The next day, Kate and Lima continued their rehearsals.
Luca wandered alone along the Champs-Élysées.
With Fashion Week approaching, the Champs-Élysées was packed with people, bustling with excitement.
At the Place Georges V, over a hundred fashion brands were preparing to hold fashion shows, with tens of thousands of attendees and tents set up everywhere.
Amid the dense crowd, Luca, wearing a hat, walked around, watching as he went. Whenever he saw a fashion show venue, he would walk in and submit his resume, hoping for an interview.
It felt like a job hunt.
But things weren't going smoothly. He attended twelve interviews in a row, and all ended in failure.
Some said his runway walk wasn't good enough, others claimed he wasn't cost-effective. Some even tried to lowball him, treating him as just another regular model. Others felt he was simply too famous.
After being rejected so many times, Luca started doubting his own abilities.
In the afternoon, he entered the exhibition area of a brand called Kooples.
This was a niche but high-end brand, quite famous in Europe.
He had taken his time deciding to interview here.
Back in New York, his agency handled everything. If a brand found him suitable, they'd contact his agent, make an offer, and schedule a booking.
He had never experienced this basic stage himself. Now, going through it in person, he finally understood what it felt like to be among the masses.
Under the hot sun, the exhibition area was stifling, and before long, he was drenched in sweat.
In front of the brand's tent, a group of models was lined up—handsome guys with great figures, the kind that would make girls scream anywhere else, but here, they were just people desperately seeking opportunities.
Luca was one of them.
"Are you Luca?"
Amid the crowd, as he was looking at his materials, someone nearby asked in disbelief.
"Yes, hello!"
Luca nodded.
"Is it really Luca?"
"The champion!"
"Why is he here?"
Voices of surprise rippled through the crowd.
Luca shrugged. He had been recognized multiple times today and could understand the other models' feelings. It was like encountering a boss character in a newbie zone—it was a lot of pressure.
"Mr. Kelly?"
After a while, a staff member called at the door.
"Yes!"
Luca followed the staff into the temporary workspace, and the interview began.
The process was simple: walk the runway to demonstrate his walk, personal image, and style.
The brand's designer and marketing director watched from below. If they found someone suitable, they would keep them. Every model represented a design element, and a good model could best showcase the fashion's style, so the selection process was strict.
"Mr. Luca Kelly, I'm pleased to welcome you here. I'm just curious—why are you attending this interview?"
The designer, holding his information card, asked with curiosity.
"I love your designs. This year, Kooples' designs are particularly unique. Just one look and I was deeply attracted. I would love to walk the runway in them."
Luca replied confidently.
"Thank you!"
The designer nodded and then consulted with a few others.
The interviewers started debating because his asking price was too high.
With the money they'd need to pay him, they could hire over a dozen decent models.
It wasn't cost-effective.
But this was unavoidable—he was a supermodel champion, and there was no way he could reduce his fee just to get the job.
This was his biggest dilemma—being priced out of the market.
After some discussion, the marketing director stepped forward, "Mr. Kelly, we're delighted you attended the interview, but your style doesn't fit with our designs."
Luca sighed inwardly. Another rejection with the same excuse. "Mr. Luc, could I share my thoughts?"
"Oh?"
The director paused, looking puzzled.
"Mr. Luc, I'm an experienced model. I've participated in hundreds of fashion shows and can adapt to various styles. I don't believe style should be a barrier to our collaboration."
Director Luc frowned slightly. Of course, the style excuse was just a pretense—Luca was simply too expensive and not worth it.
"Moreover," Luca continued, "I understand your brand is changing its marketing strategy, trying to expand beyond Europe.
I'm a globally recognized model, and I believe our collaboration could be a great way to start."
Before coming in, Luca had studied the brand carefully.
France was home to many fashion brands, and the market was oversaturated. Kooples, once a niche, boutique label, had become a bit of a hidden gem.
But now, boutique fashion was no longer in vogue. The bigger the brand, the more popular it became. Kooples was facing competition and needed to explore new markets to survive.
Director Luc pondered for a moment. "Mr. Kelly, do you have time to discuss this further?"
"Of course!"
Luca smirked slightly.
He had failed many times today, but from those failures, he learned that the French liked eloquence and persuasion.
In France, you didn't have to be the most handsome model, but you certainly couldn't be mute.
Sometimes, good speaking skills mattered more than looks.
That evening, at the Ritz Hotel, Luca returned to his room with a slight buzz from the wine.
"How did your job-hunting go today?" Kate asked with a smile, looking up from her laptop.
"Not bad. I got three gigs."
Luca grinned, feeling quite accomplished.
"Wow, that's a lot."
Lima, wearing her pajamas, walked out of the bedroom. "This week, I only got 54 gigs, and Kate only got 72. You getting three is pretty impressive."
"."
Luca sighed, loosening his tie. "You little brat, do you want a beating?"
"You dare?" Lima playfully waved her fist, swaying her hips as she headed to the bathroom.
"Haha~ Darling, you need to stop indulging her. You should give her a good spanking," Kate teased.
"Yes, I agree."
Luca poured two glasses of wine, placing one beside Kate. "What are you working on?"
"A work journal," Kate laughed, brushing her long hair aside. "I've learned a lot from the folks at Gucci these past few days. I want to note everything down so I can plan my own show next time."
Luca nodded. "Your growth is impressive."
"I have no choice but to grow. Bundchen has been killing it this year—she's landed thirteen top endorsements, and you see her at every fashion week. Sometimes, I can't help but admire her."
Kate sipped her wine, her sharp brows raised high.
"I get it. It's like with Ben Hill—he's been pushing so hard that I haven't had a chance to slack off."
Luca raised his glass with a smile.
"Maybe having a strong rival isn't such a bad thing for us."
"Agreed!"
*Clink!*
The two toasted.
"Okay, back to my journal," Kate said, handing her glass to Luca. "You can go to the bathroom and deal with Lima now. While you were gone, I had to discipline her every day. It's exhausting."
Luca smiled, took a few steps, then paused. Something didn't seem right. "Kate, have you and Lima been sleeping together?"
"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Kate asked, her face serious.
"Uh, no!" Luca scratched his head, feeling like something was off.
"Haha~"
Once he left, Kate laughed to herself, put on her headphones, and resumed typing away on her laptop.
(End of Chapter)