Diamonds Are Forever (6 page)

“Hi,” she said with a smile.  She had meant to contact him since their brief encounter at Greyta.  With everything that had been going on in her life, Gemma was sure that Damian’s returning presence would only do her some good.

“Gavin said I might find you here.”  His hands were deep in his pockets as he rolled back on his heels.  He tilted his head to the side, smiling at her and looking a bit like a child who had been caught stealing out of the cookie jar.

“What?” she asked, laughing.  Gemma felt her heart leap just a little.  She had missed him terribly, and she only seemed to realize now.

“I’m a little embarrassed,” he shrugged.  “About the other night.  I don’t really like that I haven’t seen you in forever and the first time we do meet up, I’m so drunk that I’m hardly myself.”

“You were
fine,
Damian.  I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about it.”

“I really don’t know why either,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he studied her.  He looked at her through his lashes, his lips pressed into a serious line.  “You know, it’s been over a year since I’ve seen you and double that since we exchanged more than a couple of sentences.  I just had, I guess, an image in my head of what it would be like when I finally saw you again.”

“Really,” Gemma raised an eyebrow.  Though it had indeed been awhile since she’d seen him, she couldn’t say she had given their reunion as much thought.  “What was that image like?”

“It wasn’t too specific,” Damian laughed.  “It just featured a more functional version of myself.”

“I didn’t think you were so bad,” Gemma said with a smile.  “I actually had fun seeing you a little tipsy.  I’m not sure I’ve seen it before.”  Damian grimaced.  “And I mean just a
little
– like barely detectable.  I only saw it because I know you well enough otherwise.”

“At least I amused you,” he smirked.

“So what? Are you here for a redo?”

“Yes, actually,” Damian replied, flashing a quick grin.  “And I’d like to start by congratulating you on the success of The Court.  I’m proud to see that it’s earned its own space.  And I’m excited to see your multi-talented self conquer yet another field.”

“Why, thank you,” Gemma said, tilting her head and giving him a mock curtsy.

“And I’d like to say I like the name of the place.  I know The Court means the
royal
court for the former Queen Bee, but when I retire from the NBA, think about how easily I can work for you and integrate my own designs and the name would
still
be relevant.”

“Really?” she laughed.  “You’ve given thought to retiring and becoming a fashion designer?”

“No, not at all,” Damian shook his head, laughing.  “I’ll leave that all to you.  Which brings me to my next thing.  I heard you designed that jacket Corey was wearing the other day.”

“I did.”  Gemma crossed her arms.

“I liked it.”

“Are you saying you’d like one?” Gemma teased.  “Because you can just
ask
me and I’ll gladly make you one.”

“Well, I want a little more than just a jacket.”  Damian bit his lip.  “I kind of need a whole outfit.  For the Gotham Ball.”

“You’re going?” Gemma clapped her hands together.  “So
that
means you’ll be staying in New York a little longer than we all expected.  Does that also mean you’ve made a decision?”

“I don’t think extending my stay in a city where most of my friends are is necessarily indicative of what team I’ll be playing for,” Damian smiled.  “But, if you must know, I
have
made my decision.”

“And?”

“And I haven’t even told my parents yet, so you have to keep it to yourself.”

“Are you playing for the Knicks?” Gemma whispered excitedly.

“That’s the plan,” Damian replied.  “Short of a few front office matters, I’m pretty much set.”

“Oh my God!” Gemma exclaimed, jumping up to wrap her arms around Damian’s neck.  “We’re gonna be in the same city again!” It was, for some reason, another idea that Gemma had never entertained.  When Damian re-signed with the Warriors the year that Gemma moved back to New York, she was pretty sure anything that would ever happen between them was just never actually
meant
to happen.  “Damian!” Gemma squealed, unable to mask her excitement for his decision.  She gave a little squeak as he grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her into his arms for a tight embrace.  Gemma felt her feet leave the ground as he held her, twirling her around playfully.  She laughed as she held onto him, his strong body enclosing hers.

“I’m glad you’re so excited,” he said as he continued to hold her.  “I’m not sure I’m even there yet.”

Gemma interlocked her fingers behind his neck, leaning back so she could look him in the eyes.  He watched her in that way he always had, bathing her in his warm, comforting gaze.

“Why? Are you nervous?”

“I’m about to move back here after being out on the West Coast for five years.  And things aren’t what they were when I left it, so it’s going to take some getting used to.  I love New York – the Knicks were my team growing up and I know what the fanbase is like and it’s just making me think a lot.  About everything that’s here and all that there is to deliver.  I just don’t want to disappoint anyone.”  Gemma nodded, recalling the type of fans Gavin and her father were.  As much as Knicks fans loved their team, they definitely had no qualms about expressing their disappointment or distaste for what they deemed lackluster performance.

“I can definitely understand that,” Gemma said.  “I’m a little worried myself over the new fashion line and the flagship store.  I feel like no one takes an industry transition like this seriously, especially when you were once a
pop
star.  I know it’s not quite the same, but I can definitely empathize.”  She let her hands slip down to give him a supportive squeeze of the shoulders.  With his height and musculature, it was a little more difficult than she expected.

“So,” Damian said, glancing at her hands as they ran down his arms.  “How did you and Prince Charming keep your relationship a secret for so long?” Gemma laughed at the abrupt change of subject.

“Prince Charming,” Gemma rolled her eyes.  “Right.”  Damian kept his eyes on her, a mischievous smile curling his lips.

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“I caught the eye roll.”

“Oh.  I was just,” Gemma shook her head, trying for a save.  “It’s just that everyone calls him that.”

“Should they not? He looks like he walked out of a Disney movie or something,” Damian scoffed.  Gemma narrowed her eyes at him, cocking her head.

“You’re the only person who says it like it’s a bad thing.”

“Oh, no, I mean,” Damian laughed, backpedaling.  “No, it’s not a bad thing.  Girls like that look, right? I just didn’t think you were the type.”

“Really?” Gemma challenged.  “If every other girl in the world would go for him, what makes me so different?”

“Everything,” Damian said without missing a beat.

Gemma bit her lip, feeling strangely awkward at his response.  She could feel herself blushing, which just made her feel even more embarrassed.  She wasn’t even sure what he meant by it, but something in Damian’s tone made her stop in her tracks.  She searched her head for a witty retort.

“Like what?” Gemma pressed her lips together, disappointed in her curiosity and lack of wit.  Luckily, Damian didn’t seem to notice it.  In fact, he still wore that expression that he always had around her.  That forever charmed look.

“
Everything
is kind of a hard thing to list,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the top of her head.  Gemma smiled, her lashes fluttering shut as she felt his hand cup her face gently.  Eyes closed, she was suddenly aware of the pleasantly clean, forest-like scent that came off his skin.  She could feel how soft and warm his lips were as he placed them on her forehead.  And she could feel his free hand slipping from her waist to her lower back.

Gemma’s felt a shudder radiate up her spine.  Her breath caught in her throat.  She opened her eyes slowly to see Damian pull away, leaning his forehead where his lips had just been.  He pushed her hair back, letting his fingers tangle in the waves.  Gemma exhaled slowly, suddenly confused.  As she looked into his eyes, she realized everything she had just felt had happened in a matter of a second or two – yet she had felt it in slow motion.

“I, um…” she said, just to break the silence.  Her heart beat so quickly, it felt like just a hum against her chest.  There was blood rushing to her cheeks and she suddenly felt overwhelmed with a stifling heat.  Gemma could feel the embarrassment set in even harder.  Nothing Damian just did was particularly out of the ordinary for them.  But she felt something.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, holding the back of his hand to his forehead.  “You look a little…”

“I’m fine,” she murmured, crossing her arms so she wouldn’t fan herself with her hands.  She did feel a little uncomfortable, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.  “We haven’t had central air installed yet.  You know how old buildings are,” she said.  Damian nodded, watching as she stepped back towards the entrance to the studio, waving for him to follow.  It
was
kind of warm in there.  
I should get some air or something. 
“Okay, so let’s go.  Let’s, um, let’s get some of your measurements.  I don’t really do menswear – Corey’s jacket was kind of a fun little experiment, but I think Armand can help me put something together for you when he gets back.”

Damian followed her into the back room, marveling at the space as he did.  His eyes widened with clear awe as he scanned the room and her various projects.  Gemma felt a quick flutter of pride, knowing that he was impressed with the beginnings of her new career.  But it was hard for her to focus on anything other than the strange knot that had formed in her stomach.  She grabbed a fabric tape measure off the floor, unraveling it with a quick flick of the wrist.

“This stuff is awesome,” Damian said, admiring the beginnings of the dresses she had been commissioned to make for the Gotham Ball.  “Are you wearing one of these?”

“No, I haven’t gotten to my own yet,” she replied.  She walked up next to Damian, pointing at the different dress forms.  “One is for Zoe, one is for Marguerite – you know, Corey’s mother.  Then there’s a dress for the Governor’s daughter and one for Clara Zavala and then a bunch of accessories for those who are a little more hesitant to commit an entire outfit to a too new designer.”

“Oh, I know Clara,” Damian said.  “I can definitely see her in something this.  Do you watch her show?”  She shook her head.  Gemma knew she was a former lingerie model who now starred in an unusually popular sci-fi detective show on ZINC and was quite a favorite among men in their twenties.  She wondered how Damian knew her.  “You’ve got some big names on your list.”

“And now I can add New York Knick point guard, Damian Evans to it,” she teased, waving an end of the measuring tape in front of her.  She made a loop with the tape and wrapped it around Damian’s neck like a tie.  Gemma stood on her tiptoes to line up the tape against his skin.  She felt the slight graze of his hand on the small of her back, helping her keep her balance.

“So, do you have an idea of what your own dress is going to be like?”

“Not yet,” Gemma answered as she pulled the tape taut.  She bit her lip, blushing as she felt him press his hand firmer against her back, holding her up on her tiptoes as she got the first measurement.  As soon as she got the number, Gemma dropped flat on her feet and turned to scribble it down on a notepad.

“Do you have to take into consideration what Corey is wearing?” he asked as Gemma stepped behind him, lining the tape measure between his shoulders.  She smiled sheepishly to herself, realizing how wide she had to hold out her arms to get from one end to the other.

“I’ve given this all much less thought than I probably should have,” she laughed.  “My clients are my priority for this event, for once.  And I kind of like it.”

“But you are going with Corey, right?” Damian asked as she stepped up in front of him again.  Gemma averted her eyes while reaching around his torso, pulling the tape measure around his chest.

“As far as I know at this moment, yes, I’ll be going with him.”  She reached one hand behind him, pulling the tape around and smoothing it across his chest with her hands.  Gemma swallowed, feeling the muscular ridges of his torso underneath her fingertips. 
Oh my God, Gemma.  Relax.

“Because he kind of seems like the type to take his mom.”

Gemma looked up to see Damian’s eyes on the ceiling, suppressing a smirk.  She laughed, thankful to be broken out of her own thoughts.  “To be fair, Damian,” she replied.  “
You
also seem like the type to take your mom.”

“You’re right, but she’s hosting her book club that night,” he said with a smile.  Gemma returned it, lowering the measuring tape to his waist.

“So… who are you taking then?” Gemma focused on tightening the measuring tape, keeping her face down and her intentions unclear.  She wanted to sound casual, but in the last fifteen minutes, had suddenly become invested in what the answer would be.

“Azura,” Damian replied, quickly.  Gemma felt a surprising jump in her stomach. 
Are you two actually together?
The question pulled at her tongue, but she kept it to herself.

“I’m almost done,” Gemma said instead.  She held the tape around his waist, scribbling down the number before kneeling in front of him.  “But I’m going to need you to help me with the last part.”

“Oh,” Damian said, looking down at her with a shy smile.  She returned it, feeling the heat in her cheeks dissipate just slightly knowing that he suddenly shared the awkwardness she was feeling.  He held out a hand, taking one end of the tape and pulling it up towards himself.  “What do I do?”

“You just, um,” Gemma cleared her throat, pointing up his pant leg.  “Hold it right to the end of the inseam.  Like, where your legs meet.”

“Where my legs meet,” Damian repeated, laughing.  Gemma blushed furiously, averting her eyes as she pulled the measuring tape down to his ankle, taking his measurement.