by India Lee
Gemma reread the email. “Someone named Shawn Landry,” she said. By the time she looked up from her phone, Zoe was already typing furiously on her iPad. “Are you Googling him?” Gemma laughed.
“Yes! If I didn’t get a hot guy, you shouldn’t either!” she cried. “Just kidding. Kind of. I’m just bitter about having to fake chemistry with that kid for two hours. He was so awkward and all he could talk about was like, I don’t even know, computer lingo and – oh my God, Shawn Landry is hot!” Zoe suddenly gripped her iPad tightly, bringing it closer to her face.
“What? What? Who is he?” Gemma asked curiously.
“I don’t know, I’m only looking at images and damn, he has some insane washboard abs!” Zoe squealed, tapping away on the glass. “Okay, let’s see. It says he was the number one NBA draft pick this year. He went to UConn before going pro. He plays for Minnesota now. And he’s so sexy it actually hurts.”
“That’s what it says?”
“Yes.” Zoe stared at the pictures for a few more moments before practically tossing her iPad aside with frustration. She chucked a pillow at Gemma. “You suck! I got stuck with a nerdboy and you get some hot athlete.”
“I’m sorry! I’d trade if I could,” Gemma giggled as she glanced at the pictures of Shawn Landry. He was indeed attractive, but she couldn’t bring herself to care that much. As she shut off the iPad, Gemma shrugged with indifference and smiled, thinking about the boyfriend she often went home to after long days of work, and how easy it was to forget about other guys solely because of him.
- Chapter 2 -
Gemma stood before the mirror in her dressing room, studying the dress they had chosen for her. The emerald green silk-chiffon was draped delicately over her shoulders and tied tightly around her waist with a thin gold rope. She took a couple steps towards her reflection and watched as the fabric shifted sensually with every movement. Though the gown was floor-length, Gemma felt it was more fit for the boudoir. The fabric was loosely draped and free-flowing, giving glimpses of leg and skin if she turned a certain way.
Since Gemma’s arrival in the full makeup that Penelope had done for her, the hair and makeup team had been hanging around idly, left with nothing much to do. They approved of the waist-length, copper wig and dramatic matching eyelashes, taking only twenty minutes of the ninety allotted to airbrush on some bronzer.
“There’s not too much to do when you arrive perfect,” said Antonio, the art director running the shoot. He offered her a glass of water and asked a couple questions before letting her sit alone in her dressing room while they waited for Shawn Landry to arrive. Gemma watched as the clock ticked past the ninety-minute mark. Still, no one came to get her.
Gemma pushed open the door of her dressing room a crack, peeking out to see the makeup team, still sitting idly. A middle-aged man in a suit stood with his cell phone pressed to his ear as he spoke with Antonio as well as Perrin Davies, Queen Bee’s new publicist and project manager. It was becoming clear from all their body language that Shawn Landry wasn’t showing.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Perrin said, spotting her through the door. “Shawn couldn’t make it last minute.” She shrugged with an eye roll before continuing. “But they’re geniuses here and already found a replacement. He should be here any minute.”
“Oh no,” Gemma pouted. “I actually did some research on Shawn Landry before the shoot. I was getting excited to meet him.” She wondered if she’d get stuck with an internet start-up guy like Zoe did. “Who’s the replacement?” she asked.
“Some guy. I forget his name already,” Perrin shook her head. “What was his name, Jack?”
The man in the suit laughed as he hung up his phone. “When you can’t get the number one NBA draft pick, you call number two. Especially when he happens to be in L.A. this weekend. Do you follow the NBA at all, Miss Bee?”
“No, not really.”
“Oh, well,” the man shrugged. “Why don’t you grab your phone and do a little research on Damian Evans. He just arrived at his dressing room.”
~
“Are you… nervous?” Antonio asked as the lighting team metered Gemma’s face. She wiped away a small bead of sweat that had formed at her forehead.
“No, why would you ask that?” Gemma squeaked. She peered over the photographer’s shoulder towards Damian’s dressing room, bouncing her leg and waiting for the door to swing open. She wondered if he’d recognize her or if she should say anything. She wondered if she could even keep her mouth shut when she saw him again.
“Because you’re shaking,” he chuckled. “Although really, it makes me feel better because I was throwing-up-my-kale-smoothie-nervous this morning just ‘cause I knew I’d be working with you. I was excited but scared.”
“Why would you be scared?” Gemma laughed, suddenly distracted. She looked into Antonio’s face. He smiled at her sincerely.
“I don’t know. Because you’re Queen Bee. You’re huge. I thought maybe you’d be really mean and a little bit bitchy,” he laughed. “But you’re not. You’re perfectly wonderful.”
“Aw. Well, I have no idea why you’d think I’d be mean,” Gemma laughed with him. “But I’m glad you know now that I’m not.”
“You know, it’s just that there are a million rumors out there about you and I know I’m not supposed to believe any of it but from my experience with celebrities, usually at least half of them are true. It’s just a matter of which ones. We all feel like we actually know you when we don’t.”
Gemma opened her mouth to respond, but Jack, the suited man bellowed from behind both Antonio and the photographer.
“Miss Bee!”
Gemma took a step to the side to see Jack and Damian stepping up onto the set. “I’d like you to meet Damian Evans. Damian, I’m sure you’ve heard of Queen Bee.”
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Damian said, his warm brown eyes squinting at her. Gemma put her hand in his, feeling the familiarity of his touch. She studied him, her lips parting with the desire to just tell him how much she had missed him. He looked like he had gotten taller and definitely looked as if he had gotten more muscular. The stylist had dressed him in a fitted navy blue suit over a crisp ivory shirt that was half unbuttoned. She was stunned. It had only been a year and a half since she last saw him yet he truly looked like an adult.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Gemma breathed. She wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him. It had been hard for her when he moved across the country for college, but it was the friendship she mourned more than the romance. Adjusting to life at Beauford would have been impossible without him. Damian was the best friend she had ever had. Gemma was never sure why they didn’t keep in touch after he left, but she was certain now that it would have made the process of letting go a great deal harder. Reuniting with him in this manner, unexpectedly and without the ability to express everything she wanted, was driving her close to insane.
Gemma remembered Zoe’s mention of the shoot’s aim for a sexy feel. Unlike Zoe’s shoot, hers seemed to be meeting the mark. The set was done up to look like an elaborate greenhouse with exotic plants and flowers. Every time Gemma was convinced a bright blossom was fake, she’d touch it and marvel at the softness of the living petals. She found herself repeating this motion several times, trying to distract herself from Damian with the surrounding florets and foliage. She couldn’t believe how unprepared she had been for such a situation. Should I just tell him? I should. Or should I? No. Perrin doesn’t even know my real identity yet. She took a deep breath as she organized her thoughts. God, poor Damian.
She knew she was making him feel awkward. He tried to make small talk in between Antonio’s blocking notes, but Gemma would only smile stiffly, unsure of how to respond. She realized that she was making Queen Bee look like the Grade-A bitch that Antonio was afraid of. He had explained his desire for the final photo to appear as if lovers had escaped to a secret space for a quick rendezvous, but all he was getting thus far was an eager boy p
ursuing a cold and unresponsive girl.
“It’s what I imagine you and Tyler Chase would do if you lived in a castle and had a secret garden, and you just needed to get away from your dinner guests for a little quickie!” Antonio said as he took Damian’s hands and placed them on Gemma’s waist. “Lots of passion, lots of romance. So Miss Bee, I’d like you to pretend that Damian here is your boyfriend, okay? But not so much that we upset Mr. Chase. Keep it classy.”
Gemma laughed awkwardly as she turned to Damian, placing a hand cautiously on his chest. He returned the awkward laugh, biting his lip. It wasn’t how she had touched him when they were dating, but she didn’t want to go overboard and blow her cover. And of course, her nerves were getting completely in the way.
“My God, seriously?” Antonio shook his head. “I said classy, not middle-school. Tyler’s not actually here, so have a little fun, please? I’m going to get some water – you can take the time to warm up to each other,” he said. Gemma blushed as she watched him walk away. There was a brief silence.
“So how long have you been with Tyler Chase?” Damian asked. Gemma smoothed back an invisible wrinkle in her dress. “Sorry… if that’s not an okay question to ask.”
“No, it’s totally fine,” Gemma replied. She cleared her throat and looked up at him. “I’m sorry if I’m being weird. I’m just nervous.”
“Really?” Damian furrowed his brows. He smiled to himself. “I figured you’d done a thousand of these shoots by now.”
Gemma laughed. “I pretty much have, but this feels different for some reason.”
“Well, this is my first photo shoot ever, so I’m nervous too. You’re not alone.” He reached his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. “I hope it’s okay that I just hugged you,” he grinned, biting his lip back. Gemma giggled.
“Yes, it’s okay. Maybe it’ll translate to that onscreen chemistry we’re apparently having trouble with.”
Damian threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know how two people who have never met are expected to just jump in front of a camera and look like they’ve loved each other forever,” he said, pulling away from her. Gemma lowered her heavy copper lashes, unable to look him in the eye. Though she considered him her first love, she nodded in agreement.
“I know, right?” She looked down, focusing intensely on the tip of her heels that poked out from the hem of her dress. She could feel him gently pulling her body into his, closing the gap between their torsos. It was the same, comforting embrace that he had always given her. Gemma rested her head on his chest, inhaling his familiar scent.
“If it helps at all, I feel like I’ve known you forever,” Damian said. “I promise I don’t usually go around hugging people like this when I don’t know them.”
“Oh yeah?” Gemma laughed. She felt the muscles in her body relax. “You know, Antonio was just saying something about how he feels like he knows me too. I guess it’s a part of being all over the tabloids.”
“No, I don’t mean like that,” Damian pulled away from the embrace, smiling. “I don’t really pay attention to the tabloids, though my girlfriend does because she’s a big fan of Tyler Chase.”
“Oh! You have a girlfriend? What’s her name?” Gemma exclaimed, clasping her hands to her chest. Immediately, she realized her inappropriate reaction considering they were supposed to have only just met. Damian didn’t seem to notice. In fact, his inquisitive eyes suddenly shifted. He looked at her with a familiar gaze.
“You actually… really do remind me of someone,” he said, his voice deep and lost in thought. Before Gemma could say anything, Antonio returned, immediately hustling them back into the center of the set.
“Okay, are we ready to work again?” he clapped his hands together. “No more of that middle-school shit. I’ve forgotten everything that I saw before. I’ve washed my hands of it, so give me something good. Loosen up. Have fun.” Gemma smiled, suddenly thankful for the note. She felt a sudden rush of adrenaline in her.
“Fun,” she repeated, nodding her head. She gazed up at Damian, her head cocked as if she were beckoning him for a fight. “I can do that.”
“So can I,” he grinned. “Bring it.” He held his challenging gaze for just a second before he had to burst out laughing as Gemma surprised him by running and jumping into his arms. The silk-chiffon flowed behind her like the tail of a fighter fish. They laughed and ran through the set the way they did at the shore house during post-prom. Every time she thought she’d caught Damian off guard with a surprise jump, he would still manage to catch her.
Gemma then decided to turn the ambush attacks into a game of tag. She squirmed away from his grip and ran from him, bracing herself behind an oversized vase of long, pink cherry blossom branches.
“Go on!” Antonio yelled at Damian. “Find her! Pretend it’s not totally obvious she’s behind that vase.” Gemma giggled, her heart pounding. She hadn’t had this kind of fun since she was a child. When Damian ran towards her, she shrieked with delight. She burst out from between the vases and felt her heel catch on a grate. She gasped as she began to fall.
“Gotcha!” Damian yelled as he slid down onto the floor to grab Gemma right before she hit the ground. Before she could sigh in relief, she heard the huge crash of breaking ceramic. They turned to see the oversized vase, now in pieces on the floor. The delicate cherry blossoms shredded from the branches as they fell to the ground, floating around them like falling snow. They laughed and collapsed into a bed of grass, knocking down a few more flower arrangements, much to the horror of the prop stylist. It didn’t matter, though. Antonio couldn’t have been happier with the shots.
Gemma sat up to see everyone gathered around the computer, marveling over the photos. She turned to see Damian still lying down, an arm draped loosely around her waist. His clothing was untucked and disheveled but he managed to look as effortlessly sexy as he always had.
“That was fun,” he said as he looked up at Gemma. “I hope we don’t have to pay for the flowers we killed.” He paused. “I’ll foot the bill if we have to though.” Gemma laughed.
“I love you two!” Antonio shouted across the room. “This couldn’t be more perfect. There are hundreds to choose from!”
“I think we did okay, don’t you?” Gemma said. She smiled as he got up. They sat side by side, the way they did for hours at a time in his living room. Gemma leaned into him. She had missed Damian more than she realized. It calmed her to once again be around him and his relaxed demeanor, the foresty smell of his skin, the comfort of his strong shoulders.
“I think we did okay, indeed,” he sighed, brushing flower petals off his shoulders. “What are you doing after this shoot?”
“I’m not sure, I have to talk to my manager.”
“I was hoping we could get some dinner or something. I think we have a lot to catch up on.”
“What?” Gemma tilted her head.
“Starting with how you managed to keep this a secret from me for so long.”
“What?” Gemma repeated, a hint of amusement in her voice. She didn’t want to jump to conclusions but she had a feeling that she knew what he was talking about. Damian jumped to his feet and easily scooped Gemma into his arms. He looked behind them to see the group still distracted by the photos on the computer and walked her into her dressing room. He kicked the door closed behind them and set her gently onto the ground.
“I might be completely out of my mind,” Damian said as he gazed at her, his eyes dancing with excitement. “But I’m pretty sure I know who you are. And if I’m wrong, then I couldn’t be more embarrassed and I apologize in advance. No, actually, I’m pretty sure I know who you are. I just don’t know how you managed to get away with all this.”
“Who do you think I am?” Gemma teased.
“Did I make a promise to you about a year and a half ago that I’d take you out on a huge shopping spree the moment I got into the NBA?”
“Yes, I believe I made you promise me that, but I never got a call. I
didn’t even know you were in the NBA,” Gemma said, smiling. “Last I checked, that was considered big news and you usually call your friends to tell them stuff like that.”
“It was in the news!” Damian exclaimed. “And Gavin didn’t even mention it? Did you all forget about me or something?”
“I stand by the idea that I deserved at least a text or something that you had gotten drafted.”
“Oh yeah? How about not telling me you had some secret life? And for the record, I would’ve figured it out in a heartbeat if I had seen ‘Queen Bee’ in person back in the day. I mean… didn’t like… Leah and Kate and Lucas see Queen Bee in concert at some point? And even take pictures with you? And they couldn’t figure it out? I could see you through the makeup and fake hair and contacts.” He laughed teasingly. “It’s really not a very good disguise.”
“To be totally fair to them, I used to do a bit more to hide my face,” Gemma said. “But then again, no one knows me the way you do.”
~
After returning home and taking off her disguise, Gemma pulled on a Beauford Bobcats sweatshirt over her jeans and met up with Damian in a small cevicheria in Mid-City. It was a charming hole-in-the-wall with all the privacy she would need for the conversation she was about to have. When she arrived, Damian had already ordered two goblets of ceviche as well as plates full of fish and shrimp tacos.
“I haven’t eaten all day,” he shrugged as she sat down. “When I found out I was doing the shoot, I was so nervous I couldn’t eat.”
Gemma laughed. “I still can’t believe I’m actually seeing you,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe anything that happened today.”