Bella 2
A week and a half later he was here sitting in the huge magazine's offices in Florence. He had gotten in yesterday late and had grabbed a bite to eat and then tried to sleep but he couldn't. The receptionist behind the desk kept trying to make eye contact with him and every time she did he looked away.
"Ms. Barrett is in a meeting right now, she will be down in about 15 minutes." She said to him in broken English.
"Thanks." He said. He was thankful that the woman knew English, because one thing was for sure he didn't know a lot of Italian. He watched her as she kept her cool as the phones rang continually. He shook his head and tried to figure out why anyone would want that job.
"Bella Magazine Gemma speaking how may I direct your call?" She said into the phone.
"No, she isn't here right now, but she should actually be here fairly soon. Would you like to leave a message? Hey Paolo the flowers came for her." She said looking at them.
"Yeah, I will let her know, she has a photo shoot this afternoon in the market square around three or so." She said hanging up and writing out the message.
"I swear that girl needs an army of personal assistants." She said as Jason watched her. He could hear the music blaring on the other side of the doors. The place was bustling and this just wasn't his scene. How did Brenda ever talk him into this?" Picking up the magazine he started flipping through the pages it just wasn't his thing tossing it aside he wished the meeting would come to an end. Leaning forward he put his head in his hands right when the door opened he turned to look and couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
"Sam, thank god you're here." Gemma said as she stepped around from the desk to help with her cameras and bags. "How was Milan?"
"Beautiful as usual." She said as she stood in front of him with her back toward him, she was petite but absolutely gorgeous had all the right curves in all the right places and the most beautiful brunette hair he had ever seen. Taking her glasses off she placed them up on top of her head pulling her hair away from her eyes.
"I'm so tired and I need to get back out there tomorrow. So I need you to get on that for me."
"Samantha McCall, I simply cannot keep up with you."
"Well you better, I need you to keep it all together for me Gemma." She said smiling then putting her backpack up on the counter she walked around to where Gemma was.
"Here are all your messages." She said handing them to her. Jason saw her face; her dark eyes the full lips and as she leaned over her breasts heaving out of the halter top she wore with her leather jacket over it. "Paolo called about a million times for you and those over there are for you."
"He is such a womanizer." She said "You can keep them up here; I don't want them in my office." She said as Jason smiled to himself. She was confident and sure of herself and full of fire.
"I bet you he is going to pop the question tonight Sam."
"Meaning?."
"I think he wants to be more than friends."
"Good for him, I don't and I won't. I told you I am not getting involved again with any man, they are simply not worth it. It's like they take your heart and break it and then try to give it back to you. I have come to far to let some guy try to tell me the way it is going to be." She said just as Brenda came through the door way.
"Jason Morgan." She said running over to him and hugging him as Sam glanced his direction for a brief second then turned back to Gemma who winked at her as Sam shook her head. "No." she said "Don't even go there." I'll be in my office and I need to check in with Anthony about this afternoon's shoot. Also, if Paolo calls back tell him I am busy and can't be bothered."
"He isn't going to buy it Sam and you know it."
"Well then you better make him believe it." She said picking up her stuff and glancing around she walked past him.
"Brenda." She said
"Sam." Brenda said back to her as Sam made her way through the large doors and turning she looked back one more time before she made her way to her office.
" Beautiful." He said to himself as he walked through the doors and down the hall glancing back the direction she went and saw her at the end of the hall walking into an office.
Walking back out of the room where they had been talking for a couple of hours he looked around and saw her down the hall.
"Are you ready to get going Sam?" Anthony said
"Yeah, I am going to walk over there if you don't mind, it's not that far from here and actually the models don't have to be there for a little bit yet."
Gathering her things she walked toward him when she got near the door he opened it for her as she made her way through it she turned back and said thank you as she looked at him briefly then turning back she walked over to the desk.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yeah."
"You going on over there with Anthony?"
"No, I am going to walk over by myself."
"Why?"
"Why? Cause it is a beautiful day outside and I want to besides I need to stop by for a espresso before I fall over. Did you get the itinerary for tomorrow?"
"No."
"Well, you need to get on it." She said as she gathered her stuff and making her way toward the door he raced a head to get to open it for her.
"Thank you." She said
"You're welcome." He said as he watched her walk through them once she got outside she looked back at him and his eyes locked on hers he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen, and she had seen plenty. Being in this business they were a dime –a – dozen, but that voice mingled with those intense eyes made her feel things she had never felt. Jason wanted to touch her so bad, it was a needful ache in him that he knew never existed.
The sound of a cars horn broke their concentration on each other which was probably the best thing that could have happened. She didn't need a distraction like that not now, not ever.When she turned back around he was gone and she was thankful. Walking down the stairs she made her way down the sidewalk to the bistro where she could grab a couple of Italian cookies and some caffeine.
"Sam."
"Tito" She said then asked for an espresso and a couple of cookies in Italian.
"Gratzi " She said paying him and taking her food to the patio to sit it was beautiful out. Letting the espresso cool off a bit she ate the cookies and sitting back she looked through the magazine. She thought about Brenda and how knew that gorgeous man. "Forget it." She told herself out loud, so that she could hear it.
After she was done she walked over to the trash and dumped her trash. Walking down the sidewalk she went down the road then turning the corner she saw all the cars and equipment and saw everyone bustling about. Looking around she saw Paolo off in the distance.
"Sam are you ready?"
"No, give me five."
"Okay." Anthony said to her
"Where's Brenda?"
"Over there." He said nodding to her with his head. Looking around she saw her and waved her over as she took off her jacket setting it down on the table near her, then turning decided to walk over to her instead.
"Are you almost ready?" She asked.
"Yeah, just a few more minutes."
"Okay." She said looking at her this morning. "By the way Im sorry that I was short with you this morning, just tired, but I had no reason to be a snip." Sam said. "Are you going to be coming to the party tonight?"
"Yeah, I was planning on it, My friend Jason, is here from the states and I was going to bring him as my date."
"Good." She said as she was loading her camera with film.
"Samantha. Don't look now, but here he comes."
"Shit."
"You need a diversion."
"No, I don't."
"Okay, well then maybe you should turn around and take a look at what is coming your way. He is so cute."
"Then you take him, He's all yours."
"So has be popped the question?"
"Hell no, and even if he did, I wouldn't."
"I bet he asks you tonight in that room full of people."
"If he does, I'll kick his ass."
"Sam you wouldn't."
"You want to bet?"
"Guess who?" He said putting his hands over her eyes.
"Paolo I don't have time for this I have to get busy here." She said as he tried to reach around and grope her in front of everyone including Jason.
"You damn son of a bitch get your hands off of me." She screamed shoving him hard enough to make him lose his balance and fall.
Jason watched him as he looked up at her with disdain in his eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He said in his broken English.
"Uh let's see, You don't own me and therefore have no business having your damn hands on me, in public or otherwise." She said just inches from his face. The last thing men liked was being put down in front of others it just didn't do well for their egos. Jason could see the wheels in this guys head as he walked closer to where Brenda and Sam were standing. As soon as he thought it, he picked up his hand and swung around to hit her when Jason stepped in between him and her and caught his hand in mid swing, just when it would have made contact with her.
"Who the hell are you?" Paolo said.
"You don't want to know." He said looking at him with those blue eyes.
"Is this your latest..."
"Don't you dare even say it." Jason said looking at him
"Is this guy for real?" He said looking at her. Sam stepped back and walked around to the other side and looked up at Jason and reached out and touched him on his arm sending Jason higher than any cloud.
"Yep, He's most definitely...FOR REAL." She said.
"Apologize to her...now."
"I don't think so." He said as Jason's grip on his arm got tighter.
"Ow." He whined.
"Now!" Jason commanded.
"Alright, alright I'm sorry." He said looking at her.
"Don't you even dare to touch her again in any way, do we understand each other.?"
"Yeah, we do." He said as Jason let him go and he walked away.
"You and I are through."
"We never started." Sam said then turning she looked up at Jason. "Thank you."
Anthony walked over to her and asked if she was fine. She assured him she was and he shook Jason's hand.
"We need to get this going."
"Come on Brenda, let's go girl." He said as she walked up to where they were propping her. Sam walked up and got some beautiful shots of her as the stylists ran around her she snapped hundreds of pics, Brenda alone and with the other models. Grabbing a blanket she laid down on it and took some cute pics of the girls. As the music played loudly in the back ground. The girls all posed together. Sam kneeled down and looked down through her lens snapping several pics as her hair blew in the wind. She looked to her left and saw him watching her, she was something to behold and he couldn't believe this was happening to him. Him, Jason Morgan the man who didn't want to have anything more to do with a woman ever again, when he saw her she smiled at him and turning she snapped a couple of pictures of him when he had looked away after Brenda had called to him, he was pensive and quiet and to much of a distraction.