Jack Mitchell is a married middle-aged salesman from Utica, New York. While working in Chicago, Mitchell feels lonely and sexually frustrated. After a chance meeting with an old friend, Mitchell asks him whether he knows of any "girls" who can take care of his needs. With his friend's assistance, Mitchell arranges a hotel meeting with T.R. Baskin, a socially isolated and sarcastic young woman who has moved to Chicago to seek a new life. When they get in bed, Mitchell fails to perform sexually. To spend the time, Baskin narrates her recent life experiences with him. These include working as a typist, struggling with intense loneliness, and having a one-night-stand with Mitchell's friend, and realizing later that the guy had mistaken her for a sex worker. In return, Mitchell's shares with her his plans to retire, as he feels that he is getting too old for his job.