ENTER: REBECCA WEBER at her desk in her office. She's browsing the Internet aimlessly on her clunky desktop as she munches on a cookie. Having recently "given birth", she's wearing a smaller set of scrubs. Despite their bagginess, it is nevertheless clear that she has a pronounced potbelly. After seven cookies, there comes a knock on her door. REBECCA looks up as the DOCTOR enters her office, placing a clipboard on her desk.

DOCTOR: Delivery in a bit. Need you to pick it up.
REBECCA: Yes, Doctor.

REBECCA wipes her hands and stands up as the DOCTOR leaves for parts unknown. Snatching up the clipboard on her way out, she begins to navigate to the delivery bay. After a few minutes of uneventful walking, a gloved hand whips out and delivers a loud slap to her rear. REBECCA inhales sharply and whips around, glaring. MAJESTIC is standing behind her, hands raised in apparent surrender, a self-satisfied grin on his face.

MAJESTIC: Whoa! Can't a man express his appreciation for a nice, round ass in this day and age without getting shit for it?
REBECCA, venomously: Don't you have a class to teach?
MAJESTIC: I'm not due for five minutes.

He gestures at a nearby broom closet and waggles his eyebrows.

MAJESTIC: Just about enough time for a quickie in there, don't you think? You, me and your warm, wet... mouth.

He leans forward. REBECCA backs away, disgusted.

MAJESTIC: I do like women with a little more meat on their bones. And I bet your womb's feeling real empty. How about it?
REBECCA, through gritted teeth: Not if you were the last man on Earth, asshole.

She stalks off, fists clenched. She's quivering with rage. The hallway echoes with MAJESTIC's laughter.

CUT TO: The delivery bay. REBECCA is standing beside a trolley stacked high with cardboard boxes as SHION TAKAGAWA leans against a van, arms folded. She's dressed in a collared shirt and overalls, and her entire body appears to consist of a blue, translucent material. As SHION looks on, REBECCA ticks off the last item on her clipboard, leaning over to glance into one of the boxes, and nods decisively.

REBECCA: That's the last of it. Thank you for your patience, Takagawa-san.
SHION: Don't mention it. Shiketsu has always been one of my more conscientious customers. You always pay on time.
REBECCA: Yes, well, I'm just the nurse.
SHION: Say, weren't you...

SHION sketches an arc with her hands. REBECCA squints.

REBECCA: I gave birth last weekend.
SHION, surprised: And you're back at work? So quickly?
REBECCA: I heal fast. And I need the money.
SHION: Oh. You don't have any other jobs apart from this and your, uh...
REBECCA: Surrogacy gig. No.
SHION: Looking for work?

REBECCA's back straightens from her slight slouch.

REBECCA: What, you offering?
SHION: Oh, no. Not me personally. Conflict of interest. It's just...

She digs in her pocket and pulls out a pamphlet, which she passes to REBECCA.

CUT TO: A plant. A small insectoid crawls down its stem before disappearing behind a leaf, and the camera pulls back to reveal that the plant is but one of many, all populating the interior of a relatively quiet café. It's dark outside, and there are only two people in the café: REBECCA, sitting at the counter, and HELENE, on the other side of the counter. As REBECCA sets her mug down with a sigh, she leans back in her chair.

REBECCA: You're a lifesaver, Helene.
HELENE: Don't worry about it. 'S not like I get a lot of customers at this hour.

HELENE plucks the mug out of REBECCA's fingers and refills it. She slides it across the counter.

HELENE: And this is on the house.
REBECCA: Come on. Let me pay.
HELENE: Nah. 
REBECCA: No, seriously. I can afford it.
HELENE: And I'm being serious when I tell you that it's on the house. Non-negotiable.

REBECCA sighs and leans back again.

REBECCA: Fine.

She sits in silence for a while as HELENE busies herself with other matters. Cleaning her mugs, wiping her machines down, fiddling with the cash register. After a few minutes, REBECCA pulls out the pamphlet that SHION gave her and starts to leaf through it. HELENE catches a glimpse of it and comes over.

HELENE: "Rent-a-friend"?
REBECCA: You've heard of it?
HELENE: Yeah. I considered signing up for it before I realized how much of a drain on my time this place was.
REBECCA, reading aloud: "Rent-a-wedding-guest." "Rent-a-mourner." "Rent-a-mother". "Rent-a-girlfriend". Yeah, I don't think so.
HELENE: Really? It's not that bad. I've got some patrons in that line of work. They say that most people who take them on are just lonely. They need someone to talk to, you know. Or, like, a date. Single dads who need a lady to pose as their wife so the neighbours don't gossip. Working women who need a non-judging gal pal to ventilate to about their day. That sort of thing.
REBECCA: Sounds long-term.
HELENE: Well, there's something for everyone. And, you know, the Japanese like to have Caucasians around. They usually pay more for, well...

HELENE gestures at REBECCA.

REBECCA: Oh.
HELENE: I know it doesn't sound quite legal, but it's actually a rather sizable industry. You could give it a try. Have one of your prospective clients meet you here! I'd always appreciate more business, you know.
REBECCA: I'll think about it.

CUT TO: The same café, except the sun is up. REBECCA is sitting at a table, nursing another cup of coffee. A tall, faceless man and a man in a purple suit walk out as she fiddles absently with the buttons of her cardigan. She turns to look at the counter, where HELENE is giving her a thumbs-up. When she turns back, a bespectacled man in a polo tee and cargo pants barges through the doors and catches her eye. He coughs into his fist and walks over.

MAN: Ms Weber?

REBECCA stands up.

REBECCA: Tohmatsu-san?
TOHMATSU-SAN: Please, call me Korekiyo.

REBECCA attempts to bow. KOREKIYO extends his hand. The two of them pause for a moment and sit down.

REBECCA: Coffee?
KOREKIYO: Oh, I don't drink coffee.
REBECCA: Oh.

They sit in silence for a while.

KOREKIYO: As we discussed -
REBECCA: Would you mind going through it again?
KOREKIYO: Certainly. I'm - well, you see, I'm a banker, and my bank will be holding a function in a week's time. We've been instructed to bring our significant others, but...
REBECCA, flatly: You don't have a girlfriend. Or a wife.
KOREKIYO: No.
REBECCA: Are you divorced?
KOREKIYO: No. I've never even had a girlfriend.
REBECCA: Oh.

KOREKIYO drums his fingers on the table. REBECCA takes one of the biscuits on her coffee saucer and slides it across the table.

REBECCA: Biscuit?
KOREKIYO: Thank you.

KOREKIYO slips the biscuit into his mouth. As he eats, REBECCA talks.

REBECCA: Well, um... this is my first time doing something like this, so it would be good if you kept that in mind. Obviously, I'd be happy to help, but I'd also like to make sure that there's nothing else that I've got to take note of. Attire, mannerisms... I don't know. Anything about you that I ought to be aware of, I suppose?
KOREKIYO, swallowing: I'll be honest with you, Ms Weber. I'm desperate. I've been searching for a plus-one ever since the function was announced, but they either weren't suitable or cancelled. That's why I was so eager to meet.

He quotes a number. REBECCA makes a soft noise under her breath.

KOREKIYO: I'll pay you this amount upfront as a show of good faith. And an equivalent amount after the event. If you attend.
REBECCA: That's... a lot of money.
KOREKIYO: Not to me.
REBECCA: Okay. Okay. Um... sure. Fine. Could you transfer the money over?

KOREKIYO takes out his phone and taps away on it for a few minutes. Once he's done, REBECCA's phone trills. She unlocks it and checks her bank account.

REBECCA, quietly: Holy shit.
KOREKIYO: Could I buy you a dress?
REBECCA: What?
KOREKIYO: A dress. For the function.
REBECCA: Oh. Oh, right. Um... yeah. Sure. Just let me pay for my coffee -
KOREKIYO: Allow me. It's the least I can do as thanks.

Before she can say anything, he's already stood up and proceeded to pay on her behalf. HELENE peeks at her over his shoulder and winks. REBECCA squints at her and shakes her head.