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
          “Oh come on? She can’t possibly be busy?” Paul groused as he blew his nose and then continued buttoning his shirt. He dropped his cell phone onto the bed as he stopped to comb his hair.
          “Come on McDermott!” Mikey yelled from the living room.
          “I’m coming,” Paul yelled, remerging and grabbing his jacket from where he’d draped it over a chair.
          “I’m making you buy the first round,” Mikey jeered as he looked away from Paul’s latest masterpiece.
          “Get fucked,” Paul groused checking he’d remembered his wallet. “We’ll make one of the writers pay.”
          “Think we can rig it so they pay all night?” Mikey mused as they headed for the door.
          “Oh yeah,” Paul grinned slapping Mikey on the back. “I know exactly which one I want to start too,” he added as they laughed all the way to the elevator.
          Gina sauntered back into the living room after her bath and was surprised to see her phone on the floor. She picked it up and noticed there were two missed calls both from Paul. He hadn’t left a message though, still it proved he wasn’t a bastard after all. She pressed the call button to dial his number and waited eagerly.
          “Hi this is Paul and you've reached my messagebank because I'm too busy doing things that don't involve you…”
          “No,” Gina whined as she dropped the phone onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. “The idiot’s gone out and forgotten his phone.”

          Tuesday…

          Danny was listening to The Living End on his discman as he used two pens as drumsticks and his desk as a drum. He looked up to see Gina walking past and nearly topped off his swivel chair. “Gina!”
          “Daniel,” she mused, placing her bag on her desk and hunting through it for a pen and paper. “I see you’re working hard.”
          “I’m reviewing a CD for Amanda,” Danny shrugged and quickly shoved his discman into a draw. “Anyway, what the hell are you doing here?”
          “Working.”
          “You’re early, like really, really early.”
          “So I was unhindered this morning.”
          Danny looked at her curiously and then grinned. “Ha, lover boy didn’t pay you a visit last night then?”
          “We don’t see each other everyday you know,” Gina huffed, crossing her arms. “Besides I don’t see the pert one wrapped around your ankles.”
          “Sam and I don’t have that kind of relationship you know,” Danny pouted shoving his pens back into his Swans pencil tin.
          “Don’t tell me she can resist the Brannigan charm,” Gina laughed. “Oh wait, I know, she wont fuck you will she?”
          “Oh get stuffed,” Danny groused. “She’s doing some work in the States for a couple of months.”
          “Really? Well, never mind poppet,” Gina smiled, patting his shoulder. “I’m sure she won’t meet any rich, successful men over there.”
          “This from a woman whose ‘boyfriend’ was cavorting with a bevy of beauties in a few of Sydney’s best nightspots last night,” Danny chided and walked past Gina into the boardroom looking triumphant.
          “He did what?” Gina gasped, hurrying after Danny and managing to get the seat next to him by hip and shouldering Kelly from ‘Around the Councils’ out of the way.
          “See you don’t know everything,” Danny laughed. “And it’s all true, you can ask Amanda.”
          Gina frowned at Danny. “I’ll have you know I trust my boyfriend with all my heart.”
          “That’s very noble of you,” Danny nodded and began chatting to Bronson the football writer.
          Gina pondered Danny’s words a moment, pleading with her inner neurotic not to care and that Danny was just being an arse but it didn’t work. “Is there something I should be worried about? What did he do? Did he drink beer from a straw being held by a buxom brunette’s breasts again?”
          “No, but you trust him so it doesn’t matter,” Danny enthused and patted her on the back as the editor strode into the room.
          “Oh poo,” Gina sighed, sinking into her chair, her mind racing with a million things that Paul might have done during one of his frequent drunken moments.

          The only thing Paul could think of was how nice it might be to die right then and there. The mix of a severe hangover and the tail end of his flu symptoms were nothing short of a trip to the fiery pits of hell. He was starting to wish he’d knocked off early and gone to Gina’s as she would have at least left him some aspirin and a glass of water. The radio had come on about an hour ago and he was only just starting to find enough energy to switch it off before someone played a song that wasn’t mellow and split his skull down the middle.
          Paul rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes with his palms as he tried to remember why he’d taken some cold and flu tablets and then drank copious amounts of alcohol. He had an idea it was something to do with work but then that could have just been the excuse he was going to tell Gina for getting blind. He groaned and stretched out all his limbs only to have his phone ring and every muscle start to tense and ache again. He blearily grabbed his cell phone from where it was suspiciously vibrating his right knee and pulled it to his ear.
          “Mmm.”
          “McDermott is that you?” Ted’s voice announced in the tone of a man who’d had the good sense to leave the drinking session early.
          “Mmm hmm.”
          “Good, just wanted to let you know that there’s been a delay on the tickets so I’ll just hang on to them until we get to the airport tomorrow ok?”
          “Mmm.”
          “Are you a little hungover?”
          “I want to die.”
          “Oh good,” Ted chuckled. “Just be alive again tomorrow.”
          “If not I give you permission to have me stuffed and used as a puppet.”
          “Ha, at least that’d stop you singing.”
          “I hate you,” Paul mumbled and ended the call. He curled into a ball and wailed dramatically into the pillow.

          Tuesday Night…

          “Dark colour, dark colour, white, white, dark…” Gina mumbled as she stood sorting her washing into various piles. “Woollen, white, dark, dark…”
          “Light brown with orange and white stipes and a hint of glitter,” Paul perked as he sauntered into Gina’s laundry.
          “Oh shut up,” Gina scolded dropping what was actually one of Paul’s shirts into a separate pile. “It’s categorised as ‘handwashed.’”
          “Really? I just shove it in with everything else,” Paul mused sliding his hands around her waist.
          “That’s because you’re a man,” Gina giggled as he started nipping at her neck. “Hey, I’m not talking to you.”
          “Well you’re not doing it very convincingly,” Paul declared, letting his hands drop to her rear.
          “Oh,” Gina squeaked. She turned to face him and took tight hold of both his hands as she did. “I’ve been hearing stories about what you got up to last night.”
          “Really? Are they full of disgusting and depraved acts?”
          “Well Dan didn’t really elaborate but…”
          “Dan, as in Brannigan?” Gina nodded and Paul smiled. “Whatever he said he’s a lying bastard.”
          “Oh yes and why is that?” Gina asked as she let Paul pull her into his arms.
          “Because I ran into him and his date at one of the bars I went to.”
          “Date? What date? Was it Sam?”
          “Sam?”
          “Sam, I’ve told you about Sam. The pert blonde one?”
          “Oh,” Paul said blankly. “No, this was a brunette with a great rack.”
          “I’m glad you were so observant,” Gina frowned and Paul looked guiltily for a moment.
          “It wasn’t as good as yours,” he added making sure to glance down her top. “You have a fantastic rack, hers was only great in a silicon enhanced kinda way.”
          “Stop now,” Gina sighed, putting a finger to his lips.
          “If it’s any consolation, I’m suffering for my actions,” he continued despite her finger obstructing his words a little.
          Gina shook her head and wrapped her arms around him. “Anyway, what brings you here?”
          “Well, funny you should ask,” Paul smiled flirtatiously. “Have you seen my good jeans?”
          Gina pulled her arms back, she’d been hoping for a ‘you’ or at least a ‘what do you think?’ but ‘good jeans’ was just insulting. “Why?”
          “I want to take them to Canberra,” Paul replied with a grin as he let her go and glanced at the dirty washing on the floor.
          “Canberra?” Gina asked bewildered.
          “It’s Science Week, we’re doing the show in Canberra.”
          “Oh, you never said,” she said weakly and felt a tinge of excitement. She’d only been to Canberra couple of times for press conferences but going with Paul would mean an obvious visit to meet his parents. Just the thought made her want to gasp out loud.
          “Didn’t I? Ah well, ya know now,” Paul mused. “So have you seen my jeans?”
          “I think they’re in the bedroom,” Gina nodded, wondering when he was going to ask her to go with him.
          “You think?”
          “Ok, they’re hanging in the wardrobe between my red shirt and your pale blue embroidered one.”
          “Thanks babe,” Paul winked and darted off to the bedroom. Gina quickly lobbed her pile of ‘whites’ into the washing machine and switched it on before she made her way to the bedroom.
          Paul had placed his jeans on the bed and was rubbing his chin while in deep thought when she walked in.
          “What ya thinking about?”
          “If there’s anything I’ve forgotten,” Paul replied, looking quizzically around the room. “You’ve already packed?” Gina gasped as she strode across the room to where he was standing.
          “You sound so shocked,” Paul mused. “We’re leaving tomorrow morning, I have to be ready or Ted will do something unsavoury to my testicles.”
          “Oh,” Gina breathed, not entirely happy with being Paul-less for a few days. “When will you be back.”
          “Probably Friday sometime since I should call in and see my parents,” he sighed, not seeming at all enthusiastic about the idea.
          “Aw,” Gina pouted, sitting heavily on the end of the bed. “You’re going to stay tonight though aren’t you?”
          “I hadn’t planned too,” Paul said, shaking his head as he sat next to her on the end of the bed. “I mean I really have to get up early.”
          “So, I can drive you to the airport.”
          “My stuff is at home.”
          “I’ll drive you there too.”
          “Genie.”
          “What? I feel like being a whiny, clingy girlfriend for change,” she huffed and wrapped her arms around his arm as she rested her head on his shoulder.
          Paul coughed in a manner that showed he was not yet over his flu. “It’s tempting it really is but…” he paused as Gina’s fingers slid under his shirt and started making small, gentle circles on his stomach. “…I’ll have to get up super early and…” her lips started trailing soft kisses over his neck and collarbone. “…and another important point that I’ve completely forgotten…” Gina’s fingers started working on his belt. “…uh where was I?”
          “Important point,” Gina breathed and she nibbled his earlobe and popped open the button on his pants.
          “Yeah, important…very important…oh fuck it,” he gasped and brought his lips lustfully to hers.
          “What about the important point?” Gina panted as she pulled away and tore of her shirt.
          “It’s really not important,” Paul babbled, removing his own shirt.
          “But you said it was,” Gina pouted as she kicked off her pants and was left only in her sheer black underwear.
          “It’s not, really it’s not,” Paul nodded, wanting to just get his hands on her.
          “Are you sure?” Gina asked, cocking her head to the side. “I’d hate to be like, well, y’know and for something important to come up.”
          “I think it already has,” Paul chided, lobbing his pants across the room.
          “I’m trying to be serious,” Gina said sternly as she reached behind her back to unhook her bra.
          “Well don’t!” Paul pleaded, giving in and pulling her into his arms, his hands finally able to search out her warm skin. “Let’s just fuck before I go insane from your kinky teasing.”
          “You sure now?” Gina giggled and he shook his head at her emphatically. She clutched him to her as they kissed deeply and started edging toward the bed before they tripped over the discarded clothing and tumbled onto the mattress.

          Wednesday…

          The alarm belted out its annoying ring and Gina blearily switched it off. She managed a quick glance around the room and was appalled to find it was still considerably dark. She let out a small groan as she fell back against the pillows and realised that to top both getting up early and Paul going away without inviting her that she was feeling like crap. Gina was tempted to wallow but instead decided to go into denial and nudged Paul awake.
          “No mum I don’t want to go to…” Paul opened his eyes and looked confused a moment. “Morning babe.”
          “You have a flight to catch,” Gina yawned, throwing back the covers and slipping her legs over the edge of the bed.
          “Think Ted would be upset if I bailed on him?”
          “I think he’d do that thing to your testicles you mentioned last night.”
          “But it’s still dark!”
          “Well that’s not my fault.”
          “Actually I think you’ll find it is,” Paul mused sitting up. “Since you were the one who forced me to stay here last night.”
          “Oh was it that bad staying with me?” Gina sniffed and reached for a tissue.
          “Would have been better if we weren’t getting up during the middle of the night,” Paul groused before yawning for an extraordinary amount of time.
          “Hon, its only 6am,” Gina mused once she’d blown her nose. “Hardly the middle of the night.”
          “Says you,” Paul grumbled as he staggered out of the bedroom toward the bathroom.
          “My someone’s a cheery bunny,” Gina mused half-heartedly as she realised her throat was starting to hurt.

          After a subdued breakfast and a quick stop off at Paul’s apartment so that he could grab the rest of his things, Gina drove the well worn route to the airport still narked he hadn’t invited her to Canberra.
          At the airport they met up with Mikey, Julie and everyone else who were all looking just as glum as Paul, and Gina concluded that it just wasn’t normal for industry people to be up before lunch. Well, all except for Mikey who was usually up for his radio gig.
          “Great, monkey boy’s here, that’s everyone isn’t it?” Mikey piped up, looking amused.
          “I think so,” Ted nodded handing Paul a plane ticket.
          “Thanks,” Paul breathed and then smiled. “I suppose Robins gets two seats, one for each cheek?”
          “Ha,” Mikey laughed. “At least I’m not being enclosed in a wooden crate and being transported with the other animals.”
          “So long as he doesn’t leave me for a golden retriever I don’t care,” Gina chided and Paul shot her a strange look.
          “Whose side are you on?”
          “His obviously,” Gina smiled and motioned to Mikey who was chuckling.
          “It’s bad when even your girlfriend takes the piss mate,” Mikey sniggered and slapped Paul on the back.
          “She’s not taking the piss,” Paul declared stoically. “We’re just sharing some jovial banter, right?” he added, looking and Gina who raised an eyebrow.
          “Well now that bit of joy is over, we should probably get on the damn plane,” Ted sighed, picking up a bag that’d been sitting at his feet.
          There were murmurs of agreement and those who had loved ones there gave them quick kisses or ushered them toward the departure lounge.
          “Oh well,” Paul breathed and gave Gina a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a couple of days then babe.”
          “Yeah,” Gina frowned, noticing Mikey was bringing Laura with him. “Have a great time.”
          “In Canberra?”
          “Well have a mediocre, alcohol fuelled time then.”
          “That I can do,” Paul grinned and prepared to join the others when Gina grabbed his arm. “What?”
          “Say hi to your parents for me,” Gina smiled in a way that made Paul think there was more behind the request than just general politeness.
          “Sure,” he nodded, gave her another quick kiss and darted off before she asked him to bring her back a tea towel from Parliament House and a spoon of Lake Macquarie.

          Wednesday Afternoon…

          “…and what do you think of the current policy of…”
          Cough
          “..Sorry, of taxing only those who…”
          Cough, sniffle
          “…I think I have a bad line, I’ll have it seen to and call you right back,” Danny babbled and slipped his phone back into its cradle before looking over at where Gina was trying to scribble some notes under a large pile of tissues. “Gina…”
          “Yeah,” she replied through a blocked up nose.
          “Why don’t you go home?”
          “Home? I’ve got three articles due by five,” Gina groused reaching for another tissue that she sneezed into. “I couldn’t possibly go home.”
          “You’re sick,” Danny frowned. “You look sick, you sound sick and you can’t possibly write anything decent when that much snot is coming out of your nose.”
          “I’ll be fine,” Gina huffed as she got to her feet and began perusing the folders on the shelf behind her desk. Danny got to his feet and strode over to her. He watched her cough and then blow her nose before he swept her into his arms. “Daniel!”
          “I’m taking you home,” he declared draping her ‘fireman style’ over his shoulder, grabbing her bag from the floor and marching out of the office to the elevator.
          Ten minutes later he deposited her in the passenger seat of his car and she was so exhausted that she couldn’t find the strength to argue.
          “What about my car?” she coughed, leaning back into the sheepskin seat cover.
          “I’ll bring it round later,” Danny perked as he gunned the engine and screeched out of the parking lot.
          “If you get a ticket I’m not paying it.”
          “I never get tickets.”
          “No? Maybe you should,” Gina mused, which started her sneezing again. “This’ll learn me, I’ll never snog my flu ridden boyfriend again.”
          “Well at least he can be your nurse this time,” Danny enthused. “I could just see McDermott in a pinny.”
          “Ha,” Gina snorted. “He’s in Canberra doing celebrity like things.”
          “Ah well…”
          “No, it’s not ‘ah well,’” Gina groused. “He went to Canberra and didn’t invite me, me his supposed girlfriend.”
          “Gee you really are sick,” Danny chuckled. “You’ve just turned into the soapie girlfriend form hell.”
          “That’s not funny,” Gina pouted. “I thought he might, I dunno, introduce me to his parents.”
          “Why?” Danny asked, taking a corner sharply and causing Gina to nearly end up in his lap.
          “I dunno, some mad romantic notion that he might want me welcomed into his family,” she breathed. “I guess he’s just not as family orientated as me.”
          “Does that worry you?”
          “It shouldn’t but y’know, I think it’s a bit special to meet your beau’s folks.”
          “Beau huh?”
          “Shut up.”
          They stayed quiet until Danny pulled into the parking lot of Gina’ apartment block. “Would you like an insight into the male mind?”
          “That should take all of five seconds,” Gina giggled and then regretted it as she started to cough.
          “We’re happy to introduce girls we don’t see a future with to our parents as with any luck they’ll get scared off. It’s the girls we really, really like that we’re terrified of letting our mothers, especially, get close to. In fact you have no idea how awful it is to have the two most important women in your life scrutinising each other over dinner.”
          “Does that mean you really, really like me?”
          “What?”
          “I’ve never met your mother.”
          “Neither have I, it’s just been a flash of mascara and designer frock.”
          “You poor little rich boy,” Gina cooed. “Do you introduce girls to your nanny?”
          “I think you should leave my car now,” Danny frowned and motioned to the door.
          “Thanks for making me see sense,” Gina said sincerely and patted his thigh.
          “Yeah, yeah,” Danny chided. “I’ll finish your articles and if you’re extra good I’ll come back and make you a hot honey and lemon drink later.”
          “Is that providing the busty brunette from the other night doesn’t pop over for some horizontal dance lessons?”
          Danny raised an eyebrow. “Yes, yes it does actually.”
          Gina shook her head as she clambered out of the car. “Men, idiots all of them.”

          “Y’know I’m convinced Genie is pissed at me for some reason,” Paul declared as he and Mikey sat in empty audience seats watching the crew put together the set.
          “Why’s that mate?” Mikey asked as he leaned back, arms crossed.
          “Something she said,” Paul replied. “About saying hi to my parents.”
          “And?”
          “It was the way she said it, like I was supposed to get some hidden message.”
          “Are you going to visit your parents?” Mikey asked nonchalantly.
          “Of course I am,” Paul nodded. “I promised Mum next time I was in town I’d call round.”
          “When you gonna do that?”
          “Sooner or later.”
          “Such the dutiful son,” Mikey teased and nudged Paul’s arm making him giggle.
          “Where’s the lovely Laura?” Paul asked, deciding the change the subject.
          “Enjoying the hotel spa,” Mikey replied. “You should really have brought Gina you know, given her a break.”
          Paul looked at Mikey blankly a moment and then covered his mouth with his hand. “I think I’ve just worked out why I’m in the doghouse.”
          “Because you didn’t invite Gina?”
          Paul nodded. “And she would have loved to have met my parents, actually I would have loved to have her meet my parents.”
          “So why didn’t you?”
          “Because I’m an idiot Michael,” Paul groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “There’s a fucking reason she keeps telling me.”
          “Nevermind,” Mikey soothed, patting Paul on the back. “At least you’ll know the name of a good florist around here.”
          “Get fucked,” Paul giggled and then let out a frustrated cry which caused the crew to stop working at look at him strangely.