This is best read -- in fact may only make sense -- when read after Dutch Movie Parts 1 & 2. It was written with urgency after a trip to Budapest.
***
The soft, westering light of early afternoon had coated the Beaux Arts buildings opposite with a golden hue. The pale sun flooded through the corner windows, glinting off the chrome frames of the anonymously modernist furniture decorating the top-floor office suite he had rented.
Next to him was a blonde tightly, even defensively, belted into a sharp white-stitched bathrobe. The robe snugly draped her middlingly-tall, athletic frame: a body that could have belonged to a woman in her twenties. She was a classic Nordic type: sportswoman thin, long legs, blonde hair, high cheekbones, piercing and lovely grey eyes. The perfect swell of high. round c-cups was surmounted by a hint of erect nipple straining against the taut white fabric. Her body had a swimmer's grace, and a natural resting poise. The face was beautifully angular, prominent cheekbones setting off a determined and intent look. When she relaxed her gaze, she looked like a woman in her early thirties.
As the cameramen and the actors milled by the reception area some twenty feet away, they had been talking to their Hungarian impresario with the amusing fake name Rod Steely and his assistant Anna, who was all legs and high cheekbones and dyed-blonde hair.
"Listen Mr Smith, listen pal. We are friendly, ok? .... Well your scenario -- hey, may I speak plainly?"
He received a nod of acknowledgement.
"Look, you are a nice couple. A careful one. You pay cash." As he spoke he grabbed a bottle from the coffee table and poured three large glasses of plum brandy, handing one to each. He continued, smiling and voluble.
"You get independent reports on actors who won't even fuck in your scenario. You hire your own place to film, not mine. I don't know where you stay. You bring the cameras. This is good money you spend. This is obviously something the two of you like -- maybe it sets up hot sex for years to come. You are not coming back from the States to do this big trip soon. This scenario "professional woman teasingly undresses in an office and parades around", I mean man this is bullshit. Do this properly man. I got you some good actors, not bums. Make it worth your investment."
"What do you mean Rod. You can speak plainly -- not that you aren't already. You know we wanted something borderline but not totally over the line."
The glasses were empty. Rod refilled the glasses and then shook his head. "Look Mr Smith, let's make it like she is the boss. We give her Anna's suit maybe -- she is serious business lady behind a desk."
And then Rod Steely had set out a substantially more pornographic scenario. When he was done they were standing before him, slack-jawed, their glasses empty.
"Maybe we get Anna in the movie? -- and Madam if your man is really horny is it OK if Anna gives him some relief with a blowjob"
The blonde-in-bathrobe, "Mrs Smith", the Blonde Budding Actress, in other words his wife, was silent. 'Mr Smith' husband spoke. "Maybe we aren't quite ready for this after all. I am happy to pay all that is due but the reality is a bit more shocking than expected." Mrs Smith remained silent.
"You got to be kidding me" said a clearly upset Rod Steely. "You do not mean that, Mr Smith. What does Madam think? madam, tell me." and he looked at her.
"Well, Mr Rod Steely does have a point, darling. I have already just paraded around naked for five men and one woman I did not know before this afternoon. You've gone to all this trouble. But I see your point. You decide."
The normal pattern would have been for a certain period of questioning and second thoughts, of each one searching for the other's "true" intentions in order to be more accommodating. At times it was maddening enough for them as a couple, and it was hard to imagine how a freewheeling personality such as their new porn impresario friend would take it. But not today.
He spoke in a voice that surprised himself with its directness and decisiveness. As he spoke he felt blood coursing and the brandy firing, his desires and curiosity would be accommodated. "Fine then. We will use that scenario, Steely... but just one camera. Mrs Smith, are you I agreement? Are you ready?"
Blonde Budding Actress Smith at first seemed surprised, but then she nodded and, in agreeing, seemed to become surprisingly enthusiastic.
She looked at him searchingly. He told her "you have a scenario, but you stop whenever you feel it is crossing a line. We'll use just one camera to make it all more manageable: one long shot." She nodded again, holding her glass out for a refill, which a grinning Steely provided.
She mouthed the word "OK".
He and Rod and the cast discussed the scenario some more. "Go and put your costume on, Mrs Smith, star of the silver screen." he told her, and on cue Anna arrived to lead her away.
Steely looked at him and said "you'll love it, this is great. OK I stay and help direct the camera guy. This will be great!" and he flung an arm around him in an excited way. "OK pal, here's what you do. Kristof -- the blonde guy -- you motion to him, he will look for you to direct and he'll tell Balzas If you need me to tell them something precise in Hungarian, I do that for you. OK?"
The camera was set up facing the desk at the western window, from where it could easily slide over to the black modernist sofas and coffee table in the corner. Lights were set up to cancel shadows on the nearer side of the furniture. The second cameraman readied a sound boom.
"Mrs Smith" returned wearing a black suit with incongruous gold buttons, severe and Central European in style. It was not the best suited style for her, but it was tight at the waist, had a plunging neckline, and co-ordinated with the mid-thigh skirt and sheer stockings. Her hair was worn in a low Edwardian bun, a mass of dense gold with some red flecks as the sun caught it.
Anna was now dressed in a white shirt, largely unbuttoned to make it clear that she was not sporting a bra, and Balzas and Kristof were wearing shirts and trousers, looking a little fidgety.
He saw his wife take another gulp of brandy, and then sit at the desk. Steely looked at him. He opened his mouth. Oh well.... "take your places and ACTION".
Blonde Actress was shuffling papers on her desk. Balzas walked into frame followed shortly by Kristof. Kristof's hair if anything looked almost white in the sunlight, and he stood looking fit and proud. Balzas, darker, more muscled, more moody-looking, stood sheepish and head down. They were before her desk. She began to berate them. "You screwed the shipment up. How could you do this?" She continued, perhaps getting a little too into the non-essential and finger-wagging part of the character in this unlikely scenario. Kristof glanced at him and he nodded back.
In guttural, but actually rather good English, he responded. "That's enough boss lady. You got no right to talk to us that way."
She stood and, clearly enjoying it, wagged another finger at Kristof. "Listen, you useless mass of muscle. You screwed things up, the customer is furious. You're not going to say 'enough' to me, you're going to be fired!"
Kristof glanced over again to receive another nod from 'Mr Smith'.
Blonde Actress Smith walked to the side of the desk (the camera rolled leftwards to keep a head to toe shot in view) as Kristof said something in Hungarian. Fluidly Blazas stepped forward and around her, pinioning her arms as he did.
"What the hell are you doing!" she screamed. He motioned a hand to indicate she ought to keep her voice down, but Kristof had stepped forward to kiss her. When he broke it off she started another noise, but he used a kiss to silence her a second time.