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Betrayal was the word she started to see more of the further she scrolled through the reactions which had been posted.
Betrayal?
Who did they think she was? What did they think she was? Didn't they realize she had a life of her own to live? That she had as much entitlement as them to live her life the way she wanted.
But, most of all, didn't they realize that none of it was true. But, really Gemma knew she only had herself to blame. She had been the one to deliberately cultivate the story that had helped give her all the fame she currently enjoyed.
The story of the straight up girl who lived her life without complicated relationships. Who lived life on her own terms.
"Gemma?" Natalie prompted. "What's the deal, then?"
"There is no deal, Natalie. I just got here, and it seems like there's been some terrible misunderstanding."
Natalie made a brief sound, as if she was momentarily disappointed. "But the photos," she said tentatively.
"You know how it is with photos online," Gemma said, "You can make anything look like whatever you want it to be." Gemma ran hand through her hair and leaped out of bed.
She began to pace, barefoot on the floor alongside the bed. "I don't know what I'm going to do about this," she moaned.
"You need to tell everyone what's really happening," Natalie advised.
Gemma frowned. "But, look at it. It's already out of control. Everyone's already made up their mind. For good and bad. You know how this works."
"Maybe if you just post a clarification," Natalie suggested. "It'll all blow over in a few days."
Natalie might have been right about that, but Gemma had other issues to be concerned about. Things far more important.
For one thing, how was Rashid going to react to this? She'd seen how he and Ahmed had faced each other down back at the hotel. This wasn't going to go down well with the man who had brought her here in the first place. Not at all.
"Even if I do post something, no-one's going to believe me," Gemma said, "They can see the photos. Even if they don't tell the whole truth, they've done enough damage, already."
"Oh, Gemma," Natalie exclaimed. It sounded like Natalie finally understood the seriousness of this. "How can I help?"
"Thanks, Natalie. But, I made this mess, and I'm the only one who can fix it. The only trouble is, I don't know how."
She made her way into the sitting room of the apartment and toward the kitchen. Maybe some coffee would clear the mind. In any case, she was still sleeping on US time. Her body clock was way out of whack.
"I gotta go," Gemma announced.
"If you need any help, you call me, okay?" Natalie said.
Gemma could hear the concern in Natalie's voice.
"I mean it," Natalie insisted. "You don't go doing anything stupid. Okay?"
Gemma laughed. "I think I've done enough stupid things for one night," she told her friend.
Then they ended the call and Gemma made some coffee for herself and went to sit on the large sofa in the sitting room. She curled her legs up underneath herself, and cupped the warm mug in her hands, sipping the brew while she tried to think what she could do.
This was a real catastrophe. One unholy mess. She'd been tempted into doing things she'd convinced herself she should avoid at all costs.
But, maybe she'd underestimated the sheikh who had caused all this trouble with his insistent attentions.
Sheikh Ahmed.
And he had been very persistent. It made her consider the possibility that he wanted more than simply to persuade her to turn her back on Rashid. Perhaps that look he'd given her in the back of the limo had been a hint at what his real motives were.
Could it be that he was really, actually attracted to her? That the whole conversation about wanting her to be his spokesperson for his own media company had been a big lie.
