Boeing, Boeing

Bernard Lawrence, a Paris-based journalist, keeps three girlfriends who are flight attendants on non-overlapping international routes. He times their layovers so that only one is in the country at any moment and coordinates their arrivals and departures with clockwork precision. His housekeeper Bertha helps maintain the illusion by swapping photos and meals so the flat feels like home for all three women.

Bertha is the long-suffering keeper of the secret, constantly adjusting the setup to fool the women. She swaps appropriate photos and food to match the incoming girlfriend, ensuring each woman believes the others are elsewhere. The Paris flat becomes a shared home for the trio during their layovers, thanks to her meticulous work.

Bernard is so content with his arrangement that he plans to turn down an imminent promotion to New York City. He values the Paris rhythm and the thrill of juggling three girlfriends over a corporate move. Leaving Paris would threaten the delicate balance he has engineered.

Airlines roll out new state-of-the-art jet aircraft that tighten schedules and change routes. The faster planes allow flight attendants to spend more time in Paris, complicating Bernard's juggling act. The room for error shrinks as the old cycle is replaced by tighter timing.

Because of the schedule overhaul, all three girlfriends converge on Paris at the same time. Bernard must manage three women under the same roof, testing the efficiency of his carefully constructed routine. The apartment becomes a pressure cooker as the ruse teeters on collapse.

Robert Reed, a fellow journalist and an old acquaintance, arrives in town and cannot find a hotel. He insists on staying in Bernard's apartment for a few days, intensifying the living arrangement. His sudden presence introduces a rival dynamic that threatens Bernard's peace.

Reed schemes to take over Bernard's apartment, the three girlfriends, the housekeeper, and even Bernard's job. His plan leverages the crowded, fragile setup to undermine Bernard's control. The situation shifts from a playful ruse to a contest for dominance.

Under pressure and manipulation, Reed nudges Bernard toward accepting a new job in New York. Bernard faces the lure of career advancement alongside the threat of losing his Paris life. The scheme reveals how fragile the balance has become.

With Reed's influence growing, the elaborate deception begins to crack. Bernard's careful scheduling is strained as the girls, Bertha, and Reed maneuver for position. The air in the apartment becomes charged with suspicion and competition.

Bernard confronts the choice between staying in Paris or moving to New York. Reed uses the opportunity to push his plan forward, threatening to upend the trio's home. The women sense the instability and brace for the worst.

The NYC promotion becomes a looming reality that would uproot the Paris arrangement. Bernard weighs personal happiness against professional advancement and geographic change. The pressure reshapes his priorities and begins to reveal the cost of the scheme.

Robert Reed's machinations succeed in steering Bernard toward taking the New York job. With the apartment, the girls, and Bertha in flux, Bernard is left facing a future outside Paris. The story ends on the note that the move is being forced by manipulation, upending the Paris idyll.