Every Pearl Has Its Oyster (21 page)

Damian bowed his head, laughing in embarrassment. He peeked up at Gemma with a quick smile, looking for her response. She felt dazed as she stood in front of the larger than life image of herself and could only muster a nod in reply.

“In less than a week, this photograph will be on international billboards from New York to Milan, Sydney to Tokyo and of course, here in Los Angeles,” Thierry continued. “It will be our way of preparing the world for more Wanderlust!” Gemma continued to gaze at the photograph. New York, Milan, Sydney, Tokyo. There were all stops on Queen Bee’s tour – the tour that no longer existed. They were trips she would no longer make. Her photograph was about to travel internationally but she couldn’t. She had no reason to.

As the lights went up and the party continued, Gemma floated around the room in a much less peaceful way than she did in the photo. She traveled in her quartet, arm in arm with Tyler and closely tailed by Andro and Mike. Gemma was on autopilot, shaking hands and taking photos as she passed certain guests. It wasn’t until Tyler tightened his grip that she woke up from her stupor. She turned in his direction to see Damian, finally resigning to approach the two of them. Aubrey was with him, looking effortlessly stunning in her stark white strapless minidress. Gemma could hear Andro and Mike chuckle gleefully behind her. She turned, flashing her eyebrows to keep them in check. Instead, Gemma smiled at the sight of Andro and Mike looking like they were enjoying themselves for once.

“Aubrey Gracielle is Mike’s iPhone background,” Andro explained, excitedly.

“I always thought your professionalism transcended everything,” Gemma teased. “But now I know your weakness.”

“I don’t think I’m being unprofessional,” Andro said, defensively. “But I guess Mike is.”

“Okay,” Gemma laughed, turning her attention back to Tyler. He smiled stiffly as Damian reached out a hand to shake his.

“Hey man, how’re you doing,” Tyler greeted.

“Tyler, Gemma, this is Aubrey,” Damian said, pulling Aubrey in by the waist. Aubrey held out a hand to shake theirs. “And behind them would be Andro and Mike.” Huge grins broke out on Andro and Mike’s faces as they both reached their hands forward. Any attempt at trying to remain cool was dashed with the goofy, awkward expressions on their faces. Gemma shook her head, looking up to see if anyone else had caught the way they looked. Damian bit his lip, looking like he was suppressing laughter. They exchanged a quick glance before Tyler tugged at Gemma’s hand.

“Nice meeting you, Aubrey. Good seeing you again, Damian, but we were actually about to go speak to someone,” Tyler said. Gemma furrowed her brows, confused but knowing better than to challenge him. She followed Tyler reluctantly, Andro and Mike looking quite reluctant as well.

“Who are we speaking to?” Gemma asked once they were far enough so that Damian was out of earshot.

“There’s this record producer, here that I used to work with a couple years ago,” Tyler said. “His name’s Burrow and he’s doing a solo venture right now and he’s starting up a new indie record label.”

“Oh,” Gemma replied. “Are you planning on switching labels?”

“Well, maybe,” Tyler said. “I am looking for a different vibe and feel once I start recording again so I think it’s a good idea to start shopping around for someone who knows how to fulfill what I’m going after, you know?”

“That sounds great, Tyler!” Gemma said, pulling him in to give him a kiss. He smiled a quick smile, looking genuinely happy for the first time since Belize.

“But there’s something else too.” Tyler stopped and took her hands in his. “He’s interested in signing you too and if you sign on, I’ll definitely sign on. And I’m telling you now, ahead of time, because I know last time I was wrong to just spring the whole Carbine thing on you. How great would it be, you and me starting everything over with a new label?”

“Tyler, you know – I mean – I’ve told you that I’m not in a place to think about this right now,” Gemma sighed, exasperated. “I just need some time to think what my next move will be.”

“I know, I know,” Tyler said, squeezing Gemma’s hands. “I know. Which is why I’m just having you meet him first to see if you like him and you can think about it for as long as you need to and we’ll figure it out from – “

“No, Tyler,” Gemma pried her hands from his grasp. “I’ll figure it out. I on my own will figure it out.”

“Why on your own, Gemma? I don’t get it,” Tyler said under his breath, eying Andro and Mike to make sure they were keeping their distance. “I know I fucked up with the engagement ring so soon and everything but we’re a couple and couple’s are supposed to make decisions together. Aren’t they?” Gemma stared at Tyler, nodding, but not really knowing why. She wasn’t nodding in reply to Tyler and she certainly wasn’t nodding in agreement. There were a multitude of thoughts flying through her mind but none were appropriate to say aloud. She wanted to though – she wanted to say how she had never made a major decision on her own and that she was sick of everyone around her choosing things for her. Whether it was what she wore or what she did, it was always someone else telling her what to do.

She thought she’d have freedom when she graduated high school. She thought she’d have freedom when her Aunt Mira stepped down from her position. She thought she’d have freedom when she moved to Los Angeles. But there were always hiccups, always bumps in the road. Even then she was hopeful that freedom was just around the corner. She thought she’d have her own say once Oro was out of the picture and she had a moment to think without security but that moment was fleeting. It had been so long since Gemma made a true decision for herself that no one around her trusted to do so anymore.

“Will you at least come with me to say hi to Burrow?” Tyler asked. “I told him I’d be right back.”

“I need to use the restroom,” Gemma said. “So why don’t you go first?”

“Okay, fine,” Tyler sighed. “I scheduled a lunch with him tomorrow so you can meet him then.” He signaled for Mike and Andro to follow Gemma.

“I’m going to use the bathroom, guys.” Gemma rolled her eyes. “Go with Tyler.” Mike and Andro stayed still for a moment while walked away, back towards the VIP area. In the reflection of a banister in front of her, Gemma caught Tyler signaling for Mike and Andro to follow her again. They did as they were told. Gemma pulled the hemline of her dress up, hoping it would give her just enough room to quicken her pace just a little bit more. As she reached the entryway, Gemma turned to find herself face to face again with Mike and Andro.

“I know you two are just doing your jobs but do you have any shame at all?” Gemma spat. “You’re following me to the bathroom for God’s sake and at the request of my boyfriend. I know he’s in a weird place right now so he gets a pass though he really shouldn’t, but how about the two of you? Don’t you see how wrong all this is? Tracing my credit card, following me to San Francisco, dragging me back to L.A.”

“We’re just trying to keep you safe, Bee,” Andro replied. “That’s been my relationship with you since day one.”

“But it’s changed and you know that,” Gemma said. “Like you said, you work for Tyler now and he doesn’t have the right to use you guys like guard dogs on his girlfriend. You’re no longer protecting me as Oro’s precious cargo, you’re protecting my boyfriend from having to ever wonder where his girlfriend is because that’s apparently something he can’t handle.”

“Bee,” Andro shook his head. “Like you said, you know where he’s coming from right now. I found you in a hotel room with Damian.”

“Which you should have never told him because you know it wasn’t like that!”

“I never told him. He assumed it and correctly so. I mean, you were in San Francisco, the Bay Area, I think anyone could assume what you were up there doing.”

“I didn’t go there on purpose, Andro, I just ended up there.”

“Right,” he scoffed.

“You can believe me or not but all I’m asking you is to be human for a second and be the person you were with me before the insanity with Elizabeth and before Perrin and Tyler tightened the ropes around you guys,” Gemma reasoned. “Or at the very least, just wait out here for me and let me go past this point on my own.”

“The vanity area is unisex, we’ll wait in there,” Mike said, following her again.

“No,” Gemma exhaled. “Give me some breathing room. You guys can stand outside the vanity area. Unless you girls need to touch up your lip gloss or something.”

“Alright, point taken,” Mike replied, shrugging as he backed off. Andro nodded, backing off as well. Gemma pushed her way into the empty vanity room where she had been touching up her makeup with Zoe and Harper. She had wished that they’d be in there somehow, not having seen them on her way to the VIP area. Gemma just needed a moment with her girls, even if it was just sitting side by side on the chaise beside the mirror.

She plopped onto the lounge, staring out into space. The music was different in the vanity room, the spa-like chimes and bells a stark contrast from the lively jazz outside. Gemma exhaled, leaning back against the wall and wondering how much time she could get away with just sitting there. Just as she was about to close her eyes, the door to the men’s room swung open. Damian stepped out, a big smile on his face as he spotted her.

“Hey there,” he said, walking over and taking a seat next to her. “If you’re waiting for Tyler, I don’t think I saw him in there.”

“No, I’m not waiting for Tyler,” Gemma laughed. “Just needed a moment.”

“Oh,” Damian furrowed his brows. “Should I go then? I just need to wait for Aubrey, she should be any second.”

“No, you don’t have to go,” Gemma said. “I don’t own this vanity room.”

“Just wanted to give you your space if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“I appreciate it, but I don’t think you can give me the space I’m looking for. Andro and Mike are literally right outside the door.”

“Why?” Damian laughed. “Don’t tell me they do that with you when you’re home too.” Gemma frowned.

“No, they pretty much do,” she replied. “I had a week without them but now that Tyler’s wrapped up shooting and Andro’s back on duty to make sure I don’t ‘run away again,’ I’m pretty much surrounded.”

“Gem, all kidding aside about your excessive security and everything, you don’t sound very happy these days,” Damian said. “Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen you truly happy in awhile.”

“I know,” she sighed. “You only ever see the sad me. The one who complains about her life all the time even though she should really just be grateful.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Damian explained. “If you’re unhappy, then there has to be a reason and if there’s a reason, we can tackle it.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“It is,” Damian insisted. “What can you do right now to make you happy?”

“That question’s too hard, Damian.”

“Just say the first thing that comes to mind,” Damian said. “This works, I swear. My mom used to do this to me all the time. This is how I made the decision to leave UCLA.”

“Really?” Gemma smiled. “Okay, I guess I can give it a try…”

“Just clear your mind, close your eyes,” Damian instructed. Gemma did as she was told. “First thing that comes to mind. Go.”

“I want to jump off a cliff.”

“What?” Damian laughed, uncomfortably. “No. I have to officially veto that, sorry.”

“Not to like, kill myself,” Gemma opened her eyes only to narrow them at Damian. “I’d hope you know me better than to think that.”

“Then what were you trying to say?”

“I mean like,” Gemma sighed. “I want to fly. Like the photo Darlene took of us. But actually flying. With nothing binding me. Just for a second.”

“I can teach you how to dunk,” Damian suggested. “People say that sort of feels like flying.”

“There’s a smaller chance of me dunking a basketball successfully than actually sprouting wings and flying.”

“We can all go trapezing? They have trapezes in Santa Monica.”

“No,” Gemma laughed, tickled by Damian’s ongoing suggestions. “I’d still be holding onto the trapeze. So it won’t feel like flying.”

“This is a tough one,” Damian said, shrugging. “I mean, I don’t think our bones are meant to be, like, aerodynamic, so…”

“Okay, stop!” Gemma put a hand on his knee, giggling. “That’s not quite what I mean, don’t kill my dream.”

“That’s not what I meant to do, I’m sorry.” Damian put a hand over hers. “Let’s try one more time. And we’ll go with whatever you say. What can you do right now to make you happy? Close your eyes, clear your mind. Go.”

“I want to leave this party,” Gemma blurted out, her eyes closed.

“That’s easy enough,” Damian laughed.

“By myself,” she opened her eyes to see Damian’s surprise. “Without security. Without Tyler. Just by myself. No questions asked.”

“Okay,” Damian nodded. Before Gemma they could venture into how, Aubrey stepped out of the ladies’ room. She smiled, choosing the seat next to Gemma instead of the one next to Damian.

“Hi again!” she said casually, flipping her perfectly straight, waist-length hair. “What’re we talking about?”

“I have an idea,” Damian said, smiling at Aubrey. Aubrey flashed her eyebrows, smiling a goofy smile back.

“An idea about what?”

“Gemma needs a little help,” Damian continued. “She needs an escape route.”

“From what?” Aubrey said, looking at Gemma with genuine concern.

“My life,” Gemma replied.

“Very dramatic,” Aubrey nodded. “I like that. What can I do?”

“Just follow my lead,” Damian said, standing up. He turned to Gemma. “Andro and Mike are right outside, you said?”

“Yeah.” Gemma watched as Damian opened the door.

“Andro?” Damian waved Andro and Mike in. They stepped in, looking serious until they caught sight of Aubrey sitting with Gemma on the chaise lounge. “Hey man, you said you’re from Croatia, right?”

“Yeah,” Andro replied, struggling to keep his eyes on Damian. Mike didn’t even bother, smiling shyly as he continued to look at Aubrey.

“Croatia?” Aubrey said, uncrossing her long bronze legs to make her way over to Andro. “Damian and I wanted to take a trip together and he says he wants to do Croatia but I said there’s nothing to do there. Am I right?”