Ginger didn't know what she expected to happen when she sent Gilligan and Mary Ann off together. She just knew it was the right thing to do. Or was it?
She hoped that if Mary Ann did have feelings for Gilligan, she'd find the courage to finally voice them. But what if Gilligan didn't have feelings for Mary Ann, or was too blinded by his feelings, or what he thought were his feelings, for Ginger?
Or what if Gilligan and Mary Ann fell in love and Ginger lost what she had with Gilligan? Maybe this was a mistake. But she was sure it would make matters worse if she went after them.
She somehow fell asleep, despite all her concerns. After all, she hadn't been lying when she said she was tired. Her sleep was brief and dreamless.
She awoke to the sounds of a rainstorm. A lightning flash revealed that the other bed was empty. So Mary Ann was still out with Gilligan. Unless she returned to camp and stopped by the Professor's hut to report her conversation with Gilligan.
Ginger decided to wait up for her roommate. They needed to talk things out, no matter how awkward it might be.
Time passed and she started to get worried. Were the two of them OK out there, in the storm, in the dark?
It was a relief when she thought she could hear footsteps in the rain. Mary Ann was coming home. The talk could wait until morning. Feeling like Mary Ann's mother forgiving the breaking of curfew, she got out of bed and grabbed a towel to dry her roommate's hair with.
But before Ginger could get to the door, someone knocked. It couldn't be Mary Ann. And she doubted it was Gilligan. She dropped the towel on a chair and grabbed her blanket. "Who is it?" she called in as normal a voice as possible.
"It's the Professor. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
Despite her worries, she had to stifle her laughter. "Not at all." She wrapped the blanket around herself and said, "Please come in." She didn't know what this was about, but she was glad he was here, even if it might be awkward when Mary Ann returned and found her alone in their hut with the Professor, especially at this hour.
He entered and looked around. She realized how dark it was, especially when there was no lightning.
She lit a candle as he said, "So Mary Ann isn't here."
Ginger tried to hide her disappointment as she turned to face him again. "No. Did you want to talk to her about something?"
"No, I just wondered if she and Gilligan made it back all right."
She played dumb. "She and Gilligan?"
"Yes, I saw them leave camp at the usual time you leave each night. Uh, I hope you two didn't quarrel."
So the Professor had observed her and Gilligan departing for the nightly lessons. But then he'd also noticed Gilligan's departure with Mary Ann, although maybe only for the novelty.
"No, Mary Ann and I didn't quarrel."
"I meant you and Gilligan."
"No, we've never gotten along better than we have in the past week."
"I see." Was the Professor jealous or just concerned? And about her or Mary Ann? Then he said, "I saw the blanket."
She looked down at the blanket wrapped around her. "The blanket?"
"I mean the one in the clearing with the cane chairs."
She realized that that blanket was likely getting soaked. The cane chairs would probably be fine. Then she realized what he was saying. "Oh, that blanket."
He quietly said, "They're not dance lessons." It wasn't a question. Either his keen, analytical mind had pieced it together, or Mary Ann had told him that evening.
"No, they're not."
"And how does the snake fit in?"
She knew better than to laugh. "I lured it off a cliff with a flute, your old flute. I, I saved Gilligan's life and asked him for a favor."
"This was a favor he granted you?"
"Well, obviously he got some benefit out of it, too."
"And meanwhile I'm conducting research with a faulty premise."
"I'm sorry about that, but you can see why we couldn't explain."
"Yes."
"Do you want the towel?"
"The towel?"
"Your hair is wet from the rain. But the towel can probably dry out by the time Mary Ann gets back. Or I can get her another towel."
"Oh, yes, thank you." He picked up the towel and rubbed his head with it. She couldn't see his face when he said, "So you don't expect them back for awhile?"
"I don't know what to expect," she admitted.
"So this wasn't a scheme to train Gilligan so they wouldn't both be inexperienced?"
"Of course not!"At least it hadn't consciously been. She did know Gilligan would go on to other women, but not yet, and not Mary Ann. "I just wanted them to talk." Should she tell the Professor about her friend's possible crush on Gilligan? Or did the Professor know more about this than Ginger did?
"They must have a great deal to talk about then." The Professor's face was exposed again, with the towel draped over his shoulders, but she couldn't read his tone. Sarcastic? Wistful?
"Yes."
"And maybe we have a little to talk about, too."
"More than a little."
"And I can keep you company while you're waiting for Mary Ann's return."
"That might be all night. What with the storm and all."
"In that case, would you mind if I changed out of my wet things?"
"Not at all," she said, unwrapping her blanket and putting it back on the bed.
...
Ginger smiled when she awoke to daylight and the Professor's breath in her face. She stroked his back and felt the smooth silk of her kimono. She smiled more when she remembered last night.
He opened his eyes and mouth. He kissed her before he said, "Good morning."
"Good morning."
"How did you sleep?"
"Oh, not a wink. I couldn't stop worrying about Gilligan and Mary Ann."
Her tone was playful but he seriously replied, "They're not back yet?"
"Well, I doubt she is. It seems like she would've spoken up last night."
"I should go check with the Skipper to see if Gilligan came home."
"The Skipper thinks Gilligan is with me," she had to point out.
"And the Skipper knows the truth about the lessons."
"Yes."
"Still, I should go."
"Do you want to go, Roy?"
"Of course not." He stroked her hair. "But it's daylight and we can't be found like this."
"Then we should get out of bed and get dressed. Then you can sit and wait with me for Mary Ann's return, like you promised."
"But the Skipper and I should be forming a search party."
"It's stopped raining. I'm sure they'll be home safe and sound soon."
"Then we definitely should get out of this bed and get dressed."
So they did. He was in his usual outfit of a white shirt and khaki slacks, telling her of his observations of island snakes, when Mrs. Howell dropped by.
"Hello, Ginger, sorry to disturb you girls so early in the morning, but— Oh, hello, Professor." She looked startled but not scandalized by the man's presence.
"Hello, Mrs. Howell," he said, not sounding too self-conscious.
"The Professor was just telling me about his reptile research."
"How nice. Er, Mary Ann isn't back yet?"
"No. I think she got up early to listen to the Sunrise Exercise show on the radio."
"But it's long past sunrise."
"Well, I just know she got up before I did." Ginger had to play this carefully. She didn't actually know what had happened to Mary Ann after leaving with Gilligan, and Ginger would try to protect her friend's reputation as long as she could.
"I see. Dear, I don't want to alarm you, but last night I ran into Gilligan and Mary Ann, and he said you were too tired to dance, so he was going for a walk with Mary Ann. But then the storm came, and I don't think either of them came home last night."
The Professor spoke up. "I'm sure even Gilligan knows to come in out of the rain."
Ginger wanted to defend Gilligan, but she had a feeling about what Mrs. Howell was really concerned with, and it might be for the best if the society matron continued to think of Gilligan as bumbling and innocent.
"But out of the rain and into what?"
"Well, there are caves. I'm sure Gilligan found a cave for them to shelter in."
Ginger wanted to shake her head and wearily sigh, "Roy." He'd fallen right into Mrs. Howell's trap.
"All night? Alone? Unchaperoned?"
Mr. Howell appeared just then. "Lovey, the Skipper hasn't seen Gilligan. He thought Gilligan was out with Ginger. But he doesn't think there's anything to worry about. They probably found shelter. And as for that other thing we talked about." He glanced at Ginger and the Professor. "Well, we are talking about Gilligan and Mary Ann after all. What could happen?"
"Thurston, even if you're right, think of how it looks. A young attractive couple, spending all night together."
Mr. Howell looked helpless, the Professor embarrassed. Ginger hoped that her years of acting gave her a noncommittal expression, although she felt like blushing.
Mrs. Howell didn't seem to notice, perhaps because the Skipper then called, "There they are!"
The other four looked through the doorway to see Gilligan and Mary Ann emerging from the jungle, safe and sound.
...
It was perhaps as well that Gilligan didn't argue when Mrs. Howell told him, "Now you'll have to marry her," although he did need a clarification on "which her." Eight and a half months after the wedding to "Mary Ann of course," George Jonas Gilligan was born. As for Ginger's first pregnancy, that is another story.