Free Hidden Gem by India Lee Page B

quickly averted their eyes.
    When they got to the city, Gavin convinced the group to drop into Pastis so he could “eat a burger or two.”   Most of them had already eaten – or chosen not to in their tight dresses – but they didn’t mind the brief detour.   “More pregaming ?” Leah dared to ask Gavin, who nodded enthusiastically.
    The restaurant was actually quite empty, so they enjoyed the feeling of practically having the place to themselves.   They sat in a back corner booth, lounging on the deep red leather seats and sharing a bottle of wine and some raw oysters.   Gavin switched between bites of his burger and a croque -monsieur.   He even took the liberty of ordering Leah a French onion soup when she commented on how good it smelled.   Leah poked at it with a spoon, no doubt wondering how she’d look in front of Gavin with strings of melted cheese hanging from her mouth.
    Gemma noticed Lucas wasn’t drinking much, though she remembered that he never really drank much when they went out.   Madison was distracted with helping Kate smooth down her blowout so she could flirt with a waiter, who according to her, looked like “an older Tyler Chase with blonde hair.”   Gemma felt a little buzzed.   She leaned in towards Lucas.
    “Are you going to finish your wine?” she asked in a whisper.   It came out a little sultrier than she had expected.   She watched as he blushed.   Lucas pushed the glass towards her.
    “You can have it.”
    “Why aren’t you drinking?”
    “I like being a little less drunk than everyone else, just in case,” he said.   Off her incredulous expression, he nodded at her glass of wine and said, “For example, if you were to get too drunk to walk, I could carry you without falling myself.”   He smiled.
    “This is only gonna be my third glass,” Gemma protested with a giggle.   She plucked the glass of wine from him and eyed him from under her feathery lashes, taking a sip.
    “You’re just…” Lucas shook his head with a grin.
    “Just what?” Gemma said, tossing her glossy flat-ironed hair to the side and looking him straight in the eye.   Her boldness was involuntary and her stomach began to flip.
    “Just a little different than your usual self,” Lucas concluded, lowering his eyes to the table.
    “Is that a bad thing?”
    “No, not bad.   It just takes some getting used to.”
    “How am I different?” Gemma asked.   She crossed her leg under the table and felt it rub against his.   He didn’t move away.   He didn’t speak either.   “How am I different?” she repeated.
    Lucas suddenly stood up from the table.   He touched her arm gently, though his face was not so lighthearted.   “I don’t know,” he said as he began to walk away. “But you are.”
    ~
    The club was huge with high ceilings and two floors.   The architecture was old-fashioned and intricate which contrasted in a chic way against the minimalist, space-aged inspired décor.   A well-known deejay that Queen Bee had once collaborated with scratched on a stage on the lower level while Madison gathered her VIPs on the upper balcony.
    Gemma wasn’t sure what had gotten into her at dinner, but she felt it was safe to say that it was the wine.   The buzz had long since left her and she refrained from another drink in her nervousness.   Leah, on the other hand, knocked back shots like a frat boy.   She was determined to dance with Gavin at the very least.   It had been awhile since any of them had seen Madison and Lucas.   The last time they were in public view, the two were dancing sensually, interlocked and face-to-face.   Gemma frowned at the thought.
    “You look amazing,” a voice said from behind her.   Gemma turned to see Damian.   Her mouth dropped slightly.   He looked even more amazing in his white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, half-tucked into a pair of fitted designer jeans.
    “Oh, thanks,” she smiled, eyeing his muscular forearms as they handed