who works for the Bowling Green office of the Environmental Protection Agency. Young and athletic, Michael has had more than his share of affairs with young women, but has never been married. He has always had a good relationship with the young women in the office, and often plays tennis and golf with some of them on Saturdays. They frequently tease him about the suggestive calendars and pin-ups that he has hanging in his office, especially of Demi Moore, who is Michael’s favorite Hollywood actress.This teasing increased when Mary, a young and attractive 25 year old with a Master’s Degree from Duke, was hired into the office. Michael immediately took a liking to her and assigned her to some of the agency’s “pet” projects that Michael himself was involved in. Michael also placed her in an office that was in close proximity to his own. In the process of working together, Michael learned to respect Mary’s professionalism and intelligence as well as her beauty. He was hopeful, then, when he asked her out in December of 1996, for he told his best friend John that “I believe Mary is something really special.”For two months, Mary and Michael dated. The relationship, at least according to Michael, was proceeding in a satisfactory fashion, and didn’t seem to be interfering with their relationship at work. On February 1, 1997, however, Mary abruptly announced at the beginning of their date that this was the last time that she would go out with Michael – she had no specific reasons for her decision, except to announce that she was not quite ready for a serious relationship. Michael was stunned and didn’t know how to respond.For the next six months, the relationship between the two was noticeably strained at work. Mary deliberately avoided the area around Michael’s office, and Michael noticed that she avoided joint projects that offered the possibility of working wit...
