Diamond in the Rough Read online

  When Mira and Malcolm’s parents passed away, Mira found herself spending more and more time there – keeping up the house that meant the most to her. This came in handy when Gavin got himself kicked out of boarding school and no other high school in Manhattan was willing to take him in. Since the small town of Beauford had a single public high school with private school status and a stellar boys’ basketball team, Gavin packed his bags and made the trip across the Hudson River.

  Gemma found herself at the Beauford home when she wrapped her international tour as Queen Bee. At the time, her parents had made a temporary move to London in order to convince Gemma’s ailing grandmother to move to the states with the family. The intention was to ultimately move her into the Manhattan apartment, but with Gavin leaving so soon, Gemma’s parents had decided they’d all spend their summer under one roof – even if that meant sleeping on couches and sharing rooms. Gemma had been finding herself at Lucas’s house every once in awhile just for the extra breathing room.

  She followed him into his kitchen as he made a beeline for the refrigerator.

  “Didn’t we just have dinner?” Gemma laughed, hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter.

  “If you want to call it that,” Lucas smiled. “Those kinds of restaurants always serve like… kitten-sized portions.”

  “Oh yeah, Gavin always complains about that too. Why didn’t you order more? Gavin had like, ten entrees.”

  “Nah, I wouldn’t want to do that. It was kind of pricey there and I wasn’t the one graduating.” Lucas piled on a big glob of Nutella on a piece of bread and folded it in half. “Besides, in the Grey Family household, this is what we call fine dining.”

  “Shut up,” Gemma giggled. “And give me a bite.” Lucas held the sandwich out to her. The moment she reached for it, he stuck the sandwich into her face. She shrieked and leaned away, wiping Nutella from the tip of her nose. Lucas laughed quietly as he shushed her.

  “People are sleeping, Gemma, grow up,” he grinned mischievously. “Alright, really now – here.” He held the sandwich up to her mouth. She narrowed her eyes at him as she leaned in cautiously and bit into the bread. Before she could pull away, Lucas leaned in for a bite from the other end.

  Gemma sat back up, chewing slowly. She averted her gaze from him, doing everything she could to keep her cool. She and Lucas had reached a comfortable level of friendship in the weeks after school ended. Of course, no longer having to see Lucas’s girlfriend, Madison, on a daily basis made things easier. Although the two were still together, Gemma knew things were shaky since Madison was a year older and heading to college while Lucas was just going into his senior year. It was something to be grateful for, since Madison had been nothing short of cruel to Gemma throughout the school year. Gemma had fallen hard into her well-woven web of merciless mind games, even convincing herself that she was deserving of it all since she had harbored a secret crush on Lucas. Now, with Madison spending most of her time preparing for college in the city, Lucas and Gemma could hang out peacefully and as much as they pleased.

  “I make the best sandwiches ever!” Lucas announced, as he poured himself a glass of milk.

  “Oh yeah, spreading something from a jar onto pre-sliced bread is such an art form,” Gemma teased.

  “It is. I’ve perfected the bread to spread ratio,” Lucas said, frowning with a full mouth. “But in all seriousness, I’m also actually a good cook.”

  “Really? Why haven’t I heard about this?”

  “Because you were too distracted by my amazing carpentry and basketball skills.”

  “Probably,” Gemma smiled. “Speaking of which, why were you and Gavin all dark and dismal with your scholarship talk at dinner today?”

  “We weren’t being dark and dismal. We were just being realistic. If you put us up against most people, we’re definitely good ball players but if you put us up against the real deal and talk scholarships, it’s kind of a crapshoot of whether or not we’d make it through the game.” Lucas gazed at the sink as he absently rinsed a couple dishes. He stood in silence as the water ran. Gemma hopped off the counter and walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry,” she frowned.

  “Don’t be,” he said as he turned off the faucet and faced her. “If it doesn’t happen for me, there are plenty of things out there besides basketball. For example, I could maybe disguise myself and start a singing career on the side. You did something like that once, right?” Lucas smiled as he nodded towards the living room. Gemma followed him in, watching as he plopped down on the rug, stretching his long body lazily across the floor. She seated herself next to him.

  “That reminds me, do you want to come to my birthday party?”

  “You as in… Queen Bee? Or…?” Lucas asked.

  “Well I have no birthday plans yet but yes, Queen Bee’s birthday party,” Gemma said.

  “Is like, Gavin or anyone I know going to be there or am I going to be the guy where everyone’s like, ‘who the hell is he and how did he get an invitation?’”

  “The second one.”

  “Oh, man,” Lucas laughed. “And I’m assuming this is going to be paparazzi-swarmed and I probably shouldn’t bring Elisa?”

  “Well, you could but…”

  “Yeah, I’m not bringing her.” They laughed. “Why do you even want me there?”

  “Because you’re my friend,” Gemma said. Lucas looked at her for a beat before nodding as if he found it a valid enough answer.

  “Alright,” he smiled. “I’ll go. To support the girl under the get-up.” He paused. “Are Zoe Mercury and Harper Gunn going to be there?”

  “I’m actually not the one sending out the invitations so I don’t know. I’ll have to check with Penelope.”

  “I hear from Elisa that Zoe might be single these days…” Lucas smiled, raising his eyebrows repeatedly with mock interest. Even as a joke, it was a bit strange to see him talk about any girl that way.

  “Why do you care?” Gemma said a little too defensively. “I mean, don’t you have Madison to worry about?”

  “I don’t know,” Lucas shrugged. “I’ll probably be officially single by the time your party rolls around.”

  “What? What do you mean? How have you not told me anything?”

  “She’s not exactly a favorite subject between us, is she?” Lucas said. Gemma nodded, conceding to his point. Though Madison was for the most part out of mind, the mere thought of her often still had Gemma shuddering. “But, yeah, Madison and I are pretty much over. She made it clear last time she was in town.”

  “Did she say why?”

  “Something about moving onto bigger and better things,” Lucas chuckled.

  “No way. She did not say those exact words did she?”

  “Not exactly, but pretty much. I think she still thinks she’s going to date Tyler Chase one day.” He shook his head, smiling. Gemma giggled. Lucas glanced over at her, his eyes narrowing to a soft gaze. He pulled himself closer, placing his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his dark hair. The gesture felt natural to her. She had imagined this simple moment a thousand times.

  “I think I’m going to beat Madison to the punch,” Lucas said as he looked up at Gemma.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m totally going to date a celebrity before she does,” he laughed.

  “I told you, already,” Gemma laughed with him. “I’m not sure if Zoe or Harper will be at my party.”

  Lucas opened his mouth to speak but decided to shrug it off, smiling softly. Gemma sat quietly, listening to the rustling of the soft summer breeze and chirping crickets outside the window.

  “I like hanging out with you,” he whispered as he closed his eyes.

  - Chapter 2 -

  “Of course I want to meet her!” Gemma exclaimed, practically spilling the almond milk she poured into her coffee. “I need a friend who’s actually in the industry.”

  It was the first time in ages since Armand, Pene
lope and Gemma had a chance to sit down and relax without the madness of Queen Bee. Armand had set up a brunch spread on his apartment balcony in hip downtown Brooklyn. Penelope cut another piece of the chocolate almond cake that he had baked on his own.

  “Let’s not detract from the point here – don’t you think Zoe Mercury possibly maybe perhaps wants something out of this?” Penelope stabbed at her cake, looking disturbed. “It’s a little strange that she’s making such a huge fuss about being your friend. Maybe she needs good publicity because of all the rumors going on about her. Or she’s been after Tyler and wants to keep her enemies close. I mean, what if she just wants to steal your thunder?”

  Armand shook his head and clucked. “Pen, since when were you such a skeptic? Zoe’s successful on her own and all this partying is making people like her more. Maybe the girl is just a fan.”

  “Yeah, maybe she does like my music and isn’t trying to use me,” Gemma pouted. “Way to boost my ego, Pen,” she said sarcastically.

  “This is an ego booster,” Penelope said. “The biggest stars are so threatened by you that they need to join our side before we squash them with our sheer genius.”

  “Okay, maybe,” Armand shrugged. “Either way, no reason why you can’t meet the girl, yes? Can you imagine all the little girls going crazy when they find out Queen Bee might have a guest role on Outta this World?”

  “Yes! It’ll be so fun,” Gemma squealed.

  “But I guess I do agree with Doomsday Penny to watch your back with all these other stars. Girls can be evil.”

  Gemma’s shoulders slumped. “I know. I learned quite a bit with Madison,” she rolled her eyes.

  “So this might not be the best time to tell you that I saw her name on the guest list for Queen Bee’s Birthday Bash?” Penelope bit her lip.

  “No way! How?” Gemma whined. “She didn’t even like Queen Bee.”

  “Rich girls and their well-connected parents, sweetie,” Penelope shrugged. “And I’m sure she likes Tyler Chase, and everyone believes he’s coming. Including me.”

  Gemma flopped back onto the bed and covered her face with a chenille pillow. “I thought I never had to see her again,” she groaned.

  “Honey, there are one thousand people on the guest list. I don’t think you have anything to worry about seeing her regardless,” Penelope said. She reached over to yank the pillow off Gemma’s face. “Come on, cheer up! Shall I send Zoe Mercury an invitation?”

  “Yes!” Gemma popped back up in bed. “I want to meet her. I promise I’ll be careful. I just need to know more people like me, you know?”

  “Well what about Tyler Chase? Have you heard from him?” Armand asked. “Goodness, all these admirers. I can hardly keep track.”

  “Ugh, if he comes then we’d have to invite his security so he doesn’t cause another disaster like he did in L.A. Still can’t believe that punk did that,” Penelope laughed. “Though I guess it was sweet that a guy went through all that just to get your attention. But seriously, heart attack. Almost died that night.”

  “If we invited all his security, we’d go over the club’s capacity,” Armand joked. “Fire hazard.”

  “It’s a fire hazard just to have Queen Bee and Tyler Chase in the same room. All those sparks!” Penelope teased, waving her hands in the air. “There was chemistry there, I know it.” Gemma blushed, popping a strawberry in her mouth so she wouldn’t have to speak. The mention of Tyler Chase never failed to make her anxious and excited lately.

  “Stop eating those strawberries,” Armand scolded. “Have more cake before I am forced to eat the leftovers alone.”

  “Armand, no,” Gemma frowned. “I’ve never sung in broad daylight for a national audience and the last thing I need is a food baby.”

  In less than twenty-four hours, Queen Bee was scheduled to perform on The Today Show for their famous summer concerts at Rockefeller Center. Queen Bee hadn’t made a live appearance in months, and after Gemma pointed this out, Penelope and Armand called for an “emergency hang-out” in order to calm her nerves.

  “Oh shush your mouth,” Armand waved a hand in front of Gemma’s face. “All this – your face, the eyes, that cute little nose – we take care of it. If you have a cake belly tomorrow, we put you in the empire-waist Givenchy dress,” Armand said. “We spend hours perfecting Queen Bee – just like I spent hours slaving away over flour and butter. Now eat this almond cake before I am offended.”

  Gemma and Penelope burst out laughing. Penelope cut Gemma a piece of the cake and Gemma popped a piece in her mouth, feeling the luxurious, buttery texture melt on her tongue. She could always count on her team to make her worries magically fade away.

  ~

  “Guess what, my love?” Armand said as he tightened the corset of the custom designed Marchesa gown around Gemma’s waist. “No need for the other dress. I think I’ve just given you a twenty-inch waist.”

  “I think I’m going to faint,” Gemma squeaked. She stared into the gilded mirror in their hotel suite. “And I’m pretty sure I can still see the food bulge.”

  “Oh hush!” Armand shook his head. Gemma took a deep breath in. They had decided to get into half of the costume before arriving at Rockefeller Center so she would be in disguise before leaving their secret quarters. At a vanity next to them, Penelope carefully removed a delicate headpiece from its case.

  “It took three hours for me to hand sew these beads onto your veil,” Penelope explained as she held up a headpiece with an attached mesh veil. The bottom of the veil was trimmed with a fringe of hanging beads. “Dance your heart out on that stage, but if you break one bead off this veil, I’ll murder you.”

  “Wow, okay. Love you too, Pen.”

  “It’s just that these beads cost more than the outfit,” Penelope explained.

  Gemma laughed. “Why are they necessary?” she questioned.

  “Because Queen Bee is huge now, and your popularity is growing,” Penelope said. “We have to outdo your every step from now on. We’re building a team that’s not just Armand and me. There’s a lot on our plate – on everyone’s, really.”

  Gemma nodded in silence as she observed Penelope’s seriousness. She knew that the phenomenon of Queen Bee had been growing by the day, but she never thought about how their small and private operation would have to expand to accommodate her fame. Gemma wondered if this meant that more personnel would be let in on the secret of her identity.

  “Stop it, Pen,” Armand shushed Penelope. “Why get all our nerves up right before a performance? You’re made of worry these days.”

  Penelope nodded and hushed herself as she placed the beaded satin headpiece atop Gemma’s head. It was a rich jeweled rose color and shaped in a crescent moon. The attached veil was short and ended right below her eyes with the beaded fringe hanging past her nose and grazing the top of her lips.

  “This is gorgeous, Pen,” Gemma smiled. “I love it.” Penelope finally cracked a smile.

  “Thank you, but it’s all you. Everything I make is inspired by who you are,” Penelope said as she adjusted the headpiece and gave Gemma a hug. “You’re going to slay onstage.”

  ~

  In the green room at the studios, Gemma admired her ensemble in the mirror. The deep green of the skirt contrasted against the jeweled rose of her corset and headpiece but still nothing detracted from her signature lavender eyes. The skirt draped like liquid in the back while it was open in the front, showing off her gold silk stockings and six-inch black suede pumps with beading that matched her headpiece.

  “You two are geniuses,” Gemma marveled joyously. She felt the energy in her body fully shifting into Queen Bee mode.

  The crowd roared the moment she stepped out onto the stage. The sound of their cheering was deafening and she struggled to hear the host’s questions. Gemma gazed out at her fans and waved at them. For once, because of the broad daylight, she could see all their faces rather than mere outlines of their bodies. The excitement was visible – the smiles,
the screams, the tears.

  “Before we wrap up this interview because I think the fans are getting a little antsy,” the host chuckled. “I have to ask – how many people know your true identity?”

  “Many people know my true identity,” Gemma teased. “But since they know that one, they don’t get to know this one.” Both the host and the crowd laughed.

  “How many people know both identities, then?”

  “Just my family members, and not even all of them.”

  “Any chance they’d let me in on the secret?”

  Gemma laughed. “Not at all!”

  “Well, you can’t blame me for trying!” the host said affably. “Regardless of who you are, Queen Bee, we are all very excited that you’re here today and ready to perform for us. Why don’t you let the audience know which one of your hit singles you’ll be performing today?”

  “Today I’ll be singing ‘My Choice,’” Gemma answered to an immediate roar of approval. It was a single from her new album and a song she had written at the lake house the summer before.

  Gemma made her way to the front of the stage. She waited for the music to begin, standing in front of the mic with her eyes closed. As the chords came in, she felt a peace wash over her. She could feel herself falling comfortably into this role again.

  “Move by move we move the pieces/Step by step the steps repeated/List by list we list our days/Then move by move we move away,” Gemma crooned into the microphone, remembering all the emotions that coursed through her when she wrote the words. She had had a tumultuous year but she couldn’t be happier to be where she was now. “Movements, steps and listless nights/Day by day it’s fight or flight/And through the wind we carry on/Through the wind we hear our song.”