Model to Holywood

*Beep beep~*

On a sunny morning, a sleek graphite BMW slowly made its way along the coastal highway toward Santa Monica.

"Miranda, what event are you attending?"

The driver, Luca, glanced over at the passenger seat as he asked.

Miranda was applying lip gloss in front of a compact mirror. The pink Estée Lauder shade glistened on her full lips, as soft and velvety as peach blossoms.

"The Carine Gilson lingerie show!"

"Carine Gilson? You've got some pretty good gigs."

CG is a top lingerie brand, on par with Victoria's Secret.

"Of course, I'm a supermodel now!" 

Miranda pursed her lips with a slight "pop" sound.

"Do they look good?"

She pointed to her lips, dimples forming as she smiled sweetly.

"Yes, they look great."

"Want to kiss them?"

"Nope!"

Luca shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid of crashing."

Miranda chuckled softly, then kicked open the glove compartment with her toe. She pulled out a pack of ladies' cigarettes, lit one, and leaned against the window, blowing out a gentle puff of smoke that carried a faint lemony scent.

"Do you plan on being a full-time model in the future?"

"Why do you ask?"

Luca was curious.

"The papers criticize you for not being focused on modeling, saying you're also not fully committed to acting, that you're rushing your transition and bound to fail. Now you're doing runway shows again. Are you following their advice?"

"Of course not! What do those critics know? Just a bunch of bandwagoners. Why would I listen to them?"

Luca shook his head. "Acting is my real job. Not only do I want to act, but I want to be the best actor—a world-class actor."

Miranda glanced at his profile and smiled faintly.

"Luca, you know, you're particularly charming when you're like this. Very attractive."

"Only at times like this?"

Luca joked.

"Oh, and also when you're sprawled on the couch getting beat up. That's when you're at your most attractive."

Miranda leaned back in her seat, covering her mouth as she laughed heartily.

Luca smiled bitterly. Several times when he was bullied by Kate and Lima, Miranda would sneak over to kick him a few times herself, then quickly hide behind Kate, pretending to feel sorry for him.

In their household, he had the lowest status—even the four little cats outranked him.

"Don't feel bad."

Miranda took the half-burned cigarette and put it in his mouth, smiling. "Guys like you are rare these days."

"Like me how?"

Luca asked, puffing on the cigarette.

"Cold but warm, gentle yet strong, brave but timid, flirty yet shameless, perverted but silly."

"Enough."

Luca waved his hand. "Just stop after the first few. No need to mention the rest. I'm not great at handling criticism."

"Alright then!"

Miranda chuckled lightly and returned to perfecting her makeup in the mirror.

By a little after 11, the car arrived at Venice Beach.

Venice Beach is right next to Santa Monica Beach, at the mouth of the Marina Del Rey. It's surrounded by boutique shops, an ocean park, and art venues, making it a popular spot, often used for fashion shows.

Today, the CG lingerie show was being held at the Marina Del Rey Aquarium.

"Luca, our show starts at 6 PM. Interested in coming by?"

"Alright! I'll give you a call beforehand."

"OK!"

Miranda smiled and got out of the car.

After dropping her off, Luca headed straight to the Hammer Museum.

The museum, located on Wilshire Boulevard in West Hollywood, is an art museum with white marble walls carved with reliefs. It's flanked by gardens and has a refined air. It's also close to Beverly Hills, attracting plenty of celebrities for events.

As preparations for the fashion show ramped up, the museum was bustling with activity. People were moving in and out, some setting up at the front desk, others working backstage, including models—both male and female.

"Luca, over here!"

Tony waved at him from a distance.

"Is Ed here yet?"

"Yeah, he's backstage, talking to Mr. Morton about you opening the show."

"Really?"

Luca followed him into the chaotic backstage area.

The backstage was set up in a storage room behind the exhibition hall. The space was small, doubling as both a dressing and makeup area, filled with clothes racks and couches. Plaster sculptures were stacked everywhere, and with over a hundred people crammed in, it felt like a marketplace.

"Luca, long time no see!"

Eric Rutherford, the notorious bad boy, was lounging on a couch getting his makeup done.

"Long time no see, Eric!"

"Luca, I thought you'd left the fashion world for good. You're a big movie star now."

Eric teased, shaking his leg.

"Psh~ Where else would I go if I left the fashion world?"

"Haha, word is, someone couldn't make it in Hollywood and came crawling back."

"Luca, welcome back to the fashion scene!"

*Clap clap clap~*

Someone hiding behind a sculpture led a sarcastic round of applause.

Laughter echoed through the room, sharp and mocking.

"Hey, what are you all saying?"

Eric stood up, awkwardly trying to smooth things over. "Luca, I was just joking. I didn't mean it like that."

"Eric, it's no big deal."

Luca patted him on the shoulder and walked over to the makeup area.

"Luca, don't let it get to you. They're just being nasty because you're having a tough time. It's common in this industry. You don't need to pay them any mind—you're a supermodel!"

Tony reassured him.

"I get it."

Luca smiled faintly, understanding the others' mentality.

The fashion world's pie is small, and the pie for male models is even smaller. He'd risen fast this year, taking a big slice, so naturally, other models weren't happy about it. Seeing his career take a hit, some couldn't help but gloat.

What he hadn't expected was just how unpopular he was in the circle.

"Good afternoon, Luca!"

Jamie Dornan walked over, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm really sorry about last time. Keira can be a bit headstrong. She doesn't actually have anything against you."

"Last time?"

Luca thought for a moment. Last time at Focus Features, when he mentioned auditioning for *Brokeback Mountain*, Keira Knightley had pulled Jamie Dornan away, as if he were about to catch something just by being near him.

"It's no big deal, Jamie. No need to apologize."

"Thanks."

Jamie smiled. "I heard you're opening the show—congratulations."

"Thanks!"

Luca waved his hand, smiling. "Got any free time this afternoon? Want to check out a lingerie show?"

"A lingerie show?"

Jamie's interest was piqued.

"Carine Gilson, at the Marina Del Rey Aquarium. I heard there'll be plenty of celebrity guests. Should be a fun time."

"Really? Thanks for the invite!"

Jamie happily accepted.

At 1 PM, Armani's rehearsal officially began.

The show was set in the central hall, and the runway was only 92 steps. Luca strode confidently toward the stage, dressed in black-and-white striped casual wear, sporting glasses. His calm demeanor complemented the museum's refined atmosphere.

"Luca's got great potential as a model. He can easily pull off various styles," the stage director praised.

Ed nodded. Compared to six months ago, Luca had made obvious progress—his steps were stronger, his performance more mature and fluid, likely thanks to Kate and Lima's influence.

"Switch to the third track. Let's pick up the pace a bit!"

*All my people in the crowd 

Grab a partner, take it down 

It's me against the music...*

(End of Chapter)