Hidden Gem (29 page)

“You
would’ve
looked crazy had you worn that gown anywhere but the stage or say, the Met Gala.
 
But now you can wear it anywhere,” Mira faked a bubbly teenaged voice.
 
“Like, I don’t know, to prom or something?”

Gemma spun around to look at Mira.
 
She shrugged her shoulders in mock innocence, smiling.
 

“I don’t know if I can do that…” Gemma said.

“And why not?” Mira demanded, hands on her hips.
 
“Isn’t every girl on the planet on some boutique waitlist hoping to get a replica of Queen Bee’s Balenciaga? I’d say you have the most authentic one.”

“I just can’t… this is
still
Queen Bee’s dress.
 
I can’t pull this off.”

“Of course you can,” Mira insisted.
 
“I can’t have you here day after day looking at that dress and feeling sorry for yourself.
 
The dress doesn’t own you, nor does Queen Bee.
 
You own them.”
 
Mira winked.
 
“Wear the dress to prom and bring a little bit of Bee’s heartthrob-winning confidence with you.”
 

Gemma smiled.
 
The idea didn’t sound half bad.

Gemma could hear Damian greeting Mira and Gavin downstairs as she put on her freshwater pearl chandelier earrings.
 
She had gotten back from the salon a little late because the stylist had felt “suddenly inspired.”
 
He ended up blowing out her hair and resetting it into classic Hollywood waves that skimmed her collarbones.
 
They glittered with the beading of her dress.
 
The cream-colored pearls of the earrings were set in white gold, matching the silver and ivory of the whole ensemble.
 
On her feet was a pair of four-inch silver satin
Manolo
Blahniks
with floral jeweled straps.

When she had everything together, she looked at the mirror hanging next to the empty dress form.

“Huh,” she breathed, cocking an eyebrow.
 
She looked like Gemma Hunter, but she was easily as stunning and mysterious as Queen Bee.
 
And for once, everything about her felt right.
 
Aunt Mira’s a genius.

She waltzed down the stairs and spotted Damian’s tall frame immediately.
 
Even with his back turned to her, she could tell he was wearing his tux exceptionally well.
 
The perks of dating a basketball player
, Gemma grinned.
 

“There she is,” Gavin announced to the room.

“Oh, oh!” Mira clapped excitedly before snapping pictures on her iPhone.
 
“Such a beauty!”

Damian turned, fiddling with a beautiful corsage made of five perfect, miniature lavender roses.
 
He looked dashing in his sharp tuxedo over a black dress shirt and ivory tie.
 
When he looked up, he simply gazed at her, mouth agape.

“I think you took his breath away,” Mira teased.
 
Gemma giggled and leaned in to give Damian a peck on the lips.
 
He responded with a shy smile, as if meeting her for the first time.

“Close your mouth, man, you’re shameless.” Gavin said.

Damian laughed.
 
That low, sexy laugh
.
 
“You look…” He shook his head and laughing at his own speechlessness.
 
“I don’t even know what to say.
 
Words won’t get it right.”

“Oh God,” Gavin rolled his eyes as he headed for the front door.
 
“Let’s go get Leah.
 
I can’t be near just you two right now.”

~

“Oh.
 
My.
 
Effin
' God.
 
You bitch!” Leah screeched as she ran down the driveway in black platform stilettos.
 
“Where did you get that dress?”
 

She looked sexy and older than her age in an elegant one-shoulder gown that fell to her ankles.
 
The golden hue of the satin matched her radiant tan.
 
Gemma declared it a conservative choice for her until she spotted the thigh-high slit that showed off a bare, slim leg.
 
Her raven-black hair was pulled into a low chignon and her smiling face was bronzed and glowing.

“You look pretty good too, Leah,” Gemma laughed.

“Shut up.
 
I totally hate you.
 
You know I wanted one of those so badly.”

“My aunt had connections,” Gemma shrugged.

“Can we maybe swap dresses halfway through the night? It might be funny,” Leah suggested almost too genuinely.
 
She forced a laugh.
 
“Just kidding. Kind of.”

Gemma’s nerves quickly calmed around Leah, and she now felt giddy with excitement.

“Leah, you look gorgeous,” Gavin grinned as he held out an arm to hug her.
 
Leah suddenly straightened her posture and posed seductively around him.
 
She blushed and hugged him back.

Pre-prom was being held in Madison’s backyard.
 
Understanding that Gemma might not want to revisit the place, Damian suggested they do their own little photo shoot by their spot at the basketball court.
 
The limo driver dropped off Gavin and Leah at Madison’s while Gemma and Damian stuck around inside.

“Sir, your name?” Damian asked the driver.

“Joe,” the driver replied.

“Joe, could you take this road straight down and I’ll direct you from there? And oh, how are you with a camera?”

~

Senior prom was held in an open glass hall on the Hudson River.
 
Their limo arrived right in time to watch the sky fade into the royal purple of early sunset.
 
Gemma looked through the photos from the basketball courts in attempts to avoid eye contact with Madison.
 
To her surprise, Jillian had the guts to betray Madison and talk to her – about her Queen Bee Balenciaga dress, of course.
 
Or as she called it, her “replica.”

“It’s incredible,” Jillian murmured as she ran her fingers through the draping silk.
 
Madison rolled her eyes as she snuggled into Lucas.

“Back off,
perv
,” Leah scoffed.
 
“Let us all admire it.”

“It seriously looks so much like the actual gown.
 
Except of course not like the full, whole thing ‘cause that thing was like, whoa!” Kate rambled.
 
“It was huge.
 
I think it must’ve weighed like, fifty pounds.
 
But this one is totally like the original Balenciaga’s really cute younger sister.”

“Can I take a picture of it?” Lucas asked.
 
The limo fell to an uncomfortable silence.
 
Madison shot Lucas a cutting glare.
 
He either ignored it or didn’t see.
 
“Elisa really loved that dress.
 
She hasn’t stopped Googling it since the concert.”

The silence continued for another quick moment before Leah cooed loudly.
 
“Oh, that’s so
presh
! Elisa is so cute, I just want to babysit her and bake her cupcakes.”

“She’s thirteen, Leah.
 
Not three.”

Everyone broke into laughter, quick to break the thick tension in the car.
 
Even Madison cracked a smile.
 
Gemma let out a silent breath of relief, all the more grateful for Leah.
 
She smiled as she caught Gavin still grinning quietly at Leah’s remark.

At the banquet hall, Gemma and Damian observed as the beginnings of Gavin and Leah’s mutual flirtation unfolded.
 
They giggled as they watched, sitting in a quiet corner where girls continuously approached Gemma to compliment her dress.
 
There were more Queen Bee fans in the senior class than she would have thought.
 
Several classmates still insisted on whispering and
side-eyeing
when they saw her, but Gemma shrugged it off.
 
They can’t all be my fans
.

Both she and Damian avoided the dance floor all night, but not because Madison and Lucas were there.
 
They both had a quiet knowledge that their days together were winding down and all they wanted was to be close and private.
 
Gemma could tell Damian had decided on which university he would be attending.
 
Beauford High had been waiting eagerly for his announcement.
 
Journalists from local papers had been hounding him.
 
Gemma, on the other hand, dreaded it.

The sun had completely set at this point.
 
The light coming from the windows came solely from the reflection of the city skyline on the dark river.
 
Gemma could feel the night drift towards a close.
 
She leaned her face into Damian’s shoulders, feeling his strong arms wrap around her.

“One last romantic song for the couples,” the deejay announced over the loudspeaker.
 
Soft chords of a piano began to echo through the room.
 
“This song here’s the ultimate love song, guys and girls, inspired by the two biggest music stars out there.
 
In case you don’t know it – though I know most of you know it because y’all requested it – this is Tyler Chase’s ode to the lovely Queen Bee.
 
Fellas
, don’t be afraid to get on the floor – this man knows how to croon, and I’ll bet he’s saying things you wish you could say to a certain special someone.
 
School’s almost over and most of y’all are
headin
’ to college.
 
Make a move now and get on the dance floor, folks!”

Amidst the drama with Madison, Gemma hadn’t remembered there’d be a vote for the class song or even paid attention to which had won.
 
She felt awkward when she realized what ballad the seniors had chosen, but the feelings quickly dissipated upon looking up at Damian.
 
He extended his hand towards her, looking every bit the Prince Charming.
 
She placed her hand atop his and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

She leaned her head into his chest as they danced to Tyler’s soft voice.
 
I caught a glimpse of those moonlit
eyes,
I knew you were all you’d be.
 
Your gilded silhouette can
smile,
you know your secret’s safe with me.
 
Gemma smiled to herself.
 
It was the first time she heard the recorded single.

“Have you ever been to L.A.?” Damian asked.

“Yes, once,” she replied, laughing at the appropriateness of his timing.

“Did you like it there?” His eyes were serious.
 
Gemma suspected she knew where the conversation was headed.

“It was sunny and spread out.
 
Nothing like New York.
 
My parents hate it, but I don’t see why,” she shrugged.
 
“I had a great time there.
 
I wish I had more time, really.”
 
Damian nodded solemnly, looking off into the distance as he held her tighter.
 
Tyler’s song continued in the background.
 
Who knows when our paths will cross again? Who knows what will happen when?
 
Gemma shuddered at the lyrics.
 
She felt a lump in her throat.

“I’m going to UCLA,” Damian whispered.

Gemma nodded, her lips pursing into a forced smile.
 
She held back her tears as she pulled him in and kissed him softly.
 
She knew it was a hard decision for him.
 
He was close to his family and had never left the east coast.
 
But she knew it was even harder because they were in love with each other, but they had yet to find a chance to say it with all the drama surrounding them.