"Ma'am! Ma'am!"
Sarah Hendrickson had only just stepped out of the elevator to the second-floor parking level, when she heard the voice behind her. She turned and saw a tall, young man fast approaching, holding a leather briefcase. In Sarah's hands, were two new bags of clothes. She couldn't wait to show them off for her neighbor, Paul Hastings. Sarah had recently broken up with her boyfriend, and Paul had agreed to come over this evening, to watch an episode of their favorite sci-fi show together.
"Ma'am!" the young man said earnestly again, within feet of her now, as he pulled out a legal pad and pen. Sarah didn't know whether to be alarmed or on guard, but considering they were in a well populated area, she stopped. "Yes? Excuse me?" Sarah asked. "Are you speaking to me?"
"That's right, ma'am. My name is Tyler Anderson and I am a student at Wilmur University. I'm working on my thesis in Psychology and need to ask a few dozen random strangers some questions about their lives. The answers are recorded anonymously and will only take a few minutes of your time. Would you be willing to participate?"
Sarah was a 36-year-old knockout, and took some degree of pleasure from the fawning of young men. It often brightened her day. All the better, if from a cute guy like the handsome student in front of her now. Though she was eager to get home, she didn't think a few minutes would hurt. "My car's right over there. I can put my bags in the trunk. You promise this won't take long?"
"Not long at all, ma'am."
Sarah introduced herself as they walked to her car. With the keyfob, she popped the trunk, carefully placed her bags and turned to face the young man again. Tyler was maybe a touch over six foot, with an athletic build, but he wore thick glasses and had a nasal sound to his voice. There was a genuine enthusiasm about him. Sarah was quick to notice how often he tended to snatch glances at her sizable bosom. Her sundress displayed a healthy amount of cleavage.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Hendrickson. I will inform you again that we don't record your name, and all records are kept anonymous."
"Um, okay, but I don't really care."
"I do need your age, actually. Just not your name."
Sarah was proud of her age (against her youthful appearance) and truthful to Tyler. "Thirty-six."
"Caucasian?"
"Italian-American, to be specific, even though I'm a redhead. It's natural, you know."
"Thank you," Tyler smiled. "That information wasn't needed, but appreciated. Do you have a degree? High school graduate?"
"A bachelors, yes. Art History, but I work as a beta tester for Phillips Financial now."
"I.T.?"
"Yes."
Tyler pulled a device out of his right pocket and pushed a button, then placed it in his front shirt pocket, where it stuck out, over halfway. He asked, "Do you mind? I should have been getting a recording already." He also procured a legal pad from his briefcase.
"That's a voice recorder?" asked Sarah, pointing.
"Correct, it picks up all audio clearly within ten feet."
"Oh, okay."
"Are you married, or have you ever been married?"
"No."
"Single?"
"At the moment."
"Are you sexually active?"
Sarah reeled back. "Hey, a little too personal, maybe?"
"Oh, ma'am, perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. Most of these questions will be sexual in nature. In fact, my thesis deals with human sexuality, but I thought... er, I guess should have said... I mean... I meant to tell you the reason the survey is anonymous, is because of how sensitive the information can be. For some people, anyway."
Tyler took a deep breath and continued, "I will be asking you very intimate questions, Miss Hendrickson, and I just... well, I figured... you seemed like such a strong, independent woman, when I saw you coming out of the elevator. I just knew you would be willing to help. I may have jumped to conclusions and should have asked you properly, first."
Sarah smiled. "It's okay. You assure me this is anonymous?"
"Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. The questions may be intimate in nature, but you can be confident it is with complete discretion. And it will really help with my thesis, ma'am. Hell, I might even get published. My professor seems to think so."
"Really?" Sarah leaned back, raising a brow.
"I do require the utmost truth, ma'am. We want as accurate information as possible. I promise to make it quick, if you promise to answer truthfully."
Sarah squinted at the attractive, young man for a moment and slowly nodded. "Ya know what? I already agreed to do this, so why not? Yes, I am sexually active. At least until two weeks ago, when I broke up with my boyfriend. He refused to make a commitment, and I needed to move on."
"I'm sorry to hear that, ma'am." said Tyler, scratching some notes down on the legal pad.
"You can call me Sarah, but don't write that down," she giggled, winking. "And I'm over it. The relationship ran its course."
Tyler nodded, clearing his throat to ask the next question. "When with a partner, how often, in a week, do you have sex?"
At first, Sarah paused, thinking, 'Oh, come on, this is anonymous. Fuck it, just spill the beans,' building the courage to offer honest answers. Finally, she spoke, "Five or six times a week. At least with Doug it was."
Tyler nodded, looking impressed. "And how often do you masturbate? Both, when in a relationship, and now. Er, I mean... when not in a relationship."
Sarah didn't miss a beat this time. "Once a day. Morning ritual."
Tyler kept to his notes. "Have you ever had sex with more than one person at the same time?"
"No."
"Do you think you have nice tits?"
This caught Sarah off guard completely. It was a subjective question, and the manner in which he asked seemed... forward. Wouldn't "breasts" have been a better term to use? "Uh, Tyler, is it? I think that question is subjective. Different men like different things."
"I asked if YOU think they are nice, not if they are nice, or how men may react to them. I am seeking your personal opinion only."
"Well, I like to think they're nice," Sarah sighed, rolling her eyes, then looking to her chest. She also noticed Tyler leaning forward, trying to get a closer look himself.
"Have you ever engaged in acts of public sex, or exhibitionism?" he asked.
"No."
"Have you ever-"
"Oh wait!" Sarah suddenly interrupted. "There was this one time. I was working in Ridgedale. Late one night, I don't know, I was feeling frisky. I took off my clothes on the drive home. Over twenty minutes!"
Tyler made a few more notes on his pad, and double checked his audio recorder. "Have you ever had multiple orgasms?"
"Often." Sarah was glad no strangers were walking by, as the two stood near her car in the public lot. She almost considered moving the conversation into it, due to the content of the questions. Though her answers would remain anonymous, it would be awkward if someone walked by and overheard them.