6 Presenter

"Must be exploited? But... we are already exploiting it! What else should we do besides interviews, photos and all those meetings? I'm already starting to get very tired, Kora... I believe that after the announcement of the winners, I will return to my room and..."

"What? You're kidding me, I hope! Hey, there's no room for your laziness today! I won't let you! I want you to be raising hell and breaking hearts, Naseefa Nayar! When we know the names of the winners, we will approach that table with nonchalance and get the ball rolling, what do you say?" Kora interrupted, speaking enthusiastically, happy to spend more time than usual with her best friend.

Kora's finger pointed to a long table similar to that of the buffet, arranged along with one of the walls of the large hall, on which hundreds of champagne glasses surrounded a tower of huge bottles still closed, with a row of waiters behind the table, lined up like soldiers waiting for a call to arms.

"Here we go again... you said you wouldn't drink before the... oh, damn it! You tricked me! You always do that, Kora!" Naseefa exclaimed, who had not noticed that she had been naively manipulated by the words of the young designer, who began to laugh.

"You should pay more attention to what I tell you, my friend! Hahaha! After the award ceremony, we will make a nice toast to this day. If you continue to get bored, I swear I'll let you go to sleep without making a fuss! Are you in?" Kora said again, extending a hand towards Naseefa and looking at her with her big brown eyes.

Just as her assistant was about to shake her hand smiling, the intensity of the room's general lights suddenly diminished, and the typical sound of microphone cables rumbled for a moment.

*pat*pat*

"Check? Check? Hey, here we go! Can you hear me?" a voice known to anyone exclaimed, Kora and Naseefa included.

"Wohoo!"

"Yes, we hear you!"

"Heey! Yuhuuu!"

Dozens of people from the audience began waving their arms and returning that greeting as if they had just met a longtime friend.

"Oh, there we go! It's starting!" Kora said, who forcefully grabbed her friend's hand and pulled Naseefa towards her, approaching the stage, wanting to attend the awards ceremony from the front rows.

In the general buzz of the hundreds of people who surrounded the central stage within minutes, Kora's gaze sought out her secret admirer, despite the lack of light. But of him, no trace.

"Hello, everyone! Another warm welcome to all the participants of the Gran Gala de l'Academie Francaise de la mode! Are you having fun?!" the presenter repeated to the microphone, pointing his gaze slightly to the left, where a row of about twenty cameramen was already recording the most crucial moment of the evening.

In addition to the cameramen of the various magazines who had managed to earn a pass to attend the Grand Gala and interview the artists, the privileged positions to shoot live were entrusted to the official team of the event, whose huge cameras were equipped with metal tripods and seats for the cameramen, who turned together with them.

Once again, the presenter's words found an answer in the audience, who, almost in unison, exclaimed a convinced 'yes' to his question.

"Oh, mais c'est parfait! For those who don't know me, I'm Clyde Richards, and I'm going to stay in your company for a few minutes, trying to make this evening a little more bubbly! Okay?"

"Oh shit… Clyde Richards! He's the BBC presenter, right?" Naseefa whispered, addressing Kora and trying to remember the man's name, whose voice was tremendously familiar to everyone.

"Yes, it's him! Well, to bring one of the most important American presenters to an event like this in Paris, the organizers must have shelled out loads of money!" Kora replied, speaking to Naseefa and looking left and right, without giving in the eye.

The audience, made up of well-known people in the world of stars, continued to applaud the presenter, who began to talk again after a few elegant bows.

" Without further ado! The most awaited moment of the season has arrived! In this cold November, I will have the honour of warming your hearts, introducing you to the winners of the most famous contest in the fashion world!" Clyde Richards continued, gesturing to the cameras. "Which will be the most voted dresses by our beloved audience and which perfumes and fragrances will be most appreciated?"

"Wow... I didn't think this moment was that exciting! Aren't you excited?!" Naseefa asked again, with one hand resting on her cheek and eyes fixed on the presenter's face, hanging on his every word.

Kora smiled, "Of course I'm excited! The names of the winners are already written before the event even begins. In any case, our participation will be enough to increase our numbers, both on social media and for sales. When we return to London, we'll have a lot of work to do."

"Tell us, Clyde!"

"Yes, we can't wait to know!"

"I can't wait to drink champagne! Tell us who won!"

The audience began to shout phrases of all kinds, continuing to cheer and making the famous presenter smile. He was a man in his fifties, with grizzled hair sprayed and combed elegantly to the side and a moustache with the tips up, which made his appearance really characteristic.

After hearing those words, Richards glanced at the cameras and pretended to fix his red tie, which he wore under a white shirt and glittered red suit, ready to proceed with the presentations.

"Mon Dieu! How impatient! I can feel the brio and tenacity of our audience from up here!" he replied, prompting making his audience laugh. "As during my TV shows, I can't present without the help of my beautiful and brilliant assistant, who today even paraded as a model for her favourite clothing brand! Ladies and gentlemen, Madames and Monsieurs, give a warm welcome to Lucy Donovan!"

"Whooo!"

The crowd around the stage screamed madly, and the men's gaze remained fixed towards the centre of the hall when, after being introduced by Clyde Richards himself, the gorgeous American model and showgirl made her entrance onto the stage.