"Hey Mandy, you wouldn’t happen to have the number for the Arts Council would you?" Gina asked, walking briskly into Amanda’s office. "My contacts book seems to have gone walkabout and I really don’t want to call up and talk to some wench of a receptionist."
          "Darling you know I do," Amanda chided as she quickly scribbled down the number hand handed the post-it to Gina. "Hello…" she gasped, grabbing Gina’s hand an inspecting the ring. "New jewellery?"
          "Obviously," Gina shrugged, snatching her hand back and frowning at Amanda. "What?"
          "Well is it?"
          "Is it what?"
          "An engagement ring?"
          Gina shook her head and starting walking towards the door. She paused, turned back and smiled. "Yes it is."
          "OHMYGOD!" Amanda screeched, bolting out from behind her desk and throwing her arms around Gina. "I’m so happy for you."
          "I can tell," Gina mumbled, her face squished into Amanda’s generous cleavage.
          "I knew he’d end up popping the question," Amanda gushed. "And to think this is all down to me."
          "Actually you said he was having an affair in New York," Gina chided, pulling away. "And I’d like to think Paul and I had something to do with getting this far in our relationship."
          "Let me have my moment," Amanda scolded as she used one of her French polished nails to scratch a tear from her eye. "I can’t believe my little Gina is getting married. To think when I met you, you were a bitter, frigid loner and now you’ve blossomed into a happy, loved up sex kitten."
          "That’s a compliment right?" Gina winced and tried to leave Amanda’s office again, her escape plan was foiled by Amanda standing firmly in the doorway.
          "So when’s the party?"
          "What party?"
          "Engagement party," Amanda beamed. "We have to celebrate this milestone in your life darling."
          "Yeah, I don’t think we’re having one," Gina mumbled and saw that Amanda looked crestfallen. "But I’ll talk to Pauly and see what he thinks."
          "Great," Amanda perked up and finally moved from the doorway. "This is going to be so fantastic. I am so coming wedding dress shopping with you."
          "Yeah," Gina laughed weakly and scurried away. Her face fell into a horrified expression as she headed back to her own department. It was hard enough that Amanda was now going to tell everyone in listening distance but wedding dresses? She wasn’t used to the idea of being engaged let alone even remotely prepared to think about floral table decorations or what knickers she’d be wearing on the big day.

          "So, are we all happy with the ‘Men in Black’ idea?" Ted asked, glancing around the boardroom table at the collection of stars, production types and writers that he’d pulled together to discuss the ‘Good News Week’ promotional campaign for its launch on Channel Ten.
          "I think if we’ve got the budget we might as well use it to the best of our advantage," one of the writers declared.
          "It’ll definitely catch people’s interest," suggested another.
          "I’m happy to do it," Mikey piped up. "I’m sure Paul won’t mind being stripped naked, tarred and feathered."
          "Huh? What?" Paul said blankly and was slightly embarrassed to see everybody looking at him. Shamefully he hadn’t been paying attention throughout the whole meeting and now he’d been caught out.
          "Oh you are listening," Ted mused, shaking his head.
          "What did Mikey say? About the feathers?" Paul babbled, wondering if he hadn’t agreed to do something that he shouldn’t have.
          "Is there something you want to share?" Ted chided. "Perhaps if you get whatever it is distracting you off your chest you might be able to contribute something worthwhile, which would be really handy since you’re the one they’ll be watching the show for."
          "Sorry fellas," Paul breathed. "I had a big night last night."
          "Tell us something new," a writer jeered from the other end of the table.
          "Not that kind of big night ya dickhead," Paul scorned. "I proposed to my girlfriend."
          "Did she say yes?" Mikey asked. "Please tell me she said yes, I didn’t carry all those fucking roses for nothing."
          "Yes," Paul smiled. "She said yes."
          A chorus of congratulations, hand shakes and back pats broke out and Paul couldn’t help but feel just a little overwhelmed by all the attention. He didn’t want to make fuss, in fact he was still quite shocked he’d actually had the nerve to ask her.
          "I think we should celebrate," a writer declared. "I’ll go get some champagne," he added and hurried from the room.
          "You don’t have…I’d rather just…" Paul tried several other sentences but gave up. "Fantastic."
          "When’s the party?" Julie asked, wrapping Paul up in a hug.
          "Party?"
          "Engagement party."
          "Er, not decided yet," Paul swallowed. "Have to talk to Genie."
          "Well don’t forget to invite me," she perked with a warm smile.
          "As if I would," Paul smiled back while internally hoping she’d go away and everyone might forget what he just said. "I need to go and ah siphon the python," he added and fled into the corridor. He quickly located the restrooms and decided that hiding in a cubicle was absolutely the best thing to do.

          It was just after six when Gina managed to finally escape the office. She strode across the car park toward her car and was aboutto let out a relieved sigh when Danny’s voice rose over the evening traffic.
          "Gina!"
          "Crap," Gina mumbled, knowing full well what Danny was going to ask about. She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "Yes Daniel?"
          "Is it true?
          "That your tie absolutely doesn’t go with your shirt? Yes."
          Danny frowned. "This is my lucky Simpson’s tie."
          "You really need something else to believe in."
          "Why are you being mean to me?"
          "Sorry Dan," Gina breathed. "It’s been a long day and now I’m very frustrated and tired."
          "I thought you’d be on a high," Danny shrugged and Gina looked at him blankly. "About Paul? It’s true right? He proposed to you?"
          "Oh right," Gina smiled. "Yeah he did."
          Danny nodded silently and then lunged forward to wrap her up in a hug. "Congratulations, I’m really happy for you."
          "Are you? I was kinda worried because you took a pause," Gina mused as she pulled away.
          "Hey, whatever makes you happy," Danny enthused and then fell silent again. They stood staring at each other a moment, Danny seemingly wanting to say something and Gina bouncing the toe of her boot on the asphalt.
          "Anything else?" she asked after several seconds.
          "Huh? No," Danny laughed in a rather over the top fashion. "We’ll ah, talk later."
          "Sure," Gina nodded slowly and watched as Danny hurried off back toward the Herald building. "Strange man." She slid behind the wheel of her car and kicked the engine into gear. Gina was about to take off out of the car park when her phone rang. She hunted it out of her bag and answered it without checking to see who was calling. "Hello?"
          "Hey babe," came Paul’s reply. "You home yet?"
          "No, I’m just leaving work. Why?"
          "Don’t suppose you want to swing by Channel Ten and pick me up?"
          "Not really, I want to go home and have a nice long hot bath."
          "Pick me up and I’ll wash your back."
          "You’ll need to do better than that to convince me."
          "Hey I’m marrying you woman! What more do you want?"
          "I can list…"
          "Genie!"
          "Sorry but I’ve had nothing but people offering me advice, wanting to go dress shopping and discussing floral arrangements all day."
          "Yeah, well I’m half pissed on champagne."
          "That must be devastating for you."
          "You have no idea how sick I’m going to be in the morning."
          "Aw, poor Pauly," Gina teased. "Why is it everyone is more excited by our upcoming nuptials than us?"
          "You’re not excited?"
          "Oh of course I’m excited. I just don’t feel the need to go over the top. I mean have you any idea how many people are expecting us to throw an engagement party? I haven’t even told my mother yet!"
          "Actually I do know since I’ve had much the same day," Paul said empathically. "Mikey even offered to go dress shopping with me."
          Gina giggled. "You’re such an…"
          "Idiot? Yeah, I know," Paul chided. "Now are you gonna come and pick me up or am I gonna to be forced to hitch home with the prospect of the driver being psychotic and me ending up in a shallow grave?"
          "Hard choice," Gina chided. "But you did offer to wash my back…"
          "And make love to you like a stallion."
          "You’re half-tanked babe. It’ll be more making love like a Shetland."
          "Are you speaking from experience?"
          "I’m hanging up on you now…"
          "Ha, soon we’ll be married and you’ll never escape."
          Gina ended the call as Paul cackled like a madman. "I’m really, really hoping I’m doing the right thing," she breathed as she backed her car out of its parking spot.

          It took a further 20 minutes for Gina to get to the Channel Ten studios and find Paul who was waiting outside. He swaggered toward the car and dropped into the passenger seat. "Good evening oh love of my life."
          "I can smell you from here," Gina gasped. "You smell oddly fruity."
          "It was good champers," Paul shrugged and Gina headed back toward the main road.
          "So other than the champers was your meeting a success?"
          "I have no idea."
          "You were there!"
          "I was mildly distracted."
          "By?" Gina asked looking out of the corner of her eye as she pulled up at some traffic lights.
          "I was just thinking," Paul replied coyly. "And mildly freaking out."
          "Dare I ask about what?"
          "Well I was thinking about how beautiful you looked at 4am this morning when I couldn’t sleep. I’m still jet lagged you know and so I spent a good three hours watching you sleep. As for the ‘freaking out’ part I still can’t believe I actually proposed to you. Not that it’s a bad thing, because I love you and as I said you’re beautiful when you sleep but when you consider the fact I’m commitment phobic and yet it was you that took four times to say yes, well it’s actually quite funny."
          "Paul…"
          "What was the question again?"
          "There’s a reason I never said yes before you know."
          "Because I’m an idiot?"
          "Well partly," Gina mused. "But mostly because I never thought you were serious. But last night, you well and truly stunned me."
          "First time you’ve ever been lost for words since I met you really," Paul chided and flashed her a cheeky grin. "I think for us, getting married isn’t all about the pomp and ceremony," he continued, crossing his arms, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window. "It’s about proving that despite the preconceptions about who we are, we want to show that we’re happy and content and that we’re not some sort of joke."
          "That was very poignant for a drunk man," Gina sighed. "People think we’re a joke?"
          "I think I’m sobering," Paul remarked. "Do you honestly think anyone expected us to last this long? We’re a fucking novelty, which is why as you stated earlier everyone appears more excited than we are."
          "That kinda takes the shine off everything."
          "Well think about it," Paul sighed, uncrossing his arms and opening his eyes as he sat up straight. "Amanda sent you to interview me for a laugh because she knew you had a bit of a crush on me. That really sounds like the basis for a relationship that’s going to be taken seriously."
          "I never thought of it that way," Gina said softly. Neither of them said another word until they were back at Gina’s apartment. "I still can’t believe our friends would think we’re a joke."
          "Please, most of mine thought you were just a manipulative little journalist wanting gossip," Paul said bluntly as they headed up the stairs.
          "Mine couldn’t work out what you saw in me," Gina countered. "I’m starting to think that (a) our friends aren’t very nice and (b) I lose out in both scenarios."
          "How can you lose?" Paul chided as Gina opened the door. "You got me," he added, grabbing her from behind and nipping at her neck.
          "I’m sure it’s debatable," Gina giggled, stretching an arm back to wrap around Paul’s neck and tilting her face up to kiss him.
          "Debatable huh?" Paul mused as they shared a couple of brief kisses.
          "Although on the pro side," Gina cooed, turning around in his arms. She pressed her body against his and gently slid a hand through his hair. "You’re a great kisser."
          "World’s greatest even," Paul smirked coyly.
          "So not going there," Gina smiled as they fell into a longer, tender kiss. "You taste like fruity champagne."
          "You have coffee breath."
          "Sorry."
          "I love your coffee breath."
          "I hate when you’re charming," Gina panted, pulling away slightly.
          "Why?" Paul asked slightly confused.
          "Because it means I’m going to have to forgo my bath to have sex with you," Gina replied, sliding her jacket from her shoulders and reaching down to unzip her boots.
          "Well, y’know if you have to," Paul said seriously. "Here, let me help you," he added before tearing open her shirt, pulling her to him and dropping several lingering kisses on her breastbone.
          "God you’re sexy when you’re forceful," Gina gasped as she kissed him lustfully. Her hands crept down his shirt, reached the hem and then she gently helped him remove it. With Paul’s shirt quickly discarded they groped for each other again and they sank onto the couch.

          Three and a Half Minutes Later…

          Gina sat wrapped in a purple crochet blanket that had been draped over the back on the couch. Paul sat beside her with a fluffy orange cushion covering his crotch.
          "I can’t believe this has happened," Gina announced rather awed.
          "This has never, ever happened to me before," Paul sighed. "I swear."
          Gina looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Never?"
          "Well, a couple of times but not with you," he pouted. "Has this even happened to you before?"
          "Of course it has," Gina perked. "I’m a woman, we’re constantly disappointed.
          "That’s not helping," Paul frowned as he toyed with a small section of fluff on the cushion.
          "Don’t stress," Gina soothed, resting her head on his shoulder. "I mean you’re jet lagged and you’ve been drinking and I’ve had a very stressful day. We’re probably not as in the mood as we think we are."
          "I’ve been in a worse state and still managed it," Paul huffed. "And so have you. I can’t believe little Paul let me down."
          "Me neither," Gina breathed and then looked at Paul innocently. "Well I didn’t come either you know."
          "I might never have another orgasm," Paul gasped. "I’ll just fill with semen until I start spurting it from my eyes."
          "Oh that’s just wrong," Gina groaned. "At least you won’t be out of pocket. You have no idea the amount of batteries I’m going to have to invest in."
          "Genie!"
          "I could take a lover I suppose," Gina sighed. "We can always send you to counselling?"
          "If you invest in a female lover I’ll pay for the batteries."
          "Paul!"
          "Just a suggestion," Paul shrugged and then sighed. "Well, what would you like to do now? We could just fondle for a bit?"
          "I’m a bit over it actually," Gina countered. "I think we should discuss how we’re going to prove to people we’re not a running joke."
          "Well they’re expecting a party," Paul remarked. "So we’ll just do a really good, adult party. Fancy finger food, cocktails, mocktails and café jazz."
          Gina giggled. "Café jazz huh?"
          "I don’t think it’s really an occasion for dance music."
          "You realise people are going to buy us gifts."
          "Great, more toasters and bath towels."
          "We should tell them to make a donation to charity instead," Gina perked. "Give the money to animals or children instead of wasting it on things we don’t need."
          "That’s a very magnanimous idea," Paul mused. "You’re very sexy when you’re being charitable."
          "Am I really?" Gina cooed grabbing Paul’s cushion and lobbing it across the room. She slid onto his lap and dropped her blanket to the floor. "In that case I think we should forgo buying each other gifts as well."
          "You’re naked and sitting in my lap," Paul breathed. "I’m not going to argue," he added as they fell into another round of heated kissing and groping.
          After a minute Gina managed to speak, her lips still touching his. "Feel anything yet?"
          "Not a fucking thing," Paul panted. "You?"
          "Not a tingle," Gina sighed miserably as she sat back a little and they both caught their breaths. "What now?"
          "We order takeaway and play Scrabble," Paul shrugged, his hands still on her bare thighs. Gina let out a whine and buried her face into his shoulder and Paul moved his hands to caress her back. "There, there this is a good Cosmo moment right? It’ll test that theory about there being more to relationships than sex."
          "That’s all fine and well when you’re in the mood for a conversation," Gina breathed as she enjoyed the feel of his warm skin against her own. "But I wanted some good McDermott loving."
          "Yeah well I wanted some raunchy Coleman action but we’re going to play Scrabble instead," Paul huffed as he nudged Gina back onto the couch and grabbed another cushion.
          "I hate your penis," Gina groused, reaching for the blanket on the floor.
          "Yeah well…" Paul flustered a moment. "I hate my penis too."
          They looked at each other a moment before sighing and sinking into the couch in an extended period of sulking.