In 1945, after Helen Brandt (Laraine Day) and her mother (Ann Harding) moves from the small town of Ellsworth Falls to New York City, Helen finds a job as a perfume clerk at a department store while Mrs. Brandt works for the war relief effort. Jerry (Bill Williams (actor)), a boy just home from serving in France, likes Helen, but she only thinks of him as a "pal". His college buddy, United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Hank Travers (Robert Young (actor)) hears all about Helen, and worms his way onto a date that Jerry and Helen are on, asking Mrs. Brandt to go along.