Mr. Grey, the attorney, interviews Lee for the job as his secretary, which requires her only to answer the phone and type. It's dull work, says Mr. Grey. Lee answers, "I like dull work." The sexual tension between them grows palpable in this scene.

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is an unbalanced woman who returns to her Florida hometown following a brief stay in a mental hospital. She gets a job as a secretary in a law firm and develops an crush on boss, Mr. Grey (James Spader), a neurotic perfectionist. As their relationship moves toward the weird and weirder Lee follows her longings for masochism and finally to true love.