Every Pearl Has Its Oyster (22 page)

“I’m not Croatian,” Mike interjected. “But I’ve been there and it’s just great, really. It’s a great vacationing place.” Gemma bit her lip to keep from laughing. It wasn’t as if Andro and Mike had been sheltered from girls. In fact, with their job sending them to major Hollywood and industry events with Gemma and Tyler, they were often exposed to the most beautiful women in the world – supermodels and actors alike. Gemma was just lucky enough to have the one they were previously obsessed with on hand.

“Well then tell me,” Aubrey said, taking their hands and leading them to a cozy corner of the room. She twirled her hair around her finger, biting her glossy lips as she looked up through her lashes. “What’s so great about Croatia that we should spend out precious vacation time there?”

Damian gestured for Gemma to follow him into the men’s room. She did so without hesitation, wondering how long Aubrey could keep them distracted. Gemma took her baby steps, teetering in her high heeled sandals and narrow skirt.

“You can barely walk in that,” Damian squinted at the hem of her skirt. “But I’m going to need you to climb in about a second.”

“What?” Gemma asked, looking at what Damian was pointing to. There was a window above one of the sinks. It was cracked open.

“That leads to the parking lot,” Damian said. “But you didn’t drive here on your own, did you?”

“Of course not.”

“I didn’t think so,” Damian said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ticket. “My valet ticket.”

“What? Don’t you need it to get back to the hotel? Or home?”

“No, that’s just a rental. I flew in and just picked up a car by LAX. We can call a car back to the hotel, it’s no big deal. My teammates will be in town soon too so I’ll find a ride from there.”

“Okay.” Gemma could still hear Andro talking to Aubrey outside.

“You jumped off a cliff?” She could hear Aubrey saying through the door. Damian cocked his head, looking at Gemma.

“Is this a theme today, or…?”

“Yeah, cliff diving. You go into the water so it’s not as dangerous as it sounds but of course there is always a risk to it,” Andro replied with fanfare. Damian arched an eyebrow at Gemma.

“I see,” he said to her, smiling. “You daredevil.”

“It was just a thought,” Gemma laughed. “He tells this story all the time so he kind of planted it in my head.”

“How about you, Mike?” Aubrey purred. “Are you brave like Andro?” She could hear an immediate argument between the two guards as Aubrey giggled. Gemma covered her mouth to stifle her laugh.

“Your girl knows how to work it,” Gemma said. “It’s good she’s buying me time, it’s going to take me awhile to climb out of here. I don’t even know how to start.”

“I don’t think you should have your heels on when you’re climbing onto the sink, it’ll be too slippery,” Damian suggested as he studied her feet.

“You’re telling me to take my shoes off in a public men’s room?”

“I know, but I think it’ll be easier for you that way,” Damian laughed. “Here, hand me the shoe when you take it off and step on my feet so you don’t have to touch the floor.” Gemma threw her clutch in the sink and put her hands on his shoulders, kicking off her sandals and stepping on his white leather shoes. In a swift motion, he hoisted her up so that she could steady her feet on the sink.

“Oh my God, I don’t think I can do this,” Gemma said, struggling to balance with her legs wrapped tightly by the dress.

“You can’t climb on a sink but you want to jump off a cliff?” Damian teased. “Besides, there’s an easy solution to this. Hold onto the window ledge.” Gemma held on, looking down at Damian as he held the hem of her dress in both hands. With a quick motion, he tore the fabric. Gemma felt a breeze up the left side of her leg. There was suddenly a makeshift slit in her dress, all the way up to her hip.

“Damian!” she said urgently in a hushed voice. “This isn’t my dress.”

“I’ll have Thierry bill me,” he shrugged. “But hurry or Aubrey’s going to have to start stripping to keep them from realizing you’re gone and I’ll feel really bad if it comes to that.” Gemma laughed, turning towards the window and feeling for what was outside. She could tell they were likely partially underground since the bottom ledge of the window was just inches above a patch of grass.

“I like Aubrey. You’re going to have to thank her for me. How did you two meet, anyway?” Gemma asked as she anchored a foot on the faucet, pushing herself out of the window. She felt Damian inch beneath her, spotting her moves from a distance.

“We met today,” Damian replied. “When my PR team introduced us at the bar in the lobby of my hotel.”

“Seriously?” Gemma laughed.

“Yeah,” Damian shrugged. “You know how it is.” He smiled up at her

“I like her though,” Gemma said. “And you guys seem to be getting along really well.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool,” Damian replied. “And I can still hear them going, she’s still got them pretty wrapped up.” He laughed. “How are you doing? You got a good grip there?”

“Yeah!” Gemma said. She could feel how much she needed to launch herself up and had a clear view of the space she was about to jump into. It would be a soft landing, a small stretch of lawn lining the building before the pavement of the parking lot.

“You okay getting up on your own or do you need a boost?” Damian asked. Without answering, Gemma pulled herself through the window, tucking her legs in as she rolled onto the grass. She giggled as she rolled onto her stomach, sticking her head back through the window.

“I’m good on my own,” she said.

“I can see that,” Damian nodded, impressed. He handed her the sandals and her clutch with a smile.

“Thank you,” she took the shoes and slipped them on, grabbing her clutch in the other hand. “I should go now. Even if Andro and Mike are distracted, Tyler’s going to notice soon that I’m gone.”

“Wait,” Damian said. He unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it from his arms and holding it up to Gemma. She looked down at him, standing in a wifebeater and slacks. “You’re going to be cold later.”

“And you’re going to be underdressed,” Gemma replied, pushing the shirt back towards him.

“You don’t have to take it,” Damian laughed. He tossed the shirt out the window and on the grass beside her. “But I’m going to leave it there. And if you realize it’s cold while waiting for the car, then it’s here for you.”

~

Gemma wasn’t sure where to go. She hadn’t thought it through. She drove in circles, panicking every time she thought she saw Andro’s car until she finally decided to break the circles and drive out of Beverly Hills altogether. Clearly, she couldn’t just go home. She’d have to face Tyler and she wasn’t ready for that. Gemma wondered why she had given up her own home at all until she remembered that Elizabeth’s presence had tainted it. This has been quite the year, she thought bitterly. And yet, it wasn’t over. Gemma could still make a mark for herself so the year didn’t have to end only being about crazy stalkers and intrusive media, overbearing security and career ends, fierce arguments and failed proposals.

In the glove compartment, Gemma found the paperwork for the car. Return to Our Location at Airport Boulevard. She would do just that.

She wondered only for a moment where she would go as she rummaged through her clutch, looking for a credit card to pay for whatever ticket it was she was going to buy. Gemma was careful to use one that wasn’t connected to anyone else – she had learned her lesson the last time. But as she filed through the contents, she saw that she hadn’t put away her passport from her trip to Belize and at that moment, there was simply no question of where she’d be going.

The decision was sudden and very much a commitment, at least for the next forty-eight hours. Between the layover and well, the distance, flying there alone would take nearly twenty. The thought finally hit Gemma as the flight attendant came around, making the announcement that phones had to be turned off soon. But Gemma’s phone had been off since she left The Vicente Oak and was about to be unreachable for another eleven hours. She quickly turned it on, finding a plethora of missed calls and texts. She ignored all of them, opening new messages to send out a couple quick texts.

Zoe and Harper – Sorry I didn’t say bye, girls. Had to run, will explain later.

Damian – I returned the car to the rental place, picked up the bill for you. Thank you and you’re welcome.

And finally, to Tyler. I just really need some time to myself to think. Please don’t worry. I’ll be home soon.

Now, off the plane with her feet on the ground, Gemma was facing another sudden decision. It was one that was just as much of a commitment as the flight itself. As Gemma leaned against the rocks, she looked down at her Thierry Marc gown. The once pristine, perfectly pressed white silk was now covered in grass and dirt. It was rumpled and ripped, still boasting the tear that Damian had put in it so she could move better. On the side without the tear, the lace pocket still sat intact though it was sagging quite a bit. It was then that Gemma realized she had left her phone in there. Oh well, Gemma thought. Can’t go back now. She looked over at the young tourists she had hitched a ride with to the cliff. Gemma had chosen them when she landed in Dubrovnik because they looked athletic and were carrying backpacking gear and speaking English. She introduced herself as Gemma, looking for any glint of recognition in the pair’s eyes. There was none. They introduced themselves as Rip and Kerri and without a thought, Gemma quickly explained exactly what she wanted to do. To her pleasure, the tourists were a duo of experienced thrill-seekers and were more than happy to join Gemma in her venture.

Armed with a heavily bookmarked guidebook of Croatia, they drove her straight from the airport to a cliff Gemma chose from the book. The picture showed sparkling turquoise waters and varying cliff heights. Gemma figured she could decide how high she could handle when she got there.

They clapped and cheered as she stood on the rock, the hem of her gown gathered in one hand. The water seemed much farther away as she looked down from the edge. Where she stood with Rip and Kerri just moments before, it seemed manageable and possibly even the safest choice since it was fairly clear of rocks below. She didn’t quite feel the same now that she was up there. A bit of a crowd had gathered. No one seemed to acknowledge that they knew who she was. Gemma assumed she had their attention because she was now the crazy girl jumping off a cliff in her already stained, expensive-looking gown when it wasn’t even warm out. She was a spectacle to them, something she was used to being but not quite to this degree. Like the media and the public, the crowd that had gathered was hoping to see something different and new. But just like with everything, Gemma had no doubt there was a percentage of them that were wondering if, maybe even rooting for her to fail.

She wasn’t going to turn back now. It was probably more dangerous to make the walk back down than to just jump into the water and get it over with. The afternoon sun was enough to support her through the slight chill she felt while preparing herself, even though she knew the water below would be that much colder. Gemma’s noticed that her breathing was steadier than it had been in weeks and she let out a quick laugh at the ridiculous thought. Cheers came once again from Rip and Kerri and the rest of the crowd.

Gemma looked out at the horizon. She allowed herself to wonder what everyone at home was thinking. Damian probably had no idea just how serious she was about the jump, but then again she didn’t have any idea either. Andro and Mike were probably pretty angry at being duped but probably still happy to have had such a long conversation with Aubrey. Zoe and Harper were probably waiting patiently for her to return and explain, dutifully ignoring calls from Tyler.

Tyler.

Gemma closed her eyes and inhaled. She cleared her mind of all her worries. She thought of nothing but the water beneath her and the flight she would take in between. With that, Gemma jumped, feeling the air rush around her as she descended. The time before she hit the water felt luxuriously drawn out. She felt her dress float around her like the silks she had hung from for the shoot. Except this time, they weren’t holding her back.

Just as she felt ready to return to the real world, Gemma hit the water. The icy sensation woke her up, shooting her back to a full consciousness. With a ripping gasp, she rose to the surface where she was met in every direction with cheers and applause. Gemma pushed the wet hair from her eyes, gazing up at the strangers watching her. There was relief on their faces. They were impressed by her feat but they also just seemed happy to see she was okay. The cold water felt like needles as she swam to them but it was nothing compared to everything she felt right before the jump.

Gemma smiled, feeling the once binding fabric of her gown float freely around her as she kicked through the water. She hadn’t known when she was up there, but the jump was everything she needed. For once, she wanted a little uncertainty in her life – to not know where she’d be next. Gemma wasn’t sure if she’d make the jump once she got to the cliff, but she knew she had to give herself the chance to see if she could. She had run away in a moment of weakness, but at that moment, she felt nothing but strength.

QUEEN BEE’S ABSOLUTELY INSANE ADVENTURE!

The Pop Source

November 12th

Sometimes, you just gotta take a break and jump off a 40-ft. cliff into the Mediterranean Sea – according to Queen Bee, that is!

Just yesterday, Bee returned to Los Angeles from a two-day, solo trip to Croatia that reportedly no one knew about – not even her handlers! Though there were reported sightings of a woman who looked like Bee roaming around LAX, the rumors were quickly squelched when contradicting reports placed her at Thierry Marc’s Wanderlust event. Unbelievably, no one even caught wind of Bee’s plans until video of her 40-ft. jump from a cliff hit the Internet!

It seemed the jump was all Bee was interested in, as she promptly returned home afterwards. Having caught wind of her whereabouts, a wild crowd of fans rushed Bee when she touched down at LAX. Though the mob situation appeared chaotic, Bee casually weaved her way through it, even signing a few autographs before hopping into a cab back to the Hollywood Hills!