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Scripts Aloud brings drama right into your ears. By using text-to-speech software, theater scripts go from the page into drama, every week. Typically 10-minute scripts are presented in each episode. It's like having a Theater Festival - right on your phone!
Scripts Aloud
Girl for Hire
by Rick Regan
December 2022
Part 1
INTERIOR. BREWPUB - EVENING
A crowded brewpub in trendy San Luis Obispo, California, with big brew tanks in the back, lots of taps, rustic bar and cool patio. The place is filled with tech bro-dudes, VC bro-dudes, organic farmer bro-dudes with their dogs and very few women.
PETER and BEANO are standing by a tall table with a great view of the valley and the mountains.
Good to see you, man.
You too, bro. You been alright?
Yeah, all good. You know, up and down.
But we’re here to celebrate, right? You got your second round!
Yeah, the guys from Mahogany Capital really bought into our vision. It’s going to help us get to the next level.
I can’t believe you are still working on plants and stuff.
It’s photosynthesis, how plants turn light into energy. This new round of funding is going to let us trial our new process on a big scale.
That’s awesome, man! Way to go.
The Mahogany guys are going to want to see some hard results next quarter, so I’m really going to be on the grind. You know?
Roger that. But, hey! Better your own grind than grinding for some other dude’s grind! Right?
Yeah, no question. It’s a strange thing to think that my high school science project got me to my P-H-D, and now this, venture financing.
A good idea has legs. Sometimes you have to carry the flame though.
I mean, I really think, you know, we’re going to, like, change the world.
Right.
If we can scale our process, it’s going to be a power revolution.
You’re on the cutting edge, man! Living your dream.
Yeah, so, exciting stuff. But how about you? Now that you are a crypto-whale, are you working at all?
Yeah, I got a few projects, things I’m looking at.
Yeah? Cool. Say, you want to get in on the ground floor of a local start-up that’s going to change the world?
Hey, Beano, I love your vision but I’ll let the pro’s evaluate startups. Not my gig. I just code, man.
Sure, sure. So what are you coding now?
Did I tell you I hired somebody?
No, I didn’t know you were hiring. I didn’t even know you had a job.
Yeah, I was thinking, you know, I could use some help.
With coding? That’s not the Peter I know. You’re like Doctor Doom, hiding out in your mountain cave, coding like a wizard, until you are ready to spring your terrible creation on an unsuspecting world.
Hey, that’s not fair. The GreenFile made a lot of money. So did Blue4You. Both had thousands of users, satisfied their use-cases, and provided new ways for people to find others who shared their passions.
They were both dating sites, for weirdos and nerds!
Weirdos and nerds gotta live, man, and love. And tell me you didn’t have a GreenFile folder. Hmmm!
Ah, you’re right. I did, I did. I had a folder full of graduate-school honeys who were interested in plants. And some of ‘em worked out. Ng from Berkeley works for us now.
And you dated that Italian chick for a long time. What was her name, Soppressata, Capocolo, Prosciutto?
Isadora. From Bologna.
Right, right. I remembered there was some sandwich connection.
Well, there was a lot of eating with her. She believed that food is love. And I never felt more loved than with her. But then, work kicked in and I didn’t even have time to eat.
She thought you didn’t love her because you didn’t eat her food?
She thought I didn’t love her because I told her that work was more important than her. So she left.
Even weirdos and nerds need love, like you.
Like me. But what about you?
Well, like I said, I hired somebody.
What for?
To kinda, well, be a muse for me.
Amused?
No, no, A muse. A person who inspires me.
Like a poet? You hired a poet?
No, not a poet. A model.
Okay. Hmmm. Is that another way of saying you are binging on hookers-and-blow again?
No! It’s not like that. And I never binged on hookers- and-blow. I went to a few parties where people were micro-dosing. It’s not the same thing.
I don’t know, man. A lot of times, in meetings with these money guys, it seems like it’s hookers-and-blow all the way down.
Not the worst way to spend all that money. You could just waste it.
What a world, man. That’s what I like about San Luis Obispo. The community here is not all about who’s got a McLaren F1 or Lambo Hurrican. Not like that up in the Bay.
Yeah, but there are more people, more opportunities. That’s where I found my new hire.
Your muse? From Frisco?
Kinda. I was thinking about the whole industry of cam- girls.
Like webcam porn girls?
Yeah. How they spend all day hanging around in front of their camera, in their room or wherever, waiting for some guy to tip them for showing their tits. Seems like a waste.
A waste of what, money or tits?
Both.
OK.
It is widely known that male programmers will focus really hard on coding, until they come to a problem and have to figure out how to solve it. And they usually open a browser tab and look at porn, as a distraction.
I mean, yeah, everybody does that.
And that the live cam-girls are there waiting to entertain bored programmers. But see, that seems really inefficient.
What do you mean? Seems like the system works. The solution found the problem, and solves it. There are plenty of women who are willing to spend their time as live-cam girls and they just had to wait around until the bored programmers needed them.
Right but what a boring life for these girls. What a waste of their time.
I don’t know. They are willing to do it. Maybe it’s like getting my shoes shined at the airport. It’s awkward to have a grown man shining my shoes, but... he’s willing to do it, and I need my shoes shined.
Uh-huh. But I thought, why don’t I just hire one?
You mean a cam-girl?
Yeah, full-time. At my place.
Wait, like a live-in cam-model? Or a girlfriend, for hire?
A muse.
That’s funny. Only you, man. Only you would think of cutting out the middleman for porn.
It’s not porn. She models.
Do you have sex with her, or is that none of my business?
No, I don’t have sex with her.
So, explain.
So, I put an ad online for a cam-girl. I picked the top three and explained the situation. I wanted somebody to come to my house during the day and be available to be beautiful.
And sexy.
Yes, that too. And two weren’t interested but one was. So we Zoomed and sorted it out.
Wow! How much do you pay her?
A thousand dollars a week. We’re on a two-week trial- basis.
You mean, after two weeks you can get rid of her, like changing the channel?
I am willing to make a commitment to her for two weeks. And she doesn’t have to waste her time in front of a camera.
That’s fifty grand a year. That seems like a lot.
To you maybe, but I see it as an investment.
Better than hookers and blow, I guess.
I work, and then I look up - and there she is. I ask her to move around, change position. Sometimes I ask her questions, about her life, about anything. She’s great.
So she shows up in the morning for work, then sits around and waits for you to get bored?
Yeah, but it’s better than sitting in front of a camera. It’s guaranteed pay. She’s not like some prisoner. She can leave when she wants. What she does is read novels all day.
Is she in school?
I don’t know. I never asked her.
I mean, I guess, you know, you’ve got crypto-whale money, why not blow it on an in-house model?
Muse.
You-do-you, bro.
Good luck with the plants and stuff.
Thanks.
Part 2
INTERIOR - COFFEE SHOP - DAY
A woman is sitting in a comfortable booth outside on the covered patio, sipping coffee and talking on the phone. She is about 25, with long dark hair, fashionable yet modest outfit, with a T-shirt that says “SLO” and slim denim jeans. Eve fiddles with her phone and calls Sloane.
Hey, Sloane. It’s me, Eve. How are you?
Eve, what are you doing? Where are you? The head- bitch is on the warpath.
Uh, yeah. I got this funny thing, this offer, for a job, like, in-person, you know?
Don’t tell me you are doing call-outs? That’s dangerous. You don’t have to do that. It’s safer here at the Fun Factory, if I’m honest.
No, it’s not like that. Well, it kinda is like that, but better! Different, safe, you know, like?
Eve, where are you? Are you still in the Area?
Down south. San Luis Obispo. You know it?
Drove through one time. Small. Like, one stop light.
It’s better than that. It’s nice. I got an apartment. It’s clean. It’s quiet. I like it.
What are you doing in San Luis Obispo for heaven sakes?
I answered an ad from, like, this really rich guy.
Uh-huh.
And he wanted a, like, live-in cam girl.
Like a wife?
No, He pays me. Really good!
Better than the Fun Factory? Because we pay top-dollar in the industry. You get the highest percentages of tips anywhere on the web.
I know, I know. It’s just, this guy pays more.
How much?
Plenty.
Yeah? And what do you do for all that cash? Is he one of those weirdos that wants to put women in cages or tie you up and whip you? Oh, honey, come home!
No, it’s nice. He says I’m his muse.
He says he’s amused? I bet he is. You are the most beautiful girl on our site. The regulars are sending questions about where you are. When are you coming back?
I’ve got a contract for two weeks but I’m hoping I can keep it going.
Eve, you are a goddess. You should not be holed up with some creep, in-person, all day. It’s not good for you. Come back to the Fun Factory.
If it doesn’t work out, I’ll come back but I like it. I don’t have to do anything and he pays me, with real money, not coins or stupid tokens.
But what do you do?
I reed. I go out and run. I come back. He’s working all the time, on his computer.
And then he’ll get stuck and look at me for a few minutes. Sometimes he’ll just watch me read. Or I do yoga and he watches me. It’s weird.
It is weird. It doesn’t sound safe. You should come back. I can come down and get you.
No, no, I like it. I feel free, you know. I don’t have to perform in front of all the monsters behind the screens. He just wants me to be there. He looks up, watches me for a while, then goes back to his computer.
What is he doing, like programming?
I don’t know. I ask him and he says things like, ‘working on a series of numbers - inside a sequence of numbers’.
What does that mean?
I don’t know. He watches me for a while and then says, ‘Oh, I forgot the semicolon’, then goes back to work.
Eve, honey, come back to the Area. He sounds like one of those guys who kills women and bury them in the desert.
No, he doesn’t. He’s not like that. He’s nice. We talk sometimes too. He’s smart but... he doesn’t know anything about women. I mean, really, like nothing.
Probably never been on a date.
I think that’s right. He said he made a lot of money in crypto, or whatever. He said he’s building some kind of auction system for NFT-options. Do you know what that is?
No,
Me neither.
Eve, listen to me. You are going to get stuck down there in nowhere-ville. Come back to the Bay Area and get your ass to work. We’re losing money because the regulars want you back. The creeps are on protest.
I feel free, Sloane. I never had that before. I am paying off school. I have my own place. No roommates! You know? And I get to read whatever I want. I’m going to get a library card. I think this is what normal is.
Normal? Eve, you’ve never been normal. You know that. You are too beautiful for real life. You intimidate the men and the women are jealous. But we have a way for you to monetize that power. You remember when I found you and got you going in this business? You were nowhere. I put you on the map.
I was poor. That’s what I was. And, yeah, I made some money with you and the Fun Factory. Yeah, that’s true. It helped. But it isn’t healthy. It’s not good for me, not really for any of the girls. You don’t get to be human.
And you’re human with this guy? What, are you going to get married? He’s just using you, Eve. Can’t you see that?
Everybody’s been using me, Sloane. Even you. But right now, this is working. And if I do it right, yeah, maybe it lasts a while. I’m not a fool. If he gets bored with me, he’ll find somebody else, and I’ll be out on my ass. But I won’t be so broke I’ve got to sit in front of a camera all day, performing, with a fake name, fake lashes and a fake smile. I’m going to save some money and look out for myself.
Eve, if that’s your real name, this guy is going to kick you to the curb when he wants a fresh face. He’ll cycle through girls just like the chads on the web. He’s just doing it in person. Is he taking pictures, streaming video? Probably. He’s probably got hidden cameras all over, probably in your apartment too. He’s probably watching you when you go home at night. Eve, honey, get out of there. Come back home. We’re not going to kick you out. If it’s more money, hey, we can talk. Come home.
I wish you could meet him. He’s not cynical and evil like you. He’s a smart, funny guy, but he is so shy I think this is the only way he feels comfortable talking to a woman.
I’m sure you are way out of his league! What does he look like, typical three-hundred-pound neck-beard?
No, he’s cute. He works out. He’s just shy. He said his mother is coming next week so he said he’ll pay me for the week but I don’t have to go over to his place. I’m going to look for another job, maybe at an office or a bank, so when he cuts me off I’ll have a place set up. I want to get out of the racket.
Ok, listen. You want to take a couple of weeks off, sure, fine. Take some time. Recharge. I get it. Things can get to be too much some times. But evil? Really, Eve? Evil? That’s what you think?
Maybe not evil. Just, I guess, a realist.
That’s more like it. Ok, when mister Fancy is bored with you, you call me. I’ll come get you. Deal?
OK. I guess that’s why I called you.
OK. Deal. Talk to you soon.
Goodbye, Sloane.
Ciao, babe.
Eve hangs up, sips coffee.
Part 3
INTERIOR - PETER’S APARTMENT - MORNING
The apartment is sparsely furnished, with blank white walls. A desk has a computer with a big monitor and a sofa is opposite the desk.
Peter is staring intently over the keyboard, looking at the monitor. He is in a T-shirt and cargo shorts.
Eve is lounging on the sofa, reading. She is in a dark blue tube-top and snug shorts.
Dang it. It just doesn’t work like that.
Work like what?
Eh, too hard to explain.
You are staring at me.
Does that bother you?
Not really. But on camera, I know, logically, that people are staring, but it’s different when you’re, like, right there.
Uh-huh.
Got to get used to it, I guess.
Uh-huh.
Peter goes back to typing. Eve goes back to reading her novel. Soon Peter looks up again, staring at Eve.
Oh! I didn’t know you were looking.
That’s alright.
I wish there was a light, you know, or something, to tell me when I should be performing.
I don’t want you to perform.
But that’s what I do. What else do you want?
I want you to be you.
But it’s like the Observer Effect. You know that? Where the thing is changed, just by being observed?
Uh-huh.
I mean, I have to be different, when I know you are watching me.
What about on a camera?
It’s the same thing but I can step away from the camera, or put a towel over it. Here, it’s just you and me.
Uh-huh.
(Peter goes back to typing)
Huh.
Can you say “Go” or something, when you want to look at me?
Go?
Yeah. Just say “Go”. Then I can get ready.
Ok. Go.
Eve (moves around)
How’s that?
Good. Nice.
Eve (poses)
Is this good?
Umm, yeah. Nice.
He watches, while she strikes modelling poses.
That’s enough.
He goes back to typing, staring at the monitor. She waits, then goes back to reading...
OK. Go.
Let me put this book down.
She gets up and walks around in front of him.
Wait. Stop.
Stop?
Yes.
Why?
Because you are not being natural.
This is not a natural situation.
Hmm. OK. But stop. Just be you.
But I can’t be me.
Why not?
This is a performance, for money. If I don’t perform, or you get bored, you won’t pay me. Or you’ll get another girl. And I need the money. I don’t want to go back to the Fun Factory.
Don’t worry about the money.
But I do.
Don’t... I’ll pay you.
Not if I’m boring.
You don’t have to do whatever you do, on camera. You are not a prisoner, or a captive, or whatever. You can relax and do whatever you want.
Do you want to kiss me?
Of course. But I’m working.
Not if you are looking at me.
You don’t understand. I have to move this project from just an idea, a theory really. And launch. You know what that means? Launch. Public. Cloud. Users. U- I. Security. Transactions per second. Launch. Like a rocket. And if I mess it up, it crashes.
But why me?
Because you are beautiful.
You think so?
Yes, but I have to launch.
What if it doesn’t crash? What if it works?
If it works? It will be whatever your greatest ambition is, times a thousand. Possibly a hundred thousand. Actually, the goal is twenty billion, in six months.
Twenty Billion? Really? Is that real?
Yes. But it probably won’t work, all at once. But if it does, well, it might.
Do you want to get married?
No,
Do you want me here?
Yes. Just, you know, be beautiful and stuff.
And stuff.
Yeah. I have to fix this.
(He stares and types)
Eve stares at him and then pulls up a chair to sit next to him.
Do you mind?
You are very warm.
I want to see how it works.
I don’t have time to explain it to you. This is not a tutorial class.
Just keep going. I want to watch.
I have to concentrate.
Eve (moves back)
I’ll watch from here.
OK.
He types and thinks. In a minute he looks up.
Are you OK?
Go.
Go?
Yeah.
She gets up and stands near him, her bare midriff in front of his face.
Smell me.
He inhales, breathing in and out. They stand together, close to each other. After a moment he goes back to typing. She sits down near him.
The END.