one of the most attractive people I had ever met. Which is a big deal, given the fact that I have shared the same air as Jake Gyllenhaal. He shook his head slightly and pulled his hand away, much to my disappointment. I waited for him to turn around and ask if I were mentally challenged. Thankfully, he just stood there.
âGia, this is Mr. Colin Walters,â Dad said, motioning to the man on his right. âHeâs head of the agency in New York. Theyâve been nice enough to fly all the way down to L.A. especially for us.â
I smiled awkwardly at the kind looking man with white hair and a white moustache. He reminded me of Santa Claus a little bit, and judging by the blonde present standing right next to me, I had been a good girl this year. I walked over to Mr. Walters and shook his hand, brushing past Jack on my way.
âNice to meet you, Gia,â Mr. Walters said, and turned to the two other men standing next to him. âThis is Kenny, and thatâs Chris.â
I looked at the other bodyguards, evaluating their appearances as I gave them an awkward wave. Unlike Jack, Kenny looked like a bodyguard. He was dressed in black from head to toe, he was really buff, he was bald, and he was African-American. I know, what a stereotype. Chris, on the other hand, looked absolutely nothing like a bodyguard. With his skinny frame and floppy brown hair, he didnât look capable of kicking his own butt, let alone someone elseâs. Plus, he looked like he hadnât even hit puberty yet. And then there was Jack, who was nothing like Iâd ever seen.
âWeâre all very honored that you chose our company, despite all the fantastic services here in L.A.,â Mr. Walters said, practically beaming behind his moustache. âPersonally, Iâm a very big fan of your movies.â
Dad smiled humbly and said, âYou were very highly recommended. Itâs no problem at all.â
Mr. Nice Santa Guy started to ramble on about how important it was that we didnât tell even our closest friends about the bodyguards, at least for the time being, but I wasnât really paying attention. Instead, I was concentrating on trying to figure out what was wrong with Jack. Someone who looked that perfect had to have been harboring some kind of crazy secret. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Maybe he was a ribbon gymnastics enthusiast, or had a sock collection stored in his basement.
Kenny was reassuring Dad about how they were the very best bodyguards, as if I even cared about their capabilities. From the corner of my eye I could see Jack evaluating me, which was freaking me out. What the heck was he staring at? It was taking me all the strength I had not to burst into uncontrollable nervous laughter. When I tuned back into the conversation, Santa Man seemed ready to leave.
âI should probably be heading off,â Mr. Walters said, shaking my dadâs hand.
We all politely thanked Mr. Walters, then Dad walked him to the front door, leaving Mike and me in the living room with the three bodyguards. On the way out of the room, I could hear him asking Dad if he did his own stunts.
âSo,â Mike began, trying to break the ice after a few seconds of silence. âWhich one of you is going to be my bodyguard?â
I silently prayed that Jack wasnât Mikeâs bodyguard. Someone as beautiful as him could not be wasted on my brother. Baby J wouldnât do me like that.
âI am,â Chris said quietly, holding up his hand and giving a little wave. I blew out a sigh of relief.
âIâm your dadâs,â Kenny told us, in a deep voice.
I looked at Jack. âSo that meansââ
âIâm yours.â
If only he had said that with a bouquet of roses in his hand.
âYeah. Great. Awesome,â I replied.
âKids,â Dad said, reappearing suddenly from the hallway. His eyes settled on me. âCan you show these guys to the