Paula Tessier (Bergman) is a 40-year-old interior designer who for the past five years has been the mistress (lover) of Roger Demarest (Montand), a "philandering business executive" who refuses to stop seeing other women.<ref name="tcmsynop"/> When Paula meets Philip (Perkins), the 25-year-old son of one of her wealthy clients, he falls in love with her and insists that the age difference will not matter. Paula resists the young man's advances, but finally succumbs when Roger initiates yet another affair with one of his young "Maisies". While she is initially happy with Philip, her friends and business associates disapprove of the Age disparity in sexual relationships.