Dana opened one eye and then the other to take in the male actor in the movie poster and wrinkled her nose. Another egoistical movie star. Just what the world needed.
“He’s okay,” she said and closed her eyes again.
“Okay?!” Heather fanned with the magazine and dropped into the seat opposite Dana. “Are you dead?”
Dana snorted. “Don’t get distracted. Weren’t you looking for the article Vogue did on you?”
They were in Dana’s suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She had flown in that same day from France, fresh from Paris Fashion Week to model for L.A. Fashion Week. It had been normal for her in the early days to do both fashion events back-to-back, but it was grueling. And because of her current top model position she found she had more flexibility. However, she had made the effort to be there because the iconic fashion designer Giuseppe Assante had asked her to model his show stopper. Assante had been the one to boost her career bookings when he announced her as ‘The Body’ after she’d modeled for his show back in Milan three years ago, so she owed him.
She was also there to support her friend, Heather Lawrence, who was launching her fall and winter collections in Los Angeles for the first time and needed a high profile model like Dana to get more press coverage for her show. Heather had just opened a store in Beverly Hills in preparation for her relocation from Paris to her native city later that year.
Quickly flipping through the pages of the magazine, Heather exclaimed triumphantly, “Oh, here it is.” She passed the magazine to Dana.
Dana dutifully held the magazine over her head and read the article as Heather finished her lunch.
“So, I hear you’ll be wearing the feature gown at the Assante show this week,” Heather said.
Dana lowered the magazine and turned her head to meet her friend’s gaze. She had first met Heather in Paris weeks after she’d arrived fresh from high school graduation. Heather had been a fledgling designer at the time, and Dana had auditioned for one of her shows. Like Assante, Heather had played a role in launching her career by consistently choosing her to model her clothes. In short order, the two became close friends.
“That’s right and I will be modeling with a mystery actor I’ve been told,” Dana said.
“Any idea who he is?” Heather asked around a mouthful of mixed greens.
She was probably on a new diet, Dana thought. Heather was always trying to lose the proverbial ten pounds. Dana could never convince her that she looked amazing with her soft curves. And were it not for the fact that Heather barely reached five feet two inches tall, she probably could have been a model as well. With her smooth café au lait complexion, sparkling light brown eyes and bouncy black curls she was a beauty.
There were moments Dana wished she could have the luxury of a softer look too, instead of having to maintain such a strict diet and exercise regimen to be the perfect mannequin. But those ponderings were fleeting. Since the age of sixteen when she was discovered by an Elite model scout, she had accepted that there was little room for soft curves in the world of high fashion. Even at five feet eleven inches and wearing a size four, there were still those designers who claimed she wasn’t skinny enough to model their clothes. Fortunately, they were in the vast minority.
“Nope. They’re keeping it very hush-hush. Apparently, this same actor will be the face of Assante Menswear for a year.”
“Aren’t you in the least bit curious as to who he is?” Heather asked.
“They are all the same, Heather. I know firsthand what these Hollywood types are like, remember? All ego. You’ve met one, you’ve met them all. I’m being paid to model with him and that’s what I’ll do.”
Dana’s voice floated above the magazine as something in the article caught her eye.
“Hey, what’s this comment about wanting real women, not just model types, to be able to wear your clothes? Are you insinuating that I’m made of plastic?”
~*~*~*~
There was a flurry of activity in the dressing room as dressers worked frantically while stepping around hairstylists and makeup artists, to ensure models got down the runway on time for the last lap of the Assante show.
Dana’s dresser gushed, “You look amazing. This blue matches your eyes perfectly. No wonder Assante chose you to model the showstopper.”
Dana smiled politely in response. Even though she was used to adulation because of her looks, she still struggled with accepting her beauty as a blessing and not a curse. Yes, being one of the ‘beautiful people’ had made her life easy. She had walked into a career as a model in high school and had never looked back. She was now queen of the modeling world, but her beauty came with a hefty price.
From as early as she could remember her looks had attracted the attention of men. Attention she often had to fight off, figuratively and sometimes literally. Then there were those men who wanted to date her because they wanted a trophy on their arm, not too concerned with what was going on between her ears. Consequently, she had grown wary of romantic relationships.
Just then, the fashion show director, Randy, appeared.
“Dana, you’re up.”
Dana followed him down the short corridor which ended just outside the showroom.
“Wait here. The actor is on his way. You guys will move off when the next song begins to play.”
Randy’s gaze shifted past her. “Oh, here you are! The man of the moment.”
Dana turned around to see who he was speaking to.
Her breath almost stopped. That photo in Heather’s Vogue Magazine, as good as it was, had not done him justice. With one look she took it all in, the thick black hair, the sexy espresso eyes, the strong jaw and the perfect cupid’s bow of a mouth. Dead gorgeous, she thought with an unexpected and unwelcome appreciation.
They were quickly introduced. He gave her a disarming smile and shook her hand. She gave him what she hoped resembled a small smile but couldn’t be sure if her lips had moved. She felt frozen in time. Usually men were the ones doing the gawking, not the other way around.
“So…it’s you and me huh?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice that inexplicably raised goose bumps on her skin.
“Looks that way. So, you’re the new face of the menswear line?”
Goodness, was that high-pitched squeak of a voice hers? She cleared her throat. She was used to meeting good looking men. Why was this particular one having such an unnerving effect?
“Yep. Any quick modeling tips you want to share?” he said with a slight smile.
He was tall, she would guess around six feet and three or four inches, and the way the tuxedo fit his lean, yet muscular, physique made it almost impossible to look away.
She wasn’t being insincere, then, when she blurted out, “Nah, your presence alone will be enough for the ladies, I’m sure.”
Before he could respond, Feelin’ Good began to play. He offered her his hand. She hesitated for a moment and then slid her hand into his.
She gasped as what felt like static electricity passed between them. Their eyes met and she saw surprise reflected in his as if he’d felt it too!
When they rounded the corner, hand in hand, they stepped into a world of bright lights, the flash of bulbs, and pandemonium from the crowd. Dana knew that the loud claps and cheers had nothing to do with her or the clothes and everything to do with Robert Cortelli, the mystery celebrity who was the new face of Assante’s menswear line.
They separated and she expertly went through her paces but was always conscious of him. What tips had he needed? The guy was a natural at this. He had the stride down pat. And when they reached the end of the runway he reached for her hand again and, to her surprise, twirled her around. Dana felt a giddy excitement course through her and she was laughing when she stopped against his chest. Then he gently dipped her to more applause.
When he straightened with her in his arms, their faces were inches from each other. And before Dana could suspect his intention Robert Cortelli leaned in and kissed her.
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The Royal Couple: A Christian Romance (Royals Book 1) Page 38
