Plot

'Belle de Jour' introduces herself to us, talking directly to camera,as she will throughout the series, and explaining that she is a call-girl, working through an agent - partly for safety reasons but also because she does not come cheap. Her real name is Hannah and her family believe that she is a legal secretary, which she told them as she imagined they would find it too boring to ask her about. She explains the need to keep her two lives separate, even to the fact that her apartment is split into two halves, depending upon who she is for which visitor. However, she does break the rules when entertaining a shy young man called Daniel, revealing her true name to give him encouragement. She is more professional with a favourite client called the 'horsey-man' whom she sits astride and hits with a riding crop.—don @ minifie-1

A woman talks about her love of London, its rudeness, its impatience. But most of all, "I love its anonymity."

"The first thing you should know about me is that I'm a whore," she says. She explains the easiest way to spot a prostitute: look for the woman in the business suit.

She rises in the morning, talking to the camera. She wasn't abused by a relative, she doesn't have kids and she's never been addicted to anything, "except for maybe the fourth season of 'The West Wing.'" She's very high class. She does it because she loves sex and money. She even enjoys the sex. Plus, she's fundamentally lazy. She loves being her own boss. But she does have an "agent." And a client coming. She gets ready. Primping, painting.

She has certain rules.

Rule 1: keep life and job separate. Separate phones, bedrooms and sides of the closet, for Hannah and "Belle." Also, of course, get the money first. Rule 3: Safety. When the agency calls, "no problem" means everything's fine. "No problemo," means there's a problem. A nervous-looking client waits. She gives him a towel and toothbrush. Hygiene is also a rule. She wears only men's cologne so as to never send a man home smelling like a woman. Finally: figure out what the client wants and give it to him. She takes her client by the hand and, in bed, asks him about his fantasies. He imagines a farm. She climbs astride and they talk farm dirty. Horses, stables, barns...that does the trick. Another satisfied customer.

She tells everyone she's a legal secretary. It's so boring no one ever asks her about it, not ever her best friend Ben. He has a girlfriend and no idea about Hannah's day job.

They look at expensive apartments, pretending like they can afford it. Chopsticks on the piano. The real estate agent is not amused. They leave.

Belle waits at a hotel bar. Trying to profile the client she's about to meet. His first time, so he must be newly retired, low self-esteem...it's a young hot guy. They get a drink and go up to the hotel room. She plies her trade, but it's not working. He's nervous, says the time is up and wants to leave. She tries a different approach, letting him watch. He says that's extraordinarily nice of her, but he has to go. She's befuddled and slightly offended, leaving a job unfinished. "Well," she says, "that's a first."

At a meeting of all the girls. One of the girls owes the boss money. Stephanie, the madam, hands out a sketch of a man who's passing fake money. One of the girl's isnt there. Her boyfriend recognized the underwear he bought her for Christmas on the Web site. Belle wonders if she should get her pictures more pixilated, she couldn't bear if her parents found out.

She asks Stephanie if the guy she saw before called. Yes, he was more specific this time. He wanted the girl next door.

Back in Belle's apartment, she greets him, dressed casually. A little small talk and he's kissing her. Then more, on the couch. They don't even get their clothes all the way off before getting to business. The phone rings. Pause. "No problem."

After, he rubs her back and she drinks a glass of wine. He talks about his ex he was with for four years. He's not over her. They're comfortable, chatting. He wants to rub both sides of her back. He likes symmetry. Square numbers, palindromes - words that are spelled the same backwards and forwards. She accidentally offers up, "Hannah." Then freezes.

Cut to Hannah alone. Montage of her lazing around, being generally sexy.

She calls her agent, Stephanie, tells her not to give her that guy again. She writes a description of him under the word "danger." He wants Hannah and not "Belle."

The farm man from before returns. Belle has found him a saddle.

She doesn't want the youngest or richest clients. For her, the perfect client is one where she never has to be herself.