Living it Arg

by James Argent

  I had a fantastic time in Vegas and by the time I returned to the UK my batteries had fully recharged. Gemma and I had not been in contact while I was away. We’d both just gone our separate ways. Despite all the press speculation, we were not boyfriend and girlfriend at this point, so I wasn’t due to meet Gemma again until all the cast got together to film a TOWIE special in Marbella. We were all asked to meet at Southend Airport and while I was in the departure lounge I spotted Lydia. I was standing next to Sam, who urged me to go over and say hello.

  Lydia and I exchanged a few polite words. She asked me if I had enjoyed myself in Las Vegas and I told her it was a great place and that she should try to visit it one day. I didn’t think much more of it, although during the flight Lydia and I kept catching each other’s eye.

  When we arrived at Málaga Airport, by pure chance I found myself standing next to Lydia at the baggage carousel. She had a strange look on her face and I sensed she was in the mood for trouble.

  ‘Oh, how’s Gemma, then?’ she asked me. ‘I bet your sex life’s good.’

  I was staggered.

  ‘What are you talking about, Lydia?’ I replied.

  Lydia then made a nasty comment that took me by surprise. It was along the lines of, ‘I bet you two’ll need a reinforced bed, so you don’t break it when you’re together.’

  ‘What the hell are you talking about? Gemma and I haven’t slept together, but what’s it go to do with you?’ I asked.

  ‘Oh, I’m so glad that I’ve got Tom,’ she replied. ‘He’s so good to me. He takes me to nice places and we stay in nice hotels.’

  I’d been trying to remain calm but the idea of Lydia and Tom sleeping together in a hotel made me see red. My emotions were still very raw and I am sorry to say that I hit back with a spiteful comment that I now regret.

  ‘Well, listen here, Lydia,’ I said. ‘Hopefully, Gemma will satisfy me and I won’t need to go elsewhere like I did with you.’

  It was nasty and wrong of me to say such a cruel thing, but I was fuming about her mentioning Tom. As soon as I said it I could see that my words had cut Lydia like a knife. At first she lunged towards me as if she were going to strike me, but as I darted away her face crumpled into tears. I felt guilty about it, but it showed how sore I was still feeling inside. Lydia then put on her sunglasses and I could see the teardrops streaming down her face. I was angry and ashamed that it had come to this. Later on she sent me a text saying that I had broken her heart.

  Marbella was as glitzy as ever. I checked into the luxurious Sisu Boutique Hotel, where I had reserved the famous Scarface Suite, which is themed on the Al Pacino movie of the same name. It was decorated entirely in black and gold with Versace fittings, and there was a huge mural of Tony Montana (the Pacino character) on the wall. It cost me a few quid extra, but I was earning quite well by now and I loved splashing out on nice hotel rooms. The decor was very gangster chic and it made me feel like the governor.

  I wanted to put my row with Lydia behind me and just get on with having a good time, but I found myself drinking quite heavily. Gemma flew to Marbella on a later flight. She was her normal bubbly self, and the night before we were due to start filming I joined her and some of the other members of the cast. I bought her a few drinks and we seemed to be getting on fine. There was a sort of flirty chemistry between us and it seemed as if everyone present was egging us on because they wanted us to become an item.

  The next day I got a shock, because, as soon as the cameras started to roll, Gemma’s attitude seemed to change. She came marching up to me in her sarong by the pool and let rip with a real broadside. She claimed that I’d been disrespectful towards her during my conversations with the boys and it was clear to me that she thought I had a problem with her weight. Then she hitched up her sarong to show me her body.

  ‘You ain’t ever gonna get this candy,’ she boomed.

  I was flabbergasted. For one thing, I never had any issues regarding Gemma’s weight. Of course, she was a big girl and occasionally it would be mentioned during my conversations with the boys. But I’ve been on the receiving end of plenty of banter about my own weight, so I was hardly likely to criticise Gemma for the same thing. I was a bit miffed by her outburst because the night before we’d been getting along really well. It felt as if she’d just set me up for a fall in front of the cameras. I suspected that Gemma liked to play the weight card as a way of making herself out to be a victim, because she knew it would win her sympathy. The next day I was slightly frosty when she texted me to invite me out for dinner at a restaurant called La Sala. It crossed my mind to refuse to go along, but I relented because, after all, she wasn’t the first person to put on a bit of a show for the cameras.

  When I arrived at La Sala, Gemma welcomed me with a big smile, and she had saved a seat for me next to her. There was a brandy and Coke waiting for me, which she knew was my favourite drink. She seemed to be going out of her way to be charming towards me and I felt myself warming to her. During the meal she was so sweet and nice that I soon forgot all about her ‘candy’ outburst by the pool. We ordered some bread with garlic aioli, which she knew I liked.

  Gemma’s conversation that night was funny and witty and I found myself laughing with her more and more as the night wore on. She was being really caring and loving towards me and I thought how nice it felt to have someone to comfort me like that. It was such a contrast with all the commotion I’d been through with Lydia, and I began to see Gemma in a new light. I could sense that she really cared for me, and I found it all very sweet.

  Sam and Billie were both at the meal with us, along with Joey and Billie’s boyfriend Greg, and everyone seemed to be delighted by the fact that Gemma and I were getting along so well. I felt very at ease in her company and later that evening I decided to invite her back to the Sisu for a drink.

  Looking back, I suppose there was a good chance that we were going to end up in bed together that night, but at this stage that wasn’t something I’d planned. I could feel a spark of attraction and I just wanted to enjoy a bit of company alone with Gemma. I was slightly confused, because I couldn’t quite believe that I was falling for Gemma’s charms, but I was caught up in the moment. It felt so nice to have some female company, and with somebody I knew and liked. When we arrived at the Sisu I thought it would be nice to have some time in private.

  ‘Look, Gemma, I’ve got the Scarface Suite up there and it has a great big balcony and a massive bedroom,’ I told her. ‘Come on, let’s go up there and have a little chill-out and a drink.’

  I ordered a couple of brandies to be sent up from the bar and we sat together on the bed sipping them. The whole thing felt a bit unreal and I got the giggles.

  ‘Why are you laughing?’ asked Gemma.

  ‘I can’t believe I’m sitting in bed with Gemma Collins.’

  ‘Shut up, Arg!’ she laughed.

  I looked at Gemma and thought about how nice she had been to me all evening. It was obvious how much she loved me and, after all I had been through with Lydia, I felt I needed a bit of comfort.

  We kissed and it felt pleasant.

  One thing led to another and soon we were making love together on the bed. I must admit that I was really impressed and the sex was very good. Gemma was thirty years old and I was twenty-four, so she was fairly experienced and she knew what she was doing. It would be ungentlemanly of me to go into too much detail, but let’s just say that I enjoyed myself and I think Gemma did, too. We made love just the once but I got the impression Gemma would happily have wanted more.

  Afterwards I was still quite giggly. I found the idea of sleeping with Gemma slightly amusing because we’d always been friends rather than lovers, and it feels strange when you suddenly make that awkward transition to having a physical relationship with someone you’ve known for a while. We’d obviously shared an intimate moment together at boot camp, but in reality that had been nothing more than a boozy fumble. This was the real deal and afterwards my head was spinning b
ecause it had all happened so quickly. The first thing I did was go out onto the balcony and phone Mark.

  ‘Mark, you’re not going to believe this, but I’ve just slept with Gemma.’

  ‘What are you like?’ he replied. ‘I’ve heard it all now.’

  I think Gemma overheard my call but she didn’t care. In fact, I got the impression that she wanted the whole world to know. We’d been plastered across enough magazines and newspapers together, so telling Mark about us hardly made any difference.

  The next evening, Gemma and I enjoyed a repeat performance. I had to leave the Scarface Suite because somebody else had reserved it, so I moved into the Sisu’s Las Vegas suite. It was just as luxurious and it came with its own stripper’s pole for dancing; plus, it had an enormous en suite Jacuzzi. When I went out onto the balcony and gazed down, I spotted Gemma on a balcony below. She was dressed in a silky nightie and looked very alluring. I had been drinking and I was feeling in the mood, so I thought, Why not have some more of what we enjoyed last night? I pictured us together in the posh Jacuzzi and I thought about the possibilities that it held.

  ‘Come on, Gemma! Come up to the Vegas suite,’ I yelled down to her.

  Gemma didn’t need to be asked twice.

  Soon we were stripping off and she joined me in the hot tub. We had sex right there in the Jacuzzi, and once again I found it very enjoyable. Having fun like that in a Jacuzzi was a new experience.

  After we made love, we were visited by Jessica Wright and Ricky Rayment and the four of us went out onto the balcony together to look at the stars. It had been a very good trip and I began to put all thoughts of Lydia behind me.

  After TOWIE finished filming the Marbs special we had a few days to spare and it seemed a shame to go straight back to the UK. Mark’s parents, Big Mark and Carol, were in Marbella and they invited Gemma and me to join them, along with some of the others, on a road trip up to Alicante to see Mark’s cousin Elliott, the one who owns a restaurant there. It was a five-hour drive, but when we got there we had an amazing time. We went on a number of boat trips together and Gemma and I shared a bed during the evenings. It was like a whirlwind holiday romance and Gemma made me feel very happy.

  ‘It’s great being with you,’ I told her. ‘You put a smile on my face. I’m really enjoying your company.’

  ‘Oh, James,’ she said, blushing. ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’

  I think at this point in my life, after going through such a long and difficult break-up with Lydia, I just needed someone to spoil me with some love and warmth, and that was exactly what Gemma did. I won’t pretend that I was deeply in love, but she is a beautiful girl and it’s fair to say that I’d grown to love Gemma as a friend.

  When I came home to the UK, I was feeling confused. It didn’t know whether our relationship would turn out to be nothing more than a fling in the sunshine, or would amount to more than that. I still couldn’t really picture us together as a couple, because I didn’t have the same depth of feeling for her as I had previously felt with Lydia. However, I did adore Gemma.

  You know what? I thought. I do like her.

  I wasn’t just sleeping with her for the sake of it: I was enjoying it, so maybe we could make a go of things. Maybe Gemma was right for me? I was thinking, Here’s this beautiful girl who likes me, so why not give it a go?

  I think part of the attraction for both of us was also the huge amount of attention we were getting from the media. A whole circus seemed to have grown up around our relationship. Everyone was writing about us and it sent our profiles sky high. It was a big story for the audience to see two of TOWIE’s most popular characters getting together. Gemma had always struggled with love throughout her life and I had been up and down with Lydia, so I think the viewers wanted us to find a bit of happiness. It was all very flattering, although not all of the attention was nice. There were plenty of people who made nasty comments about us on Twitter, mainly in the form of weight jibes because we both have big frames. There were also a few mates who took the piss out of me, not just because of Gemma’s weight but also because of her age. I didn’t care. I just went along with the excitement of it all. It was like a pleasant dream and I was caught up in it.

  After we returned to the UK, Gemma was due to go off on a holiday to Turkey and I was due to travel to Barcelona on business to make a personal appearance, so our romance was briefly interrupted. While I was back in Spain I found myself missing her immensely. I’d enjoyed her company a great deal in Marbella, because it had been like a breath of fresh air to have someone I could share some romantic time with. When I got back to the UK from Barcelona I had some time to spare.

  What the hell! I thought. I like being with this girl, so why don’t I go and join her in Turkey?

  It was a crazy idea but when I rang Gemma she was flattered by my offer to go out there and she readily agreed. I think we were both caught up in the whirlwind of having a holiday romance and neither of us wanted it to end. Gemma was staying at a place called Kalkan on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. I booked a flight and arrived within a couple of days.

  I checked into a local hotel close to a villa where Gemma was staying with a group of her friends. We had a wonderful time together. It felt fresh and exciting to be with someone who cared so much for me. During the day we’d go diving on boat trips and our evenings were spent eating and dancing in some fabulous restaurants. Our holiday coincided with the UEFA European Championship, which was being held in Poland and the Ukraine, and Gemma and I spent a bit of time watching some of the games on TV in local bars. I was very at ease with Gemma and the time we spent in Turkey was romantic and magical.

  Gemma and I found that we had a lot in common and when we returned to the UK we began to date. We share a love of performing and I discovered that when Gemma was younger she’d attended a dance school that had staged productions at the Kenneth More Theatre (the venue at which I’d done most of my amateur dramatics while I was growing up). Even though Gemma is slightly older than I am, it’s possible that our paths had crossed as youngsters without our ever knowing it. Gemma took a great interest in my singing career and she came along to several gigs to support me, which was nice.

  We were also happy to indulge in our shared passion for food and we were regular visitors to the deli close to where Gemma lived. We’d stock up on fishcakes along with salmon-and-cream-cheese bagels, which we’d then enjoy together in her flat. If I stayed overnight she would cook me the most enormous breakfasts, with bacon and sausages piled high on the plate. The portions were so huge that they were more than enough to satisfy my enormous appetite. I almost got the impression that she was trying to fatten me up! Gemma always promised me that one day she would cook me a big steak in peppercorn sauce, although she never quite got round to it.

  The magazines all seemed delighted that we were now officially boyfriend and girlfriend and we had lots of requests to do interviews and photoshoots. A new series of TOWIE was about to launch and our relationship was soon displayed on TV for all the viewers to see.

  Unfortunately, we didn’t stand the test of time.

  I was happy to take things step by step, but, to be honest, I never quite felt that we recaptured the special feelings that we had shared in Turkey. We continued to enjoy a strong attraction, but I didn’t feel the deep love for Gemma that I’d previously felt for Lydia. I thought Gemma could be adorable, but after we arrived back in Essex the reality of daily life began to set in and things very quickly became rocky between us. There were times when Gemma seemed very insecure about whether or not I had true feelings for her, and I think she was worried that I was going to leave her for someone else. On one occasion we had a blazing row after I went to Faces for a night out with a mate called Davy. At the end of the evening I had jumped into a car with him along with some girls who were accompanying his cousin. All we did was drop them home before going on to another party, but the paparazzi took some photos and Gemma was furious.

  ‘You’v
e cheated on me!’ she screamed.

  Gemma was in a right strop and she turned the air blue.

  ‘I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t even know them,’ I protested.

  I suspected that, because she knew that I had cheated on Lydia, Gemma had a lack of trust in me as well – but the photographs outside Faces were entirely innocent.

  We also had arguments because Gemma felt that I spent too much time hanging around with Mark.

  Here we go again, I thought. This is just like it was with Lydia!

  Things came to a head one day after we’d been filming together. Gemma wanted to go out with me for the evening afterwards, but I had already arranged to see Mark. She got angry when I told her that I couldn’t be with her and she stormed off. I was out in the street a bit later when I saw Gemma drive by in her car. As she raced past, she leaned forward and gave me the middle finger.

  It was typical Gemma: brash, ballsy and full of bravado.

  A few weeks later I discovered that, while she was driving by, she had a secret passenger in the car at the time. He was a bloke called Rami and he’d ducked down out of sight so that I couldn’t see him as they whizzed by. Rami was an ex-boyfriend whom Gemma had dated prior to our getting together in Marbella. When I asked Gemma about it she denied cheating on me. That was the funny thing about Gemma: she would declare her undying love for me, but she’d happily go off and see her ex when she didn’t get her own way.

  Our relationship was very up and down. One minute Gemma would be telling me that I was the world’s greatest boyfriend, only for me to be labelled the world’s worst partner a short time later.

  When Gemma was in the mood she could still be extremely kind and charming. On one occasion she booked tickets for me to go and see a stage production of Jersey Boys in the West End. Gemma knew how much I loved musicals and she secretly arranged for me to meet all the cast backstage afterwards. It was a very thoughtful gesture and I had a fantastic time because I’d love to perform in the West End one day. Prior to the show we checked into the Dorchester. I’m very old fashioned in that I don’t like letting girls pick up the bill, so I paid the tab for the hotel. Gemma was so grateful that the day after we’d seen Jersey Boys she took me shopping in Harrods and bought me a pair of smart black Dolce & Gabbana shoes, which I wear when I am singing. It was an example of how kind and generous she could be when she put her mind to it.