Diamonds Are Forever (10 page)

“No, not at all.  Last time we talked was just a couple weeks after we broke up.” 

“Oh, that reminds me, is Corey here?” Azura asked.  “I haven’t seen him yet.”

“No,” Gemma replied.  “I actually came with Zoe.”

“He isn’t here?” Damian said, raising an eyebrow.

“No.  Because, well, I… we…” Gemma shook her head.  She hadn’t meant to sound so cryptic, especially when Damian hadn’t even asked for an explanation as to why Corey wasn’t around.  It was just that she could barely process everything she had just witnessed.

“Oh my
God,
you guys broke up didn’t you?” Azura said in a strangely exaggerated tone, her eyes wide as they traveled between Gemma and Damian, repeatedly.  “So fuckin’ sorry!”

“We did, yeah,” Gemma laughed.  “But I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Oh my God, Gemma, so you’re like totally single then, right?” Azura continued, almost in sing-song.  Something about her tone was just…
bizarre.
  Gemma frowned, unable to tell if she was mocking her.

“Guess so,” she replied, exchanging a quick glance with Zoe, who looked just as puzzled.

“I need to pee,” Azura suddenly announced.  “Zoe, do you need to pee?”

“What?” Zoe laughed.  “What’s wrong with you, girl?”

“I’m about to pee my pants is what’s wrong, and so are you!” Azura said, her eyes wide and fierce as she gestured for Zoe to follow.  Seemingly too confused to resist, Zoe let Azura drag her away from the bar.  Grimacing at the scene, Damian laughed, watching them over his shoulder as they staggered away.

“What was that?” Gemma asked.

“Azura likes company in the bathroom, apparently,” Damian shrugged, turning back to her.  Gemma felt a quick flutter in her chest as his gaze fell on her.  She swallowed, blushing at how devastatingly handsome he looked as he leaned casually against the bar, wearing her custom design for him. 
Ask him,
she said to herself. 
Just ask him if they’re together.

“So,” Gemma started.  Her mind flipped between asking him the question and starting another conversation –
any
conversation.  But she couldn’t think of a topic. 
Wow,
this is pathetic,
she thought, pursing her lips in disappointment.  Luckily, Damian spoke up first.

“So what happened with you and Corey?” he smiled, reaching forward to hold her waist and pull her closer.  “If you don’t mind me asking.”

Gemma exhaled.  “We just didn’t work out,” she replied, realizing that it was actually the case.  It was often code for something much more complicated, as demonstrated by how often she used the phrase after ending it with Tyler.  But with Corey, they simply
didn’t work out.

“After a whole year though?”

“We weren’t really together for a year,” Gemma said.  “He just… can’t count or something.”

“Aw,” Damian furrowed his brows.  “Being so mean even after you dump him.”

“How do you know
I
dumped him?”

“Because I know.”  He bit his lip, letting his hand sit low on her back.  “You did, right?”

“Yes,” Gemma conceded, laughing.  “But it really,
really
might as well have been mutual.”

“I don’t know about that,” Damian replied.  “I think you’re just a heartbreaker.”

“Damian,” Gemma frowned, feeling an unexpected weight in his words.  “I know you’re joking but...” Damian nodded his apologies, shaking his head as if to leave the topic behind.  He took her hands in his, pulling them up over his shoulders.  She felt his fingers slide down her sides and around her waist again.  She blushed as he pulled her in tight.

Alright,
she thought. 
Maybe I don’t need to ask after all.
  She let her eyes close as she rested her head against his chest.  She could hear his heart humming.  They swayed slowly to the music the way they had at prom.

Gemma smiled at the bittersweet memory.  He had told her during their last dance that he was going to UCLA, right at the moment that she realized she loved him.  Though she had never stopped loving him, she had since realized that what they had was just young and silly, though still ultimately meaningful.  She had gotten his friendship out of it, after all.  Lucas and Tyler had followed with the complicated messes that came with them, and throughout it all, Damian had remained a good friend.  She realized the way she loved Damian was vastly different from the way she had loved Lucas and Tyler, but she wasn’t sure just how.  She suspected it was rooted in that deep friendship of theirs, something that she didn’t share in the same capacity with the other two boys.  It was something she wasn’t sure was worth risking over the new feelings that had crept up on her.  It would feel like too much of a jump, too much of a change.

Gemma opened her eyes, spotting Tyler and Sophie in a distance.  They were arm in arm, happily greeting the various guests that approached them with their congratulations.  As if he could feel her eyes on him, Tyler glanced over in her direction right at that moment.

With a little gasp, Gemma pushed herself away from Damian.  She hadn’t even realized the force in which she did it until she looked up to see that she was suddenly a good two feet away from him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Gemma said hastily.  She looked back in Tyler’s direction.  He looked jovial, happy to show off his fiancée, completely uninterrupted. 
Did he look over at all? Had he even seen us?
A bitter laugh escaped her throat as she realized where her thoughts were coming from.  It was habit to keep a distance from Damian in front of Tyler, but it didn’t matter anymore.  Tyler was happily engaged and apparently, he and Damian were fine now.  There were three years between their breakup and where they stood now – a lot had changed. 
But where was I when it all happened? Where do I stand among all this now?

“You sure you’re not bothered by all that out there?” Damian asked, looking at Tyler and Sophie as well.

“I’m sure,” she answered, quickly. 
At least not in the way you might be implying.
  “I just have a lot of adjusting to do.”

TYLER CHASE IS OFFICIALLY OFF THE MARKET

Celeb-O-Matic

June 30
^th

After ducking media and camera attention for the last six months, Tyler Chase returned with a big announcement – he’s engaged!

Chase arrived at the annual Gotham Ball in a stunning all-black tuxedo and his equally stunning fiancée, Sophie Akerman.  Akerman, a New England native, met Chase while serving his table at her family restaurant in Vermont.  When asked if it was intimidating or daunting for her to meet and subsequently date a star like Tyler Chase, she answered simply, “It doesn’t have to be.”

With ex-girlfriends like Desiree Silver and Queen Bee under his belt, here’s hoping Chase gets a drama-free romance with his new, non-industry sweetie!

THE COURT TURNS HEADS AT GOTHAM BALL

La Fashionista Independiente

July 2
^nd

I’m by no means in the majority with my excitement for Gemma Hunter’s new fashion line, The Court.  And considering my blog doesn’t have the traffic that some of the bigger, more skeptical blogs have, I doubt I’ll be changing any minds.

That being said, I had the fortune of being red carpet-side for The Gotham Ball and every time I saw a piece that really stuck out to me, I would learn that it was designed by Gemma Hunter for The Court.  And there’s no confirmation bias there – I can assure you.  I actually really, genuinely expressed loved for certain pieces only to be told later that it was The Court (check out the slideshow of my photos if you need the proof).  And I wasn’t the only one! It’s just that no one stuck around to learn who made the pieces they said they were into or just assumed it was something from an already known designer.

I know I don’t mean a whole lot in this industry, but what ears and eyes I may have – I just want to say that Gemma Hunter is the real deal.  It’s sad that no one’s taking notice of her obvious talent just because she happened to have originally gotten her name out with a career she didn’t really seem to want.  But I have trust in my taste and my eye for the next big thing and I tend to be forgiving – which is why I’m going to say it here first – The Court’s going to be big one day, so much so that people will forget that Hunter was ever anything but a designer.

Too bad only a dozen or so of you will see this!

DAMIAN EVANS TO PLAY FOR NEW YORK

The Big Assist

July 9
^th
 

Finally, the city has a reason to celebrate.

After months of speculation, Damian Evans has announced that he will be donning the orange and blue this season. “It has always been a childhood dream to play for the New York Knicks,” said Evans in a statement. “I appreciate everything the Warriors organization has done for me over the years and I wish my coaches and teammates all the best.”

Evans will play a crucial role as a new member of the team, more than likely taking on the role of New York’s starting point guard.

“We’ve needed a true point guard for a long time,” said fellow Knick and future teammate, Marc Outlaw. “It’s a relief to have someone like Damian on the roster. He’s a leader and what this team needs right now is a leader on the court and in the locker room. It’s a huge signing. I have high expectations for this season. New York should get ready for the new look Knicks.”

Gemma sat back, admiring the backroom’s slow transformation into a fully functional studio.  Armand had brought in an interior decorator friend, an eccentric lady named Cat, who had sectioned the sewing machines and rolls of cloth and drafting tables into an aesthetically pleasing workplace.  Gemma could feel the difference in the way she and her team were working in their newly organized space.

As requested, the nook below the stairs was left untouched, allowing Gemma to personalize the space as she pleased.  Unfortunately, she hadn’t quite found the time to do so yet, what with all the planning and preparation that came with having a tent at Fashion Week.  Gemma sighed, sinking into a sleek, leather office chair that Cat had brought in.  She sat there, admiring the flurry of fabrics and threads before her, hustling to put together the looks that had until recently, existed only inside her head.  Gemma cursed herself for spilling her cup of coffee earlier, eliminating her third injection of caffeine for the workday.  She felt a sleepy now, in need of a quick break before she could continue.

“Is the queen enjoying her throne?” Armand asked, stepping into the studio and handing her a cell phone.  Gemma took it, realizing it was her own.  She hadn’t checked it in hours.  “You left this out front, but I can see you don’t miss it.”

“You’re right about that.”

“Taking a break to enjoy this beautiful sight, my love?”

“Yes,” Gemma sighed, happily.  It was a culmination of all the pieces she had created in the past years and a smaller selection of the hard work that she had put into The Court.  It was beautiful indeed, and quite possibly the proudest she had ever been of her own career.  She was so close to making her Fashion Week debut.  She was about to have a show all to herself.  And despite all the exhaustion and pressure and nerves that she felt, Gemma’s overriding emotion was blissful excitement.

“You should check your phone, you were getting text messages.  I actually only brought it in because it was annoying Cat out there.  She says the buzzing breaks her focus and blah, blah, diva talk.”

“Oh,” Gemma laughed, unlocking her phone.  She had three text messages from Damian.  “Wow, three messages and she was annoyed.”

“Do not poke fun at that genius out there.  She can kill with her stare alone.  And I will be the first to go.”

Gemma opened the texts.  She saw three short messages.

Hey, what’re you doing now?

Are you in the city?

Nothing urgent, but I could use some help

~

“Thanks for coming,” Damian smiled, handing her a coffee and a raspberry scone.  “New York real estate is making my head spin.”  Gemma smiled, taking his unexpected offer of breakfast and settling it in the cup holder between them.  They sat together in the backseat of Andy’s car with Andy in the passenger seat and his driver at the wheel.  Andy was a family friend of Damian’s, as well as his real estate agent.  Though he was the same age a Damian, Andy had already built quite a name for himself as a local agent.