In mid-March, after finishing his work, Luca was preparing to return to the U.S.
In Rio, Salvation had already begun filming, and Infernal Affairs was in the pre-production phase, with casting, set construction, and location scouting underway.
These tasks were for the production and directing teams, and had nothing to do with him.
The preparation phase would last for about a month, so he needed to take this break to handle things in the U.S.
Earlier this month, the Step Up crew had arrived in Baltimore to start shooting; Mean Girls was about to be released, with the premiere set for early next month.
Now that 2004 had begun, several brands he endorsed needed to shoot new season commercials, and there was a ton of work to do!
"Busy, huh?"
Luca put away his folder and stepped off the plane.
In March, winter had just ended in New York, and the weather was slowly warming up. Despite wearing a long-sleeve sweatshirt, Luca could still feel the chill in the air.
"Luca, you're finally here! If you didn't come soon, I was going to lose my job."
On the airport boulevard, Tony greeted him.
"Aren't you working as a makeup artist?"
Luca handed over his luggage.
"Being a makeup artist is just part-time. My main job is still being your assistant."
"Getting two paychecks isn't bad either."
Luca smiled slightly and got into the car.
Tony had previously been a makeup artist but was forced to switch to being an assistant due to rumors.
As an assistant, he had worked diligently. However, whenever Luca was unlucky, people would bring up old rumors, like last year when Luca was blacklisted. Some in the makeup artist community whispered that Tony had brought bad luck to him.
But this year, Luca had become the highest-paid male model, graced the covers of numerous magazines, and recently won the Best Actor award at the Berlin Film Festival. His reputation was skyrocketing.
The rumors about Tony bringing bad luck had been completely debunked, and models from Ford Models often hired him as a temporary makeup artist because of his skills.
Now, Tony made more money as a makeup artist than he did as an assistant, but makeup artist work, like modeling, was unstable. It had busy and slow seasons, whereas the assistant job was more secure. Otherwise, Tony would have quit by now.
"Luca, I'm getting married next month. Can I invite you to the wedding?"
"Married?"
Luca asked in surprise, "Tony, congratulations! What made you decide to get married?"
"I... I'm going to be a dad," Tony said with a wide grin.
"Wow, double congratulations! You're one lucky guy!"
Luca marveled.
Last year had been rough for Tony. He had faced unemployment and even argued with his girlfriend. But now, his income had doubled, his girlfriend was pregnant, and they were getting married. It seemed he had made it through his rough patch and was entering a new phase of life.
"Thanks! I wasn't planning on getting married this early, but Ed kept telling me that with a child, you have to think about providing a stable environment for them—a complete, happy home.
That's what a responsible man should do.
I thought he made sense, so I'm getting married," Tony said with a shrug and a smile.
"Yes, all for the child!"
Luca smirked. Who would've guessed that Ed had the potential to be such a counselor?
"Ed also said that my getting married would be good for you too."
"For me?"
Luca was taken aback.
"Yeah, Ed said that once everyone around you is married, it'll start to affect you too. You'll start thinking about settling down early, focusing on work, and stop messing around. Isn't that a good thing?"
Tony chuckled.
Luca shook his head, surprised to be getting marriage pressure—from two guys, no less. It was hard not to want to roll his eyes.
"Well, Ed sure is thoughtful, but I'm not going to be influenced by you guys. Marriage is the graveyard of youth, and I'm still in my prime."
Tony nodded, "You're right. I didn't want to get married because I wanted to keep having fun. But now that I'm going to be a dad, I suddenly feel like I'm done with the fun. So, I'm getting married and wrapping up my extended adolescence."
Luca smiled. It seemed that having a child had made Tony more mature.
Half an hour later, they arrived at 76th Street in Manhattan's DC district.
Luca went back to his apartment, changed into a suit, and then headed to the bustling Fifth Avenue.
Fifth Avenue runs through the heart of Manhattan in New York, intersecting with 47th Street.
It's the most famous upscale shopping street in the U.S., a hub for business, culture, residence, and tourism in New York, and one of the top ten most expensive commercial streets in the world.
Along this luxurious road, you'll find almost every luxury brand store imaginable—jewelry, leather goods, clothing, cosmetics, and more. Anything you can think of, you can find here. It's a shopper's paradise.
Today, at Gucci's exhibition center on Fifth Avenue, Sun-Gucci was hosting its New Year's fashion show. Kate and Lima were both designers and spokespeople, busy preparing at the exhibition center.
"Luca, you finally decided to show up!"
Outside the exhibition center, Ed stubbed out his cigarette and strode over, giving Luca a tight hug and a hard pat on the back, almost knocking the wind out of him.
"Ed, I was only in Brazil for two months. Is this really necessary?"
Luca complained.
"What do you mean, only two months? You left in December and didn't come back until mid-March—almost half a year!"
Ed frowned, his face tanned from the sun.
"Alright, alright. I'm back now. You can start scheduling work."
Luca said as they walked inside.
"Too much work—movies, ad campaigns, interviews. We'll talk details tomorrow at the office."
"Okay!"
Luca adjusted his sleek suit and followed Ed into the exhibition center.
The fashion show was about to start. The room was filled with people from the fashion, design, and media worlds, along with several familiar celebrities.
Among the attendees were North American Gucci President Girent, IMG Vice President, Mackenzie Bezos, Wendi Deng, A-list actress Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, Claudia Schiffer and her husband, and Paris Hilton.
The place was filled with stars, turning it into a massive party.
"Luca, congratulations on becoming the Best Actor in Berlin. Your talent is truly remarkable!"
Some old friends, Felix and Han Li, had also arrived.
"Luca, you and Kate must be the most talented sibling duo in the world!"
Han Li complimented.
Luca smiled and hugged them both.
"How have you two been lately?"
"Great!"
Felix beamed widely.
Since the Twilight series had taken off, his career had suddenly skyrocketed. His previously chaotic company had finally hit its stride. Company debt was reduced by 50%, the publisher's market value had soared to $120 million, and Felix's net worth had increased significantly, making him a star in the publishing world.
The second Twilight book, New Moon, which launched this year, continued to be a bestseller. It topped the charts in various countries across Europe and America, selling over five million copies, making another huge profit for the publisher.
"Luca, Kate's been really busy this year with lots of projects. Can you nudge her to finish the third book quickly? A lot of fans are eagerly waiting for it."
Felix laughed.
"Nudge her? Felix, remember last year when you said you'd pay me a commission for nudging her? Where's my commission?"
Luca teased, rubbing his fingers together.
"Haha, no problem! Jessica's birthday is coming up, and I'll make sure to give you a red envelope."
Felix glanced at Han Li, "Darling, isn't that what it's called?"
"No, it's called a big red envelope!"
Han Li corrected with a laugh.
"Yes, yes, a big red envelope, filled with cash! Emily said that'll bring good luck."
Felix gestured.
Luca smirked. A red envelope at Jessica's birthday party? Wasn't that just going to go straight back to Jessica? These two were really good at saving money.
"Alright, I'll make sure Kate keeps writing."
"Thank you, thank you!"
Felix smiled and then brought up another issue: the film rights to the Twilight series.
With the series blowing up, the movie rights had attracted the attention of film companies. Many of them had reached out to the publisher, hoping to negotiate.
However, the film rights weren't with the publisher, so they went to Kate, who pointed them to Luca. But Luca hadn't budged, leaving everyone without a chance.
Felix's point was that turning the novels into films would help promote the books and boost sales significantly. He hoped Luca would consider this carefully.
"I'll think about it," Luca nodded. He had already considered this matter for a while. He had thought about selling the rights before, earning ten or twenty million, but now that small amount of money no longer interested him.
He planned to wait until his film company was strong enough before collaborating with other companies to develop the series.
The "Twilight Morning" series had grossed over three billion dollars at the box office, ranking in the top ten of film franchises.
It was a gold mine, and he didn't want to let anyone else have it cheaply.
After chatting for a bit, Luca mingled with the crowd and met several fashion show VIPs and celebrities, including Mrs. Bezos, Wendi Deng, Julia Roberts, and Al Pacino.
In Brazil, he was considered a big name, but in America, compared to these world-class stars, he felt his own stardom dimmed quite a bit.
"I need to work harder!" Luca silently encouraged himself.
"Luca, the fashion show is about to start," Ed reminded him.
"Got it!"
Luca stopped in his tracks. He had planned to go backstage to greet a few people.
"By the way, there's a surprise in store."
"Surprise?"
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