Plot: 21-year-old Toni Simmons and middle-aged married dentist Dr. Julian Winston are in love. Toni values honesty above all else, but their relationship is based on a lie: Julian is not married. He initially told her this lie to avoid making a long-term commitment to her, but now he feels he might be ready to marry her, but her respect of honesty would keep him from telling him that he lied before, and he isn't actually married. Then, not wanting to be a homewrecker, Toni wants to meet the first Mrs. Dr. Winston to ensure that their marriage is over. So Julian asks his efficient, no-nonsense, loyal, devoted nurse/receptionist Stephanie Dickinson to pose as his wife. She's the logical choice in his mind, as she already does many personal chores for him. 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.
Alternative Plot: Distraught when her middle-aged lover breaks a date with her, 21-year-old Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn) attempts suicide. Impressed by her action, her lover, dentist Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) reconsiders marrying Toni, but he worries about her insistence on honesty. Having fabricated a wife and three children, Julian readily accepts when his devoted nurse, Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman), who has secretly loved Julian for years, offers to act as his wife and demand a divorce.
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