Chapter 17

*Natalie*

*Sophie opens the show, and she closes it.*

I remember the other models telling me this.

Her hair is slicked back with a severe part, her makeup shimmering. It almost doesn’t look like her, but its *her.*

She is wearing a soft metallic monochrome outfit in warm white-gold, with a sparkling jewel bikini-style adornment that outlines her breasts and fastens halter-style behind her neck and around her back, under a cropped jacket reminiscent of a men’s suit coat, her jacket opens as she walks, the sides of her breasts exposed, accentuated with glittering stones. The jeweled sides of her panties peek out from low-waist genie-fit gold silk pants, cuffed at the calves; and she wears jewel encrusted gold shoes. Her tiny waist exposed, her abs flex as she walks, her round hips accentuated with her thong and the cut of her pants. Each step is a mesmerizing flow of movement. She nears the end of the runway, pauses and leans into her hip, giving the audience a look, her jacket swings open a bit, and for a fraction of a second, we see her entire breast, pink nipple exposed, she spins and presses into her other hip, revealing the jeweled back of her thong panties extending over the waistline of her silky pants. I feel the audience take in a collective breath. She looks over her shoulder, allowing us to take her in, giving us another look, and begins her mesmerizing walk back.

Another model has already begun her decent down the catwalk. She is in a black bodysuit with a halter-neck, twisted at her collar bone, and silky blue pants with block-style cutouts in front revealing the bottom of her bodysuit, and her toned upper thighs. The pants are fastened at her waist and thighs with buckles, they look like they are strapped onto her… The silky blue fabric is embroidered with Alexander Accardi interlocking A’s all over it in monochromatic royal blue, light blue, and white-blue… She has dark, tan skin, her long black hair flowing around her shoulders. She stops at the end of the catwalk, leaning into her hip and giving the audience a severe look, leaning into her other hip and turning, beginning her brisk walk back, cutouts over her curved ass cheeks and upper thighs, her cheeky bodysuit revealed, sculpted tan thighs and round ass flexing as she walks back.

I sip in a breath of air. *Damn.* I didn’t expect the outfits to be this sexy…The models keep coming out, one after another… Each outfit is a work of art, feminine, delicate, seemingly made to showcase the *womanliness* of each model’s body, silky, satin and sheer fabrics, nipples and breasts showing through… corsets, silky genie-pants, deep, revealing cutouts, hip-high slits and pretty panties… And I am starting to get turned on watching them.

Next I recognize Vanessa… She is in a sheer sparkling blue long-sleeve dress, with a slit down to her belly button, ruffles in a V down her chest reminiscent of the lapel on a suit coat, lightly covering her nipples, her nipples peeking through the fluttering lapel of her outfit as she walks, a tiny solid blue bikini bottom underneath. I feel Zane’s hand heat up as Vanessa approaches, she is close enough for us to touch, she stops, presses into her hip, shoots the audience a look, narrowing her eyes, leans into her other hip and spins around, beginning her walk back. I feel Zane’s intensity increase as she walks past us, and I snap my eyes over to him, wanting to see the look in his eye. He looks back at me and smiles, squeezing my hand. My heart starts going triple speed.

I see Drea appear, her hair in tight rows of braids, she is wearing a black sheer boned corset, laced up the front with space between the front panels, showing the toned line of her abs, her breasts held in by the sheer cage-like corset, nipples visible. She’s wearing black embroidered Accardi logo silk pants, the thighs wrapped in crisscrossing ribbon tied in a bow under the knee, kicking out the fabric of her pants at the calve; a slit goes up the shins to the knee, and her legs peek out with each step, laces up her calves and tiny silver shoes showing. She gives the audience a severe look, poses, turns and begins her brisk walk back.

Next I recognize Soraya… sweeping down the runway in a long black lace dress, the center a dramatic V that extends across the sides of her breasts and down below her belly button, nipples showing through the holes in the lace, black flapper-style fringe in a V at her ribcage and sweeping in curves over her hips, cutouts at her waist and hips, thigh-high slit up the center and a small diamond of solid fabric strategically covering the diamond between her legs... Her honey tipped hair lying over her shoulders in loose bent curls. She stops at the end of the runway, presses into her hip and looks at the audience, turning and pressing into her other hip, her dress tight on her round ass, gathered down the center, she is wearing nothing underneath... the skirt flares out and extends to the floor... I glance around the room. I see men with their eyes on Soraya like a magnet, their mouths literally dropped open, mesmerized.

As models sweep past, we watch Vanessa, Soraya, Drea, Sophie and the other models walk four or five other times, and finally Sophie steps out in the last outfit, the grand finale.

She is dressed like a Greek goddess, sweeping down the runway, her sparkling gold sheer dress wrapping around her body in only the essential areas, twisted around her neck in a halter-style top, the fabric sweeps over her breasts, her plump tits showing through, her pink nipples hard, her stomach bare, the fabric twisting around her back and the floor length sheer skirt gathering at her hip, her full leg sweeping through the slit as she walks. It is as if they found a way to just walk *Sophie* down the catwalk without clothes… Her golden skin looking so smooth and silky, I peer through the fabric and see the tiniest V of a bikini bottom in glittering gemstones underneath. The line down her stomach flexes as she walks, her thighs mesmerizing as she glides toward us down the runway… She pauses, steps her legs apart and presses into one hip and placing a hand on her hip, she gives the audience a look, she turns and presses into the other hip, giving us a full view of her gorgeous ass, the sheerest gold fabric sliding over her curvy ass wearing only a tiny glittering thong panty… I feel her holding the entire audience captive for a moment, making time stand still for a moment before she walks on, back up the runway. I feel a collective exhale, the viewers relaxing from Sophie’s hold.

As she walks off the catwalk, the lights in the house come up to half-way, and the audience applauds.

The stage is bare for a moment and then an older man with dark hair, a well-kept salt and pepper beard, and a black tux with interlocking A logos embroidered into it steps onto the catwalk. He takes center stage and stops. The applause surges. He sweeps his arm up, and gestures to his right. A man with dark hair and sharp-cut facial hair lining his jaw and a royal blue tux walks onstage, taking his place beside the older man.

“Gio Manzotti!" The man in the blue tux announces. The applause grows and the older man raises an arm up and sweeps into a deep bow.

The men each sweep an arm up and take a bow together as the applause surges again, and then they stand, look at each other smiling, and then walk offstage together.

The full house lights come up and the audience begins to chatter. I take a breath and look at Zane.

“Wowwww…” I say, drawing my word out. Zane smiles. We stand and the crowd around us begins to meander toward the entrance of the Gallery, leading into the VIP area of the Grand Ballroom.

The show has left me turned on and feeling magical, and I look at Zane starry-eyed. I slide my fingers up his toned forearm, and lean in close to him and whisper, “Can you believe I was just licking her pussy last night…”

He smiles, a little laugh escaping his lips.

I run my fingers up his shoulders, sliding them up the back of his neck and thread them through his sandy, wavy hair.

“…and licking those nipples…”

“Oh fuck…” Zane says quietly, shooting me a narrow-eyed look and a half-smile.

I bite my lip, and lean in closer to his ear with my lips. I whisper almost inaudibly into his ear, “And *she...* is really good at licking pussy..."

“Shhh…” he quiets me, grabbing my hand and leading me out of our isle toward the entrance.

We look up, and waking across our path is the man in the blue tux from the stage. Is this Alexander Accardi? *The* Alexander Accardi? He is stunning up close, impeccably dressed, black hair, tan skin and brown eyes, black lines of facial hair punctuating his features.

“Morrissey,” he says to Zane, a sparkle in his eye.

Zane eyes him for a moment, setting his jaw.

“Alexander,” Zane finally says.

Alexander nods and walks briskly past, disappearing into the crowd.

My gut twists.

I shoot Zane a sideways look and frown.

“How do you know Alexander Accardi?” I ask, pursing my lips.