overwhelmed with a stifling heat. Gemma could feel the embarrassment set in even harder. Nothing Damian just did was particularly out of the ordinary for them. But she felt something.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, holding the back of his hand to his forehead. “You look a little…”
“I’m fine,” she murmured, crossing her arms so she wouldn’t fan herself with her hands. She did feel a little uncomfortable, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. “We haven’t had central air installed yet. You know how old buildings are,” she said. Damian nodded, watching as she stepped back towards the entrance to the studio, waving for him to follow. It was kind of warm in there. I should get some air or something. “Okay, so let’s go. Let’s, um, let’s get some of your measurements. I don’t really do menswear – Corey’s jacket was kind of a fun little experiment, but I think Armand can help me put something together for you when he gets back.”
Damian followed her into the back room, marveling at the space as he did. His eyes widened with clear awe as he scanned the room and her various projects. Gemma felt a quick flutter of pride, knowing that he was impressed with the beginnings of her new career. But it was hard for her to focus on anything other than the strange knot that had formed in her stomach. She grabbed a fabric tape measure off the floor, unraveling it with a quick flick of the wrist.
“This stuff is awesome,” Damian said, admiring the beginnings of the dresses she had been commissioned to make for the Gotham Ball. “Are you wearing one of these?”
“No, I haven’t gotten to my own yet,” she replied. She walked up next to Damian, pointing at the different dress forms. “One is for Zoe, one is for Marguerite – you know, Corey’s mother. Then there’s a dress for the Governor’s daughter and one for Clara Zavala and then a bunch of accessories for those who are a little more hesitant to commit an entire outfit to a too new designer.”
“Oh, I know Clara,” Damian said. “I can definitely see her in something this. Do you watch her show?” She shook her head. Gemma knew she was a former lingerie model who now starred in an unusually popular sci-fi detective show on ZINC and was quite a favorite among men in their twenties. She wondered how Damian knew her. “You’ve got some big names on your list.”
“And now I can add New York Knick point guard, Damian Evans to it,” she teased, waving an end of the measuring tape in front of her. She made a loop with the tape and wrapped it around Damian’s neck like a tie. Gemma stood on her tiptoes to line up the tape against his skin. She felt the slight graze of his hand on the small of her back, helping her keep her balance.
“So, do you have an idea of what your own dress is going to be like?”
“Not yet,” Gemma answered as she pulled the tape taut. She bit her lip, blushing as she felt him press his hand firmer against her back, holding her up on her tiptoes as she got the first measurement. As soon as she got the number, Gemma dropped flat on her feet and turned to scribble it down on a notepad.
“Do you have to take into consideration what Corey is wearing?” he asked as Gemma stepped behind him, lining the tape measure between his shoulders. She smiled sheepishly to herself, realizing how wide she had to hold out her arms to get from one end to the other.
“I’ve given this all much less thought than I probably should have,” she laughed. “My clients are my priority for this event, for once. And I kind of like it.”
“But you are going with Corey, right?” Damian asked as she stepped up in front of him again. Gemma averted her eyes while reaching around his torso, pulling the tape measure around his chest.
“As far as I know at this moment, yes, I’ll be going with him.” She reached one hand behind him, pulling the tape around
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, holding the back of his hand to his forehead. “You look a little…”
“I’m fine,” she murmured, crossing her arms so she wouldn’t fan herself with her hands. She did feel a little uncomfortable, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. “We haven’t had central air installed yet. You know how old buildings are,” she said. Damian nodded, watching as she stepped back towards the entrance to the studio, waving for him to follow. It was kind of warm in there. I should get some air or something. “Okay, so let’s go. Let’s, um, let’s get some of your measurements. I don’t really do menswear – Corey’s jacket was kind of a fun little experiment, but I think Armand can help me put something together for you when he gets back.”
Damian followed her into the back room, marveling at the space as he did. His eyes widened with clear awe as he scanned the room and her various projects. Gemma felt a quick flutter of pride, knowing that he was impressed with the beginnings of her new career. But it was hard for her to focus on anything other than the strange knot that had formed in her stomach. She grabbed a fabric tape measure off the floor, unraveling it with a quick flick of the wrist.
“This stuff is awesome,” Damian said, admiring the beginnings of the dresses she had been commissioned to make for the Gotham Ball. “Are you wearing one of these?”
“No, I haven’t gotten to my own yet,” she replied. She walked up next to Damian, pointing at the different dress forms. “One is for Zoe, one is for Marguerite – you know, Corey’s mother. Then there’s a dress for the Governor’s daughter and one for Clara Zavala and then a bunch of accessories for those who are a little more hesitant to commit an entire outfit to a too new designer.”
“Oh, I know Clara,” Damian said. “I can definitely see her in something this. Do you watch her show?” She shook her head. Gemma knew she was a former lingerie model who now starred in an unusually popular sci-fi detective show on ZINC and was quite a favorite among men in their twenties. She wondered how Damian knew her. “You’ve got some big names on your list.”
“And now I can add New York Knick point guard, Damian Evans to it,” she teased, waving an end of the measuring tape in front of her. She made a loop with the tape and wrapped it around Damian’s neck like a tie. Gemma stood on her tiptoes to line up the tape against his skin. She felt the slight graze of his hand on the small of her back, helping her keep her balance.
“So, do you have an idea of what your own dress is going to be like?”
“Not yet,” Gemma answered as she pulled the tape taut. She bit her lip, blushing as she felt him press his hand firmer against her back, holding her up on her tiptoes as she got the first measurement. As soon as she got the number, Gemma dropped flat on her feet and turned to scribble it down on a notepad.
“Do you have to take into consideration what Corey is wearing?” he asked as Gemma stepped behind him, lining the tape measure between his shoulders. She smiled sheepishly to herself, realizing how wide she had to hold out her arms to get from one end to the other.
“I’ve given this all much less thought than I probably should have,” she laughed. “My clients are my priority for this event, for once. And I kind of like it.”
“But you are going with Corey, right?” Damian asked as she stepped up in front of him again. Gemma averted her eyes while reaching around his torso, pulling the tape measure around his chest.
“As far as I know at this moment, yes, I’ll be going with him.” She reached one hand behind him, pulling the tape around
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