Free Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie

him.”
    Gina laughed mirthlessly. “Oh, I’m not. I know he’s not my future. In fact, I’m working on my future. The Charles Theater needs a secretary. I’ve got an interview Monday afternoon.”
    “A secretary?” Tess had a vivid, horrific vision of Gina chained to a typewriter. “You can’t type. Think of something else.”
    Gina slumped back in her chair again. “Could you just once be supportive?”
    “I’m sorry,” Tess said, appalled at the look on her friend’s face. “I’m really sorry. I think you’d make a fantastic addition to any theater. I think you’d be the best thing that ever happened to Park. I think you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I’m really sorry I’ve been such a bummer here. Give me a minute and I’ll be supportive. I just wasn’t thinking.”
    “You don’t need a minute,” Gina said gloomily. “Park is probably already looking for another woman, and you’re right, I can’t type.”
    Tess shook her head, scrambling through her thoughts to find something positive. “That doesn’t matter. You know the theater better than any secretary could possibly know it. And you know theater people. They’d be crazy not to snap you up as some kind of administrative assistant. And I think you should tell them that.” Tess warmed to her subject. “They’d be crazy to waste you typing and filing. Tell them everything you’ve done, everything you know, tell them—”
    “Tess...”
    Tess stopped.
    “It’s okay,” Gina said. “The job part isn’t that big a deal. But please, let me have this weekend with Park without making any snotty cracks.”
    Tess swallowed. “You’ve got it.”
    “Thank you.” Gina bit her lip.
    Tess blinked back tears that had somehow formed when she wasn’t paying attention. “But if he’s not good to you, I will take him apart.”
    “He’s good to me,” Gina said. “He’s really good to me. He told me I was the nicest person he’d ever dated and that I make him laugh and that I’m beautiful. He thinks I’m beautiful.”
    “You are beautiful.”
    “I look Italian,” Gina said.
    “You are Italian,” Tess said, confused. “Beautifully Italian.”
    “I know,” Gina said, exasperated. “But Park is probably one of those guys who only dates WASPs. WASPs with college educations and ivy growing on them. And he thinks I’m beautiful.”
    “Well, hell, he should,” Tess said. “Even I don’t think Park’s such a snob that he’d only date Ivy League blondes.”
    “You don’t understand,” Gina said. “I never even graduated from high school, and he still listens to me. He’s wonderful.”
    “I don’t think education is a big criteria for Park’s dates,” Tess said. “And who cares whether you graduated or not? You’re still a great person and you’ve been everywhere and you know a hell of a lot about the world. Of course he listens to you.”
    “You don’t understand,” Gina said hopelessly.
    “All right,” Tess said, but she had a sinking feeling that she did understand, only too well. Gina had fallen for Park and it was all her fault. She’d fixed them up. Good job, Tess, she told herself, and then shook her head when Gina frowned at her. “All right,” she said again. “I’m with you on this.”
    “Good.” Gina swallowed nervously. “Do you think it would be okay if I had some gum?”
    “No,” Tess said. “But what the hell, chew it, anyway.”
    “No,” Gina said. “I’m not gonna embarrass Park. If you see me doing anything dumb, stop me.”
    “Don’t change for him,” Tess insisted, appalled. “Don’t do it. You’re a great person.”
    “Just for the weekend,” Gina said. “Just for this weekend.”

    “Long time in the bathroom,” Nick said when they went back to the party, but he was smiling at her as if he’d missed her, and she felt pleased and then immediately kicked herself for feeling pleased. Big deal, he’d missed her. So what. Then he put his arm around her, and