Hidden Gem Short Story Collection (9781301405985)

by Lee, India

  “Do you audition a lot?”

  “If I get an audition, yes. And I show up at every open call that even vaguely resembles something I can pull off.”

  “Your agent lets you go on open calls?”

  “Oh yeah, my agent totally lets me go on open calls,” Jack said, his mouth twisted in a comically sarcastic way.

  “You don’t have an agent,” Madison said, shaking her head again. She was starting to feel kind of stupid.

  “No, I don’t have an agent,” Jack laughed, sensing the fact that she was starting to feel bad. “Don’t worry, I’ve only been doing this for six years, my break’s gotta be right around the corner.”

  “Six years? And you don’t hate it at this point?”

  “I do, sometimes.”

  “Then why do you keep doing it?”

  “Because I don’t think it’ll always be like this,” Jack shrugged. “I know I sound delusional, but I don’t think I’ve given it my all yet. When I’m totally wrung out, I’ll know and I’ll pull the troops out. But until then, I gotta keep trying.”

  “Did Lucas make you say this to me?” Madison asked, suddenly suspicious. Jack frowned.

  “What?” he squinted through his glasses. “Why… would he do that?”

  “Never mind,” she laughed. “I should go look for him. It was nice meeting you.” Madison waved a quick goodbye and headed down the stairs towards the front door of the townhouse. She swung it open to find Lucas sitting on the top step, holding a large cup of coffee. He turned, flashing a smile as he watched her take the seat beside him.

  “Feeling better today?” he asked. “You look better.”

  “I am, indeed,” she replied. Madison pointed to his paper cup. “You drink coffee now?”

  “I do.”

  “How do you take it?”

  “Milk, no sugar,” he replied, handing the cup to her. “The way you used to drink it. Or has that changed?”

  “No, that hasn’t changed,” Madison said, dipping her head to take in the aroma of the coffee. “I feel like maybe, after all this time, not enough about me has changed. And I can think of a lot of things that I probably do need to change.”

  “Interesting,” Lucas nodded, a quick frown flashing on his lips. “I hope I didn’t come off as too harsh or anything yesterday…”

  “No, no,” Madison said, clasping her fingers over his forearms and giving him a squeeze. “I mean, it wasn’t you that made me think this… or well, okay, maybe it kind of was. I think I’ve been feeling this way for awhile but I just didn’t really know what was wrong or where to start. I didn’t have my thoughts sorted out and I wasn’t around people who could help me do that. I kind of got tunnel vision and yes, I think you were right. I think I was too quick to put my problems on others.”

  “You mean Gemma?”

  “I do mean Gemma, but it’s not just her,” Madison pushed her hair back behind her ears. “She was probably the first bump in the road I had ever encountered, so I remember her for that reason. But I think I’ve been placing the blame on a lot of things and people for why I haven’t gotten to where I want to be rather than look at what part I played in my own lack of success.”

  “Your idea of ‘lack of success’ is kind of… funny,” Lucas smiled before quickly shaking his head. “But I’m not judging, I swear. I know you’ve got your own standards to match and I know that the Lennox standard is up there.”

  “And I’ll get there eventually. And I can’t be mad until I know I’ve given it my all. Until I’m ‘all wrung out.’ I got that from Jack just now. I met him upstairs and he’s very nice. He’s like you with all these inspirational quotes and the crazy sage advice but his comes in a sarcastic little package.”

  “He’s a cool kid,” Lucas said. “And very funny. I hope he makes it.”

  “I just realized I have no idea what you do now,” Madison folded her hands over her lap. “I’m sorry I’ve been so self-absorbed that I haven’t even asked. Are you still teaching?”

  “I’d like to again, at some point,” Lucas replied. “But right now I’m the student again. Studying at Hunter part-time while working for a guy in Fort Greene who makes custom furniture.”

  “Oh, did he make that desk in your room?”

  “That was mostly me.”

  “You did a great job. It’s gorgeous,” she said.

  “It used to be a telephone pole and heating pipes,” Lucas nodded. “But we breathed new life into it.”

  “I like that it has some history. It gives it character.”

  “Exactly.” Lucas smiled, turning his head to look at Madison full on. She smiled back, handing him his cup of coffee. He took it before turning back towards the street and taking a sip. His gesture somehow punctuated the events of her last two days. She remembered the way she and Lucas would sit on his front porch before school, sharing breakfast as they stared out into the neighborhood and talked about their future. And now here on the steps of his new home, she was sitting beside him once again, sharing a coffee and reflecting over their past.

  But there was nothing left to say about the days behind them. She never thought that seeing someone from her past would be exactly what she needed to let go of it all. Lucas’s verbal smackdown the night before was exactly what she needed to see clearly once again, to recognize that she had indeed allowed herself to wallow in self-pity rather than learn and grow like everyone else had done around her.

  As if he could read her thoughts, Lucas reached his arm out and pulled her in for a hug. She slipped her arm around his waist and gave him a quick squeeze back. They stayed there for a moment, watching as cyclists rode down the quiet, tree-lined street. Madison and Lucas were two rivers away from his Beauford porch, attached to a house that had long since been someone else’s home. And despite the warmth of their embrace, she also felt that far away from their past as a high school couple. It was a chapter that needed to be closed for good, so that she could move on with the life ahead of her and perhaps begin a new friendship.

  A phone rang from Lucas’s second story window. Madison recognized her ringtone from her cell phone that she had left on his desk.

  “Your roommates looking for you?” Lucas asked. Madison jumped to her feet, grabbing the doorknob and pushing her way in.

  “Maybe?” she called over her shoulder. “Or maybe it’s my agent. With good news. Or bad. Or maybe Pop Dinner somehow managed to hack my phone. I don’t know. I’ll see. I’ll be right back.” Madison ran up the stairs, feeling the most weightless she had in years. For a moment, she thought it was the coffee, but the feeling was beyond the effects of caffeine. She was light on her feet, every step on her toes with a spring that made her feel like a gazelle racing through a vast, open field with no end. It was the same feeling she had the first time she executed a perfect grand jeté, the realization that just a few small adjustments meant everything in the long run. Even as a child, she had known then, in that moment, that it was all in her control to make things the way she wanted them to be. That was what she had taken for granted. She had mastered sprezzatura in such a way that she had fooled herself into thinking she had already done all she could.

  Her weekend back in New York was nothing short of humbling. But armed with her new knowledge and a new attitude, her options suddenly seemed limitless.

  CARBINE FANS, SET YOUR DVRS!

  Leading Lady of Carbine Cast to Join Long-Running Neighbors and Lovers

  The Pop Source

  May 26th

  Anyone else miss the blonde bombshell as much as we have? Madison Lennox, best known for her role as Dakota in the critically-acclaimed, Carbine, has reportedly signed up to play the part of Vanessa in the long-running soap, Neighbors and Lovers.

  “I’m excited and honored to join such a legendary production,” tweeted Lennox this past weekend. “And even more excited to be returning to New York.”

  No word on what role she’ll play in the fictional town of Graywood, but it’s safe to say that more t
han a handful of people are as excited as she is for her return to the world of entertainment, even if it’s on the small screen. Lennox has reported that the speculation over her part in Neighbors and Lovers has blown up her social media outlets, but the talented beauty isn’t new to that type of talk.

  Earlier this month, Lennox was bombarded by a paparazzo armed with a video camera and a handful of rumors regarding her contentious relationship with former classmate and pop star, Gemma Hunter, who is poised to embark on a burgeoning career in haute couture. The two were fodder for gossip mills when they were last in the same city, at times overshadowing their achievements outside of the tabloids.

  Here’s to a new start to the two talented young ladies!

  *****

  DAMIAN

  WE HAVE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DYING TO KNOW: THE OFFICIAL LIST OF DAMIAN EVANS’ ROMANTIC CONQUESTS

  Pop Dinner

  April 5th

  Before you dirty our comments section with your two cents about why we should reconsider using the word “Official” in our title, because your mother’s hairdresser’s sister’s friend knows one of the ladies on this list and she claims that nothing ever happened between them, back off and know that she’s probably lying through her drug store lipstick-stained teeth. We have our sources, and they’re good ones. And as much as you like to remind us how we’ve fallen from grace (joke’s on you, we were never really that respected), might we remind you that as much as we’re hated, we’re always right.

  Even the “most reputable news sources” have been on this story, because it’s fun to recognize that The Good Guys apparently have their expiration dates. Everyone knew it was a matter of time before a guy as talented and attractive as Damian Evans would realize his value in the dating market and spoil rotten.

  Since parting ways with his college sweetheart, Evans has been seen out and about with swimsuit model, Aubrey Gracielle among, oh, let’s say about three dozen others. No joke. The man has literally dated over a third of Maxim’s Top 100. But there’s one lady at the top of that list that he has yet to get to, and she’s wondering what’s taking him so long. In an article accompanying her seductive photo shoot, the shapely one-named songstress, Azura, was quoted saying, “Damian Evans is my absolute dream man – and I called it from the beginning that he would have a wild side. I’d love a chance at taming him.”

  We bet you do, Azura. And maybe when you succeed, you can finally write a song that isn’t about pill-popping heartbreak!

  So. You ready for that list of lucky ladies? Stay tuned…

  Damian could barely hear over the sound of his heart pounding in his temples. It didn’t help that his own voice was coming at him from every corner of the arena, amplified for the crowd through the well placed speakers. Luckily, post-game interviews were automatic to him now. He knew exactly what questions were going to be asked and exactly how he would answer them. His team had played a great game – won, actually – despite it being too late to get into the playoffs. The Warriors’ season was coming to an end and that big decision that he had yet to make was weighing heavily on his shoulders.

  Someone handed him a towel as the reporter pulled away. He took it, throwing a quick “thank you” into the crowd behind him, unsure of whose hands he had taken it from. Damian covered his face, taking long strides towards the locker room. He wanted nothing more than to clean up and get back to the hotel before his teammates got to him. He had been keeping his distance, but not for the reason they thought. They wanted confirmation that it was true – that he was leaving Golden State after years of never quite getting the team far enough. They wanted to know if they were about to lose not just their star player but a close friend.

  “Damian,” a familiar voice lilted from courtside. He pulled the towel from his face and looked over to see Aubrey wearing a white wifebeater over a slouchy, low-slung pair of cargo pants. Her hair and makeup-free skin looked perfectly sun-kissed, as if she had taken a nap on the beach before rolling into her car and making the drive to Staples Center. Somehow, she still looked incredible.

  “Aubrey. Welcome back,” Damian smiled, walking over to give her a big hug, despite being drenched in sweat. She flinched only slightly in his grasp. He laughed, holding her even tighter and nuzzling his sweaty face into her shoulder. Aubrey was never one to show any sign of distress or demonstrate an emotion that wasn’t totally positive. Any time Damian was able to bug her a little felt like a small victory.

  “I wouldn’t care,” Aubrey said, as if he knew what he was thinking. “But my top’s white and you might just be gross enough to turn this into an impromptu wet t-shirt contest.”

  “Isn’t your whole career just a wet t-shirt contest?” Damian smirked as he pulled away from her.

  “Yeah, but I’m not being paid for this moment.”

  “Can I get a hug too?” a voice said from behind Aubrey. Damian tilted his head to look over her shoulder. Aubrey had apparently come to the game with a friend. A very famous friend. Damian recognized her signature figure immediately, bent over to sign autographs for the small crowd that had flocked to her. She didn’t look up before she continued. “Or do I have to put my name on the wait list?”

  Damian bristled at the comment. He was somewhat aware that there were some rumors going around about him, but he hardly had the time or desire to investigate. But the cryptic allusions to them had grown in recent days and with the general silence he had adopted since the approaching free agency, he figured many would just assume them to be true.

  “Since when were you friends with the legendary Azura?” Damian whispered to Aubrey, smirking despite himself.

  “Since last week,” Aubrey replied. “We met in Tahiti, at the shoot.”

  “I thought she was a singer, not a swimsuit model.”

  “Not a professional one, maybe,” Aubrey smiled. “But she sure as hell rivals the rest of us in a two-piece.”

  Azura took a few quick pictures with her fans before returning to her feet, staying perfectly balanced on her skinny, silver stilettos. She turned to Damian, her raspberry-glossed lips curling into a mischievous smile before she looked up at him through a cloak of dark lashes.

  “Might I just say,” Azura began as she slinked towards him. “That you are absolutely a thousand times more gorgeous in person.” Damian laughed, looking over his shoulder to see if any straggling teammates or press had caught the exchange. Thankfully, they had all left. He didn’t need to give them any more fuel.

  “Thank you,” Damian replied. “I can say the same for you.” He allowed himself a quick onceover. Azura was famous for her petite frame and her rather serious curves. Her looks were often a source of tabloid fodder, but whether her figure was a gift of nature or a very skilled plastic surgeon, it was hard to deny what a jaw-dropper she was in person. Her crimson-dyed hair was cut into an asymmetrical bob, the longer end brushing against the shoulder strap of her tight, white leather mini-dress. Her getup was carefully constructed, a stark contrast to Aubrey’s absolute lack of regard for makeup or clothing outside of work.

  “Azura is a big fan,” Aubrey explained. “She wore a Warriors t-shirt with your number on it while we were in makeup.”

  “A Warriors fan, huh?” Damian asked, surprised. “Aren’t you a Lakers season ticketholder?”

  “How adorable,” Azura purred, peering over a shrugged shoulder to give Aubrey a wink. “This is just an act right? Are you really so humble that you’d think I was wearing that shirt for the Warriors and not because I liked having your name wrapped around my body?”

  “Alright,” Damian laughed, a bit awkwardly. He raised an eyebrow at Aubrey, in hopes that the motion was enough to cue her aid in getting him out of the conversation. Aubrey smirked, resting a friendly hand on Azura’s shoulder.

  “Let’s let him get cleaned up before he tries bathing us in his sweat again,” Aubrey said, pulling her a step back away from Damian. Azura bit her lip, not once breaking eye contact with him.

  “I would
n’t mind bathing in his sweat,” she said, her voice low and husky.

  “Well, you don’t miss a beat, do you?” Aubrey’s eyes widened, shooting Damian an apologetic look. She took Azura by the hand and led her away, walking into yet another group that was waiting for the famous singer’s autograph. Damian cracked a tired smile, ducking into the tunnel towards the showers.

  ~

  “Sorry about that whole thing before,” Aubrey said as Damian got into the passenger seat of her car. It had been some time since he’d seen Aubrey and it was a rare occasion that they were both in the same city at once. He watched her as she pulled out onto Pico, driving him away from his hotel and back towards her Miracle Mile apartment.

  “What’s there to be sorry about?” Damian smiled. He leaned his head back against the headrest, feeling the soreness and fatigue set in.

  “Azura creepin’ on you before. She said she’d behave, but clearly she lied.”

  “It wasn’t so bad.”

  “Okay, good. Because I kind of thought it was hilarious. And look, I know that everyone has this impression of her, based on her songs and the tabloids and her relationship history,” Aubrey rolled to a stop at a light, turning to look at Damian. “But I got to know her while we were on that shoot and she’s really such an awesome person. Like, seriously – so sweet and kind. And say what you will about her tendency to maybe share too much about herself but she’s really just totally genuine, you know? You know how you’re always complaining that you hate how your dates are being real with you, just ‘cause you’re in the NBA.” Damian furrowed his brows, sitting back up and looking hard at Aubrey. She pursed her lips and averted her eyes, turning back towards the road as the light turned green.