After hearing a call for women to join the work force and replace the men who are now in the army, Jean Howard begs her father, an oil supplies manufacturer, to hire her as a traveling salesperson. He reluctantly agrees, but after she loses several sales, he demands that she return from the road. Jean, however, is determined to give the job one last try. Slim Clark, her next prospect, runs an oil field adjoining an army town. The town is crowded with wives visiting their husbands, and Jean believes that she will be unable to find a room. Through a misunderstanding, however, she is offered a bungalow motel room that is available only to a married couple with no children. Upon arriving at the motel, Jean explains that her husband is absent on a bivouac, but agrees to present him to the landlady before 6:00 p.m. The landlady adds to Jean's dilemma by assuming that her husband is a lieutenant in the army. Jean pays a visit to Slim at the oil field, and he refuses to close the deal until she accepts his dinner invitation. In order to stay, Jean now must find a lieutenant to pose as her husband. Just before her 6:00 deadline, she gets a ride from Lieutenant Don Mallory, who agrees to sign the register before leaving again for the camp. To his dismay, however, he meets his commanding officer, Colonel Michael Otley, and has to pretend that he and Jean were secretly married that morning. Otley then cancels his assignment so that he can spend the night with his new "bride." Later, when Slim arrives for his dinner date with Jean, Don insists that, for appearances' sake, he must come along. Slim is furious and by the end of the evening, Jean still has not closed her deal. After a great deal of maneuvering, Don spends the night camping outside, while Jean sleeps in the bed. The next morning, Don suggests that he tell Otley that they have quarreled and Jean has returned to her father, but the plan backfires when Otley overhears their fake quarrel and insists that they kiss and make up. Then Slim invites Jean to discuss his offer during a trip to Fresno. Don is furious when Jean returns from the trip, successful but with her lipstick smeared, and leaves the motel. While he is gone, Don's mother arrives unexpectedly. Jean packs her suitcase, intending to leave, but then Otley, who has invited the couple to dinner, tells her that he is demoting a lieutenant on his staff who pretended to be married. Jean decides to stay for dinner in order not to jeopardize Don's career. At the Otleys', Jean, who by now is quite drunk on sherry, manages to bring Don up to date before the Otleys are called away to help deliver a baby in a neighboring bungalow. When Slim comes to take Jean to the train, he finds Don's mother in the cabin, and the two of them confront Don and Jean at the Otleys'. When Jean's father arrives as well, everyone quarrels. Otley, who has returned from the delivery, is about to court-martial Don when Lucille, the handyman, testifies that Don spent the night outside and not in Jean's cabin. Slim, realizing that Jean is in love with Don, says goodbye to her, and Don telephones the local minister to announce that he and Jean will be married.