a couple of days later, Jane led me there. After hours we left the building together, and there was a big expensive car waiting for us. We went outside the city, in some suburb area where there were mostly villas and big houses. We stopped in front of a luxurious villa. It was a big and beautiful house. What I thought when I saw it – I didn’t remember that before I ever visited such a house. And that should be very nice to be at the party at such place… Yep… It is luxurious and pretty [soft laughter]. Yes, I think that was exactly what I thought about it. When we were out of the car, we crossed a little garden. There were a little garden and a big pool. Two great things I immediately noticed. Then we directed to the entrance, and Jane told me that I should remember about keeping secrets. Remember we keep secrets carefully here. She said something like this. When I was inside, I felt myself to be a small person. There was too much of space inside. It was something like a two-story foyer. Jane led me to some nice room where there was a sofa, and we sat there. Then she came out and returned with some cocktails. She said we needed to wait until the Head – it’s a ruling person – would arrive. She said it would be soon. And we actually spent some time pleasantly. We were talking the nice talks and drinking the nice cocktails.
During this time I made an acquaintance with one girl who worked there. She was very nice-looking and well-humored. She was not very tall and with a pretty face. Her name was Ann. Jane told me that Ann was a person who worked with clients. She brings papers to sign and all of that. She performs some necessary legal thing. And stuff like this. As Jane said, usually she didn’t perform any role.
M.: What does it mean – a role? Did Jane tell you something about how the Agency worked then?
S.: That was exactly what she explained to me while we were waiting. She explained that the first rule is that it all should be secret, at least for some time, the second rule – she said – that it undoubtedly should be secret [giggle]. She also told me that it isn’t a person involved in the game who places the order for it. The client should be someone familiar with this person and who wants to entertain this person. It’s like making a pretty secret gift, well, something like that.
Elise: Excuse me. I’m going to interrupt you. You said there were cocktails. Did you drink a lot? Do you think there could be something unusual mixed in them?
S.: No… I think they were the usual cocktails.
M.: Go on. You were explaining how the contract is signed. What were the other special features of the Agency?
S.: What was special? Uh… There was a specific system of terms like Lead Hero, Scenario, Players, and other things.
M.: And what does Players mean?
S.: Player means a person who helps to make it all. It is someone from the Agency who entertains the Lead Hero.
M.: So, that Lead Hero is a principal person in all of this?
S.: Yes, it is possible to say so. Lead Hero is our center of attention. It is his pleasure which is the most important.
M.: And Ann? Was she the player?
S.: As I understood, usually she wasn’t, but she could have some minor part sometimes. At least that was what Jane told me.
M.: You were telling about your first day in the Agency. We interrupted you when Ann arrived, and you were drinking cocktails. Go on. Would you tell us what happened then?
S.: Then… Ann, she was not drinking with us. Jane said Ann always stays one hundred percent sober, no matter what. I thought she was joking. While we were waiting, I saw another player, I mean another one besides Jane. I wasn’t sure that she is a player, but then I understood it was so, after some time. She just flashed to me when a door to another room was open for a moment. It was one second, but I saw her. She was gorgeous, a woman – not a girl… And then the Head of the Agency appeared. I was sitting alone on the sofa with a soft drink in my hand. And Jane returned from another part of the house and told me that if I didn’t change my mind she, the mistress, would see me. As I understood then, the leader of the group was a woman too. Well, then Jane showed me where her cabinet was. I opened a door and went in. I was a bit afraid and excited at the same time. It was a room without windows. I think it is an important detail, somehow. I saw her for the first time, at that moment she was sitting at her table, and she was reading something. She was unaware. Like she didn’t notice my presence. She was a tall woman. And she wore some kind of official costume. Behind her, there was a shelf with a lot of folders on it. Another thing I immediately noticed was their logo across the wall. It was a line of big unusual letters. It read Venus Agency. That is, as I understood, their name. For some time it was like she did not know that I existed at all. But then she moved her head and looked at me directly. That glance of her made me feel differently. She had beautiful green eyes. And there was something strict about how she looked. Maybe it was her costume. And also maybe some serious manner in which she behaved. As I remember she was always wearing such things and behaving this way. So, she actually made an impression like a high-class teacher from a very prestigious school. Yeah. You never had a feeling that you knew more than she did. Then we had a little talk, and I actually didn’t get any new information. There was probably nothing that Jane didn’t tell me before. Maybe only it was told more formally. So, it didn’t add new things for that day, but just I got some respect for her. That was the thing she made you feel. No doubt. The respect for her. She had some kind of internal strength, I think. She said there was a new order they had, and they would start working on it next week. And as it was an easy job and it fitted for a newcomer, I could fit in if I wanted. And then I could decide whether I would like to work with them more permanently as she explained. And also one more time she asked me no matter what to keep it secret. She said it had to be all kept an absolute secret at least for a couple of months. It is the interest of their clients, and that is very important. In this way.
M.: And what was your answer? Did you agree?
S.: I agreed, but it took another couple of days to do so. She gave me her phone number and told me at what hours I could call. And so I telephoned her. And I said I was ready to start. It was a special moment in my life, I suppose. I was a bit worried. But also excited, again. That day I talked to Jane about it. And she relaxed me.
M.: Did you feel you could trust her?
S.: Yes, sure. She is a lovely person.
M.: Did you feel it like you could confess any of your secrets to her? Was it that much?
S.: Well, I think it was. She is the best friend I ever had. She is the one you can trust.
E.: And then?
M.: Did you and Jane come somewhere to visit the client or probably a Lead Hero as you call it?
S.: No, we did not. I mean not that time. That time we came to the house again. To this luxurious mansion which was the Venus Agency’s home place. I adored their residence again as I remember. And as I was more relaxed that time, I just enjoyed its rooms and interiors. We just came here to discuss how it all would be. We, those who were supposed to take part, were told what to do and when. I was also briefed about simplest terms of their activities, despite the fact that Jane had already explained all that stuff to me. In this game [laughter] – it was the first one for me, and they call it the game – my role according to the scenario was simple. In general, I had to be present and… I just was needed to make a proper group. So, as there was nothing so complicated, I relaxed a bit, but not too much as I still couldn’t imagine how it would be. I actually could imagine it as they explained to me what we were going to do. But I mean… I could not feel it, you know. I suppose one can’t feel it before it happens. That’s for sure. So, as I got it. What we did there in the mansion was some sort of rehearsal.
M.: Rehearsal? You mean you staged it? And what did you rehearse?
S.: It was – as I told before – what we should’ve done then, when we would be there, at the place. They actually call the place a ground. It’s another term. There were five of us at the mansion that time. That included me, Jane, Ann, a girl whose name was Sally, and Jess. Jess is the name of the head girl. I didn’t tell you her name before. Jess acted as the Lead Hero. She took the place of this person, I mean.
M.: And did you know who would be the Lead Hero in that case?
S.: