Chapter 2 Johny Sly

Elena strode her steps to the elevator and she pushed the button number five. She was the only person who that elevator directly and privately taking her to the fifth floor of that skyscraper building. The elevator door slid open and the company tag on the glass window stand with some classy mosaic ornaments but esthetical captured her eyes, ‘Rage and Fame’ agency.

She pushed the door of the office and looked around where some beautiful girls and chic men were taking part in some photo sessions. Some of them were waiting for the audition shot.

She saw Johny, her boss, sitting on a long sofa with Jeanette, a senior manager for the agency and one of the other women who liked to stare at her with squinting eyes from her head to toes, for any perspectives of fashion that Jeanette could draw, from Elena’s taste in fashion. The best that Elena could do to respond to it, was just to walk away and ignore their perspectives on Elena’s fashion taste or style since those perspectives sounded more judgmental than evaluative in her ears.

“Good morning, Boss.” Elena was standing in their sights.

Johny paused sipping his coffee and his eyes evaluated Elena from head and toe. His eyes stopped for some seconds on the old jeans that Elena was wearing. Then, he smiled widely and sipped his coffee. “Would you mind if I finish my coffee first, Elena?” His eyes looked at Elena. Johny had ocean green colored eyes with his piercing stare to scan someone’s intention.

Elena inhaled. ‘His eye color made me remember again the same-colored bag that I decided to not buy it. It cost more than two hundred dollars.’ Elena wobbled her head. “No, Boss. I can wait for it.” She still stood in her position.

Jeanette’s eyes were scanning her from head to toe like the device in a store scanning a price tag. “It’s afternoon, Elena. It’s nearly lunchtime.” She sneered at Elena and sipped her coffee with her scanning eyes on Elena.

“Don’t you have another pair of shoes? I see you always wearing those same boots!” She squinted her brown eyes at Elena. “And, that scarf, dear…we don’t use that motif this season. My gosh!” She covered her mouth with pink blossomed lipstick as she was surprised by her perspective on Elena’s fashion.

Johny cleared his throat. “Jeanette, please. She’s not our model. She has another business with me.” He put his coffee cup on the table. He breathed in a long deep inhale.

“Come to my room, Elena!” Johny rose from his seat and gave Elena a sign with his chin to follow him.

Elena nodded and beamed at Johny. “May I give a reason why I always wear these boots, Jeanette? I love these boots so much since their color reminds me of your eyes!” She nodded her head as a sign to leave the room.

Jeanette gaped and her jaws almost dropped as her ears caught Elena’s perspective.

Johny covered his mouth with his backhand and cleared his throat. He tried hard to hide his little laugh at Elena’s radical statement.

Johny closed the room door after Elena came after him. “Take a seat, Elena!” He walked to his chair and signed Elena to sit in the front of his desk.

Elena took a seat but, in a few seconds, she rose from her seat and held her back part. “Ouch!” She took a minimum-sized black G-string underwear from the seat with her pinched fingers. ‘I am sure that a model has got it before!’ She showed it to her boss.

“Its price tag is piercing.” She clenched the stick pin and its needle nearly hurt her butt.

Johny took it from the table and put it into the lowest drawer. “I need to see whether she fits best on that underwear or not as our model and brand image.” He answered the suspicious sight from Elena.

Elena nodded and inhaled. Her eyes scanned the surface of the seat. ‘I hope I don’t find anything additional from their performance.’ She beamed at Johny and inhaled in a deep relieved breath as she found her seat was clear to be sat on.

Johny took a brown envelope from the upper drawer and straightened his back on the seat. “Have you got your lunch, Elena? I’d like to discuss it with you while we’re having lunch.” He grabbed his car key and a black leathered jacket that was draped on the arm of his seat.

They came out of the room with some suspicious stares from Jeanette and the other female or male staff and models. They waited for the valet parking to drive a red sporty car in their sight. Elena turned her sight around and kept her ears alert to catch any sounds that made her stay alert.

“That’s okay. It’s my property, every corner has its own eyes for me…” Johny whispered in Elena’s ear and glanced at her.

Elena sighed and tried to relax herself.

Johny drove his sporty car and dropped them both at an oriental restaurant.

“Thank you.” Johny beamed at the waitress for serving them some cups of tea. They had beautiful scenery with some medium bamboo plants surrounding the place where they had their lunch. They were inside a chamber with its open air.

“What do you need to discuss with me, Boss?” Elena poured the tea for Johny and herself.

“Thank you. Call me Johny, please…we are not in the office!” Johny beamed at her.

Elena grinned and sipped her green tea.

“I want you to do your job. The pictures of them are in the envelope!” Johny handed her the brown envelope.

Elena put her cup on the table and took the brown envelope from Johny’s hand, his wrist was sparkling as his luxurious watch with some diamonds and a beautiful white golden strap reflected the light. She stared at the picture of a man and a woman.

Johny was staring at her and rested the fingers of his right hand on his temple. “The woman is Irène Belle. She’s a model and used to work with me.” Johny paused. “We’ve been close enough for three months but you know, she couldn’t handle me as she said.” He frowned his lips and took a sip of his tea.

Elena looked at him. “Are you still in love with her, Johny?”

Johny wobbled his head. “Not too much. I think we’ve lost our spark already.”

Elena nodded her head and sipped her tea. “Okay. What about the man?”

Johny inhaled. “People know him as Fred Tiger. He was caught by some of my men that he had hired some hackers to steal some information about my business and personal life. He’s having a secret affair with Irène Belle.”

Elena threw her sight to the open garden. “How much is the assignment?”

Johny sniffed. “Five thousand dollars. You only have to get closer to him and get some sensitive information about him. Don’t worry about your safety. My men will keep you close and make sure your safety.”

Elena stared at Johny.

“Your main priority is Fred Tiger, but if you can also include Irène Belle, I’ll make your payment double!” Johny sipped his tea. “Keep my word, Elena, since you make me interested in knowing and working with you, your safety will be my priority.” Johny beamed and caressed Elena’s cheek gently. “I don’t know why you don’t have any interest in working in fashion or modeling. You have all the potential. I can polish you.”

Elena beamed and pulled Johny’s fingers from her cheek. “Thank you but again, fashion and modeling are not my passion!” She cleared her throat as the waitress came to bring their lunch cuisine.

Johny grinned, he pulled his credit card from his upper fit’s pocket. “Use my card whenever you need. Fred Tiger is a guy with good taste in women and fashion.” He handed his card.

Elena nodded and took the card from Johny’s hand. “I’ll use it wisely, Boss…I mean Johny!”

Johny beamed again and sipped his tea. “Good. Trust is number one for me, Elena Rouge!”

They stopped talking as the waitress put their meals on the table dish by dish.

“You know, Elena, I think I will be the first man who gave you this confession. Your pretty face makes me remember Jane Dovey.” Johny stared at Elena and his eyes were squinting as he was thinking. “Except your eyes’ color, Jane Dovey’s are deep ocean blue…I love Jane Dovey’s eyes.”

“Who is she?” Elena chopped her noddle and put it into her mouth.

“You don’t know Jane Dovey?” Johny furrowed his eyebrows. “She’s one of the most famous models in her era. Where have you been, Elena?” Johny pointed his chopstick to Elena and giggled. He chopped his chicken breast and chewed it.

Elena smiled. “My family aren’t quite familiar with models, fashion, and some stuff like that, Johny. We prefer talking about food, education, perhaps. We only talk slightly business in our family time. You know that’s why, now I am studying business and management. I love studying business and management from you too.” Elena confessed and put a fried tofu with a soybean sausage into her mouth.

Johny shrugged. “Thanks for your compliment.” He beamed and sipped his tea with his eyes staring at Elena who enjoying her noodles.