Every Pearl Has Its Oyster by India Lee Page A

glad he bought the act despite the fact that she’d never before been jealous of the girls in his romantic music videos or the legions of “Tyler Chasers” who still did everything from tweet sexy messages to offer their bras for him to sign – while they were still in them.
    Gemma pulled away from the kiss, exhaling in pleasure. Tyler grinned, smoothing back her hair and letting his hands run down her shoulders and waist, eventually resting his palms on her hips.
    “As long as I’m the only one you kiss like that,” Gemma said, coquettishly.
    “That kiss isn’t something I can recreate with just anyone,” Tyler replied. “Don’t tell my acting coach I said that, though.”
    “I won’t,” Gemma smiled. “When do you get back?”
    “Before midnight.”
    “I can’t wait that long to see you again.”
    “Then come with me,” Tyler suggested. Gemma paused. She hadn’t planned on it – hours of watching acting hopefuls recite the same line wasn’t her ideal afternoon – but Tyler looked so excited to have her company that she couldn’t refuse.
    “Good idea,” she purred as she leaned into his body and slipped her hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “So I can keep an eye on those girls.”
    ~
    Gemma could see a different sparkle in Tyler’s eyes as she walked into the studio with him hand in hand. He kept a firm grip on her, letting go only to greet the starstruck, prospective actresses that came in one by one for their screen tests. As if to tease her and make a point, Tyler began each screen test by giving Gemma a kiss before settling down in front of the camera with the actress. The director, Sidney Willis, seemed to find the behavior amusing. He’d mutter something about “young love” and exchange a glance with one of the producers. Gemma glanced back at the producer, stereotypically suited and serious-looking. He seemed less than pleased by Tyler’s little gesture, sighing and rolling his eyes each time Tyler kissed Gemma. Though the peeved expression went unseen by Tyler, Gemma managed to catch it each time, causing her to shorten the kiss to a peck and hurrying him back in front of the camera. She knew he was concerned about how he was perceived by the Carbine team but she didn’t want to worry him by alerting him to the producer’s displeasure.
    When Tyler glanced back at her after each screen test, Gemma would continue with her jealous girlfriend act and give him a slight pout. He’d laugh quietly as she crossed her arms and huffed in an exaggerated manner. Though her eyes were locked on Tyler’s, she would always be able to spot the next actress coming in through her peripheral vision and step back into the shadows so not to cause too much of a disruption. It felt nice to be a part of his work day, especially when it was such a pivotal point in exploring his new career. The long hours and various actresses seemed to blur and the day crept by faster than she would have expected. Gemma was excited to know that it was a matter of time before she and Tyler could return home together, talking about his workday in a way that they hadn’t been able to do before.
    As she watched each screen test, Gemma couldn’t help but feel proud and confident in Tyler’s potential as a screen star. He had always shone as a singer and performer and there was no arguing just how much talent he had in that department. She knew that breaking into mainstream Hollywood films was no easy task for someone who had such a strong reputation in the music industry and pop world, but to her, Tyler looked like he was having no trouble blending right in. She couldn’t see why he was so worried about what the Carbine crew thought of him despite the cranky producer. In fact, more than anything, she was worried that he’d outshine the unknowns that had been auditioning all day. It was surprising to learn that they had cut it down to these girls when all had seemed rather unremarkable but Gemma had heard that a