Anna. Eh Come now. Dont wanna lick the dust.
Marina. The same old story!
Anna. No pressure, please.
Marina. I wont leave it at that! If only I get a hold of him, that man whore.
Anna. Ive heard he fled to Kazakhstan to escape mobilization.
The landline rings. Marina answers the phone.
Marina. Fleur de Lys Studio, Marina speaking. Go ahead.
Ah, Lenka, its you! Thats right, Ive moved already. You are actually calling the studio. I set up call forwarding from the previous office. Are you having lunch in Bukovsky? Its just across the street! Please, dont bring him here yet, the place needs some renovation. Oh, you wanna pay the debt? Wait a sec!
Anna, stay here. Im gonna drop in Bukovsky. Lenka Ivanova is there with her new man. She wants to pay me back. Ill be back in a jiffy. Gonna see this fellow of hers with my own eyes. Then well leave together. Im going your way so Ill drive you to the kindergarten.
Marina leaves. Just a minute later, the doorbell rings and Sergey comes in.
Sergey. Hello, are you open?
Anna. Hello.
Pause.
Sergey. Is it you?
Anna. Its me.
Sergey. May I look around?
Anna. Suit yourself.
Sergey. Sergey Arkhipov. We spoke over the phone earlier.
Anna. Did we? I dont remember.
Sergey. Your voice sounded different over the phone. Its so open and bright in here.
Anna. Dont look at me this way.
Sergey. Dont be so beautiful then. When I look at you, I seem to regain confidence.
Anna. I am impervious to your charms.
Sergey. You have Terpsichores eyes. You know, the muse of dance. You are just like this golden lily. [He points at a painting hanging on the wall.] You are a Fleur de Lys indeed!
Anna. Listen, what do you want?
Sergey. I will develop an interior design project for you. No charge. I will catch a beam of sunlight and give it the shape of the royal golden lily. Fleur de Lys! You are my muse.
Anna. Its really nice and all but you seem to have mistaken me for someone else. Trust me, Im no woman to inspire anyone.
Pause.
Sergey. I get it, your wings are singed.
Anna. I wont spill my guts to a stranger!
Pause.
Anna. Some people You just dont want anything after dealing with them. For you give them all of you, devoting yourself utterly to them. But in the end, they tell you that they found someone else. Someone better than you. And they leave. And it raises a pertinent question: Why? I dealt with all those emotions, bouts of heavy drinking, a flood of wild fits of jealousy. I changed and went against my own principles because I believed that it would be better for us! I did all of it and for what? To be betrayed? Now I know better. I want to shut my heart against everyone. I cant even look at myself because I hate what I see.
Sergey approaches Anna and kisses her. Marina comes back.
Scene 4
Fleur de Lys Art Studio.
Marina. Hello.
Sergey. Afternoon.
Marina. My name is Marina, I am the owner of the studio.
Sergey. Marina? [He looks at Anna, then shifts his gaze to Marina.] Nice to meet you, Marina. Im Sergey Arkhipov, an architectural designer. We spoke over the phone earlier today. Ive had a look at this place and Im ready to get started.
Marina. Oh, sure, I remember you well, Sergey. Let me shake your hand. What an interesting man you are. Welcome to the Fleur de Lys Art Studio.
Anna. Marina, I need to go.
Marina. Yeah, sure. Off you go.
Anna takes the dress and heads for the door.
Marina. Anna! I want the dress to be ready by 2 p. m. tomorrow. [To Sergey.] Ive been just invited to a formal dinner in the governors residence. Sergey, keep me company tomorrow. Well discuss our future cooperation in detail, Ill introduce you to my friends, and you will make useful social contacts. Dont be shy, Sergey. I insist!
Sergey. Alright, Ill come with you, Marina.
Marina. Anna?
Anna. Ill finish the dress tonight. Its gonna be perfect. Goodbye, Sergey. I wish you all the best.
Anna leaves.
Marina. Lets get on close terms, do you mind?
Sergey. I dont.
Sergey. Are you friends with Anna?
Marina. Dont be ridiculous. Her husband left her with two kids. Shes laying herself out, taking in sewing. Its our custom to help the poor. But its so nice to meet you. I suggest that we celebrate! Lets go out for dinner.
Sergey. Are you married?
Marina. Im not. I am. Well, Im not.
Sergey. I dont get it.
Marina. My drunk husband fell overboard a yacht when chilling in Egypt with his mistress. His body has never been found.
Marina. And you? Oh, right. Frolov told me.
Sergey. My wife left me for my school friend. Im divorced.
Marina. It means that we are both single.
Sergey. Seems so.
Marina. Can we make it work? Im sorry for being this blunt.
Sergey. Time will show. Arent you a witch, by any chance?
Marina. Maybe.
Sergey. Its hot in here.
Marina. I have a minibar with some refreshments. Will you indulge? [She strides up to the minibar.]
Sergey. Im not sure. Alcohol does nothing but harm. Im afraid I can do something dumb.
Marina. Right, we dont want that. Ill make you a Bloody Mary.
Sergey. Dont spare vodka.
ACT II
Scene 5
One year later. Sergey Arkhipovs Architectural Bureau.
Igor Frolov and Sergey are seated comfortably in armchairs at a solid oak desk. They are drinking Talisker Storm whisky and smoking cigars.
Sergey. You look smug.
Frolov. Ive spent the night with someone.
Sergey. Your ass must still be hurting.
Frolov. Oh, fuck you! If only you could see her naked. Lithesome as a cat.
Sergey. You lucky bastard! Do I know her?
Frolov. Perhaps you do. Anna Sokolovas Dancing School. Her girl students put on a performance for the president at the EXPO summit, you know.
Sergey. I dont remember. I dont remember.
Frolov. Heres to wives and sweethearts! May they never, never meet.
Sergey. Amen. Now Ill introduce you to my new girlfriend.
Sergey gets off the armchair, steps up to his weapons safe, and produces a Benelli M4 shotgun.
Frolov. Isnt she gorgeous!
Sergey. An icon! Its semi-automatic. Six-round magazine. Im going to a firing range tomorrow. Wanna put it to use.
Frolov. Well, I also can be of use to you, Sergey.
Sergey. Go ahead.
Pause.
Frolov. As your lawyer, I insist that you and Marina should sign a marriage contract.
Sergey. Come on, Igor! I love her. I am indebted to her for everything Ive achieved during the past year. She made me happy. Her connections with the city power players helped me get paying projects. I am prosperous and Im doing my thing again.
Frolov. Marina is not a woman who would settle for crumbs from her ex. She is of the bulldog breed! If something goes wrong after your marriage and the birth of your child, she will rob you blind. You wont have a rag to your back. Again.
Sergey. Marina is six months pregnant. Can you even imagine how stressful it is for her? The opening of her exhibition in the Main Avenue Gallery. Moving to a new house. Let alone the wedding. Her friends alone will amount to over a hundred guests. And fifty relatives, no less! And to top it all, you and your marriage contract. No way! End of story. Fill it up.
Frolov. How much do you want?
Sergey. Up to the brim! Cheers.
Frolov. Better belly burst than good liquor be lost!
Scene 6
One year later. July. Noon.
Fleur de Lys Art Studio.
In the middle of the room, there are easels with paintings on them. The paintings feature dancing girls in pretty dresses.
Marina, slightly inebriated Sergey.
Marina. Sergey, dont overdrink. Lenka and her new boyf, a general from Moscow, are coming to visit us. You wont miss your chance to get hammered, dont worry.
Sergey. Uh-huh.
Marina. I will take Veronika to my parents for the night. They begged for a granddaughter, so they are welcome to baby her. God, Im exhausted. The money came short again. If I dont pay off, they will take away the office and Ill be forced to close down my studio.
Sergey. Didnt I tell you that taking credits is a bad idea? Its a pyramid scheme!