It's the day of the book signing and the preparations are being made for the event at the bookstore. A large poster proclaims Lionel's book as their "Book of the Month." On the sign, in very large letters above and below a picture of the book cover it says "One Man's Struggle Against the Wilderness! His Life . His Loves . His Destiny." The inflatable elephant fiasco has had no effect at all on Alistair's promotion. An employee puts a very plain sign in the window saying "The author will be signing copies of this book between 10 a.m. & 2 p.m." Just after he puts the sign up, Alistair takes it out of the window, looks at it, shakes his head and replaces it with a more colorful sign which reads: "10 thru 2 Meet the Man!"

Jean is sitting at her desk in the living room of her house. Lionel's a bit nervous about the book signing. He brings Jean a cup of coffee and informs her that he thinks he's getting a bunion. She tells him she can recommend a chiropodist. His face brightens slightly. "You mean you..." She doesn't let him finish -- she interrupts him with "the coffee is delicious" which momentarily changes the subject. Lionel feels that the word is demeaning. The word "coffee?" No, he tells her, he's talking about bunions. She never thought of it before, she said. Jean thinks he should keep his mind on the book signing instead of worrying about bunions. He informs her that he will not be writing any flowery inscriptions. She hopes he'll behave himself. Well, he won't write any dirty limericks, if that's what she means. He promises he'll be sweetness and light personified. She wonders whether or not he's nervous. He says he's into "calmer waters" now and either the book will sell or it doesn't. He's very happy that she's been there supporting him during this time. She's been like a second to him and it was good to have someone in his corner. She asks if he's expecting that she slap a towel in his face or something.

How does Jean like the suit? It's beginning to grow on her. "Like a fungus?" he wisecracks. The suit in question is a charcoal grey double-breasted one and with it Lionel uncharacteristically is wearing an orange shirt. It's clear from her unfocused conversation that Jean is nervous. She wants to make sure that Lionel has had a good breakfast. She wonders whether or not he's ordered a cab. He says that Alistair is going to pick him up at Jean's. "I'll lay odds it'll be a Land Rover painted in zebra stripes," he jokes. From their stilted, repetetive conversation it is very clear that both of them are nervous. The doorbell rings.

Alistair comes in with something behind his back -- he produces the hat which Lionel wore for the cover photo and says, presumably already knowing the answer "You wouldn't wear this would you?" Lionel, of course, says no. When Alistair greets Jean, she tells him that she only stayed home to wish Lionel good luck, but there is no need to worry because she will not accompany him to the bookstore. Alistair wants to hit the bookshelves and "sell some books." Before they leave, Alistair asks if he can give Jean a lift to the office. She says no because she doesn't like Land Rovers with zebra stripes. Alistair is puzzled: he doesn't know how Jean knew about that. "She's very psychic," Lionel suggests.

There's quite a queue in front of the bookstore when Lionel and Alistair arrive in the zebra-striped Land Rover. "Good buzz" says Alistair. Lionel looks at the crowd and asks how much he paid them. "They're just to get the ball rolling," Alistair tells him. He asks Lionel if he would please just wear the hat into the shop, but Lionel refuses. Alistair motions to the crowd to applaud. The applause embarrasses Lionel. Alistair escorts Lionel to the "hot seat" - it's a desk in a roped-off area of the bookstore. A large poster which advertises his book is next to the desk and the desk itself is piled high with books for him to sign. When Alistair starts brushing off Lionel's suit, Lonel tells him to just please leave it alone. He wants to know how he is to distinguish between someone who is actually buying the book and one of Alistair's shills. "Mine will wink," Alistair tells him. Lionel thinks the whole thing borders on farce. Alistair tells him he pulled out all the stops for him, but Lionel reminds him that he did it all because his father was owed a favor. Alistair says he knows Lionel probably won't believe him, but he's come to like Lionel and he really does want to book to sell for him. Lionel thanks him and suspects that Alistair is sincere.

Alistair walks to the rope, pulls it back and frees the line announcing "Ladies and gentlemen -- the man." The first customer walks up to Lionel and gives him a big wink. Loudly enough for everyone to hear, she tells Lionel that she has heard it was a wonderful book. He starts to sign it for her, but she tells him to mime signing since she really wasn't going to buy it. After he pretends to sign, the woman gives it to the next man in line, who walks up to Lionel and winks.

Jean is on the telephone in her office, trying to publicize Lionel's book to some of her acquaintances. "Yes," we can hear her saying, "of course it's spicy, in an understated sort of way." Sandy and Judith are calling all their friends as well. In fact, Judith says that she called all of her friends in the British Isles and thinks she has promised to sleep with half of them. Sandy has sold 8 copies in Nottingham, the home of one of her old boyfriends who has a kind heart. They don't want Lionel to know about what they're doing. Jean says she just wants Lionel to be a success. Judith wants to know "what if he is? -- it can be a mixed blessing, success."

Back at the bookstore a rather plain-looking woman is fingering Lionel's book. "You are him," she says as she walks up to the desk. Lionel confirms. "You look smaller in real life," she pronounces. She has never travelled herself and wants to buy the book. She asks Lionel to inscribe it "To Doris on the occasion of her 53rd Birthday." She asks if signing "with affection" would be okay. Lionel says it really wouldn't be accurate since he doesn't know a Doris. The woman tells him there is no need for him to "be lofty about it." He agrees to sign it that way. She says that's a nice present. He asks who it's for. "For me," she says. "You're Doris?" She thought that was pretty obvious. She asks him where the cash register is. He starts to tell her and then hesitates -- asking if she would allow him to pay for it since it's her birthday. She refuses (somewhat loftily) because she doesn't accept presents from perfect strangers. Lionel is speechless. As he stares off at the woman, he hears a voice asking him for his autograph. It's Jean. She asks him how he's doing and he tells her he seems to be down to the "lunatic fringe." He asks if she'd like a cup of tea.

Lionel leads her to an area off to the side behind a curtain, where there are a couple of wobbly stools and some refreshments. He tells her they are taking care of him. "Don't be overawed," he cautions her. She observes that he sold a few copies. He confirms that it was quite busy earlier on and they weren't all winkers. Jean asks if that's a technical term. He tells her about Alistair and his stacked queue. A man peeks in the curtain. Jean tells him they're having a board meeting. Lionel closes the curtain and tells her if people want to buy a book they'll just have to wait. Jean thought it was interesting that here they were sitting in the bookstore while Lionel's book is selling all over the country. She tells him it is doing wonderfully well in Nottingham. He wants to know why Nottingham. He prods her until she admits she made a few phone calls. He thinks it smacks of charity. The man pops his head in again. Lionel says the next performance is at 3 o'clock. "We're doing excerpts from South Pacific," Jean tells him. Lionel thinks this has been the silliest morning of his entire life.

Some time has passed. Jean is in her darkened living room tuning in the short-wave radio when Judith walks in. She is trying to hear Lionel who is doing a book program in Glasgow. She can get France, she says, but can't seem to get Glasgow. Maybe Lionel will do France next week. She hopes he's not too tired. Alistair has him running all around to promote his book. She asks Judith if this is what she means about success being a mixed blessing. Judith tells her it's possible he won't be a success. Jean says she wants it both ways. The doorbell rings. Alistair comes in and asks Jean if she managed to get Lionel in Glasgow. He just heard him on his car radio and says he was doing well -- getting slighty less hostile each time.

He has something to put to her -- it's about the book. Judith says she's already bought 120 copies. Jean corrects her -- it's 140 copies. It isn't that, he said. We're not exactly bombing, but not grabbing either, he tells her. Alistair needs a new promotional angle. Jean wants to know what he's building up to. He refers to the inscription in the book -- "You're Pooh, aren't you?" he says. Jean says "Of course not." She and Judith try to tell Alistair that Pooh was Lionel's dog, but they can't get their stories straight and finally admit that Jean is (or was) Pooh. Lionel thinks he has a great idea in a "Who is Pooh?" campaign. Very dramatic -- the girl he left behind, the girl before Africa. He feels that this is a great publicity angle. Judith has to agree -- the public loves a mystery. "What happens when the nation's curiousity dries up?" Jean wants to know. "We produce Pooh," says Alistair. Jean crumbles on the couch, thinking it all sounds stupid. Alistair reminds her that she did say she wanted to help.

At the office, Sandy is telling Jean she'd be flattered if there were a campaign around her. She always wanted to be a mystery woman. Jean tells her she should be Pooh then. Sandy reminds her she wasn't even born then, when there was a Pooh. Jean is getting a bit tired of the whole thing. Sandy reminds her that she promised to help. Jean says that she has helped and she's lived with the book for so long and now this whole "Who's Pooh?" business is "too much." Sandy tells her it's all up to her. Jean objects to that way of putting it because people never mean that when they say it -- what they mean to say is I'm right and you're wrong. Jean is holding Alistair's promotional materials for this campaign when she hears Lionel enter the office. Quickly she hides the envelope away. Sandy greets the "celebrity." He tells her that Donald Duck is a celebrity, he's not even "a five-minute wonder." Lionel is exhausted and Jean feels sorry of him. She tells him he looks awful. He tells her he thinks that Alistair has designed the itinerary for a hyperactive decathlete. Jean advises him to tell himself it is all worthwhile. His bunion begins to throb.

He says that at the end of the day he wanted his book to sell. Jean tries to brighten his spirits by telling him the local bookstore is sold out of the book. He asks her how many copies she bought. She wants to know what kind of question that is. "An appreciative one" -- he just put it badly, he says. Lionel's depressed and Jean wants to know why he's wording everything in the past tense as though his book is a total flop. There are other ways to market the book. Sandy, who has been in and out of Jean's office, looks at Jean. He says he's just being realistic -- there are no other ways, are there? Jean and Sandy both look at one another again.

Lionel leaves a travel agency and is walking down the street. He passes Sandy, who is just leaving the office and asks her if Jean is still there. She says that Jean went home to talk with Alistair. Sandy is carrying the "Who is Pooh?" promotion envelope. Lionel says he's going to Jean's. Sandy tells him that's good, that he can save her a trip -- she hands him the envelope and asks him to bring it to Jean. She says she doesn't think Jean would want it lying around the office. He wants to know what it is. "An idea, " Sandy says. As she walks away she hesitates. She turns around and tells him that she gets carried away some times, that Jean didn't really want to do it. He tells her he doesn't understand. She advises him that the envelope is not sealed and walks away. Lionel opens the envelope and removes the contents. He comes to the "Who is Pooh?" artwork and shakes his head.

Jean arrives at home. Judith and Alistair are relaxing on the couch. He asks Jean what she thinks of the promotional materials. She says she left them at the office. She wouldn't have liked them, she says, even if he had presented them to her in a jeweled casket. Alistair asks if she changed her mind. No, she said, she'll still do it. She just doesn't like the whole idea. Judith tries to convince her that it will be fun. Jean dreads all the promotion and the hype. You're not the end, you're the means. She thinks that's the least flattering thing anyone has ever said to her, but she understands. Alistair says that she finally speaks his language. She assures him she does not, but they've formed a sort of Esperanto. The doorbell rings.

Lionel walks in and does not beat around the bush. He tells Alistair the promotion is out of the question. Alistair assures him it is a great idea. He doesn't care if it is a better idea than the wheel, she's not doing it. Alistair says she wants to do it. Jean objects to being referred to as though she were not in the room. "You then, You're not" doing it, Lionel informs her. She tells him not to tell her what to do. Judith wants to know if anyone wants coffee. "We're all on the same side, here," Judith reminds them. Alistair starts to protest. Lionel tells him to be quiet. Jean Pargetter, he says, is Pooh and it was a silly nickname he called her because she liked honey and it has nothing at all to do with this. Jean starts to protest -- "but if it helps to sell the book..." He said it was no-one else's business -- "it's ours." Judith is annoyed -- she looks at Alistair and asks "Why don't you ever say anything like that?" She walks out of the room. Alistair has that "what'd I do?" look on his face. "What did you say?" he asks Lionel. Lionel tells him he can't remember. Alistair follows Judith into the other room, leaving Lionel and Jean alone. Jean tries to protest his decision, but he changes the subject.

He tells Jean that he's just come from a travel agency and takes the tickets from his jacket. She's afraid he's going back to Kenya. He's booked two for Paris, he tells her. That trip they wanted to take, but never got around to. "You're making assumptions," she says. Lionel tells her that he thought it was time he started to make them. He wants to know if she's going to go on the defensive. "Not with you in such a masterful mood."

Judith walks in and says they're going out to dinner. She wants to know if they want to come along. Jean is surprised at her quick turnaround and accuses her of not knowing what a good sulk is. Alistair is on her heels and says that sometimes he amazes himself. Lionel wants to know if he passed a mirror and failed to look in it. Nice dig, Li, but no, he just thought of Lionel's next book. He just wants to give them the "bones": It's set in the 50s, right, a young army lieutenant and a young army nurse are in love." Lionel says, "Don't tell me, he gets posted to Korea." Jean says she knows what happens next, "the nurse sends him a letter, but he doesn't get it." Alistair says, no -- that's tragic, but dull. Also it's not consistent with the story since Jean never claimed to have sent Lionel a letter -- it was the other way around from the beginning. In Alistair's version the lieutenant DOES get the letter, but just as he's about to read it he's wounded. "By a mule?" Lionel wonders. "An enemy mule, of course" Jean adds. Alistair accuses him of not taking him seriously. Judith says "another time" and she and Alistair leave. As he goes he says they'll have to think of a title.

"They laughed, they loved, they lost" says Lionel, dreaming up the campaign for the proposed book. "Until..." says Jean, adding to the mystique. They're having fun. Jean says she wants to be taller. He thinks that was a strange thing to say. In the book, she means. And willowy. That's fair enough, says Lionel, and "I'll have a shock of red hair." They laugh. She thinks that "Jean" is too plain. Lionel suggests she be called "Gert." She likes that. She thinks he should be called Ginger. They giggle again. She suggests they have a drink. Lionel tries to get up and he winces in pain -- "I clicked in about 18 places," he says. She tells him to stay on the couch, that she'll get it. She asks if he wants something to eat. He'd like beans and toast, he says, which prompts her to think that he doesn't trust her cooking. That's not it at all, he just fancies beans on toast, he says. She makes a toast to the Gert and Ginger Story. Lionel says there's no sense in just stopping at one book -- he could make it a whole series. "Gert and Ginger Go to Paris." "Gert and Ginger Go to the Chiropodist," she adds. "Gert and Ginger Go to the Dogs," is Lionel's final suggestion. They're having fun. Jean turns to make herself another drink. She wonders what will happen to them. They have a large gap of 38 years between them. Sometimes it feels as though they are complete strangers and other times it seems as though they've never been apart. She wonders if Lionel has any ideas on the subject. She turns to hear his thoughts. He's sound asleep. She puts down her drink, cuddles up next to him on the couch and says "My Hero."