to work… still work only by referral. Last week I came back from Sofia. Planning to open an architectural bureau here.
Marina. Oh, right, that rings a bell. Frolov told me about you. Was it your wife who took your seaside villa and yacht in the divorce?
Sergey. Apartment and motor boat, actually. Well, that’s history.
Marina. [Aside.] Well, aren’t women smart?
Sergey. What did you say?
Marina. I said you can come today, anytime. Fleur de Lys Studio. 40 Lenina Street. Left of the entrance to the Grand Avenue Hotel. There is no sign yet.
Sergey. I’ll be there in around an hour. See you.
Scene 3
Fleur de Lys Art Studio.
Marina sets up the canvas on an easel and starts putting the room in order. The front door opens and Anna comes inside, holding a garment cover.
Anna. Phew, what a scorcher. Hi, Marina.
Marina. Hi, lady. I was just about to call you. Is my dress ready?
Anna. The final fitting.
Marina. Anna, not this again. Don’t say «final»! It’s bad luck.
Anna. The last fitting then.
Marina. I can’t wait to see it. Ah! … Aren’t you a sewing fairy? It’s so beautiful.
Marina disappears behind a folding screen and then comes out in a new dress.
Marina. Voilà!
Anna. I’m gonna cut off a bit here. Don’t move. Alright… Well, I’ve got all I wanted, take it off.
Marina. Lenka Ivanova will burst with envy when she sees me in this dress. Want some tea?
Anna. Just lemon water, please.
Marina. Here you are.
Anna. Thanks.
Marina. You look good, Anna. I envy you. I spend so much money on fitness, massage, detox…
Anna. Just stop stuffing your face.
Marina. Hum… My nerves are frayed!
Anna. Yeah, I get it. You’re an emotional eater.
Marina. Exactly.
Anna. You can join our new dance group. The enrollment is ongoing. Come, have some fun.
Marina. You only have old folks coming.
Anna. Ha! Mark my words. Some day I will open my own dancing school and the youngsters will beat a path to my door.
Marina. The youngsters… I want a man! You know, a mature, handsome, and interesting one.
Anna. I was in a park yesterday and there was just the right guy, hitting on me.
Marina. Oh yeah? Where?!
Anna. He left anyway.
Marina. So you blew off him. Your loss. Nice guys don’t grow on trees these days!
Anna. Well, you know, that character actually went sprawling across the pavement in front of me.
Marina. Holy Mother of God! Look at her! Men throw themselves at her feet!
Anna. Yeah.
Marina. You are lucky, Anna. But a fool of a woman too. Come here, let me give you a smooch.
Anna. Alright, off I go. The dress will be ready the day after tomorrow.
Marina. Stay, my dear. We can have a chat.
Anna. I have to make it to the kindergarten before work. Nikita is biting again and Sasha dropped the F-bomb onto her teacher yesterday.
Marina. Like father like son!
Anna. What a farce.
Marina. When are you going to sue him for alimony?
Anna. Eh… Come now. Don’t wanna lick the dust.
Marina. The same old story!
Anna. No pressure, please.
Marina. I won’t leave it at that! If only I get a hold of him, that man whore.
Anna. I’ve 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, it’s you! That’s right, I’ve moved already. You are actually calling the studio. I set up call forwarding from the previous office. Are you having lunch in Bukovsky? It’s just across the street! Please, don’t bring him here yet, the place needs some renovation. Oh, you wanna pay the debt? Wait a sec!
Anna, stay here. I’m gonna drop in Bukovsky. Lenka Ivanova is there with her new man. She wants to pay me back. I’ll be back in a jiffy. Gonna see this fellow of hers with my own eyes. Then we’ll leave together. I’m going your way so I’ll 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. It’s me.
Sergey. May I look around?
Anna. Suit yourself.
Sergey. Sergey Arkhipov. We spoke over the phone earlier.
Anna. Did we? I don’t remember.
Sergey. Your voice sounded different over the phone. It’s so open and bright in here.
Anna. Don’t look at me this way.
Sergey. Don’t be so beautiful then. When I look at you, I seem to regain confidence.
Anna. I am impervious to your charms.
Sergey. You have Terpsichore’s 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. It’s really nice and all but you seem to have mistaken me for someone else. Trust me, I’m no woman to inspire anyone.
Pause.
Sergey. I get it, your wings are singed.
Anna. I won’t spill my guts to a stranger!
Pause.
Anna. Some people… You just don’t want anything after dealing with them. For you give them all of you, devoting yourself