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ike Rina Marlowe！〃
〃I'm afraid you don't understand； Mr。 Cord。〃
I looked around。 〃What's your name？〃
She stared right back at me。 〃I'm Ilene Gaillard；〃 she said。 〃I'm the costume designer。〃
〃All right； Miss Gaillard。 Suppose you tell me what I don't understand。〃
〃Miss Marlowe has to be dressed in the very forefront of fashion；〃 she said calmly。 〃You see； Mr。 Cord； though we make certain concessions to the period in which the picture takes place； the fundamental design must carry forward the latest in high fashion。 That's what most women go to the movies to see。 Motion pictures set the style。〃
I squinted at her。 〃Style or no style； Miss Gaillard； it doesn't make sense that a girl should have to look like a boy to be in fashion。 No man in his right mind could be interested in a figure like that。〃
〃Don't blame Miss Gaillard； Jonas。 I told her to do it。〃
I turned to Nevada。 〃You told her？〃
He nodded。
Sooner or later； it was bound to happen。 I let my voice grow cold。 〃It's my money that's on the line now and the deal was that I'm the boss。 So from now on； you worry about your acting。 Everything else is my headache。〃
Nevada's lips tightened and deep in his eyes I could see the hurt。 I turned away so that I wouldn't have to see it。 Rina was watching with a curious kind of detachment。
〃Rina！〃 She turned to me； an impassive mask dropping quickly over her eyes。 〃Go into the bathroom and wash all that muck off your face。 Put on your usual make…up。〃
Rina left the room silently and I went back behind my desk and sat down。 Nobody said a word until she came back into the room； her mouth wide again； her lips full and her eyebrows flowing into the natural curve of her brow。 Her hair spilled like white shimmering gold down to her shoulders。 But there was still something wrong。 Underneath the negligee； her body was still a straight line。
〃Go back in there and get out of that harness you're wearing。〃
Still silent； she did as I told her。 And this time when she came out； she moved。 Nobody could miss the fact that there was a woman underneath that negligee。
〃That's more like it；〃 I said。 〃We'll shoot those scenes again now。〃
Rina nodded and turned away。 Miss Gaillard's voice stopped her。 〃We can't photograph her like that。〃
I looked at the designer。 〃What did you say？〃
Miss Gaillard stood up。 〃We can't shoot her like that。 Her bust bounces。〃
I laughed。 〃What's the matter with that？ Tits should bounce。〃
〃Of course；〃 the designer said quickly。 〃But on the screen everything is exaggerated。〃 She looked at the cameraman。 〃Isn't that right； Lee？〃
The cameraman nodded。 〃That's right； Mr。 Cord。 They won't look natural at all。〃
〃We'll have to put some kind of brassière on her；〃 Miss Gaillard said。
〃O。K。 Go see what you can do。〃
A moment later； Rina and the designer came out of the bathroom。 They walked toward me。 It was better than the original harness but they didn't look as good as they did without restraint。 It just didn't look right to me。
I got up from the desk and walked over to Rina。 〃Let me see。〃
Rina looked at me； her eyes deliberately distant。 Impassively she dropped the negligee from her shoulders； holding it to her by the crook of her elbows。 〃Turn right；〃 I said。 〃Now left。〃
I stepped back and looked at Rina。 I knew what it was now。 Whenever she turned； the brassière pulled and flattened； which was what gave her breasts that unnatural look。 I looked at the designer。 〃Maybe if we took off the shoulder straps？〃
Ilene Gaillard shrugged。 〃We can try。〃 She reached over and pushed down the straps。
Rina stood there； her eyes fixed on some distant point over my shoulder。 〃Now turn。〃 The brassiere still cut into her breasts。 〃Unhh…unhh；〃 I said。 〃I still don't like it。〃
〃There's one other thing I can try。〃
〃O。K。；〃 I said。
A few minutes later； they came out again。 Rina wore a wire…ribbed contraption almost like a small corset； except it didn't e down over her hips。 And when she moved； her breasts didn't。 You could see them all right； but they looked as if they had been molded out of plaster of Paris。
I looked at the designer。 〃Isn't there some way we can cut out some of those wires？〃
〃I think that looks fine； Mr。 Cord。 Anyway； I don't see why you're so worried about her bustline。 Her legs are good and you'll see plenty of them。〃
〃Miss Gaillard； since you're not a man； I don't expect you to understand what I'm getting at。 I can see all the legs I want to see just walking down the street。 Just answer my question； please。〃
〃No； we can't cut the wires； Mr。 Cord；〃 she replied； equally polite。 〃If we do； she might as well be wearing nothing。 There wouldn't be enough rigidity to support her。〃
〃Maybe if I show you what I want； you can do it。 Take it off； Rina；〃 I said； walking over to her。
Impassively Rina turned aside for a moment。 When she turned around again； the contraption was in one hand and with the other she held the top of the negligee closed。
I took it and tossed in onto my desk。 I put my hands to the top of Rina's negligee and pushed it down until it formed a square across her breast just above the nipples。 Her breasts rose like twin white moons against my dark； clenched fists。 I looked back at the designer。 〃See what I mean？〃
Maybe she didn't but there wasn't a man in the room whose eyes weren't popping out of his head。
〃What you want is impossible； Mr。 Cord。 Rina's a big girl。 Thirty…eight C。 There isn't a brassière made that could support her bust like that。 I'm a designer； Mr。 Cord； not a structural engineer。〃
I let go of Rina's negligee and turned to Miss Gaillard。 〃Thank you；〃 I said； going over to the telephone。 〃That's the first constructive idea I've heard since this meeting started。〃
Morrissey was there in less than twenty minutes。
〃I've got a little problem； Morrissey。 I need your help。〃
His nervousness disappeared slightly and he looked around shyly。 〃Anything I can do； Mr。 Cord。〃
〃Stand up； Rina；〃 I said。 Slowly she got to her feet and walked around us。 Morrissey's eyes widened behind his glasses。 I was glad to see that other things could occupy his mind besides airplanes。
〃There isn't a brassière made that can keep them from jiggling；〃 I said。 〃And still look natural。 I want you to design one that will。〃
He turned back to me； an expression of shock on his face。 〃You're joking； Mr。 Cord！〃
〃I was never more serious in my life。〃
〃But… but I don't know anything about brassières。 I'm an aeronautical engineer；〃 he stammered； blushing a bright pink。
〃That's why I called you；〃 I said calmly。 〃I figured if you can design planes that have to withstand thousands of pounds of stress you ought to be able to e up with something that would hold up a little thing like a pair of tits。〃 I turned to the costume designer。 〃Fill him in on what he needs to know。〃
Miss Gaillard looked at me； then at Morrissey。 〃Perhaps it would be better if we worked in my office in Wardrobe。 I have everything there you might need。〃
Morissey had been staring at Rina's breasts while the designer spoke。 For a moment； I thought he was paralyzed； then he turned around。 〃I think I might be able to do something。〃
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