Diamond in the Rough

by India Lee

  “Okay, apparently I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on in this room,” Gemma sighed.

  “Elisa and I are keeping track because my dad keeps saying we’re going to move if they keep raising the taxes. I only have a year left of school so it doesn’t matter as much to me, but I’d feel really bad if Elisa had to just leave her friends behind.”

  “Is your dad serious?” Gemma asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lucas shrugged. “It’d be hard to leave the house behind. My grandfather built the whole thing himself. But my mom hasn’t been able to find a job since she was laid off and my dad’s business is not doing well, so I guess it could happen.” Mira nodded sympathetically.

  Gemma studied Lucas for any hint of emotion. “How can you be so calm about this?”

  “I’ve been hearing this since I was little,” Lucas shrugged. “It’s been a possibility for years now, so I’m just glad we’ve made it this far.”

  ~

  Gemma could barely pay attention to whatever movie Lucas had put on in her living room. She lied there in his arms silently gazing into space, lost in thought. Though Gemma knew she was much more fortunate than others out there, she didn’t know anyone so close to her could really be struggling so badly.

  “Why are you so quiet?” Lucas asked, running his fingers through Gemma’s hair.

  “I’m watching the movie.”

  “No you’re not,” Lucas said. “You would’ve laughed at that last line if you were paying attention.”

  “Are you and your family going to be okay?” Gemma blurted out. She immediately regretted doing so.

  “I knew you were thinking about that,” Lucas sighed.

  “I’m sorry, I just didn’t know you were going through all this. I don’t understand why you never told me.”

  “Because it’s not a big deal and I don’t want you to worry.” He kissed Gemma softly on the lips. “Whatever happens, happens.”

  A BASEBALL BEAU FOR ZOE MERCURY?

  Celeb-o-matic

  July 15

  Did Zoe Mercury pick up yet another suitor at Thursday’s Yankees game? Accompanied by megastar buddy Queen Bee, the former “Outta This World” actress hit up Yankee Stadium to catch New York’s 5-4 victory against Boston. However, even sweeter than the win was Zoe’s post-game pick-up – Yankees rookie Aaron Brewer. The sexy pitcher was spotted arriving hand-in-hand to an A-list Bvlgari event with a Dior-clad Mercury.

  Also in attendance was Queen Bee, who danced side by side with Mercury when the television starlet wasn’t busy flirting with her major league catch. The trio reportedly left the event together and spent the rest of the night in Mercury’s Meatpacking District apartment. Notably missing from events was Mercury’s usual bosom buddy, Harper Gunn. Gunn was reportedly spotted1 the same night at her father’s West Village hotspot, Lilac. Looks like someone may have gotten the boot from Mercury’s social circle!

  D NETWORK DROPS ZOE MERCURY, CANCELS “OUTTA THIS WORLD”

  The Pop Source

  July 28

  After months of speculation, D Network has decided to officially part ways with actress Zoe Mercury. In an official statement, network president Jeff Rooney said, “It is with a heavy heart that we end our relationship with Zoe, who has been our pride and joy for years at the D Network. Zoe’s current career path no longer fits in the mold of our company, but we wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.”

  Over the course of six years, Mercury has helped the network rake in nearly one billion dollars worth of revenue in sponsorship, merchandise and DVD/CD sales. In its sixth season, “Outta This World” experienced its highest ratings ever and nabbed a third straight Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Show - Comedy.

  Despite the stellar viewership and earnings provided by the smash hit, the cancellation comes as no surprise considering the recent misbehaving of star Zoe Mercury. D Network famously bit the bullet as Mercury nabbed headlines for drinking, driving recklessly, and seemingly dating a new Hollywood hunk every week. But the last straw came this past weekend when Mercury and best friend Harper Gunn uploaded a video of themselves to YouTube in which they drunkenly vandalized the car of “Outta This World” actor, Marco Donovan. Donavan was rumored to have cheated on Mercury last year while the two were dating exclusively.

  Mercury has not released a statement as of yet, but Donovan’s agent has stated that the actor will not be pressing charges against Mercury or Gunn.

  With just a month left in the summer, Gemma was determined to get as much time with Zoe as possible. For the convenience of her interviews and appearances, she was set to stay in a suite at The Standard Hotel for the next few weeks. Although she missed seeing Lucas on a daily basis, the arrangement made it rather easy to see Zoe, who was renting an apartment in the Meatpacking District. Gemma was set to meet her there so that they could arrive at a SoHo event together.

  “Has she demanded to know your real name yet?” Penelope asked while dusting a radiant peach eyeshadow onto Gemma’s lids.

  “Nope,” Gemma answered. “She hasn’t asked once. I don’t think she cares.”

  “Does she seem worried at all? Now that she’s unemployed?”

  “Nope.”

  Armand strolled out of his room, carrying a lace tube dress that he had sewn by hand. “See, Pen? Zoe is not the deranged psycho that you believe is trying to steal Queen Bee’s career, so let the poor girls have fun.”

  Penelope narrowed her eyes at him but they quickly widened upon seeing the dress he carried. “Oh God, you did not actually make that for her!”

  Gemma turned to look at what Penelope was referring to. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the dress that she had requested from Armand. “Oh my God, it’s amazing!” she squealed.

  Since meeting Zoe, Gemma had decided that her wardrobe needed a few pieces that were less avant-garde and a little more sexy. With that in mind, she had asked Armand to craft her a strapless dress made from a lace of her exact skin tone. “I’ll wear something over it, obviously,” she had said. “But I want some sort of shock factor.”

  The shock factor was clear when Gemma slipped into the outfit. She cocked an eyebrow at Penelope and Armand, waiting for a verbal reaction from either.

  “I… just wow.” Penelope blinked.

  “Care to elaborate?” Gemma asked. Penelope shook her head, though she managed to give a stunned thumbs-up.

  Armand put his hands to his cheeks. “My little baby is all grown up,” he cooed. “And a little bit slutty.”

  “Oh, shut up,” Gemma snorted, hobbling to the mirror as she pulled on her nude-colored Louboutins. She laughed at Penelope’s speechlessness, but upon seeing her own reflection, she gasped.

  Underneath her navy, velvet-trimmed blazer and gold-dipped feather necklaces, she appeared nude. Somehow though, the ensemble was tasteful and intriguing rather than trampy. Most importantly, she looked good.

  “Well. Keep Andro close to you tonight,” Penelope said, referring to their three hundred-twenty pound head of security. “You’ll need him wearing that.”

  “Tyler will be there,” Gemma blurted. She wasn’t sure why.

  “Oh, so Tyler’s your security now?” Penelope laughed. “He’s the reason you need security half of the time. This outfit combined with Tyler Chase is going to be drama for you.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Armand said. “But not because of the paparazzi.” When Gemma cocked her head at him, he said, “Good luck keeping Tyler’s teenaged hormones under control tonight.” Penelope nodded in agreement. Gemma couldn’t help but smile to herself. She had never considered that Tyler could be even more attracted to her than he already was. The idea was exciting. Gemma couldn’t wait to see him notice her.

  She was still fantasizing about Tyler when her car pulled up to Zoe’s building.

  “Damn, girl!”

  Zoe’s exuberant voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “I feel underdressed compared to you!” she crie
d, looking down at her own leather crop top and high-waisted shorts. “Or should I say overdressed? Since you look totally naked,” she giggled, sliding into the backseat next to Gemma. “Omigod Bee, you don’t understand how excited I am for tonight. I can’t believe we haven’t hung out with Harper yet! It’s so weird that you haven’t seen her since that stupid day.”

  “It is weird,” Gemma agreed, realizing that the only Harper she knew was a barely conscious one.

  “I’m glad Tyler decided to come too,” Zoe continued. “He’s always too busy for me, but when I said that you were coming, he was like, ‘I’m there!’” Zoe rolled her eyes with a laugh. “Seriously, you two need to figure something out because you’re obviously meant for each other.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Gemma said, thinking of Lucas. She wanted to tell Zoe all about him, primarily so she could ask if it was normal to want Tyler’s attention despite already having a wonderful boyfriend. But she didn’t.

  When they arrived to the event, the two girls indulged the photographers outside for a minute before entering. It wasn’t too difficult to figure out where Tyler was upon getting in – all they had to do was follow the crowd.

  “Tyler Chase,” Zoe sang as she approached him. Suddenly, her voice squeaked excitedly. “Harper!”

  Once Gemma got closer to Tyler and his crew, she noticed Harper sitting next to him, whispering in his ear with a hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey, Z,” Harper grinned as Tyler laughed over whatever she had said. Her black mesh bra was visible through the gaping sleeves of her white tunic. Gemma felt guilty for her immediate sense of disapproval.

  “Hey, Zoe!” Tyler stood up to hug her. Only then did he notice Gemma. His eyes widened, his jaw dropping open before he began to hastily gather himself. “Bee,” he said, breaking into a broad smile. “Um… damn.” He laughed at himself, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find his words. Gemma smiled, relishing every moment of his dumbstruck state.

  “I know right?” Zoe exclaimed excitedly. “Isn’t she just ridiculous?”

  “That would be the word,” Harper said.

  “No, I mean like, isn’t she the sexiest thing ever?”

  Tyler blinked himself out of his trance, though he kept his eyes on Gemma. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  “Well, yeah, because you’re completely speechless,” Zoe said.

  Tyler laughed. “Pretty much. Thanks, Zoe.”

  “Anytime. Oh!” Zoe suddenly clapped her hands together. She reached for Harper and pulled her over to Gemma. “You guys haven’t officially met yet!”

  “Oh right,” Harper said blankly, lifting her eyes up to Gemma. “Hey.”

  “Hey, girl,” Gemma smiled, rather aware of how her speech patterns had taken on Zoe’s. “I’m so happy I get to officially meet you!” She held her hand out to Harper, who shook it limply.

  “Yeah,” was all Harper said. Her eyes wandered elsewhere in boredom mid-shake. After a few moments of silence, Zoe spoke up brightly.

  “She’s the reason you’re not in rehab!”

  “Zoe!” Harper and Gemma said in unison. Harper quickly eyed Gemma. “I can speak for myself,” she said with a tight-lipped smile. Unsure of how to respond, Gemma simply nodded. The silence that followed was once again broken by Zoe.

  “And… let’s go get drinks!” she said buoyantly. Gemma watched as Zoe darted off with Harper dragging her feet behind. Only then did Tyler intertwine his fingers in hers. They tightened around her with urgency.

  “I can’t handle how sexy you look right now,” he said. His breath was heavy and his eyes were on her body as he spoke. They looked intense in a way that Gemma had never seen them.

  “Well, try to. You’re in public,” Gemma smirked, stroking his palm with her thumb.

  “I can’t,” he said. His voice was husky. “And you’re not making it any better, the way you’re rubbing my hand.”

  Gemma blushed immediately, looking up to see that he was completely serious. Tyler’s eyes were cast over with some sort of hungry look that made her both excited and nervous. She had never seen anyone physically want her so badly. Just a few months ago, she had been seconds from having sex with Damian during post prom – but even he had looked fairly composed. Everything about Tyler’s body language, however, ached for her. It was just as alarming as it was flattering.

  “Tyler,” she scolded playfully. “You know everyone is watching us right? No one is ever not watching.”

  “I’m already doing my best to keep my hands to myself.”

  “Tyler! Stop.” Gemma bit her smile back. He was famously a gentleman. Seeing him stripped of restraint was undeniably thrilling.

  “I’m not doing anything,” he protested, returning as much of a smile as he could manage.

  “But you want to,” Gemma lilted.

  He nodded, burying his face in her neck for a split second before she pulled away. His breath on her skin was melting her composure. Everything he did suddenly made her body tingle.

  “Tyler. You shouldn’t do this,” she said sternly, eyeing a man with a camera nearby.

  “I don’t care if they take pictures.”

  “Well I do.” Gemma wriggled her hand out of his grip. “Please. Behave yourself,” she said before stalking off to catch up with Zoe.

  ~

  Gemma waited a moment before excusing herself to the bathroom to regain her composure. She had fantasized about how Tyler might react to her sexy dress, but even her fantasies didn’t compare to his actual response. It gave her an unfamiliar buzz. For a crazy second, Gemma had considered telling Tyler to take her back to his hotel. The words were at the very tip of her tongue, but instead, she told him to behave. It exhausted her self-control.

  You have a boyfriend, she reminded herself. She couldn’t kiss anyone else, let alone go to his hotel room.

  After a few more deep breaths, Gemma pushed through the bathroom door.

  “Bee.”

  She spun around. “Tyler!” she practically yelped. The calm that she had worked so hard to achieve evaporated upon sight of him.

  “Can I talk to you really quick?” he asked, holding her by the waist. Gemma nodded, but she watched as his focus disappeared upon sliding his hands down her hips.

  “Tyler,” she pleaded with frustration.

  “I was trying to behave myself,” he said, managing a laugh. “I really was. But you just look so amazing, I can’t think about anything but –”

  “Whoa,” a voice interrupted them. Gemma and Tyler whipped their heads around to see a passing stranger, who quickly shuffled away when they looked over. Gemma groaned, jerking free from Tyler.

  “We should just stay away from each other today,” she hissed before walking away from him once again.

  With no direction as to where she was heading, Gemma was grateful that Zoe eventually found her. “Hey, busy Bee!” She caught up to her and yawned. “Are you over this boring shit? We should take it back to my place.”

  “Yes. Let’s do that,” Gemma nodded eagerly. What she needed was a girl’s night at Zoe’s apartment, even if it included Harper, who seemed less than pleased with her presence.

  When it came time for everyone to pile into Zoe’s SUV, Gemma was dismayed to spot Tyler and his friends in the mix. Even more dismaying were Harper’s arms around Tyler’s midsection. “Where we going? Can we please just go somewhere private?” she asked as she climbed in.

  “We’re going back to my apartment,” Zoe said.

  “Good.” Harper winked at Tyler, who only shook his head and smiled. Gemma couldn’t help but feel an irrational rage. It escalated as Harper looked directly at her while shifting uncomfortably. “Why is it so crowded in here?” she asked with irritation. “It’s not usually this uncomfortable.”

  “I think this car just sucks,” Zoe said.

  “Or we need to kick someone out,” Harper suggested. She pointed to Gemma and flashed a smile. “Newbie takes a walk?”


  “That’s so mean!” Zoe cried. “I would never make Bee walk.”

  “I’m just kidding. Like we would ever let that happen to the Queen,” Harper said derisively. “I know how to fix the problem anyway.” She lifted her perky bottom off her seat and planted it in Tyler’s lap.

  “Oh sure, go ahead,” he laughed.

  “You’re such a doll,” Harper smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You have to be my seatbelt too,” she said in a baby voice that made Gemma want to retch.

  Despite her mood in the limo, a few drinks at Zoe’s apartment managed to sedate Gemma’s anger. She let one of Tyler’s friends flirt with her on the terrace while another one chatted up Zoe. They both sat against each end of the couch, facing one another with their legs propped up on the boys’ laps.

  “Oh my God,” Zoe gasped as one of Tyler’s hip-hop collaborations began playing on her speakers. “I love this song!” She popped up from the couch. Instead of pulling Tyler’s friend onto the floor, she grabbed Gemma. “Dance with me,” she murmured, pulling Gemma close. Much to the boys’ pleasure, they danced together, letting the buzz of the martinis move their bodies.

  “Someone’s watching you,” Zoe whispered.

  Only then did Gemma notice that Tyler had wandered onto the terrace. He had frozen in front of the door upon seeing Gemma. His eyes stayed locked on her until Harper sauntered over. Her tunic hung off one shoulder, exposing half her bra. She whispered into Tyler’s ear before pushing him onto a chair. Gemma watched as he obediently sat, gazing up at Harper as she began to dance for him.

  Gemma fumed. Her only response was to dance closer to Zoe, gripping the edges of her blazer. Without thinking, she tore it off her body and flung it over the terrace.

  “Holy shit!”

  The response from Tyler’s friends to her seeming nudity was quick. Even Harper stopped dancing. Zoe clasped her hands to her mouth and squealed with delight. “Omigod, Bee!”