Free Diamond in the Rough by India Lee

eloping?” she teased.
    “If you want,” Tyler panted.
    They finally reached his SUV, where his bodyguard stood outside the passenger door.  He opened it for them, slamming it shut once they were safely in.
    “I wish I had a cool bodyguard who would let me run away from my own parties,” Gemma said, pouting.
    “Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Tyler laughed, looking back towards the swarming media.  “Wow, they really took the bait, huh?” His voice was husky as he caught his breath.  They watched the paparazzi snap pictures through the windows, continuing doggedly as the car zoomed off.
    “It’s us.  Of course they did,” Gemma said casually.  She hadn’t meant to sound cocky, but it was true.  They made enough news as separate celebrities, but when the news caught them together , the world seemed to implode with curiosity.
    “Then I wonder how bad it’ll be when we’re actually together,” Tyler said, turning to her.  Gemma tilted her head to look back at him.  She knew she should tell him about Lucas.  It was the right thing to do, even if Tyler looked irresistible in his sleek black suit. 
    But with a smirk, she said, “It’ll probably be really bad.”
     
    ~
     
    “So where is she now?”
    “ What? ”
    “Where is Harper now?” Gemma shouted over the music.  After escaping the premiere party with Tyler, Zoe had called Gemma to meet her at Godsend in the Lower East Side.  The bar was dark with bare black walls and little to no decor.  While it didn’t seem like anything special, the line outside went down the block.  That was before Gemma and Zoe arrived.  Gemma could only imagine the chaos at the door after they were shuffled in.
    “Oh, I just had my driver drop us off at her apartment,” Zoe said.  “He knows the drill.”  She tossed back the rest of her scotch, catching Gemma’s eye.  “It’s such a man drink, right? Marco got me on it.”
    “Marco?” Gemma cocked her head.
    “Omigod, you don’t follow the tabloids.  That’s awesome.  He’s my ex,” Zoe explained.
    “Oh… Marco Donovan?” Gemma suddenly remembered the name.  She recalled Kate admitting that she still watched “Outta This World” for Marco, who played Zoe’s love interest for two seasons.  Off-set, Marco was about five years Zoe’s senior, so the two kept their romance a secret until her eighteenth birthday.  However a week after announcing the relationship, they broke up.
    “Yes, Marco effin’ Donovan,” Zoe rolled her eyes.  “Such a jerk.”
    “So I take it you two don’t keep in touch?”
    “We hooked up last night.”  Zoe cringed, shrugging her toned shoulders.  “I mean, he’s still a complete disgusting asshole, but he’s just like, such a perfect booty call.  Sometimes you just need to be with someone who you know is going to do the job right, you know?”
    “Uh-huh,” Gemma laughed nervously.  She prayed it wouldn’t become one of those conversations.  Back at home, Leah talked constantly about sex, but Gemma steered away from the topic – not only because Leah was dating her brother, but because Gemma had no experience to speak of.  She had also gone too long pretending that she was well versed on sex and relationships, so it was too late to admit that she was a virgin.
    “I mean, I’ll always care for him, but,” Zoe’s eyes fluttered to the ground for a moment as her sentence trailed off.  She didn’t finish it.
    “Yeah,” Gemma nodded, unsure of what to say.  She gazed over the edge of the balcony they sat on.  Everyone below cheered when they spotted her, cheering louder when she waved.
    “Queen Bee! Queen Bee! Queen Bee!” they chanted.  Gemma stood up and leaned over the balcony as far as she could.  She blew kisses down at everyone, reveling in their delight.
    “Aren’t they amazing?” Zoe hoisted herself up on the ledge, sparking chants of her own name.  She pulled Gemma up to sit next to her.  “I swear,