The Architect

The Architect

Mitchell Imhoff

Ethan Maynard regained consciousness slowly, painfully aware that someone was putting staples into his scalp but unable to complain about it. Gradually he understood that he was in the hospital and why.

It all goes back to his early childhood, he thought. He was born slow. Not unintelligent, but slow moving. What a disadvantage in a world based on speed, a world of timed tests and sports. He had a strong, biology-based conviction that in any endeavor, it was far better to move slowly and carefully, to think first and be ready to reassess any action.

Certainly there was plenty of time for that kind of reflection in the recovery room. The nurses, attractive and pleasant in their forties and fifties, made light conversation that wasn't too demanding. "I've always been slow," he told them. But they knew that because of his operation.

In school he'd spent his evenings and weekends on homework. He had to. Otherwise he couldn't have finished it. If you'd asked Ethan then why he was so slow, he wouldn't have been able to tell you, but in time he realized that in fact his mind was very busy, occupied with questions of why and what if. He did well on term papers and take-home tests, but very badly on timed tests. And on assignments that required drawing, right up his alley, he always got high grades. That's what persuaded him to major in architecture at Ohio State University. He thought that in architecture, quality would matter more than quantity.

One result of this slowness was that he seldom had friends. For one thing, they wouldn't have shared his interest in why and what if, and for another, he had to spend all his time on homework. The taunt "slow poke" rang in his ears, and he knew that people thought it far more than they said it out loud.

In his junior and senior year of college, he felt very lucky to have a girlfriend, a normal-speed woman named Audrey, who said she loved him but admitted near the end that Ethan was "just too annoying to be around" because of his slowness. She'd encouraged Ethan to have a vasectomy, since "you don't want to bring a slow child into a fast world." But before he was completely recovered from that, Audrey moved out of state. They were still on good terms through short but carefully written emails. One of Audrey's emails had contained a perceptive warning, which Ethan read many times: "Unless you deal with your slowness, I don't see how you're going to hold a job. Businesses need efficient workers." But he didn't see any way to change. He'd been to the school psychologist in high school about his issues, and the only conclusion was that he should be more time-conscious, wearing a watch and referring to it frequently. He did that, and he drank coffee, but nothing seemed to help.

By the time he graduated from college and began looking for a job, he had an impressive portfolio. That's probably how he got his first job. But he struggled to meet deadlines, even though he usually worked evenings and weekends, and one day after six months on the job, he was called into his boss's office, where he found his manager as well as the director of HR, and when that meeting was over, he was unemployed.

He went home, disheartened, but he realized that he'd finally be able to catch up on the things he'd been putting off, like deep-cleaning his apartment, which was already clean and well-organized, and reading back issues of Architectural Digest and other professional magazines.

Two months later, again on the strength of his portfolio, he was hired by another architectural firm, Meredith, Inc, again as junior architect. His first project was a review of a new design before it was presented to the client. He read the specifications from the client and all the relevant standards he could find, and after two weeks had uncovered two major discrepancies (which could have cost the firm a lot of money) and several smaller ones. He was praised by his manager, who was of course unaware of the amount of time Ethan had put into the project.

The second project required him to work with Milt, a senior architect, on a design. Milt would soon discover how slow he was, Ethan feared, and he'd be fired again. But Milt had two other projects and left the design mainly up to Ethan, with some helpful instructions. Ethan worked very hard, of course, reading everything multiple times and producing several drafts. When he finally showed Milt his favorite draft, Milt immediately took it to Graham, the manager, who was very impressed with it. Fortunately Milt was willing to give Ethan all the credit, and Graham told Ethan that he had a future with Meredith, Inc, if he could continue producing such solid, original work. Graham invited him to play golf with him on Saturday. Ethan, who played, was glad to accept. He had three cups of coffee beforehand and made a point of rushing (by his standards) from green to green.

But the next three projects came in late, and it was apparent that Ethan struggled to meet deadlines. On his one-year anniversary, he was summoned to Graham's office, where he also saw the director of HR. He'd seen this situation before, and he thought he knew what was going to be said.

"Meredith, Inc can't stay in business if we miss deadlines," Graham said. "We need not just amazing employees, but amazing employees who get their work done in a timely, efficient way." And to Ethan's great surprise: "But, Ethan, we don't want to lose such a promising employee."

The director of HR spoke up. "Ethan, you may have heard about brain surgery for the slowness problem. It consists basically of a couple of leads implanted in the brain, and a sort of pacemaker implanted in the chest. It's not commonly used, but it's no longer an experimental procedure. If you're willing to accept this, Meredith, Inc will reimburse your copay and give you a week or two of personal time to recover. No need to respond right away. Just let us know your decision by end of day Friday. I'll send you an email with the details."

"I hope you appreciate what this means, Ethan," Graham said after the director of HR left. "This is the first time Meredith, Inc has made such a significant offer of accommodation to an employee. It shows what we think of your future here."

"I really appreciate it," Ethan said. "I'll look at the email this evening and let you know by Friday."

Back in his cubicle, Ethan received his email and thanked Graham and the director of HR. That evening, instead of staying at his desk as usual, he went home and read about the procedure.

He studied the diagrams of the two leads inserted into the brain of the patient and connected to the implantable pulse generator (IPG) in the chest. He thought it seemed risky and invasive, a radical solution. If he didn't have to earn a living, he thought, he wouldn't give it a second thought. But he did, and he realized that his current job, and probably any future jobs, would depend on his acceptance.

That evening Ethan read all the information he could find on the web about the procedure. He learned mostly about the benefits for slow-moving people, but also about the risks, which included brain hemorrhage and death. But he reasoned that if those risks were frequent, they wouldn't do the surgery. He wrote to Audrey, who, surprisingly, called him back.

"Ethan, I read the articles you sent, and I think you're the perfect candidate for this surgery. I mean, this could really turn things around for you. You're lucky that Meredith is encouraging you to do it." The why and what-if questions haunted Ethan's mind until - and after - he went into Graham's office late Friday afternoon to announce that he was grateful for Meredith's offer and would accept it.

HR had already made an appointment with the surgeon for Tuesday, and Ethan took an hour off work to talk to him that day and plan for the surgery. "The success rate for the procedure is over 90%," the surgeon told him. We just need to get some medical, cognitive, and psychological testing done first."

They drew blood and made an appointment with a psychologist for the other tests. Ethan had to play their memory games ("how many of the words in the first list I read to you are names of animals") and answered some personal questions ("today I feel better/worse than I usually do"). She also gave him a small device to click as she counted and looked at a stopwatch. Then they had him talk to a geneticist about his parents and grandparents, since people with certain genetic problems are more likely to experience cognitive decline after the surgery.

On the morning of the surgery, Ethan took a taxi to the hospital and checked in. Seven people came into his prep room beforehand to introduce themselves before surgery, and he interrupted his train of what-ifs to greet them. "All this human effort," he later wrote to Audrey, "just to speed me up."

The transportation people transferred him to a cart and quickly took him to the operating room, where, until he was injected with the anesthesia, he made an effort to chat with the people who'd introduced themselves.

When Ethan woke up, as I mentioned, he noticed the attractive recovery-room nurses. He hadn't had any contact with women in over a year, and those nurses seemed like angels. He wondered for a moment whether he'd died and gone to heaven, or at least to some alternative reality. But he was brought back to earth by the pain in his scalp, his neck, and his chest. He wanted to explore the staples in his scalp but realized that his IVs, as well as the bandage on his head, would prevent that. And of course, he didn't feel any different, since the IPG (implanted pulse generator) hadn't yet been activated.

He followed the directions of the nurses and other staff and was discharged the next day with instructions not to bend down, turn to the side, or carry anything heavier than five pounds. These instructions weren't a surprise; he'd been told about them beforehand and had bought canned food in preparation. The problem was that when he dropped something on the floor, he couldn't pick it up.

At work a few days later, he was even slower than usual, being distracted by his physical discomfort. He took the big bandage off of his head to avoid stares and questions at work. (His colleagues just knew that he'd had surgery.) And his IV sites were recovering.

Wednesday of the next week was his appointment to have the IPG activated, and he was worried whether a speeded-up version of himself would still be the same person. How would he manage as a normal-speed person? At the appointment, the nurse practitioner taught him to use the remote control to manage the speed increases. When she changed the speed from 0% to 10%, Ethan immediately felt a tingling sensation, but he performed much better than before on the clicking test. He felt the tingling when she turned it to 20%, and the effect was similar to what he might have felt with a couple of cups of coffee, without the stomach ache and shakiness. She advised him to try moving it up to 30% in a few days to see if he could tolerate such a large increase. "At about 40%, you should be at a level comparable to the average person," she told him. "That should probably be your goal. For now, let's try 20%."

As Ethan drove back to work, he sometimes felt a little impatient with slow traffic and realized he'd never felt that way before. Until then, his goal had been to keep up with traffic so as not to trigger the anger of the speedy people.

At work, he felt encouraged with his new, more efficient pace. Graham asked him to stop by, and when he asked Ethan how he felt, he said, "Better, more driven than before." And he realized that "driven" was the right word; he felt an inner push to constantly do everything at a breakneck speed. When he got back home and prepared some canned food, he turned his remote back to 0% to take it easy and be his normal self. As soon as he turned it down, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.

For the next week he kept it at 20% for work and 0% for his free time. He knew that his productivity was being watched carefully, and he felt that at 20%, with a few hours of overtime, he could keep up.

When he returned to the nurse practitioner, she pushed him to 30% and then to 40%, giving him the unpleasant tingling feeling all the down to his feet. "Why don't you try leaving it at 30% this week and 40% the week after?" she suggested.

"Just for work, right?" Ethan asked. "I like to keep it at zero for my own time."

"That's fine."

"And after a week at 30%, it'll be time to repeat the cognitive and other tests you took before the surgery."

"OK."

Two weeks later, as Ethan dared turn up the remote to 30% and then to 40%, he repeated those tests. Some of his physical restrictions from the surgery were lifted, so he'd finally be able to pick up the crumbs, empty can, and forks that had fallen on his kitchen floor.

The nurse practitioner, with another person in the room who introduced herself as Dr. Phyllis Hensley, told him, "The cognitive tests showed only a slight improvement. But some of the other tests, particularly the clicking test, show a significant increase. And in the other tests, whenever speed is a factor, you're almost up to normal. That's a considerable improvement."

"That's great news," he said, "because then I should be able to finish my projects at work on time."

"That's exactly what we want," she said.

At that point, the other person, a well-dressed woman around forty with dyed-blond hair and a nice figure, smiled and said, "Ethan, that's a tremendous success story. I'm the head of the Department of Human Performance Measurements Research, and I'd like to talk to you about a special opportunity. Would you mind coming to my office?"

"That's fine," he said. Ethan felt grateful that he'd survived the operation and could probably be an efficient employee at fast-paced Meredith, Inc. He thought he should listen to what the woman had to say. And besides, maybe because of her kind, friendly manner, he felt attracted to her.

As they walked outside to the next building, Ethan, at 30% speed increase, managed to keep up with Dr. Hensley ("call me Phyllis") and her explanation of the work done by her department. They passed in front of the DHPMR sign, and she offered him a cup of coffee as they sat down.

"No thanks," he said. "I wouldn't like the caffeine to interfere with my speed."

"That's a good thought. I'm glad you're careful about that. Let me explain why we're interested in you. As you might expect, we want to measure your performance in a number of activities to verify that you are indeed getting the benefit you're supposed to from the IPG. What makes your case so attractive (she smiled a little more as she said that), is that we can test your performance at various settings. Normally, we can test a person in a number of activities, but those numbers are the final word. You're a really special case for us."

"But I have to work during the week," Ethan protested.

"We understand that, and that's why we'd do the testing in the evenings. You're so valuable to us that my team will gladly accommodate your schedule."

"Give me some examples of the testing you'd do," he said. "Are we talking IVs or other invasive tests?"

"Very rarely. Mostly we'll measure blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and do a few other noninvasive measurements. We'll measure you as you rest and as you walk and run on the treadmill, lift weights, and do a few other things. I hope you'll be patient enough to do all these things."

"Probably so, but it depends on my speed setting."

"I understand. And I assure you there will be no fees to you for this, and you'll be contributing significantly to our research. The DHPMR is part of the Ohio State University Medical Center, and we do a lot of studies related to our research projects. That's the big picture. Plus, if we find any other underlying medical problems, we'll report them to you."

"How long will this go on?" he asked.

"A month or so for the initial project, but that could be extended to another couple of months."

"OK," Ethan said, pushed by the 30% speed increase to make a decision on the spot, "I'll do it for a month, and then we'll see."

"Thank you so much," Phyllis said, practically melting. You have no idea how much this means to me and my team. We're truly grateful."

The next Wednesday evening, after eating a cheese sandwich in the car, Ethan, who was by now at 40% speed increase and performing well at work, reported to Outpatient Clinic 3 on Medical Research Drive. He was greeted by Phyllis and two members of her team, Jennifer and Ling. Phyllis explained what they'd be doing and left him with the two other women to run the tests.

As Jennifer and Ling ran the tests, instructing Ethan how to use the treadmill as he was connected to the sensors, asking him to adjust his speed and doing the same tests at another speed, they were very, very pleasant to Ethan, even sweet and charming. At first he was puzzled by their behavior, comparing them to the angels in the recovery room, but then, especially at certain speed increases, gave up on being surprised and turned himself over to their sweetness, allowing himself to enjoy it.

That Friday evening, he was greeted by Madeline (Maddy) and Jolaine, who were just as serious about recording the metrics as Jennifer and Ling and at least as sweet and charming. They had different exercise equipment for him to use.

The following Monday evening, Ethan was greeted by yet another two women, Ellie and Sanghita, who took him to an exercise room, wired him up, and took the same types of measurements. They were at least as sweet as the others, and Ellie even held his hand for a moment as he left. They left his remote at 40%, but he turned it back down to 20% for the drive home and then to 0% when he got back to his apartment.

That evening, he thought a lot about the six women. None of them were beautiful, or even really nice looking, and yet he was attracted to each one. Had they been chosen and trained specifically for him, since he was "a special case," volunteering his time? But he'd learned from them that they were all graduate research students in human performance measurement. They looked and dressed like graduate students, not like the recovery room angels, who were apparently paid well enough to buy themselves nice outfits and tasteful makeup. And two of them - Ling and Sanghita - were foreign-born, plus Maddy was second- or third-generation Chinese-American. He knew these thing because of the small talk they exchanged during the testing. And he'd also told them about his work situation and even about Audrey and how she'd moved out of state. In particular, Ellie asked him about his life as a slow person and whether he was adapting to higher speeds.

"I guess what saves me," he explained, "is that I can turn it down to zero in the evening and be myself."

Meanwhile, during the day on Tuesday, Phyllis held a meeting with her staff on the Ethan project to get their status with him.

"He's being very cooperative," Jennifer reported. "We couldn't ask for a better subject so far."

"I agree," Maddy said, "and he's telling us more about himself."

"At this point I don't see anything to indicate that he's unsuitable for Phase 2," said Ellie. "He seems very pleasant to work with."

Phyllis thanked them for their updates and warned them not to be too optimistic. "Get him to talk more about his former girlfriend, and find out more about him," she said, "in addition of course to recording all the data for Phase 1."

But after Phyllis left the meeting room, the others had a more frank discussion.

"He's OK," Jolaine said, "but he seems a little boring."

"That's what we want, ordinary," Jennifer said. "I don't picture him as a boyfriend, but for this, he seems fine."

"And besides," Ellie added, "he's spent most of his life as a slow person. You can't expect him to become dynamic and exciting overnight."

"As far as looks, he's not my dream guy," Maddy said, "but he'll do."

"That's what I thought at first, too," Ling said, "but I'm getting used to him. Maybe it's his reaction to us. He's warming up to us and smiling more. I think he'll say yes."

After five weeks of measurements, Phase 1 (they didn't use the term when talking to Ethan), was winding down, and the women were becoming anxious about whether Ethan could be persuaded to continue to Phase 2 and whether they were up to it. It was also near the end of a semester.

Ethan, meanwhile, sensed that the project was winding down and was very sorry that he might not see the women again. He got an email from Phyllis saying that Jennifer would like to talk to him after the next session and she'd have some information for him about continuing. Jennifer was shorter than average, with some extra pounds, but she was judged to be the most cordial and seductive and the one, along with Ellie, that Ethan had reacted to the most. He'd told her that he missed Audrey but doubted he'd ever see her again.

Ethan was very curious about why Phyllis didn't talk to him herself, but he concluded that Phyllis was probably unavailable and that Jennifer was one of the leaders of the graduate students.

Near the end of what seemed to be the final session, Jennifer and Ling counted Ethan's respirations and recorded his heart rate following a long run on the treadmill at 90%. Immediately after that test, Ethan turned the speed down and breathed a sigh of relief. Ling left, and Jennifer told Ethan she had something to discuss with him, but in a "more conducive location." She suggested an upscale nearby restaurant, saying that the department would pick up the check. He accepted, still curious, and they drove separately. When they arrived, he set his speed to 40% so as not to be a boring date.

They exchanged small talk as they looked over the cocktail menu, to hide their nervousness. He wondered whether the grad research students were allowed to date research subjects (was this a date or just a conversation?), but he concluded that it wasn't the same as with nurses or doctors and patients.

Jennifer talked about the department and research projects, but she also brought up a subject that was personal. "When was the last time you saw Audrey?" she asked, to Ethan's surprise.

"Over a year ago," he said.

"And do you expect to see her again soon? Like over the break?"

"No, I think she's happy with her new boyfriend. He's the reason she moved."

"So you don't think she'll come back to see the new you?"

"No, I think I just need to forget her except for a few emails."

After that, Jennifer resumed talking about the department and the research projects. "You know, Ethan, that we've been so grateful to you for working with us on this project. We've been thinking of the future, and we have some more activities, not just treadmill, to propose for getting metrics on you."

"You've all been so nice to me," he said. "I just might accept."

"You're really a special case," she continued. "Your speed control makes you a wonderful subject. We were wondering whether you'd consent to some more activities with us... like sleeping with us."

Ethan was shocked and even at 40% couldn't think of a response. He couldn't believe that she'd just said out loud what was on his mind. He decided to play it cool and ask for more information. "Is this part of a research project? Does it come from Phyllis's office?"

"Yes, of course," Jennifer confirmed. "We'd still be recording metrics, on ourselves as well, though it might be a little awkward. I guess the question is whether you like us. We're graduate students, not beauty queens."

Deciding to put his cards on the table, Ethan said, "I have been so charmed by the sweetness and femininity of everyone on the team,... that if you're serious about it, I will gladly participate. But do all of you want to do this?"

"Yes. The ones who didn't volunteer aren't on the team you've met. We're all serious about this."

"But I'm not sure I can perform normally with wires and sensors attached to me."

"We've thought about that, and we think we can work that out. In any case, you won't have any sensors tonight."

"This just seems so awkward," Ethan complained, turning his speed down to 0% so he could handle that awkwardness.

"Of course it does, but we've worked with a member of the psychology department who advises people on human sexuality. She assured us this could be done and gave us some references. But this evening, we can forget about the awkwardness."

He was glad he'd turned his speed down to 0%. There was no more need for verbal jousting and rapid repartee, and he wanted to be at the speed at which he'd dealt with Audrey.

"How did you get chosen to be the one to ask me?" he asked out of curiosity.

"I volunteered, and Phyllis agreed that I should be the one. You'll need to meet with her soon to sign some papers."

"It makes me feel a little better that you volunteered," he said, even though he suspected that she'd been chosen because of her bust size.

"Any chance we can go to your apartment?" she asked. "Mine's a mess."

"A few things are out of place in my apartment," he said, "but yes, we can go there." He was glad that he'd recovered enough to bend down and pick things up off the floor.

Ethan looked at Jennifer and thought how long it had been since he'd touched a woman. He could feel his fingers aching for her skin. He gave her directions and told her where to park near his apartment. They agreed to drive separately. As they waited for the check, she reached across the table and held his hand in her soft hands, saying, "Ethan, this means so much to me and my career."

As Ethan drove to his apartment, he thought about that last sentence and decided that even if Jennifer didn't love him, there were many other reasons why humans slept with each other. Hers, and his, he thought, were probably better than most. And he realized that even though Jennifer had said there wouldn't be any sensors this evening, he knew that his performance would serve as a baseline, a point of comparison for the other women.

Ethan reached the front door to his apartment building first and let Jennifer in. They were silent until they entered the apartment, where no one else but Ethan had been in over a year. He gave her a little hug and thought it would be polite to show her around the apartment, even though it was just a living room, with a tiny TV, a bedroom, a kitchen area, and a bathroom. "Everything's so clean," she said.

"I like to keep it that way. I don't drink, so I don't have anything alcoholic to offer you. Maybe you'd like some apple juice. I think I have some of that."

"That would be nice." Ethan poured some into two glasses, and he and Jennifer sat down on the sofa and took off their shoes. It's hard to say which one started it, but before long they were exchanging kisses. Ethan wanted to go slow rather than rushing in to touch her, and Jennifer was waiting to see how patient or eager he was. In spite of all the strategizing and spectating, their kissing became more intense, and after fifteen minutes or so, Ethan undid her top blouse button. Jennifer didn't resist, so he continued, first unbuttoning the blouse, then removing it, and undoing the clip that held up her slacks and sliding them down, lightly touching her legs as he went. She removed his shirt, undid his belt buckle, and pulled his pants down past his ankles.

At the risk of ruining the momentum, Ethan pointed to a couple areas on his scalp and said, "Please keep in mind that these areas are still sensitive from the surgery," he said.

"Maybe I should have a shower first. Can I use the bathroom?"

"Sure. That's a good idea. I'll go in after you." Before she went in, Ethan dimmed the lights and carefully removed her bra, panties, and glasses. She was not a "beauty queen," to use her term, but he was starving to death, and her body looked and felt extremely appetizing to him. While she was in the shower, he found an old box of condoms and some lubrication and put them on the nightstand. (He didn't want to ask her to believe him about the vasectomy.) When he came out, wearing a towel around his waist, he found Jennifer under the covers and an unfamiliar brand of condoms on the nightstand replacing the possibly outdated ones he'd left out.

The lights in the bedroom were out, and Jennifer said, "Come into bed, Ethan," in the sweetest and most inviting way possible. Ethan, thinking of that voice as an extension of the voice she'd used while giving him directions on the treadmill and other equipment, was soon able to completely satisfy his fingers by touching every inch of Jennifer's wonderful body. It was only after that exercise that he focused on her breasts and then came inside. He found that no lubrication was necessary, and he was relieved that in spite of his extreme deprivation, he was able to go on for a good while as Jennifer moaned. Afterwards, he was a little upset to hear her weeping, but she assured him that her tears were tears of joy and that he was wonderful. She smothered him with kisses. "Oh, Ethan, you're so good. Phyllis will be so relieved, and the others will love working with you."

When they calmed down, Jennifer explained that although normally she'd keep such matters secret, in this case she needed to send a report to the team. She took a few minutes to fill out a form on her cell phone, and sent it off. Then, to Ethan's surprise and delight, she turned to him and said, "Now for just the two of us." After some more kissing, she asked him to bring her to a climax. He'd never done that but was eager to learn how. Despite some initial awkwardness, he managed, and Jennifer was very happy with him, kissing him so many times that she realized it was time for another condom.

Afterwards, as they lay there in bliss, Jennifer said she needed to leave in order to be ready for the next day. "Don't worry, you're the only subject in this study. Honestly, Ethan, I haven't felt like this in a long time. You're wonderful."

And she added, "I used to have a boyfriend, but for some members of the team, this will be a new experience. Please keep that in mind and be kind to them."

"Are you sure they want to?" He asked.

"Of course. We're all volunteers."

The next day as Ethan, at 40% speed increase, was having lunch, he found an email from Phyllis, asking him when he could stop by. He responded, "today at 6:00 if that works for you," and she responded, "Yes, that's fine."

Phyllis was all smiles as she greeted Ethan in her office. She closed the door and said, "Ethan, my Phase 2 team is really looking forward to working with you next semester."

"Is the Phase 2 team different from the Phase 1 team," he asked, worried that he wouldn't be working with some of the Phase 1 members.

"No, it's the same team in this case. Are you happy with that? If there's someone you'd rather not see in Phase 2, we can arrange that."

"No, I want to work with all of them. Every single one."

"Good. Thank you for your input. This will all begin after the semester break. I have a personal question for you related to Phase 2. Were you planning to have children?"

"No. I didn't want to bring a slow child into the world, so my ex-girlfriend encouraged me to have a vasectomy."

"Great. We'll just need you to get tested to make sure it's 100% clear."

"OK."

"Great. I'm sure you'll understand that we need to have you sign some waivers and nondisclosures." She had a stack of papers on her desk and showed them to Ethan. "This one is just the standard waiver for medical research subjects. It's the same as for Phase 1." He signed without thinking.

"And this one requires you to not disclose your involvement in Phase 2 to anyone." Ethan thought about it and decided that nobody would be interested in knowing, so he signed it also.

"This one says that you promise not to sleep with any women except for the participants for the duration of Phase 2." Ethan signed it.

"And this one requires you to not disclose anything that happens between the two of us. It's mostly about this evening's conversation." That made sense, so he signed it as well.

"Also related to your involvement in Phase 2, as I suggested, I'd like to have a more detailed conversation with you. Are you free for dinner this evening?"

Ethan was caught up at work, and at 40% speed increase, no longer needed to put in long hours of overtime. He now had what he'd never had before: spare time. He wasn't in the habit of watching TV or doing other leisure activities, so he had time on his hands and welcomed invitations. And an invitation from a charming, elegantly dressed woman like Phyllis was especially welcome, especially since she wanted to talk about Phase 2.

"Yes, that sounds nice. I'll look forward to that. Just tell me where to meet you."

Phyllis was overjoyed. She told him the name of the restaurant and suggested 6:45, which was in twenty minutes. He decided to drive to the restaurant and walk around for a few minutes. Phyllis took his hand and told him, "I'm so looking forward to this evening."

Ethan parked a block away from the restaurant, and he considered going in early as most people would have done and ordering a drink. But he didn't drink, so he walked around the block. He thought he should turn his remote down to 20%. He got back to the restaurant at exactly 6:45, went in, and found Phyllis, who was having a drink while waiting for him.

"Care for a martini?" she asked. Ethan had nothing against a drink in a social setting, and besides, he wanted to be agreeable, so he answered, "Sounds nice. You choose for me."

"Ethan, tell me about your work. Have things improved?"

"Yes, at 40% I'm able, for the first time in my life, to keep up. With just a few hours of overtime, I can excel, and my manager is very happy with me. Having spare time is wonderful. I'm just not used to it."

"I'm so glad to hear that. That's good news for Phase 2 as well."

Ethan had mostly finished his cocktail when he started to feel just a bit tipsy. But it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, and he didn't really feel out of control, and he thought that Phyllis would do most of the talking.

"I want to talk to you about three issues related to Phase 2. I'm delighted that you have accepted, and I'm glad we chose Jennifer to propose this to you. First of all, as you might assume, these women were chosen because of their academic accomplishments, not for their looks. You should be aware of that."

"The charm and kindness with which they treated me in Phase 1, as well as what they've shared about themselves make that fact almost irrelevant. I look forward to engaging with them."

"Thank you. Also, as far as the initial awkwardness, Jennifer assures me that you have the self-confidence to handle that by pretending that it just doesn't exist. Just treat them like lovers, as you did with Jennifer, and after a session or two, the issue may just take care of itself."

"And the third issue. As Jennifer might have told you, she has relevant experience, but some of the other grad research students don't. This is a delicate matter, but I'd like to ask you to be very kind and gentle with them."

"I like to think that I'm always kind and gentle," he said, "and I think that Jennifer's report must have mentioned that."

"It did, and certainly that took a load off my mind. Too many men are so focused on one thing that they ignore women's needs, including the need for extra time. What speed are you at right now?"

"20%."

"Maybe when you approach the other women, zero would be a good setting to begin with. That's the speed called for in the first test, anyway."

"Maybe that's a good idea. But I don't think that's the whole solution," Ethan said.

"I don't think so, either."

As they enjoyed their main courses, they discussed that some more, and Ethan, partly because he was a little tipsy from the cocktail, and partly because he wanted to be agreeable in conversation and offer Phyllis whatever she wanted, somehow managed to say, "Maybe the best way for me to assure you on issues two and three is to offer you a demonstration."

Those words were music to Phyllis's ears, who was thinking exactly that but was having a hard time phrasing the question. "That would be wonderful," she said.

Ethan, thinking about engaging with an elegantly dressed blonde with a high position and a nice figure, said, "For me as well. What speed would you like me to be at?"

"For this evening, let's say zero, to match the initial setting you'll use with the team members."

They left half of their dinner on the plate and didn't order dessert. Phyllis took care of the check, and Ethan gave her directions to his apartment. He was glad he'd changed the sheets in the morning before leaving for work, but he wished he'd thought to buy some alcohol to offer a guest. As they sat on the sofa sipping apple juice, he brought out his remote control and changed it from 20% to zero. He left it on the table.

"Oh, thank you," Phyllis said, "And I have something to show you." She reached into her purse and brought out a folded form, which she showed to Ethan. It was mostly a lot of medical terminology, but he figured out that it was the result of a test for STIs. It was all negative, and he noticed the word "Stat" on it as well as today's date. "So we're safe and don't need anything except some lubrication," she said.

"Very good," said Ethan.

"I hope you didn't mind signing all those waivers in my office," Phyllis said. "It's just that we've never had so much riding on one person before."

"None of them seemed burdensome or unreasonable at all," Ethan said. "You know I'm happy to do my part for your research, and, since I've lived most of my life as a slow person, I'm not fickle or rash." As soon as he said that, he realized he didn't know what the purpose of Phase 2 was exactly, but he looked forward to engaging with the six charming members of the team, and he assumed that he'd find out in time.

Ethan, to live up to the image of self-confidence that Jennifer had reported, gave Phyllis a few gentle kisses and managed to take off her gold necklace without fumbling too much. Phyllis, aware that "you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs," didn't resist, but after Ethan's first few kisses administered some of her own, even more enthusiastic. While she'd dreamed of a slightly taller, handsomer man, this one was real and seemed capable of touching her with the effect she'd imagined.

Whatever their thoughts, Ethan and Phyllis proceeded down the same path as Ethan and Jennifer had, with the main difference that this time Ethan was more deliberate and thoughtful about his touches, letting the previous encounter's desperation yield to sensuality. The other difference was that that encounter had been done at 40% speed increase, whereas this one, at Phyllis's request, would be at zero.

Once the two were in bed together, Ethan was glad to find no significant amount of abdominal fat, so that Phyllis's breasts seemed more prominent than Jennifer's, but he didn't entertain that thought but rather lost himself in her astounding body. After nearly half an hour of touching and stroking her, lost in sensuality, he discovered that the lubrication might come in handy and handed her the container to apply to herself and to him. As she did that, she came out of her ecstasy to entertain one thought: so this is what it's like with a man who truly does take his time. That was the last thought in her mind for the next ten or fifteen minutes.

After Ethan caught his breath, he was happy to do for Phyllis what Jennifer had so much appreciated, and although his fingers got very tired, the results were similar.

After Phyllis caught her breath several times, she and Ethan reached the same unspoken conclusion: that maybe the purpose of Ethan's life was to bring happiness to women. What they spoke instead of that conclusion was just the usual "Oh, Ethans" and "Oh, Phyllises."

When they came back to earth and used the bathroom, Phyllis, in red bra and panties, took her phone out of her purse and consulted her calendar. "We have two weeks until the start of the winter semester. Are you free on the Wednesday and Friday evenings of the week before the semester begins?"

"Almost certainly. Just send me an email. I'll look forward to it."

"Good. I'll send you the time and place. Do you like makeup and lipstick? Perfume? A low-cut blouse?"

"A low-cut blouse sounds very nice, especially on you. Small, tasteful amounts of makeup and lipstick, but please, no perfume." Phyllis clicked those notes into her phone and said, "Remember, no one must ever find out." Ethan hopped up, eager to have a last feel of her skin before she finished getting dressed. They exchanged some kisses at the door, and Ethan measured the sheets and ordered some new ones so he wouldn't need to be doing laundry so often. He left his remote at zero.

Ethan spent the next week or so thinking how nice it would be to engage with Phyllis the following week and with the team members starting the week after. He hoped he'd be able to live up to their expectations.

In the meantime, he spent a couple of days in Cincinnati visiting his family, who'd be there for Christmas. He told them he was much happier at Meredith, Inc than at the first company, and told them he'd had brain surgery to help with his slowness. He didn't mention Phase 1 or Phase 2.

Phyllis was certainly happy when their Wednesday came, and she left work a little early to go home and put on a low-cut blouse and some lipstick and makeup. She liked the idea of doing those things for a man who'd requested them, and she hoped that he'd do some things that she requested. She was also glad that he let her specify his speed setting, which they again left at zero for the first part of the evening. At her suggestion, they did some new positions. After the first session, she turned his remote up to 50%, and he was able to do a second session. They laughed and cried at the results. Afterwards, she told Ethan, "It's a shame we can't take it lower than zero. I'd love to see you in real slow motion. Maybe we can get it reprogrammed for bipolar values, so it can be set for -100 to +100."

Ethan was curious about that, since he'd sometimes wondered what it would be like to live life even slower than he had before, just for short periods at a time. He was impressed that on Friday, since she'd talked to the research technicians, Phyllis brought a custom signal receiver for the remote. She aimed the remote at it and sent the signals to the receiver, which would provide the data for a custom remote.

The new semester started, and as planned, Ethan reported to the Phase 2 lab subject room, where he was welcomed by Jennifer and Ling, who'd welcomed him at the beginning of Phase 1. It was set up like a typical hospital room, with a monitor to display patient values. Phyllis was also there and explained that for the first session, Jennifer would serve as the technician, connecting the leads to Ethan and to Ling and watching the data flows on the monitor. Jennifer turned the monitor so it faced away from the two subjects (Ethan and Ling), so she focus on the monitors and allow the subjects some privacy. When Ethan arrived, Ling was already undressed and under the covers and apparently very anxious as she waited for Ethan. Jennifer and Phyllis told her not to worry, that Ethan knew what he was doing and that everything would be fine. After Phyllis left, Ethan complained about the setup. "This seems a little awkward," he said as Jennifer connected the leads to Ling's fingers and scalp and did the same for Ethan, avoiding surgical scars on his scalp.

"I'm sure it does. But that's the way it has to work."

Ethan was skeptical. Ling had been very sweet to him, speaking with a high voice, and he'd often dreamed of engaging with her in a normal setting. But this setting seemed far too clinical, she was obviously anxious, and they didn't seem to have allowed time for her to warm up. He could just do the deed, but he really didn't want to miss the opportunity to properly explore her body, such as it was. Since Jennifer had connected the sensors to his head, chest, and fingers, he asked her to remove the towel he was wearing so he could get into bed with Ling. For this exercise, his remote was set to zero. Once he was relatively comfortable and could move his right hand normally, he reached over to Ling and put his hand on her forehead, determined to try to warm her up. He talked to her very nicely, and eventually she responded. They talked about her family in Taiwan and about her favorite foods there. He also got her talking about what she missed from home, being so far away. This was far beyond what they'd shared in small talk in Phase 1.

Jennifer sat there patiently watching the monitors as Ling continued talking, first reminiscing about her teen years and then, inspired by Ethan's talk about the ideal girlfriend he'd imagined, she talked about a scenario she'd imagined with her ideal boyfriend. Meanwhile Ethan put some kisses on her face and then on her bare shoulders. This kept going until Ling reached up to Ethan's head, avoiding his surgical scars and the sensors, and gave him a serious kiss. Ethan, who was lying on his side, welcomed that kiss and returned it. After a while, Ling turned on her side facing him, and they used their free hands to stroke each other. She touched his chest and stomach, and he managed to reach down to her small breasts and even to kiss them.

Fortunately Jennifer, who wasn't sure how long this would go on and didn't think that under the circumstances Ethan would chat as long as he had, had brought along a textbook, which she read while occasionally looking at the monitor.

Also fortunately, Ling was beginning to show signs that she was ready for more. Half an hour later, she said, "Oh, Ethan, I'm ready for you now," and so, after Jennifer applied a condom (he didn't have the results from his sperm test yet), Ethan managed to come on top of Ling and push in while she looked astonished. After he came to a climax, he wondered whether he could bring Ling to one as Jennifer had showed him. Jennifer, apparently thinking the same thing, said to Ethan, "Don't forget the lady," and Ethan managed to reach down far enough for long enough to accomplish that, after which Ling cried, told him he was wonderful, and would have smothered him with kisses if she'd been able to get into the right position. They talked a little for a while, until Jennifer said, "Very nice. All leads still connected and all data recorded. You managed. Great work."

Ethan and Ling realized their time was over. Jennifer disconnected the leads and handed them their clothes, as Ethan and Ling looked longingly at each other. They got dressed, and all three got their things together and left together. But outside, after they lost sight of Jennifer, Ethan and Ling found themselves drawn to each other. They walked toward each other, embraced, and Ethan said, "Would you like to come to my apartment for a while?" She didn't have a car, so she rode with him, gazing at him as he drove. When they got to his apartment, she seemed happy for him to undress her, and they got into bed. That's when things really got started, and they went on like a normal, passionate couple for half an hour or so. Ethan didn't want to "forget the lady," and Ling melted in gratitude after he finished. She managed to get his face wet with her tears. Ling had some studying to do, so Ethan drove her back to her dorm.

After he got back, Ethan decided that he should write to Phyllis about the conditions he'd had to work under. He wrote, "I understand the need for everything in the room, of course, but I wonder if we could do without the third party in the room or the sensors attached to the hands, which limit movement."

At lunch the next day, he received Phyllis's answer. "Dearest Ethan, I understand your concerns, and I'm looking for a solution that won't jeopardize the validity of the study."

He responded: "Of course I understand those concerns. I want the study to be valid. By the way, I got the results from my sperm test: zero."

Phyllis: "Great. Please bring that paper along with you next time we meet."

When Ethan reported to the same room on Wednesday, he found Maddy and Jolaine, who explained the new protocol. Maddy said, "I'll be here just long enough to attach the sensors, then I'll wait outside the room. These are different sensors, so an alarm will sound if they get disconnected. That's what I'll be listening for. And the manufacturer says that the fingertip sensors can be attached to the toes instead."

Ethan wasn't totally happy, but he was glad that Phyllis had listened to his concerns and improved things. Jolaine, who was taller than average and more cheerful than the others, was undressed in bed, and Maddy attached the sensors to both of them, took note that Ethan's remote said zero, and then attached the sensors to Ethan, who was able to remove his own towel before getting into the patient bed with Jolaine, who seemed to want to handle her anxiety with laughter and silly jokes.

As soon as Maddy left the room, Ethan announced to Jolaine that he had just received the results of his sperm test and that it was completely clear. Jolaine joked about it ("Well, we're just in for unlimited fun"), but unlike Phyllis, didn't ask for the report. With the sensors now attached only to their feet, they were free to move around more, and Jolaine took advantage of that freedom. At one critical moment, she moved around so much that one of her sensors disconnected, setting off an alarm that caused Maddy to rush into the room and reconnect it. Despite Jolaine's unappealing figure, Ethan greatly enjoyed being with a tall woman, and afterwards, after Maddy left, he invited Jolaine to his apartment. She gladly accepted, feeling, as Ethan did, that they had unfinished business.

On Friday, Sanghita attached the leads to Ethan and Ellie. She was very precise about it and tested that the data was being recorded before she left the room to wait outside. Once she had left, Ellie waited a moment for Ethan to set the tone, and then she quickly responded to his touches. Ethan had previously considered her to be an "average woman," with an average face, figure, and personality. But her response to his kisses and caresses made him rethink that, and he began to see her as extraordinarily passionate. Afterwards, he guessed that word had gotten out, since Sanghita packed up and left as soon as she'd disconnected them and checked that the data was recorded, and Ellie embraced Ethan and asked to go to his apartment. One thing that Ellie did that confused Ethan was to whisper "I love you" to him during peak moments in bed. Ethan wondered whether this was just how she expressed her excitement or whether she really felt that way. In any case, it had an effect on him.

Ethan was surprised but very happy to find a message from Phyllis on Sunday afternoon. "I'd like to talk to you about some things. Maybe you could also show me the result of your sperm test. I can bring carry-out to your place at 6:00 pm."

Still somewhat at a loss for how to spend his spare time, Ethan was excited about the invitation. He wrote back promptly and accepted.

He was glad the new sheets had arrived, and he quickly put them on the bed and checked that the apartment was tidy. As soon as Phyllis arrived and put the bags of food on the table, he gave her a kiss and showed her the results of the test. She took off her sweater, and he wondered whether she was wearing a bra under her low-cut blouse. Between that and her makeup, she looked amazing to Ethan. "Perfect," she said when she saw the results of the test. "I'll let the others know. You should have that paper laminated." Ethan later scanned it, reduced it to wallet size, and had it laminated.

They sat down to eat the tasty Chinese food, and he thanked her for accommodating his wishes with the new protocol for the testing. "Those improvements will make a big difference," he said.

"We should have thought of them beforehand," she said.

"I wanted to tell you that an auditor will be present sometime during the next few tests. She'll ask some questions and check some things, just to verify that the tests are being run as designed. It's a procedure audit, not a financial audit. Just answer the questions, and have the test results paper ready to show her in case she asks, since she'll need to confirm that everybody has been tested for STIs. Please keep in mind that she is not a team member."

"The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is that the new remote control is ready. As I mentioned before, it's like your current one except that instead of values from 0% speed increase to 100%, the new one does -100% to +100%, so we can test with negative values. That's especially exciting for me, since I've always wanted to sleep with a really, really slow man. The team members might appreciate it, too. For now, we'll continue incrementing the speed by 10% each time. If you feel rushed when we get to 100%, keep in mind that after that, we'll be testing at -10%. They'll both be new experiences for you.

"Think how many more data points that will give us!" she said as her movement suggested to Ethan that she was not in fact wearing a bra. "And speaking of data points, I think we need to add more women. I'm sure you won't mind."

"But I quite like you and the members of the team."

"And believe me, we quite like you. But we need more data points. I've written an ad requesting volunteers, but it hasn't been approved for the public. So for now we're circulating it internally in the OSU Hospital system. When we find candidates, we'll have you interview them beforehand."

At that point, they cleared off the table and sat on the sofa. After several kisses, Phyllis brought Ethan's hand up to support her bosom, and he knew there was no turning back after that. Phyllis had apparently put some thought into the evening and encouraged Ethan to do some new positions.

In pillow talk, Phyllis explained her enthusiasm. "Dressing to please you and turn you on also has that effect on me," she said. "And going skin on skin heightens the feeling. Oh, Ethan, you're the perfect subject and the perfect lover." She kissed him and touched him until he was ready for a second session.

On Monday he reported to the same study room, and it was Ling's turn to attach the electrodes to Ethan and Jennifer. Jennifer didn't seem to mind that Ling heard her shouts and moans from outside the room. They went on longer than expected, but Ling seemed to take it in stride and understood when Ethan and Jennifer left together.

At Ethan's apartment, after another session, Jennifer brought up the subject of bringing additional women into the study. "Phyllis let me have a glance at some of the candidates. They're not as young as the members of our team. Women's sexual energy peaks at around 37, and most of these women are in their thirties and forties. They're divorced or in a few cases unmarried, and they won't want a husband or boyfriend, but they do want a physical no-strings relationship. That's the same with the team members, although some of us are changing our minds and starting to think it would be worthwhile to try to find a suitable man."

Two days later, Jolaine struggled to connect the leads to Ethan and Maddy, a third-generation Chinese-American whose slightly dark skin Ethan had been lusting after. As soon as Jolaine left the room, Maddy started talking about her physical imperfections, too fat here and not developed enough there. Ethan told her, in words and touches, that he didn't mind those things and that being in bed with a hard-working, intelligent woman was enough for him. He was able to demonstrate his passion enough that she temporarily forgot about herself and, especially when he brought her to a climax at his apartment afterwards, she ended up saying that now she understood what the fuss was about and looked forward to the next time.

Two evenings later, after Ellie had attached the sensors to Ethan and Sanghita and left the room, Sanghita explained to Ethan that her parents would "kill her" if they knew about her role in the study, but also said that "during the admission interview, when Phyllis hinted about Phase 2, I immediately dropped the other research universities from consideration and put all my effort into being accepted at Ohio State." She seemed uncomfortable at first, but at Ethan's apartment her discomfort changed to fulfillment and joy.

And so it went every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Department of Human Performance Measurements Research. After every member of the team had taken a turn with Ethan, it was time to repeat the process, now with Ethan's speed control set to 10%. The consensus was that it was good that they'd all started at zero, Ethan's natural state, which was about 40% slower than most men, since it was best for beginners.

As soon as they started running the test at 10%, an auditor appeared. She'd talked to the team members privately about the test and their qualifications, and she set up an interview with Ethan on a Tuesday evening. When it came time for her to observe an actual session, she watched carefully as the sensors were placed and the data was recorded. But she never learned that Ethan took the women back to his apartment afterwards. Jennifer had told Ethan and the other team members that what happened at the apartment was not relevant to the project.

After Phyllis read the audit report and learned that it passed with only minor recommendations, she ordered some custom panty liners with a heart symbol and "DHPMR" and also some panties in various sizes with "I heart Ethan" on them

She distributed those items to the team members, who were delighted to wear them, as well as to the five outside women, after their initial interviews with Ethan, which were held at a restaurant on Tuesday or Thursday evenings.

Sometimes in those days Ethan would reflect on his life and the role that Meredith, Inc had played in it. Thanks to their intervention, he'd overcome his slowness. He was also grateful to the DHPMR for allowing him to sleep with seven wonderful women. But he wondered how long this could go on and what his life would be like after Phase 2. Although he knew it was important to treat all the women equally, he couldn't stop his mind from returning to thoughts of Ellie. Her "ordinary" face and figure now seemed like those of a classical Greek sculpture, and his evenings with her at his apartment seemed like major life events.

The team members treated the new women in a serious, professional manner, which was admirable considering their jealousy. They'd voiced that jealousy in a meeting with Phyllis before the first one started. The team members particularly didn't think the new women should be given the "I heart Ethan" panties before their first test session. But Phyllis had ordered a large number of panty liners, which were kept at the test room and at Ethan's apartment, so he shared them with the new women after their first test session.

In some cases Ethan found the new women less agreeable than the team members and had to make a special effort not to offend them. He was aware that many of them had a history of bad relationships, and he didn't want those bad feelings transferred to him. In the test room, the team members worked alone to connect the sensors to Ethan and the woman and then watched them leave afterwards to make sure they didn't go home with him. Certainly some of the new women were attractive, and Ethan was tempted to invite them, but he knew that doing that would create jealousy. In addition, even though they'd signed waivers, he didn't trust them as he trusted the team members.

Two of the new women approached Ethan to come home with them, but he knew that contact between test subjects outside the context of the study were forbidden, and he told them that. Besides, he knew it would cause a lot of jealousy if the team members found out.

One evening late in Phase 2 when Jolaine was connecting Ethan and Maddy, she used the new remote control to set it for what the test called for, -70%. But somehow she looked at it wrong and set it for -100%. Ethan felt himself slowing down out of control. He knew there was an error but was unable to correct it. As he slipped out of consciousness, fortunately the alarms went off. Maddy realized what was wrong, leaped out of the bed naked, and rushed over to the remote, but she feared it was too late and called the operator for a code blue. Ethan slowly regained consciousness in a regular hospital room with Ellie by his side and was shaken by the knowledge that he'd come close to death, but he was discharged in time to go to work the next day. Maddy and Jolaine knew they had to report the incident, so they did. There were some procedure changes after that, and the -100% setting on the remote control was disabled.

Another evening as Ellie finished disconnecting the leads from Ethan and a new woman and restored Ethan's remote control from -80% to +20%, she recorded the data and watched Ethan move back to normal speed. She also watched as the new woman left. Ethan had bought some sherry to serve to female visitors, and Ellie asked Ethan if they could go to his apartment for a drink. She seemed distressed, and he didn't like seeing her in that state. Previously, the only women he'd invited to his apartment had been Phyllis, Jennifer at the beginning, and the team members who seemed to be in a half-finished state after a session at the study. But he liked Ellie and felt sorry that she was distraught. They stopped for carryout on the way to his apartment, and as they ate, Ellie opened up about what was bothering her. "I think I should have been the Phase 2 team lead instead of Jennifer," she said. "We're both two years older than the other team members."

"How's that?" Ethan asked. What did you do for two years?"

"When I started college, I studied English and art history. I finally realized I wouldn't make a living with that, so I switched to medical research. I can write much better than Jennifer."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ethan said. He didn't want to take sides. "What else is bothering you?"

"The others are sad that Phase 2 is coming to an end," she said, "but I'm so upset, I don't see how I can go on living without you..." She took off her slacks and showed him that she was wearing the "I heart Ethan" panties over her perfectly shaped hips and perfectly rounded bottom. "I wear these all the time, all the time, because I think about you all the time. Ethan, I know I shouldn't feel this way towards a research subject, but I'm in love with you. Now I've said it."

They sat down on the sofa together, and Ellie continued. "I'm sorry for the emotional outburst. I know that someone who has lived most of his life as a slow person finds that distasteful, but I have to let you know. I've never done this before and never felt this way before. But now I do, and I feel like I must have you. Not just every other week, but all the time." Ellie kissed him passionately, and took off her blouse and her bra, so she was down to her I heart Ethan panties. "Ethan, I love you. I think I love everything about you. And the way you touch me when you're at -20% drives me insane. Where's your remote? I mean the new one."

Ethan got up and came back with it and said, "Here. You can set my speed at whatever you want." She took it and set it to -20%. At that moment, maybe because of the sudden speed drop from 20% to -20%, his heart melted. As they made love, she changed the setting to -40% and then to 20%. In pillow talk she told him, "When you touch me at -20%, I'm in heaven."

Ethan wanted her to stay overnight, but Ellie said she had to do some studying for a test the next day. He drove her back home, and they exchanged some serious kisses in the car.

The mood was somber in the final two weeks, and not just because the tests were run at -90%. The team members knew that Phase 2 was ending and wouldn't be replaced by another Ethan-centered project. They had other projects to work on, so they'd be busy, but they'd miss Ethan. They tried to restrain their tears during the tests, since that might interfere with the results, but afterwards they let loose.

On the Thursday of the last week, Phyllis wrote to Ethan, "Are you free for dinner this evening? I'd like to go over some things." Of course Ethan was happy to meet with her.

"I just need to publish the results. It's a preliminary study, but I can tell you that so far there seems to be a strong correlation between the excitement of the women and your speed setting, with the peak being around -20%. That's going to be a real eye opener. You'll be referred to as 'Subject EM.' I'll publish the results, and we'll see what the reaction is. That should take about a month, so you can expect to hear from me then."

"I've been very happy to contribute to research," Ethan said, "and as you know, I've been thrilled to work with such a serious, professional, and wonderful group of women. You have an extraordinary team."

Phyllis held her tears at the restaurant, but let them flow freely at Ethan's apartment.

Over the few weeks following the end of Phase 2, Ethan seldom had a problem filling his leisure hours, since he had plenty of invitations. He limited his encounters with the team members, plus Phyllis, to one a week except for Ellie, who always had ideas for him. She took him to concerts, museums, and shows, and she suggested books for him to read. She filled his life with music, art, and ideas, and he enjoyed his newfound leisure time as he thought he never would. He was caught up and work, and his life was rich. Phyllis let him keep the custom remote control, and he let Ellie set his speed in bed.

At one point Ellie invited Ethan to her parents' house in nearby Powell, Ohio for a day. When they arrived, Ellie's mother said, "Everything is ready except the blueberry cake. I'm running late. Why don't you sit down in the kitchen?"

Ellie agreed, and as Ethan watched her mother slowly stirring the cake. After she carefully held a knife up to the light to check for a spot and spent a few minutes selecting a serving dish, he suspected she was a slow person. On the way back to Columbus, Ethan asked Ellie about that directly.

"Yes, you're right. She's a slow person. That's why she doesn't work. And that's why I understand what you've been through."

"But you seem to be normal speed," he said.

"Yes, fortunately I didn't inherit that trait."

That's when Ethan realized that for it first time in his life, he'd met someone who understood what he had lived through. That evening the second pillow talk went on for hours and hours. He realized that he'd found his life partner.

About a month later, Phyllis invited Ethan to dinner, telling him she had news. "The preliminary version of the study has been published," she told him, "and the comments are coming in. They're mostly very favorable, with a few suggestions for improvements. I've also received a large number of letters addressed to EM, care of Dr. Phyllis Hensley, DHPMR. I hope you don't mind, but I opened a few of them, and they're invitations to you to participate in other studies, sometimes with large amounts of money involved. There's also an interview request from ABC News. They'll protect your identity and teach you how to distort your voice. You're not interested in any of those things, are you?"

Ethan thought about that for a moment, but he ended up answering, "No, I'm an architect, and I want to keep doing that." But he also wanted to stay in Columbus with Ellie.

A month later, Phyllis wrote again, being vague as usual. This time, when Ethan found her at the restaurant, she was obviously excited. "I didn't want to announce this until it was official, she said, but there's going to be a Phase 3 with more data points. The main differences are that there will be more outside women, and that we'll be collecting data at the 5% increments instead of just 10%."

"Will the team be the same?" he immediately asked.

"Yes, with the addition of four more grad students. Word spreads. Tell me, Ethan, are you willing to participate?"

Ethan, no longer alone in the world, said he couldn't commit but would probably have an answer in a couple of days. He didn't want to say yes without checking with Ellie.

The next evening, as he put his carryout food on the table and hung up Ellie's coat, he carefully explained Edith's proposal. "There will be a Phase 3," he said, "with more than twice as many data points. Of course I'm invited to be the subject again."

"Would you accept if I asked you not to?" Ellie asked.

"No. I want to be with you."

"But think of all the women you'd be forgoing."

"I could do without them to be with you."

"Thank you, Ethan," she said, with moist eyes. My answer is that I'm a scientist and a team member, so I'm encouraging you to accept the offer. I'm very excited about Phase 3. Part of my contribution to it will be having to share you during the project. After that, will you be mine?"

"Yes."

Three hours later, after Ellie left, Ethan sent a message to Phyllis: "I will be pleased to participate in Phase 3."