Coco Chanel Saved My Life by Danielle F. White Read Free Book Online Page A

to see you again… happy to see you are now able to stand!”
    I felt like an idiot. I wished a trap door would open below me and make me disappear forever.
    â€œHmm… I’m doing my best to keep my balance,” I said, trying to be funny.
    He kept staring at me and I went back to look at the office map on the wall to escape his blue eyes, while I felt my cheeks blushing.
    â€œAre you lost?” He asked kindly, coming closer to me. He smelled good.
    â€œYes… It’s my first day here and I don’t know where all the offices are yet. I have an appointment with Mr Parisi. Do you know where his office is?”
    â€œSure! Second floor, second door on your left. I’m going in the same direction,” he said, pointing towards the elevator. His accent was very elegant. French, I thought.
    The elevator stopped at our floor and he gallantly invited me to enter first. I tried to make some kind of small talk to overcome the embarrassment. “You must have an interesting job…”
    He looked at me with perplexity.
    â€œWell, I mean, delivering packages all around Milan… I’m sure you must meet a lot of people,” I realized how ridiculous I sounded.
    In fact, he laughed: “Oh,
oui
. It’s really a beautiful job. One gets to meet many interesting people.”
    â€œAre the packages you carry really heavy?” (Congratulations Coco! Very intelligent question.)
    â€œI deliver any kind of packages: large, small, huge, heavy and light,” he smiled and kept staring at me with his magnetic look.
    Finally, we arrived at the second floor and he led me to the director’s office.
    â€œYou are really pretty when you walk without stumbling,” he caught me by surprise and I blushed up to my ears.
    â€œThank you… Believe me, I usually don’t fall into the arms of strangers.” I said staring down at my feet to avoid his gaze.
    He knocked lightly on Mr Parisi’s door, but didn’t wait for an answer to enter. “
C’est moi
!”
    I was right – he was French!
    â€œCome in,” a young voice said. They seem to know each other very well.
    I expected the typical, predictable boss: a distinguished man in his fifties, with a navy suit, a boring tie, and elegant shoes. On the contrary, on the other side of the desk I saw a smiling young man about my age, wearing jeans and a
Clash
t-shirt.
    â€œI brought the documents you were looking for,” the errand boy said confidently, “and then I found a new hire on the elevator.”
    Both of them smiled warmly at me.
    â€œYou must be our new resource from Venice,” he said, inviting me to sit.
    â€œMy name is Rebecca Bruni.”
    â€œIt’s a pleasure to meet you, Rebecca. If you don’t mind, we can be informal…”
    â€œSure,” I always felt a little uncomfortable using a formal tone with people my age.
    â€œThank you, Etienne,” he addressed the man who had just placed the box on his desk.
    â€œWell, I’ll leave you two alone now,” he said heading to the door. “Hope to meet you again, Rebecca – maybe in the elevator.” His look was full of irony.
    I smiled shyly at him. As soon as he left, Paolo looked at me for a moment and said: “So you have worked at
One
for about five years, organizing scientific-medical conventions.”
    â€œCorrect.”
    â€œAll positions are filled in our conventions division, but, as we discussed with the Venice agency, there are other positions open.”
    â€œYes, I’ve been informed of this. I would like to try working at different kinds of events.”
    â€œGood! I like people who love change. Your new position will be in a division that we only recently opened, and we’re very excited about it and proud of it. Your work will be organizing wedding receptions.”
    Weddings! It must have been a big misunderstanding. I didn’t know anything about weddings!