Diamonds Are Forever

by India Lee

  The television in the back of the cab played its standard fare – short videos designed for tourists and locals alike, highlighting what was new and trendy. Headlines ran on a ticker below. Again, the usual fare – weather, politics, sports, stocks. But to her dismay, among the almost completely non-celebrity-gossip headlines was the one that she had hoped she wouldn’t see: New York Knick, Damian Evans, Confirmed to Have Married Former Pop Star

  She bit back her lip. Gemma knew people were talking about it but she’d had no idea how the story was being framed. Former pop star? She seethed silently at their choice of description. She couldn’t be sure if she was thankful or angry that they had left off her name. Without thinking, she took out her phone, punching her name into the search engine. Before she could finish, she saw the suggestions – gemma hunter married, gemma hunter dating damian evans, gemma hunter fake, gemma hunter queen bee. She picked the first one, scrolling through the countless headlines about her.

  As her car turned onto the Bowery, she realized that being without Damian also meant braving the red carpet alone. Gemma opted to get out a block away from the grand historical building in which the event was being held. She made a big loop around the building, avoiding the red carpet and looking for the side entrance, feeling out of place in the dingy streets. When she got to it, she saw that it was locked, closed off with a set of metal barriers. Damn.

  Her shoulders slumped as she walked back towards the front, watching as the giant spread of red carpet drew closer. To her luck, the ever-notorious actor, Liam Brody, had just arrived. She recalled how he had flirted with her that one time on the Carbine set, eventually causing Tyler to make headlines with a fist to Liam’s face. Gemma didn’t remember Zoe mentioning that Liam, a longtime focus of the tabloids, would be in attendance. As far as she knew, he didn’t have anything to do with production. But whatever his reasons were for being there, Gemma was grateful. She laughed inwardly, silently thanking him for stealing away the attention. With all the cameras turned on him, Gemma slipped past the crowd and behind the cast and crew of Leadoff, slinking into the building barely noticed.

  At the bar, she choked down a stiff martini, knowing it was a matter of seconds before someone asked her about Damian. She hadn’t replied to any of the texts or calls, still too stunned by the news herself to discuss it. I shouldn’t be drinking, she thought as she gripped the thin step of her martini glass. That’s how I got into this mess to begin with.

  She hated that the mere beginnings of her relationship with Damian had already hit so many snags, but she never thought it would begin with a drunken marriage and a media walk of shame. How romantic, she scoffed, her mind sullied by bitterness and sarcasm. And what absolutely perfect timing. It’s not like you had anything important like say, Fashion Week, coming up that this might overshadow. She wasn’t sure she could feel more disappointed in herself. She was embarrassed and angry. She hated the idea that what should have been a fun, carefree night turned into the nightmare that it had. Gemma wasn’t even sure that she should have shown up at the Leadoff premiere, worried to show her face after learning that there was a renewed interest in her dramatic life. She had thought she had left that behind. She had started a new chapter and wanted the bare minimum of respect that came with it. But what do you expect when you get so drunk you do the whole unplanned Vegas wedding thing?

  “Girl,” Azura said, approaching Gemma. She was on the guest list as Damian’s plus one, but she was standing there without him.

  “Hi,” Gemma said simply, feeling defeated.

  “So?” Azura raised an eyebrow.

  “So, what?”

  “Aren’t we going to talk about how you two got hitched? I mean, that must have been some damned good sex for you to jump from the bed to the altar like that.” Azura snapped her fingers to emphasize the point.

  “We didn’t have sex. And we’re not actually married.”

  “Uh, yeah you are,” Azura said. “Damian told me that much.”

  “He wasn’t supposed to tell you anything,” Gemma sighed. “Legally, yes, we got married. But it’s not real. We didn’t mean to. It was just an accident.” Before she could continue, Zoe and Gavin had gotten to the bar. Gemma could see the relief on Zoe’s face as she rushed towards her. She grabbed Gemma off her stool, hugging her tightly.

  “I didn’t think you were coming, you were ignoring all my calls!” Zoe gasped. “I wanna be mad but I’m just so glad you’re here, it means so much that you made it, especially with all that… happened.”

  “What did happen?” Gavin asked. Gemma stared at his grinning face. Of course he found it all completely amusing. She should’ve expected as much. “Just a few weeks ago you were saying you were far from calling yourself Mrs. Damian Evans.”

  “Because I am far from Mrs. Damian Evans,” Gemma answered tartly.

  “So it is just a rumor then, right?” Zoe asked.

  “I mean,” Gemma shook her head. “It was a stupid, drunk accident and we’re going to take care of it so I’d rather just not talk about this.”

  “Oh, wow,” Zoe said, nodding. “So you did…”

  “Zoe, please,” Gemma exhaled. “This is your night so let’s make it your night, okay?”

  “Okay,” Zoe agreed, kissing Gemma on the cheek and giving her a little pat on the knee. Gemma knew Zoe was dying to ask a thousand questions but was doing her best to respect her wishes. Gavin, on the other hand, exchanged a bit of a knowing glance with Azura. Catching it, Gemma’s eyes widened. What the hell did Damian say to you? she wondered, glaring at Gavin. He caught the icy look, shrugging and shaking his head as if he wasn’t sure what the look was for.

  Sometime during the showing of the first episode of Leadoff, Damian had shown up. In the dimly lit room and he managed to creep his way through the crowd, finding Gemma and the rest of the crew sitting near the front. He sat down quietly beside her, putting an arm around her shoulder. She sat still, feeling stiff as she watched the show, recognizing that it was good despite the fact that she just wanted it to end so she could ask Damian what exactly he had said to Azura and Gavin. Gemma could feel the anger burning in her throat. She had asked him not to discuss it with anyone and yet clearly, he had.

  But when the lights went up and the applause thundered across the grand hall, Gemma knew she wasn’t going to be able to bring it up – at least not tonight. She reminded herself that it was Zoe’s night and that her problems would have to wait. And somehow, it helped to see Damian hang out with everyone as if nothing was wrong. It almost convinced her that perhaps everything was okay and that it wasn’t as big of a deal as she was making it out to be.

  At the end of the night, which they did manage to focus on Zoe, Gemma followed Damian towards the side door that had been previously barricaded. His car was waiting for them just outside. Not to her surprise, a swarm of paparazzi were also waiting, snapping pictures of the two holding hands as they made their way down the stairs. Damian helped her into the car as he had just nights before in Vegas, jumping in after her and kissing her the moment the door was closed. She willed herself to kiss him back, but could only think about how the windows weren’t quite tinted enough to keep the photographers from getting the shot.

  “Coming back to Brooklyn with me?” he asked, pulling his lips from hers so she could answer. She sat stiffly, wondering how he could act so casually. Though his calmness had soothed her before, it angered her now – now that she was back out in the open and being hounded by the paparazzi once again. It was beginning to feel like he didn’t quite care about what they had done, as if it was no big deal that they just happened to make the same mistake that so many of the young, famous, and stupid had made before.

  “No, I should get home,” she said, her voice flat. She kept her eyes out on the road. Damian sat back, looking disappointed before nodding. Her eyes flickered, blinking at his almost wounded look. In that moment, Gemma almost changed her mind, the words just sitting on the tip of her tongue. Alright, she�
��d concede. Let’s go back to your place, have some wine and curl up to each other in your bed. But then the unwelcomed thoughts came barreling back through her head – the mocking headlines and malicious comments, all overwhelming the news that her big debut in the fashion world was just around the corner. She thought about how nonchalant Damian was acting. She wondered why he wasn’t angry as well, infuriated over their utter lack of judgment in Vegas and the fact that the media was happy to ridicule her. She wondered why he didn’t even think to acknowledge it, to bring it up or talk about it. She wondered what there was to even say to Azura and Gavin when he claimed he couldn’t remember much of the night.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, finally looking as upset as she was feeling herself. But Gemma knew it wasn’t over the right thing.

  “I’m sure.”

  STAR-STUDDED PREMIERE FOR NEW ZINC PROGRAM, LEADOFF

  The Pop Source

  August 27th

  Leadoff stars, Kyle Laurie and Zoe Mercury, were joined by many of Hollywood’s biggest names on the red carpet last night. Liam Brody and Damian Evans were among those who were spotted at the elaborate event celebrating the new show. Evans was photographed sitting alongside Gemma Hunter, whom he was rumored to have married in an impromptu wedding in Las Vegas.

  Chapter 10

  CHARITY GAME IN MADRID FEATURES NBA PLAYERS AND LOCAL STARS

  The Big Assist

  September 10th

  A game of pickup basketball was organized to raise funds for local schools in Madrid this past week, much to the delight of the students in attendance. While there were many NBA players at the event, most notably was Damian Evans who recently signed with the New York Knicks. Evans reportedly joined the other players and the children for a roundtable dinner after the game before heading to the airport for his return home.

  NEW YORK FASHION WEEK LIVETWEETING: THE COURT

  Pop Rock Gossip

  Posted by Jessie O.

  September 12th

  7:53PM: Tent is packed. A-listers in attendance: Zoe Mercury, Harper Gunn, Mira Hunter. All front row.

  7:58PM: Rude. Celebutantes in front of me are “already bored” and anticipating “a shitshow.” Might be bored because show hasn’t started yet, you space cadets

  7:58PM: “I’m like soo embarrassed for her. Like, ur obv not a srs designer if ur partying so hard before Fashion Week that u accidentally get married, like ooomg”

  8:01PM: Can we discuss the fact that it is never a mistake to marry someone if they look like Damian Evans?

  8:14PM: Show is starting!

  8:15PM: First look is a f*cking stunner. Heavily structured above-the-knee dress. Miniscule beading over embroidered lattice-work. In your face, celebutantes.

  8:16PM: Crowd has gone from stunned silence to “ooh”ing and “ahh”ing with every look down the runway. I’d probably kill for this fringed halter dress.

  8:16PM: If the killing involves the chatty celebutantes in front of me, consider it done.

  8:19PM: Leather bandeau bra under matte black double-peplum jacket is everything.

  8:20PM: Zoe Mercury is pretending to reach for every look from the front row. Harper is embarrassed.

  9:21PM: Finally out of the tent. General consensus of The Court show: everyone either reluctantly impressed or flat out impressed. I’m part of the latter.

  9:22PM: Screw the shotgun wedding. Will someone please talk with me about The Court’s Fall/Winter collection??!

  “It’s like with a wedding,” Gemma’s mother had said, excited yet oblivious as she stood backstage before Gemma’s show. “You prepare forever but then it goes by so fast that you have to take mental pictures and remember the little moments. Really take the time to enjoy it.” Mira and her father immediately shot her a look.

  “Not the best analogy right now, Emily,” Malcolm had replied.

  Her family had done their best to hold back with their questions, like everyone else in her life. It helped that she had a very legitimate, very public project to stress out about. Unfortunately, her mother was right. Fashion Week as a whole had gone by so quickly that her own show, her own after party, felt like small blips in the grand scheme of things. There had been a hollowness in her heart as she walked down the runway, surrounded by the pieces that she had designed and chosen to best represent her years of hard work. It was supposed to be a proud moment, and while she did feel a strong sense of relief to know that it was done and had gone quite well, she also felt a disappointment that she hadn’t expected.

  Everything she had done since she left the music industry was a culmination to the show. She had been waiting for it for three years. It had been the source of her daydreams and fantasies, what carried her through the tougher nights in both her studio and Armand’s. It was what got her through that awful breakup with Tyler, leaving Oro Records, moving out of Los Angeles and back to New York. It was supposed to be a huge moment in her life – it was supposed to be the moment.

  And yet it wasn’t.

  Like that, it was over and she felt no different.

  “Where are the smiles, my love? Where is the champagne and the happiness?” Armand asked as Gemma stood in the studio deciding which pieces from the runway show she wanted to keep out. “Why this cloud over your head?”

  “It’s nothing, I’m sorry,” Gemma said, shaking her head.

  “You are sad that this is all over?”

  “Yes,” Gemma lied. Though maybe not the way you’re thinking.

  “Well there is still so much to look forward to!” Armand said, clapping his hands as he approached her. “We have the grand opening of this beautiful store on this lovely cobblestone corner by the river. Are you not excited for that?”

  “Of course I am,” Gemma said, her voice flat.

  “My love,” Armand said, reaching out to brush her hair back. “I know what this is all about. You cannot lie to me. We have shared too many long, arduous nights together to not share one soul.”

  “You’re going to ask about Damian.”

  “I am not going to ask because there is nothing to ask,” Armand replied. “But I know that you feel perhaps angry because you cannot enjoy this great success and happiness purely. Because something happened beforehand that is not yet resolved and it puts a big ugly mark on this happy week.”

  “It’s not just that.”

  “Then what is it?”

  Gemma didn’t answer. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it herself.

  ~

  I don’t know what he’ll be wearing but I know that it’s hard to miss him

  Gemma had woken up to an email from Tyler, informing her that between her piece in June Magazine and her Fall Fashion Week set, she had caught the eye of the producer and director of the new movie he was working on. Tyler was starring in the famous Burke Faust’s new production, a high-budget feature film by the name of Waterway, about a group of anarchists who wished to establish a society in the Pacific Ocean. Like most of Burke’s films, the premise sounded absolutely ridiculous, but the veteran director was known for the colorful and bizarre worlds he created and the stories within them. And he just about always pulled it off. He was also surprisingly modest, citing his ability to choose the right team over any other talent he might have. Knowing that, Gemma was all the more flattered to know that she had caught his eye.

  He mentioned it to me during a creative meeting, Tyler had written. He said he saw some ‘hot new designer’ he knew he had to work with named Gemma Hunter and asked me if I had heard of you. It was only a little awkward letting him know that, yes, I had, but he was happy it meant getting a more direct line to you.

  The potential new job at such a high-profile production didn’t make her nearly as happy as the fact that Burke had only learned of her through avenues of the fashion industry. It was nice to know that someone’s first impression of her would be what she was now versus what she used to be. It gave her a glimmer of hope to know that others might be in the same boat.

  Gem
ma stepped onto the second floor of the Central Park South restaurant that Burke had chosen to have their meeting. The afternoon sun streamed in, perfectly highlighting the eccentric outline of Burke Faust, sitting in the white backdrop of the restaurant with his wild, grey curly hair and turquoise velvet jacket. He looked over at her through his oversized, thick-rimmed tortoiseshell glasses, smiling a tiny smile.

  “Miss Hunter,” he said, standing from his table with his arms outstretched. “Oh, what an honor to meet you.”

  “What an honor to meet you,” Gemma replied, in awe as she took his hand.

  “My, I can’t believe just how young you are,” Burke shook his head. “I mean, Tyler mentioned you had a whole other career before this and I don’t see how you could have possibly had the time to do that and now do this and hone your craft as you have.”

  “Oh, gosh,” Gemma said, blushing at his words. She felt her heart flutter at the recognition in his praise, realizing it was that feeling that she had hoped to feel after her show. Perhaps she had put too much stock in Fashion Week itself. Especially if the weeks to follow were going to be anything like this.

  Thank God for this meeting.

  ~

  Gemma came out of her lunch with Burke in high spirits. Though he wasn’t in the fashion industry, being praised by and subsequently commissioned and hired to work for him was an honor that no one could deny. And he hadn’t seemed to care that she had been the cause of recent tabloid fodder or that few in her old or new industry seemed to take her seriously. Instead, he focused only on the work that she had produced. The perks of working with someone so insanely eccentric, Gemma mused with a smile.