by India Lee
And yet somehow, Corey inspired nothing in Gemma. It was a strange sensation to look at him and recognize that he was wonderfully sweet with the looks of a storybook prince but still feel nothing. She never felt compelled to kiss him. She always had to force a laugh at his jokes, only pretend to be interested in his stories. She went along with their dates in the same passive, dutiful manner that she had attended her high school classes. But then everyone else managed to see something in him. And they didn’t even seem to be trying the way Gemma was.
Squinting, Gemma looked towards the back corner, watching as Walter and his friends laughed loudly, clapping at something Corey had said. Corey bowed in an exaggerated manner, wearing his famous megawatt smile. Gemma found it so incredibly cheesy but even his guy friends were charmed by him. God. Was that Corey’s only appeal to her? That everyone else seemed to like him? Gemma shook her head to herself as she turned back toward the windows. Maybe I am just missing something. Maybe there really is something I just haven’t seen yet. I mean there has to be. I know it, Gemma decided. She rattled her glass. Or maybe I’m just drunk.
Looking down, her eyes focused on the mere ice cubes left in her gin and tonic. Oops. She had hardly noticed the fact that she had finished it in record time. Clearly, she had a lot on her mind – which of course meant that she deserved another one. Right?
But right as she was about to flag down the bartender for another, she felt an arm slip around her waist. Instead of the silly little squeeze he had done before, Corey let his hands slide to her hip as he drew closer. Gemma felt a warm, tingling sensation run up her spine. Hm. That’s more like it. She closed her eyes, letting her head drift back against Corey’s chest. She didn’t like being this indecisive about how to deal with him, but she was in no mood to handle the breakup verdict tonight. Besides, there was suddenly something surprisingly… comforting about being in Corey’s arms. It was sort of that “something” she’d been waiting so long for.
Maybe Armand was right. She just needed some time.
Either that or this isn’t Corey, Gemma realized, her delayed reactions suddenly realizing that the body behind her felt nothing like Corey’s. Her eyes snapping open, she spun in her seat, looking up at the smiling face behind her. The stranger was taller than Corey, his broad shoulders and chest filling out the simple charcoal t-shirt he was wearing. His hair was dark and cropped short and his warm brown eyes were focused completely on Gemma. She felt her sight come slowly into focus, realizing that he was no stranger at all.
“Long day?” Damian looked at her, amused. He brushed her hair from her face, holding his hand to her cheek for a moment before pulling away.
“Damian!” Gemma screamed, jumping off her seat and throwing her arms around his neck.
“Hey there,” he laughed, pulling her body into his for a tight embrace.
“I haven’t seen you in forever! What are you doing here? Are you back here for the summer?”
“I am,” Damian said. “And I was hoping I’d run into you here, actually. Didn’t quite expect to find you napping at the bar alone.”
“That’s not what I was doing,” Gemma smirked.
“Is Gavin here?”
“No, he had a long work day.”
“Who are you here with?”
“With… a friend,” Gemma replied. She didn’t want to explain to yet another person her strange predicament, nor did she want to start off her reunion with Damian by bothering him with her boy troubles. He’d had his fair share of that in their long friendship. “Anyway, I haven’t seen you in ages!” she repeated.
“Well, that’s on you,” Damian teased. “You know I’m always up to see you.”
“I know, I’ve been busy…” Gemma’s voice trailed. Though Damian spoke in his usual calm, casual manner, she noticed that the expression on his face didn’t quite match. He looked a bit tense, his eyes darting away towards the floor or the windows between his words. “How have you been?” Gemma asked, placing a hand on his chest with her question. Damian slipped his free hand over hers and it was then that Gemma noticed that his heart was racing, and that he was holding a drink – a lowball glass filled with a little more whiskey than it was intended to hold. She never knew Damian to be a drinker.
“I’ve been really good,” he replied, stepping in a little closer. Though his words sounded sober, his eyes seemed sleepy, faraway and in some sort of dreamlike state. Gemma could smell the smoky woodiness of whiskey on his breath. She raised her eyebrows.
“You’re drunk,” she said, a hint of amusement on her lips. She’d never seen him so intoxicated before.
“No,” Damian protested simply, his eyes narrowing. Gemma stared at him, sitting back on the barstool and crossing her arms. He bit his lip, tilting his head slowly to the side. “Am I?”
Gemma laughed. “Are you?”
“I guess I might be,” Damian looked back down towards Gemma. “The guys back there keep refilling my glass before I’m even done. I don’t know how much I’ve actually had.” He pointed towards the same group that Corey had disappeared into with Walter and what she could now see as other local pro athletes.
“Well, I’m drunk too, so you’re in good company,” Gemma said, patting the barstool next to her. “Though maybe not quite as drunk as you.” Damian sat beside her, leaning on the glass bar. She gestured to the bartender to bring over some water, which he promptly did. After one look at them, he knew whom the water was for. Damian laughed sheepishly in response.
“I didn’t realize I was so obvious.”
“You don’t have to be ashamed,” Gemma smirked. “It’s not like you’re embarrassingly drunk. Yet.”
“I… yeah, well.” Damian looked as if he had probably had something to say in response and lost it. He shook his head, laughing. It was rare for Gemma to see him not completely put together and for some reason, she found it delightful. “Man, I thought my teammates partied hard but that group back there…”
“Your teammates?” Gemma asked. “From what I understand of sports, you don’t technically have teammates until you sign yourself a contract again.” Damian was now one of the most coveted free agents in the NBA. Unlike many of his peers, he hadn’t hinted one way or another as to which team he was most likely going for. Everyone had assumed New York, but Gemma didn’t want to assume anything. She considered herself close to Damian, but their contact had dwindled significantly in recent years. And now in the presence of a very drunk Damian, she wasn’t so sure she really knew him well enough these days to say anything definitively about him.
“I mean the Warriors. My old teammates.”
“Your old teammates?” Gemma asked. “So you’re leaving them?”
“Don’t tell anyone yet,” Damian nodded. “Especially not Gavin. I haven’t had a chance to see him since I’ve been back in the city.”
“Yeah. He and Zoe have been… mutually preoccupied.” Gemma’s nose wrinkled.
“Oh?” Damian laughed. “Well, I’ve always liked them together,” he said, sipping on his water and tilting his head to study Gemma. She smiled at him, watching him as his warm eyes flitted across her face.
“What?” she asked, tilting her head to mirror him.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, straightening up as much as he could in his seat. Damian ran his hand over his hair as he kept his eyes on her.
“I’ve missed you too,” Gemma said. Damian shook his head.
“No,” he replied, simply.
“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Gemma laughed, swatting him on the knee. “Are you saying I didn’t miss you?” He ran a hand over his lips, staring back at her as he kept silent. Gemma’s smile fell, confused by his reaction. Maybe he was more intoxicated than she had understood him to be.
“Hey!” Corey bellowed. Gemma turned to see him walking towards them. “The guys said you were here, I’ve always wanted to meet you, man. Big fan!” He took Damian’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically.
“Nice to meet you,” Da
mian replied. “I guess no need for name introductions either way.”
“Right,” Corey laughed. “You two went to school together, right?”
“Yeah,” Gemma replied for them both. “High school, in New Jersey.”
“So you’re an East coaster, originally,” Corey said, directing a serious glance at Damian.
“Yes,” Damian replied. “I have a feeling I know where this conversation is going…”
“How can you expect anyone to have a normal conversation with you if you’re going to be so secretive about where you’re heading next season?” Corey asked. “Gemma knows – I’m a big Knicks fan. We want you on the roster so badly. We know you’d do wonders for the orange and blue. So take this conversation as a plea from a man who just wants what’s best for his team.”
“You got it, man,” Damian laughed. Corey made his way over to Gemma, putting an arm around her waist. Gemma felt that tight-lipped smile once again stretch across her face. She looked up, seeing Damian’s eyebrows furrow as he watched Corey’s hand rest comfortably on her body.
“So, tell me a little about what my girl was like in high school,” Corey said. Damian’s eyebrows flashed, looking over at Gemma. Oops, she thought. So much for keeping this from him.
“What was she like in high school?” Damian repeated, buying time as he drank the rest of his water. He furrowed his brows as if to recall those days far behind them. Gemma cocked her head, watching him as she did as well. In her mind, it felt as if he hadn’t changed much at all since then, even despite the fact that so many years had passed. Damian turned back towards Gemma with a sweet smile, looking a little more sober. She smiled back. His warm brown eyes crinkled at the sight. “Well, I haven’t seen her in some time, but I can’t imagine that the Gemma you know now is too different from the one I knew in high school. In a good way. She’s always been very kind-hearted and warm. Always an absolute pleasure to be around.”
“That sounds like the Gemma I know,” Corey nodded, planting a series of kisses on her temple. Gemma flinched, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried not to lean away. When she opened them, she caught a glimpse of Damian’s expression. He was, without a doubt, doing all in his power to suppress a smirk. She bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. Damian had always had the ability to read her like a book.
But suddenly breaking their gaze was a bit of a commotion in the space downstairs. There were flashes as she watched the crowd below her part. Someone was making their way up with an entourage in tow.
“Wow, who gets that kind of reaction at a place like this?” Corey asked.
“Are you jealous that we didn’t?” Gemma asked.
“Of course not,” Corey laughed, rubbing the top of her head. “You’re such a comedian. I love funny women.” God. Gemma felt herself flinch again. She looked over at Damian, who had clearly heard but was looking away. His eyes were looking upward, and he had his fist pressed to his mouth. Gemma shook her head. If you’re going to laugh, laugh with me, she thought, willing him to look over. He glanced up at her right at that moment, a mischievous smile on his face. She returned it right before looking over at the top of the stairs, where the soda jerk bouncer had stopped the entourage. Whomever they were with was encircled within the five surrounding model-esque girls, all dressed to the nines in revealing haute couture.
“They can’t all come in,” he said, addressing whomever was in the center of the flock. The group of athletes in the back of the balcony gave a collective groan of disappointment. “Sorry, only your name’s on the list and we’re close to max capacity up here.”
“Girls,” a steely but feminine voice answered from within the group. “Wait for me downstairs, I’m just making an appearance.” With that, the Amazonian entourage dispersed and made their way down the stairs, revealing a petite but voluptuous figure behind. Gemma recognized her right away. She was the It Girl of the moment, a superstar crooner that dominated the airwaves.
Azura was dressed in a simple, black tube dress. The fabric was thin so the metallic raspberry lace of her matching bra and boyshorts came shining through. From what Gemma had read about her, she knew it was probably a purposeful arrangement. Azura smiled a big smile as she entered the space, enjoying the sudden silence of the raucous athletes in the back corner. Gemma actually found herself mildly starstruck as she watched the famous singer saunter over to the bar. To her surprise, she wrapped her arms around Damian’s waist and pressed herself up against him. Damian put an arm around her shoulder and bent over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Gemma crimped her lips together to keep her jaw from dropping. She had heard rumors about Damian dating the most eligible industry bachelorettes, but she never really knew what to believe. None of things that had been going around sounded much like the Damian she knew, so she had stopped paying attention altogether. After all, she knew that it wasn’t fair to see him as little as she did and gather all her facts about him from the tabloids. No one in the world knew as well as she did how wildly inaccurate they could be. Good job, I guess.
“Hey baby,” Azura said leaning her head against Damian’s ribs, the only thing she could really reach despite her five-inch stilettos. “I thought I’d miss you getting here so late. Isn’t it past your bedtime, old man?”
“Give me some credit, it’s not even midnight,” Damian laughed. He held a hand out in front of him, signaling to Azura that he had been with others before her grand entrance. Azura looked up, squinting with a look of recognition. “This is Gemma.”
“Shut up!” Azura screamed. “I loved your shit back in the day. I listened to your album all freaking day. Am I allowed to talk about Queen Bee with you? Is that cool or are you trying to stay focused on your current shit?”
“It’s fine,” Gemma laughed. “It’s not like it wasn’t a big part of me.”
“I know, but you’re like, doing a new thing now and you know, no disrespect talking about your past and stuff, just wanted to say that I loved Queen Bee and her music and I’m sure I’m going to love Miss Gemma Hunter and her new designs.”
“And this is Corey, Azura,” Damian said with a smile, turning her slightly by the shoulders so she’d stop ignoring the rest of the party.
“You’re that rich guy!” Azura exclaimed. Damian and Gemma’s eyes widened, surprised at her lack of filter. But Corey didn’t mind. He reached a hand forward to shake hers.
“My father’s that rich guy,” Corey said. “I’m just his son and a college dropout.” He shrugged. Gemma squinted up at him, surprised by his uncharacteristically self-deprecating remark.
“Aw, stop,” Azura cooed, softening at his words. “I’m sure you’re more than just that.”
“Well, I’m also Gemma’s boyfriend,” he said, giving Gemma another kiss on top of her head. Gemma forced a smile, looking at Azura and nodding reluctantly.
“Oh,” Azura replied. She looked up at Damian. His shoulders shrugged slightly, pointing her forward once again. She turned back to Gemma, suddenly brandishing a huge smile. “How long have you guys been together?”
“About a year,” Corey replied before Gemma could say anything. She frowned. Not really, she thought. She had been telling herself that they were only together four months, but apparently Corey had seen it as the entire past year.
“A year?” Damian asked, his eyebrows raised. “Wow, so you two are… pretty serious?”
“Definitely,” Corey nodded. He pulled Gemma even tighter into his body. She watched as Damian and Azura studied the two of them. Corey squeezed her shoulders. “I mean, once you meet someone like this one here, you don’t just let her go, you know?” An awkward silence hung between the two couples.
Damian set his glass down, a little harder than he had probably intended. The sound was sharp as the heavy-bottomed lowball glass came in contact with the mirrored counter. He winced, rubbing his forehead. Azura put a hand on his chest, looking up in concern.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, just
a mild headache.” He pointed to the lowball of whiskey next to his water, as if to indicate the cause.
“Are you already hungover?” Azura yelled. “What’s with you? I swear, this man goes through the alcohol cycle like Superman. One minute he’s drunk, the next he’s hungover, and that’s it. Faster than the speed of light.”
“As long as he lasts where it counts,” Corey said, winking at Azura. Gemma wrinkled her nose, doing her best not to cringe. Azura raised a judgmental eyebrow, remaining otherwise silent.
“Yeah, I think I’m going to head back to the hotel,” Damian laughed. “I actually had kind of a long day.”
“Meeting with the front office at MSG, right?” Corey nodded, a goofy grin on his face. “Right?”
“I promise, you’ll find out soon enough,” Damian smiled.
“I’m gonna go with you,” Azura said. “Just gotta get a few pics here so people know I showed my face.”
“Azura is a ninja partier,” Damian shook his head. “She just drops in and out all across the city.”
“With the same alarming speed that alcohol runs through his system,” Azura said, without missing a beat. “Anyway, can one of you long-armed people take a group shot?” she asked, shoving her phone in between Damian and Corey. Corey happily obliged, pulling the camera back to fit all four of them in the shot. Gemma stared at the phone screen as they bunched together.
“Say cheese!” Corey yelled, sticking his free hand up for a thumbs up. Gemma shook her head, an exasperated smile on her face.
Cheese.
COREY SLOAN, JR. AND GEMMA HUNTER AT NYC CLUB OPENING
The Pop Source
June 10th
Spotted once again on the arm of Manhattan heir, Corey Sloan, Jr. was none other than singer Gemma Hunter, who accompanied the billionaire son to the opening of Lower East Side club and lounge, Greyta.
