“Kayla, Gemma. Gemma, Kayla.” My hand waves between the two of them as I introduce them, and it takes a second for Kayla’s eyes to leave that set of keys, but eventually a warm smile lights up her face and she reaches to shake Gemma’s hand. She looks almost relieved, like maybe she had pictured Gemma one way, like she was worried I’d lied to her about Gem’s appearance or something. I told her she is as laid back and low maintenance as it gets. Practically one of the guys. Hair thrown up carelessly, in tees and jeans is the usual for my low-key bestie, and I think it’s actualreliefin Kayla’s eyes as she realizes I didn’t make any of that up.
“It’s so lovely to meet you,” Kayla purrs. “I’ve heard so much about you!”
Gem looks like it’s taking effort to be friendly, I can see the annoyance in her eyes, which isn’t a surprise given that she’s meeting yet another girlfriend of mine, after how some of the past ones have turned out. Her wariness is nothing new here. But I appreciate that she is putting that effort into this meeting and welcoming this girl into our life. And shedoeslook like she’s trying.
A smile emerges on her own face in return as they shake hands. “Likewise.” The lie is probably to protect the fact that I hadn’t mentioned Kayla until this morning, and she doesn’t want to throw me under the bus. She’s always protecting me and I love her for it.
Something inside my chest settles at the sight of them getting along, and there’s a lightness inside me that I didn’t realize how much I’d needed until this moment.
“So you’re the one who keeps this guy on track, huh?” Kayla asks amicably.
“She sure as shit does. I’d probably lose my own ass without her,” I shoot a grin at Gemma because we both know it’s true. Aside from being my favorite person to hang out with, she makes my life a thousand times easier as my assistant, and I’d hate to think what shit would be like without her running the show.
Gem’s head falls so her chin touches her chest and some of that hair that’s loose from her ever-present bun covers part of her face in the process. She’s not a huge fan of attention most of the time, not even in my kitchen, apparently. She still manages a little nod, and a quiet “yeah, I guess so,” comes out, too.
“What’s your guys’ daily life like?” Kayla tries to start a conversation, and she looks genuinely curious, probably trying to formulate a mental picture of exactly how close we are on a daily basis, how closely intertwined our lives are. I decide to put her mind at ease by taking this one.
“Well, as my assistant, she usually comes over first thing, makes my breakfast and gets me out the door and to set on time. She helps me run lines or prep for scenes, runs interference on most of the crap that comes my way, and kind of acts as a buffer between me and all the people that need shit from me, so that I can focus on getting into character, prepping for the shots of the day or whatever else. She runs my schedule, does errands for me, all the shit I can’t do because I’m…me.”
Kayla nods eagerly as she listens, looking genuinely fascinated. Gemma gives a succinct nod to confirm my summary of our daily lives, still staying silent, lips folded in.
I expected her to interrogate Kayla, to make sure she met Gemma’s impossible standards for me, maybe to be bitchy if shefelt Kayla was just using me, but none of that is happening. She seems almost disassociated from the scene in front of her, and it’s making me uncomfortable, to say the least.
I think Kayla wants to hear Gemma talk, or maybe she’s trying to become friends, because she asks more questions aimed her way, but this isn’t one I should step in and answer for her.
“So what’s your life like outside of work?”
Gemma slides the drink I made her along the counter until it’s closer to her, and takes a thoughtful sip before she answers. “Um,” she draws out the word for a good few seconds, like she really doesn’t know what to say. This non-spicy version of Gemma is freaking me out. “There’s not much to say, really. Work is a big part of my life.”
“Well what do you do for fun?” Kayla prompts her.
A small silence, then Gem’s small voice fills the space. “I read a lot?” She says it like a question. Like it doesn’t count as a pastime, as something that brings her joy.
“Yeah ya do!” I practically shout, beaming a little too brightly, then turn to Kayla to brag. “Gem here has read like a hundred and fifty books in the past year or something crazy.” I know it’s more than that and wait to see if she corrects me with the exact number. She always knows what her count for the year is to the digit. But no. Nothing.
Kayla’s eyes widen and she looks back at Gemma. “I don’t think I’ve read that in my entire life!” she says with a laugh, and takes another big drink.
When no one else says anything, Kayla continues, ever the socially gifted one of us. “So, Gem.” Something tightens around my heart, and I’m not a fan of the sensation. That’smynickname for her, no one else calls her that. “Are you seeing anyone?” Now my stomach is feeling weird too, and maybe I should eat before I have much more to drink on an empty stomach.
Gemma tosses theentiretyof her ranch water back into her throat and swallows in one gulp before slamming the glass down and smacking her lips. “Nope,” she says simply, with a little pop on the “p” for emphasis.
I really want to see these two get along, even if they don’t start going to spa dates together, or whatever normal chicks do for fun, but I don’t see Gemma opening up to Kayla anytime soon, despite her best efforts. Come to think of it, Gemma and I mostly justliveour lives, there’s not always that much talking involved. We usually know what one another are thinking without having to say much, so not too many monologues or self-explanation is really needed when it’s just us. I can’t remember the last time I heard her go on and on about herself, and I’d be willing to bet my next movie role that she’s not about to do it with Kayla.
We should probably justdosomething together, then they can both have some fun and feel a little more comfortable around one another. And I have just the perfect thing.
“You guys ever played glow-in-the-dark mini golf?”
SIX
GEMMA
Despite the three drinks I downed before we left Aaron’s place, I’m not having as much fun as usual at glow-in-the-dark mini golf. It might have been the nearly hour-long drive to get back to the city, where I had to listen to them fawn over each other. Cue my gag. Or it might have to do with the fact Aaron is letting Kayla beat him, pretending to suck at this game when I know damn well his competitive ass can knock hole number four in a single stroke when he made it take five today to let her catch up to his score.
He’s probably just trying to butter her up to let him try something freaky in bed later.
Gross. I try not to (actually) gag at the thought.
Or my sour mood might be because I’m actually, finally seeing my forever get flushed down the drain. The vision I’ve held onto through the good and the bad, the crazy highs and the awful lows while we got Aaron to where he is today, what I’ve pictured every day and every night for years. Buh-bye.
