Twenty-one year old Toni Simmons and middle aged married dentist Dr. Julian Winston are in love with each other. Toni values honesty above all else, but their relationship is based on a lie: Julian is not married. He initially told her this lie as not to make a long term commitment to her, but he now wants to marry her as she wants to marry him. Because she values honesty above all else, he feels he can't now tell her he's not married. And because she doesn't want to be a home-wrecker, Toni wants to meet the current Mrs. Dr. Winston to ensure their marriage is indeed over. So Julian asks his efficient, no-nonsense, loyal and devoted nurse/receptionist Stephanie Dickinson to pose as his wife. In Julian's mind, Stephanie is the logical choice as she already does many of his chores he considers wifely. Stephanie, a middle aged spinster who hides any aspect of her femininity, reluctantly agrees to the ruse. Toni has more questions about her own relationship with Julian after meeting Stephanie than are answered. But in posing as Mrs. Dr. Winston, Stephanie begins to bloom much like the cactus plant on her desk. Conversely, Toni's next door neighbor, writer Igor Sullivan, has his own thoughts about what Toni should do with her life.