6 Coerced into Modeling, Learning New Things

Chapter 5: Coerced into Modeling, Learning New Things

(Previously....)

Walking into the study my father helped me straighten out my tie and my mother proceeded to do my hair... again, very stylish for the time I might add. And at exactly 7 PM on the dot, someone knocked at our front door, and it was answered by our head maid Laura. Mother quickly rushed to the door as it was opened and she welcome the guests, as the maid led them through the doorway into the waiting room. 

Meantime my father and I stood side by side a couple of feet behind my mother in a welcoming manner. As soon as I saw the guess enter, to my surprise it was an old lady that was welcomed into our home. She had a bright smile on her face as she saw my mother waiting for her at the entrance of the waiting room. "Angela, welcome to our home!..."

My mother had said in an elated sweet tone in her voice, even though you could her the broken English mixed in with the French tone, clearly showing she had a heavy French accent to my mother's tone. "Jessica! My sweet Jessica, how have you been doing my amore? How long has it been since we met last?" A British accent was heard from the old lady still not knowing who she was, as she proceeded to kiss mother's left and right cheeks. 

Like all French do in greetings, of course to accommodate my mother's heritage and up bringing. "I've been great, Angela. Here come, let me introduce you to my husband and my beautiful little boy. She leads Angela in front of us by looping her arm with hers, "This is my husband, David." My mother said as she took a step to the side pointing at my father who was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. 

'Wait... Wait a minute, where did he get those? I was just beside him. He didn't have those before. Does he know how to do magic as well? Is my family hiding something from me?' I thought to myself as I was getting to confused to focus on the lady in front of me. I was too deep in my own thought when the two stood in front of me, I was snapped back as my mother snapped her fingers in my face to get my attention back to our guest. 

After I refocused, my father immediately handed Angela the bouquet of flowers over and kissing her as she did to my mother on both cheeks. "Angela my dear, it's a pleasure to finally meet you again. It's been a few years." Father said in the same heavy French accent as my mother did before, but his had a deep Italian mix to his, then he stepped back to give her some space. 

"The pleasure is all mine, David. And it has been a few years hasn't, after all you did steal away my Jessica away from me those years back." She replied while taking the flowers and making my father blush at the same time. After she spoke, my father stepped back away from our guest and let her have a good look at me next, then my mother started to introduce me afterwards. 

"And this is my adorable boy and the love my life, my son, Christiano, very handsome is he not?" My mother continued hugging me by the shoulders as she pushes my forward to our guest. I simply smiled shyly at her and waved hello to her. 'Ooo.. hoho, what a cute and handsome little boy you have here, Jessica! Can I have him? You know... he took the best parts of both of you." 

And she was right, I had my mother's midnight dark-silky hair, and my father's bright blue eyes. Then she continued, "and look at that build, he looks 15 to me. How old is he again? He's going to grow-up to be a heart breaker you know. I immediately fell in love with him, Jessica." She exclaimed with excitement in her voice as she leaned down to my height and proceeded to pinch my cheeks out of how cute I looked. 

What I do for my mother and her associates, 'The sacrifice must be made, and I shall accommodate my mother's wishes.' I said loudly in my head. As the hour past along and my mother was reacquainting herself with a long-forgotten friend of the family. Dinner was called as my mother's friend, Angela was doing pretty well for herself, but I was still confused and did not understand why my mother and father were showing so much respect to our guest.

Angela seemed to be an acquaintance of my mothers' past, maybe from the time she was a model, back in France, in her younger years before she met father, so I'm guessing no promotion from my dad's job. Well... anyways, as far as I was concerned mother doesn't work, or does she? Hmm... I am at school 5 hours a day and always out doing exercise most of the day after school. 

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, the dinner conversation took a sudden turn towards me for some reason, because three adults in the room were staring at me. "So, what do you think of him, Angela? Does he qualify? Will he be able to enter? Is he good enough?" My Mother asked Angela anxiously, while they both looked at me. 'Man, I'm totally confused here know. What the hell is going on with this conversation?' 

Thinking to myself as I stared back at the three with confusion in my eyes. Angela still taking a long look at me, staring down at me from head to toe as she said, "Well, I think... he'll do great. He has great potential and man look at those eyes, he's so cute and handsome. I'll have the contract ready by tomorrow morning at the latest. We can discuss the agreement in more detail at my office at let's say 2pm tomorrow?" 

Giving my parents a puzzled look, my mother looking at me with a beaming bright smile and she seemed to be really excited and proud for some reason. Angela noticing my confused look and then asked my mother, "You haven't told him, have you? Does he even know why I'm here?" Angela asked my mother smiling as if it was some kind of joke, they had just pulled on me. 

"Nopppe... We want to surprise him, and if he didn't make the cut, well... we need not tell him." My father said with a smile wanting to laugh at me for pulling one over me as I narrowed my eyes at him. "Oh! Well, you should tell him about this now. He looks like he wants to flay the both of you. Have you even asked him if he wants this type of life? You know, like you had before." 

Angela said surprising my mother by not asking for my opinion, before whispering something into her ear. Leaning back on her chair and faced me, "Well, my dear son, you're about to become a supermodel. What do you think about that?" A large grin spread from my face, "A model, really! Wait... Why? Mother... when did I ever give the impression that I wanted to be a model? I mean it sounds great and all but that means that I have to leave you two behind. Is that okay with the both of you?" 

I asked excitedly at first then turned into worry when I questioned my mother confusedly at what she wanted me to do. I too seemed to have developed a French accent the more I spent time with my mother, but less prominent than my parent's due to me growing up in the states. My mother gets up from her chair then hugged me, "I'm so happy you always think of us dear. And yes, my handsome son, it's okay for you to be a model. 

Well, I do remember the day we bought you that tree climbing kit, we said, and I quote, 'If you want these things you have to become as famous as I was.' You said afterwards, 'ok, as long as you get me the kit'." My mom said with a finger on my head for forgetting that as she poked my head back. "Wait, when was this? I don't remember saying anything leading to me to go the modeling direction. 

Or were you already thinking this after the fact that I was too busy with whatever I was doing at the time... hhmmm mother? Why the secrecy till now? Any why is father sweating bullets over in his chair. You do know that I have a perfect memory of everything that I read, heard, and saw. So, there is no way I would miss something like that. Hmmm..." Clearly being caught in the act, she just stared at me, and I gave in to her stares. 

"Are you saying that you wouldn't do this for your mother, hmmm Christiano Leonardo Armandeo?" Ahhh, crap. She said my full name, if I wanted to survive this I had to agree and quickly. For now, I started to sweat bullets, "No mother!!" As I waved my hands around to tell my mother that she was right, and I was wrong. Better make it sound good and bring father done a peg as well. 

"You are right, Mother!! It was my fault that I forgot. I'll be glad to be a supermodel like you, it is better than Fathers' job. Whatever he does, it isn't better than yours." I was totally gipped and accepted my fate nodding my head in agreement as I held my head down in defeat. I was probably to focused on getting into the cave back then to remember anyways. 

"See that Angela, my son agreed. Now Chris, Angela here is the CEO of the largest company of modeling agency in France and a few other places throughout Europe by the name of Burberry Modeling Inc. I used to work for her in my beautiful younger years." My mother added, turning to look at Angela who was simply giving me a gentle elderly smile. 'I'm totally screwed, I got trapped being an over-sized Ken Doll.' 

As I thought to myself smiling wirily and agreeing with her. Soon after the day came to a close, and I waited for the next day that threw me into the modeling world. (NOT THE WIZARDING WORLD PEOPLE... GET YOUR HEADS RIGHT...) When the next day came, Angela brought over the contract and my parents signed said contract from Angela, from that point on, I was a model, not a supermodel... yet. 

Angela took me to France and got me trained as one of the youngest models in her agency hired. After 6 months of grueling training and let me tell you, it's worse than my training. I started off slow, but this took the cake. I had to stand a certain way, walk a certain way, even talk a certain way, I felt like a stuck-up privileged a**-wipe. But on the good side, it did help me learn and understand how my swordsmanship coordinated better under this training as well as my footsteps. 

Soon I became the youngest model that came out of her company and her most famous throughout Europe in my first year there. I traveled all over Europe as if it were my playground and backyard, I enjoyed every minute of it. My parents would visit every other two weeks just to see how I was doing, and my mother always gave her advice as I grew to love the modeling scene. 

My travels sometimes took me back the states and other countries all over England and Canada too. Now that place was a blast, snow skiing, mountain climbing (great past time), I even got a few abilities from that adventure. I learned to mountain climb without restraints and free climbed a full 150-meter mountain. I also hunted when I was alone, which I wrestled a bear or two just for kicks.

December 17, 1974... 

Well, It has been 6 years since I was volentold to becoming a model spokesperson for a famous French company from my mother past time, in other words, mother sold me into a Ken slavery as a child doll, good thing that my contract ends very soon. I just turned 18-years-old two days ago, and I'm feeling free for the most part. Now I can continue on some of my other future endeavors I had already planned and will become reality real soon. 

Arriving at the New York airport and getting off the companies' private jet plane, I walked hurryingly to the exit with heavy sleepy eyes. I had tried many times to sleep on my plane trips that took so long but never got enough sleep during the flight. Well... this trip that took me from the Paris branch to our New York one, an 8-hour flight which was very uncomfortable to say the least. 

Unfortunately for me, even flying first-class and getting some shuteye on a plane was still a total up-s**t experience every time, since the first flight I took. Planes of this era are not up to the standards of the old era I was from, so yeah, it sucked. Just as I was leaving the airport, a man dressed in a black suit recognized me and quickly pulled up next to me for pick-up in an all-black tinted windowed car, looked very nice to say the least. 

A 1973 Dodge Challenger R/T, it looked very cool, straight out from one of my dreams, and I'm going to own one very soon if I have anything to say about it. I was confused as to why he was here; he took his time to get out of his seat and opening the passenger side door inviting me into his car. I was still confused as I stood there in place until I got some kind of answer from the guy. 

Well, someone has great taste and is wanting me to experience this new ride. After a minute of decision making, I sat inside. He closed the passenger side door, placed my suitcase on the back trunk of his car and we rode away. He readjusted himself turning on the car and taking off like a bat out of hell, it was a great feeling as the car took off fast in the direction of the Grand hotel. 

"Mr. Christiano, how was your flight? Everything went well I presume. I had spoken to you a few hours ago as you were mid-flight. My name is Samuel Demarko, and I will be you driver for the rest of the time you are in New York as per the orders of Angela the modeling agency CEO. If you need anything done while you are here, I am here to take care of it. It will be nice working for you, Sir." Sam, my designated driver asked as he never took his sight from the road as we went through the streets of New York. 

Sam and I had worked together for the past couple of years whenever I was in the states, but never for him being my driver, when I was doing my modeling assignments in the states, he was usually my bodyguard. I kept telling Angela I didn't need a bodyguard, due to me being a martial arts master in my own right, I knew how to take care of myself. Oh, well... things change and so does life. 

He was an easy person to work with, as he didn't talk too much, and took his job seriously when needed. We sometimes had some small talk from time to time, he liked keeping to himself and only spoke when it was necessary, I never asked questions about his life other than work. I felt uncomfortable as usual in foreign spaces, especially when I have no family here to greet me, I guess I'm just home sick. 

I hardly get any sleep nowadays when away from the family to long and it's been three months since I've seen my parents. I exhaled with a long sigh as I looked out the car's window at the streetlights and its inhabitants I viewed passing by. "Will you be ok for tomorrow, Mr. Christiano?" Sam asked with a little concern in his voice, seeing the obvious bags under my eyes as he sneaked glances at me from the driver's seat. 

"I've been doing this since I was thirteen Sam, I'll be okay. Just need a little sleep and I'm bright as rain. You can count in it." I replied with a tired smile, reassuring him as I could. "Hmm, okay if you say so, Sir. But do let me know if something... anything needs to be changed while you are here, and I'll make it happen to the best of my abilities, okay Sir?" He acquiesced and focused back to the road ahead. 

After thirty minutes of the car ride through New York streets, we arrived at the Grand Hotel, where I'm staying for the time I'm here. Sam my driver got out of the car first running to the passenger side door and opening it for me while I stepped out. Then went to the trunk and back seat of the car to grab and handed me my medium sized trunk and suitcase. 

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Sir. I'll be here in the front entrance waiting for your arrival from your room. Till then see you tomorrow, goodnight." Sam my driver says. "Yeah, okay Sam, see you tomorrow! Be here by 7 AM in the morning or earlier if I call you. I need to go for some food I've been craving since I knew I was coming to New York last week." I said while waving at him as I turned to leave into the hotel. 

I have been doing many things since my departure from Las Angeles 6 years ago, went to many places, got trained by many people in how becoming a spokes model. Got trained in secret from a few Martial arts schools as I took some time between assignments when I was in Europe. Learned Combat Sambo, a martial art that has a Russian military background. Learned that when I was in Moscow, I was there for a month, it was cold as shit. 

Defendu, a British martial art created by William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes and Special Air Service (SAS) was taught to me by a special Members of the British SAS are forbidden by the UK government from writing about their martial arts techniques. The UK government doesn't want any potential enemy to learn SAS martial arts techniques. Learned this during the time I was in London a few years back and paid handsomely for both. They both cost my half a million dollars to learn only for the month while I was there. 

It was awesome let me tell you. Next up was Juken Do, a Japanese martial art focused on the bayonet. When I travel to Japan during my 4-month vacation time. I spent it traveling as a student of the arts, they were welcoming at the time, but I had to go through a lot of discrimination at the time due to my looks. Next, I went to China to learn Sanshou, it was developed for the Chinese military. 

That one almost got me banned from China because by two weeks I was beating all their masters. It was fun. Next was Teukgong Moosool (or Tukong Moosul) a martial art that was developed by South Korean special forces units. This was hard to find, I had to help a retire escape from the North to the South and he offered to teach me afterwards. Adventure anyone!! 

All these, I learned was to help me with my sword fighting and stance as well. Next up was KAPAP a martial arts system used by a number of elite Israeli military units during the old wars. That time I was on my own leave time, it was very sandy, and it was everywhere, in every crack you could think of. Not a good experience in my book, but the martial arts was great to learn. 

Next was Krav Maga a martial arts system used by the Israeli Defense Forces. Learned at the same time as KAPAP. Finally, I learned Lerdrit, a martial art used by the Royal Thai Army. I learned this on a whim, when I was eating at a side stall, when I was in Thai land. I saw that may were heading into a fighting cage and I wanted in. Fought the guy with this skill and was impressed so I asked after the fight if he could teach it to me. 

After paying the guy 100,000 dollars, he taught it to me for two weeks and then I was gone as he was as well. People were looking for the both of us, him for a fight and me for my money and looks. They wanted to sell me to some underground sex slave thing. They couldn't even if they caught me, but to their dismay I was already long gone from the country. I learned a few more but I'll get into that another time like Marta, Akito, Karate, Mutai, and other martial arts skills while traveling.

Now I heard that the U.S. of A military had some good skills and I wanted them. So, when I leave the service of Angela, and my contract is up, that's where I'm headed next to learn the Special Combat Aggressive Reactionary System (SCARS), this martial arts program was taught to US Navy Seals in the 1980s and 1990s, I'd have to wait on those for a while. 

Systema, a martial art that is utilized by Russian military units such as the Spetsnaz (Special Forces). I get that one soon, there's a gig in Russia coming and I'll learn it then. Then there is the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), a martial arts program taught by the US Marine Corps. US Army Combatives Program, a martial arts system developed for the US Army. Not made yet but I'll learn it when it's completed in the mid-1980's I bet.

Not that I needed a lot of time with any martial arts, with my ability, I learned quickly, less if the skill correlates to its brother skill arts. But I never gave in to laziness, always practicing my magic and skills to perfection, they aren't perfect yet. Now I'm now the world's powerful and only Wizard... I think, and I can enchant, rune, and ward anything from coins to clothes to vehicles. 

I know, I did three cars, two motorcycles, and a few planes which took the longest. I can ward off anything that can, could, and would harm Hogwarts in its past and have it down on any home I've visited, that's how strong I've become with my magic. I've completed other enhancements with my ability on my body again, I've added 2 more inches to my height, and enhanced my brain pathways so I can think clearer and faster than I've had ever before. 

In my masteries, I've mastered handguns, spears, swords, cooking, and driving to Master levels. I've also mastered several languages as I traveled, had a lot of time to study while I was abroad over the years, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Ancient and recent Chinese, Egyptian and other lesser languages. I have also strengthened my body to its peek so much that I think I can probably throw a car at someone a few blocks away, which I won't by the way, mother would kill me for doing that. Still scared of mother... most certainly, never upset mother for any reason.  

Anyways, back to what I was saying... Oohhh, yes... I have also created with runes work a set of weighted wrist, leg, ankle, and body weights, a set of 250kg wrist weights for my arms and legs and a set of 500kg vest that I wore on my chest area. Of course, I added the feather weight charms on them, the weight only affects me and to the outside it weights nothing at all. 

If I ever toke off all of my weights, I will probably run at a speed of 200-300 km per hour for a good 2-3 hours straight due to how much stamina that I have accumulated since I've started. There are a few more modifications that I will be doing while I'm here because I have a few weeks to myself before I have to go to my next gig the agency has set up in France and Russia, those should be my last, I hope. 

Well, at least I have some great accommodations that the agency spends on me, and I mean they spend a lot on me, but I think sometimes they act like a bunch of penny pinchers. They won't pay for an extra Hotel room in one of the most expensive hotels to accommodate my hired driver. Now come on, he's my driver, and if some emergency would happen, I would have to wait for him to arrive, is it not better to have him near-by just in case? 

Well, that's just me. Coming out of my thoughts, I quickly entered the hotel and simply gave my name over to the front desk clerk. I was quickly given the key and an awesome greeting from the staff as I made my way to my suite. My luggage taken by the bellman as I entered the Hotel lobby and now in his hands as I am taken to my booked room. 

Once in my room, I had a few dollars (100 bucks) to the luggage handler as he left happy as can be as he said good night to me and closed the door behind him. Then letting myself fall into the embrace of the comfortable queen size bed that was a little more comfortable than the one on the plane, dead and exhausted from all these trips, I fell asleep quite quickly. 

I arrived in the morning falling asleep and awoke that same afternoon, and there is no way I'm going to stay up till tomorrow comes. So, I headed into the bathroom to take a cold ass shower and prevent my body from falling asleep again, for now anyways. So, after my cold shower I headed to the hotels exercise room to complete my normal workout routine. 

As I left my room, I encounter a few other models from various other agencies and a lot of them were acting out of place, especially the ones that have modeled in the prestigious New York Fashion Weekly magazine. Some of what are known as the big 4 in the modeling world, the list consisted of the New York fashion week, the London fashion week, the Milan fashion week, and the Paris Fashion week magazines to name a few which are the top four in the world.

(To be Continued...)