My A-List Lover

Chapter 2

“You look nice.”

Joe remarked as Gianna lowered herself into the back seat of her Mercedes SUV.

After two years of riding her old beige sedan, she finally saved enough money to afford a nice, spacious car to travel in. LA is such a pretentious city, she was just glad she no longer drew attention in her anomalous vehicle.

“Thank you, I was worried that it may be too casual.”

“Nah, I think you look great. You look like the Gia I know. Just try not to act too quiet and tired. After all, this may be a very important meeting”

She knew that Joe’s emphasis on the “important meeting” was his nice way of telling her to be on her best professional behavior without being her usual, introverted self.

“Ok, I’ll try my best.” She obliged. 

She leaned back comfortably against the chair and looked out the window. Sunset Boulevard as always, was littered with cars desperately trying to get to one place to another. The sight of so many cars suffocated her, so she rolled down the window and breathed in the cool summer air.

It was the beginning of September, right after the intense heat of Indian Summer. She was tired of the dry, California heat and eagerly awaiting fall. She needed a breather, an escape to a faraway place without the traffic, people and humidity. Yet this was only wishful thinking, as she knew all too well, that she was in middle of the most crucial period of her life.

She needed to work while she was still young, and make something of herself before age defies her.

This sudden thought overwhelmed her, so she closed her eyes and attempted to let her mind wander to a brighter, more promising place.

London, Paris, A remote island in Maldives...

Not even a minute seemed to have passed when the SUV slowed down towards the curb occupied by two valet guys in a white shirt and black pants. One guy hurried over to her door and waited for Joe to unlock the door. Before she can gather her sleek white leather envelop clutch, the door was opened and the man greeted her with a welcoming smile.

“Hello Ma’am.”

“Thank you, kind sir.”

She rested her hand on top of his and took a light step out of the car. She wondered if she will one day be greeted this way by the man of her dreams. Just the thought of it made her fingers tingle and her heart flutter with a thousand butterflies. She couldn’t tell if the butterflies were a sign of anxiety or excitement.

Gianna and Joe walked alongside into the exclusive sushi restaurant in West LA. She had only heard about this place as a favorite amongst Hollywood producers, directors and agents alike for its private rooms and high level of security.

Once they entered the small, hidden entrance with no visible signage, two petite women in kimonos greeted them. They looked like westernized geishas, without the heavy white make up but exaggerated pink blush and cherry lips. They gracefully bowed 90 degrees and chirped in a soft, feminine voice, “Welcome to Katsuwa, Ms. xxx and Mr. Meyers, please follow us.”

Gianna wondered how they knew their names.

Are there hidden cameras somewhere? How creepy. The closer she got to stardom, the more enigmatic it became.

A fleeting vision of the imaginative. 

They were led down a dimly lit corridor framed by paper sliding doors on both sides. It was hard to tell from the outside where the walls end and doors begin.