The film follows Etienne, a 40-year-old car designer, who takes time off from work to study sexual mastery from a Zen master and several prostitutes, in the hopes of having the sexual skill to impress Laure. Laure, a blonde who was introduced to him by his friend Jacques, told Etienne on January 1 that she will not have sex with him until May 27 that year at precisely 9 PM.