Jam had grown up in a wealthy and prestigious family, his father had been a widely respected pediatric cardiologist back in Egypt and had taken a job with the CDC when he and his wife had moved to Atlanta a few years before his death, his mother worked as a translator for the UN after he and his sisters had gotten older and she’d come from a well respected family as well, so they’d lived very well during his childhood. His initial work as a model had more than taken care of his bills and funded his lifestyle after he finished his PhD, but it was his job at the club that really solidified his financial status.
“What can I say? I provide an unusual service, and people are really willing to pay for it if they want the whole experience. Thankfully the club lets me charge extra when I have to do something that I know is going to make me miserable, it’s not bad for a single nights work.” Typically he wasn’t spent after a night of the club, but tonight was a special exception, “Feel free to wake me up how ever you wish in the morning,” he said, his voice tired but his tone suggestive. “I do think bed is a good idea though, in a few minutes though, I’m too tired to get up right now.”
With her father working on Wall Street and magically avoiding the stock market crash, Gemma had known luxury her entire life. Her family wasn’t prestigious by any means, and the didn’t hold titles that would impress, but they were certainly wealthy. Even after her parents’ divorce, both her mother and father had maintained a certain standard of living that Gemma had become accustomed to.
“You do,” she smiled with a nod. “I still think you should just buy the place and be the boss.” Her fingers played with his hair and the smile stayed on her lips. “Brave saying that to someone like me,” she teased, her reputation being that of someone who was a little more wild in the bedroom, after all, she was Arya Ryan. Kissing him again, she let her hand wander down his chest and abdomen and rest in his lap. “I’d carry you if I could,” she kissed him again, not expecting anything out of them but wanting to be close to him.
Harrison had been pacing the aisles of the store for a good thirty minutes, still unable to find exactly what it was that he was looking for. It had gotten to the point where he couldn’t even remember what he was there for, so he found himself standing in the middle of the walkway, staring at the shelves in front of him. “Have you ever really given much thought into how there came to be so many different kinds of chips? I mean, just fucking look at them all. Who’s idea was it? Who looked at a potato and thought, ‘Fuck, I know how to make this shit better! Slice it up nice and thin and let’s see what happens!’ Then there’s the flavours. Don’t even get me started on the fucking flavours.”
Gemma was the snack queen. In fact, some might say she lived on only snack foods and caviar, they wouldn’t be wrong but she did enjoy a nice meal in between. She found herself frequenting the shops frequently and this trip was much like those before it, her basket filled with goodies she couldn’t wait to tuck into. “Free market economy,” she snorted as the man beside her ranted about chips. “This is a direct result of capitalism,” Gemma gestured to the rows and rows of chips before them, chuckling. She didn’t intend on getting into an economics conversation in the shop, but she couldn’t help herself.
Gemma was loudly singing along to an old Fiona Apple song, the night air coming through her sunroof and windows when she noticed it, her silver Lexus pulling towards one side unnaturally. She knew what was happening, knew that she had no idea how to handle it, but nevertheless she knew her tire was giving out. Pulling to the side of the road, she cut the engine and went to assess the damage. Sure enough the back driver’s side tire was quickly deflating. Groaning in frustration she went back to the driver’s seat to get her phone. Surely there was a tow truck around at this hour, but just as she pulled the phone off of the charger, she noticed it hadn’t charged and she was holding an overpriced brick that was essentially useless to her. She had two options as far as she saw it, she wait inside the car, or she wait on the side of the road where she was more likely to catch someone’s attention. Grabbing her purse, complete with pepper spray, she made her way to the edge of the road and prayed she looked intimidating enough in her leather jacket to scare off any evildoers. Ten minutes passed as she waited, then final, there was a sign of life.
Jam’s life had taken a turn that he’d never seen coming in the past few 15 years. He’d planned to become an archaeologist and had gone so far as to get his PhD in Archaeology, but he’d gotten his first modeling job in college and had done so well, he decided to stick with it and when things ended badly with his old girlfriend, he’d moved to Chicago and never looked back. He wasn’t a religious person, but he believed that things weren’t just random, everything he’d done had lead him to the club where he’d met Gemma, and he was happy he was there.
“Oh yeah, he’s definitely bankrolling our next meal together, weather we order in or we go out, he’s got us covered.” He rolled his eyes, but in a playful way, “I might take you up on that in the morning, I’m exhausted right now, I could probably sleep here for hours right now.” He smiled at her kiss and turned his head so he could kiss her properly. “Are you okay if I’m not up for it right now? It’s not that I don’t want to, I just feel like there’s a drum circle in my brain and the shower and the Benadryl didn’t help.” He laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, he wasn’t asleep, but he could have dozed off right there.
Gemma was never really sure what happiness was. She’d never considered herself a happy person, but she was content with her life at the moment and that was enough for her. She’d planned on being a linguist by this point in her life, hoping to be a professor some day, but instead she was a household name, and really it wasn’t so bad. Everything had somehow brought her to Jam, and for that she had to be grateful.
“Sounds like quite the moneybags,” she laughed. Neither of them had to worry about money, she didn’t know the details of his finances, but judging by his apartment, he was doing alright. As for her, Gemma had always been well off, she’d grown up with a hefty trust fund that gave her a comfortable life and on top of that, her royalty sales were more than enough to live on. “I do like it in the morning,” she mumbled against his lips. She wanted him right then, but understood why he wasn’t up for it. She couldn’t imagine doing his job. She was going to make a joke about getting off beside him later on, but when he lay his head on her shoulder she thought better of it. “You wanna go to bed?” she asked, running her hand through his hair. “You don’t have to stay up for me, we have tomorrow.”
Jam found it funny that they’d both lived in New York before coming to Chicago, even if they hadn’t known each other. His parents had followed him from Egypt and his sisters had followed them, and they were now living all over the country, with his favorite sister and her two children living nearby, it was nice to have them nearby, but he was very happy to have them close by. He hadn’t mentioned Gemma to them yet, though she was sure they suspected he was seeing someone. Right now though, he was just enjoying her presence and not spending every night by himself, he would have gotten a pet if he could stand having an animal in his home all the time. He liked Gemma’s cats, but also enjoyed being able to get away from them when he was having a particularly rough day.
“It was something,” he said with a laugh. “The client was happy, that’s all that matters, but the end of the night I thought my head was going to explode, and I haven’t ruled that out as a possibility tonight.” He relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, glad to have an opportunity to just cuddle for a while without having to work to please anyone. “Bribery. That works on my nieces and nephews too. When you get home, make sure you thank them for sharing their mother with me.”
Sometimes Gemma wondered how different her life would have been if she’d met Jam sooner. Maybe she would have settled down, stayed out of trouble. It was easy to wonder, but she was happy to be with him then. Moving to Chicago had been a bit of a whim for her, having moved from Boston back to New York after leaving Harvard she’d spent long enough there, wanting a change she found a loft in Chicago and packed her cats, two years later she hadn’t gotten sick of the new city.
“I hope he at least tipped well then,” she laughed, snuggling a little closer. “You just say the word and we both know I’ll make something else explode,” she winked, then snorted a giggle. It was nice to have his warmth around her, she found herself missing him when they were apart, which was new to her. “I’ll make sure I pass the message along,” Gemma kissed his cheek, catching the corner of his mouth.
Name: Gemma Caitlin Beckett-Gallagher
Birthday/Age: June 21st 1987 (33)
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Occupation: Author of the best selling Love & Mercy series
Books: Love & Mercy, In My Room, ‘Til I Die, Dry Lightning
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA / Manhatten, NY
Character Quote: 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞
biography –
TW: Mental Illness, TW: Drug use
Born into a life of material luxury in the wealthy Chestnut Hill community of the Philadelphia area, Gemma Beckett-Gallagher spent her childhood abiding by the rules and doing everything she could to set herself up for a bright future. In her younger years she was timid and polite, the perfect companion for her mother with whom she remains in close contact with. As an only child the expectations placed upon her were far beyond those her peers faced, but she effortless excelled both scholastically and socially.
The summer following her thirteenth birthday came as the first real challenge in her young life. After years of disconnect her parents had decided to divorce, a decision that left Gemma heartbroken and confused. While she was on holiday with her father in Greece that July, her mother arranged for their belongings to be moved to a new townhouse in the city. Gemma returned to find her life turned upside down and her bedroom overlooking a busy street rather than the garden she had loved. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Gemma to adjust life on a smaller scale, and being walking distance from both the Schuylkill river, and the Art museum featuring the famous ‘Rocky’ statue.
Just three years after the disintegration of her parents’ marriage, her mother remarried and immediately after the wedding announced her pregnancy. No longer the focus of her mother’s attention, Gemma began to rebel and was caught with weed and cocaine in her bedroom one spring afternoon. Fearing she was losing control of her daughter, Gemma’s mother decided she should spend some time in New York with her father who was also remarried and had two stepchildren. Living in the “Big Apple” did little to reform Gemma and instead taught her the art of secrecy and deceit. If her mother had seemed preoccupied her father was downright absent which gave Gemma the freedom to explore all that the big city had to offer. While living with her father, step-mother, and two step-siblings, Gemma fell in love with her step-brother and the two had a secret relationship. After years of mingling with Manhattan’s up can coming socialites and graduating high school. Gemma returned to Philadelphia and studied linguistics (as well as the men’s ice hockey) at the university of Pennsylvania. During her time there she struggled with her mental health and still struggles today. Gemma’s decision to write a book was a whim more than a plan. After a particularly boring night she began writing some of the details of her very well hidden sexual exploits from the years prior. After over a year of writing and pages of grand exaggeration and graphic detail, Gemma held in her hands a manuscript far beyond the suggested word limit of any publisher. Just as writing had been a whim, so was sending her work off. To her surprise she received a call from a well known publishing house asking to meet with her. For 23 year old Gemma that was the beginning of her adventure.
Released under the name Arya Ryan, the book shocked and delighted readers, creating a whirlwind of attention. The three instalments of the series were released in quick succession and somehow Gemma’s identity was kept hidden. Her desire to avoid the spotlight came from the need to keep the details of her adult life from her parents and close friends. The news of her involvement in erotic fiction and a connection to the book that had been dubbed “Fifty Shades of Grey on overdrive” would no doubt became the hottest gossip and lead to a familial scandal like no other. Which is exactly what happened when somehow news of Love&Mercy’s true author splashed the headlines of every newspaper across world. She spent her time at Harvard hiding from curious peers and eventually dropped out. Releasing another book, Dry Lightning, Gemma once again hit the best sellers lists and is currently working on another series. Moving to Chicago two years ago, Gemma tries to avoid the spotlight, but finds herself getting into trouble from time to time, despite her PR team’s best efforts. It was when researching for her new book that Gemma met Jam. Immediately the pair hit it off and have been dating ever since. While Gemma’s not sure she’s ready to be exclusive, she cares about Jam more than she’ll admit to herself.
Jam hadn’t been in a relationship for a long time. He’d been in a serious relationship back when he lived in New York, but they’d had a breakup so bad he’d relocated to Chicago and had been single for a long time. Meeting Gemma had been a chance encounter, she could have been paired up with any of the “performers” at the club, but she was assigned to him and after giving the the rundown of what went on there, he found that he enjoyed talking to her and from there they’d been seeing each other. They hadn’t discussed the seriousness of their relationship, but he’d dated so rarely he wasn’t exactly entertaining a lot of offers, so he wasn’t seeing anyone else, but until they talked it out, he didn’t mind if she was seeing anyone else.
He was exhausted, but he didn’t have a modeling job the next day, so there was time to sleep later, so he joined her on the couch. “It was a long one, they paired me with someone who had me spend most of the night in the incense room and I always get a sinus headache when I’m in there, it’ll be fine in the morning though. What about you? You obviously made it here alright, the cats let you leave without too much protest, I take it.”
Since moving from New York to Chicago two years ago, Gemma had been in more beds than she could count. She had always been a bit promiscuous and didn’t pretend otherwise. She liked the thrill of hooking up and loved the companionship of having someone to wake up to, even if she never saw them again. With Jam it was different though, she seldom felt the urge to dash out in the morning or make any kind of escape.
“Sounds very spiritual,” she teased, having always related incense to some kind of religious practice. She was far from religious herself but she remembered going to mass on Christmas and Easter and smelling the incense. “Bet I can make you feel better,” she remarked, snuggling against him. “They weren’t too pleased to see me go, but I promised to get some of the fancy canned food on my way home so they eventually calmed down,” she chuckled. “Besides, I spent more time playing with them today than I did writing so they’re pretty humaned out.”
Jam didn’t get home most nights until after 4 AM, the club stayed open until 3 and he always walked home. Unless he was really feeling badly, he thought the fresh air did him good., he had a pretty standard routine every night, he’d pop a couple of Benadryl, take a long shower, stop at at a late-night food truck and then head home to sleep. The routine had served him well, but for the last six months, he’d been spending more of his nights with Gemma, and it was a nice change to have someone to come home to.
They were spending this particular night at his apartment, which was a nice as he’d developed a slight headache over the course of the night and he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed. Most of the lights were out when he arrived and he assumed she’d gone to bed, he didn’t expect her to wait up for him, but he found her asleep on the couch in the living room and left her for a minute, changing into something more comfortable before gently waking her, his voice a little heavy with congestion, but better than it had been on other occasions when he’d come home. “Hey, do you want to come to bed or should we stay out here for a little while.”
@gemma-c-bg
While Gemma wasn’t exactly the best girlfriend in the world, she’d slowly come to find a routine with Jam in the last six months. She wasn’t entirely sure where they stood on exclusivity but she cared about him more than she was willing to admit to herself.
After feeding the cats for the night, she collected her laptop and a few things and made her way to the place she’d come to consider a second home. After a day of writing, she’d been looking forward to some leisure time, but it wasn’t soon after arriving that she drifted off on the couch, her music still playing from the stereo softly and her computer open on the coffee table. Sleeping through his arrival, Gemma was slightly startled when Jam woke her, more so surprised that she’d fallen asleep than surprised to see him. “Hi,” she grinned, stretching her arms above her head. Her eyes were still lined with black liner and her jeans hung low on her hips, covered by a blanket. “C’mere for a bit,” she reached out towards him, finding his hand and tugging him towards her. “How was your night?”
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