No Stone Unturned (3 page)

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.”

“Neither could I.  But the weird thing was, I was actually telling Nicki about you just last week.”

“Is Nicki your girlfriend?” Gemma asked.  “How’d you two meet?”

“In an Intro to Psych class freshman year.”

“So you’ve been together awhile,” Gemma nodded.  “Must be serious.  And she treats you well, right?” Gemma arched an eyebrow playfully.

“Yeah.  She’s awesome,” Damian smiled.  Gemma could see how much he meant it and how happy he was.  She smiled back. 

“So, better than how I used to treat you?” she asked timidly.  Gemma had carried a lot of guilt for the way she dragged her relationship with Damian through the drama of Madison and Lucas.  It was more apparent to her now than ever what a saint he was for not only putting up with it, but supporting and loving her anyway.

“You treated me perfectly,” he replied, smiling genuinely.  Gemma returned the smile, in awe of the incredible person he was.  “But, I’ve been meaning to ask – how long have you and Tyler been together?”

“Just about six months or so.”

“Because according to Nicki, you guys have been together for almost two years which… well, would mean you guys were dating when we were dating.”

“No, definitely not,” Gemma laughed.

“And he treats you like royalty, right?” Damian questioned.  “Because if he doesn’t, I
will
hurt him.”

“Are you allowed to if we’re not dating anymore?“

“I don’t need to be dating you.  You’re still one of my best friends, and I’m normally a peaceful guy, but I hit people who are mean to my best friend.”

“Well there’s no need for that,” Gemma smiled.  “He treats me like royalty and couldn’t be more understanding of my crazy life.”  She paused.  “Actually, I think you two would really get along.”

“I think you and Nicki would get along too.”

“So maybe this is a totally tacky thing to suggest but…”

“You want to do a double date?”

“Is that weird?”

“Not totally,” Damian laughed.  “But you’d have to stay in disguise around Nicki, right?”

“Yeah,” Gemma pursed her lips.  “I’m sorry, this whole thing still has to stay as secure as possible.  You’re among a handful of people that know.”

“Aw, I kinda feel bad leaving her out on the secret,” Damian said.  “But she’ll probably be too distracted by the fact that she’s meeting such huge celebrities to care.  Now here’s the real question, when is the next time all four of us have the day off?”

SO… WHO'S THE HOTTIE?

November 4

Celeb-o-Matic
Since The Pop Source’s sexy "Rookies vs. Veterans" shoot featuring rising talents alongside celebs on the comeback trail, the Internet has been abuzz with the same pressing question: Who's the hottie posing with music megastar Queen Bee?

That would be Warriors rookie Damian Evans, the number two overall pick in this year's NBA draft.  The 19-year-old rookie out of UCLA has taken the league by storm with his crafty ball handling and liquid-smooth jump shot.  But the basketball world isn't alone! Since the EW shoot, the young point guard has also taken Hollywood by storm with his movie star good looks and impressively cut 6'1 physique.  It doesn't hurt that his shot with the ever charismatic Queen Bee is the most interesting of the spread, which includes photos featuring the likes of newly cast Bond girl, Zoe Mercury.

But onto the next most pressing question:  Is this swoon-worthy Warrior single? Sorry ladies! Evans has been dating UCLA classmate Nicki Rosado since his freshman year with the Bruins. Can we get a collective awwww? At least we can say that the guy is our number one pick for top NBA sweetheart!

“I can’t comment on that. 
Or
that.  Joel, you know I’m not commenting on anything regarding her residence.”          Perrin winked at Gemma as they congregated in the pristine white kitchen of Penelope’s new West Hollywood apartment.  Gemma laughed, watching her new publicist as she spoke on the phone with one hand and sent an email on another.  With her white-blonde hair slicked back and pulled into an ultra-tight ponytail, she looked both dainty and intimidating.

“Alright, Bee.”  Perrin turned to Gemma immediately after hanging up.  She pointed at Armand and Penelope.  “And Armand and you.  Let’s sit and talk.”

Penelope caught Gemma’s eye before rolling them towards Perrin.  “Behave,” Gemma mouthed as Armand stifled a laugh.  The three of them joined Perrin at the glass kitchen table, Penelope giggling as Armand folded his hands with mock obedience.

“So, let’s get to business,” Perrin said, either oblivious to being teased or simply too focused on business to care.  She turned to Armand.  “Mira informed me that you’ll be staying in New York, so all we’ll have is the makeup artist.”