The Girlfriend Experience

Your academic credentials are impressive:

behavioral psychology,

neuroscience.

Then what happened?

Like I said, I'm ready for a change.

You got headhunted.

It's a tech start-up in London.

There's one thing we dislike here at NGM,

and that is predetermined outcomes.

I am training the neural net to match faces.

What inputs are you using?

Why choose that over finishing your degree

at one of the best schools in the country?

Dad will manage.

Rule number one...

is look the part.

Why did you come to us?

Why the V?

I'm ready to have a real exchange

with the men I sleep with.

Do it.

Paul. Session one.

You all came here

for a reason.

Something happened to you in childhood,

later in life that formed you...

...that shook the very foundations

of the world you thought you were inhabiting.

Perhaps that world was your own conscious mind

and the assumptions

of who you thought you were,

could no longer be sustained.

You are all different.

You all made choices.

These choices have led you here.

And I look at you, and I fucking love what I see.

So, take a day.

Go boating.

Volunteer at an animal shelter.

Tell a stranger they have the most beautiful eyes

you've ever seen.

Take a week if you must.

Just come back

with something undeniable,

a shift in perspective,

a bridge between two conflicting principles.

Aim far.

It bears repeating:

if you do need bigger or badder inputs,

come talk to us.

We'll find solutions.

Don't let your imagination be limited

by what's available.

Data is data is data.

It's a... a window waiting to be opened.

But we are all here because of what happens

afterwards.

Very good.

And tell your pals out there,

"Fuck minimum basic income."

Do we really trust them to figure it out?

Not for this generation.

Okay, I'm gonna leave you with a question.

What makes us--

I don't mean us here.

I'm talking general, out there,

Homo digitalis.

What makes us get up in the morning?

Hey.

Does he always talk like that?

It's just his brain food kicking in.

Edibles?

Nootropics, microdosing or whatever.

Is that a thing here?

Some of the engineers, I guess.

You'll see.

Won't take you long to figure it out.

That'd be sloppy hiring if it did.

Right, just started.

The cool kids are going to the pub tonight,

for shots and beer pong.

-Beer pong? -Mm-hmm.

Once a month, baptize the newbies.

Uh, I can't tonight.

Next time.

Sounds good.

Who do I have the pleasure

of speaking with?

Hi. This is Iris.

Welcome to the V.

I'm your booker.

You can call me Zelda.

What name should I call you by?

Um...

How about Angel or Violet?

As long as it's not your name in reverse.

I was thinking maybe Cassandra.

How about Cassie or Callie?

What's wrong with Cassandra?

I like it, but the clients may not.

They want to feel like themselves around you.

Cassandra doesn't sound like you're an actual person.

Makes sense.

You're worried the occasional sapio

will be ticked off by Cassie?

Uh, no, Cassie's fine.

Let's do that.

Congratulations, by the way.

Paul posted his review.

Ten out of ten.

Did he?

"Unexpected in the best of ways"

and "ignitable,"

his words.

I assume you'll want to keep him as a client.

I do, but, um,

he's a submissive,

which I'm generally not into.

I can keep doing it with him, though.

Well, he isn't either,

not with any of the other women,

not to my knowledge.

Huh.

Whatever you did,

I recommend you keep doing it.

Regulars are best for business.

Got it.

Next, I have a couple of binary choices for you.

Are you okay with girl on girl

if a client asks for Cassie and Candy?

Sure.

Parties?

Sure.

To clarify, it means up to ten clients,

at three times your rate.

Means you'll go with anyone who wants you.

Got it.

- Bareback? -Without protection?

Some of the women charge extra

or insist on seeing test results up front.

I'm gonna go with no.

You name a price.

Most everybody's got one.

Let's put a pin in that.

Understood.

Anal?

Five times my rate.

Fetish?

On a case-by-case basis.

I like to know what I'm getting into.

You got it.

Will you be setting up a profile?

No, all bookings have to go through you.

Men are visual animals.

It's helpful to link those online reviews.

I'm gonna go the opposite route.

Cassie doesn't advertise.

And if those ten-star reviews keep coming,

I promise you your phone will ring.

We can try that.

Good.

Would you like to be contacted by call or text?

Uh, text is fine.

Are you calling from a secondary phone right now?

Yes, I am.

That's step one.

None of the clients will ever receive your personal info.

We run a full background check on all prospects,

and we'll let you know who they are

and what they're looking for before you meet them.

We do have private security on standby,

not that the need ever arises.

Would you like me to set you up with a driver?

Sure, that'd be great.

His name is Leif, ex-secret service,

very discreet.

You might want to leave location tracking switched on

in case of emergency, your choice.

Clients pay up front.

We process your earnings

and then remit via blockchain.

What are you thinking about?

Lots of stuff,

mostly classified.

No hard feelings about leaving your phone at the door?

I hope it didn't make you uncomfortable.

No.

Not at all.

I, uh...

I want this to be a private moment.

Really?

First times are special.