Carpe Diem - Jesse 3 by Eve Carter Read Free Book Online Page A

traffic here was so bad, it induced road rage in even those with a mild mannered personality.
    He opened the passenger door for me and I slid into the compact front seat. Gio swung around the front of the car, moving with the grace of a cat, and slid in behind the wheel. He nosed the small car out into traffic and we were on our way to the gallery where the function was being held.
    *~*~*
    A lthough this was a fashion event, it was being held in some sort of museum or small art gallery. I felt a bit ridiculous gawking at the walls and ceiling, typical tourist style, but I had to take a minute to admire the beauty of the architecture upon seeing it. The building was ornate, with very old stone walls, some historic parts of which dated back to the Roman Empire. Large marble statues loomed above us on pedestals, surrounded by cherubs and angels painted or carved into the walls.
    Once inside we could hardly move. The place was packed with people. There were hundreds of models, fashionable and trendy women, and... hot guys. Waiters in black jackets with crisp white shirts milled about with platters of finger food and champagne. Loud techno music was blasting and the inside of the building was modern, in contrast to the ancient exterior.
    The thumping beat of the music was on its way to hypnotizing me and I didn’t notice Gio slip his hand around my waist until I felt the pressure of his warm palm on the small of my back. His hand pulled me in tighter as he guided me through the sea of arms and elbows. A slight rush of excitement flushed through my body at his touch, but I cast it off as a fluke. Stay focussed, Niki.
    Gio pointed to a bar where a twenty-something Italian girl in very high heels and a very tight, short skirt stood with very long legs, talking to two guys. They had to be male models, in my estimation, due to their striking good looks. Could there be any more beautiful people in one place? It was outrageous and I decided that Italy had Hollywood beat hands down when it came to the “beautiful people.”
    “There’s Alicia. She’s my assistant, let's go say hello.” Gio pointed her out.
    As we walked toward her, Gio shouted her name, trying to be heard over the blast of the music. Alicia turned around and her perfect lips blossomed into a smile. She greeted Gio, kissing him on both cheeks.
    “Alicia, meet Niki. She’s from Los Angeles. She’s in fashion design, trying to make some connections here tonight.”
    Alicia smiled smugly and hugged me, never taking her eyes off of Gio. “Connections, Gio? Is that what you’re calling it now?”
    Her long dark hair was tied up in a sleek ponytail, plastered like glue to the sides of her head, shiny and accentuating her perfectly round, symmetrical head. I could never get my hair to look that shiny and sleek when I made a pony tail. And the back part, the “tail” fell straight down, like it was smooth as silk. Mine went all willy-nilly in the back, as I always had stray hairs rebelliously springing out of my hair styles.
    Gio ignored her remark and said, “Remember when we were in Los Angeles, two years ago, and we met Keely? Well, Niki is Keely’s student and a very promising one, I have heard.”
    She looked me up and down with a cold stare. “You came to the right place. Everybody is here, tonight. The best agents, designers, models. You should be very successful here. But I’m sure you already knew that.”
    Alicia was rather unusual and her remark struck me as slightly offensive; hugging me like we were friends, then giving me the evil eye. Is that how she always acted in front of her boss?
    Gio took me by my upper arm, pulling me into the thick of the crowd. “Let’s mingle.” It seemed like he wanted to put a wide berth between himself and his assistant. What kind of business relationship did they have anyway?
    As we pushed further into the guests of the event, we passed a waiter carrying a large platter of various finger foods. I hardly had time for