Adriana Lima

8/28/2009

By Madeleine Marr

Monkey Jungle had nothing on the Aventura Mall on a Thursday afternoon.

The line outside Victoria's Secret to get a glimpse of lingerie model Adriana Lima snaked out about a quarter of a mile.

The SoFla natives were getting restless.

"She's my favorite Angel, but this is pretty ridiculous," said Chino Martin, 20, from Sunrise. He came as a favor to cousin Jesus Loayza, 14, who needed a ride. They'd been there about an hour and still had to tangle through the masses inside.

If only the boys had bought the retailer's latest bra, the BioFit Uplift, they would have been granted access to the "express lane." Those smarties only had an hourlong wait to meet the Brazilian beauty and get her autograph.

"I didn't know my mother's size or I would have," said Martin of the $45 padded chest accessory.

In the store, the scene was no less chaotic. Amid the panty bins and babydoll racks, a swarm of publicists, saleswomen and paparazzi jockeyed for elbow room.

Suddenly Lima - dressed in a navy T-shirt and jeans - appeared from a back room.

"I'm so flattered," Lima said, looking out at the crowd (an estimated 800 showed). "I thank God every day. I am blessed."

She's right about that. The 27-year-old Salvador Bahia native looks better in person - about six feet tall with insanely blue eyes and a dazzling smile. Too bad she's not single. The huge diamond ring she wore is from Serbian basketball player Marko Jaric, who popped the question a month ago.

"When I stop traveling all over the world I will plan the wedding," Lima said, laughing. "I'm too busy right now!"

Understood.