During a late-morning team brunch celebrating the narrator’s twenty-first birthday, Penelope Ross blurts that the tenth circle of hell is finding the love of your life but having mediocre sex. Teammates react with shock and skepticism, while the narrator, tipsy and introverted, asks for clarification.

The narrator reflects on Lukas Blomqvist’s prominence: a heavily decorated swimmer and Penelope’s long-term boyfriend. Given his reputation and presence on campus, the team assumes he is sexually adept. Yet Penelope’s discomfort stands out as she admits that while Lukas is great, their sex isn’t what she wants—and likely not what he wants either.

Concerned, the narrator asks if Penelope is being pressured; Penelope firmly denies any coercion, explaining the problem is communicating different needs. The narrator notes Penelope’s usual charisma and ease with people, making her vulnerability striking.

Before the conversation can deepen, birthday festivities, calls, and bathroom breaks interrupt. The topic is dropped and never resumed. The narrator writes it off as a trivial couple issue, until a closing hint signals that everything will change a few weeks later.