Zoe is researching a book on machismo in Madrid, where she interviews Antonio, an arrogant translator and prime example of her subject. However, romance with him is postponed when she meets Carl, a professor who owns a bookstore. This relationship goes wrong, as did her previous one with John, an ex who shows up in Madrid to complicate the situation. Comic situations ensue among the main characters, as Zoe moves towards a better realisation of what she wants romantically.