High School Musical 1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own High School Musical or its characters.* **_

"With all the money you make off me, shouldn't you be able you afford to fix the cracks in your ceiling, Michael?" she asked watching as his eyes ran across her manuscript.

Her agent didn't bother acknowledging her, his full attention was devoted to the first three chapters she'd submitted just yesterday in e-mail. She studied him as he read. Michael Hennings was the most unlikely looking agent she'd ever seen. If she had to cast him in a book, he'd be an ex-Navy sergeant – a hulk who dressed in fine suits, French cuffed shirts, and silk ties.

His office looked like him, too. The lines were simple and the colors muted, but all together it looked sharp and expensive.

"This is shit."

"Don't hold back. Tell me what you really think about my blood, sweat and tears," Gabriella said pushing herself up in her seat. In reality she knew it was shit. It was below shit. To call it shit was romanticizing.

"Gabriella, you have six weeks until the deadline, and you just handed me three of the worst chapters you've ever written. Your first novel was better than this."

Gabriella winced, "They aren't _that_ bad."

"Gabriella it's shit," he repeated distinctly.

"It needs some editing but-"

He picked up a page and read out loud, _"All men were bastards. At least hers would be good looking, even if his chin was weak." _

Gabriella shrugged, "The hero has to have some flaws."

"This hero is more than flawed." He picked up the pages and tossed them into the garbage. "This hero is an asshole."

"I made him realistic," she said as she reached into the garbage and retrieved the chapters, slipping them into her bag for later.

Michael heaved a sigh and ran a hand over his face. "Isn't it time you got over Jason?"

Her spine stiffened automatically, "Okay one the divorce was made final like three months ago and two this has nothing to do with Jason."

"It has everything to do with him. You're bashing your hero because one man hurt you."

"He did not hurt me."

Michael cocked a brow.

Humiliated, yes. Hurt, hell no. A woman had to care to be hurt and there was no way Gabriella cared about Jason. Looking back she wasn't sure she ever did. "I'm not hurt."

Michael didn't look like he believed her, but he didn't argue. Instead he got all business-like. "Fact of the matter is you have a deadline in six weeks and you've delivered nothing your editor will accept. Unless you want to destroy your career after all the hard work to get to this point, I'd suggest you get cracking and churn out one of the romance novels you're famous for."

That was the problem. She was running out ideas. Running out of stories to be famous for, it was like her imagination was in overdrive and everything had come to a screeching halt. Her first book had been a veiled account of her parents' courtship and marriage. Ever since then she'd just started fantasying about romance, dreaming up these fantastic men and falling in love with them book after book.

This next book was supposed to be her story. Her and Jason, finally an actual book about her falling in love for real, that was, until her marriage fell apart. Not exactly the greatest romance to write about. But what was she suppose to do? Scrap the whole story and start over? She didn't have another romance to replace this story. And frankly, it was crazy to start over with the deadline six weeks away. If she could just make to the ending of the story then she could go back and figure out some way to tweak it.

Knowing that Michael was waiting for a response she nodded. "I've got it all under control."

For a second time, he didn't look like he believed her. "Get the old Brie Carmichael back. That's what people pay for. That's what put your current release at number eight on New York Times bestseller list."

Brie Carmichael, a pen name that her and Michael had stayed up until the late night hours picking out just so she could keep her identity a secret. "Right," Gabriella said getting up from her seat. "I won't let you down."

"For your sake, I hope not."

An hour later Gabriella let out a sigh as she placed the bridge of her nose against the steering wheel. She was parked in the driveway peeking at the house from above the steering wheel. She was a grown woman. She could do this. She was going to do this. She had to do this.

"What on earth are you doing out here?" Sharpay's voice chimed as she leaned in on the window. "Where have you been? People are asking? They think you killed yourself or something? With the news of Jason leaving town with Martha and all," that cute country accent rolled off her tongue and Gabriella looked up at Sharpay with a force smile. The sounds of a party could be heard behind the house, which, was perfect because she was due for drink.

"I had a meeting with Michael," Gabriella said as she hopped out of the white pickup truck and shut the door behind her. Sharpay was the only one who knew her secret about being a writer. As far as everyone was concerned Gabriella Montez was just some girl working the front desk at Troy's Auto and balancing the books for him in exchange for room and board.

"Not good?" Sharpay winced.

"Do you think I need to get over Jason?"

"Didn't you just sign the divorce papers?" Sharpay said bringing her red solo cup up to her lips. Her blond hair was braided into two pigtails with loose tendrils coming down the side. Leave it to Sharpay to have perfect hair even in this heat wave.

"Like three months ago?"

"Try twelve weeks and 3 days ago," Sharpay said a little surprised to even be having this conversation. "I always knew that boy was born on the wrong side of the blanket."

Her life had taken a lot of unexpected twist and turns in the last seven years, from her mother's house burning down to moving all the way out here and meeting Jason and Troy. Granted when she packed all she had in her truck along with her golden retriever, Blue, she didn't have the faintest idea about where she was going. Her parents were dead, she was an only child and any family she might have had was somewhere she'd never been.

When she arrived in Payne Springs, Texas it was a night she'd never forget. It'd been pouring rain and her car had gotten stuck in a ditch. Her and Blue walked up the road until they saw this bar, where she walked in and was asking about a tow when these two guys sitting in a back booth stood up and came to her rescue. Hitting it off with both Troy and Jason had been a no brainer. They were both decent guys, country grown and devilishly handsome.

Jason had been such a charmer, a real saint who just been so welcoming and kind. Troy offered to tow her tuck back to the garage for the night. She had been forever grateful. The boys became so much a part of her life; Troy gave her a small job at the auto shop behind a desk. Jason and her fell head over heels looking back at it now possibly a little too fast, too soon and they married after their first year of dating.

Troy had always been there as a friend for her, and she trusted him. When they'd walked in and caught Jason in the act, her ex had tried coming toward her with explanations rolling of his tongue. Troy had come out of left field shocking her from her stunned state and punched his childhood friend in the mouth and ever since then, he'd been beside her through thick and thin.

"I'm going to sleep with Troy," Gabriella said as she reached for her bag from the back of the truck and opened the tailgate to let Blue out.

Sharpay's face shifted, "What?"

"I'm going to do it," she said with a little more confidence as she began walking towards the house Blue following behind her. Blue was the dedicated type. Ever since she first got him as a pup he followed her everywhere and hung on her ever word. He was turning eight years old this year and he was still as faithful and playful as the day she brought him home from the pound.

"Don't you think you should ask him out first? I mean he'll take up with any hound that'll hunt." Sharpay said as she quickly sprinted to catch up. "I honestly don't know how you waited this long. I mean, hell. You two are in his garage all day, every day mostly alone for how many hours?"

"Eight." Gabriella let out a deep breath, "and not every day." Just six days, but that seemed like too small a thing to point out. "Customers come in, too. And the phone rings off the hook. And the paper work. Really it would be useless to try to start anything there."

Sharpay raised her brows. "You're speaking ten words a second, with gusts to fifty."

"I need a drink."

"Here have mine," Sharpay handed her the cup and Gabriella looked inside at the slushy tart drink. "You're going to need courage. With a plan like this you can't be as shy as a mail-order bride. It'll make asking him out easier. What are you going to suggest? Not much to do in town. Oh I know, get him to take you to Little Rock for some fun."

"We already do movies and dinner all the time," Gabriella said bringing the cup to her lips as they walked inside and up to her bedroom which was right next to his. Their bedrooms were mirror images including their headboards parked on the same wall. From the moaning, screaming yelping and pleading coming through that wall at night until women left in the wee hours of the morning, Gabriella knew the man had some stamina and skills. And damn it, she wanted her world rocked by more than her vibrator.

Troy could do that. Not only did he apparently have god-like abilities, the man was built like one, too. Images of his muscular body and all he could do with it had provoked her last bestselling novel. Well it had also been about this old couple who came into the auto garage one day and had inspired her with their 58 years of marriage but most of every man loving description had all been about Troy.

Gabriella took a big sip of her drink as she tossed her bag with her manuscript inside it behind the bed. Her wall above her desk was littered in post its. Her desk covered in notes. Post its and notes that were shit. She needed inspiration. She needed to get over Jason and put the past behind her. What better what to do that then some no strings attached sex with Troy. She was thinking about the flex of his shoulders when he was shirtless in his garage when she realized Sharpay was talking.

"So you want more?"

Just a little spice was all she needed. Nothing raunchy or overly kinky, but some spice. "Yeah something other than vanilla." Was that too much for a girl to ask? She didn't think so. She crossed her fingers and hopped he wouldn't either. "I'm just going to ask him for sex."

Sharpay's mouth dropped in mock horror. "You slut."

Gabriella rolled her eyes; Sharpay had a way with the language. She was a true Texan and trust fund baby, which meant she was more likely to say the weirdest things and always overspend for attention. Sharpay nudged her with an elbow as she sat down on the bed. "Need me to kick everyone out?"

"Shut up. You're supposed to give me advice to make this easier."

Sharpay let out a sigh as she placed a hand on hip, "Then I suggest you put on something that makes the girls look a little more excited and head on downstairs before some little tramp snatches him up for the night."

Gabriella let out a moan, Sharpay was right.

Later in tightly fitted spaghetti strap top and a shorter pair of shorts Gabriella licked the last bit of salt from her now-empty plastic cup when she spotted the fine piece of hardened, tanned flesh prowling through the crowd. Yes, prowling through the crowd. Troy took long strides his eyes always searching and looking around. Something between the pit of her stomach and libido and possibly even up around her heart took a jumping kick-start.

Ah Troy Bolton. How had she known the man for so long and not realized all this? Her thoughts darkened as her ex-husband's face intruded. She kicked him out of her head. She would not have her thought ruined with other thoughts of the cheating bastard. And she wasn't hurt.

She'd rather lust after Troy, and return to watching the man who'd haunted her dreams, both day and night. When a woman with half a brain thought Troy Bolton, visions of sex were sure to happen. Now she just had to do something so she'd have more than just visions to go to bed with at night.

She watched as Troy talked to Kelsi who's flattened hand was sprawled out across his chest and making the alcohol-induced jealousy churn inside her. She had no claim on Troy. They'd been friends for a long time, but they weren't friends _like that. _Being friends _like that _never even came up between them. She licked her suddenly dry lips. At least, not yet. And it never would if that woman didn't get her hands off his stomach and quit whispering things in his ear.

Blue came up from behind her nudging the back of her knee with his nose to get her attention. "Hey Blue," she said quietly, "How's your day going, probably a lot better than mine." Coming down she gave him a good scratching behind his ears. Blue had been her longest consistent relationship with a male in her entire life. She'd be lost without his golden snout resting at the foot of her bed each and every night. He was indeed a gentle giant who followed her everywhere and everyone loved him.

"You're going to owe me a free oil change for this," Sharpay said coming over and taking her empty cup.

"For what?" Gabriella said suddenly missing her cup. Perhaps she should have stopped at three margaritas. Or two. But Sharpay was already walking away.

"Kelsi! Hey girl."

Kelsi looked up from Troy and waved.

"It's hot as heck out here and getting late. I'm heading over to Chad's place, I think the Braves are playing and he's got some people coming over. Wanna come with me?"

And just like that Kelsi peeled her hand off Troy's chest and the nausea doing an acid rain dance in Gabriella's belly stopped.

At the lost of his companion Troy swaggered towards her, looking all rugged and waiting to be tossed in sheets. Maybe two drinks would have been plenty. Then again two, six or none, probably wouldn't have mattered. Over the past few months Troy always looked ready to wrestle naked.

The alcohol went back to warming Gabriella's blood. Need shuddered through her making her panties a little wet. She quickly got up to her feet and leaned against the gate needing the support when the swooshing affects of the alcohol took its toll.

"Hey there Blue," Troy greeted as he patted him behind the ear, "Hey there beautiful," he said looking up at Gabriella with a relaxed sigh.

Oh the things that man was capable of. She didn't know a lot about sexual variety. Her ex-husband had kept things very civil. But from what she heard through the sheetrock, Troy was anything but vanilla. Sex with Troy must be like wining the Triple Crown, Super Bowl, and World Series all in one night. Things she'd been uncertain about in the past she wanted to get down and do. And get dirty, even.

Sweaty and twisty and panting for air. All in the name of research! Her readers needed to know, it was after all… what Michael had said?… _it was what they pay for? _She shivered and pushed hair from her face. Wow. She was not supposed to be the tramp here, but man, she couldn't help it. She thought of him at night when she could hear his grunts. In the mornings as his shower ran, all she wanted to do was to get in there with him.

During the day while she balanced his books and ran the front office of his garage, she wanted to walk into the shop wearing a trench coat and get busy on a radiator. A few times, though she'd never admit it to anyone, she'd used her vibrator along with his noise in the evenings. Oh yes she had. Heat flamed her faced thankful for the July sun she knew he probably wouldn't be able to tell.

"Hey Troy,"

"When did you get here?" he asked bring a beer up to his lips for a sip.

"Oh some time ago," Gabriella said tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

"How was your doctor's visit?"

"What?" she asked caught off guard.

Troy raised a brow, "You told me you had a doctor's visit today?"

"Right," Gabriella flushed and stumbled back a little as she gripped the fence behind her for dear life. Why did she have to drink so much? "It went fine, I'm as healthy as a horse."

"That's my girl." Troy's arm snaked around her shoulders and hugged her against his side. As usual, he looked glad to see her. She hopped he was super happy, because he too, laid awake at night thinking of doing the nasty with her. Then again, he could just be glad to see her because he was Troy and good to her. Either way, she leaned into him as he pulled her close.

She dropped her head against his shoulder as she'd done so many times before. Only now, as she'd been doing for the past six or eight weeks, she imaged her head there while gasping for air, pictured his big coarse hands on her naked skin, gripping her hips. His big blue eyes stared at her, and she swallowed her fear. It was time to get this out there and confront it.

She wanted scintillating sex and she wanted it from Troy. If he said no to this sex idea, she was confident they could go back to their routine. It would be a silly request and nothing more chalked up to the fact that she hadn't been laid in over a year.

"Troy?" she said counting on her four margaritas, "I wanted to ask you something."

He stared down at her, waiting, expecting more. And there was more to say but at the moment it was logged in her throat. It was just sex. It wasn't the man in question causing all these nerves, it was the act itself. The last man she had dance the horizontal with she'd married. Said man had since left her for one of her best friend and moved some twenty hours west. But Gabriella was over that. And she wasn't hurt. The sting wasn't so bad anymore. Mostly.

What hadn't dissipated was a ridiculous nagging curiosity. This dig had started very small and hidden away. For months, the thought had remained in the back of her head. When she'd found Jason and Martha together, he'd been doing her from behind over the arm of the couch. They'd been doing the nasty, super nasty-like. He'd had her hair fisted in his hand, forcing her spine into an uncomfortable looking arch. It had looked excessively dirty compared to their missionary sex. After the initial shock and hatred wore off a few months later, Gabriella wondered why she and Jason had never had sex like that. Had he thought she wouldn't have been open to roughing it up a bit?

Troy squeezed her against his side, hugging her close and then loosened his grip. "Here I am. At your service all night long."

That was a loaded statement if she ever heard one. She swallowed and fumbled around trying to find a polite way to ask for dirty-ish sex. She was pretty sure there wasn't one. "I need some help."

He didn't wait a beat. "I'm all yours, doll, ask away."

Gabriella took a deep breath as she looked up at him and put a little distance between them so she could stand on her own two feet. People around them were getting ready to leave and the party was almost over. In few moments they would be alone.

"Never known you to be so quiet," he teased.

"I want rough…er, sex." Gabriella quickly shut her eyes afraid of his reaction.

He watched her for a long moment, and finally he chuckled. "Funny."

There was her way out of this conversation. She could laugh with him and that'd be the end of it. But she didn't want out. "I'm not being funny."

"Uh-huh. And how much did you have to drink?" he tugged on her hair. "Not like you to drink this much."

"I've only had a few." And she was feeling damn sober at the moment. "I'm serious."

His mouth dropped open and his arms fell away from her shoulders. His eyes drifted closed as he shook his head, "Gabriella, what is this about?"

She shrugged, "I just want to. I want to find out what it's like."

His mouth snapped shut. His jaw tightened, giving her the first sign of just how big of a mistake this might be, but she refused to give up, so she forged on. "I want something more than just plain vanilla."

"Hey guys! Great barbeque, I'll call you tomorrow about the tractor," Mr. Paterson said on his way out.

Troy nodded and lifted a hand to wave him off before turning back to Gabriella, "Why me?"

Gabriella taken aback by his question shrugged, "Why not, I mean we're friends and you have a lot of experience?"

"What?" Troy lifted a hand to back of his neck to rub at the tension.

"See you guys next weekend at the tailgate, Gabriella dear, so sorry to hear about Jason and Martha moving away. You're much better off without them!" Mrs. Baker walked by carrying her empty bowl that had been filled with potato salad.

Gabriella nodded a little mortified by her life story being so public and about the expression to run on Troy's face right about now as he stared off into the distance.

"We've been living together for months now, maybe even a year, our beds are against the same wall. And well, I think, from what I've heard, that is, you could help me." Still no response from him, "Troy? Say something?"

"No," he said looking back up at her, "Gabriella this is bad idea,"

"Gabriella," an older woman came up to them reaching around and giving her a hug, "you look amazing, I was just telling my son about your new status," she added and Gabriella returned the hug not knowing what else to do.

"Is that right," she said nervously.

"I'll tell him to give you a call."

"Alright," Gabriella said shrugging her shoulders as the woman patted Troy on the chest and began to walk off. Gabriella took a step back as she looked around at the few people still around trying to maintain a casual I'm-so-cool-I-can-ask-for-sex look. "It would just be a couple of encounters."

"Encounters?" he echoed with a shake of his head, "What is this something out of the X Files? I think I should put you to bed."

She shook her head. "I've never had anything exciting. It's always been just a rub over my hip, a stroke down my thigh, and that's it. And that was okay, but I want more. I want to be used and-"

"I don't want to hear this," he said pulling her to him and making their way towards the house. "I think this is just case of depression mixed with a little alcohol."

Blue followed behind them and Gabriella ran three steps ahead to stop him in the doorway. The blast of the air conditioning slapped her with a whole new sense of drive. She could do this. She needed inspiration, she needed ideas, she needed something else, something new she wanted what she'd been fantasying about for the last five months and that was Troy Bolton's naked body driving hers wild. "What I'm saying is, it was always the same. Eighty percent of the time, I was on the bottom."

"Not listening." He put his hand to her back to turn her around as he pushed her inside.

"I'm not asking for a lot, just something up against a door. Or in the shower. I don't want to be chained up and beaten with a whip. I just want a little something more."

He turned to face her. His eyes were narrowed. His hands were balled into fist at his sides. "So what, you'll call me after getting out of the shower? After shaving your legs and just tell me to come over?"

She squirmed. "I hadn't worked out all details yet."

"You can't just decide one day to have wild sex with me."

"I didn't." The words snapped out harder than she wanted, but she couldn't help it. He'd struck a nerve. It wasn't like she'd decided this was a good idea thirty minutes ago. She'd been dithering over it for months, considered it on those late nights while hearing grunts, groans and moans from his bedroom. "Isn't this every guy's wet dream? To have a woman ready and willing at anytime?"

"No. Not like this." He looked downright angry.

"You'd have a woman at your beck and call. Anytime, anywhere," she teased trying to get a little laugh out of him and the Troy she knew back, but he wasn't smiling. It hit her then. _He already has that. _She sobered. "You're not into me that way."

"Gabriella."

She shook her head and turned for the stairs, blinking away ridiculous tears. She knew that this had been a possibility, but she just…sighed. She really hadn't decided what to do if he said no. "It's fine. I did just throw this on you all at once I didn't consider that you couldn't think of me in that way."

"I-"

Just then three little kids came bounding down the stairs and around the bend cutting Troy off as he step aside and made room for them to leave. The interruption was small and even though Gabriella was fast he was on her heels in an instant.

"Gabriella."

"Forget it." His rejection pinched a lot harder than she'd been expecting it to, which was silly, because quick casual sex was all this had been about, anyway. It wasn't a relationship he turned down, but it still felt like a rejection of her specifically. And tomorrow she'd play the drunk card and pretend to not remember a moment of it.

Just as she wrapped her hand around the door knob Troy spun her around at the door and leaned over her, around her, and covered her, holding her there so she had no way to run off on him again. He was like a winter coat and she the cold lonely body beneath it. And boy was she warming up. His eyes came down seeming to stop on her lips and linger there as they both caught their breath. He'd never been this close before, not like this. Not with this heat between them. It was enough to make her lightheaded.

"You've never made a move or looked like you were interested in me that way." He shook his head. "Damn it woman. You can't just throw something on me like that and expect me to jump."

"Fine." She dropped her gaze to his lips and how they were slightly parted. And fine was right because he was right. She'd thrown it on him out of nowhere. They had been friends for a long time. He'd been Jason's, which was how they'd met. He'd been standing next to her, helping her bring in groceries when she walked in on Jason and Martha doing it doggie style on her new couch. Troy had stood by her side through the good and the bad while Jason fought her for every fork bowl and pan out of the kitchen. Seven years of friendship and suddenly she wanted to change things. He had a point. "So we're at a 'you'll think about it and let me know' pass?"

He straightened and swiped a hand down his face as he loosed his cage like hold on her. "I suppose. And you need to think more on it, too. We take that step; things will never be the same."

"They-"

He lifted her chin. "Will never be the same."

Gabriella nodded her mouth suddenly dry as she watched him push off the wall and take a few steps back, Blue who had been sitting patiently at their side stood up and came to the door as Gabriella opened it. She didn't have to look back to know Troy was still was watching as she and Blue made her way inside. And it wasn't until the door was shut behind her that she leaned against it and slid down to the floor in fear, anxiety, excitement and nausea all at once. She'd made it pass the hard part.


	2. Chapter 2

Troy crossed the living room into the kitchen and jerked open the fridge. Cool air blasted his hot body, and he grabbed a chilled bottle of beer. Not for drinking, yet. This bottle was to put on his neck. The sweat on the glass no doubt sizzled to steam at the touch of his flaming hot skin.

Sex with Gabriella.

Jesus.

He twisted off the cap and drank, pulling hard at the beer and chugged until nothing was left. He sat the empty bottle down. It clanked hard on the countertop, and sound should have served as a final no. Instead it rang out more like a pistol firing off the start of the race. The finish line being his roommate's bedroom doorway. He stood there for a long moment, waiting for the drink to ease through his blood and for the buzz to pull him from the edge.

Sex with Gabriella. Sex with Jason's Gabriella. He closed his eyes. No. Not Jason's Gabriella. Not anymore.

Troy breathed and continued working at talking himself out of it. A few moments of fun. Catch a bit of ass and apparently, possibly, spank some of it too. Not how he wanted Gabriella Montez all these years. She was supposed to be a slow and torturous unwrapping. Hours spent learning each creamy caramel, soft inch of her skin. Time taken to see what set her off and what made her beg and ache for more.

He groaned and shook his head.

He refused to change what he wanted from her, no matter how easy it would be to give into her request. He wasn't her rebound or stepping stone to test the waters of the shallow end of the dating pool. No matter how tempting she was, he wouldn't give in and be used. He was a man with a few morals and ethics, or whatever people called them.

Bottom line the possibility of forever was the only way he'd take Gabriella.

He squeezed the counter but the smooth edges did nothing to hold him there. Everything he wanted to taste and touch waited for him upstairs. Beautiful, smart, sweet, luscious, and hopefully one day his Gabriella. Just not yet, she needed time to get over the divorce.

He needed to go clean up the yard, needed to pick up trash and straighten up the house. Get his mind off what was currently going on. Keep his mind as far away from the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am quickie with sweating and slapping bodies. His balls pulled in tight and his cock twitched at the thought of her damp and plaster hair against her neck. Her pouty lips would be parted and her head thrown back. Her firm round boobs would bounce in his face and her hips would roll against his.

He'd seen her dance. He knew what she was capable of. Turning to a cabinet he reached for the trash bags and took one out. After opening it he dropped his empty beer bottle inside it.

After her divorce, she became a necessary crutch in his life as they figured things out together. She had discovered the callous ways of her husband, and he about a man he'd known since elementary school. It was her financial whiz of a brain that saved his garage after catching his former secretary robbing him blind. What he was to Gabriella at the beginning, he couldn't say, other than that guy who got things on the high shelf.

Moving outside he began collecting more bottles. It was four days after walking in on Jason and Martha that Gabriella showed up on his door step with Blue and a bag. She was different that night like everything about her had been crushed and she told him that Jason had asked her for a divorced. She had nowhere to go, no family around for miles. So he did what a friend would, he spent the weekend moving his weights into the basement and repainting the room next to his. Within a week she was moved in.

Somewhere between his bills and her moving boxes, watching a handful of games on TV in the evenings entered the picture a couple of times. Then there was pizza or popcorn. Maybe both. It happened slowly. She went from being in her room morning, noon, and night to coming down for dinner, then coming down for breakfast and dinner, finally after four months she was somewhat happy again. She came to work regularly, they shared a meal every night, sometimes he'd cook sometimes she would. It just seemed to work out.

She might believe they could remain causal an unattached. He knew better. He was already attached. They were friends after all and her divorce had only been final for three months despite however long she'd been living there. This request was nothing but making him her rebound. He'd do anything Gabriella asked, but not that. Not the rebound fuck. He had to figure out away to get himself out of this.

The next afternoon, Gabriella stared up at the ceiling as she listened to Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood reminded each other about a love they once shared long ago. A notepad rested on her chest as she did her best at balancing a pen on her nose. "He longingly watched her as she open a jar of pickles… heaven forbid he help her," she murmured as she rolled her eyes and flinched as the pen rolled off to the side.

Pushing herself up she propped herself up on her elbows, "Why is this so hard? Surely there was a reason I liked the asshole. I married him didn't I?"

Blue's head propped up and he groaned but didn't move from his position on top of her feet.

"Blue if I don't come up with a way to fix this story you're going to have to go back to the Old Yeller stuff and not the Kibble and Bits you fancy so much." Just then there was a knock on the door and Gabriella leaned over and paused the music on her iPod, "Come in."

Troy poked his head in, "You decent? Sober?"

"Yeah."

"Alright," he said opening the door a little wider, his eyes looked around her room taking in all the post its on her walls and the notepad in her hands. "What are you doing?"

"Writing an ad for the garage for the paper," Gabriella said slowly, "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you're alive. It almost noon, you haven't eaten."

Gabriella let out a sigh, she hated lying to him about her writing but the idea of him knowing that she wrote was mortifying. When she was honest with herself, bestsellers list or not she wrote trashy romance novels that entertained housewives across America. A guilty pleasure, yes. Something she'd proudly admit? No. It's not like she wrote great American novels that held any literary value, people picked up her books when they did their groceries for crying out loud.

Her fans loved them, her fans proclaimed that her books had changed their lives and given them hope and inspiration for love and life. If only they could see her now. Oh what a fraud she was. She knew nothing about romance, nothing about love, nothing about sexual exploration and true satisfaction, not that sex with Jason hadn't been satisfying; it had been alright, for what it was.

"You haven't given any thought to my proposal have you?" she asked looking up at him.

Troy's mouth fell open a little, "You're kidding?"

Gabriella looked down at her blank note pad. Maybe she was losing her mind, maybe the pressure of this book was killing all her brain cells and leaving her with just a libido. Looking back up she caught the flex in his arm as he lifted it to rub the back of his neck. The muscle there seemed to almost be busting at the seam of his t-shirt. Her mind spiraled into images of skin on skin.

"No, I'm very serious," she said closing her mouth to stop drool from escaping. Honestly this silly little infatuation was getting ridiculous. She known him for seven years what was the difference from then till now.

Troy frowned as he looked around her room and then back at her. "Does this have anything to do with the doctor's appointment yesterday?"

"No," Gabriella said with light shrug as she leaned forward to rub Blue behind the ear and avoid his glaze.

"Would you even tell me if it was?"

He knew. The jig was up and she'd been caught. Doing what exactly she didn't know yet. "Troy?" Gabriella let out a breath as she placed her notepad and pen on her night stand shifting so she could pull her feet out from under Blue much to his dismay. "Grow up, it's not like I asked you to give me your kidney," she said pushing herself up from the bed. "It's just an orgasm," she said walking past him and into the hall.

Troy's brow lifted significantly as he looked back at Blue who was coming down from the bed with a stretch and groan. "Can you believe this?" he said in a low voice as Blue sat down and looked up at him with nod. Troy reached out and gave Blue a well-earned scratch behind the ear.

Once his needs of attention were met, Blue walked past him devotedly following his owner down the hall. Troy let out a breath and shut the door as he followed both of them down the stairs.

"Gabs, maybe we just need to slow down here."

"Slow down?" Gabriella made her way into the kitchen and walked over to the fridge, "You haven't even touched me."

"I know, but-"

"But what?" Gabriella said pulling out the gallon of milk and shrugging her shoulders.

"What you're asking for is a little out there Gabs," Troy said reaching into the cabinet for a box of cereal and handing it to her. "I think if you want to do this we're gonna need to set some ground rules?"

"Ground rules?" Gabriella took the box from him and placed it on the counter top turning around to get a bowl from the clean side of the sink, "Like what? Do I have to cut my hair or something?"

Troy let out a chuckle, "What? No." He liked her long hair, he fantasized about it in his hands, thought about it falling slowly down her back or hanging in those little ringlets around her face after she took a shower. "First rule, no haircuts." Troy opened a drawer and took out two spoons.

"Alright," Gabriella smirked as she opened the box and began to pour the cereal into the bowl, "I think I can manage that one." Could he actually be proposing what she'd hoped for? Comfortable, compatible, no-strings attached sex without a messy relationship?

Troy uncapped the milk and began to pour, "Second rule, five dates."

"What?" Gabriella jerked back as she placed both her hands on the counter top, "I don't want to date you."

"Then call it what you want, but despite your belief, I am not a man-whore and refuse to be treated as such. If we're going to do this I call the shots," Troy said placing a hand on his chest. "No sex until then. If we can make it through five "whatevers" then maybe…"

"No." Gabriella shook her head, "Maybe?! I don't want whatever all I want-"

Troy held out a spoon cutting her off, "I know what you want, but I think we need to be sure you know what you want. We don't really know each other like that. We're going to have to tread lightly. Make sure we're both on the same page."

"Oh yeah," she said with raised brow, "What page is that?"

"Whatever you want this page to be," Troy with a long sigh.

"How about the page that repeats as often as we like, without strings?"

"There's always going to be strings," Troy shifted his weight, "This just sex thing, It never works, Gabs. You're a girl. Sex always means more to you even if you don't admit it."

"But this is different."

"Really," Troy said with a frown, "Do you suddenly have a penis where you're vagina was?"

Gabriella took a moment to think about it, then narrowed her eyes."Nope, no penis."

"Then it's no different."

Gabriella pouted as she took the spoon and leaned down so her forearms were laid flat on the table as she poked her butt out behind her, "I think your wrong about that, we know each other plenty."

Troy leaned down as well dipping his own spoon into the same bowl, "Sex is different Gabs. Beside what if I told you I wanted more?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she dipped her spoon into the bowl and brought her spoon to her lips. _More?_ Troy wasn't a relationship kind of guy. As a sex buddy, through, he'd be the perfect man for the job. A known commitment-phoebe, known player, she'd be guaranteed hot sex with no-strings. And because they were friends, she wouldn't have to worry about him treating her like crap. "We go to movies and eat together all the time, honestly what makes this bowl of cereal any different."

"Foreplay," he said off handedly.

"You need five dates for foreplay?"

"I need five minutes, you're going to need five dates."

"How are you so sure I'm not ready to go right here, right now on this table?" she said standing up straight and staring at him dead on.

"Gabriella, I'm not the greatest catch." Troy leaned forward scooping up a spoonful of cereal and shoveling it into his mouth. Once he swallowed he continued, "I'm sure you've heard how I am…was with women."

She shook her head. "What you do and whoever you do it with isn't any of my business."

"That's what I like about you. You're always ready to accept people for who they are. I'm no saint. And I know I've ah… been with a lot of women." He took one of her hands in his, "What I'm trying to say is I want to try date you… exclusively."

He might as well have poured ice water down her back. She hadn't expected him to say anything that hinted at dating. Sex, hell yeah. But dating? Exclusively? No way. She didn't want to date. Dating led to emotions she didn't have time for. It also led to heartbreak. Something she wouldn't allow, especially after the way her last relationship ended. She cleared her throat and attempted to pull her hand from his, but he held firm.

"I'm just asking for five dates."

Aliens must have taken control of Troy's mind. Never in a million years would she have expected this notorious commitment-phobe to want to date her exclusively. "This is crazy."

"Crazier than you asking me for sex?" So she wanted no-strings sex. No emotional ties. And he offered her the opposite. Too bad.

Gabriella stared at him with an urge to argue and then let out a sigh, he was right. "Fine, what about the other stuff?"

"What other stuff?" Troy looked up at her.

Gabriella shrugged as she dipped her spoon into the bowl coming back into her leaning position.

"Gabs if you can't say it, we shouldn't even be talking about this."

Gabriella inwardly groaned, he was right. Again. "Kissing."

"You want to kiss?" Troy asked sounding a little interested.

"Well yeah," Gabriella murmured looking up at him and lifting her spoon to her lips, "kissing is nice, I use to like it. Not really a fan of tongue but I'd try it. I mean, I'm not going to lie I'm not sure I understand the sudden urge to prove you can be in a relationship without sex when I'm bluntly offering you sex without one but to each his own five dates and I get what I want."

Troy watched as the spoon disappeared between her lips and watched as she slowly pulled it out. He wasn't sure if she did it on purpose. Didn't know if he should acknowledge it. What he did know was he was suddenly at a loss for they were talking about. "Yea,"

"But that wouldn't be much different from what we already have. We'd simply be friends who don't have sex with each other, let alone anyone else."

He frowned.

"Intimacy and affection are important in a relationship and while I understand what you're getting at I need to have a certain level of affection," she said with a grin, "and we can have that you know … without sex."

"How?"

"Kissing," she grinned. "I mean if you have a Julia Roberts thing about it, I get it."

Troy snapped out of his current fog, "No. I mean we can, I mean its fine on the lips," Troy winced as he looked at the cereal bowl. "Kissing is good."

"Kissing is _very_ good." She was beginning to like how the conversation was turning out after all. Hell she liked Troy a lot. She trusted him, not necessarily with her heart, but with her body. She wanted to be with him. Yes for sex, but also because she loved the respect he showed her.

Although she did miss sex, she'd missed kissing and cuddling even more. Sex was nice, but if she didn't own a vibrator, she would never have known what it was that made your eyes roll back and your body surge with ecstasy. Now that she really thought about it, she'd very much like to take Troy up on his exclusive dating, no sex relationship. It sounded safe and fun, and besides he'd agreed to kissing, but he never specified exactly where those kisses could be placed. And she could think of a few provocative places she'd love to kiss Troy. After that, he probably wouldn't last more than a week with his no-sex, kissing-only rule. She'd have her sex buddy and still be able to remain emotionally detached. "Do we have to wait?"

"Does it have to be right this second?" Troy countered standing up right.

Gabriella shrugged "You're the one making the ground rules?" she said pointedly.

"For the well-being and protection of our relationship."

"Rule three, no more relationship talk."

Troy raised a brow, "You really just want a fling don't you?"

"Yes," she said quietly, "I think I've had it up to here with emotional men and their backstabbing bullshit."

Troy watched her carefully, "Why not go the bar and pick up someone?"

"In a town with a population of 764 do you really think my odds of finding someone, who I won't ever see again, is of high value?" Gabriella let out a sigh as she lifted another spoonful of cereal, "I have better odds of coming across who's ever underwear I found in the dryer last week."

"Sorry about that," Troy muttered as he reached into the bowl for another spoonful. "So are you expecting to move out or something? I mean unless you have other arrangements for a place to live, work, and mooch then wouldn't I be a big fat shit on your plan of animosity?"

"No. Because there's no one on the planet I trust more than I trust you, you're an overall good guy, you love Blue and look great without a shirt," she listed causally.

"Seriously?" he added with disbelief.

Gabriella looked up at him, "this is really weird." Gabriella tossed her spoon into the sink with a loud clink.

"How so?"

"I feel like we should sign a contract," she said wiping her hands on her shorts.

"You're right. This isn't my most romantic moment." He sent her a sexy smile that had her toes curling. "To be honest you really didn't give me much of a choice."

"To be honest if I had you would have chickened out," she said as she made her way out of the kitchen.

"Cute. You got jokes," he called after her as he watched her race back up the stairs to her bedroom. Troy looked down at the bowl of milk in front of him. "Why does she always leave the milk?"

As if to answer him Blue let out a sigh as he shifted his shout from one paw to the other, his brown eyes looking up at Troy with adoration.

Shaking his head he went about putting the milk back in the fridge and cereal back in the cabinet. If he was going get his shot at forever with Gabriella he was going to have to do some fancy footwork and quick. Her mind was set. And he been around long enough to know what when she set her mind to something she was going to see to it that she made it happen. He just needed to set her off balance, pull the rug out from under her slowly enough so she wouldn't notice it was happening. He had to find some way to make Gabriella fall in love with him and he had to do it in five "Whatever's."

A few moment later when Troy had finished drinking the milk from the bowl in his usual spot by the sink the sound of Gabriella footsteps came bounding down the stairs and both he and Blue looked up.

"I'm meeting up with Sharpay," Gabriella said filling the kitchen with the smells of perfume. Troy watched her quietly as she ran from one end of the kitchen for keys to the other end for her wallet and back again for Blue's on the go dish.

With each passing he watched her white tang top bounce around over the swell of her breast, her tight blue jeans shorts with the ripped pocket shift against her behind and those stubborn little strands that weren't long enough to stay in her ponytail ban whip back and forth. On the fourth time he reached out and hauled her into his chest, his mouth on hers before his arms were around her.

The kiss was urgent. Physical. All-encompassing.

His hands clenched her to him and for the first time ever it felt just like how she wrote about it. Her toes even curled. He lifted her from her butt and without thought; she anchored her legs around his hips and grabbed his hair.

Whirling around he set he down on the kitchen counter, careful not to slam her or lean on her to hard. Then the only thing she was aware of was the insistent ridge of his hard-on against the inside of her left leg. It felt good. She wanted to feel more, with less layers of clothing.

His hands were on her hips playing with the hem of her shirt teasing the small veiled of skin there as he touched it with the pads of his thumbs. Then she realized her phone was ringing, the nuclear alarm ring tone she'd given Michael. Her latest book had just hit the shelves last week and promotional offers still needed to be approved. The call went to voicemail. He wasn't going to be happy about that.

Pulling back she broke the kiss. Panting, she looked around the kitchen as if seeing it for the first time, "Wow."

Troy let out small breaths as he tried to catch his own breath, he didn't intend on taking the kiss that far. If it hadn't been for her cell phone he wasn't really sure how far he would have taken it. But it was surprisingly easy to get lost in her. She was as sweet as melting ice cream on a hot summer day, and tasted even better. He wanted to lick her up, taste every inch of her until he knew every intimate spot like the back of his hand. He was going to have his work cut out for him if he wanted to make this work; he was going to have to keep his distance.

Doing exactly the opposite Troy reached out and took her hands helping her down off the counter and allowing her to slide against him for support.

"Thanks," she said quietly looking up at him. Without warning she stood on her toes and kissed him one last time to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke.

It wasn't. At all. His lips were just as warm and soft, even better than the first time because she was expecting it and now the tingles were spreading through her like wildfire.

Sex was going to be so good.

Sighing, she smiled up at him, "We'll do that more next time."

"No we won't," Troy said with a small frown, "Gotta pace ourselves."

"I run fast," Gabriella said moving away from him as she walked backwards. "Unless you're scared?"

"I'm not scared," Troy glared at her. "We're not going to rush this."

"Of course not, I'll see you for dinner tonight," she said motioning for Blue to follow.

"No you won't."

"It's a date."

"No it's not."

"Think of me today Troy, I'll definitely be thinking of you, and I can tell you, you won't be wearing anything more than my naked body," she called back to him as she and blue walked out the front door.

Troy gripped the counter top letting out a string of curses as he fought his inner self to stay put and not chase after her. He thought hard about their kiss. He even tried harder not to think about the fact that he could be out the door and sweep her up and over his shoulders in a minute, run her up the stairs and have her naked and in his bed in under two. The harder he thought, the harder he became.

"Damn," he muttered. "What the hell did I get myself into?"


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriella and Blue sat outside in the heat by her truck as they waited for Sharpay outside. Sharpay worked in a small café in town as a barista, she was a dedicated employee and the best customer service money could find. Always smiling, always chipper, always pinning away after the boss. Sharpay had a crush on her boss for two years and after a tiny late night instance where Zeke drove her home after work she was determined that she'd found the father of her unborn children.

The romantic in Gabriella sighed. Zeke and Sharpay would be a fairy tale come to life. Sharpay had been harboring this secret crush for a long time and Zeke while he pretended to be professional always did seem a little flushed whenever she turned on the charm. However the recent cynic in Gabriella pouted. She couldn't find fault with them as a couple, and that was discouraging on a personal level.

"What's wrong with you?" Sharpay said coming out onto the sidewalk with a dish full of water for Blue. "You're usually disgustingly bright eyed, but you look like someone burst your balloon."

"Burst my bubble," Gabriella corrected. "I'm just having a really hard time writing. I need a break."

Gasping in alarm, Sharpay walked right up to her and put her hand on Gabriella's forehead. "When do you ever have a hard time writing? Do you have a fever?"

"Not unless being hot and bothered is a virus," Gabriella squinted as she looked down at Blue who was still gulping down as much water as he could.

"What did Troy say about your idea?"

"Surprisingly I think he's for it," Gabriella said with a shrug, "He wants to go on five bullshit dates before we do anything. I think he just wants to be sure my minds made up."

"And is it?"

Gabriella let out a sigh as she thought about that kiss and all the bits of her body that was still turning and tingling. "I just feel like I need to wake up, I keep doing the same shit all the time and it's driving me crazy."

"Well, then we gotta head on over to Taylor's."

"What for?"

"Lingerie. Whatever going on between you two, you gotta be ready."

Gabriella dug her heels in as Sharpay tried to drag her down the street. "No, I don't."

"You really do. You're a romance writer. You're supposed to be into that sort of frippery."

"Frippery?"

"You know, romance. Lacy things." Sharpay waved her hand dismissively as she checked her watch, "Come on I only have an hour lunch."

Gabriella wasn't sure she needed lacy things, but she could definitely use a little romance to inspire her though this rough spot in her book. However she didn't need romance with her best friend. This was supposed to be strictly fun only.

But the kiss…

Sighing she let Sharpay drag her to Taylor's Closet, their friend Taylor's lingerie store down the street. Blue followed stopping as soon as they walked into the store, "You be a good boy now," Gabriella called out as she blew him a kiss.

"Honestly you treat that dog like he's your boyfriend," Sharpay said placing her hands on her hips.

Gabriella shrugged, "You know the old saying the more boys I meet, the more I like my dog."

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Taylor greeted them with a smile as she came out from a back room with a box filled with frilly light blue lace.

"We need some stuff meant for seducing. I mean so hot that the hens are laying hard-boiled eggs."

"Oh my god," Gabriella frowned as she looked at back out towards the front were Blue laid on the sidewalk snoozing away.

"Seducing?" Taylor teased, "Who the lucky guy?"

"Wait till you get a load of this one?" Sharpay said jumping up onto the counter and beginning to go through the box Taylor just brought out, "Go on Gabs, tell her all about your kinky new lifestyle."

Gabriella crossed her arms as she placed a hand on her hip and shook her head, "It's just sex," Gabriella said as she looked at set of crotch-less orange underwear. "I don't see what the big deal is, Troy sleeps around anyway."

"You and Troy are dating." Taylor announced

"We're not dating," Gabriella said turning around to face her.

"Yeah," Sharpay laughed, "she just asked him for sex."

"So you're just sleeping with him," Taylor eyebrow's rose as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well not yet," Gabriella said plucking the panties off the rack and holding them up to her waist.

"Girl you're giving me whiplash, what's going on?" Taylor said walking over to another rack and picking up a red garter set, "try these."

Gabriella looked at the bright red color in her hands and small blush came over her cheeks. "Well, I asked him for a strictly sexual encounter and he agreed, under a few conditions," Gabriella said walking over to a mirror to try and envision herself in such wicked attire.

"Sounds hot," Taylor murmured as she walked over to a fitting room and unlocked it, "What are these conditions?"

Gabriella let out a breath as she made her way into the fitting room, "Well he doesn't want to have any sex until we go on five dates."

"So you are dating," Taylor said matter of fact.

"Not quite." Gabriella quickly disrobed as she began trying on the new lingerie. After her marriage had gone up in flames she'd torched all of her lingerie with it as well. There was no point in holding onto any of it. Obviously none of it was doing its job.

"They're going to have sex after date number five," Sharpay explained, "Troy just wants to be sure that she wants this and that she's okay with it."

"Oh," Taylor said a little unsure, "and you're okay with that?"

"It's five stupid little dates," Gabriella said as she brought the bra straps over her shoulders, "How hard can it be, I sit through five dinners and movie and then I get exactly what I want. Not to mention even sooner if I cheat a little."

"Cheat?" both girls said in unison.

Gabriella came out of the fitting room wrapped up in the blood red lace panty and bra, "There is nothing that says I can't hurry him along," she said placing her hands on her hips.

"Amen," Sharpay said titling her head a little as she appreciated the view, "Do you have that in pink?"

"You don't like the red?" Taylor said looking back at her.

"No I love it, but I want mine in pink."

Taylor rolled her eyes, "Right, what was I thinking?" Taylor sighed as she walked back over to the rack. "Gabriella I think I have one in green that will really make your skin color pop."

"I'll take it, in fact I'm gonna need five different sets," Gabriella said turning to look at her refection in the mirror, "He's not gonna know what hit him."

"Hey" Sharpay said jumping down from the counter and coming over closer to Gabriella, "Maybe he's you're inspiration?"

"You don't know the half of it," Gabriella said with a frown. She needed to get some ideas and quick, especially before Michael called again. She thought about what she had written today and winced. It was crap. Everything she'd written in past month had been pure crap. She hated letting Jason affect her this way but he'd derailed her. Who was she kidding? She was hurt. She was taking all her anger out on her current hero. After all why shouldn't she? The bastard up and left her. He cheated on her with one of her best friends and then asked for a divorce. What was she supposed to feel? Liberated?

New flash, being almost thirty and divorced didn't leave you feeling liberated. It left you feeling old and alone.

"Having second thoughts?" Sharpay asked quietly.

Gabriella blinked catching her own miserable reflection in the mirror, "No," she said with a sigh, "Just need some good old fashion chocolate and wine."

"Good idea," Sharpay said as Taylor brought in an armful of lingerie.

Later that evening Troy lifted himself up onto the barstool at Chad's, his elbows resting on the bar top as he pulled a small bowl of pretzels over to him. He glanced over at the door and watched as a young couple came in holding hands and made their way to back booth.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you here tonight," Chad said as he walked over to where Troy was sitting and offered a beer from the cooler.

"Yeah," Troy said with a sigh, "Trust me, I'd rather be sitting at home drinking my own beer," Troy watched as Chad popped the top of the beer bottle and then nodded appreciatively as he took it, "Unfortunately I'm hiding out."

Chad frowned, "What's up?"

"Nothing a little space, time and a cold shower won't fix," he chuckled bringing the beer up to his lips.

That sounds like lady trouble," Chad said placing his palms flat on the table, "More specifically like a Montez problem."

Troy nodded as he put the beer down on the bar top, "She has this stupid idea in her head that we can be fuck buddies."

Chad let out a laugh as he tossed a rag over his shoulder, "Sounds to me like a sweet deal. Isn't that the opening you've been waiting for?"

"Yes and no," Troy grabbed a few pretzels and shrugged his shoulders; "You know how I feel about her. Fat chance I'm going to settle for being the rebound after waiting all this time out of respect of her and Jason's marriage."

"The divorce was just finalized wasn't it?" Chad asked with furrowed brow.

"Damn right it was."

Another patron took a seat at the bar and Chad disappeared for a moment to tend to him while Troy looked up at the television screen playing the latest game then back at the door. He couldn't hide out at the bar forever but for now it was start. It was a place to be, an ice cold beer and he had the game to watch. What more could he need?

His eyes wondered back to the door, he chewed on another pretzel as he watched another couple come in. Chad's wasn't the only sports bar in town, it just happened to be the only one with television screens and a dance floor. He wouldn't even pretend to imagine all the hard work his friend put into this place day in and day out but it was his own little slice of paradise.

It seemed like just a few days ago that they sat in the back booth going over the plans and naming different types of burgers. But here they were 9 years in and Chad's Bar and Grill was one of the main attractions in town.

His auto garage was nothing compared to this, hell he'd been about to shut down business until Gabriella came along and fixed his books. He wasn't exactly a wealthy man but he did well for himself and he could afford to pay Gabriella an honest salary. Looking back at the game he let out a sigh, this entire situation made him nervous. He couldn't afford to lose Gabriella at the garage if this little experiment of hers went south.

"Maybe you need something stronger?" Chad suggested coming over again and hanging the rag over his shoulder.

"Nope," Troy said lifting a finger to tap his temple, "Got to stay in the right mind set."

"Oh yeah?" Chad asked bending down and resting his elbows on the bar top, "What mind set is that? Miserable."

Troy felt a tug at the corner of his lips, "How are things with you?"

Chad stood up straight and let out a sigh, "It's been alright, Taylor been trying to get me to hire another bar tender. She says I'm not around enough."

Taylor was Chad's girlfriend of two years, who worked a little further in town at a lingerie store, the only one in town, matter of fact. There had been a great argument and group of citizens that had wanted the place shut down. Taylor's Closet used to be considered a sinful place that was covered in vandalism on a daily bases. Town's people had tried damn hard to scare her out of town but Taylor wasn't having any of it. She simply brought a bucket of paint to cover the graffiti and went about setting up her shop.

Sure now, four years later she was considered a sweetheart and everyone loved her. Damn, the woman was solely responsible for half the children running amuck, and all those marriages that would have fell to the waste side had she not been there to help housewives spice things up a bit. Chad although he didn't know it was on a fast track to becoming married himself.

Troy knew the signs, he'd been living in this town all his life and had been watching everyone around him fall in love and get hitched. He saw things coming a mile away. All expect for Jason and Gabriella. His eyes went back to the door again. He hadn't seen that one coming; then again he hadn't wanted to see it coming. He remembered it like it was yesterday sitting in that booth over there by the jukebox.

They were giggling and smiling all night, like they had a big secret they were busting at the seams to get off their chest. He'd been convinced that Jason had come into some money of some kind by the way he'd been acting that night. But right there while the appetizer sat on the table Gabriella's hand shot up from underneath the table to reveal a shiny little ring.

His stomach still did several flips just thinking about it. Remembering what it was like to force that stupid grin on his face. To congratulate them and make every effort to sound like he meant it. To pretend like everything inside him hadn't just shattered into a million pieces. He'd never forget that happiness on her face, that joy, content, and peace that rested over her features with unconditional love and acceptance.

He'd also never forget the hurt he'd seen there too. The hurt he never wanted to see there again. The hurt he move hell or high water to avoid being the cause of. No doubt about it he had his suspicions about Jason a few times. He'd seen him talking to Martha a little closer than necessary, seen him guide her threw a room with his hand on the small of her back once or twice. But he hadn't said anything, hadn't wanted to believe that this man who been lucky enough to have this woman pick him above everyone else, would be so stupid.

Then he'd been helping Gabriella that afternoon, at first he'd just been trying his best to stay in the car until she was inside. She was wearing one of those blue jeans shorts and a thin little spaghetti strap top. Her hair piled high in one of those pony tails she loved so much. The second he pulled up he sent up a slur of prayer for forgiveness because he'd been thinking bad things about his best friend's wife. He'd been thinking about that strap on her shoulder slipping as she reached into the truck. Watching her with those same loyal and attentive eyes Blue had as he sat there on the pavement waiting patiently for her to finish.

That dog was the best dog he'd ever met. Blue was a golden retriever and true to the breed he had an instinctive love of water, was easy to train and a beautiful golden coat. Troy loved that dog and at the same time he'd never been so jealous of a damn animal in his life. But that dog followed her everywhere. He slept at the foot of her bed, rode in her truck and laid out in the backyard while she did her yard work. Blue was one of a kind: smart, loyal, funny, playful, and one lucky son of bitch.

Then that damn brown paper bag broke and bacon went sailing down the driveway with a bunch of potatoes and cans. Troy murmured a cuss word or two and knew he was going to have to get out and help. So he did coming up the drive he greeted her and Blue while collecting groceries as he went. He'll never forget the relief in her eyes that afternoon when he came up the drive. She looked like she'd been about ready to kiss him.

Of course everything changed the moment he walked in behind her and came face to face with the very same thing she saw that stopped her dead in her tracks. Her husband of three years and one of her best friends going at it right over the very couches Troy had helped Jason move in three or four months prior. He wasn't sure what the hell happened in-between seeing that look of utter horror on her face and his fist making contact with Jason's jaw.

But three years of pent up resentment sure as hell came in handy that afternoon.

"So you're planning on hiring someone else?"

Chad let out a sigh, "I guess I have too. It's either that or I get her a puppy."

Troy let out low huff as he picked up his beer, "You're such a goner."

This time Chad let out a huff, "Looks who's talking fuck buddy."


	4. Chapter 4

Tomorrow was Monday. A work day. She'd be in the office of his tiny garage with him only steps away. His arms would be streaked with grease. A rag would dangle from the back pocket of his worn jeans. Sweat would be gathered at his lower back as he worked. Somehow with all that going on and her desire for sex now out in the open she was supposed to have a clear head to be able to bill piston rods and lube jobs.

The sound of the front door opening downstairs made Gabriella jerked up from her key board. Blue's head pop up from his spot on the bed and within moments he was down on the ground taking off to welcome Troy home. Gabriella glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was almost midnight. She'd been staring at the same paragraph for the last twenty minutes not really sure about her characters Georgia and Jeff.

They just felt all wrong for each other. Like it was being forced, she could see her characters now shoving at each other wanting nothing to do with each other. The classic she loved him and he loved someone else scenario. It was frustrating and she was already so anxious about her current situation with Troy that she could barely focus.

While, she had originally thought that he hadn't seemed into it, looking back disinterest wasn't the impression that she got. He was thinking about it. He wanted to date her. It was a small step. Smaller than she would have liked. She had shaved after all, hoping for the full Monty with the possibility of an unfastening-buttons-while-kissing-up-the-stairs event.

She heard his steps coming up the stairs and he stopped as expected at her doorway, Blue walking in beside him. "You're still up."

"Couldn't sleep," Gabriella shrugged as she reached to close her laptop.

"Still working on the ad?"

Gabriella looked at the laptop and let out a small sigh. "Yeah," she lied, standing up to stretch.

"I'm going to shower and then hit the hay."

Gabriella smirked, "That an invitation?"

"No," he said reaching for her door knob, "Get some sleep."

Gabriella let out a small sigh of disappointment as she watched her bedroom door close. After a moment she heard the shower turn on and watched as Blue decided it was his duty to fall into a heap at the door, blocking off her exit even further.

"Who's side are you on?" she mumbled to him as she placed her hands on her hips. The day was over now. She'd attempted all she'd known to get her hands on Troy, and there was nothing more to do about it for the night.

Cheeks flaming hot, stomach somersaulting and her thighs twitching she sat down on the edge of her bed and lifted her shirt over head and tossed it behind her. It caught on the cracked open top drawer to her nightstand. She stretched to flick it off, but something else stopped her.

A small grin stole her lips. Perhaps it was time to turn the tables a little. Let him hear her for once. She'd never been too vocal, but just maybe she should change that. She pulled Old Reliable out of the drawer and clicked it on. The plastic hummed in her hand. It tickled her palm and brought a giggle to her lips.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled off, all the while thinking how much better this would be with Gabriella's tongue lapping him up or her soft hands covering him with soft strokes. Need hung tight to his harden cock and pulled at his balls. He was going to have to get a grip. That cold shower had done nothing. Crossing the hall with the towel hung around his waist he stopped to look at Gabriella's door.

Shaking his head he kept moving making his way to his room and shutting and locking the door behind him. Coming to his bed he laid down and stared up at the rotating fan. The blades whipped around. Air coated his dampened body, a chill soaked to his bones, but he was still burning up.

His hand strayed to his waist. The image of her damp lips around him entered his mind as clear as if she knelt before him in real life and taken him whole. He closed his eyes and let his hands wonder until his grip was firmed and tight. He stroked up his length and thought of Gabriella there. The heat in his grasp was her warm mouth pulling him deep. His hold was her sucking him tight.

His breath quickened, his pace jerked him hard. Release bunched low, built tight, and ready to explode as he stroked. Instead of the breeze from the fan, it was Gabriella's brown hair falling over his thighs, sweeping his belly, and slipping between his legs and touching his balls. His ass tightened, the vision getting so focused in his head, he could swear he heard her moan.

A husky, breathless chuckle whispered through the room and he stilled. That he did not dream. Another moan eased out. Or was he dreaming? It sounded so real. He sat up and stroked his other hand through his hair. She was making him crazy. Except- there it was again. A very pleasure-filled sigh.

He looked to their shared wall, wanting to believe it was her. He eased across the bed and placed his ear against the wall. A husky groan much like the others, only deeper, sounded out, and a wave of chills blanketed over his skin. His fingers curled against the sheetrock, wishing he could just reach through and have his hands on her.

A throaty purr seeped through, "Troy."

One harshly spoken word and he was flipped upside down and his pulse set to jackhammer. He wondered at how quick her breath had become. How pink her bronze skin glowed and glistened as she climbed closer to her climax. His hand was back around his cock. He stroked as the breaths he couldn't hear, but imagined, whispered between her lips and panted a rhythm. His name eased out of her again, this time louder, on a strangled cry.

He tightened his grip. Pressure built around his sack, drawing him in. Gabriella gasped. A muffled moan slid from her. Release rushed through him, so intense, so pleasure-filled, it numbed him he gripped his iron head board, catching his warm seed before it dripped on his bed. He rested his cheek against the wall and just breathed and listened.

Nothing could be heard from Gabriella and after several minutes, he eased down reached for an old sock to clean himself. After tossing it into the hamper he laid across his bed. He didn't cover up. His body was too hot. The sheets would have been too confining.

The next day Gabriella sat in the office as the industrial fan blew in the distance. Her hair was piled high on top of her head, she'd left the few buttons on her Troy's Auto shirt undone. This heat wave was ridiculous, sweat dripped down her neck and slid down her cleavage. She was almost positive her deodorant stopped working two hours ago.

Looking down at her feet Blue rested peacefully as a mini fan blew on him. He'd been in the same spot all day. Not interested in greeting the one or two customers that had come in or chewing on his rubber ducky. Gabriella slipped her flip flop off her foot and gently used her foot to rub Blue's belly. His tail began to wag and soon he was on his feet, his head resting on her lap.

"I know it's hot Babe," she said scratching behind his ear, "Soon we'll be at home in the air conditioning, how about we watch The Notebook?"

Blue groaned.

"Tired of that too?" Gabriella let out a sigh as she bent down and placed a kiss on his snout. "We need a story Blue, something the readers are going to love because I don't think Georgia and Jeff are going to be enough."

She sat up and looked at the computer screen. She was working on the excel sheet for the parts that needed to be order before Friday. Troy's notes as usual were a step above chicken scratch, but easily mistaken for someone in the third grade. His penmanship had always been hard to read but he refused to use computers. Gabriella let out a sigh as she minimized the screen and looked at what she had written so far.

_Georgia was watching Jeff chew his steak, his mouth occasionally smacking open, when she noticed the tall, dark cowboy across the room. He looked like a vigilante, a bad boy with a heart of gold and she caught herself looking to see if he hadn't had a white hat hidden somewhere, maybe a belt with a gun hoister. _

_Next to the cowboy, Jeff looked weak. Especially in the chin._

_Georgia looked back at Jeff forcing herself to feel something, anything, this was the man she was supposed to be in love with. Yet her eyes wondered back to the cowboy sitting at the dinner. She wondered what a man who looked like him would feel like against her body. How his callous hands would feel on her bare skin. What damage a man like that could do to her neat, careful little world. _

_She looked back at Jeff, completely unaware of her wondering mind. Lost in his description of his day at work, unknowing of her growing urge she had to smack him across that weak chin. Before she gave in to the urge, she excused herself and went to the restroom. _

_The cowboy was there, waiting for her._

_Her heart skipped a beat, and she caught herself sauntering over to him. _

"_Hey, girl," he drawled, reaching out to her as she approached. He speared his hand into her dark curls and brought her to him- brought her mouth directly to his._

_And Georgia knew she'd died and gone to heaven…_

Whimpering, Gabriella dropped her head onto the desk. She couldn't have Georgia make out with a mysterious cowboy with Jeff in the other room, even if Jeff was a jerk. Looking up at the florescent lighting up above as she rested her chin in her hand. Her problem was that she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss Troy had forced on her. She'd never admit it to anyone, especially not Troy, but that kiss had rocked her world.

The door opened and Troy came in covered in sweat, grease and smelling 100% like man mixed with motor oil. She let her hand fall as she watched him bring a sheet of paper to her from his clipboard, "The tractor for the Miller's is going to need a tie-rod hydraulic cylinder 3" packing seal kit 1.25" rod, make sure you bill him on the shipping he wants it sent over night so he can get back to work as soon as possible."

"Will do," she said taking the slip from him as she put it on top of the others, she'd have to get done today.

"You take lunch yet?" he asked placing the clipboard on the hook.

Gabriella closed her laptop, "Did you have something in mind?" She had a few things in mind, things that involved him losing that filthy blue Troy's Auto shirt and his work jeans, things that could happen right on this very desk.

"Could you maybe pick me up a sandwich from that deli you go to?" he said rubbing his stomach a little. "I got an engine to tune up and I don't think I'll make it out of the garage to get something."

"Oh," Gabriella said a little disappointed.

Troy raised a brow, "What?"

"Nothing," Gabriella slipped on her flip flop, she was in need of some fresh air anyway. "Come on Blue,"

"Did I say something?"

Gabriella reached for her keys and her wallet, "Troy, when are you gonna make a move?"

Troy jerked back a little confused, "Make what move?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assumed you were there when we kissed last time."

His gaze fell to her lips. "I was there."

She heard the desire in his voice and threw her hands up. "Then why are you determined not to get involved with me? We nearly went up in flames, and all we did was touch lips. Just think if we did more?"

"No," Troy said making his way to the door, "I will not think about that."

"Why the heck not?" she growled in frustration. "You said you were interested."

He'd been trying to forget that kiss, trying to keep that door locked tight and keep her out of his thoughts. No such luck, because he still saw her brown eyes, still felt her long legs wrapped around his waist, and still felt the way her mouth ate at his.

Like she was starving.

Troy turned at the door to face her, "I am interested."

"Then be interested," Gabriella said tossing her hands up.

Troy eyes narrowed as he watched her standing in front of him hyped up on her own little temper tantrum about his lack of interest. It'd taken him just about three hours this morning to be able to look her in eye after last night's little mutual voyage of pleasure fantasies. He could still hear her moaning, still hear his name spilling from her lips. Troy's eyes dropped down to her lips once more, the need to taste them was powerful.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he murmured.

"Dinner."

"Wear a dress," he added before pushing the door open and holding it for her.

Gabriella narrowed her glaze as she walked past him, "Where are we going?"

"Out."

"That's all I get?" Gabriella said with a raised brow, "How do I know what to do with my hair."

"Leave it down."

Gabriella couldn't fight the tiny smirk pulling at her lips, "want to pick out my underwear too?"

Troy let out a low growl of groan as he held onto the door tightly, "Brie."

Gabriella felt a jolt of excitement spark inside her, he very rarely called her by her nickname, when he did it had always been three seconds shy of him losing his temper. But this time he didn't look mad, he looked downright hungry and muttering of her name made her girly parts almost weep for joy.

Blue jumped into the truck before her taking the shot gun seat as she went up next. She could still see him watching her as she turned on the truck. She bit her lip nervously as shifted the truck into reverse, "Blue I think we might have a story here after all," she said looking over at him before turning around to reverse her car out. Blue barked in excitement as he stuck his head out the window.


	5. Chapter 5

The last time Gabriella had brought a dress she'd been buying it for Jason's mom and dad 45th anniversary party. Looking at the heart patterned flow skirt skater black dress now she was wondering what the hell she'd been thinking.

Gabriella Twirled as she held the dress against her body, "This isn't going to work," she said looking back at Blue. Gabriella placed the dress back in her closet and reached for another one. This one was a green summer dress she brought on clearance at Walmart. "Great, I own nothing sexy."

Blue let out deep sigh as he used his right paw to cover his eyes.

"Don't give me that tone," Gabriella scowled as she reached into her closet again, "you might not care but I'm trying to get laid."

Blue let out a groan.

Gabriella let out another sigh, "I guess this will just have to do," she said pulling out a white little dress covered in lace. "It's causal enough, with a touch of sexy." Gabriella held it up to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Better be careful about bending over in this one, no telling what might fall out."

Once she was dressed and had brushed her hair out and down around her shoulders she sat at her laptop working on the scene from the restaurant. She had a half an hour to kill before Troy got home and she had a lot of work to do if she wanted to introduce this new character.

Tucker. Her cowboy. Georgia's cowboy.

Like a lightning bolt the problem hit her mid afternoon and suddenly she knew what she had to do. Georgia was settling when there was something better just there under her nose in the form of a stranger, someone new in town, someone who was different from Jeff, someone who was going to knock her right out of her cowgirl boots.

There was a knock on her door and she jerked as she turned in her chair, "Yes?"

The door pushed opened slightly and Troy poked his head in when his eyes landed on her he pushed the door open the rest of the way. "You just about ready?"

Gabriella turned to the clock and let out a gasp, she'd been typing for over an hour. "Oh my god, is that really the time."

"Sure is," Troy said with a small smirk.

Gabriella jumped out of her chair, "I am so sorry," she said moving quickly to where she laid out her brown cowboy boots. "Honestly, sometimes I think I'd lose my head if it weren't attached."

"Well, lucky for me it is," he murmured as he watched her rush to her vanity and apply a thin layer of lip gloss.

"I'm ready," she exclaimed coming towards the door, "I'm ready."

"I wasn't rushing," Troy chuckled as he looked back at Blue who was already following her out the door. "Sorry buddy, not tonight."

Blue stopped dead in his tracks looking up at Troy with confusion as he sat back on his hind legs.

"Don't worry I'll have her back before 10," he said patting him on the head before heading down the hall after Gabriella.

Blue followed them down the stairs and stopped on the last step in time to catch Gabriella's attention, "Oh, don't worry baby. Mommy will be right back. I promise," she bent down and kissed his snout. After a long and hearty scratch behind his ears she got back up and looked back at Troy who was patiently waiting by the door with it held open. "Still not gonna rush me?"

"Nope."

Gabriella walked past him catching the strong scent of his aftershave. He smelled clean, warm, and like old spice. "You clean up nice,"

"So do you," he said casting one last glance at Blue before shutting the door. He felt awful about leaving Blue behind but if his plans were going to work he was going to need Gabriella undivided attention. He'd bring Blue back a treat from the restaurant to make up for it.

Troy locked the door and quickly made his way around Gabriella till he was in front of her car door and pulling it open for her.

"I can get my own door," she said with a soft laugh.

"Nope."

Gabriella climbed up into his grey truck, it was much higher than hers, much more roomier and clean inside. Once she was settled inside he softly shut the door behind her. She quietly watched with a small smile as he came around the truck and opened his door to climb in.

"Am I allowed to know where we're going now?"

Troy let out a chuckle, shook his head and slipped the key into the ignition to bring the engine to life, "Just sit back and relax."

Gabriella let out a huff as she sat back in her seat watching the scenery past by as they made their way onto the highway. She leaned forwards and turned on the radio to the old country station he played in the garage. She never liked country music before, not until she moved into Payne Spring, Texas and worked in Troy's Auto Garage. It wasn't until she began working there did she begin actually liking some of the more contemporary artist.

They'd been driving for a while, clearly out of town, no longer surrounded by anything familiar. "Seems like a far way to go just for dinner?"

"Who says I'm just taking you to dinner?" he said flipping on his turning signal and getting off the highway.

"Where are we?" she said looking out the window trying to find anything familiar.

"Just a little bit out of town, some place a little more private and low key," he said pulling into a parking lot.

Gabriella looked at the all the lights shining off the building of the establishment called Pete's and through the open windows of the truck she could smell the food and hear the music coming from inside. "Troy Bolton, this is just sinister," she said turning back to him.

Troy turned off the car but before he was out and making his way to her door she was already jumping out and closing her own door behind her. He stopped in his tracks and watched as she raced to the doors her cowboy boots clicking along the pavement as she her hair seemed to flutter over her shoulders.

There were many things he'd come to love about this woman. Her excitement over the simplest things, her stubborn nature, and her natural beauty were just a few of those things. Jason was idiot. Over the years Troy had gotten to know her from a distance, as a friend, as someone who walked away when things got a little too intimate for his liking out of respect for her marriage and happiness. He was looking forward to taking a step closer to her, getting to know her as woman, in letting her see him as a man and not a friend or the rebound guy.

"Well?" Gabriella said poking her head back out from the door, "You comin or not?"

Troy tucked his car keys in his pocket and made his way to the door opening it a little wider for himself and making his way inside after her. The music was louder inside, he could barely hear himself over the murmur of the crowd. Placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her to the hostess who smiled at them.

"Two please," he said leaning in to be heard.

"Right, follow me please," the woman said as perky as ever as she lead them to a booth in the back past the dance floor.

Gabriella eyes opened wide as she took in the couples dancing on the dimly lit dance floor. This place felt so rustic and Texas. Brad Paisley sang over the speakers about little moments and Gabriella could smell the steak and almost taste the mash potatoes. However, the moment she felt Troy place his hand on the small of her back everything became muted. His hand was hot, heavy and stern as it gently pushed her along the side of the dance floor until they were at their booth.

"How did you find this place?"

"Someone ordered a tow three weeks ago," Troy said settling into the booth and watching the waitress set down their silverware. Once she was gone and they were alone again he turned his attention back to Gabriella and smiled warmly as she examined the menu.

"This place is expensive." She glanced up at him with concern.

"Its fine," he said with a raised brow, "get whatever you want."

"What are you getting?" she asked peeking over at his menu.

Troy glanced up at her again with a playful grin, "Gabriella, I mean it. Order whatever you want."

Gabriella pouted for a second as she looked down at her menu, "What if what you order is better than mine?" she said looking back up. "You know I don't do well with choices."

"Then I'll share," he offered.

Gabriella narrowed her glaze at him and then looked back down at the menu. "You know I'm pretty much a sure thing. You don't need to ply me with fine meals and dancing to get lucky," she said with a smirk. "In fact, if you're curious-"

"How was your day?" he said over her suggestive whisper and cutting her off.

Gabriella let out a small laugh and leaned back in her booth as she looked out onto the dance floor, "It was alright," she said turning back to him. This was almost a little awkward, being alone with him. It was ridiculous to feel that way seeing as how they lived together. Being alone with Troy was almost second nature to her.

"How's the advertisement going?" he asked reaching for his glass of water.

"Advertisement?" Gabriella said a little confused for a moment before sitting up a little straighter. "Well I have to contract the newspaper and I was thinking about placing ads in some of the nearby towns. I mean of course I'll get your approval before placing any ads though."

"I trust you," Troy nodded, he didn't know a thing about advertising. Ever since his granddad opened the garage there had just been a sign outside and an open sign on the window. They never needed anything more than that. His Granddad had always said if you treated people fairly with respect and kindness you'd never go out of business and here he was 86 years after his granddad opened up the garage still making an honest living.

"Isn't this weird?" Gabriella said with a shrug as she reached for her glass of water.

"It's your first date in 4 years, if it wasn't a little awkward that be awkward," Troy explained as he leaned back in his chair.

Gabriella almost cringed at the word, it was like she was cattle waiting in line for branding and he was a farmer with his sharp red hot T shaped iron. The room felt hotter, smaller even. Gabriella looked back down at the menu and reread the third item down for the fifth time. "Date," she muttered in a hidden disgust for the word, "Maybe we could call it something else?" she said tossing some of her hair back over her shoulder.

"Like?" Troy said placing his hands on the table.

"Dinner."

Troy chuckled to himself as he looked down at the menu, "Dinner it is."

Gabriella's eyes wondered out to the dance floor her mind running ramped with the details and ideas for Tucker and Georgia. Idea of them dancing out on that dance floor, holding each other close, chest to chest. Gabriella thought for a moment about the height difference between her and Troy. Wondered if Tucker should be as tall, if Tucker's eyes should be the same shade of blue.

"You folks ready to order?"

"Well," Troy said looking over at Gabriella, "Are you ready?"

What a loaded statement. Gabriella let out a deep breath as she looked down at the menu, "I'll have a 6oz strip medium rare and a side order of mash potatoes with steamed veggies."

"I'll have the same but make mine an 8oz well done. And let's get an order of wings to start and two beer bottles of Miller Light." Troy handed over his menu and glanced over at Gabriella with a smirk.

"You know me so well," she said handing her menu over.

Later in the evening Troy sat back watching as Gabriella worked her way through the last of her steak making sure she dipped it in her mash potatoes before pulling it up to her lips. They'd been munching on chicken wings before their meal came, she nearly eaten them all as she went on and on about Sharpay and Zeke. About how Sharpay didn't really need to work because of all her daddy's money but just because she had a crush on a guy she needed to have a job. She seemed relaxed. If not outright laughing, she at least smiled more than once.

"I can't believe I'm eating like this."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I don't think they even serve salads here, unless they're topped with deep-fried chicken and a mountain of cheese."

One fine, delicate brow arched and she stared at him with quiet reproach, through a hint of a smile lurked on her beautiful mouth. "What are you suggesting, Troy? That I should only be eating salads?"

He backpedaled, holding up a quick, defensive hand. Damn, how could guys avoid these basic traps women always set out for them? "No way." Grinning, he added, "Just seems like the only things I've ever seen a woman order. God forbid, one of them should ever take a bite out of a hamburger."

"It's a female thing." She sighed heavily, as if accepting something that was inevitable. "Not just the instinct to watch what we eat, so we can look like what all the media images tell us we should look like. There's also a need to eat lightly in front of men, as if we need to assure them we're on top of things and will never gain weight."

"When secretly you're all dying for wings and steak dinners?"

She licked her lips, and then smacked them together before reaching for the last wing. "Yes. You ever watch a bride on their wedding night?"

"Why?" he asked sticking his fork in a small carrot and bringing it up to his lips.

"I speak from experience," she said waving the wing as if she was about to reveal a deep dark secret. "Watch the brides at the wedding receptions. She'd going to bite into that first piece of cake she's had since she decided he was _the one_, and will look like she's already had her first orgasm of the night."

He smiled as he thought about her statement. Then the orgasm part of it all kicked in and he coughed into his fist.

She didn't even seem to notice. "Which is why most new wives gain a few pounds in the first year of marriage, and that's not including the weight of the rock on their hand."

"So should I be flattered that you're on fifth wing?" Troy asked pointing at the wing she was working on, "You don't need to worry about impressing me?" He wondered what she'd say if she knew he was more impressed by her adorable honesty and the way she licked the tips of her fingers after each nibble.

"Exactly. Because this is not a legitimate date."

"Says you."

"Says me."

"What if it was?"

She snorted an inelegant laugh that sounded completely unlike her, but incredibly cute. "Then I would have asked for a bread stick and a glass of water."

He _knew_ this one. "With lemon!"

"Of course. Natural diuretic." She wagged her eyebrows. "You're good."

"Experience," he said timidly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's right, how I could forget the parade of women you take out on the town," she let out a laugh as she dropped a bone onto her plate. "I remember when you brought home that Redhead who spent the night in the bathroom puking out her insides, Blue had tried to comfort her and she screamed bloody murder."

Troy took a deep breath, so they weren't all home runs. To be honest he didn't date because he was trying to be some play boy that everyone clearly thought he was. He dated because he'd been spending her entire marriage trying to replace her. Trying to find someone who came close to even half the woman she was. Trying to feel even a small sense of pleasure he got from just looking at her. No one ever came close. No one was ever Gabriella.

"What if I wanted it to be?" he asked.

"Wanted it to be what?"

Knowing he was pushing it, but realizing he had an opening provided by the beer or two which had helped loosen her up, he plunged forward. "A real date."

She shook her head, lifting a carrot from her plate and dipping it into a tiny dish of blue cheese dressing. "Not an option."

Wow, talk about shooting a guy down without a moment's hesitation. But Troy didn't worry… the night was young. He had a few hours to change her mind. Besides he knew the game, he knew what was at risk. She'd soon find out that he didn't give up on something he wanted quite that easily. And he most definitely wanted her. More with every minute that passed.

He risked a quick, appreciative look across the table at her curvy figure, so incredibly sexy in her white summer dress and cowboy boots. "By the way, in my opinion you don't have a thing to worry about."

"Ha." Gabriella huffed, "I have huge breast, short legs, what my father liked to call my mother's 'childbearing hips' and a big backside."

As if any man would complain about single one of those things? Was she for real? "Honey from where I'm sitting, you are just about perfect."

"From where you're sitting, you can't see the extra fifteen pounds that couldn't be removed from my body by a plastic surgeon using an industrial Shop-Vac."

He barked a quick laugh. "You're not going to get an agreement form any man alive on that score. You are shaped exactly the way a woman should be shaped. And if you let some quack touch you I'll have to hunt him down and put a hurt on him."

Gabriella shook her head as she leaned back in the booth.

"You're a beautiful woman," he said firmly, not allowing her to argue it.

That appeared to shock her.

"Thank you, for coming tonight. I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me yet;" Gabriella said looking at the dance floor, "I haven't danced in so long, I'm not sure I remember how it's done."

"Oh I don't believe that for hot cake minute, I've seen you dance around the house with a broom."

"Well, when your partner doesn't have feet you tend to worry less about stepping on them," she teased.

"Come on," he said getting up from his seat.

"We certainly don't have to dance." She looked down at her cleavage, then back up at him. With his chiseled jaw and swarthy skin and dark sandy brown hair, what struck her most about Troy was that he was all man. A ridiculously good-looking man. "In fact, I'm afraid to raise my arms in this dress. I just thought we were going to dinner had I known we'd be dancing I would have worn something different."

"Why?" he said looking down at the straps that held it up.

"I don't want to fall out of my dress,"

He smiled and came down to her reaching her for hand and no longer giving her an option. "I promise to catch anything that falls out."

She laughed as she allowed him to pull her up, "You'd be my hero. Just like that?"

"It'd be tough, but I'd manage somehow."

They moved out onto the dance floor and walked into the middle of the crowded space. Beneath the low lights he took one of her hands in his hand placed his big palm in the curve of her waist. The band played a slowed song by Blake Sheldon about winning her over, and she slowly slid her hand up his chest, over the hard planes and ridges, to his shoulders. Everything in her dress stayed inside, and he pulled her close, close enough that she felt the heat of his big chest, but not so close that they touched.

"Troy?" she mumbled as she settled into the soft sway of their hips, "Why are you doing all this?"

He returned his gaze to her face and watched her mouth as she spoke, which, she had to admit, she found kind of sexy. "Just want you to be comfortable," he said quietly as his thumb brushed her waist through the lace fabric of the dress.

"You know I'm not doing this because he left," Gabriella said quietly.

He folded her hand against his chest and slid his free palm to the small of her back. While the band dug into another slow song by Trace Adkins about every light in the house turned on, the unexpected pleasure of Troy's touch spread tingling warmth up and down Gabriella's spine. He brought her a little closer and asked, "Who are you trying to convince? You or me?" his warm breath touched the shell of her right ear, and the crease of his khakis brushed her bare thigh.

Maybe it was beer or maybe the exhaustion of the day, but she settled into his chest. "Everyone these days." She'd had only a few beers, so it probably wasn't the beer. "Everyone thinks I'm this fragile little creature." And she wasn't all that tired. Certainly not tired enough to have to rest against his hard, muscular chest. She should take a step back. Yeah probably, but it felt good to be held in a pair of big arms against a big chest. His hand slid up her zipper, then back down spreading all the tingling heat across her skin.

He turned his face into her hair, "you smell good, Brie."

So did he, and she breathed him in like a tingly drug. "You only call me that when you're upset about something." She liked the way he smelled and felt against her and the way he made her heart pound in her chest, making her feel young and alive. With just a touch on her back, he did things to her body that she hadn't felt in a long time. Things she shouldn't be feeling now.

"Well," he said quietly, "Maybe I say it when I'm really happy too."

Gabriella slid her hand to the back of his neck and brushed his collar with her fingers. "You're happy?"

"Good food, good music, beautiful woman in my arms," he said causally, "Aren't you happy?"

Gabriella looked up at his blue eyes warmly looking down at her as her fingers tips brushed the nape of his neck against his hot skin. "I'd be happier if you kissed me."

Troy eyes fell to her lips, and his own lips pulled into a smile, "Is that right?"

"Well," Gabriella murmured as she watched him, "You gonna kiss me or not?"

Troy chuckled and brought his lips down to hers for a soft kiss. Chaste. Nothing too tempting that make him lose his mind. When he pulled back and saw the disappointment on her face he almost laughed, but he managed to keep his cool, "You ready to go?"

"Depends? Is the rest of that kiss waiting for us outside?"

"Damn it woman," he said tugging her closer to him with a teasing smile, "you're going to be death of me."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: Hey Readers! I love you guys so much because you make all of this so easy for me to keep going. I want to let you guys know that I'm working on what looks like the last draft of my book. That said I have made a fan page for Punkpoet69 on Facebook and I would love it if you guys visited me there. Check out my profile page for the new link and please, please, please show a girl some love. **_

_**As always, love you guys!**_

(Story begins)

Sharpay stood in the kitchen lingering a little longer than normal as she watch Kelsi hang up her apron. "I'm not even sure what all the fuss was about," she said, referring to Taylor refusal to sell sex toys in the store. "I mean she has nickers and lace all over those walls, I'm just saying a girl would like a place to get a toy that ain't miles out, is all."

"There's always Amazon," Sharpay smirked. She should have been on her way home nearly an hour ago, but she offered to stay late and help clean up.

"I swear, every now and then I wonder what the hell happened to you," Kelsi murmured.

"Happened to me?" Sharpay's brow shot up, "I beg your pardon?"

"I remember back in the day when we use turn this town into a dust every weekend," Kelsi said with glaze over her eyes, as if she were being transported to the past as she spoke. "We had an awful lot of fun back then."

"Yeah," Sharpay said with a frown, "well, I rather have the memories." It was true what people said about her, she didn't need to work. She'd grown up a trust fund baby alongside her twin brother Ryan. It was also true about the trouble they say followed behind her. That was the thing about people in a small town, they always gossiped about something or another. If it wasn't about Troy's misbehaving or Jason and Gabriella's marital explosion it was about her family and their money.

Her daddy was a good man, a good father and a respectable member of the town council. Her momma died when she was little. She'd been seven years old and it had been right before the summer. Her mother suffered post postpartum depression after giving birth, folks say she wasn't herself. That she became a different person altogether, that she drove their daddy away, drove him into the arms of that other woman. Her mother had taken her own life.

It had been a Texas scandal like no other. Till this day people still talked about the Evans. They talked about Sharpay's tight clothes, her long string of bad boyfriends and that brief moment in college she'd experimented with her roommate Alexis.

Four years ago had been the worst of it. Her ex-boyfriend Doug had been bad news from the motorcycle he drove to the trailer he owned just outside Payne Springs. He was mean. It'd taken her daddy's shotgun to finally put some space between them. She always judge women who were in relationships with men who hurt them. Always thought it was ridiculous to even entertain the idea that a woman would just let a man continue to lay a hand on her. That a woman would love a man like that so much that she overlook that kind of pain. That she'd make excuses for someone like that.

Until, she found herself shopping for sunglasses big enough to hide the bruises on her own face.

"Suit yourself," Kelsi said with a shrug, "I rather raise hell and give the people something to talk about on Sunday morning." Kelsi grabbed her purse from the hook. "This getting married and settled down crap is for the birds, you see what happened to Gabriella. Be damned if I let a man do me like that."

"You know Jason couldn't find his butt with a flashlight in each hand."

"Bless his heart," Kelsi said with a laugh.

Sharpay glanced over at Zeke who was shaking his head has he dropped a pile of dough onto the countertop. His smile was soft and his eyes were warm and inviting. Everything about him made her feel different, different in a way that meant something.

Before she ran into Doug she'd been a different kind a girl. The kind of girl who wouldn't make excuses to stay late after work just so she could make small talk with a man. The kind of girl who might just walk up to a man like Zeke Baylor and suggest they get naked somewhere in a back room.

However, these days she was more on the cautious side. For a while she thought she might be on the "all washed up" list. Then she saw Zeke at the supermarket handing out flyers for his new business. Something about him made her insides as calm as a June bug. When he smiled at her, she felt the zingers all over and she just knew he was the one. Her heart beat faster, her fingers twitched and something deep and low went all fizzy with excitement. It was so strange, because he wasn't her type.

This man was nothing like the men she'd known before. He wasn't classically beautiful, but he was manly, and it turned her on. He oozed sex, and she wanted him to ooze sex all over her. Her female part tingled in accordance. Why he turned her on so much she'd never know. But she knew he was the man who would give her what she wanted most in this world. A family of her own.

That was when she knew. She was going to be a different kind of girl. Sharpay Evans was going to be a good honest working Texan. She was going to play by the rules and hopefully he'd get a few of those zingers himself. Of course the only people who knew the real reason she'd taken the job where Gabriella and Taylor who'd sworn over a bottle of tequila that it was alright in the name of love. To everyone else she was just trying her hand at something different, doing a little soul searching with a side of southern hospitality.

"I'm gonna go over to Chad's," Kelsi groaned as she stretched out her back. "Maybe let someone buy me a drink."

"Have fun," Sharpay said making a show of undoing her apron, she watched as Kelsi made her way out of the kitchen.

"See you tomorrow."

"Night," Sharpay hollered after her before turning back to where Zeke was working the dough for the croissants tomorrow morning. "What about you?" she asked in a lower voice as she leaned on the table a little. "It's been a long day."

Zeke's eyes moved up towards her with that familiar friendly smile that made her insides all mushy, "Not really tired," he said shrugging his shoulder. "It's getting late though. You should be heading out before it gets too dark."

"I'm a big girl," Sharpay said retying her apron around her waist and coming around to where he was. "Want some help? "

Zeke looked down at the dough he was working on, before looking back up at her, "If you think you can manage I don't see why not?"

Sharpay reached for the dough from his hands gently taking it from him and using her own hands to work the dough. "Anyone ever tell ya that ya work too much?" she said glancing over at him.

"Could say the same thing about you," Zeke said with a chuckle before turning around to pick up a tray of new dough he had to roll. "You really have a thing for this place."

"I knew working here was the right decision for me." Sharpay smirked as she worked the dough, she did like working at the café. It was the first time in her life that she felt like she'd made a good decision coming to work here. She needed to get out and meet people. She needed to busy herself. Granted, her daddy had laughed himself silly when she announced she'd be working at the café and her brother Ryan had rolled his eyes and called it another desperate attempt for attention.

They could both go to hell for all she cared.

"I'm happy to have you," he said beginning to roll the dough into little mini croissants.

Sharpay felt the blush creeping into her cheeks, she loved it here. The people were nice, she loved Zeke, and Zeke had given Kelsi a job when Kelsi couldn't find one anywhere else. She just felt like she belonged at the café.

"So, why don't you go to Chad's?" Zeke asked as he rolled a croissant.

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders as she pushed in on the dough, "Just a bunch of whistling up the wind. And hollering down a well." she said quietly. "Ain't nothing new happening over there."

"Aren't you worried about missing out on all the fun?" Zeke said making a motion towards the area her and Kelsi had been talking previously.

"I've had enough fun to last me a life time. I've been so low I couldn't jump off a dime," she said pushing some of her hair back.

"How do you come up with those sayings of yours?" Zeke asked with a chuckle, "I got to admit you're one of the most creative people I've ever talked too."

Sharpay let out a huff, "I'm not creative, I'm just Texan, and blond." Gabriella was creative. Why she hid behind that fake name always made her wonder. To write so beautifully was a talent, a gift given by god. It seemed so wasteful to be ashamed of something like that.

"And you're very beautiful," Zeke added as he glanced at her.

Sharpay smiled a little as she felt her heart race, she pushed at the dough as she worked it into the table. She could feel the blush on her cheeks.

"Why don't you have a boyfriend?" Zeke asked quietly.

Sharpay let out a low laugh as she looked up at him, "Don't pretend like you haven't heard what people say about me."

"I don't have to listen to rumors about anyone when I can judge them for myself," Zeke said standing up a little straighter as he looked at her.

"You're kind." Sharpay said pushing the dough again, before taking a break and looking up to meet his eyes. "I've always been the kind of girl who ate supper before they said grace. I'm just trying clean up my act. Be a better woman. Someone a man could respect. Not lay his hands on or rough up just cause he needs to feel better about himself." Sharpay's voice lowered as she looked back down at the dough on the table. "I was really stupid once."

"Sounds like someone else was," Zeke said turning a little to face her, "from where I'm standing your just really brave."

Sharpay smiled, "Been called a lot of things, never been called brave before?" she pushed on the dough again and Zeke hand gently reached out to touch her arm.

The touch spread through her and she felt the zingers maker her stomach flip and her cheeks blush. Standing this close to him she could feel his warmth, smell the scent of bread and sugar doughnuts that seemed to cling to him. She'd never craved a man arms around her as badly as right now.

"Some men can be real jerks;" he said quietly, "whoever it was, he didn't deserve you."

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders as she flipped her hair back over her shoulders. "Half the battle is just forgiving myself, for letting it happen for as long as it did," she said looking down for a moment. "He just kept saying sorry and I just kept coming back."

"We all make mistakes," Zeke said, "sometimes moving on just means letting it go."

Sharpay sighed, "these days I'd be lucky if I can just sleep through the night."

"You're having trouble sleeping?" Zeke asked with concern.

"I'm a toss and turner," Sharpay admitted as she placed a hand on her hip.

Zeke nodded, "I've been a little restless myself these days."

"Do you wear pajamas?"

"Excuse me?" Zeke said a little caught off guard.

"Do you wear pajamas to bed?" she repeated.

Zeke was quiet for a moment, "Why? Do you think that's why I can't sleep?"

They were quiet for a moment."We could take them off and find out?"

He paused. For a moment she thought he was going to tell her she stepped over some line, but she was so happy when he said, "I've never been sexually harassed by someone working for me."

"I'm glad I'm the first," she smiled as reached for a rolling pin from a nearby basket.

"You know what helps when you can't sleep?" Zeke asked placing the croissants on the new tray.

"What's that?" she said flipping some of her blond hair over her shoulder.

"A walk," he said with a smile, "maybe the next time you're feeling restless you should go out for a stroll."

Sharpay rolled out the dough, "What if it's too dark?"

Zeke was quiet for a moment as he examined his work so far, "Well, maybe if you call, I'll meet you and we can walk together."

Sharpay's smile pulled at her lips as she tried to control her breathing. Reminding herself to remain calm and collective. "That might be nice," she offered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note.**

_Hey readers, _

_I'm published. My first book is out as a Kindle Edition called The Art of Unpacking, I am currently waiting on a proof of the paper back to come in so I can finalize formatting. Once that's all done my book will be available as a paperback copy and as a Kindle Edition. Links are on my profile page. I hope you guys continue to support me in my writing journey. Still getting ideas for new stories and I have another idea for another book. _

**Back to the story. **

Troy hummed along to Lee Brice, his pen jotting down information on some of the parts he was going to need Gabriella to order later that day for the shop. Lifting his wrist he wiped his brow and let out a sigh, if this heat wave didn't cool off soon he might actually have to break down and buy a new ac for the garage.

Normally he'd take his brakes in the office, where the ac actually worked but the last time he'd been in there Gabriella had been filing invoices. Which, normally didn't bother him, normally working in the same room as Gabriella was peaceful. Almost therapeutic even, smelling the soft smell of her perfume, watching her type on her laptop.

He didn't know if she knew it or not, but whenever she was working on something with so much focus she got this small crease right above her brow and her lips kind of parted slightly. It was the most adorable sight on earth and he could watch her work for hours. The curls hanging down over from that pony tail she always tied back. If he had to pick the one thing that made Gabriella beautiful it was her natural unknowing modesty.

It drove him crazy.

But today he'd stay in the garage. Today his modest Gabriella was wearing overalls. Short ones. With a green patch over the left ass cheek. That woman was trying to kill him by raging hard on. He could see the headlines now. Man dies from lack of blood flow to brain. Seriously that little button up Troy's auto shirt with the ripped sleeves was driving him nuts. And the woman even had the nerve to put her hair into two braided pig tails. It was like the woman turned into a sex tease overnight.

If he granted her sex wish and he'd forever be known as that guy. Turn her down and he'd piss her off, still driving a wedge between them. Everything about her rang out danger ahead. He stood by the work bench and dropped his clipboard down and picked up a cross iron. He needed to get a grip.

This was Gabriella. Kissing her had been a mistake. Thinking he could have her, an even bigger one. He wanted more than a temporary booty call. She was worth more, and he didn't care how much he wanted her, or had always wanted her. He wanted more than sex. Jason had treated her bad enough. Troy would not be added to that list of assholes.

Grabbing a tire form a pile he made his way across the garage to Sharpay's pink convertible that was currently lifted off the ground and in the shop for a tire change and rotation. He had just taken off the bad tire when the side door opened and Troy glanced behind him to see Gabriella walking in.

"Hey,"

"Hey," he responded placing the bad tire on the floor and picking up the new tire.

The soft taps of her feet over the concrete floor signaled her coming up behind him. Desire to walk away was strong, but he held his spot. She touched his back, and it was a struggle not to wince under her touch. Or turn and take her to the floor. They use to touch all the time, and it was never a problem. A little heat burned under his skin, but he could control that. This was so far out of his hands, he didn't even have the tail end of a string to grab.

"I need your signature on this order."

Troy got the tire up and on where it should be, reaching back he pulled the rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands. "No problem," he said taking the clipboard from her and then the pen.

"How's it coming along?"

Once he signed and handed her back the clipboard Troy looked up at the car and then back down at her, "Alright."

"Great," Gabriella said with a smirk, "How long do you think it will take?"

"Not long," Troy said tucking the rag back in his pocket.

"Is something bothering you?" Gabriella asked quietly, "you keep giving me these bland answers."

He shook his head and hid his feelings from her. It wasn't hard. Hell, he'd been pushing his feeling aside since Jason saw her first.

"Nope."

He walked away from the car. More importantly, he walked away from her because that was something else he was good at. When things started to get too comfortable, he left. It was the only thing he'd been able to do to keep his hands off his best friend's girlfriend-turned-fiancé-turned-wife. She may not be his best friend's wife anymore and Jason was no longer a friend, but the tactic still worked.

Gabriella frowned as she walked back towards the main office, he was being stubborn. Gabriella opened the door to the office and Sharpay stood up as she looked at her with eager impatience, "Well?"

"Nothing he didn't even look at me," she grumbled as she dropped the clipboard onto her desk. Troy's resistance could have been something as simple as he didn't see her as a woman who had sex. First, she had been his best friend's wife. Then a ripped-apart female in dire need of a shoulder to cry on.

She was neither of those things anymore, and it was time he realized the change. She stepped in front of the one way mirror that lead into Troy's office. By all appearances, she should pass as a sexually active woman.

"Are you sure he's interested?" Sharpay winced as she sat back down.

Gabriella turned around to face her, "He seems interested, kisses like he is."

"Well kissing and rolling around in the sheets aren't the same thing," Sharpay said crossing her arms. "Maybe you should undress a little more."

"Sharpay if I wore any less clothing I'd be walking around in a bra and underwear."

Sharpay lifted her hands, "Who says you can't?"

"The law?"

Sharpay let out a huff, "Well sure you can't walk around the supermarket in your Vicky Secret's but you can walk around your own home."

Gabriella dropped into her chair, "I might have some confidence but I don't have ovaries of steel. I'm not a runway model."

"Where is Brie Carmichael?" Sharpay said coming over to the desk and placing her palms flat on its surface. "You're next best seller is right under your nose, all you have to do is get the story. Last night you told me you got six chapters deep just with everything you've done so far. At this point you're not just going to sleep with that man to jumpstart your libido, you're going to sleep with that man for women everywhere. This is not the time to be as jumpy as spit on a hot skillet."

Gabriella let out a breath, she'd e-mailed Michael the new first six chapters last night. She hadn't heard anything back yet. "The storyline change isn't a sure thing yet."

"You're as scared as a cat at the dog pound."

"Am not," Gabriella whined.

The door opened and Troy came through causing both women to go quiet. Gabriella felt her body go through the usual barrage of feelings: the tingles, the shivers, and the hot flashes. Honestly did the man have to look so good covered in grease and dirt? Frowning she replayed everything from the night before in her head when he'd left her in the living rooming after claiming to be tired and heading up to bed. The evening had been perfect all the way up until that cheap kiss.

His eyes lingered on Gabriella for a second before he shifted to Sharpay causally, "I got two more tires to rotate then you're all good to go."

"Well, I'm just as happy as a boardinghouse pup."

Troy smiled, "I bet, you gotta be careful on those back roads Shar."

"Hey," she said jumping up in her place, "I have an idea?" Sharpay grinned wickedly, "What are ya'll doing tonight?"

Troy looked over at Gabriella and then back at Sharpay, "I was planning on having a beer or two at Chad's."

"Nonsense, you come onto my house for party!"

"Party?" Gabriella questioned.

"We'll have a big cook out," Sharpay shrugged, "Daddy just got the pool lighting repaired, be a shame not to celebrate the new look!"

Gabriella looked over at Troy questioningly.

Troy was looking back at her, "I guess we can."

"Well I'm cooking on a front burner today," Sharpay laughed as she playfully slapped Troy's shoulder.

Troy smiled as he tore an order slip from the clipboard and handed it to Gabriella, "Need these in by week's end," he said with a small wink.

"Sure no problem." Gabriella took the slip.

"Alright," Troy peeled his eyes off her and turned back to Sharpay, "Your car should be ready in a few, I'll bring her around front and give her a full tank of gas."

"Bless your heart."

When he was gone Sharpay turned around instantly. "Where that red bikini I got you last summer."

Gabriella raised a brow, "You're evil."

"I'm a Texan, go big or go home."

Later that evening Troy inwardly groaned as he and Blue stood in the kitchen, he should have gone to Chad's as he planned. He should go now, Gabriella had been to Sharpay's parties on her own before, surely she could handled herself now. Looking at his watch he looked up at the stairs, he could still make the game, the place wouldn't be too crowded. He reached for his keys.

Blue let out a sigh as he sat down on floor in front of him blocking off Troy's exit. Blue bowed his head in disapproval.

"Don't judge me," Troy said looking down at Blue, "you know as well as I do she's not going to come down here in a one piece."

The sound of a door shutting upstairs caught their attention and both of them looked up to where the sound came from. Steps on the stairs told him it was too late. Gabriella came down the stairs with her beach bag over her shoulder. "Are we ready to go?"

Troy inwardly groaned again. Gabriella's yellow sundress revealed bright red straps and the outline of her bathing suit. Not a one piece. He watched her as she toed on her black flip flops and moved towards him. With no make-up and her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked sexy, summery, and way too tempting.

She might be ready, but he wasn't. Not entirely. Her flowery scent made him want to bury his face in her hair, lick the smooth arch of her neck, nip her small earlobes, and kiss her tempting lips.

A pretty, pink blush stained her sun kissed cheeks. "You alright?"

"No."

Gabriella frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Blue looks sick."

Blue, at the sound of his name got up on all fours and totted over to Gabriella where he nudged his snout into her hand.

"What?" Gabriella sunk down to her knees instantly and held Blue's face up for examination, "You alright baby?"

Blue barked. Wagged his tail and offered a lick of happiness to Gabriella's cheek.

"He seems fine," she said with concern as she scratched him behind the ear.

Troy let out a sigh as he placed his hands on hips, "Must have just been an episode, I guess."

"Well come on," she said standing up and motioning for the time, "We need to get a move on." Gabriella made her way for the door pushing her sunglasses over her eyes.

Troy made his way around the counter as he glanced down at Blue who was wagging his tail and looking up with him expecting some form of affection.

"Couldn't let me just have that one, could you?" Troy said giving him a small pat on his side. "Come on," he motioned and waited as Blue stretched out before turning around to prance after his owner. "Just so damn proud of yourself aren't you."

When they got there Troy quickly disappeared to one of the coolers while Gabriella and Blue set up to lay out in the last rays of the sun. Troy watched from a distance as she gripped the midsection of her sundress and drew it over her head and then folded it and sat it down next to her.

Man, what had he gotten himself into? He tried not to gape and hoped to god drool hadn't formed around his mouth. Gabriella could give a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model heavy competition. Tanned and tone, with full breast, a flat belly and shapely hips, he desperately wanted to run his hands over her long legs, peel away her bikini, then lick, kiss, and taste every tantalizing inch of her.

Sharpay fell into the lawn chair besides Gabriella, "If you glare at him like that, you'll scare the poor guy," Sharpay said reaching a hand down to scratch Blue behind the ear.

"I'm not glaring at him," she protested, leaning back in her chair, "I'm conveying my displeasure over his lack of apparent interest."

"He doesn't look disinterested." Sharpay said glancing over at where Troy stood talking to some other men over the grill. "He looks like he wants to lick whipped cream off every inch of your body."

Gabriella snorted and tried to ignore him. It was impossible. He drew her eyes. It was more than his looks, it was him. She found him irresistible in a way she'd never experienced. It was disconcerting and exciting all at once. It didn't help that he really was watching her like he wanted her, just like Sharpay said. His stare was like a caress, and she felt it all over her body.

"You should talk to him," Sharpay said with a frown as she held up a hand to shield her eyes from the setting sun.

"He doesn't want to?"

"That's funny," Sharpay said looking back at her, "I didn't see you ask him?"

"I can't just leave Blue all by himself?" Gabriella said reaching down to pet him and jerking up right when she came across thin air. "Blue?"

Just then Blue ran past them after a Frisbee thrown by Sharpay's brother Ryan and dived right into the pool.

"Fine. Gang up on me," Gabriella said sitting up and placing her feet flat on the cool cement. Only she didn't have to go far because Troy was walking towards her with that small smile hanging on his lips.

"I'll go make sure there are enough burgers on the grill," Sharpay got up and walked off quickly just as Troy came over and took a seat in her deserted chair.

"Want to tell me what's got you worked up?"

"I'm not worked up." She crossed her arms. "I'm peeved."

Humor lit his eyes.

She punched his shoulder. "Don't you dare laugh."

"I wouldn't think of it," he said bringing his beer up to his lips.

"That's the problem, isn't it? You wouldn't think of it." She huffed. "Well I'm done then."

"Why do women always expect you to read their minds?" He shook his head, "I have no idea what you're talking about. What didn't I think of?"

"Me." She crossed her arms and got up from her seat as she made her way into the house.

Troy got up and followed, "I'm sorry I fail to see how."

Once they were inside he slid the glass door shut behind them, the kitchen was empty for the moment and secluded by the shades on the screen doors.

"Sex with me, to be exact."

"That's ridiculous. I think of that all the time," Troy said placing his beer on the counter top as she twirled around.

She started to yell at him and then his words registered. "You do?"

"How could I not, when you throw your incredible body at me and kiss me like you do?" he shook his head, eyebrows drawn.

"You don't look especially pleased about it," she accused.

"I'm not." He stalked towards her. "You harass me out of the blue about wanting sex, you begin to dress like a playboy bunny and as if it wasn't hard enough to keep my head in check you're walking around practically in your underwear."

"It's a bikini."

"You disrupt my day constantly with your sassy mouth, so that all I can think of for hours at work is kissing you. You're driving me crazy."

She backed up slowly. "I don't mean to drive you crazy."

"Yes, you do." He trapped her against the counter, his arms bracketing either side of her.

Color washed through her beautiful cheeks. Gabriella's lips parted as she breathed across them. He could see the way her chest moved with each deep inhalation.

His body reacted. The lazy hunger that had been flowing through his veins focused in tighter, right in his crotch. "You can't tell me you didn't realize it."

She swallowed shaking her head. "I did. But I just assumed you were being … that you were used to making women feel like you wanted them because you know, you have been with a lot of women." Reigning her confidence she lean in a little, "besides other than maybe three minutes ago you haven't looked at me that _way_."

"That's because I'm not a pig," he said with tension, "I'm a gentleman, and a gentleman doesn't come right out on a first date and tell a woman he wants to cover her beautiful body in chocolate and then suck every bit of sweetness right off of her until she's begging to be taken."

Gabriella let out a gasp, but he was too far gone.

"And it wouldn't have been terribly polite of me to tell you I've been wondering all day what color panties you have on. Whether it's a thong, whether the curves of your ass are really as round and sweet as I think they are."

"Oh my."

"Or that when I think about your thighs all I can think about is how easily my hands would wrap around them. How amazing it would be to lift them over my shoulders, getting the best possible angle so I could plunge into you, hard, and fill you so completely you feel like you're gonna break in half."

"Holy shit."

"You're trying to get me to lose my control."

Heart pounding, she looked up at him. "Am I succeeding?"

"I never lose control," he whispered hoarsely as he tugged her ponytail holder off and ran his fingers through that thick dark hair, spreading it across her shoulders. He tasted her soft earlobe, moving slowly down the long line of delicate neck, nibbling lightly, savoring the unique flavors of skin and woman.

Soon he was breathing down the front of her bikini top, his lips scraping the venerable skin just above the seam. Unable to resist, he nudged the fabric down just enough to gain access, groaning when he saw the hint of her nipple.

He had to go further. Running the tip of his tongue across that deep line of cleavage, he grabbed her hips just as she was beginning to sag holding her up right as his lips came up to meet hers.

She whimpered in pleasure the moment his lips touched hers. It was deliberate and in charge, so all she could do was wrap her arms around him and hold on for the wild way he kissed the taste out of her mouth, thrusting his tongue against her wildly as she tangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Troy instinctively dropped his hands, reaching for the round curves of the ass he'd been admiring since they met. Cupping those curves he savored the softness, squeezing her lightly.

When he finally let her go, Gabriella reached behind her and propped her hands on the counter so she wouldn't ooze to the ground in the puddle she felt like. "That was …" she said letting her words drift. "We have to do that again."

"No."

"No?" she wrinkled her nose.

"No." He reached for his beer.

She waited for more but it became apparent he wasn't going to say more, so she said, "Why not? Didn't you just say you think of me like I think of you?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean getting involved with each other is a rock solid idea yet."

She wanted to say she didn't want to get involved, that she just wanted to have sex, but at the moment it felt like a lie. So she just said, "It's a great idea."

He lifted his beer for a sip and stood up a little straighter, "We'd be a train wreck if we just jumped into this."

"We'd be fireworks."

"More like the explosion from two trains colliding," he said pulling his beer away from his lips. "Why not just let me do this my way. Why don't you go on a date or two?"

"I don't have time or the energy for any of that romance nonsense."

"Just because you've had some bad luck?"

"Bad luck is dropping your phone in the toilet before you flush, my marriage was joke and it made a fool of me. I won't go through that again. I'm done with love. I just want a distraction, I want something to do and I don't want to worry about the day you'll get bored or the day someone prettier comes along."

"Brie,"

"I don't understand you," she said moving away from him and adjusting her suit. "I've heard you fuck just about every woman you've ever come in contract with. And I ask you for this one favor and you it's like I've asked you for the impossible."

"I just don't want things to be uncomfortable between us," Troy said taking a step after her.

"I didn't realize my suggestion would make things uncomfortable. I don't want that, so we can just forget I ever asked okay?"

Ha. He could forget as quickly as he could put pants on in the morning. "Things aren't that simple."

"Give it a few days. We'll be back to normal and all this will be forgotten. I don't want to lose you over this."

He shook his head and pulled on his shirt. "It'll never work like you want. Going through with it. Me and You. Together." He glanced at her a little annoyed to have to remind her of something so trivial.

"I know," she said looking down at her hands and taking a deep breath, "I shouldn't have asked. I thought I'd worked everything out."

"And what did you think? We could be together for a while and then just stop and things would go back to normal?"

A single shoulder lifted. Her gaze was downcast. "You do it often enough with other women."

That was the limit to his frustration on this entire situation. He crossed the space between them, "You are not other women!"

Her eyes flashed fire. "I'm not your sister, either."

"You know damn well I don't think of you as a sister," he said quietly as he tossed his beer bottle into the trash can behind her. "You're just stubborn, impatient and spoiled. News flash I'm not Jason, I actually give a shit and I'm here, not upstairs bending Sharpay over a couch."

Gabriella's hand reached up and slapped him across the face. The echo of the slap penetrated the room and Troy's entire face was turned as he looked down at the ground.

"I'm going home. You want a ride be in the truck in five minutes, otherwise I think we're done here."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she listened to the glass door slide open then slide shut. Quickly she lifted a hand up to her cheek and wiped away a stray tear. She needed to find a bathroom, then she needed to find a drink.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: The Art of Unpacking is now available as a paperback book on Amazon.**_

"This is possibly the best thing you've ever written," Michael said over the speaker, "Honestly if I wasn't so relieved, I'd be upset about you wasting my time with those first three chapters."

Gabriella leaned back in her chair looking down at her laptop, "I don't have a title for it yet. And who is this reporter you want me to talk to?"

"His name is Martin Gibson, he works for the Boston Globe. Be careful with this one he sounds like he's trying to make a name for himself."

"I hate reporters, they have no souls."

"Now, now, now don't talk bad about our bread and butter. Let's talk about this book."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "I don't have a clue what to call it, not really sure about the characters, and I'm pretty sure it suspends all the boundaries of belief."

"Who cares? This is gold, these characters are so real," Michael's voice raised a little louder than before. "You've really out done yourself this time."

She stilled. "Thanks," she said hesitantly.

"What's the matter?" Michael said with concern, "you don't sound like someone who's about to make a lot of money."

"You know as well as I do it's never been about the money." Gabriella shrugged her shoulders almost forgetting that he couldn't see her, "This story is different from the others."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean it not entirely fictional."

"Gabriella, you're making me drool. What's the story on this?"

Gabriella felt her shoulders shrug again and she let out a sigh as she lifted her feet onto the bed where Blue laid resting peacefully. "I mean that the characters are a work of fiction but the situation there in is not entirely fictional. I kind of know this guy who use to be Jason's best friend and we short of have an understanding but we're not quite dating, not quite hooking up. I mean it's almost like what's happening between Tucker and Georgia but now I don't know."

"Don't know what?"

"We called it off."

"You did what?" Michael said, the frown on his features coming over loud and clear through the speaker.

"You read chapter six, you know happens." Embarrassment flooded her; she could bury herself under a rock at this point. She never should have submitted those chapters. She never should have created Trucker. What was she thinking?

"Gabriella this is fantastic!"

Dropping her feet she spun around to face her phone "What do mean fantastic, this is a disaster."

"You're moving on," Michael threw out casually, "You're taking a bite out of life again and what better way to celebrate than to write about it."

Gabriella didn't say a word. The sinking feeling in her stomach was enough to keep her quiet.

"So you had one fight, hardly a reason to stop the ball from rolling. Do you know how I met my wife?"

"No."

"She was a cop, pulled me over for speeding. When she refused to give me her number I simply sped through her stop every day until one day she finally gave in and I got her number."

Gabriella face scrunched up, "Seriously?"

"Most expensive number I've ever paid for."

Bringing a hand up to her chin she tapped her bottom lip, "This isn't about love, I have no interest in ever getting married again as long as I live."

"So don't get married, love 'em and leave 'em for all I care just get back in there and get more material."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair, "morally this is repugnant."

"You're a writer, writers don't have morals."

After two one sided arguments with Blue that ended in a belly rub and twenty minutes of staring at the ceiling, Gabriella decided to make an adult decision. After a quick e-mail to Martin Gibson about meeting later in the week online she braved the outside world beyond her bedroom. When she came down the stairs she could hear the television in the living room. It had been three days since their argument. Luckily she had her writing to keep her busy, to keep her from wondering where he was, or what he was doing. Blue walked ahead of her into the living room where she assumed Troy was. Coming over to the fridge she opened it and brought out two beers.

Better to go in armed.

She was going to need courage to face him, the kind of courage that she hadn't had for the last few days. She walked into the living room to find Blue laying on the couch and Troy in his recliner as he watched the game. He was still in his work jeans, his white shirt covered in grease stains and his Troy's Auto shop shirt left unbuttoned. His beer was empty.

"Refill?" she offered handing him the extra bottle.

Troy looked up at her cautiously, didn't say a word but gently took the beer from her hand, "Thanks."

"Watching the football game?" she asked walking past him.

"Yeah," Troy raised a brow as he opened his beer and took a sip.

Gabriella sat on the floor with her back against the couch. Opening her own beer she placed the cap in the pocket of her shorts and then lifted her beer to her lips for long sip. "Who's winning?"

"Damn Broncos," he muttered as he relaxed a little. To be fair it wasn't the first argument they'd ever had, he was damn sure it wasn't the last. He was more concerned about where they stood in this new phase of the relationship. After that scene in the kitchen he'd come straight home and took an ice cold shower, one that had done absolutely nothing to make his hard on go away, or his anger subside.

Gabriella stretched out her feet in front of her wiggling her toes a little and unintentionally getting his attention. He couldn't help it. Whenever she was in the room she caught his eye. How was he supposed to forget about her stupid idea when she was still walking around in those cut off shorts and tiny tang tops.

A man just didn't forget about stupid ideas like hers. No matter how stupid they were, and hers was stupid. Sex with Gabriella. Anytime he wanted. Anywhere he wanted. Kinky sex. Troy shifted a little in his chair and tore his eyes away from her legs. He looked back up at the game. His eyes narrowed as he fought a persist urge inside him to look back down at her.

He'd been a fool to think he could momentarily escape that friend zone he'd been locked away in for seven years. He should have known better and refused her offer flat out. Told her no, from the beginning. He needed to get out of the house, find a pretty little blonde at Chad's and try to release some of the frustrations inside him.

"There's a big tailgate party tomorrow, Taylor told me Chad's sponsoring all the beer."

"That right?" he said quietly. He knew all about the tailgate. Troy's Auto was sponsoring the hot dogs. She should know, she did the books, but Troy stood quiet.

"The whole town supposed to be there."

Troy kept his eyes on the television, "Great."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

Troy eyes shifted to hers and he jerked back to find that she'd moved to his side looking up at him with curiosity. "What are you up to Brie?"

Gabriella let out a sigh, "I owe you an apology," she said looking down at her beer. "I shouldn't have said what I did. You have your past and I have mine. We shouldn't be dragging all that baggage into whatever this is."

"Oh," Troy said looking at his beer, "there's a _this_ now?"

"Troy," she said getting up to her feet, she moved slowly around the chair till she was standing over him. Bending over she took his beer and hers and placed them on the floor by the recliner.

"What are you doing?" he asked, though he remained completely still and watchful.

She may be doing the preying, but she had the sense he was still the predator there. She crawled onto his lap straddling him. "I'm going to kiss you."

His hands held her by her hips, neither encouraging nor discouraging. "That's not a good idea."

"It's the best idea I've acted on in a long time." She tilted her head and brought her mouth to his. The first kiss was glancing, testing, but still warm.

The second kiss held none of the initial hesitation. She dove in, going for it. His hands stayed where they were but they tightened on her.

She lifted her head just enough to whisper against his lips, "Is this one-sided for you?"

"No."

"Then kiss me back." She shifted closer. "Like you mean it, Bolton."

He gazed into her eyes as if searching for her motives. But, frankly whatever her motive she had before came down those stair, right then and there she only wanted him for herself. Screw the book.

He snaked a hand into her hair, tipped her head back, and kissed her deep. It was slow and thorough, but as instantly hot as the heat wave that was still beating down on Payne Springs. All her various body parts came alive.

Throwing her arms around him, she pressed her body to his. Under his shirt, he felt solid. Manly. Her girlie parts sighed in pleasure and anticipation.

Her soul sighed. _Him_, it insisted.

She had to agree.

It was just starting to get interesting when Troy lifted his mouth, "We need to take this down a notch."

She just wanted him to take her period. But she didn't want to push him, when she clearly won this battle. So she simply sat back, everything in her body aching with disappointment. "Are we ok?"

Troy was quiet for a long moment as he stared up at her his gaze working its way over her body hungrily and at the same time distant. "The rules haven't changed."

"I had no expectations that they would," Gabriella said quietly, "It's what you want."

"What do you want?" he asked softly.

His tone might have been gentle, but beneath his palms, his muscles bunched with tension. He was holding back. The thought hit her as if someone had just dunked her into an ice bath. In that moment, she realized she had two options. Tell him the truth, that sex was her sole focus in their relationship. Or, do as Michael had suggested. Let things ride. Go with the flow. Stop thinking and overanalyzing.

Gabriella reached her hands up to his face, gently touching his stumble. She wanted to simply say "you." tell him how she'd wanted him from the moment she laid eyes on him. She wished, even for a small moment, that it had been him. That instead of Jason it had been Troy who had asked to take her home that night seven years ago. She wanted to tell him that she wanted to enjoy his company, in and out of the bed, however long it would last until he got bored with her. Instead she said. "Can't we just have fun and see where it leads?"

He shifted his weight and a gleam of disappointment flashed in his eyes but quickly disappeared. Troy let out a breath and his hands came down to her thighs. He didn't say anything and for a brief moment Gabriella wished she would have kept her mouth shut and just gone with the flow.

Troy lifted them both out of the recliner, his hands moving underneath her butt to hold her to him. In a sense of panic Gabriella wrapped her arms around him "Troy!" she shouted clinging to him as they made their way into the kitchen.

Without a word he placed her on the kitchen counter his blue eyes landing on her brown ones as he reached between them and began undoing her shorts. "So you want to have fun," he said purposefully using her words.

Her lips parted, and her face lost all its playful wonder as she stared at him with seriousness.

Unable to stop himself and knowing this went way beyond his no-sex rule, he pulled at those tiny little denim shorts and when she lifted her bottom just enough he slid them down her legs and over her bare feet. Their eyes never left each other's through the entire process. Using his hands he pushed her back until she was laying on her elbows looking up at him.

Looking down for the first time he took in the sight of her white panties with tiny black polka dots and green lace trim. Everything inside him stilled and he had to close his eyes as he committed the sight to memory. Opening his eyes he lowered himself closer to her.

With his head where he'd fantasized it being night after night, Troy didn't want to move. He didn't want to think about anything but stripping these panties off her and burying his mouth between her legs. Technically, neither of them had specified where a kiss could be placed. So, technically, he could kiss Gabriella the way he wanted. A thin line of justification, but at this point, Troy didn't care. He needed to taste her, touch her, feel her heat against his lips.

He brushed his lips where her panties met the hollow of her thigh. Baby soft and silky smooth, just as he imagined. The urge to lick and nip and kiss had his heart kicking out of tempo. He stilled again, kissing was allowed.

Massaging her hips with his hands, he swept his tongue along her inner thigh. Goosebumps instantly covered her skin. She sighed and widened her legs a faction.

His arousal thickened as he skimmed his mouth up the soft fabric of her panties. When he reached her belly button, he stopped and raised his head. "Look at me."

She pushed onto her elbows and met his gaze. He sucked in a breath and fought hard to control the hunger, the need, burning inside. Her brown eyes glittered with desire. The rapid rise and fall of her chest drew his attention to her breast, where the tips of her nipples pressed against her flimsy top. When he finally forced his gaze back to hers she cocked a brow and tilted the corner of her mouth. So sultry, so sexy, and, if he wasn't mistaken, she'd just challenged him.

Gabriella wanted sex, no strings attached. He wanted sex, with plenty of strings. But instead of getting busy with her he was busy trying to decipher his emotions. He didn't like it, but he loved the way she rested the arch of her foot on his shoulder and spread her legs wider.

Unable to deny her blatant invitation, he swirled his tongue over her belly button, then nipped her skin. Her only response was a quick intake of breath.

He ran his hand from her calf to her hip and settled his fingers on the green lace trim pulling at it lightly. "I think we could have lots of fun." Troy stood upright as he pulled the scrap of material keeping him from fulfilling his fantasies over her long legs until he was tucking them into his back pocket.

"If you think for one second that I'm going to let you keep those,"

Troy ran the tip of his fingers along her skin until he grazed soft curls, "What if I earn them," he murmured. He feathered his fingers into those curls until he found her swollen, slick opening.

She sucked in another breath, raised her hips a fraction, and shifted her eyes to where he worked his fingers. The way she watched him, eyes glimmering, lips parted, hand him hard and shaking. But he had a point to prove. One he wanted to make before he took this so-called kiss further.

He inserted his finger. She gasped.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I think we can have lots of fun and I can't wait to see where this leads."

She met his glaze then, "So what are you waiting for?" She pressed herself against his hand. The subtle shift caused his finger to drive deeper.

At this point, he didn't think he could become any harder. But as much as he wanted to have sex with Gabriella, he wouldn't. Otherwise he'd prove nothing to her, or to himself. He refused to be her boy toy and he worried that once he gave her what she desired, a little carefree fun and multiple orgasms, she'd be on her way. Back to her regular routine, her regular life. A life that didn't include him outside of a friendship.

She hitched her hips higher, pressed against his hand.

Then again maybe he should give her a taste of what's to come. Give her the sexual satisfaction she craved. Not to string her along, but to take the edge off and leave her begging for more of his kisses and his kisses alone.

Decision made, he couldn't resist pressing a second finger into her. So tight, so hot, he couldn't wait for the day when he could sink himself into her heat. Not today, through. Today was about her pleasure. And he planned to do everything within their no-sex, kissing-only guidelines, to give her that pleasure.

He drove his fingers deep one last time, slowly he withdrew them and bent his head and kissed her inner thigh, edged his way closer to her soft curls. But sudden pressure in his chest made him pause. This was all wrong. Binding her to him with sex, or even a variation of it, wasn't part of the plan. Rather something he was trying to avoid and the whole reason he'd set up his rule in the first place. But what if she grew bored? What if she sought sexual release from someone else?

Something inside him shattered. The thought of another man, cradled between her thighs, had him more coiled than a slinky and more determined to give her every reason to remain involved with him alone.

Throwing his rules out the window, he licked and sucked her labia, then latched onto her clit.

Gabriella groaned. She'd wanted fun, and Troy was giving her what she'd asked for. Her inner thighs trembled, her nipples felt as if they'd stab right through her top. She twined her fingers through his hair and held him between her thighs. She wasn't about to let him go, not until the fun was over. Even then, she wasn't sure if she could. His skillful mouth, his tongue, his lips, she'd never experienced anything more amazing.

Oral sex had never been her thing. She'd never had a problem giving it, but had always seemed to come up short on the receiving end. Not today though. Troy had her mind spiraling, her heart beating out of pace. She couldn't stop a moan from escaping when he inserted his fingers again, then honed in on her clit. Toes curling, she let the moment build, let him work his magic. Then he slid a third finger inside. White-hot heat radiated through her body, coiled in her belly, then burst.

Gabriella lay on the surface of a kitchen counter top she'd never be able to look at the same way again. The house was quiet except for the muted sound of the game on in the other room. She felt Troy leisurely kiss his way up her belly. Caressing her breast with his rough hands, he pressed his lips against her cleavage.

She shuddered and twined her legs around his back, drawing his big body on top of hers. His arousal nudged at her thigh and despite her glorious orgasm he'd given her moments ago, she wanted another. And another and another…

Running her hand down his back she grabbed the right side of his rear end through his worn denim. Then urged him on by spreading her thighs wider.

He wrapped her ponytail around his hand, eased her head back, and then dragged his lips along her neck and jaw. She groaned. Goosebumps rose over her skin. She melted against him, crushing her breast against his chest.

As he captured her lips in a powerful kiss he worked on untangling his body from hers until he was pulling away and safely holding out a hand behind him until he reached the wall. "I think that's enough fun for tonight."

"Are you sure about this no sex thing?" she said through her panting as she closed her legs, enjoying the new soreness between them.

"Yes. No," he said and chuckled as he slumped against the wall.

"You don't sound sure."

Heat simmered in his eyes as he held on to that damn wall for dear life. "I am sure of one thing."

"What's that?" she asked shifting herself so she could come down off the counter, her bare feet landing with a soft thud on the tiled floor.

"I don't think I'll ever get enough of you."

Still feeling boneless and sated from Troy's loving, the seriousness in his tone caught her off guard. She tensed, unsure of his meaning. "Not even after that kiss?" she asked, hoping to keep things light.

He shifted his eyes to her bare bottom half, "Which one?"

_Which one? _All of them, she wanted to scream. "Well you may have earned them, but I'm not letting you keep my underwear," she said gripping the counter behind her.

Troy chuckled as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out her crumpled panties. "There'll be other chances," he smirked as he gently tossed them to her.

Gabriella caught them and bent down, quickly redressing herself. Not that being naked in front of him was weird, after what he just did, it seemed foolish to feel modest. Gabriella walked towards her jeans and plucked them from the floor where he left them. "Want to order a pizza?"

"Want to kick Blue off the couch and watch a movie or something?"

Gabriella let out a smirk, "does this count as whatever number two?"

"No," Troy said with chuckle.

_**Author's Note: The Art of Unpacking is now available as a paperback book on Amazon.**_


	9. Chapter 9

The tailgate was a good old fashion gathering in the clearing, a big bonfire, lots of cook out food and an open bar with Chad and his latest hire at the helm. Everyone was dancing in truck beds or by the fire. There were people everywhere whispering conversations of gossip and everyday comings and goings. Behind Chad's bar in a secluded truck bed, on an open tailgate Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay sat looking out at all the festivities.

Taylor sipped her drink, "So you guys are breaking your own rules?" she said pulling her drink away and reaching up to adjust her cowboy hat.

Tailgate parties were taken seriously, even in a small town like Payne Springs. Everyone had their cowboy hats on and big belt buckles on display. Gabriella looked down at her own cowboy boots. It'd taken her seven months before she broke down and brought her first pair. Ever since then she'd wore them all the time, if she wasn't in her flip flops of course.

"No," Gabriella said lifting her beer, "Technically kissing is in the rules."

Sharpay let out a laugh, "Face it, your phone's off the hook. All this kissing and rubbing is just frustrating."

"Well at least she getting further than you're little midnight walks in the park," Taylor teased.

"Who told you?" Sharpay gasped.

"Honey, it's a small town. Everyone knows you and that boy have been going on walks in the park every night for the last week," Taylor said looking to Gabriella who nodded in conformation.

"Yeah, holding hands and giggling like that in public isn't really a secret," Gabriella said lifting her beer to her lips.

Sharpay let out a breath as she sipped her drink and then reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, "Hot damn is it me or is the wind's blowing like perfume through a prom tonight?"

"Don't change the subject," Gabriella teased, "have you kissed him yet?"

There was a pause as she Sharpay looked out into the crowd where people were out by the bonfire. Sharpay let out sigh as she looked down into her cup, "He may not be a chicken, but he has his henhouse ways."

"Then how do you say goodnight?" Taylor asked leaning forward.

"We've been hugging some," Sharpay said a little bashful about it.

"Who's a phone off the hook now?" Gabriella said with a smirk.

"Well at least my man is civil. Yours is so country he thinks a seven-course meal is a possum and a six-pack." Sharpay stood from the tailgate.

Gabriella and Taylor howled with laughter, "That might be true," Gabriella said playful, "But look who's talking?"

"Oh please, she's so spoiled salt couldn't save her." Taylor jumped off the tailgate as well, "Enough of this old lady gossiping, let's dance."

"Old lady?" Sharpay laughed as she led them out to the dance floor, "I haven't been old a day in my life."

"I swear the day you find a grey hair, heaven help us all." Gabriella came out onto the dance floor behind them her hands up as she snapped to the beat of the music.

"Well," Chad's voice sounded as he came up from behind Taylor and wrapped his arms around her. "What do we have here?"

"Hey," she said looking up at him with a warm smile, "thought you were working tonight?"

"I can take a break," Chad said with a smile, "Wouldn't want any of these cowboys to get any ideas."

Taylor let out a laugh as she spun around in his arms. She looked genuinely happy. Gabriella couldn't help the pulls of jealously inside her as she watched Taylor and Chad become lost in themselves.

"Hey, I'm going to go find Zeke." Sharpay shouted in her hear.

"Alright," Gabriella said with a laugh as she held on to her hat. Deciding to wonder she looked around through the crowd as people laughed and gossiped. She was glad she duded up, even if it was just an old jean skirt, and pink button up with the sleeves cut off. Given the size of hats and belt buckles, teased hair and tight wranglers, no one was messing around.

"Gabriella," Mrs. Patterson called to her, "How have you been holding up dear?"

Gabriella nodded and smiled as best she could, "I've been okay."

"You ain't gotta be strong for me honey," she said patting Gabriella on her shoulder. "Bless your heart, poor thing you must feel horrible. Jason leaving you alone, with not even a child to keep you company."

Gabriella eye brows shot up, "I don't know if that's entirely a bad thing."

"Well you just let me know when you're ready to saddle up again, my nephew coming into town, he's a marine."

He was also four years younger than she was. Gabriella nodded, "I'll keep you posted Mrs. P."

Gabriella made her way over to the fire pit needing to feel some of that heat on her skin.

"Hey Gabs, how you doing?" Tony Robertson asked as he handed her a new beer.

She knew Tony from somewhere, possibly from the garage. "Better, thanks Tony." She handed him her empty beer bottle.

"You let me know if Jason gives you anymore trouble now, you hear."

"Will do," Gabriella said with a sigh as she lifted her beer. Sometimes she didn't know why she even bothered. It pointless trying to forget your troubles in a small town, you practically wore them on your back right next to that big ole sign that read _'ask me how I'm doing?' _lifting her new beer she took a long sip and looked into the fire. Her eyes shifted and looked up through the flames to find a pair of blue eyes watching her.

Troy had been working late on the Thompsons tractor when she left for the tailgate. She hadn't really expected to see him here, then again she should have known better. Troy Bolton was a set in his ways country boy. There was no way he'd miss an event like this one. His green button up shirt was open revealing his classic grease stained white t-shirt. His wranglers were clean. His cowboy hat was black. He looked wicked. Sinful. Tempting. She could dig up so many more adjectives to describe that man. That was when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Dooley and me was real sorry to hear about Martha and Jason. We knew something wasn't right. Dooley wanted me to tell you that Jason couldn't pour piss out of a boot with a hole in the toe and the directions on the heel." Sarah said with kindness in her voice.

Funny thing was when she announced her engagement to Jason, everyone had been supportive and congratulatory. Where were all these warnings then? All these Jason was as dumb as a box of rocks comments when she could have done something about it? Like not marry the cheating son of a bitch.

"I'm alright," Gabriella said with a tight smile, "Divorce was settled over three months ago."

"Bless you're heart," Sarah said placing her hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "Tell ya what, you come on down to the saloon and I'll touch up your roots for you half price."

Gabriella nodded.

"We'll get you remarried in no time."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she waved good bye to Sarah. Turning back to the fire she frowned when she didn't see him. With another sigh she lifted her beer and took a drink from her bud light just as she turned, almost running into a massive chest. She instantly recognized those defined muscles and big biceps. He grabbed the top of her arm to keep her from topping over.

"How many of those have you had?" he asked.

"Not enough." She looked up past Troy's square chin and mouth into his eyes staring back into hers. "This is my second." She glanced about. "Where have you been?"

"Around." He slid his hand down her arm and took her beer from her hand. He swallowed a big drink, and then gave it back. "You seem to be popular this evening."

"I'm divorced and childless, you know how folks panic about that kind of stuff around here," she teased. She took a much smaller drink, then handed it back. "I've even gotten a few offers."

"Anything worth your while?"

"I'm standing here talking to you aren't I?"

Troy smirked, "Good."

Gabriella felt her chest swell a little as she watched him watching her closely. She liked the way he watched her. She grinned, "Why aren't you somewhere charming a redhead out of her training bra?"

He chuckled, low and masculine and completely at ease before taking a sip and handing her the bottle, "cause at the moment I'm charming a pretty little brunette."

"That's just cheesy." She took a drink, then handed him the bottle. "I should warn you, I haven't worn a training bra in long time."

"I'll manage." His glaze slid to hers and he raised the bottle to his lips. "I should warn you, I haven't had sex in a long time."

"How long?" Gabriella asked. He handed her the bottle and she took a sip.

"3 months." Once her place in his life had become crystal clear, his body had gone into a disciplined mode, knowing she would be the one and only woman he would make love to for the rest of his life. Now, the thought of that made his body go hard.

She choked on a mouthful of beer. Troy hit her back with the heel of his hand as she coughed and gasped and sputtered. "No shit?"

"No shit." He said, with a smirk as he grabbed the near-empty bottle, drained it, then tossed it in the garbage behind her.

She wiped her nose and mouth with the back of her arms. "Congratulations." She guessed.

He placed a hand beneath her chin and raised her face to the light. "You look real pretty tonight."

She looked into the eyes of this man she hardly even knew anymore. "Thank you." Her gaze slid to his chin, and her stomach kind of felt weird. Maybe it was chugging that beer.

He tilted her face a bit more, "Want to dance?"

"You know if we do that, there'll be a new string of gossip rolling though this town by morning."

"You worried about your southern bell reputation?" he asked dipping low a little to see her clearly underneath her hat.

Gabriella bit her tongue; she was just a little bit, seeing as how her name was already being dragged through the mud. "Not entirely. I mean people know we're good friends. Brother and sister like maybe. You've always short of treated me that way."

He smiled and his teeth flashed a bright white in the darkness, "There's no way you can think we have anything close to a brother-sister relationship after last night. But in case you need a little reminder…" he pulled her into his arms, lowered his head and captured her mouth with his.

Gabriella was instantly dizzy from his kiss, her hands came up to his arms to steady herself against him as he continued to thoroughly taste her.

When he pulled away from her, she was breathless, a little caught off guard and surrounded by the lingering warmth of his scent. Troy Bolton was dangerous. Deep down a part of her had known it, but she never been on the other side of his attention the way other women had. She'd always been safely tucked away into that cushy friend zone that kept their relationship clean cut and simple. Now that the lines had been blurred she felt like she should have been warned. Like someone should have told her to whistle before she walk into a stranger's camp.

"Wow," she whispered gently touching her lips with the tip of her fingers, "I can't believe you just did that."

"I couldn't help myself, you're a temptress."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I wouldn't know how to tempt a man on purpose."

"But you know how to tempt Me." He took a step closer to her and she had lean back to see him over the brim of her hat.

"Do I?"

"Yes, but don't go getting any ideas," he said with a wick grin, "Wouldn't want people thinking poorly of your reputation." He walked past her tipping his hat as he flashed her that grin that made her inside shake. "You ever go for a ride on a tractor before?"

"No," she said following him through the crowd.

"Do you want to?"

Gabriella thought about it for a moment before picking up speed behind him and following off into the distance. There was no doubt about it, by tomorrow morning there'd be talk. She'd be part of the latest Troy Bolton Trophy case. People would probably think they'd been going at it for years, they might even have them married or pregnant by noon. One thing was for certain. She didn't give a rat's ass.

Sharpay's pink cowboy boots pushed off in the sand as she held on to her hat and made her way to where Zeke was sitting by the fire. "Howdy stranger," Sharpay said as took the seat next to him. "What makes you so lonely tonight?"

"I'm not lonely anymore," he said with a smile.

Sharpay felt her inside shift a little. Her girlie parts began to party, and that voice inside signed and said Yes, _HIM_. She wanted to run up to him and throw her arms around him, to kiss the bejesus out of him, but she knew how he felt about fraternizing with the help, so she planned on behaving herself as well as she could.

"How have you been sleeping?" she asked.

"Alright," he said with a small smile, "I guess our remedy is usually for mild cases of insomnia."

"You're still having trouble sleeping?"

"Do you have another remedy?"

Sharpay leaned back stretching her boots out in front of her, "Well, we have just been walking briskly, I actually think the best remedy for we have might just be hot, sweaty sex." She gauged his reaction carefully. He was thinking about it, his eyes running over her legs, imagining it. Good, because she imagined it a lot, and why should he be exempt from the torture? "We'll try that next, if we need to resort to drastic measures."

"I can't."

"You can't have sex?" She dropped her gaze to his crotch.

"No." He scowled at her, "Not that."

"Oh, good." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Because that'd have made me sad."

"Think how it'd make me." He chuckled as he shook his head. They were quite for a while as the fire danced in front of them casting their shadows on the sand behind them. "I can't have sex with you. You're working for me. I told you that already."

"I could always quit," Sharpay said with a shrug as she leaned towards him a little. "Could always fire me?"

Zeke gave her a stern sideways glance, "you're working for me," he insisted, "and I never overstep the employer-employee boundary."

"You've never dated anyone you've worked with?" she asked curiously.

"No."

She hadn't either, but then again her working career wasn't that much experience to go on. Most of what she learned came from watching her father executive team. She been around a few corners or two when they thought no one else was looking. It never turned out well. It hadn't for her parents. "I like that you're principled, even if it puts a temporary dent in my plans."

"What plans?" Zeke asked curiously.

"To seduce you."

He kept his facial expression intent, like he was trying to cipher her out. Then, thoughtfully, he said, "What would you do?"

Caught off guard, she blinked. "Excuse me?"

"To seduce me. What would you do?"

The intensity of his gaze made her catch her breath, even though they were sitting completely still. She felt the pull of his body and wanted to touch him, but she managed to resist. She didn't trust herself not to mess the moment up.

Besides, not touching him was turning her on. She could see he wanted her, that he was picturing touching her, and that was almost as good as the real thing.

"Well?" he prompted his voice low with desire.

"Maybe I'd tie you up," she said recklessly. "I'd wait for you to come and use like an apron or maybe even a tie from your closet to bind your hands."

He didn't say anything.

Didn't he like that? Having him at her mercy seemed pretty hot to her. She pictured kissing him all over and knew her labored breathing wasn't from the heat rolling off the fire in front of them.

"That's the wrong picture."

She was startled out of her erotic dream. "How do you know what I was picturing?"

He gave her a knowing look. "You're the one who'd be tied up, although I have a feeling it'd take more than one tie to keep you still."

"So, are you offering?" Sharpay said shifting a little closer.

"No. You're working for me," he repeated looking back into the fire.

"And you don't tie up people who work for you. I know." She held up a hand to her temple. "Talk about a yellowjacket in the outhouse."

"You're not like anyone I've ever met."

"In a good way, I hope."

They sat there in silence for a while. She could tell he was thinking, and she let him. Until she felt right his hand take her left one in his. He clasped it, caressing her fingers with his thumb.

She pretended to goggle at him. "Hand-holding doesn't break your moral code?"

"It should." He didn't let go.

Warmth flooded her. He liked her, too. This was going to work out. She just had to keep convincing him. She didn't really want to give up her job at the café. She wanted him to see that she had his back and that she wanted to share his life, and then they could have lots if sex and babies.

"Do you ever want more than you have?" Zeke asked.

Sharpay looked over at him cautiously, "I have so much."

"So you're happy?"

Sharpay was quite for a moment as she thought about his question. "I want a baby," she admitted.

"That surprises me," he said looking down at her hand with raised brows, "I wouldn't have guessed that from you."

"What? I don't seem maternal?"

"That's not it." he studied her.

Sharpay frowned, "Now you're thinking that I'm getting too old to have children." She glared at him. "Yes, children, because I'd like to have three if I could, but at this point I'd take just one. I won't be greedy."

"I wasn't thinking you were getting old." Zeke said rubbing her knuckles with his thumb, "You barely look thirty."

"Yeah well my eggs are two hundred sixty-six in dog years."

He let out a quick laugh as he leaned in a little closer to her. They sat in silence until he said, "Why haven't you had a child by now if it's so important?"

"Because I didn't realize how important it was until recently." Until she'd realized she wanted to do something other than paint her nails and wear a push up bra all day. She'd spent a lot of her life just being something pretty to look at. But now since the café and meeting Zeke, her ideas and plans for herself were changing. She dreamed about an honest kind of living, about a family of her own to love and care for, or man who would love and care for her. "But I have a plan."

Zeke smiled, "I'm both curious and frightened to know what that is."

"Well that's because you're a smart man." She looked up at him. His lips were so close, it wouldn't take anything to kiss him.

She wanted to so badly.

He wanted it, too, she could tell by the way he returned her gaze with unwavering heat. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb a soft rasp on her skin. "Would it be alright if I kissed you?"

"If you don't I just might die on the spot."

Gabriella let out a laugh as they rode a long on the side of the road in the dark, "Where did you learn to drive one of these?" she asked holding onto her hat with her right hand as she leaned into him. Due to the lack of seating space she was currently sitting in his lap with her left placed on his thigh for balance.

"I'm a country boy," Troy said shifting the gear as he turned off onto the grass, "My grandfather had one in the back, me and Jason use to ride it all the time."

Gabriella shifted closer to him as the ground beneath them got a little more uneven, he was solid under her just the right amount of a reminder that he was an all American man underneath that stain shirt and those blue jeans. "Do you miss him?" she said trying to keep her head straight.

Troy was quite as leaned forward a little to adjust the head light on the tractor so he could see where he was going, "Who?" he asked biting down on his bottom lip and gripping the wheel tighter as he steered them to a clearing.

"Jason," Gabriella frowned as she looked up ahead at the small creek they were coming up to.

Troy brought the tractor up to the tree before he brought it to a stop. He didn't say anything, just cut the engine and stared out ahead of them at the water. He seemed to be deep in thought about something as if debating whether or not he wanted to talk about it. They never really talked about it, they talked about the divorce, about walking in on the incident, but never about what happened between Troy and Jason.

In a lot of ways that was fine with her because she felt guilty about coming between them in their friendship. No matter how many times Troy denied it, the truth was that since Gabriella came into his life she done nothing but solidify his loneliness. At first by it was just taking up Jason's time, then his heart, then his life and in the bitter end by forcing Troy to pick a side.

"It's just that I know you guys were best friends," Gabriella said nervously, "at least until I came along and broke you guys up."

"You didn't break us up," Troy said chuckling a little to himself as he causally dropped his big, solid hand onto her thigh, above her knee, and squeezed it. Not exactly the most erogenous zone on her body, but still, every molecule inside her leaped to attention. Her blood roared in her veins at the feel of that strong, warm touch, and she was completely incapable of stopping the visual images that flooded her mind.

Gabriella's skin tingled beneath the soft fabric of her denim skirt at the thought of him sliding that touch higher, caressing her all the way up her thigh as he kissed her again, just as he had back there at the bonfire. Slow, sweet, then deeper and harder. Wetter and faster.

She wanted him to kiss her in every way a man could kiss a woman, and in every place on her body. God, she was a complete wreck. Yet he seemed completely unaffected, still smiling that easygoing smile.

"Jason and I grew apart a long time ago," he said looking up at her with kindness. "That had nothing to do with you."

Gabriella tried to force her heart to slow its rapid pace, striving for the same nonchalance Troy obviously felt about his causally possessive touch on her leg.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking," she said looking down at his tanned fingers starkly outlined against her clothing.

"He just changed," Troy said looking up at her, "One day we were fixing up old cars together and the next he just wasn't there anymore. He began acting like he was better than me. Like he didn't need me or like having me around bothered him."

"So why did you keep trying?"

Troy shrugged, "When you know someone for that long you just don't stop knowing them."

Gabriella was quiet for a moment as she studied his features, "I don't think I ever said thank you for what you did for me?" Gabriella looked out into the scenery taking in the peaceful setting. "Believe it or not I'm quite capable of taking care of myself," she laughed a little as she looked down at his hand again. "But it feels good to have you here for me."

"And I'll always be here for you," he said looking up at her and placing a soft kiss on her shoulder, "I'll give you anything you want just to make you happy."

His lips made her shudder all over and she let out a low breath. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want to Gabriella, anything at all."

Gabriella's hand came down over his, feeling the warmth of his bare skin on the back of his hand. His hands were always so rough and callous from his work in the garage. Her fingers traced his knuckles as she thought about his fingers and what pleasure she gotten from them night before. It was almost enough to make her mouth suddenly dry from the nerves and jitters that scattered through her. "Why are we friends? Other than me just being the girl at the front desk at Troy's Auto." she finally managed.

Troy huffed as he chuckled to himself, making her wonder what was so funny. "Because you make me laugh, you do an amazing job at the garage, and you've always made me feel special, like I was a big part of your life. You're also kinder than most people around here. You might not be Texan bred but you're a tall glass of the best kind of sweet iced tea."

"Yuck," Gabriella frowned, "I can't stand sweet iced tea."

"Don't go talking bad about sweet iced tea," he said with a playful frown, "people might start to think you got too many cobwebs in the attic."

Gabriella smiled as she looked out at the creek in front of them, "It's getting late," she said looking back at him, "Why are we here?"

Troy raised a suggestive brow, "Wanna go for a swim?"

Gabriella lips tugged into a smile as she looked back at the creek, there was no around the area for miles in either direction. Turning back to him she bit down on her bottom lip before deciding to go along with it, "You know I don't have a swim suit."

"Neither do I."

"Are you suggesting that I go skinny dipping with you?"

Troy let out a laugh as he moved to get up from his seat, "Oh, now I never said anything about skinny dipping." Taking his hat off he hung it on the tractor's gear shift and then shrugged out of his over shirt. "But, now that you mention it," he said jumping down from the tractor and reaching up to grab her waist to help her down.

Gabriella laughed as she braced her hands on his shoulders until she was sliding down his body and her boots were firmly on the grass. They didn't say anything for a moment just the two of them standing real close to each other.

"Take off the hat."

Gabriella smirked, "Apparently I have bad roots."

Troy reached up and took it from her head tossing up onto the tractor seat, "So do I."

"I was talking about my hair." Her eyes watched as he took a few steps away from her and he lifted the hem of his white shirt up and over his head.

"I think you're hair looks fine," he said reaching for his belt and undoing the buckle, "You coming in or not?"

"I think I'll let you go first," she said placing her nervous hands behind her back as she watched him undo his pants. "Make sure it's safe?"

"Suit yourself," he said with a wicked grin before he kicked off his boots and brought down his jeans and briefs in one fluid swoop.

Gabriella eyes widen as she took in his naked silhouette in the moonlight. He looked like a god. In all the years she'd seen this man, she'd seen his body in so many different ways. Enough to know that he was rippled with so many muscles she couldn't even begin to name them all. Men like Troy only existed in her novels and even then the men in her novels had been loosely fitted to be like Troy.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him jump into the water. She'd never gone skinny dipping before, never been outside with at least her bikini on.

"Okay." Anticipation was flowing though her veins and she could feel her heart thudding in her chest. She toed off her boots as she watched him swimming around in the water. She'd never considered herself a sexual being, but Troy was proving just how passionate she could be. At least with him. She had a pretty good idea just what he planned to do the moment he mentioned swimming and thought of it was inciting every cell in her body to simmer with desire.

The thought that couples actually did stuff like this, actually had fun together, being adventurous, had her wondering what she'd been missing all these years. Reaching for the buttons of her shirt she began to undo them her finger trembling. Deep down she knew she hadn't been missing anything because the men of her past hadn't been Troy. Taking off her top she undid her skirt next and pushed it down letting it fall. Quickly as if she were ripping off a band aid she unhooked her bra and tugged out of her panties.

She was now at the water's edge feeling the cool hot air on her bare back and holding her arms over her breast in self awareness, a burst of nervous energy inside her as she looked around, afraid that at any minute they'd be caught.

"Scared?" His voice caught her attention and she looked up to see him standing in the water visible only from the waist up. "Get in here Brie."

Gabriella dipped her toe in the water, "In case I haven't mentioned it," she said as she took a step back. "This is completely crazy."

Troy let out a laugh, "Anything crazy is worth doing at least once."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip, "What if something bites me?"

"What if someone sees you," he teased.

Gabriella jerked forward a little as she quickly spun around to assure herself they were alone.

"Congratulations, I've just aged fifty years waiting for you."

A burst of giggles and excitement rushed through her as she held out a hand out, "alright, alright, I'm coming," she laughed as she took few steps forward.

She walked through the water her body slicing through it as the cool mixed with the warm summer night air. Her eyes sought out his and all her butterflies instantly fluttered to a stop. She couldn't even remember why she'd been nervous in the first place. This was Troy. After last night what was there to be afraid of?

"Cold?" he said as she came towards him her arms still tightly wrapped around her breast.

Gabriella smiled as she shook her head, "Actually the water feels just fine."

Troy smiled as he threw himself back into the water disappearing beneath the murky surface and leaving her alone above the water. She looked around reassuring herself that there was no one around to see them. Bending a little she splashed some water over her arms wetting the ends of her hair in the process. "Troy?" she called out looking around at the water, "I swear to god you better not-"

Before the words were out, Troy hands wrapped around her waist lifting out of the water and tossing her a few inches over to his left, creating a splash. When she surfaced he was standing close by reaching out a hand for her to grab as he chuckled to himself.

"You're an asshole."

"Aww come on, loosen up a little." Troy said taking her hand and pulling her over to him.

Gabriella used her free hand to wipe her face pushing her wet hair back. "Couldn't resist could you?" she said with narrowed eyes as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"No," his eyes casually glanced down at her exposed breast watching them as the water lapped around her body. Jerking his gaze upward as if by force he looked into her eyes examining her reaction, waiting for something he wasn't sure of. His eyes fell to her lips and he lingered there watching them with hunger in his eyes. As if he hadn't already kissed just a while ago at the bonfire, it was as if he'd never kissed her at all. "I can't resist much of anything where you're concerned."

"Is that right?"

His hands came up her arms, sliding up her shoulders to her neck where he used his thumbs to softly rub her cheeks. "You have no idea what's it like."

Before she could catch her next breath, he seized her mouth with his. The first thing he did was seek out her tongue and the moment he captured it in his, she was a goner. He started off slow, plying her with a deep, thorough kiss as if he wanted to get acquainted with the taste and texture of her mouth, flicking the tip of his tongue all over the place, touching places she hadn't known a tongue could reach, while stirring up even more passion buried deep within her bones.

For a timeless moment, heat flooded her body in a way it had never done before, triggering her breasts to suddenly feel tender and the area between her thighs to throb. How could one man's kiss deliver so much pleasure? Elicit things from her she never knew existed?

Before she could dwell on any answers to her questions, he deepened the kiss dropping his hands down to her waist and pulling her closer. His hands lifting her up above him slightly while never loosing contact with her mouth as he held her close to him. She used her hands to grip his shoulders as he began mating with her mouth with an intensity and hunger that made her stomach muscles quiver. It was a move she felt all the way to her toes. She felt herself becoming feverish, hot and needy. When it came to a man, she'd never been needy.

He wasn't holding back on anything and his tongue was playing havoc with her senses in the process. It was a work of art, a sensuous skill. His mouth seemed to fit hers perfectly, no matter what angle he took. And the more it plowed her mouth hungrily, the more every part of her body came alive in a way she wasn't used too.

Troy grunted as he gently pulled away from her, lowing her back into the water and resting his forehead against hers. Neither one of them said anything for a moment. Troy kept his hands gently fitted on her waist holding her in place against him. It was just the sounds of the water around them and the light sound of their breathing.

"Why my door step?"

Gabriella jerked back looking up at him and catching the glint of the moon lighting his wet hair, "What do you mean?" she inquired.

"That night, you could have knocked on anyone else's door in town and they would have taken you in. Why did you drive across town to mine?"

Gabriella hands slid under the water coming back up and gently wetting his arms, "Because you're the closet thing I have to a best friend, outside Martha, Taylor, and Sharpay. After everything that happened it was hard for me to trust anyone. I just wanted to be with someone who wasn't going to make a fuss, or make me feel like I had to walk on eggshells," she said lowering her eyes to watch as her fingers traced his biceps. "I wanted to feel safe and you're the only one that makes me feel like that."

"That's funny," Troy chuckled as he brought a hand up to move a strand of hair from her face, "because you scare the living daylights outta me." Troy shifted leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Gabriella let out a sigh as her eyes fluttered shut, "I'm five foot two and hundred and ninety-eight pounds. There's nothing scary about me but my morning breath."

"True." Troy wrapped his arms around her tighter to hold her back from reaching up and hitting him in the shoulder like she wanted to, which only made her laugh.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriella and Troy laughed as they came inside the house still damp from their swim, "Who'd have thought driving a tractor would have been so much fun?" she said as she made her way to the bathroom for towel to dry her hair.

Troy chuckled to himself as he put his keys on the hook and bent down to greet Blue who was smelling him with a tail that wagged so hard he could almost feel a breeze. "Hey there buddy," he scratched him behind the ear earning a soft whimper followed by a tongue bath.

"He likes you," Gabriella murmured as she stood in the kitchen drying out her hair.

"I like him too," Troy said standing up from the floor and making his way over to her. "You have a great dog, it's the only reason why I let you move in," he added playfully.

"I bet," she said watching him closely as he moved toward her. Being around him most of the day had put her nerves on edge. Every time he touched her or she caught him looking at her, she felt an overwhelming need to explore the intense attraction between them. His mouth and fingers had planted a need within her that was so profound, so incredibly physical, that certain parts of her body braved his touch.

She'd heard of people being physically attracted to each other to the point of lust consuming their mind and thoughts, but such a thing had never happened to her. Until now she'd only written about feelings like this.

Why was it happening at all? What was it about Troy, other than the obvious that had her in such a tizzy? Why did she suddenly want things she hadn't wanted before?

The entire situation between them should be a piece of cake. After all, she was more than sure that Troy didn't have those kinds of feelings for her. How could he after all these years? He knew too much, he knew she was spoiled goods, trash on the curb of another man's life. Who would want that kind of baggage?

"You should go to bed," Gabriella said softly, "It's been a long day."

Troy nodded, he was standing so close his body's gravity tugged at hers, making her waver. "What about you?" he asked.

"Are you inviting me?" she joked softly.

He touched her lips with a finger. "You don't know how tempting that is."

Gabriella parted her lips gently nipping his finger with her teeth, watching as he watched her intensely. She saw intense heat in the depth of his eyes just seconds before he lowered his mouth to hers. The moment she felt his tongue invade her mouth, she knew he would be kissing her senseless.

The last time they'd kissed, he had introduced her to a range of sensations that she'd never encountered before. Sensations that started at her toes and worked their way up to the top of her head. Sensations that had lingered in her lower half, causing the area between her legs to undergo all kinds of turbulent feelings and her heart all kinds of unfamiliar emotions.

This kiss was just as deadly, even more potent than the last, and her head began swimming in passion. She felt that drowning would soon follow. Blood rushing fast and furiously, through her veins with every stroke of his tongue. He was lapping her up in a way that had her entire body shuddering from the inside out.

She felt the arms around her waist tighten and when he shifted their positions she felt something else, the thick hardness behind the zipper of his jeans. When she moved her hip and felt his hard muscles aligned with her curves, the denim of his jeans rubbing against her bare legs, she moaned deep in her throat.

Troy released Gabriella's mouth and drew in a deep breath and her scent. She smelled like the creek, mixed with her perfume and her natural delicious scent. Her mouth was so soft and responsive, and it tasted so damn delicious. The more he deepened the kiss, the more responsive she became and the more accessible she made her mouth.

His hands eased from her waist to smooth across her backside. He could feel every inch of her soft curves beneath the damp material of her skirt and top, and instinctively, he pulled her closer to the fit of him.

"We should stop," he whispered against her lips, tasting the corners of her mouth while moaning deep in his throat from how good she tasted.

"Not yet," she said in a purr that conveyed a little catch in her breathing.

"How much more?" he needed to know. Any type of rational thought and mind control was slipping away from him big time. It wouldn't take much to strip her naked right now.

"I want all you can give me, Troy," she responded in a thick slur, but the words were clear to his ears.

He sucked a quick gulp of air into his lungs. He wondered if she had any idea what she was asking for. What he could give was whole hell of a lot. If he had his way, he would keep her on her back for days. Stay inside her until he gotten her pregnant more times than humanly possible.

"I'm sorry," he whispered taking a step back while hold her still with one hand gently pressed on her shoulder so she couldn't follow.

"Sorry you kissed me?" panic fluttered inside her.

"Sorry I have to stop."

"Oh."

They were quite for a moment as the tense feeling in the air shifted.

"I'm going crazy," Gabriella murmured, "I don't know how much more of this kissing-only-rule I can take."

"A little celibacy never hurt anyone," he teased with crooked grin.

Gabriella let out a sigh, as she turned away from him. "You hungry?" she asked walking around the counter.

"Sure," he said coming up to the table and leaning on it.

Gabriella opened the fridge and looked inside of it bending down to take out a few items. "I could make us some cheese quesadillas?"

"Need help?"

"No," she pointing at the bags she pulled out, "Everything's already diced up for it."

Her hands were tingling, as ideas began to consume her, ideas for Tucker and Georgia, ideas about tractor riding, skinny dipping and late night meals, a song from the tailgate ringing on repeat in her head. It all meant something. There was a chapter or two just in all the flashes racking around in her brain. It took everything inside her to keep her hands steady as she began to heat a large cast iron frying pan to medium high heat. To stay put and not run upstairs to her laptop and begin what would be an all-nighter of what if's, could be's and feelings developing between her characters.

"So, what's on your mind?" Troy asked as he lightly tapped the counter top with his thumbs.

Gabriella reached for the oil and shrugged as she smiled to herself, "Just excited," she said with a happy hum of sing song.

Troy watched her as she added a small amount of oil on to the pan and began to spread it around the bottom of the pan with a spatula. She was humming, whether she knew of it or not it was adorable. "About?"

Gabriella's smile fell a little as she took out one large flour tortilla and place it in the pan. "Nothing in particular really," she hesitated as she flip the tortilla over a few times, "Just in a good mood I guess."

Troy let out a huff as he glanced around the kitchen, looking down at his hands momentarily he glanced up at her watching her carefully. Good mood or not there where things on his mind from her questions earlier that made him think about things he didn't want to. "Do you ever wonder about your life?"

Gabriella turned around as she took a hand full of cheese from bag, "What do mean?"

"Like do you think about other things you could be doing rather than being here?" he said quietly, "Rather than just being the girl at the front desk of Troy's Auto."

Gabriella glanced over her shoulder at him with a frown, and then quickly turned back to the stove. "Troy," she said turning around and grabbing a zip lock bag of diced peppers, "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like," Troy said placing a hand on the table and catching her eye, "I'm more than you had a life and dreams before you came to Payne Springs, before you took the job at the auto shop and before you got married…" his voice trailed off.

Gabriella turned around severing his stare and sprinkling the peppers over the cheese before closing the tortilla and lowering the flame to watch it cook. "You're right I did have a life before I came here," she said reaching for the spatula, "And as I've told you and Jason before. I lost it all in the fire."

"Dreams don't burn Brie," Troy said quietly.

"Yeah well, they sure as shit don't turn out like you planned either." Gabriella frowned as she flipped the flour tortilla over; she held a hand over the pan feeling the warmth. Memories of the fire flooded her mind, memories of watching her childhood burn away in front of her very eyes.

Pulling her hand away she rubbed her fingertips against her palm, the warmth momentarily trapped in her hand. Mindlessly she used the spatula again to scoop the Quesada out of the pan. She reached for a nearby plate from the cabinet and placed it neatly on top.

She was caught off guard when his hand wrapped around her waist. She stilled as she watched him turn off the stove and take the plate from her hand and place it on the counter top. There was something about his presence that made her body relax, something about his touch that brought her mind roaring back into present.

"Where are you?"

"What?"

"You're somewhere else right now aren't you?" he inquired wrapping his other hand around her waist as well and holding her to him.

Her hands instinctively came up to his shoulders as she held onto him, enjoying the rush of comfort that came from his touch. "Troy, at the moment, I'm exactly where I want to be."

"And what about three years from now?" Troy said watching her carefully, "Will you want to leave? Maybe you'll want something else? Or you'll get tired of working for me in my auto shop? Have you thought about any of this?"

Gabriella frowned, "No, but obviously you have."

"Not until tonight," he said lifting a finger to tilt her chin up towards him. "Gabriella, I'm serious."

"So am I," Gabriella said with a shrug, "I'm pretty set in my ways as it is. I like it here in Payne Springs."

"Your truck broke down in Payne Springs, where were you going before that?"

"You know I have nowhere else to go," she said backing away from him, "Why are you asking me all of this?"

"Because something is happening here," he said a little taken aback by her retreat.

"No, nothing is happening here," Gabriella said motioning to the air between them, "We agreed this was a no strings attached fling."

"And I told you that wasn't possible Brie? Don't you remember that?"

"Then stop trying to date me?" she shot back a little louder than she intended.

"Is that really what you want?" Troy said with a raised brow.

"Yes." It was. It was insane and so far out of character for her, she hardly even recognized herself.

But that didn't change her mind. Gabriella needed to set the boundaries because clearly they were becoming blurred. She needed to protect the ground rules that would let her get out of this with her heart and her pride intact if things didn't work out. As, she already suspected given her history, they would not.

"It's this way or no way Troy," she said, her tone firm, her back ramrod stiff. "I'm not looking for a…a boyfriend."

He gave her a gesturing look.

"Or even a real lover."

"We're already lovers, Brie."

"Business associates with benefits."

He threw his head back and laughed which made the thick muscles in his neck quiver and brought Gabriella's attention to how much she wanted to sample it. And then sample everything else. But she still didn't have her answer.

"You already know as well as I do that I have no use for the typical games, romance and love and such. Think of me as a businesswoman and this is a business proposal I'm making."

"Strictly business. That's the only way you want it."

Gulping, she nodded. It wasn't exactly a lie.

Aching need swallowed him in the silence. Heavy weight hung from him. His hand fisted at his sides. He wanted to take her, to take her and have it over with. Deep inside, he knew what would happen. End it himself tonight, and the desire would be back by morning. Or likely sooner. She'd opened the door to this. She was there just waiting for him to say yes.

Why was he imagining it over and over with that wall between them at night when he could damn well have the real thing?

It wasn't how he'd wanted her, but it was a start.

He flattened his hand and placed it on the counter top, but his fingers curled with the need to hold her. Troy took a step towards her and she took a step back, he stopped and a small grin pulled at his lips. "Scared?"

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you want you want," he said taking another step towards her, "I really hope you don't like that shirt."

Before Gabriella could answer he had grabbed the top and ripped the shirt open popping a button or two off in the process and exposing her bright pink bra. Her brown eyes were wide as she stared up at him, but he didn't hold her glaze long, as he was lost in the curves of her semi naked body. She was made of nothing but soft and rounded edges. Of all the women he'd ever had, he couldn't remember one ever looking so… ripe.

"You owe me for that," she said when she found her voice.

"And I'll pay up," he responded as he pushed the shirt down over her shoulders until it fell to the floor, he looked down to watch as her breast rose and fell with her breathing. They looked heavy and full, he stepped forward and cupped them. Soft, plush weight filled his palms and he squeezed tighter. His right hand loosened and wrapped around her easily undoing the clasp with little to no effort at all.

She gasped and arched her back, thrusting her breast forward watching him as he slowly hooked his thumbs in the straps and pulled them from her shoulders. Once the bra was tossed to the side she brought her hand up to the buttons of her skirt pausing when his hand came over hers. "We might be doing this on your terms but we're still doing it my way."

"I don't-"

"I want to strip your clothes off you."

"Oh," it was breathless, almost faint. The surprised look on her face was priceless.

He reached and let his thumbs roll over her nipples which were begging to be kissed. She gasped and arched her back thrusting them more fully into his grasp. Closer to his mouth. He bent, the tip at his lips when he glanced up.

Her lips were parted as she panted. That ripened red seemed to color her cheeks, and her eyes were hazy. He ranked his thumb across her pointed tips and savored her sharp inhale. He pressed a kiss to the top of one plump swell.

Her hands slipped around his neck as he closed his mouth over the tiny peak and drew her in. Her hands threaded through his hair and clutched, pulling him tighter against her chest. Her nails raked over his scalp, and the tingle from her touch dropped down his spine. He sucked her hard and nipped at her tip until she cried out and clawed at his shirt.

Pulling away he reached for the hems of his shirt and tugged at it until it was up and over his head. Tossing it to the side he reached for the button of her skirt. Popping the button free and then slowly tugging down the zipper. Only instead of pushing them down he reached down for the hem of the denim material and hitched it up, revealing her pink skimpy panties.

Without saying a word he slowly began easing her panties down her thighs and her luscious scent began playing havoc with his nostrils as he did so. As soon as she was out of them he tossed her panties to the side as well and his hands eased back between her legs, slowly coming back up the inside of her thigh bringing back memories of the night before.

"I'm going to bend you over this counter and fuck you. I'm going drive into you until you come apart and you can't hold your head up. You're going to be limp in my arms, at my mercy."

Her breath hitched and he just hoped to God he'd hold off long enough to deliver on his word. He wanted this for her more than himself. He needed this moment to be a clear memory so when she thought of sex, she'd want him.

He undid his own pants shoving them down but not before reaching into back pocket and stealing a foil packet first.

He had muscular thighs and a nice pair of hairy legs. The way his briefs fit his body had her shuddering when she should have been blushing. Gabriella watched as Troy tore open the packet, her eyes glazed over almost as she was caught in the moment, not able to believe that any of this was real. She felt no shame in staring at him. The only thing she could think of at the moment was that _her_ country boy was very sexy.

_Her country boy?_

She couldn't believe her mind had conjured up such a thought. Her mouth was dry, her breast ached for his touch, and the lost of his attention was driving her crazy. As soon as he pushed his briefs down exposing himself to her she felt her breast grow achy as she started at him. He seemed to get larger right before her eyes. She caught her lip between her teeth and tried not to clamp down too hard. But he had to be, without a doubt, in addition to being totally aroused and powerfully male, the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

He tore the packet open and placed the wrapper on the counter top behind him. Sheathing himself he let out a small sigh and looked up at her with a small smile, "Come here."

She did as she was told, coming to him within the instant and enjoying his searing kiss on her lips as his hands shifted underneath her hair holding her head to his and not allowing her to take a step back. Not that she would ever want to.

He his hand shifted downwards pushing her away from him and positioning her at the counter with her palms flat on the cool surface. His hands slowly moved her hair out of the way, allowing him access to her neck, and allowing him to taste her.

He wanted her to be his in more ways than just for this night, but he would take what he could get. He listened to her sigh under his touch as he continued to suck on her shoulder, knowing he was leaving a mark. But it was his mark. After this was over tomorrow, she would have that looking back at her in the mirror and the best he could hope for was that she'd want him again. And he'd keep marking her if it kept her coming back.

Finally pulling away he gently pushed her downward until she was bent over, leg parted, ready and waiting for him. He didn't have enough hands to touch her all over as fast and thoroughly as he wanted, but he did his best, keeping in mind this moment was for her, not him.

Without giving her time to release her breath, he centered himself and thrust into her in one long, hard push until he couldn't anymore.

Her head dropped back as a low rumbling groan erupted from her. Her hands reached out grabbing the edges of the kitchen counter now, but he didn't relent. Pulling back, he thrust into her sweet, tight entrance. When all he wanted to do was seat himself completely and savor the feel of her stretched around him, he plunged harder.

He pulled out and pressed in hard, fast, and deep. Her thighs trembling as she moaned his name under her breath. His hands were firm on her hips as he pounded into her rocking her back and forth a little over his hard cock that felt as if it might explode at any moment. His hands came up her body pulling her up to him making her arch so that he could fill her completely and at the same time and have his hands on her breast.

His weight was hitting against her, her ass knocking into his front, but he kept going, kept feeling her squeeze around him everywhere.

A ball of pleasure gathered deep inside him. Sweat dotted his brow, but he didn't stop as she came apart in his arms, head thrown back as she cries ripped from her throat, her breast pushed into his hands even further. She froze. Her release sucked his cock, milking it, coaching it to release, but he held off. This was her night, he was going to make it one to remember.

Reaching his hand forward and down he found her clit with his fingers and quickly but gently went to work in prolonging her orgasm. Her whimpering cries sang out of her over and over. Squeezing him tighter and pulling him in, taking him deeper.

His name hissed out of her lips and he was over with. A haze of nothing but Gabriella rolled though his mind. The high color of her cheeks and fiery passion of her body bolted through him with a sharp intensity that drew out his orgasm. Release shuddered though him, taking his strength, numbing his legs. His knees buckled and he placed his hands on her hips to catch himself. He hugged her body to him and lowered so he wouldn't fall over as air evaded him.

It had never been like that before, but then he'd never been with Gabriella before either.

"Oh my god," Gabriella was first to speak.

"Regrets?"

"No. Never." She swallowed and took another breath.

"Good," feeling was coming back to him as he straightened, "you get what you wanted."

"Troy," she whispered.

Troy withdrew from her body and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Did you get what you wanted," he whispered it this time into her ear as his right hand fondled her chest.

"Troy, that was-"

"My turn."

Her eyes widened and before she knew she was lifted and being carried towards the stairs.


	11. Chapter 11

The early rays of sunlight across her face made Gabriella open her eyes and she immediately felt the hard muscular body sleeping beside her. Troy's leg was thrown over hers and his arms were wrapped around her middle. They were both naked, and by the sounds of his breathing, he was still sleeping.

The man was amazing. Last night he carried her all the way to the bathroom where they taken a warm shower together. His hands had worked magic shampooing and conditioning her hair with a gentle kindness she had never expected. Of course, when they were both clean he then lead her to bed where they made love two more times before drifting off into a quiet slumber.

She drew in a deep breath, wondering which part of her was sorer, the area between her legs or her breast. Troy had given special attention to both areas through most of their sessions.

Deciding to get more sleep, she closed her eyes and immediately saw visions of them together. But it wasn't a recent image. She looked older and so did he and there were kids around. Whose kids were they? Certainly not theirs. Otherwise that would mean…

Her eyes sprang open, refusing to let such an apparition enter her mind. She would be the first to admit that what they'd shared last night had overwhelmed her, and for a moment she'd come close to challenging everything she believed about relationships between men and women. But the last thing she needed to do was get off-track. Last night was what it was, no more, no less.

"You're awake?"

Troy's voice sent sensations running across her skin. "Who wants to know?"

"The man who made love to you last night."

She shifted her body, turned to face him and immediately wished she hadn't. Fully awake he was sexy as sin. A half asleep Troy, with a stubble chin, drowsy eyes and long eyelashes, could make you come just looking at him.

"You're the one who did that to me last night, aren't you?"

A smile curved his lips, "I'm the one who plans to do that to you every night."

She chuckled, knowing he only meant until he got bored with her. Shifting she sat up a little to find Blue quietly resting at the foot of the bed. "I'm sorry we took over your bed," she winced shifting more so and bringing the blanket up with her to cover her chest. Jason use to hate it when Blue snuck into the bed with them, in fact throughout her marriage they slept with the bedroom door shut and Blue devotedly on the other side.

"Don't be," Troy shifted so that he was watching her, "I don't mind."

Gabriella lifted a hand to sooth her hair, suddenly aware of the fact that while he was look gorgeous her own appearance must be dreadful. Her morning hair never looked decent; in fact she never went to bed without pulling it back into a ponytail. Not that she had the option last night.

"I should really go," she murmured, "I need to get ready for work."

Troy chuckled as he placed a hand over her midsection, "It's Sunday."

"Oh," Gabriella looked down at his hand "Then I should go so you can sleep."

"How about you stay and I give you a foot rub?"

Gabriella began nibbling on her bottom lip. She needed to work on her book, usually she did that in the early mornings when he was still sleeping. She already had so many things she wanted to write about so many things she wanted to call Sharpay and talk about. How was she going to get out bed when he was asking her to stay and tempting her with foot rubs? A weakness he knew damn well she couldn't resist.

Maybe she should tell him?

As soon as the thought came to mind she mentally shook herself. Telling Troy about Brie Carmichael would only raise more questions than it answered, or worse, what if he laughed at her.

"Let me do that."

She lifted her gaze to his eyes when he interrupted her thoughts. "Let you do what?"

"This."

He leaned closer and began gently nibbling on her lips, then licking her mouth from corner to corner teasingly. When her lips parted on a breathless sigh, he entered her mouth to taste her fully. The kiss grew deeper, hotter and moments later when he pulled his mouth away he placed his fingers to her lips to silence her protest. "Stay."

When she finally nodded his lips curved into a wicked smile.

They didn't leave his bed until somewhere around noon and when she was finally free she gathered her laptop and Blue to head over to Sharpay's house. Needing distance to steady the butterflies in her stomach, time to process what happened last night without watching a shirtless Troy walk around tempting her with his smiles and touches.

"So just like that?" Sharpay said hoping up on to the kitchen counter. Her father was out golfing with Ryan leaving them alone to talk.

Gabriella cradled her cup of coffee at the kitchen table where she sat, "Just like that." She still couldn't believe what happened herself. She didn't know where to start analyzing. From the point of having sex in the kitchen over the very counter she ate at, actually spending the night in Troy's bed or spending the entire morning there.

"Well?"

Gabriella looked over at Sharpay, "What?"

"Why aren't you throwing your hat over a windmill or something?" Sharpay said leaning over and grabbing her wineglass. "You had sex, you liked it, and he still has all his teeth and a full head of hair. Why do you look like you chewed twine?"

"I wanted to tell him."

"Tell him?" Sharpay frowned, "Tell him what?"

"About Brie Carmichael," Gabriella said louder than she intended. She looked back at her laptop on the table then at Blue who was resting on the floor between them shifting his head from one paw to the other as he drifted back off to sleep.

"Why haven't you?"

Gabriella shrugged, "I not sure, I mean I know it's not a big deal but it feels like it is."

Sharpay was quiet as she lifted her wine glass up to her lips.

"Writing is such a large part of who I am, I just feel like I've been hiding it for so long that if I told him…" her voice drifted as she thought of the worst, best, and craziest endings for the scenario in her head. "I mean Jason-"

"Screw Jason." Sharpay rolled her eyes and crossed her left arm under her breast. "Jason was jerk, an idiot, and a cheat. He took advantage of you Gabriella."

"Exactly my point," Gabriella muttered.

"Troy isn't Jason, don't confuse sir sex-a-lot with sir cheating-money-stealing-prick."

Gabriella leaned back in her chair tucking a loose strain from her ponytail back behind her ear. "I've been lying to him all this time, writing about him, I mean even now."

"Whoa? You wrote about Troy before?"

Gabriella bit her lip as she looked down at her laptop with guilt.

"Gabriella?" Sharpay, "You've written about him before this?"

Gabriella stood up wrapping her arms around herself and letting out a sigh, "I think I've been writing about Troy for seven years."

"You think?" Sharpay reached for the open bottle of wine and refilled her glass, "Are you sure you just want coffee?"

"It's Sunday," Gabriella said letting her hands fall to her side.

"So what? Jesus drank wine, I'm sure we'd have been drinking buddies. Tell me more about your Troy infatuation."

Gabriella let out a huff as she brought a hand up to her temple, "I just always pictured him as a leading man." Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "I spend 8 hours a day in an office with him. He's a good friend, he has a way with women, and he's attractive."

"You were also married," Sharpay pointed out, "I thought you were writing about Jason? All that sexual tension and wild passion I thought…"

"Yeah. Not really," Gabriella made her way back to her chair, "Jason and I were comfortable with each other, we loved each other, we just didn't have that … spark."

"And you married him?"

Gabriella winced, "I was young, stupid, new in town, and with nowhere to go. I didn't know anything about sparks, sexual attraction or what I was feeling. It happened so fast I barely knew what was happening."

"Sparks like the ones between you and Troy?" Sharpay said quietly, "You didn't know you had feelings for Troy."

"I don't have feelings for anyone." Gabriella reached for her mug and brought it up to her lips, "I'm just divorced and lonely. Besides you called it, Troy is sir sex-a-lot, it will only be a matter of time before he moves on."

"Even a blind hog can find an acorn once in a while."

"What?" Gabriella said looking up at Sharpay, "I swear, sometimes I barely understand you."

Sharpay shook her head and took a sip of her wine. They were quiet for a moment as both girls listened to the sound of Blue's soft snores.

"Well, divorced and lonely or not. You should tell him the truth."

"I can't." Gabriella placed her mug down on the table, "I'm too embarrassed."

"You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a grown woman with needs and he's a grown man who cares a great deal about you. I've lived in this town with Troy Bolton my whole life and he's never been as careful with any of the females around here as he is with you."

"So what?"

"So that means something," Sharpay said coming down from the counter top, "You mean something to him and if you've been writing about him for seven years he must mean something to you too." Sharpay walked over to the table and placed her wine glass in front of Gabriella with the bottle. "Have drink, write, stay as long as you like. I won't bug you anymore. I got my own love life to fret about you need me I'll be sexting in the living room."

Troy sat back on the couch as Chad and some of the other guys from town hollered at the television. He hadn't been expecting company, or a mob of men to take over his house but when he answered the door and seen Chad with a case of beer and pizza. He couldn't turn him away.

"How's business going?" Chad asked as popped the top on another beer.

"It's going," Troy said with a shrug, "Gabriella's working on an ad for the paper."

"Sounds like a great idea," Jimmie said leaning forward for a slice of pizza, "I'll talk to Tiara about it, she's been trying her damnest to fill the paper but it's not like anything ever happens here in Panye Springs other than the occasional yard sale."

"Well that and Troy adding notches to that bedpost of his," Donny let out a laugh as he leaned back in his seat. "I seen Kelsi sniffing around the other day at that BBQ you threw."

"Kelsi Nielsen?" Jimmie asked.

"That's the one," Donny looked over at Troy, "you chop out a notch for her yet?"

"Kelsi's just a little lost is all," Chad said when Troy didn't answer, "That girls been in the bar and grill hitting on anything with a third leg."

"Kelsi and I don't mingle in that sense," Troy said with a raised brow, "We flirt here and there but we don't go there."

"I'd go there in a heartbeat if she looked my way," Donny said tipping his beer in Troy's direction.

"Kelsi's not like other girls Donny, you get her naked you better make it worth her while." Troy advised as he lifted his beer, "The girl talks."

"Don't all girls talk though?" Jimmie said with a laugh, "Sometimes I skim through the paper before it goes to print just to make sure Tara's not letting on to much in her self help column."

"Not my Taylor, she's a good girl." Chad reached for a slice of pizza.

"Taylor sells crotch-less panties for a living," Troy reminded as he tipped his beer in Chad's direction, "No one in town thinks she's not passionate."

"Or a good girl," Donny added with a chuckle.

Troy couldn't help but smile as well as he watched his best friend flip Donny off. Troy looked at his beer as he tuned out the conversation about football. Thoughts of last night came flooding back to him; there hadn't been one single part of Gabriella he hadn't wanted to devour, and all at the same time. He'd been greedy, and so had she. His woman had more passion in her body than she knew what to do with, and he was more than willing to school her in all the possibilities.

But he also knew he had to be careful. He didn't want her to start thinking that what was between them was more lust than love. His goal was to woo her every chance he got, which was why he'd made it a point to call the florist in town as soon as she had left this afternoon.

"How are things with Gabriella?" Chad's voice cut into his thoughts, "Has she driven you crazy yet?"

Troy shook his head as he smiled a bit. Gabriella had driven him crazy but in a way he'd rather not bring up to the guys. "Gabriella's been doing her own thing mostly."

"She's another one I'd love to get a chance with," Donny said with a sigh, "I don't know how you sleep at night with her underwear just in the other room."

"I sleep just fine," Troy said a little grimmer than he intended. He wasn't a stranger to hearing others talk about Gabriella, with all the attention her divorce got people brought her up every time they had a chance. Men expressed their interest in teaching her how to keep a man, women had blamed her for not being a good enough wife. He'd heard a lot of things he had to swallow and take with a grain of salt.

He really didn't care about what other people thought. He'd been living in Payne Springs all his life and he knew if you wanted to have any kind of peace in life, you had to shake off the rumors at the door and learn to smile and say you're God blesses even if you didn't mean it.

All that matter to him was that Gabriella was with him, wherever he was. And as he lifted his beer to his lips and listened to Jimmie telling Donny about Martha and Jason's sordid affair, he knew that making that happen was still his top priority.


	12. Chapter 12

"Will there be anything else, Ms. Westchester?" Gabriella asked as she wrote up the invoice.

"No that'll be it dear," the elder woman reached into her purse and begun digging around in search of her wallet.

"Well then it'll be $32.98," Gabriella said as she ripped the invoice from the booklet.

"Those are some very pretty flowers," the woman said once she had her wallet in hand. "A secret admirer?"

Gabriella glanced up at the older woman who'd come in this afternoon to get her windshield wipers replaced, "Something like that," Gabriella said looking at the flowers that had been delivered not long after she got in this morning. A dozen red roses. Why had he sent them? The card that accompanied them only had his signature on it. And what was more annoying was that they were simply beautiful, and the fragrance suffused the office.

"Are they from him?"

Gabriella jerked as she looked up at the older woman with surprise.

"You're not seeing him again are you?"

"Again?" Gabriella looked back at the flowers a little confused.

"Jason."

"Oh," Gabriella let out a sigh and lifted the invoice to hold it out for the older woman. "No Jason and I are over," she said with a tight smile. "There aren't enough flowers on earth for that to happen again."

"Oh good," the elder women said as she took the invoice and pulled some money out of her wallet. "So who are they from dear?"

"Not sure. No card," Gabriella said quietly.

When the older woman walked towards the door to leave, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair. She looked up at the flowers, she'd put them on her desk so that she could glance at them while she was working and appreciate their beauty.

Unfortunately, seeing them also made her think of the man who'd sent them. She threw her head back in frustration. She had to stop thinking of Troy and start concentrating on her work.

Gabriella watched as Mrs. Westchester left the office momentarily letting in the heat from the outside world into the cool room. Looking back up at her flowers she allowed herself five seconds of admiration before she let out a grunt and stood up determined to hide them.

"Good, you got the flowers."

Gabriella froze as she looked up to see Troy closing the door behind him. It was hardly the morning after sequence but given that it was the first time they were actually alone since Sunday afternoon when she left for Sharpay's it was essentially what the morning after feeling was all about. She pulled at her jean skirt a little not really confident in herself at the moment, but nowhere to hide from him.

"Why on earth did you send me flowers?" she heard her voice say as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Troy smirked, "Don't even try to act like you hate them," he said writing out something on his clipboard.

"I don't hate them."

"Then what does it matter why I sent them?" he countered tearing the slip off the note pad and handing it to her.

Gabriella glared at him as she took the slip. "This feels very relationship-ish Troy."

Troy let out a soft chuckle as he leaned close over the desk purposely invading her personal space. His eyes looking at her Troy's auto shop collar button up that suggestively hung open three buttons from the top. From this angle he could see the faint hint of his mark on her collar bone, and a possessive streak of pride ran through him like lighting. "Is this not a relationship of some sort?"

"You know what I mean," Gabriella said looking at the flowers, "you know I love red roses."

"Then what's wrong with me buying you red roses?" Troy said in low voice as his eyes came up to her lips.

"People are gonna start talking?"

"People are talking," Troy said standing up straighter and making his way over to the wall where he hung up his clip board. "We might as well give them something fun to talk about."

"Speak for yourself, I've been something to talk about for 14 months," she sighed, "Seriously, is it asking too much for a national disaster or mass murder to come rolling through town."

"People hear you talk like that," Troy said pointing at her with frown, "It's going to be another 14 months before they stop being afraid of you."

"Ha, ha, ha," she said placing the slip on a pile of others and then crossing her arms.

"You wanna go on lunch?"

Gabriella sighed as she grabbed her car keys, "What do you want this time?"

"I have something in mind, if you're up for it?" Troy said taking the keys from her hand.

Gabriella eyed him with caution, "maybe we should set some more ground rules," she said quietly, "I'm not an exhibitionist."

"Neither am I, but I was suggesting a picnic."

"You packed a lunch?"

Troy chuckled, "don't get excited it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some homemade lemonade."

"Sounds yummy," Gabriella said placing a hand on her hip, "So where is this picnic at?"

"Well, follow me." Troy held out an arm and Gabriella hesitated before she slowly looped her arm through it. Not really sure what to expect or what she should do about the butterflies in her stomach. It would be unbelievably easy to fall in love with a man like Troy.

She should know, for the last seven years she'd been writing about the kind of women who would. But there was something about him now, something different. She walked beside him stopping when he did at the door.

"Come on Blue, this wouldn't be the same without you."

Blue jumped up from his spot besides the desk galloping towards them with excitement. When they turned into the garage Gabriella frowned as she watched him pull down the garage door. His muscles flexing as he pulled the chain, encasing them in the privacy of garage. When everything was locked up he turned towards her with a small smile, "What's wrong? Scared?"

"A little?" she said watching him carefully. "Most horror movies start out this way."

"You're perfectly safe," he laughed as he wiped his hands on the rag from his back pocket.

She knew he was right. She could feel it in her bones, a sense of security settling over her as Troy walked towards her. Someone could make millions if they bottled up that feeling and sold it to frightened women everywhere.

Gabriella looked down at Blue who was standing beside her, his tail wagging lazily. "If he goes for my kidneys, I want you to go for his balls."

"Really?" Troy said as he made his way over to an old red and white convertible parked on the lift.

"Whose car is this?"

"Mine," he said casually opening the back door and motioning for Blue to hop in. "It's a restoration project I've been working on in my down time."

"It looks pretty," she said looking at the slick frame work. She knew very little about cars and what she did know she learned from working at the shop with Troy. She watched Troy close the door for Blue and before she could register what was happening he was walking towards her and ushering her towards the passenger seat.

"I don't understand," she said looking at him oddly, "I thought we were going on a picnic?"

He helped her into the car and shut the door, "With all the kindness in the world, shut up and let me surprise you."

Troy bent down shoving his hand underneath her pony tail and adjusting her so he could taste her lips, eagerly making a meal of her mouth and tasting her with a hunger he almost couldn't control. Thankfully with the door between them and stopping him from going any further he pulled away and reached into the back seat for the basket he placed their earlier.

Coming around he hoped in the driver's seat sitting the basket down between them on the bench seat and then taking hold of a small black box she hadn't noticed been sitting beside her. Granted after a kiss like that she wasn't sure of her own name for a second or what she was about to ask.

"Ready?"

Gabriella glanced over at him taking in his wicked smile, "For?"

"Our Picnic," he said hitting the button.

A loud noise startled her as she felt the ground beneath them jerk and then begin to rise causing her to grab hold of the dashboard. "Oh my god!"

Troy chuckled as they continued to rise into the air adjusting so he could reach a hand back and give Blue a scratch behind the ear. Once they were up high enough he stopped the lift and put the box on top of the dash board to the side.

"You alright?" he asked looking over at Gabriella once he was sure Blue was fine.

Gabriella was leaning over the edge looking down, "Holy shit," she said turning around to face him. "Do you do this all the time?"

"Only when I need to think," he said with a grin as he opened the basket and took out a bone for Blue. "Made sure I didn't forget about you buddy," he muttered reaching back to hand the bone to him.

Gabriella let out a sigh as she turned in her seat, "Troy this is epic," she said shifting so she could face him as he turned on the radio. Randy Houser softly filled the air about good night kisses as she openly admired the man sitting beside her. Troy Bolton was a man who might as well have walked right off the pages of one her books. Confident, sure, crazy with a smile that could cause such sin it should be condemned from daylight.

"I'm happy you like it, hopefully it will distract you from how ordinary our lunch is."

Gabriella laughed, "Nothing about you is ordinary, I'm surprised you even know the word," she said reaching in the basket for a sandwich. "How on earth are you still single?"

"You'd be surprised," he said with a crooked grin as he began to unwrap his sandwich.

Gabriella began to unwrap her sandwich as well, "So why didn't you ever settle down?"

It was quiet between for a moment as he thought about his response, "I guess you could say the right girl just hasn't been available to me."

"That just sounds like your being picky to me," she laughed as she leaned in for the first bite of her sandwich.

"Or I could just be sure of what I want," he said causally before leaning in and taking a bite from his own sandwich.

Gabriella licked her lips as she lifted a finger to swipe at some of the jelly in her sandwich, "What kind of girl are you looking for?"

Troy reached into bag and took out a thermos that held the lemonade. "One of a kind, someone who makes me feel like I'm exactly who I wanna be when I'm with her."

Gabriella watched as he poured the lemonade into the thermos cup, "So you're looking for her?"

"No," he said capping the thermos, after a moment of hesitation he spoke again. "I already know where she is, I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Who is she?" Gabriella's voice caught, and she disgusted it with a cough before reaching the cup he offered. The thought of Troy with other women always nerved her but she knew they never really meant anything to him. However the idea that he might be harboring feelings for someone else almost made her skin crawl.

"A friend," he offered with a shy smile.

"Oh," Gabriella said quietly as she lifted her cup to her lips, faces ran through her mind. Suddenly she was searching through the crowd for anyone she might have missed.

"What about you?" Troy asked quietly.

"I'm done with all that," Gabriella laughed softly as she looked down at her cup. "I really don't have any expectation when it comes to my love life anymore."

"Why?"

"I just feel like I have too much baggage at this point," she said letting out a sigh, "I mean I was married and I obviously wasn't good at, sexually my experience is-"

"Stop it."

Gabriella winced inwardly, embarrassed to let him see that she was in way over her head. Her few sexual experiences in the past bore no resemblance at all to what was happening between them. "Troy he cheated on me," she said with a shrug, "Obviously he didn't leave me because I was a temptress in the sheets."

"Some men just don't know how to handle a real woman when they have one," Troy said looking down at his sandwich, looking back up at her he caught her eyes before she could look away from him. "There is nothing wrong with you."

"How are you so sure?" She asked almost breathlessly.

Troy wrapped up the last of his sandwich and dropped it in bag before reaching across the bench seat for her sandwich and wrapping it up as well to put it away. Once their hands were free he pulled her towards him and she came willingly not really sure what to expect.

When his lips smashed down on hers, she could almost feel the electric current running through her body from the touch. She was helpless to him, not able to resist the way he devoured her mouth like a starved man. He slanted his head taking the kisser deeper still as he removed the cup from her hands, once free she wrapped her arms around him. Enjoying the feeling of him pressed against her. She moaned deep in her throat when she felt the warmth of his fingers on her bare thigh and wondered when had he slid his hand under her skirt?

When those fingers began inching toward her center, instinctively she shifted her body closer to his. The move immediately parted her thighs.

As if his fingers were fully aware of the impact they were having on her, they moved to stake claim on her most intimate part. As his fingers slid beneath the waist band of her panties, she released another moan when his hand came into contact with her womanly folds. They were moist and she could feel the way his fingertips were spreading her juices all over it before he dipped a finger inside her.

The moment he touched her there she pulled her mouth away from his to throwback her head in one deep moan. But he didn't let her mouth stay free for long. He recaptured it as his fingers caressed her insides in a way that almost made her weep, while his mouth continued to ply her with hungry kisses.

Suddenly she felt sensations that started at her midsection and then spread throughout her body like tentacles of fire, building tension and strains of sensuous pressure in its wake. Her body instinctively pushed against his hand just as something with in her snapped and then exploded, sending emotions, awareness and all kinds of feelings shooting all through her, flooding her with ecstasy.

When the feelings became too strong she pulled away from his mouth her finger shifting through his hair as he came closer to her watching her as she watched him. His eyes roaming her face as he continued to push her over the edge. "That's it. Come for me Brie," he slurred thickly just above her mouth. "You feel it, me working your body, making it do what I want it too," he said increasing the rhythm, "I'm so unbelievably hard for you, watching you come apart for me."

"Troy," she whispered, the brink of her climax just about ready to spill over.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "Sexy, you should be made love to everyday."

A look of such tenderness appeared on Troy's face, it took her breath away to think it was directed at her. "Oh Brie, you have no idea how you look after I've made you come. You wear your happiness on your face for hours afterwards.

Had any man ever touched her with just a whisper the way he had with such caring tenderness. The answer was easy. Absolutely not.

"This afternoon, when you go back to work, you're going to have that soft smile on your face and that glow in your eyes. Your skin will be flushed and you'll be a little slow and dreamy in your movements, like your body is there, but every other part of you, heart, mind and soul, is right … back… here."

With the last few final stokes she completely came apart letting out a deep piercing scream, unable to hold back. Muffling her cry he took her mouth again and he kept kissing her in this devouring way until she felt deliciously sated and her body ceased its trembling. He finally released her mouth, but not before he gave her a few parting chase kisses on her bottom lip.

It was then that she opened her eyes, feeling completely drained but totally satisfied. Quietness settled around them the faint voice of Blake Sheldon thanking god for giving him someone played in the background and she peered over the seat to see Blue fast asleep with his bone in his mouth.

Had she fallen asleep? Was this a dream? Had they really just done what she thought they did? Had she really allowed herself to be fingered in the front seat of his car? A car suspended high up in the air? Thoughts of other sexual acts came to mind before she could stop herself. She wasn't supposed to be doing this. Being with Troy should be light and fun, sexually appetizing and freeing. She shouldn't be allowing herself to think of him in future terms. Her heart shouldn't feel so heavy with feelings she couldn't possibly begin to short out in the front seat of his car while he was so close to her.

Her eyes shifted towards him and she was a little stunned to find him still watching her. Heat filled her face and she wonder if he saw it. At least he had no idea what she was thinking. Or did he? He hadn't said anything yet. He was just staring at her and licking his lips. She felt like she should say something, but at the moment she was speechless.

Troy's nostrils flared from the scent of a woman who'd been pleasured in the most primitive way. He would love to strip her naked and taste the dewy essence of her. To brand her with his tongue and make her keep screaming his name, like so many dreams he had over the years.

She was still staring at him as if she was trying to figure out why and how this thing had happened. He would allow her time to do that, allow her time to get acquainted with the idea that he was the one who gave her such pleasure.

"We shouldn't have done that," she said quietly.

Troy raised a brow, curious as to how she could say such a thing while his hand was still inside of her? Maybe she had forgotten where his fingers were because they weren't moving. He flexed them, and when she immediately sucked in a deep breath her gaze darkened with desire, he knew he'd succeeded in reminding her.

And while she watched, he slid his hand from inside her and moments later he brought it to his lips and licked every finger that had been inside her. "I'd have to disagree with you."

He saw her throat move when she swallowed with her eyes still latched onto his. "This is all very overwhelming."

"But it's what you wanted isn't it?" he said, "something other than just vanilla."

"Yes but," Gabriella eyes fell to his lips and she took her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. "I don't want you to feel obligated-"

He reached out and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I would never feel obligated or take advantage of you, Gabriella. I'm not that kind of guy. No matter what we're doing, you always have a right to say no." A part of him hoped she would never say no to any direction their attraction might lead.

"I would never think that of you," Gabriella said quietly, "you would never take advantage of me."

Troy was quiet for a moment as he watched her closely. He'd been fighting with himself all morning with his next thought. Debating the real rights and wrongs about what he was doing. Troy took a deep breath as he settled a little more comfortable beside her, "That's good, because I've been thinking about you're situation."

"Situation?" Gabriella raised a brow.

Troy closed his eyes for a moment as he looked off into the distance, not ready to meet her eyes or come to terms with what he was about to suggest just yet. Just because you know something was the right something to do didn't mean it was any easier to do it. "Maybe you need to start dating again."

Gabriella eyes shot open, "Excuse me?"

Troy shifted in the seat reaching over and taking her hand in his, "Relax."

"Are you bored already?" she asked unable to keep the horrified gasp from her voice. They just barely begun and he was already trying to get rid of her. That was it. It was over.

Troy let out a laugh, "No," he said quietly pulling her closer to him, "Has anyone ever told you, you shouldn't believe everything you think."

Gabriella, who was still tense, looked at the dashboard of the car. "I don't understand what's happening, why do you suddenly want me to see other people, you wanted to be exclusive."

"I do," Troy said quietly, "So you have to promise me that if you feel like you're going to sleep with someone you have to tell me."

"Now I'm sleeping with someone else?" Gabriella jerked upright turning around to face him, "What the hell Troy. What about five seconds ago when your hand was up my skirt? Do you think that happens every time I leave the house because I assure you no one is –"

"Gabriella," he said cutting her off, "You don't understand. I want to be able to give you what you need and I intend to be the man that gives you everything you've ever wanted, but you're never going to be sure about what you want, if you don't put yourself out there for opportunity."

"Is this about me working here?"

"This is about you being more than just the girl at the front desk. More than just someone ex-wife, I want you to have something that's yours."

"I have a life," Gabriella said a little frustrated. She was Brie freaking Carmichael for crying out loud. New York's Best Selling author and Payne Springs best kept secret. Gabriella opened her mouth to speak.

"You know I told Jimmie about the ad you're writing for the paper," Troy smiled.

Gabriella's face fell. "You did."

"Yeah and he said there having a hard time filling the paper," Troy let out a sigh as he gave her a knowing look, "I know how much you like to write I think you should take the job."

Ice made its way through her veins, "You know I like to write."

"Well you're not playing solitaire all day," Troy laughed playfully, "I know you type a lot."

"Right," Gabriella let out a sigh as she lifted a hand to brush back a stray strand from her temple.

_He intended on being the man who gave her everything she wanted? _ A puzzled Gabriella walked into the office, Blue quietly making his way over to his bed as he laid down with his bone. Coming to the desk she looked at the flowers. When had he decided that? Before their deal? During their first kiss? Or after that last one?

She shook her head. It definitely hadn't been before the deal. She pulled in a deep breath, not really certain of anything at the moment. Slowly she sunk down into her chair as she looked at the blank screen of her laptop. She'd always noticed him as a man from afar, but only in the complimentary way, since she'd always assumed that he was taken. But she'd be the first to admit that she was beginning to see Troy Bolton in a whole different light.

Touching the pad on her laptop she watched the screen come to life. A thought came to mind a slow burning idea in the back of her mind. Something that Sharpay had said last night.

_I've lived in this town with Troy Bolton my whole life and he's never been as careful with any of the females around here as he is with you. _

Gabriella shook her head, she'd be foolish to start believing dreams like that. She married his best friend after all. What would people think? What did people already think?

Gabriella looked down at her trembling hands slowly. It was no use to pretend. She wanted him. And falling in love with him would be as easy as breathing. Certain heartbreak loomed ahead like a deadly reef. But she refused to look in that direction. Instead she opened up the word document on her screen and she began going to work on someone else's life. Putting together the pieces of someone else's broken heart and shelving her own problems for the time being.


	13. Chapter 13

"I don't know what I expected," Gabriella said sitting down at the booth beside Sharpay and in front of Taylor. "But I didn't expect him to be so…"

"Charming?" Taylor supplied.

"Sex on a stick like?" Sharpay corrected.

"It's not just the sex," Gabriella said lifting her beer, "It the way he looks at me. I feel guilty. He wants me to find myself"

"Wow, I mean, I had no idea Troy was such a romantic," Taylor said as she looked down at her drink and then furrowed her dark brows. "So what are you so confused about? I think everything sounds perfect."

Sharpay let out a long sigh, "Well, Maybe you need to tell him."

"Tell him what?" Taylor said looking from one girl to the other, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Gabriella said shooting a Sharpay a warning glance, "I just feel like I'm …"

"Sleeping with your husband's best friend," Taylor said.

"Ex-husband." Sharpay lifted her glass and bent the straw towards her, "Just this morning while I was serving Mrs. Patterson, she was talking to Mrs. James about that lip action you two had at the bonfire."

"Tell me about it," Gabriella let sigh as she looked at her beer, "I hid inside a bathroom stall while Kelsi and some Redhead discussed the possibility of Troy having sympathy on me."

"You know that's not true," Taylor said holding out a hand and placing on her own.

"Do I?" Gabriella said looking at Sharpay and Taylor with disbelief, "admit it, I look nothing like the kind of girl Troy's normally sneaking around with. In all honesty, I look like I could be two of them rolled into one. I mean come on I had to demand that he have sex with me, literally begged him to."

"Define begging," Sharpay questioned.

"Gabriella don't be ridiculous, there is nothing wrong with the way you look." Taylor frowned over towards Sharpay, "Troy wouldn't do that to you."

"He wants me to see other people."

Sharpay winced, and Taylor sharpened another pointed look.

"Honestly, what did you expect to happen?" Sharpay said with frown, "you wanted a no strings attached fling, kissing in public around here is a one way ticket to string city. Someone probably said something, Troy's probably freaking out."

"Yeah, and you would know all about that little Miss walking around town in the middle of night with your boss," Taylor said leaning back in her booth seat, "Seriously, have you both lost your mind?"

Sharpay smirked as she placed her glass down on its coaster, "I'm not looking for a fling, and I already told you he wants to take things slow, because he's my boss," Sharpay said the last part with a small amount of disappointment.

"You like him?" Gabriella said with a smile.

"No," Sharpay said with a small grin that was slowly growing, "I love him."

"What has he said?" Taylor said lurching forward to invest in the conversation more personally.

"I haven't told him yet."

"Are you waiting for him to say it first?" Taylor asked bringing her beer to her lips.

"I'm not sure," she said quietly.

Taylor looked back at Gabriella, "How do you feel about Troy?"

Gabriella shrugged, "For starters, Troy's exclusive dating stuff borders on commitment and you guys know how I feel about relationships and then he wants to me to see other people."

"Okay but that aside, what's happening there, are you falling for him? I mean you guys are involved and Troy has always been upfront with you." Taylor explained with a frown, "Have you? Don't you think he deserves the same? Have you thought about that?"

Yes, she thought about it. "I wouldn't consider us involved," she said quietly, "So I don't see any reason to tell Troy anything then what I've already told him. Actually the more I think about it the more I realize he was right. This whole idea was a huge mistake."

Sharpay rolled her eyes, "It's only a mistake because it's making you realize you care a lot more about him then you thought you did. I think this was a great idea."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she lifted her drink and drained it, "I'm gonna go order some wings and get another beer, anyone want anything?"

"Make it two orders of wings," Sharpay said looking down at her drink.

"Coming right up," Gabriella shifted to get up making her way through the small crowd and to the bar. Once she had both hand flat on the bar's surface she looked around for Chad finding him as he brought out a crate filled with glasses.

"Hey bar keep," she shouted to be heard, "What's a girl gotta do to get service?"

Chad smirked as he tucked a rag into his back pocket and made his way over, "Hey Gabs, what do you girls need?"

"I need a Bud Light, and can we get two orders of your buffalo wings, with ranch."

"For you," Chad said reaching under for a Bud Light, "I'll throw in an order of fries."

"Thanks," she said taking the beer from him. She watched as he wrote down the ticket for her food and gave her a number for her table.

Just as she was about to turn she was stopped by intense feeling she couldn't describe. "You're still glowing you know," his voice was raspy as he whispered in her ear.

Gabriella spun around holding her beer tightly to her chest, "Troy?" her heart seemed to flutter and her stomach did a flip making her ankles feel weak.

"Didn't think you'd be here tonight," he said tucking a hand in his pocket. Damn, how he'd love to see that smile every day. Wake up to it, go to bed with it. Any other time, that thought would have scared the shit out of him. But whenever he thought about it being Gabriella there was a calm and ease in that thought.

Up until a few years ago, he'd never cared if he went to bed alone or woke up by himself, as long as he'd gotten laid. Then the instantaneous satisfaction sex had offered began to become too quick for his liking. Something was missing, someone was missing. It was almost hopeless to think there would ever be a day between them were he might actually see her look at him the way she was right now.

It made him want to kiss her, to instantly claim her as his in front of everyone here. He'd waited so long to see that look in her eyes and there it was staring back at him. The same, it-always-been-you glaze that he felt in his heart, her flushed cheeks, meek smile and small but visible tremble in her hands, in all the years he'd known her she'd never looked at him like that before.

"I thought I'd spend some time out tonight, give you some space." Gabriella murmured awkwardly.

"Right," he said with a lazy smile, "I thought the same about you."

"Troy," Donny came over patting Troy on the back in greeting. "What's up man?"

"Not much," Troy said pulling away from their man hug and nodding his head towards Gabriella, "Brie you know Donny don't you?"

"Yeah," she nodded meekly, "he owns the rustic looking ford that comes in once a month."

"Guilty," Donny chuckled, "How are you holding up?"

Gabriella let out a long breath as she looked back over to where the girls were waiting on her. "I'm holding up just fine."

"Yeah," Troy said placing a hand on Gabriella's shoulder, "The rat bastard, wherever he is I hope he gets diarrhea. Stinky ass bubble guts that make Martha want to puke."

Gabriella smiled, "I hope they both get the squirts."

Donny made a face as he looked at both of them with confusion, "So how much longer are you going to deny the rumors?"

"Rumors?" Troy asked looking at Gabriella then Donny.

"How long have you been dating?" Donny asked playfully nudging Troy.

"Oh," Troy said rubbing his side, "we're not dating."

"Really?" Donny said a little taken aback.

"Really," Gabriella and Troy say in unison.

"So you wouldn't mind if I asked Gabs out then?" he questioned Troy almost as if he was testing him.

Troy gestured to Gabriella "Be my guest."

"Well, thanks for your permission, Dad." Gabriella's eyes darted towards him, more confusion then murder in them.

"So what do say Gabs? How about we go out for dinner?" Donny said fumbling through his sentence.

"I don't know," she said quietly, "It's a little soon-"

"Nonsense," Troy interrupted, "it's just about time, and in fact she was just telling me she wanted to get back into the dating pool."

"Did I?" Gabriella said clutching her beer tighter.

"Well, I'd love to take you out," Donny looked at Gabriella with a smile, "If that's alright with you?"

Gabriella snapped her attention back to Donny, as if registering for the first time that he was standing there. What on earth was Troy doing? She wasn't ready to date; she sure as hell wasn't ready to go out with Donny, not when she was with Troy.

Gabriella looked back at Troy with a frown on her face as she slowly came to a realization. She wasn't dating Troy. Nor was he dating her. She still had no claim to him as he had no claim to her. It was what she asked for, wasn't it?

"Sure," Gabriella heard herself say as she forced a smile to come to her lips. "I'd like that."

"Great," Donny exclaimed unable to hide his excitement, "I'll call you tomorrow to set something up."

"Can't wait," she said forcing her legs to work so that she could move from this spot and get back to the booth.

Troy watched her as she made her way back to the table, shifting himself he faced Donny who was doing some sort of victory dance. Rage almost made him want punch Donny in the face or at least in the groin to ensure he'd be out of business for their date.

"You have no idea how much you owe me," Troy muttered as he shoved his fisted hand into his pocket. Troy made his way to the bar and was greeted with a glass of whiskey.

"You're either really stupid or up to something," Chad said wiping down the bar in front of him.

"She needs be sure," Troy said quietly taking the drink and drowning it whole, "She can't be sure of what she's feeling about me until she gets out there and sees how she feels about someone else."

"Donny?" Chad said in a low voice.

"I'm not worried about Donny, I just want her to figure out this mess and come home to me where she belongs damn it."

Chad bit his bottom lip and shook his head as he tossed the rag up over his shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Don't for one minute forget that I actually pay my tab. Pour me another drink skip the ice."

"Yes sir."

Troy took his usual seat at the corner of the bar, squared perfectly so he could see both the television screen and the front door. With a small turn he could even toss a sideways glance and watch Gabriella staring at him as well. No doubt about it, that little frown on her face was gonna come back to haunt him once she got him alone.

Of course the idea of Gabriella and Donny together made him want to break something into a million little pieces. He didn't want Gabriella going out with anyone let alone Donny. Troy reached for the bowl of pretzels and glanced over at the door before looking up at the television.

"So," Chad said coming over with Troy's drink and placing it on the bar top. "You got a ride home or am I cutting you off after that."

Troy lifted the glass as he reached into his pocket and placed his keys on the counter top.

Chad looked at his keys and let out a sigh as he took them and put them in his apron pocket. "You know you could just tell her you love her already and save the rest of us the grief."

"She's not ready," Troy mumbled popping a pretzel into his mouth and watching the game on the television. "You don't know her like I do."

"She's a woman Troy," Chad said as he moved to turn away. "You don't know her, like you think you do."

Later that night after four more drinks, he made a trip to the bathroom and on the way back out he felt two hands push against his chest and he fell back against the wall with a thud, "What the hell?"

"I could ask you the same question!"

Troy blinked a few times before focusing on Gabriella who was staring at him with that frown just above her brow. "What's wrong?" he mumbled.

"We're going home."

"Why?" he said bringing a hand up to rub the back of his head.

"Because, I've got somewhere to be in the morning and I'll be damn if I'm gonna leave you here drunk off your ass."

Troy let out a breath as he leaned his head back on the wall, "Go home Brie, Chad has my keys."

"I have your keys," she said pulling them out of her purse, "come on let's go."

"I'm fine really," Troy slurred a little as took a step to the side.

"Troy," Gabriella sighed, "Don't make me kick you in the balls."

"What?" Troy placed a hand on the wall to steady the room, "Go home Brie."

Gabriella linked her arm under his, "Don't be stupid, besides there's like three blondes eyeing you like the last drum stick on the turkey at thanksgiving. Like hell I'm going to leave you with them." She pushed him up and he sagged against her. His body on hers felt hard and strong.

When they came out to the bar Troy spotted Chad, "Traitor!"

"You'll thank me for this later!" Chad called back as handed a beer to someone.

"Not likely." Troy turned his attention to Gabriella who was helping him to the door. "Where's your truck?"

"I didn't drive here, Sharpay gave me a ride."

Once they were outside Gabriella helped him over to the truck. "Are you alright to drive?"

Gabriella shook her head as she pushed him against the truck and fished the keys out of her purse, "I'm fine to drive, Troy."

"Do you know you're stunning when you're pissed off?"

Gabriella found the keys and narrowed her eyes at him as she hit the button to unlock the doors. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

"No," he said lifting his hands and placing them on her hips, "You're the only woman whose ever been pissed off at me."

Gabriella let out a breath, "Really, I find that hard to believe. Remember last year when Riley Thompson egged the front door."

Troy let out a chuckle, "She wasn't pissed off, she was just upset I didn't call her back the next day," Troy leaned in and Gabriella pulled back placing her hands on his shoulder and gently pushing him back.

"Not your best pick up line," she said tapping his chest lightly.

"My romantic track record's not exactly one for the books," he offered with a frown as his hands stood firmly in place on her hips.

"Troy people can see and I think we should just get home before anymore rumors spread."

"Would being with me be the worst rumor in the world?" Troy said with a huff.

Gabriella felt her inside clench a little as she watched his features soften under the parking lot's soft lighting "No, believe it or not whenever you're around everything seems to be roses and fairy tales, true love all around as impossible as that maybe."

"Why is it impossible?"

"Troy," she placed her hands on his hands and gently pulled them off of her waist as she reached for the door, "Let's not talk about this right now."

Gabriella got the passenger door open and before she could turn around to help him in he was standing behind her, using his body to trap her against the open door of the truck. "Why is falling in love impossible?"

She sighed as she felt the warmth rolling off his body. "Falling in love isn't the problem," she murmured. "It's the staying in love part that I don't have much faith in."

"I have two parents, four grandparents and about twenty aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who'd day you're wrong about that."

Gabriella looked him dead in the eyes, a hard, skeptical glint appearing in those big brown eyes. "And I have a broken marriage that proves otherwise. Or did you forget that unlike you, who's so ready to hand out advice about how I should be living my life, I've already done the "I do's and until death do us part.'"

Confused he waited for her to continue.

"My life didn't just fall apart, it blew up. I'm still living in your guest bedroom, still answering question about how I'm handling things and still the only rumor running around town. Excuse me if I'm not racing towards the next opportunity to get back out there and have it happen again. Girls who look like me have to be realistic, we have fantasies, not actual happily-ever-afters."

Troy frowned, his eyes dropping down to her lips, women hated being objectified, and he knew that. And Troy had never, ever, treated any woman like a sexy body with a head stuck on it. but pausing to appreciate the soft mouthwatering curves on this particular one had been instinctive to him as drawing in his next breath of fresh June air.

She'd noticed. He'd noticed her noticing. Even now his hands tightened and his mouth hungered at the thought of watching her shimmy out of that little blue cocktail dress she was wearing. He'd even wager she'd be wearing something very black, very silky and very sinful underneath it. The thought of exactly what that might look like against the unbelievably lush curves of her body was enough to keep his imagination racing and libido roaring.

"We really don't have to continue this façade."

"What façade?" He said leaning in slowly.

"This… Obviously you didn't actually have this in mind for us. It's why your setting me up with Donny, Surely one of those blondes are more your style and the only reason we feel like this is because I begged you too, it not out of any real interest or" her voice faltered for the first time at how close he was, "attraction."

"Speak for yourself."

Her pulse fluttered visibly in her throat.

"I am incredibly attracted to you." He knew he risked scaring her off again but could be nothing but honest. There was no way he would continue to let her go on believing that he was only here because of some obligation or Donny.

His hips rested against hers comfortably and she could feel the rush inside her. "Troy, let's go home. You're drunk and I'm tired." Gabriella pushed him back and he let out a sigh as he got into the truck with ease letting her close the door. Gabriella made her way around the truck wiping a small tear from her eye as she concentrated on just getting home and not everything else she had to deal with.


	14. Chapter 14

Gabriella let out a sigh as she shifted deeper into the tub of bubbles in the bathroom awash with candlelight. She tried to empty her mind. She slowly sipped from a glass of wine and let the water ease away her cares and worries, hopping one of her greatest pleasures would distract her from her thoughts running rampant through her head. She'd been soaking for a half an hour, adding hot water when it became lukewarm, nursing the glass so she wouldn't have to step out too early.

Her mind, however, wasn't cooperating. Instead it kept going over everything that had happened in the last three weeks. From the first time their lips had touched all the way to last night when he'd almost kissed her in the parking lot of Chad's place. This whole thing was just an exchange of sexual favors wasn't it? The kissing only rule had been obliterated, the dating rules had changed, and she was completely in control of the situation getting exactly what she wanted.

"Liar," she murmured, sinking deeper, watching the way the slick water caressed the curves of her breast, making her skin shimmer and gleam in the candlelight.

Her writing on the other hand, she'd been typing away all day furiously like a crazy composer at a piano. After all those fits and false starts, the book was shaping up. The words were literally pouring out of her in an unstoppable whirlwind. She usually worried about the quality of her writing, but she had a giddy feeling that this was the best thing she'd ever written. The pacing was brisk, the dialogue was snappy, and the characters were awesome. Georgia and Tucker fairly sizzled on the page.

Not as much as she and Troy sizzled in real life, but it was close.

Of course, she didn't write everything she and Troy did. No one would believe how great the reality was. She didn't really believe it. She'd never met anyone like Troy before. Troy could have been a jerk about this proposal of hers, rubbing it in her face. Using her for sex and having his wicked way with her whenever he wanted too. But he hadn't been. He'd made her feel relaxed. He'd made her smile. Made all her inhibitions disappear, at least for a little while.

Gabriella wasn't used to having a man take the lead in a relationship. The last time she'd done it she ended up walking in on Martha bent over the arm of her couch. Couches that she had liked very much and had gladly let Jason take in the divorce. She'd never be able to sit on them again anyway.

Maybe in the end her writing was to blame for the failure of her marriage. Maybe the reason Jason had found attention from Martha was because she hadn't been giving him enough of it at home. Her lips quivered a bit as she bit down on them.

Lifting her hand she looked at her naked ring finger. She knew all the reasons her and Troy would never work. But she couldn't bring herself to believe them. How could she forget the pain her heart had gone through? If she was wise she'd call it a day and tell Troy she'd had enough. Surely she could finish the book on her own.

The only problem was that she was never going to be able to forget all the emotions that came along with being with Troy. Never feeling his hands on her again, never looking across the room again and sharing an inside joke, never tasting his kiss again. While she'd never admit it out loud, she had almost fallen for him.

"Almost?" she whispered. "When did you become such a liar?"

Blowing at a bubble on the puckered tip of her breast, she reached up and lightly brushed it away, acknowledging, at least here in the privacy of her bathroom, how much she wanted the hand on her body to be Troy's.

What would Troy think of her writing? What would he think about this book she was working on now? What if she did tell him the truth? The real truth? Would it hurt his feelings? Would it destroy everything they had? Knowing that not only had she been writing about him this whole time, falling hopelessly and devastatingly in love with him?

She wondered about what Sharpay had told her. Wondered about Troy and this mystery woman that he mentioned earlier. Suddenly the thought of Troy with another woman bothered her a lot more than she wanted to admit and the thought of this thing between them just being a fluke… that hurt almost as much as if she been holding her breath for too long. Gabriella looked at her toes as they poked out above the water, what if they could make it work? What if she could convince him that this thing between them was meant to be more?

Her fingers were soft and smooth and easy as they slid down, beneath the water, gliding across her wet skin. His were big and strong and would feel deliciously rough.

"Especially here," she whispered, closing her eyes as she touched herself even more intimately. In her mind, though, the touch was all his. And within moments, the possibilities playing in her mind had her thrusting against her own fingers, longing to be filled but taking the only from of pleasure she could mange at the moment. Gabriella sighed, gasped, stroked the lips of her sex and the hard nub of flesh at the top of it, wondering how on earth she'd ever go so long without his hands on her again.

There was only one pair of hands she wanted. One mouth. One body. One person she visualized as she spiraled towards a climax.

The tension built like a carefully tended fire before erupting in a soft wave of pleasure that had her shaking and gasping for breath, even as she whispered one word, over and over.

His name.

She hadn't even floated back to earth when she was interrupted by the sound of someone letting out a sharp breath. Turning towards the doorway she saw Troy standing there watching her intently. With a shriek she sank deeper into the water so that she was she was covered from the chin down in bubbles.

"I thought I heard you call me," he said quietly as he held up a towel he hand in his left hand. "I thought you probably forgot a towel."

If she wasn't absolutely she he'd save her, she'd sink even further and drown herself.

They quietly stared at each other for a moment, she didn't know what to say or what to do. Embarrassment was making her entire body throb with a numbing sensation. How long had he been there? How much did he see? What had she looked like? How loud was she? Questions kept filling her mind but her lips remained tightly wired shut.

Troy took a step forward into the bathroom and placed the towel on the vanity counter of the sink. "Dinner should be done soon."

Gabriella nodded as she watched him leave the bathroom closing the door behind him. The instant he was gone she reached for her wine glass and drowned it entirely. Get it was as if she been given the kiss of death, a man she was sexually active with had walk in on an intimate moment and had he shown any interest? No is only concern had been running for the door.

Letting out a groan she shifted downward submerging herself entirely in the bathtub of bubbles.

Downstairs Troy set the table slowly as he adjusted his pants for the fourth time. Of all the things in the world to walk in that image was going to be burned into his brain until the day he died. Hell if he died in the next ten minutes he'd be happy to have just been a witness to something as beautiful and powerful as Gabriella pleasuring herself with his name on her lips.

He made his way to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine, turning around he stepped over Blue who had decided to fall asleep right in the middle of the kitchen.

"I suppose you don't have a wine preference do you?" Troy commented as he placed the bottle on the table. Turning around he made his way to the oven and pulled out the roast beef putting it on top of the stove for cooling. Tomorrow night was her date with Donny, and he was going to make damn sure that even if she was out with him he was a predominate thought on her mind.

Donny had stopped by the garage with his Ford earlier today to brag about his big plans to take Gabriella out to fair that had set up in middle of town. So today he made it a point to do some shopping before coming home. She'd been working on something upstairs on her laptop before she'd announced she was going to take a bath. He'd been working on dinner for a while making sure everything was perfect.

Was he cheating at his own game? Hell yes, Donny wouldn't have a shot in the dark if he had anything to say about it.

Gabriella walked into her bedroom and quietly shut the door behind her, the red color on her cheeks had yet to disappear and her knees were trembling. Blue was no longer on the bed where she left him, instead was a bag with a red ribbon tied around the handle. Not entirely sure what to expect she arched her brow and walked towards the bag.

There was a note left beside the bed, she recognized Troy's penmanship and a smile began to grow on her lips as she unfolded it.

_Tonight is our whatever number 4_

_I've wined and dined you at a fancy restaurant, taken you on a traditional tractor ride, like ever country woman should experience, and showed you one of my secret hide a ways from the world. Tonight I want to cook you a meal. Don't argue. Don't say anything. Everything you need is in the bag. Come down when you're ready. _

Gabriella looked up from the letter a bubbled excitement riding under her fingers and she pulled the ribbon from the bag. Looking inside she reached in and pulled out a bottle of lotion. Curiosity filled her and she opened it and sampled the Mango and crème fragrance. Reaching in next she pulled out the matching perfume and couldn't help but giggle a little. How long had it been since she received perfume from a man? Had Jason ever brought her perfume?

Tilting the bag she looked inside and pulled out a silk orange red fabric that turned out to be a dress. Surprise fluttered through her as she turned to the mirror and held it against her body. She never pick anything like this for herself. This was bold, loud and full of color. She'd owned nothing like it in her entire closet.

Troy nervously awaited down stairs as he and Blue kept their eyes on the stairs. He really wasn't sure if after their bathroom experience she'd come down at all. He'd give her another minute or so before going up to check on her. Not really knowing what else to do he lifted the lighter and lit the two candles on the table.

"Hey?"

Troy's hand jerked and he almost knocked the candle over. Reaching out carefully he righted it and let out a breath as he turned to face her. She looked perfect. Her hair was pulled up in a sloppy bun that left curls cascading around her face and against the nape of her neck. The color of the dress against her skin made her glow like angel glow should look like. A tight twist of pride coursed through him as he as she took a step towards him.

Mine.

It was all he could think about as she stood there smiling at him tenderly, her eyes filled with sparkle that stole every bit of light from the room. She was everything he could ever image and everything he could ever want. Just her. Only her.

"Say something please?" she murmured nervously.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as you."

Gabriella let out a huff, "I'm sure that not true."

"Gabriella," he said quietly as he took a step towards her, "I wouldn't be able to lie about something like that; the very truth is that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on. No one can take my breath away like you can."

Gabriella inhaled sharply as he stopped right in front her his hands coming out to gently reach out and stroke her cheek. "You really think so."

"If I have to wait any longer to kiss you I might die on the spot."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

His lips came down softly on hers, taking her inside his arms and wrapping his arms around her body. His hands open as they sprayed across the silk fabric separating their skin to skin contact. She was warm, soft and plush against him. He could get lost in a woman who felt this damn good.

A moan escaped her lips and she felt him pull back from their kiss but thankfully not his hold. Her hands came up to his shoulders resting there as he held onto her, a feeling that filled her with so much overwhelming emotion that all she could do was stare up at this man she'd known for seven years and wondered how she gone without.

"Before this goes any further there's something I have to tell you."

"Dinner first," Troy insisted as he unwrapped his hold on her, taking her hand he brought her to the table and pulled out her chair.

Gabriella let out a breath as she took a seat in the chair, Blue quietly padded across the kitchen and claimed his spot beneath her. Using her bare feet she rubbed the top of his back causally as she waited for Troy to reveal their meal.

"Ready?"

Gabriella nodded slowly, "Yes,"

Pulling the cover off, he revealed her plate, pot roast and mash potatoes with steamed vegetables. Gabriella inhaled the smell of the food her mouth instantly watering with delight. "I had no idea you could cook something like this?"

"It's my mom's old recipe."

"Wow," Gabriella whispered as she looked down at her plate, "This is amazing."

"Well dig in," he smiled as he took a seat next to her.

Gabriella looked down at her plate, "you're just full of surprises," she said glancing over at him.

"My mother always told me I should know how to make one impressive dish."

"She was right," Gabriella grinned as she picked up her fork.

"Tell me something about your mother," Troy asked softly.

Gabriella was quiet for a moment as she pushed around some of the food on her plate before lifting a fork full of vegetables to her lips. Her facial expression shifted, and he could barely make out anything as she chewed slowly lost in her own thoughts.

"Brie,"

Gabriella's eyes shifted to his and she smiled instantly. "My mother was in love with love," she said with a sly grin, "She read trashy romance novels and she watched every romantic comedy ever produced."

Troy laughed unexpectedly.

"She used to tell me that falling in love with my father was like falling asleep, slowly then suddenly all at once."

"What about your dad?"

"My father was very old school," Gabriella said reaching for her knife to cut into her meat. "My father said he knew my mother was supposed to be his from the first moment he saw her in the market fighting with the produce man over overpriced watermelon."

Troy smile widen, "Seriously?"

"My mother was a very passionate woman," Gabriella said before lifting a piece of roast beef into her mouth a moaning in pleasure.

"Like her daughter."

Gabriella swallowed before letting out a huff, "I'm nothing like her, I've never blindly leaped into anything."

"But you're so full of passion," Troy hand gently touched her bare shoulder, "I've never known anyone as passionate as you are."

Gabriella's hand came up softly and touched his hands as it rested on her shoulder, "I've never really been passionate before."

Troy leaned forward his lips covering hers in a searing kiss that demanded her attention and before she knew what was happening she was leaning forward, following him. Her lips hungry for more of his touch and more of his taste. Until his hand settled on her thigh and squeezed lightly. "You're passionate love."

Gabriella felt a blush come to her lips as she watched him under hooded eyes. "Right,"

"Plus, don't even get me started on what I seen in the bathroom," he teased playfully. "A sight like that could kill a man you know?"

Gabriella let out a laugh as she swatted him playfully, "Well you survived."

"Yes," Troy said leaning forward on the table, "But for how long," he muttered under his breath.

"My parents were my entire existence for so long, I really didn't know who I was until I came here," Gabriella shook her head, "then it was all about Jason and trying to be this perfect house wife who could balance work and chores and-"

"And he goofed," Troy hand rested over hers.

Gabriella looked up at him, "Do you hear what people are saying?"

"People weren't in your marriage; they weren't home with you every night, or at the dinner table. They didn't watch you guys drift apart or watch him take you for granted or see how hard you tried to be a role model wife."

Gabriella let out a breath, "Well when you put it that way," she frowned turning back to her plate. "Makes me wonder why I didn't just marry you instead."

Troy lifted his fork and shoveled it into his mash potatoes as he looked down at his plate in silence.

"I mean don't flatter yourself," she said quickly as she glanced over at him with a flooding sense of embarrassment, "You just seem all wise and all knowing about me."

"Well." Troy paused for a moment as he looked up at the kitchen sink pondering something quietly to himself then back down at his plate. "I would have married you seven years ago," Troy let out a low sigh, "Unfortunately, Jason saw you first."

Gabriella let out a laugh as she tossed her head back her entire body almost falling off the stool until Troy reached over and caught her by the small of her back and ushering her back into her up right position. "Oh my god," she said between fits of laughter.

Troy lifted a nearby glass of water to his lips and quickly drained the glass.

"Oh god, could you imagine our lives?" Gabriella said as wiped a tear from her eye.

Troy let out a huff, "Yeah, living with a man who actually adores you and gives you everything you ever wanted, having his child, being happy for once," Troy pushed his stool from the table, "Imagine that." Getting up Troy made his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs leaving Gabriella and Blue in the kitchen alone.

"Shit," Gabriella said quietly as she her shoulders slumped and she pushed her plate forward. Getting up from her chair she took to the step two at time but by the time she'd reached the top of the stairs his bedroom door was shut.

"Troy?"

No response. Reaching for the handle she tried it and to her surprise it was locked.

"Troy please,"

The door opened and he stood there his arms crossed his lips in a thin pressed line as he looked back at her with seriousness. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry for how I reacted," she said grabbing some of the dress into her hands. "This is new for me."

"No it isn't."

Gabriella mouth fell open as she looked up at him in confusion, "What?"

"You've wanted this for about as long as I have maybe even more," Troy let out a breath, "I was an idiot. Since the night you walked into the bar. Jason saw you first. My back had been to the door. I thought you liked him. I thought that's what you wanted so I let it be."

Gabriella's eyes came up sharply landing on his. His eyes were always playful and teasing, but right then she could see his into soul. The depth and honesty took her breath. He hid nothing. Her heart pounded with his fingers caressing up and down her side. "I never knew."

Troy was Troy. Adoring and attentive. Since that god-forsaken afternoon when he'd been with her when she caught Jason and Martha together. He'd been a best friend and everything she needed. More than once, she'd wondered if there could be more between them, they got along so well, but he'd never indicated anything to make her believe it could happen. For weeks after her divorce when all those thoughts of them together had bubbled to the surface, she had snuffed them out, insisting she had been lonely. But he'd been there constantly, a rock for her.

"You weren't supposed to. You were with Jason from the moment he saw you. I fixed your car while Jason stole you away." Troy's eyes fell to her lips again and came back up. "I've never sat with my back to a door since."


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning Gabriella lifted her oversized sun glasses up over her head as she started ahead at the diner in front of her. For a moment she contemplated canceling on the reporter. She thought about calling Michael and telling him to just get rid of this guy. Bringing down the visor she looked into the mirror and she took out her lip gloss and applied it. She already had enough on her mind. The image of Troy closing the his bedroom door in her face last night seemed to be on instant replay at the moment.

Letting out a breath she looked at her reflection, she almost looked nothing like herself, which seemed to almost be fitting since, at the moment she barely knew who she was anymore. How do you know someone for seven years and not know that they feel something so deeply. Not be able to see the signs or at least pick up on little things here and there.

Troy had been right. Things would never be the same between them, and even though she'd been fighting herself tooth and nail to not have feelings for him she knew did. And she was fine with that.

This was after all Troy she was thinking about. She been in love with him for years, but last night when he closed that door and left her standing there in that hallway by herself, she just about had to pull herself together with everything she had not to bang that door down and throw herself at him. Behind that door was an extension of the man she already held dear waiting for her and she was finding herself right at home and needing more than a fling. He'd fulfilled all her needs, ones she didn't even know she had. A pinch of guilt struck her. He'd given so much and she so little in comparison when he'd wanted more.

Wiping a tear from her cheek she let out frustrated sigh as she looked back up at the dinner, wishing for once that her double life didn't have to be so double. She'd chosen the diner because she could manipulate the IP address and that way if there was funny business, he'd trace it back to a diner, which three hours away from Payne Springs. Reaching for her laptop, she exited the truck and made her way inside the little diner that was busy but not overtly loud. Perfect for her interview.

She ordered a coffee and set up her laptop adjusting the camera and making sure the lighting was off behind her so she would almost be barely visible. She always did her interviews here, always in the back booth. Jason had come with her once and he had made fun of the entire thing. Teased her about her answers, poked fun at her characters, to be fair he didn't understand why she wanted the privacy. Jason couldn't comprehend why she wouldn't cash out on all that extra money that could be brought in on the book signings and appearances.

It wasn't about the money. It had never been about money. Jason never understood that.

The waitress brought over her coffee and set it down on the table, "Here you go."

"Thank you," Gabriella said reaching for the cream. Watching the waitress walk off she looked down at her coffee and let out a sigh, she much rather be at the shop watching Troy change the oil on an old Chevy than sitting here waiting for this Skype interview.

Later today she was suppose to go to the fair with Donny, however in the light of all the things that had happened last night she didn't see that happening. Dating was the last thing on her mind. Especially dating Donny.

"_I wasn't expecting you to look so sad." He rubbed the back of his neck. "This is what I was talking about. This is why I didn't want to rush and why I resisted."_

She never saw him look quite so hard and lost and at the same time she had no idea what to say to him. A long ago memory tugged at her and she thought about the night she and Jason told him they were getting married. He'd had the same expression then.

She bit her lip, not wanting to think about it, or acknowledge it. How could she move forward into something without knowing? She knew how she felt about him and why, but what had she given him over the years other than disappointment.

She looked out the window into the parking lot at her truck and thought about Blue, who was at home with Troy. Traitor, it seemed even Blue was avoiding her this morning. He'd chosen to stay behind with Troy. Just then the bell above the door caught her attention and she looked over to see a man enter the diner, he was clean, a little worn looking from travel, and dressed like a college student. He looked down at a piece of paper then around the diner looking for something, his eyes resting on her.

"Brie Carmichael?"

Everything inside her froze and her blood ran cold.

Before she knew it the man was standing beside her table, holding up a picture of her. "I know it's you." He said removing his messenger bag and putting in the seat across from her, "My name is Martin-"

"I know who you are." Gabriella cut him off quickly refusing to look up at him. There was a possibility he hadn't see her, a chance she could keep her face hidden. How on earth did he find her?

"It is an honor to meet you Mrs. Carmichael," he said holding out his hand as he moved to sit across from her.

Gabriella quickly snapped her laptop shut and shuffled it into her bag, "It's Ms. Carmichael, and you shouldn't have done this." She kept her face down and her voice low.

"Look, I think we could both benefit from this, the world wants to know who you are, I mean, you're New York's Best Selling Romance Writer, up for awards and the biggest mystery in the literary world. People want to know you." he said holding up her picture.

"No." Gabriella said angrily as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her picture from him, "you just want to make a name for yourself and you don't care about the lives you destroy in the process." She took one look at the picture and her heart sank as she ripped it to pieces.

"How does this destroy your life? Why have you been in hiding for so long? Is Brie Carmichael even your name?"

"No comment," she said dryly as she reached for her coffee and dunked it into his lap.

"What the hell!"

Everyone in the diner went silent, as she glared down at him. "Find me again, I'll do a lot worse than that."

"You owe me an interview Lady!" he shouted after as she made her way out the diner.

Gabriella quickly got into her truck and peeled of there before Gibson could make it out of the diner. As soon as she was on the highway going as fast as she could she let out groan it wasn't until she merged into traffic that she smacked the steering wheel. Once. Twice. Before a full on rage of yanking and screaming into the steering wheel happened and someone behind her honked.

"Honk at your mother!" Gabriella shouted out the window as she pulled up the four feet in traffic. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her face almost numb. Martin Gibson had found her. The jig, as they say, was up. Pulling out her phone she quickly dialed Michael's number and put the phone on speaker.

"No I will not cancel your interview," Michael's words filled the silence in the car and Gabriella rolled her eyes as she pulled the ridiculously oversized sunglasses off her head and threw them to the side.

"I just met Martin Gibson in person," she exclaimed.

"What do you mean, in person?"

"I mean, he found me Michael." Gabriella said merging into another lane and peeling off as soon as she could onto the net exit ramp. She wanted to be home. She wanted to be home now.

"Did you go to the diner?"

"Of course I did."

"Did he see your face?"

"He had a fucking picture of it," Gabriella reaching up and shoving some of her hair back despite the wind blowing it right back into her face. "What are we going to do Michael?" There was silence on the line, as she drove a good mile along desert and open road. Her heart official began to sink into her stomach and she knew without a doubt she didn't have any more choices.

"What do you want to do?"

"I need time."

"I can get a hold of him, see if he willing to be paid off," Michael said solemnly.

"We'd go broke to keep this quite," Gabriella shoulders fell a little and she shook her head. "I need time, just get a hold of him and detain him somehow."

"I'll work on it, top priority."

The phone disconnected and Gabriella let out another slur of curse words as she smacked the steering wheel. What was a three hour drive out was a two hour drive home and Gabriella had never been happier to pull into her driveway until she seen the familiar car there in her spot.

Gabriella parked her truck along the dirt path behind Troy's truck. Coming up to the house she nervously held her messenger bag closer to her as she glanced around. Logically there was no way he could have beat her here. Either way she still looked left and right cautiously checking the bushing for any signs of the reporter. Did he know where she lived? Was he going to show up on her doorstep? Was it already in the papers?

Her eyes landed on Donny's ford in the driveway, and her inside turned. Of all the problems to have she wasn't in the mood to deal with this one. Letting out a sigh she came up to the house and let herself in. there were murmurs coming from the kitchen and she followed them to find Troy and Donny standing at the counter talking casually.

Gabriella put her bag off to the side and let out a low sigh as she walked further into the kitchen, "Hey boys," she said as calmly as she could manage.

"Wow," Donny said with a smile, "You look very pretty today Mrs. Cross. I mean Miss Montez, I mean Gabriella."

Troy raised a brow as he looked at Donny with amusement, Donny was the last thing he was worried about. His eyes glanced over at Gabriella as she opened the fridge and took out a beer. Troy glanced up at the clock. Not that she didn't drink this early but it was odd. She was a wearing a red little summer dress he'd seen her in countless times before but for some reason this time was different. This time it was easier to imagine his hands on her waist, imagine the feel of them coming up her arms to her bare shoulders and pulling at the little ribbon holding her halter top in place.

"Thanks Donny," Gabriella smiled politely as she twisted the top of her beer bottle and immediately began to chug it.

"Slow down there Champ," Troy muttered as he watched her questioningly.

"Oh my god, you guys have the good kind of smelling hand soap!"

Gabriella almost sputtered her beer as the voice echoed from hall, turning she watched as Kelsi came prancing into the kitchen in the tightest fitting tube top and jeans she could have painted on her body.

"No wonder you smell so good," Kelsi said winking at Troy as she dried her hands on her thighs.

Gabriella back went rim rod stiff as she looked from Troy to Donny and back, and in a heartbeat this day went from bad to shit. She wasn't just about to go on a date with Donny. She was about to go on a double date with Troy and Kelsi. She watched Kelsi sake her hands around Troy's abdomen and she tipped the beer up hirer draining it completely and returning to the fridge to retrieve another.

Troy let out a sigh as Gabriella retrieve her second beer from the fridge and began to chug it as well. "Hey brie, maybe you should pace yourself."

"That's my kind of girl!" Kelsi broke away from Troy going into the fridge and retrieving a beer for herself. In one swoop she opened it and threw it back like a champ alongside Gabriella.

"This is going to be awesome," Donny nudged Troy in the side as he rubbed his hands together and Troy did his best not to groan out loud in annoyance.

In the truck Troy watched Gabriella in his rearview mirror as she stared out the window quietly. Something was wrong, she wasn't saying anything but the look in her eyes told him she had more on her mind than what was happening in this truck.

"I think marriage is twisted," Kelsi said as she leaned back in the front seat. "I mean a lot of good it did Gabriella."

"Hey," Troy murmured.

"Oh what?" Kelsi said looking over at him, "Like she don't know her life fell apart and everyone's talking about it?"

"She's right," Gabriella said from the backseat. "At least I get to be part of this conversation," she added with small smirk. "Marriage sucks."

"What's the one thing you hated most about it?" Kelsi asked as she turned in her seat to face Gabriella a little.

"Making dinner every night."

Donny turned towards her with a funny face, "Dinner?"

"Do you know how hard it is to come up with 365 different meals?" Gabriella said with a raised brow.

"What do you and Troy do about dinner?" Donny asked a little confused.

"We switch the cooking duties or we order out," Troy said keeping his eyes on the road, "I don't chain her to the stove."

"Well I just figured she was doing all the cooking," Donny said a little defensive, "I'm all for equality between the sexes."

"I bet you are," Kelsi chuckled as she looked back at Gabriella, "So what's the best part of being divorced? I mean with all the crap you put up with there has to be a sliver lighting somewhere?"

Gabriella was quiet for a moment as she thought about it to herself, "People look the other way when you get fat."

"You're not fat."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes towards the front seat where Troy glared at her through the review mirror. "Do you know seven years ago I weighed 110 pounds?" Gabriella said looking over at Kelsi, "When I went through my divorce, the last time I weighed myself I was 198."

"That bastard left you with 88 pounds."

Gabriella almost flinched at how quickly Kelsi had been able to do the math.

Donny placed a hand over hers, "I don't think you're fat."

"You're kind," Gabriella said quietly, "I've been working on it. Eating less, running with Blue a little more. Now that I'm not cooped up in the house revolving my life around someone else I feel better about doing my own thing."

"So that's it. One bad marriage and you never want to do it again?" Troy grip on the steering wheel got noticeably tighter.

"I sure wouldn't," Kelsi said turning to face forward, "Who wants to be fat?"

"She's not fat. Did it ever occur to you girls that a man might enjoy a little meat on a woman's bones especially when it's in the right places?"

"I, myself love girls with big boobs," Donny expressed with shy smile as he looked over at Gabriella.

"Thanks?" Gabriella said shifting a little uncomfortably. Gabriella looked forward at the review mirror where two piercing blue eyes looked back at her. Her mouth went dry and she quickly looked back out the window at the fair approaching in the distance.

When they parked she couldn't get out of the truck fast enough, problem was that meant she was on her own with Donny sooner. As soon as she as she could manage she sent him off to by their tickets and snuck off to pull out her phone. Quickly she typed in a message to Sharpay.

_I screwed and not in the good way. Need help! _

Looking at her screen she frowned as no response came in. Letting out a sigh she looked up and let out a gasp when she came face to face with Troy.

"What's wrong?"

"Holy shit," she said tucking her back into her pocket and holding up a free hand against his chest. "Where's Kelsi?"

"Getting a beer," he said placing a careful hand on her waist, "What's wrong?"

Gabriella looked up at him a little caught off guard, "you were laying it on kind of thick in the truck back there, don't you think?"

"Fine, you don't want to talk about." Troy eyes narrowed as he examined her carefully, "He does anything he shouldn't you scream."

"Troy I can handle myself. "

"Hey," he said sternly, "I'm gonna worry every second I can't see you. Something's wrong. You're looking over your shoulder every five minutes and you're jumpy. Scream."

Shutting her mouth her eyes widen and she simply nodded. "I will."

"Try to have fun."

"Doubtful," she muttered as he walked off leaving her standing alone at the concession. Oh sure he was goona play the big hero card when he was here with Kelsi of all people. Gabriella let out a sigh watched Donny come up to her with a wristband.

"We can practically go on anything we want," he said with a smile.

"That's really great." Gabriella held out her wrist for him to put it on her only to frown when his hands shook so badly that he could barely keep it together. "Why don't I do that?" she said offered.

"Sorry," he said handing her the wristband, "It's been a while since I've actually been on a date."

"I know what you mean," Gabriella said putting on the wrist band, "I've really only ever been around Jason or Troy." As soon as she said it a pit settled in her stomach. "Wow that sounds depressing."

Donny let out a chuckle, "I've always thought you were really pretty."

Gabriella glanced up at Donny as she fingered her wrist band carefully. Although she'd never let him know it but Troy was right. She needed this. She just wished the circumstances were different. "Thank you, Donny."

"So what do you want to go on first?" Donny asked as he turned towards the fair and began walking.

"We could ride the big fairest wheel?" Gabriella falling into step besides him. "Jason use to hate the fairest wheel. Troy would always go up with me."

Donny nodded.

Gabriella frowned, "Sorry."

"For?"

Gabriella ringed her fingers nervously, "For talking about Jason, or Troy for that matter."

"Hey, it's part of life you know," Donny shrugged as he walked alongside her. "It's not a secret that you were married to Jason and beyond all the sense in the world you're living with Troy." He added the last part with a teasing tone.

"He's a really good friend," Gabriella said quietly.

"Well, naturally they're both important to you."

Gabriella lips tugged into a small smile, "I swear, sometimes I feel like everyone expects me to talk about how fine I'm doing or how better I am without Jason that I forget there are other things to talk about." She walked alongside him feeling the June sun on their backs. "My social skills are a little rusty."

"Well, what do you like about working at Troy's Auto?"

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "I love that he lets me bring my dog to work."

Donny let out a laugh, "Spoken like a true woman."

"I don't know much about cars, I only learned a little, mostly from filling orders and watching Troy," Gabriella said with a small laugh, "But no, cars are not my passion."

"Then what is?"

Gabriella was quite for moment as she looked around nervously, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"You can tell me anything," Donny said as they got in line for the fairest wheel.

Troy watched from across the park as Gabriella and Donny got in line for the fairest wheel. His lips were in a tight grim frown as he leaned back on the pole behind him.

"You know," Kelsi said as she turned attention back to him from the game she was currently still playing, "If you like her so much? Why did you let her come here with Donny?"

"I didn't let her do anything, She on a date."

"And you're just standing over here supervising it as if you're a sucker for heart break," Kelsi said aiming her gun at the target. "Troy, you and I are the same we don't do the relationship thing. What is it about this one that has you so twisted?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I've read my fair share of Brie Carmichael novels. Try me. "

"Here I thought you didn't read," he teased.

"You tell a soul that I read Brie Carmichael novels I'll poke holes in your condoms."

"You'll have to find them first."

Kelsi rolled her eyes, "Top drawer under your socks."

Troy frowned.

"Girls talk, remember."

Troy let out a sigh as he rolled his eyes then turned back to face her, "She's the one."

"The one?"

"The one."

Kelsi let out a huff, "You've been after it for seven years Bolton, I'm sure the minute she lets you get a whiff of it you'll be over it."

"That's just it," Troy leaned in closer so no one could over hear them. "I've had my whiff and I want more, I always want her, no matter when, where, how it could be a flash of her ankle and I want her."

The game went off as someone else crossed the finish line. Kelsi's shoulders slumped and she let out a sigh as she got up from her seat and stood up. "So you're suffering from lack of sex," Kelsi shrugged her shoulders, "Come on we can fix that problem behind the duck hunt booth."

Troy let out a laugh as he took Kelsi by the hand and guided her towards the cotton candy machine. "No that's not at all what this is about," he said with a smile.

"Then explain it to me," Kelsi said as she walked ahead of him, "Because I feel like I'm losing my best friend here?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Are you kidding me?" Kelsi said turning around, "Miss prim and proper is not going to want me hanging around you the minute she sinks her claws into your back."

"Gabriella isn't like that," Troy said stopping at the cotton candy machine.

"All skirts are like that." Kelsi came to a stop leaning on the machine.

Troy brought a blue cotton candy and handed it to Kelsi, "I love her."

"Wow," Kelsi took the cotton candy, "Isn't strange with the whole Jason thing?"

"Yes," Troy said unable to hide his disappointment, "It's one of those things."

"Troy," Kelsi said with a tone, "One of those things is like her missing a toe or something, this is about guy code."

"Yeah. Well, guy code didn't matter much seven years ago did it?" Troy muttered as he paid the guy.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Troy and Kelsi started walking again.

"You and Jason have fought over this before haven't you?"

Troy didn't answer for a while as they walked. When he did he shoved his hands in his pocket almost as if he wasn't proud to admit it. "He was aware of how I felt."

"Geez what does this chick have beer flavored nipples?" Kelsi said lifting a piece of cotton candy to her lips.

"Hey," he responded as they made their way through the fair.

"Alright, I get it. She's the love of your life." Kelsi came to a stop in front of the bumper cars. "So why is she here with Donny?"

"Because she doesn't love me yet."

Kelsi raised her eyebrows, "Well, that's unfortunate."

Gabriella sat at one of the picnic tables waiting for Donny who wondered off to get them something to eat. Leaning down she removed her shoe and bent down to rub her foot slightly. It was already night fall and she'd spent the entire afternoon talking to Donny about Brie Carmichael. And for once she felt an enormous weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Hey you," Kelsi voice chimed as she took seat on the other side of the bench.

Gabriella jumped in surprised, "Oh my god," she said bringing a hand up to her heart. "You scared me."

"Sorry about that," she said placing both her hands on the table, "So how are things with you and Donny going?"

"Nice," Gabriella answered politely, "He's a great listener and he's doesn't laugh at me when I close my eyes on the rides."

"But does he make that little voice in your head go off?" Kelsi winked.

"Little voice?"

"Yeah," Kelsi smiled, "like in the books, there always that voice inside, the one that says wow, it's him."

Gabriella smiled quietly to herself, she knew all about the little voice Kelsi was talking about. She'd written about it so many times she heard it all the time whenever she sat down to work on her book. She heard it whenever she wrote about her main characters, whenever she wrote about Tucker, whenever she looked at Troy.

That last one made everything go a little still inside her. How long had been hearing that little voice? How long had she been ignoring it was the better question.

"I know who makes my little voice go crazy," Kelsi said with a naughty smile as she looked across the room where Troy was looking up at the menu.

"Troy?" Gabriella couldn't hide the frown on her face.

Kelsi shrugged, "I thought you two had something going on," she said "But when you came out with Donny today I figured whatever it was between you two obviously didn't work out. I mean why else would Troy ask me to come on a date with him?"

"That's good," she said before she could get the words back. "Troy's a great guy," she added not really sure what else to say.

"Right?"

"I'm happy for you Kelsi." Gabriella mind began to turn as she thought about all the possibilities. Why would Troy ask Kelsi out on a date tonight? When they discussed seeing other people Troy never said anything about him seeing other people. Then again why wouldn't he want to see other people?

Kelsi smiled, "You a big reader?"

Gabriella nodded. "Every day," she responded not really paying attention anymore. Was this Troy's way of subtly breaking up with her? Was she going to hear Kelsi later through the wall like she had all those other girls? Could she handle that? Would she ever be able to handle that again if that what Troy decided?

"There's this writer, I read everything she writes religiously. I swear by her," Kelsi said leaning in as if sharing a secret with her. "I mean I'm not one for love stories and shit but she makes it seem real you know like it could happen."

"Yeah," Gabriella said looking up Kelsi as she could feel the pounding of her heart in her throat. She was going to have to move. She was going to have leave and not just leave Troy but leave Payne Springs, go back into hiding and hope that the reporter wouldn't find her again. Hope that Troy wouldn't come looking for her. Hope that she could find the courage to start over.

"Her name is Brie Carmichael, she's written like 8 books you should look them up."

Just like everything fell away and Gabriella looked up at Kelsi as if she said a magic word. "You read Brie Carmichael?"

"Yeah," Kelsi said, "She's really good."

Gabriella felt her insides flutter, "You really think she's good? I mean I've never really met someone who reads her books before."

"Like I said," Kelsi smiled as she leaned in a bit to be heard better, "I don't believe in all that romantic crap myself, but I think her books make it seem real. Like it's possible for anyone, you know."

"Why do you think love isn't possible?"

Kelsi shrugged her shoulders, "Because guys are assholes. They have double standards about women. Take Troy for example, he'd slept around and yeah the ones that want a family and all that shit they stay away from him but they if Troy sent them one smile. They'd be on the Bolton Poked List. Meanwhile girls like me, let's just say no one's looking at me and thinking white picket fences."

The gears in Gabriella brain started turning as her character building skills went into work already plotting out Kelsi character. "Then why do you keep doing it?"

Kelsi let out huff, "Liking sex isn't a crime. I do it because I'm not just gonna wait around and let the cobwebs form while some guy figures out if he likes me. Beside it's hopeless I'm pretty sure whoever I was suppose to meet by now I already have and probably missed my window anyway."

"It's not hopeless, and when a window closes you can always look for a door," Gabriella explained.

"And if the doors closed."

"Hey, my mother always told me if a door closes you kick that shit wide open and keep walking through it."

Kelsi smiled, "I like you."

Gabriella smiled, "Thanks."

Kelsi looked over at Troy and frowned as before letting out a long sigh, "You think I should sleep with him?"

"What?" everything in Gabriella stilled as she turned to see Troy walking towards them with a tray of food.

Kelsi hesitated as she studied her response, "Should I sleep with Troy?"

Gabriella let out a nervous laugh as she quickly jerked her hands off the table and into her lap. "Isn't that something you should ask him?"

"I guess you're right," Kelsi smiled a little as she raised a brow, "I mean as long as it's alright with you."

"Oh god," Gabriella felt her stomach free fall into the pile of dirt underneath her bench seat. "I don't really care what Troy does, he's a grown man."

"Alright," Kelsi said narrowing her eyes at Gabriella, "If you insist."

"Hey girls, Donny is bringing the drinks." Troy said as he put the tray of food down on the table in front of them and Gabriella used the distraction to take a moment to inhale and exhale sharply.

She hadn't insisted at all. She didn't even want to think about it. Pulling out her phone she sent another text to Sharpay.

_I'm coming over tonight. It's an emergency. _


	16. Chapter 16

Sharpay came to the door shuffling with great effort as she struggled to keep her blanket wrapped around her naked body. When finally managed to pull the door open she came face to face with Gabriella who barged in without a word.

"Well come right in?" Sharpay mumbled as she shut the door behind her.

"Everything is ruined," Gabriella immediately opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. "I practically gift wrapped him and handed him to her."

Sharpay raised a brow as she shifted to the bar stool in the kitchen still clutching her bed sheets around herself. "Gift wrapped who for who?"

"Troy," Gabriella exasperated as she filled her wine glass all the way to the rim and then bent over to suck it up loudly. Standing up straight again she let out a groan, "And a reporter for the Boston Globe knows who I am," she said taking the wine bottle with her to the window as she peaked through the blinds. "He could be anywhere, just waiting to get the scoop on me."

"Sweet Baby Jesus," Sharpay said quietly as she brushed her untamed her back behind her ear, "Do you hear yourself? You make a pressure cooker look calm."

Gabriella lifted the bottle as she drank from it and came back to the table. "He's gonna rat me out," she said with a gasp for air.

"Well maybe this is for the better," Sharpay offered with small frown, "One less thing to look over your shoulder about."

"And Kelsi is sleeping with Troy, and their freaking perfect for each other, a fucking rendition of the notebook!"

"Kelsi," Sharpay said taken aback, "When did that happen?"

"It happened because I insisted that it happen, without insisting that it happen."

Sharpay uttered a slur, "What the hell happened?"

"Why weren't you answering your phone?" Gabriella squealed, "I needed you!"

Sharpay stood up in frustration and dropped the sheet to reveal her nakedness that she been hiding, "Because you're not the only one in this town having sex."

"Oh my god you're naked," Gabriella took in Sharpay naked body her head tiling a bit, "Are your pubes shaped like a heart?"

"Yes," Sharpay said standing proudly in her birthday suit.

"Oh my god," Gabriella said bringing a hand to her head, "Is he still here?"

"I haven't untied him, if that's what you're asking," she smirked as she bent down to gather the sheet.

"Oh my god," Gabriella lifted the bottle to her lips again and began to chug.

"I'll be right back," Sharpay said with a laugh as she raced back upstairs.

Left alone in the kitchen Gabriella sat down on one of the stools and let out a long sigh as she tears stung her eyes as all the stress of the day unfolded inside her. She needed a plan, a course of action, a way out of this mess she'd gotten herself into. So many faces flashed through her mind, Martin, Michael, Troy, Donny, Kelsi a tear fell as one last face popped into her head. Her ex and the only man she'd ever considered committing to other than Troy.

Michael was right, she was hurt. She was humiliated, hurt, bitter, and pissed off because there really been no revenge on her part. After he'd cheated on her, her lack of faith in men had solidified, and she'd justified keeping her emotions to herself.

If you don't say it out loud, then it's not true. Wrong. So Wrong. Whether she admitted it or not, what she felt for Troy would remain with her always. No man could ever compare to him. No man could match his kindness, generosity, and unwavering patience. She saw the pain and anguish etched in his eyes and on his face the other night when he shut the door on her. What if he was done? What if she was too late?

The man had been waiting a long time, and she'd been nothing but a disappointment. She didn't know how he felt. With a bitter sob, she shoved herself off the bar stool and took the glass of wine with her as she made her way into the bathroom. When she met her reflection, she took a deep breath. The gobs of make-up she'd painstakingly applied blackened her cheeks. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy. "I have to make this right," she told reflection, as she wet a washcloth and wiped her face.

Troy woke up the next morning with Blue laying across him. Sitting up slowly he let out a sigh and reached down to scratch him behind the ear. He knew if Blue was here that Gabriella hadn't come home last night. He wasn't really sure what happened after they ate, Gabriella was oddly quiet, Donny and Kelsi talked about random things here and there. There wasn't really much that he paid attention too, thoughts of Gabriella kept filling his head. He wanted to hold her hand, wanted to touch the small of her back and he was so damn furious that he couldn't that it was hard to concentrate on anything but her.

Maybe he shouldn't have pushed her to date Donny. Maybe he shouldn't have said all that stuff the other night. Maybe he should have just kept giving in to her and let her have what she wanted. Let her seduce him. God knows he'd wanted her to. But he didn't want the little scraps she threw at him. He was tired of only having her behind closed doors. He wanted the whole meal. He wanted to kiss her senseless in middle of the bar. Ride the fairest wheel with her and hold her hand, dance against her really slow on the dance floor.

The thought of losing Gabriella just about killed him. If she kicked his ass straight to the curb, it would hurt like hell. He loved her. Her blunt attitude, how she saw things in black and white, but struggled with the grays. He loved her faults, loved that she accepted his. But most of all he loved that she was his friend… his best friend.

Chad and the guys had always he his back but what Troy shared with Gabriella was different. He could reveal private things guys just didn't share with other guys. He liked that-scratch that- he loved that. Being able to, for the first time in his life, open up and share all the bullshit festering inside of him without having to worry about losing face, gave him security and confidence.

Too bad he lack security and confidence right now. Not knowing how she'd react to seeing him with Kelsi had his heart stuttering, his head pounding and sweat dripping down his back.

"_Relax, she loves you," Kelsi said as she leaned against the counter top._

"_How can you be so sure?" Troy said pouring a cup of food into Blue's bowl. _

"_Because when I told her I was going to sleep with you tonight her eyes just about rolled out onto the table," Kelsi laughed as she lifted herself up onto the countertop. _

_Troy stood up straight as he placed the cup on the table, "Why would you say something like that?"_

"_Because for the last seven years, you've always been available and there, heaven forbid you're not. Let her wonder for once. I mean come on you should know better than anyone, nothing strikes a fire under someone's ass like the thought of someone else."_

"_And if she's with Donny?"_

"_She's not." _

_Troy let out a huff, "How do you know she's not?"_

_Kelsi took out her phone and let out a sigh, "Because Donny is outside waiting for me."_

_Troy narrowed his eyes as he stared at her with suspicion. "You know this is why girls don't like you," he said in a low voice. _

"_And this is why all my best friends have a penis." _

"_What am I suppose to do now?"_

"_Wait up for her, my guess is she'll spill her guts and come running into your arms begging you to give another shot. That or torch the place with you inside."_

Suddenly Blue was off the bed shaking Troy from his memories of the night before. His four paws took off running for downstairs and Troy fell back on the bed letting out a sigh of relief that at least Gabriella was home. Until he heard Blue growling. And Blue didn't growl at just anybody.

Sharpay dropped Gabriella off in front of her house and she nearly got back in the car when she saw the red mustang in the driveway. "Jason?" she whispered.

"What is he doing here?"

"I don't know," Gabriella said reaching for her bag of clothes from yesterday, Sharpay had been kind enough to let her borrow a pair of running shorts and t-shirt rather than let Gabriella wear her wrinkled dress she'd fallen asleep in out of the house.

"You need back up?"

"I don't know."

"You want me to ram his car?"

Gabriella thought about it. "Maybe I should go inside first."

"Should I go with you?"

"Maybe, maybe not, no telling what those two are doing if there not killing each other, maybe circle the block?" Gabriella suggested as she got out of the car grabbing her bag.

"You bet," Sharpay reassured her.

Gabriella walked alongside the red mustang, rage filled her instantly and she quickly made her way inside, resisting the urge to dig her key into the side of his car. As soon as she was inside she closed the door behind her and put her things on a side table. She could hear the low mummers of Jason and Troy's voice in a heated exchange coming from the kitchen.

"You have no right coming around here."

"You have no right keeping her from me."

"I told you even if I knew where she was, like hell I'd tell you. Haven't you done enough damage?"

Gabriella crossed her arms as she leaned on her side against the wall, letting out a deep breath she made her presence known. "You got a lot of nerve Jason, give me two reasons I shouldn't Carrie Underwood your car right now."

"Gabs," Jason said as both Troy and Jason looked up from their conversation.

"Where's Blue?" Gabriella glaze shifted around the kitchen looking for her dog.

"Relax, he's outside. The damn dog bit me," Jason muttered as he pushed off from the kitchen counter to reveal the napkin he had over his wrist.

"I should buy that dog a steak," Troy mumbled as he crossed his arms.

Gabriella frowned as she came into further into the kitchen, "What are you doing here?"

"You're books got forwarded to my address," he said motioning to a box set down on the kitchen counter. "I was going to bring it upstairs to your room, but you're new boyfriend here, won't let me pass the stairs."

Gabriella looked over at Troy then back at Jason, "Why didn't you just send them to Michael?"

"Because we need to talk," Jason said with a small frown.

"About?"

Jason looked over at Troy who was still standing in the kitchen watching them both. "Are you two like a thing now?"

Gabriella crossed her arms, "That's none of your business."

"Please," Jason said with a huff, "the divorce is final; I could care less what the two of you are up too."

"Then leave." Troy came around the counter standing between them almost.

Jason narrowed his eyes, "I bet you're damn pleased with yourself, biding your time all these years and just waiting it out. This must be like a fucking dream come true for you. Tell me, do my sloppy seconds taste good?"

"Get out."

"Troy," Gabriella said quietly as she stepped forward holding out a hand to catch Troy's arm. "I can handle this from here. Why don't you go check on Blue?"

"I'd prefer staying right here," his arms crossed over his chest as he stood there eyeing Jason with grim expression on his face.

Jason huffed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Look I didn't come here to start world war three. I'm just dropping off your stupid books and I need to talk to you about alimony."

"Alimony?" Troy threw out with a huff, "She's entitled to everything she can squeeze out of your backstabbing ass."

Gabriella lifted her hand to her temple, "Troy."

"He doesn't know does he?" a smile grew on Jason face.

"Know what?" Troy shifted a little looking from Jason to Gabriella and back.

"That's enough," Gabriella said sharply as she eyed Jason with a fixed glare.

"Ouch," Jason said with a wicked grin, "You haven't told him your little secret?"

Gabriella motioned to the door, "Troy's right I think you should leave. Now."

"I would, but there's a matter of a certain dog that hates my guts," Jason said with a shrug as he grinned in Troy's direction. "You really don't know?"

"What is he talking about?"

Gabriella let out a breath as she turned around to face Troy, "I don't receive alimony from Jason, I pay it."

Troy lips shut tightly as he looked up at Jason. "You son of a-"

"Troy," Gabriella held out her hands, "Please just go outside."

"This is my house."

"And this is between Jason and me," Gabriella pleaded as she placed a hand on his arm gently. "Please."

"Fine," Troy let his arms drop to his sides as she looked over at Jason before hesitantly leaving into the backyard and shutting the door behind him.

Gabriella let out a breath as she turned back towards Jason. "Was that necessary?"

"Hell yes, he walks around like a smug bastard." Jason argued, "I've always told you he's had a thing for you."

"Whatever Jason," she said placing her hands on her hips, "I still don't understand why you had to come here. The lawyers could have-"

"Martha's pregnant."

Gabriella held onto herself tightly as she resisted the urge to flinch. "Congratulations."

"I'm struggling to make ends meet."

"Really?" Gabriella said placing a hand on her hip, was it just her or was the entire world spinning out of control.

"I need more income, just for a little while."

"Well, I'm sorry but you're going to have to go through the lawyers."

Jason let out a sigh, "Look, I've been thinking-"

"That's never good."

Jason narrowed his eyes, "I've been thinking that maybe it's time Brie Carmichael came out into the open."

Gabriella crossed her arms as she tried to clamp down on her anger.

"Maybe we should set up a few interviews and see how it goes," Jason said in a calm voice, "It's only a matter of time before someone finds out who you are wouldn't you rather want to control the story than have some college kid get the lead."

Gabriella's entire face fell as she dropped her arms. "How much did he pay you?" Gabriella said quietly.

Jason stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you don't, that picture he's lugging around. It's the same one I gave you for your wallet on our first anniversary," she said a little disgusted to be looking at him. "Honestly, why did you even go through the trouble of sending him to the diner when you could have just brought him here with you? Get the real one on one."

Jason was quiet for a moment as they watched each other. "It was only a matter of time before someone found out. I really don't get what the big deal is."

"You don't know what the big deal is?" Gabriella said letting out a huff of disbelief, "What about my privacy? The people in my life? What about Troy?"

"What about him?" Jason said waving a frustrated arm in the direction he left. "Why should I give a shit about him, when he's the reason we're in this position."

"No we're in this position because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants."

"No we're in this position because our marriage was joke," Jason said shoving at the box of books with annoyance. "You've been in love with him from day one, but settled for me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Gabriella said crossing her arms, "at least I gave our marriage shot."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better, that the five years of our life together was you giving it a shot."

Gabriella went quiet, her mouth hanging open, racking her brain for a retort.

"You've been writing about him since you came into town. You think it's easy to be married to someone who's obviously fantasying about someone else."

Gabriella shook her head, "You still had no right to sell me out."

"Didn't I?" Jason said with a shrug, "I wasted 5 years of my life and now I'm living a completely different town and I can't get job. You think its easy taking money from you? You think I want anything to do with these stupid books?" Jason shoved the box completely off the counter making Gabriella flinch as she took a step back.

"Jason," she said softly.

"No. but selling you out was best feeling I had in years. You're right. It's not right. But, I'm on a cheap allowance when we could be making more money; think about the appearances, the physical interviews, and the signings."

"Fuck you. Whatever happens after this I'll make sure you don't see a freaking penny of it," she said quietly.

"Yeah well I get half automatically so I'd love to see you try."

Gabriella frowned as she tucked her hair behind her ears, "Don't be so sure about that."

"You know what, I hope you enjoy your little fantasy world for as long as you can before he finds out what else you haven't told him."

"I want you to go now."

"Yeah, don't worry. This hasn't been a fun visit back home for me either."

"Well that was your own doing," Gabriella said quietly, "I'm not going to feel guilty for you."

"Oh I wouldn't expect anything less," Jason said staring at her hesitantly.

"Go to hell," Gabriella said wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm already there, thanks again for destroying my life." Jason began making his way to the front door.

"Destroying you're life," she called out to him, anger filled her and she quickly reached for the frying pan resting on the drying rack and flung it at him. Hitting him dead in back of his head and knocking him to the floor instantly. "Oh my god."

Just then the front door open and Sharpay walked in, her face in surprise shock to find Jason's unconscious body sprawled out on the floor next to a frying pan. "You killed him?"

"No!" Gabriella hesitated as she looked at his unconscious body, "Maybe?"

"Maybe?" Sharpay gasps as she quickly shut the door behind her and came over to Jason's body and kicked the frying pan away from him. "Now you gone and done it, what are we gonna do if he's dead?"

Just then the back screen door opened, "Everything alright?" Troy said peeking.

"I killed him," Gabriella panicked.

"You what?" Troy opened the door wider as he came in to see Jason laying on the floor and Sharpay reaching to check his pulse.

"Relax, he ain't dead, out cold but he ain't dead. Bleeding pretty bad through."

"What the hell happened?" Troy said coming further into the kitchen and over to where Sharpay was hovering near Jason's body.

"I was upset," Gabriella explained, "I didn't mean to hit him I just wanted to scare him a little."

"Well you scared the stuffing right out of him," Sharpay said as took out her cell phone.


	17. Chapter 17

**Authors Note:**

**Letting you all know that for the next three weeks, chapter posting might be spotty. I am moving into my new apartment at the end of the month. It's all very exciting; I will have my very own office. As some of you know I am working on three writing projects at the moment. My 2****nd**** book called Being Brave Again. My next FanFiction, Inescapable and this one, Not Quite Dating. I have so much packing, sorting, cleaning, unpacking, more cleaning and just sanity in general to keep track of this month. Going into August I hope that things will go back to our normal Friday posting routine and I apologize for my late posting today. Please enjoy and don't forget to leave reviews, I love hearing from everyone. Also remember that you guys can now find me on social media under Punkpoet69. Please visit my fan page on Facebook. Also don't forget that you can hit up my blog at any time to check in on my projects. All the links are on my profile page. **

At the hospital Gabriella sat down in the waiting room, her stomach sinking down to her toes with guilt as she thought Jason laying on their kitchen floor bleeding out. She let out another sigh as the thought of the rumor mill already turning through town about her attempted murder charge. Half the town probably already had her in white and black stripes rattling a cup against the bars.

Her cell phone had been ringing off the hook since she got in the back of that ambulance with Jason and the two paramedics. The jokes had been endless since they first arrived on the scene, everyone was already shooting her that sympatric look. The whole damn morning had been one big mess after the other. All she wanted to do was come home and talk to Troy, tell him everything and just spend the rest of the weekend locked up in a bedroom, hers or his she didn't care. Anything but this!

Checking her phone again she noticed four more calls from Michael and this time he left three voicemails along with two text messages explaining her picture in the Boston Globe right next to the front page story about her entire life as a writer. _The Real Brie Carmichael_ as if that college idiot knew anything about the real Brie Carmichael. Everything was just so out of control.

"We need to talk," Troy's voice was stern as he took the seat on the coffee table in front of her. Not an ounce of make-up covered Gabriella's face. Not one curl bobbed in her straight ponytail. She looked gorgeous, natural, and breathtaking, even in a t-shirt and running shorts. She'd looked just as beautiful last night, dressed for seduction, but right now, at this moment, she was more alluring. This was the real Gabriella… the woman he'd fallen in love with.

Gabriella sat up and leaned back in her chair, "Do we have to?"

Troy frowned, "Yes."

Gabriella leaned forward, "Fine."

"Where did you go last night?"

Gabriella looked up at him a little bit confused, "Sharpay's," she responded bringing a hand up to her temple. "Look I didn't know that I had to check in with you about-"

"Of course you did. Why didn't you call?" he inquired as he watched her closely.

"Because I thought you'd be busy," Gabriella said quietly, "with Kelsi."

His eyes softened. He lean forward reaching a hand up to her a face and using his thumb to smooth over her cheek and ease a bit of her fears. "I'd never be too busy for you. I've always admired you and was always jealous you weren't mine. God, everything about you, I want. Your heart, the way you feel. The way you stay so strong through the worst times. You make me want to be the best I can."

Gabriella let out a huff, "Are you aware that we're in a waiting room while my ex-husband regains consciousness in the E.R. because I threw a frying pan at him?"

"He had it coming," he teased bringing one of her hands up in his and gently placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"Troy," Gabriella opened her mouth and closed it not even sure where to begin.

"You have no idea how much I want you."

Gabriella smile widen and fell at the same time and she could quite grasp what made her more sad, finally being at this moment where it was possible to be so happy with Troy after so long or the fact that she still had so much to tell him that he didn't know.

"I know I messed around a lot, too much. I was a bastard who used women for pleasure then threw them away before they could latch on and drag me to meet their parents." Admitting the truth created a dull throb in his head. "Settling with the fact that I lost you was hard, and I'd like to say I did some soul searching, but I'm just not that deep." He shrugged, as a bitter, half smile twisted his lips. "I did realize something, though. All those women, all the sex didn't mean a damn thing because…" his stroked the back of her knuckles with his thumb. "My heart was never in it. I felt nothing for any of them, but I feel something for you, something special and pure."

He searched deep in his heart for the right words. Cupping her face in his hands, he brushed his thumbs along her cheeks. "I'm crazy about you," he admitted. "I can't have another relationship based on sex. I also can't be with you if you can't give me more. And I need to know where we stand before we take our relationship to the next level."

"Troy there something you should know about me," Gabriella said quietly as she reached for his hands and brought them down so they rested in her lap.

"What's that?" he sounded a little nervous and Gabriela couldn't blame him.

"I do have a career outside of the Auto shop."

"Did you contact the paper?"

"No," Gabriella said squeezing his hands a little, "please just listen to me."

Troy nodded as he looked at her cautiously.

"I'm a writer," Gabriella let out a low breath.

Troy's smile pulled into a smirk as he looked at Gabriella curiously, "I don't understand."

"My parents had a happy relationship, right up until my father died. Their story was like a fairy tale, where they saw each other from across the room and got together despite the odds," and just like that her entire demeanor changed instantly. Even in the brief silence, Troy could tell something was wrong. "My mom was diagnosed with early onset dementia a few years after my father died. Most days she didn't remember me."

He didn't know that. Why didn't he know that? He heard the pain in her voice and wanted to take her in his arms. "I'm sorry about your mother."

"I-I don't talk about it much," she said "Truth is I wouldn't be a writer if it weren't for my mom."

"Gabriella what are you talking about?"

Gabriella sighed, as she thought of all the different way to tell him. Her head started to throb and she looked down at their hands."I've never told anyone this, not even my agent Michael."

"You have an agent?"

Gabriella frowned, "I've been lying to you about my doctor visits. I haven't been to a doctor's office in years."

Troy leaned back his hand still holding on to hers as he listened intently waiting for her to continue.

"I started writing because of my mom. Most dementia and Alzheimer's patients respond to photos or music, but my mom didn't respond to anything except the sound of my voice. So to help her remember and to keep her engage in the present, I wrote the story of her courtship with my dad and read it out loud to her. A nurse overheard part of it and encouraged me to get it published."

"How come I've never-"

"Brie Carmichael is my penname. I came up with it because I wanted my privacy. Life as a writer wasn't something I went out and found, it found me and with the way it did it just never felt right to take any credit for it."

"Brie Carmichael?"

"Yeah."

Troy leaned back a little bit further.

"And I wish I could say that was it," Gabriella said pulling her hand away from him and bringing both her hands up to rank them through her hair. "Remember when I first came to Payne Springs and you were going belly under because that secretary was robbing you blind?"

Troy lips suddenly flat lined, "What did you do?"

"I wrote the bank a check from my personal account and paid off your debt. At the time, before I knew any better, only Jason knew about it. I begged him not to tell you about it and in returned he asked me to marry him."

Troy shot up from his spot so fast it made Gabriella flinch, her eyes shot up to look into two icy blue eyes looking back down at her. She'd be blind if she didn't see the anger there.

"How did I know you two would be involved." A crisp voice interrupted and both Troy and Gabriella looked up to see a very pregnant Martha glaring at them disappointedly.

"Martha," Troy sighed when Gabriella fell silent.

Gabriella's eyes fell to the obvious swell of Martha stomach. It was more than clear that her pregnancy was not as new as Jason had made it sound to be. By the looks of Martha belly she was cleary due at any moment. The shock of it made her stomach tighten and her inside clench.

"Troy," Martha said coolly before turning to Gabriella. "You."

Gabriella smile fell a little, "Well it ain't like I'm thrilled to see you either."

"Alright," Troy said lifting his hands to settle the air between them. "Why don't we just get going and leave you to your business."

"We intend to press charges."

"You don't even know what happened," Gabriella said standing up as well.

Martha placed a hand on her swelling belly, "Do I even have to when you're involved."

"Hey," Troy said placing a hand on Gabriella lower back, "We're leaving."

"Good Riddance," Martha mumbled as she turned to the nurses' station. "Can someone please tell me where my fiancé is?"

"Well I guess it's true what they say then," Sharpay said coming into the waiting room with two cups of coffee. "If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas," she motioned to Martha stomach. "My condolences."

"Evans."

"Coxs."

"Leaving," Troy took Sharpay by the wrist as he led both Gabriella and Sharpay out of the hospital and outside where Sharpay shrugged out of his grasp.

"Gabi?" She said quietly, "You alright?"

Gabriella made a beeline for the nearest trashcan and hurled herself face first into it as she cupped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. She lost the contents inside her stomach in one bile gag.

"Well if it makes you feel any better she had cankles," Sharpay said soothingly as padded Gabriella's upper back.

Troy let out a breath as he placed his hands on his hips cursing under his breath as he watched Sharpay do her best to comfort Gabriella. His mind was still in the stages of processing all the information he'd just taken in a moment ago. His mind was racing eighty miles a minute and he barely knew the ground from the sky. How the hell had so much been going on for all this time without him knowing about it. He'd never felt like a bigger idiot in his in life.

Here he'd been providing for her, caring about her future, taking care of her, running a business and apparently the entire time he'd been failing at everything. She been taking care of him, she'd been writing books. Books. He could barely make it through the Sunday paper and she was writing books. He let out a small groan as he brought his hand up to ruffle through his hair.

And Jason. If the frying pan didn't kill him, he'd sure as hell finish the job with his bare hands. He'd taken advantage of her, he'd blackmailed her, and he'd used her. All this time, all these years, his stomach turned and he bent over to let his hands rest on his knees for a moment. How didn't he know about this?

The three of them sat quietly in his truck on the way home no one making peep as Gabriella took deep breaths in the back seat next to Sharpay. Every once in a while Sharpay phone with chime and she'd take her hand off Gabriella back to respond to something. After the fifth teen time Troy was about to ask her to silence it only to have his mouth fall open and both his feet slam on the brakes.

His front yard was covered in reporters.

"We have a problem."

Gabriella looked up and immediately felt sick all over again. "Oh god."

"Any suggestions?" Troy said looking back at the girls.

"My place," Sharpay said quickly.

"What about Blue?" Gabriella panicked, "We can't leave him?"

"He's a dog. He'll be fine," Sharpay said quietly.

Troy let out a sigh as he dropped his head back, "You girls wait here."

"Are you crazy?" Sharpay said in a harsh whisper.

"I'm going with you," Gabriella moved to get out of the truck.

"What?" Troy and Sharpay turned around in unison.

"I need my bag. It's got my laptop in it," she with frown.

"I'll get the damn bag you stay in the truck," Troy said getting out of the truck, turning around he looked into backseat and pointed back at Gabriella. "I mean it Brie. Stay your ass in the truck."

Troy slammed the door as he made his way up the drive, leaving Sharpay and Gabriella in the backseat.

"He knows doesn't he?"

Gabriella nodded buried her face in her hands, "I told him at the hospital."

"Did you know Martha was pregnant?"

"Yes," Gabriella said quietly as she sat up, "I just didn't know she was that pregnant."

Sharpay was quiet as she looked out at Troy work his way through the crowd of reporters. "Did he take it well?"

"I don't know, Martha showed up."

"Well," Sharpay said quietly, "this is going to be a long night isn't it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys, **

**I know, how happy is everyone to see an update? About as happy as I am to post one I'm sure. I made the decision to start this chapter from scratch and have been working on it during my lunch hour at work for about week. The new apartment is almost done. When we moved in it was newly renovated and as a result it still needs some TLC. We've finished the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and have plans to finish the bedrooms soon. I still have no computer up and running, just my kindle so I can read and respond to you guys if you write me. But I now have a drop box for all ongoing projects. I promise this will never happen again. **

**I don't know when is the next time I can show you all some love but I know it's a holiday weekend and I wanted to surprise you. It's not a two chapter bonus or like a mile long edition but it's something. And in this drought of posting, I think we can all agree something is better than nothing. I miss you all terribly. I miss writing every day at home. I miss posting every Friday and reading your reviews. I can't wait till everything is normal again. **

**Enjoy this and know that I'm working my hardest to get back to you guys. **

Troy stood in the darkness of the study in Sharpay's home looking out of one of the windows into the dark street. The ice clinked in his glass as he lifted it to his lips, the cool liquid making its way down his throat followed by the bitter burn.

For years he'd spent his better time feeling like the scum of the earth. Who in their right mind carries a torch for their best friend's girl? Who spends all that time idolizing someone from the sidelines that they didn't even know? How much money did she have? How much did Jason hate him to do what he did? Why would Jason do such a thing? What had he ever done to either of them to be deceived this way? Was she ever planning to tell him if Jason hadn't said anything?

The questions kept rolling through his mind. The clink of ice against the glass sounded again as he watched the silence outside. Betrayed by his best friend. Lied to by a woman who owed him absolutely nothing. What the hell was he thinking all this time?

"Alone in the dark."

Troy turned around to face Sharpay as she flipped on the light switch, filling the room with light and chasing the shadows away momentarily.

Her perfume was as potent as her appearance, for as long as he had known Sharpay she had never been one to go unnoticed. Everything about her was designed to be noticed. Her big blond hair, her bright pink nails, her skin tight clothes and loud laugh. Such an odd match that she and Gabriella would be best friends. They were nothing alike.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she teased walking towards him.

"No thank you."

Sharpay let out a sigh as she came to same window and stood beside him. "You're a stubborn man Troy Bolton. You know that don't you?"

"And you're persistent."

Sharpay looked out the window towards the street and leaned on the window frame. "She's been on the phone since we got here," she paused as she looked down at her feet, "that woman is charging hell with a bucket of ice water."

Troy raised a brow. "Why did you come up here?"

"Because you look suicidal."

"Well, I'm not."

Sharpay looked at him sternly for a moment. Making it obvious that she had a lot more on her mind than she was willing to say out loud. Instead she bit her lip and watched him closely as if trying to make her mind up about him. "You want my advice?"

"No."

"A drought usually ends with a flood."

Troy lifted his glance and glared at her. What did that even mean? Who could even understand her half the time? "How long have you known about everything?"

"Is that really gonna make you feel any better?" Sharpay retorted crossing her arms.

Troy let out long breath as he looked back out the window, "A warning would have been nice."

"Well, that's funny." Sharpay reached for his glass and took it from his hands, "I hear you clucking but I can't find your nest."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means your acting like a crazy person. Running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Seriously, what's made everything so different?"

Troy pushed himself off the wall. "Everything is different."

"Why because she's not so helpless anymore? You're suddenly not the big bad ass you thought you were?"

"What?" Troy narrowed his brow, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me."

Moments passed between them as they stared at each other, neither one willing to break the silence.

"What's going on in here?"

Troy turned to see Gabriella in the doorway her features worn and her hair in a droopy pony tail. She looked tired. She looked like hell. A cell phone in one hand and a book in the other. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid his eyes on.

"Nothing," Sharpay said lifting his glass and draining the rest of it. "I'll be downstairs if ya'll need me. You two obviously have some talking to do."

Troy watched as Sharpay left the room with his glass, closing the door behind her. It was quiet between them for a while as Troy watched Gabriella fidget with the book in her hands. She was different now. He couldn't explain it, but in the few hours that they were apart he could see that the time had made its impact.

Things were different now. Would she have to leave Payne Springs? The question made his entire body break out into a cold sweat. He hadn't thought about it. What did it mean? Clearly she didn't need him. She wasn't bond to Payne Springs. If she wanted to go she could. If she didn't have a reason to stay why would she?

"Are you angry?"

Her question caught him off guard and he jumped a little. He didn't want to tell her the truth, he didn't want to lie to her either. But what was he holding on to? How much had changed? Would things ever go back to how they were? Could he forget everything he learn? Forgive the way they made a fool of him? He had to know why Jason did what he did.

Gabriella lifted a hand to wipe a tear from her check and he realized that she was still waiting for an answer.

"Yes."

Gabriella's forced smile fell a little as she shifted her weight, "I got you a copy of the last book I wrote," she said looking down at it and not at him.

"I don't want to read the book."

"Oh," Gabriella slowly fell into a chair nearby. Not sure what to do she looked down at the hem of her shirt and fumbled with the stitching.

"Why didn't you tell me about the money?"

Gabriella looked up like a deer caught in the headlights, "Would you have taken it?"

"No."

"Then."

"You should have said something Brie," Troy crossed his arms and turned away from her. Not really sure what he wanted to say or what he was expecting to hear from her.

"Well I didn't."

More silence fell between and it felt like forever rather than the few second of time that it was. Troy uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on each frame of the window looking out into the street. He didn't want to fight with her. He didn't want to talk to her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to turn around and just go to her. But how could he?

"Troy there's one more thing you should know."

Troy looked over his shoulder, "What is it?"

"This new book that I've been working on," Gabriella let out a shaky a breath as she fingered the pages of her book. "It's a passive rendition of our relationship."

Troy arms fell to his side and he turned around, "What does that mean?"

"I've been writing about us."

Troy let out a huff. "Has any of this been real?"

Gabriella couldn't stop the automatic flinch that shivered through her body. "What do you mean?"

"I mean was any of this real or was this all because of a stupid book?" he said solemnly.

"It's not stupid and how could you even ask me that?"

"Are you kidding me, how could I not?" he asked, "You've been lying to me this whole time."

"No I haven't," she countered.

"Really?" Troy shouted, "So you didn't pay your way into a job that I gave you and then marry a man so he wouldn't tell me what you did. You didn't not tell me that your have an entire different life I know nothing about." Troy tossed his hands out in frustration, "Oh and in case that isn't enough, you're writing about me in a book to add to my humiliation."

"It's not like that?" she yelled back.

"Then what's it like?" Troy's voice lowered as he took three steps towards her. "Tell me you haven't been poking fun at the love sick moron for the last seven years because at moment I'm having a really hard time even looking at you."

"I have done no such thing," Gabriella argued as she tossed the book at him. "And if you'd just stop being a little baby about it and read it for yourself you'd know that."

"I shouldn't have to read it for myself, I should trust you enough not to go behind my back!"

"I haven't gone behind your back," Gabriella stressed.

"Your right, because I've been stupid enough to think that you needed my help. That I was doing you a favor by giving you a place to sleep. Little did I know you've been living in my home, eating my food, taking my money and doing all of this," he quickly reached for the book and flung at the wall behind her, "right in front of my face! You're right! This is 100% my fault."

Gabriella jerked back her mouth falling open in the process.

"Now if you excuse me, the world's biggest idiot is going home. To his home. Alone. You can get your things in the morning."

"Troy," Gabriella lifted a hand to her mouth as words jumbled out in bits and sputters as she looked for something to say to defuse the situation.

"We're done."

"Wait, I can explain," Gabriella rushed forward only to see the door shut behind him and she was instantly encased in the empty room. Alone. Horror set in as she began to panic. Should she follow him? Beg him to listen? Plead for him to stay? How?

The sound of her cell phone went off and she looked down at the screen. It was Michael. Quietly she fell back onto the couch and answered the phone.

"Gabriella?"

"What is it?" Gabriella voice sounded almost as small as she felt.

"I take it things aren't going so well?"

"What do you want Michael?"

"The board wants you in tomorrow morning, we're working on a way to re-brand you. This is the end of the line for Brie Carmichael. Your readers want to know you, they want you. So we're gonna give them what they want."

"What time,"

"9 am."

"I'll be there."

Gabriella hung up the phone and placed it on the side table her body limp. A tear fell down from her cheek and she slowly brought a hand up to wipe it away.

"Here,"

Gabriella jerked and looked up to see Sharpay holding out a glass of scotch, no ice. Gabriella winced as she looked at the contents.

"Trust me, it's the only way you're going to get any sleep tonight."

"Did you hear any of that?"

"Brought you the drink didn't I?" Sharpay confessed with a sadden smile.

"Is this really all my fault?" Gabriella said taking the drink from Sharpay.

"Baby girl, I can't lie to you. You've certainly dug yourself into a hole," Sharpay sat down on the coffee table in front of her. "He feels like idiot. Men don't do idiot very well. It messes with their testosterone."

"He kicked me out."

"He doesn't mean it."

"Doesn't he?"

"Trust me," Sharpay said quietly, "Give him a day or two to cool off."

Gabriella took a sip of the scotch and winced as the burn over powered her senses. "I can't drink this."

"Try," Sharpay coached, "After the day you had, you're gonna need to sleep a little bit."

"I've single handily ruined my life."

"Nothing is ruined, you just gotta do things differently is all." Sharpay stood up, "Come on, I'll let you pity party tonight in my room but tomorrow you gotta go home and fix things."

The next morning Troy stood in hospital room waiting for patiently besides Jason's bed. Martha had been diligently sitting at his bedside when he came in and he instructed her to go get something to eat. She hesitated but eventually decided to leave her husband's side.

Troy hovered over Jason cautiously staring down at the man he thought he should be ashamed to face all these years. The same man that he though he owed an explanation to. The very man who led him to believe that he was scum just for feeling the way he did about certain his wife. Only this whole time he been making a fool of him.

Jason slowly opened his eyes.

Like a trigger reaction Troy fist made instant contact with his face.

"What the fuck," Jason jerked upright in the bed his hand shot up to his face catching the spurts of blood draining out of his nose.

"Why did you ask Gabriella to marry you?"

Jason eyes blinked back a few times as he searched the room, "This is illegal."

"Answer the question."

Jason flinched and scooted back in his bed, "seriously?"

"Yeah," Troy said reaching for Jason's shirt collar and yanking him forward. "Seriously."

"Shit, back off man." Jason squirmed a bit his fingers still holding his bleeding nose.

"Why did you blackmail her?"

"Whoa," Jason eyes opened wide, "I never black mailed her, she just didn't want you to know about the money. I knew she was into you and I was jealous. So I told her the only I wouldn't say anything was if she stood away from you."

Troy punch him again.

"Fuck," Jason sputtered as he covered his busted lip. "I thought she was into me, when I asked her to marry me she said yes, it wasn't until after the fucking wedding that I realized you had a thing for her too."

"How could you do all that and then cheat on her?"

"How could I not?" Jason responded as he winced in pain, "Do you have any idea what it's like to be married to someone who doesn't love you?"

"No I don't because I don't make a habit of threating woman into marriage proposals."

"Oh well forgive me," Jason grunted, "I was young and stupid. Not all of us are as lucky as you are, things just don't fall into our lap like they do for you, so excuse me if I have to be a little more protective of what's mine."

"Only she wasn't yours to begin with," Troy gripped the edge of the bed and Jason held up his hands to protect his face.

"Not the face, not the face, not the face!"

"You need to leave," Troy let go of the bed and took two steps back, "You don't get to come back, you don't get to ask her for money and you don't get to mess with her life anymore. I swear to god Jason if I see you again …"

"I got it," Jason let out wince as he reached up his bleeding lip. "You win."

"There was nothing to win in the first place Jason." Troy lifted his hand and brought it up through his hair. "I thought you were my friend, I thought we were friends, how could you let this happen."

"I don't know."

Silence filled the room again as Jason reached over for the tissue box to tend to his wounds.

"You want to know what the worst part of it was."

"Is it gonna make me want to hit you again," Troy murmured quietly.

Jason let out a huff and shook his head. "What made it worst were the books," he said quietly, "she writes all these stories about falling in love with you over and over again and again. I mean she changes the story but it's always the same."

Troy pushed himself away from the wall. "What are you talking about?"

"The books man," Jason said looking up at him. "You're always that guy. He's always you. The first time I read one I was so stupid, I thought she was describing me. I was such an idiot."

"I haven't read them."

"Yeah well," Jason frowned as he plucked three more tissues from the box and brought them to his nose. "You should. Especially you."

"Oh my god, Jason!" Martha shrieked as she ran across the room, "Nurse! Nurse!"

"He's fine." Troy said crossing his arms.

"He's bleeding and he already has a minor concussion! What is wrong with you people? Why can't you just leave us alone?" Martha hugged her husband to him.

"Well, why don't you both think about that the next time you think about asking Gabriella for more money," Troy offered as he began to make his way to the door.

"You did what?" Martha's voice uttered in surprise as she looked down at Jason. Her purse lifted and came down over his head with a thud. "Is that why you decided to come alone? To ask for money! I thought you said we were fine!"

"I can explain."

"You bet your ass you gonna explain," Martha said sternly.

Troy motioned to the door, "I'm just gonna shut this and let you guys get some privacy," he said although he was sure they didn't hear him.


	19. Chapter 19

It was almost three in the afternoon before Gabriella was allowed to leave the studio. She'd been plucked, fluffed, hair sprayed and painted for the last four hours. She'd been through three interviews one for the local paper, one for Good Morning American and another that was scheduled to air later tonight on the 10 o'clock evening news as a feature story.

Now she stood in the driveway looking up at her house with mixed feelings. For almost two years she'd called this place home. She considered Troy to be her best friend. She even fell in love with him. The last thought made the lump in her throat swell. How was she supposed to go in there and face him? How was she just supposed to pack all her things up and leave? Where would she go? Should she leave Payne Springs? Could she bare staying and running into him at the market?

Gabriella fingers gripped a little tighter on her duffle bag as she brace herself for the emotional goodbye she was going to have to face with the life she once had. The relationship that had just started. The man who would haunt her dreams for many sleepless nights to come. With one last deep breath she began walking towards the house unsure about what she was going to find inside.

When she opened the front door she was greeted with silence. A dull sound of the refrigerator humming peacefully in the kitchen. There were no murmurs coming from the television in the living room, no chopping sounds coming from the kitchen table where he might be preparing dinner. Not even the quiet footsteps of someone upstairs. The house was empty. And somehow that hurt even more.

Quietly she made her way to her bedroom. She'd be gone in few hours. All this heartache would be just a thing in her past. She'd walk away from all this. Away from Troy. Away from Jason. Away from her past. A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. She'd cry about it later. Right now she just wanted to be gone. Gone before she did something stupid like wait for Troy to come home and beg him to let her stay.

Three hours later Troy let out a low moan as he rubbed back of his neck. He spent the entire afternoon in the garage. He spent all morning sitting on the couch waiting. Watching the clock. Waiting for her to show up. They needed to talk. He needed to talk. And then he couldn't take it anymore. He had to leave. He had to do something. Anything, just so he wouldn't think about her. Crave her touch and need to hear the sound of her voice. He had to get out of there before he lost it.

Everything in that house reminded him of her. The kitchen counter, his recliner, the floor, the stairs. Even standing in the hallway he could smell the faint hint of her perfume. He didn't know what to say to her. What he'd be capable of once they were face to face. Because chances were he'd want her. He'd want her horribly and he couldn't bare not having her.

Getting out of his truck he made his way up the steps to the front door and let himself in. The house was quiet and he made his way into the kitchen. His eyes darted around looking at the empty spots where certain items used to be. His heart sunk and he turned towards the living room, it was gone. Blue's pillow that had been resting by the television for the last year was gone.

Troy quickly made his way up the stairs his heart pounding as he took the stairs two at a time. Once he was at the top he raced towards the bedroom door and pushed it open.

Gone.

The wall of Post-Its were gone. The perfume bottles on the dresser top were no longer there. Her bed stripped bare. He shouldn't be surprised. This shock shouldn't be rumbling through him, ripping him apart like a tornado destroying the horizon. He told her to leave. He just didn't expect her to. And now he didn't know what to do about it.

Later that evening Gabriella fell into the booth at the Chad's Place as she removed her sweater and checked outside by her truck where Blue was currently chowing down on his dog food. Her own stomach growled and she placed a hand over it to smother the noise.

"You can't be serious about leaving town?" Taylor muttered as she settled into the booth beside her, "I have so many questions and now you're just going to leave."

"This is a horrible idea," Sharpay said from across the table. "Where are you going to go?"

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "I've packed up my truck and left before I can do it again."

"Yeah but do we remember that your truck got stuck in a ditch?"

"And I found a mechanic and got it towed?" Gabriella argued.

"Are you coming back?" Taylor asked quietly.

Gabriella looked back and forth between her two close best friends. Her heart was aching in a way she could never imagine. "Payne Springs has been my home for 7 long years. I been married, cheated on, divorced, the subject of town gossip and I'm pretty sure with this latest scandal none of that is going change."

"So fuck people, let 'em talk," Sharpay said quietly. "Stay."

"I can't," Gabriella said sadly.

"It's one break up," Taylor said with a knowing frown, "soon he'll just be another guy."

Gabriella nodded as she wiped a tear from cheek, "Thank you," Gabriella said quietly as she looked back down at her hands which were shredding a napkin to pieces. How was she supposed to know that Troy Bolton would never be, just another guy. Troy Bolton was the love of her life. The man she should have married. Instead Troy Bolton had kicked her out of his home and out of his life.

Gabriella leaned back in her booth as she watch Chad at the bar as he mixed drinks and took orders. She was going to miss the hell out of this place. But the thought of running into Troy at the market was worst. The thought of seeing him with other women, having fun with someone else, whispering in her ear and placing his hand on the small of her back. Quietly after a moment of sulking in her own misery she looked back out the window towards her truck and watched as Blue finished up his food and sat down besides his bowl, getting comfortable for the moment. She wondered if Blue understood what was happening.

"I just can't stay here," Gabriella said. Letting out a sigh she looked down at her napkin and tired her hardest to ignore the hurt that was swarming inside her. Every part of her body felt like a freight train had smashed it to pieces.

But she couldn't do it, she couldn't stay in Payne Springs another minute. She knew if she stayed she'd give into her feelings, she have to see him and she wouldn't survive if he shut another door on her.

Taylor let out a sigh as she placed a hand over Gabriella's, "I understand your hurting, and I know you need some space. All I'm asking is that you come back and visit us soon."

"You have to call every day," Sharpay said harshly as she fought back tears. "No exceptions."

"I will," Gabriella nodded.

After a few moments of silence between all of them the three girl got up from the table and embraced Gabriella in a group hug. Tears fell and sighs were exchanged as they comforted each other. Gabriella took a deep breath as she pull herself away from them. She embraced by a cold hollow feeling and she couldn't help but wish that things were different.

The next morning Troy stood in the kitchen quietly listening to the silence of the house. No dog nails click along the tile floor and coming to a stop at his feet. No footsteps above as someone walked from the bathroom to her bedroom getting ready for the day. Troy looked down at his second cup of coffee. He hadn't meant to make enough for two cups but it was a habit. His entire morning was thrown off.

No dog to let out, no dog food to pour, no one to make coffee for, to ride into work with. His thoughts stilled, he was going to have hire someone else to do the books at the garage. Lifting his mug he quietly looked down at the book he traveled two hours out of town to buy. He stared at the cover reading the title for what felt like the million time.

_The Mechanic by Brie Carmichael _

His body broke into a cold sweat for the fifth time that morning as he thought about opening the book. He took a long sip of his coffee and then let out a sigh as he picked up the book and opened it to the first page. His eyes skimmed over the words, and a memory came flooding back.

"_I can only afford to pay you half of what I paid the other girl for now," Jack said placing his hand on his hips. The flex in his bicep caused Samantha's eyes to wonder as she clenched her bag tightly under her arm. _

"_That's fine," she said pulling her eyes away from him. She'd been stranded here in town for two days and she when came to pick up her car she realized the now hiring sign in the window of the garage. Jack Shadle seemed like an all American guy. His blue eyes seemed to hold a warm friendly welcome, something she hadn't been to receiving of as a stranger in a small town._

"_This is where you'll be working," he said flipping on the light to small office. "My office is right back there, the mirror is one of those fancy one way windows," he said tapping the glass. "Don't worry, I'm not creepy or nothing it's just a safety precaution." _

"_Right," Samantha looked around the small office area, made smaller by the amount of boxes stacked in three corners of the room. "Sure could use a good dusting," she said wiping a finger along the edges of one box. _

"_Sorry about that," Jack smiled and Samantha suddenly forgot what he was apologizing for. There was something about that smile, the way his charm rolled off in waves that made her feet itch with the urge to hightail it out of town before it was too late. But who was she kidding, she was inexperienced, stranded, and homeless. She needed this job. _

"_I can start today if you like?"_

Troy looked up from the first page a small smile on his lips as he recalled the entire conversation from that day seven years ago when he brought Gabriella into the office for the first time. Quickly he flipped a couple of pages back to the publication date. The book had been published 6 years ago. A year after they met.

A year after this conversation took place, his lips pulled into a smile as he flipped back over to page 2 of chapter one. His eyes began reading once again. Before he knew how it happened he was sitting on his recliner turning the page to chapter four.

The words were breezing past him as he read through the passages, remembering old conversations that had taken place years ago. Laughing at the internal monologue of the lead character as she learned how to change a tire for the first time.

He hadn't even noticed the time slowly slip away from him as Samantha and Jack circled their feelings for each other. Somewhere around three in the afternoon he made himself a sandwich but continued to read as he ate. The love scenes between Jack and Samantha were intimate, telling, and extremely hot. After the first scene where they made love in his office over his desk he was absolutely sure these were fantasies taken straight from his head and put on paper.

Was it possible that she had the same fantasies, that Jack and Samantha were really just a rouse for Troy and Gabriella? Why had she never told him about this? How had he not noticed the looks, glances, innuendos of their conversations?

It was as if he spent so much time trying to avoid the attraction he had for her that he never noticed the attract that had been there all along. A pit from in his stomach at the realization. And she was gone. Troy put the book down as the sinking feeling made his stomach free fall to his feet. He let her go. Where had she gone? She didn't have any family. He was her family. Looking at the book he opened the cover page and looked at the publisher information. She couldn't be gone.

A week later Gabriella looked over the mass of equipment on the table in front of her as someone put her headphones on and adjusted a microphone in front of her. She been on autopilot for the last few days. In and out of interviews and meetings, Michael and her editor had fallen in love with her latest work. So she was currently on the road promoting it. Doing her first actual live book tour.

Why not? Was there ever a better time for a book tour than when your homeless and unable to go back home. Twenty-two cities in three months, book signings, interviews, special guest speakers, she was even hosting a class on how to get past writers block sometime next week. Not that she knew the hidden secret. Although with the way people were flocking around her you'd think she would have had a magical power of some sort.

"We're on in three," the man sitting across from her said as he looked down at his notes, "Do you know what you're talking about?"

"Yes." The Cowboy's Kiss, the latest installment in her successful career as a romance novelist. Leaning back in the chair she let out a breath and looked down at all the buttons in front of her. Someone came in on her right with a glass of water while another man took pictures of her sitting at the booth.

Gabriella looked down at her notes, then calmly reached down to pet Blue behind the ears who was quietly sitting under her chair. She be lost if it weren't for Blue. He'd been the perfect cuddle buddy and constant companion. He was asking her questions all the time about her writing, her inspiration. Which were constant reminders. Like Band-Aids she was continually ripping off the same spot over and over.

"We're here with the famous writer Brie Carmichael who is actually Gabriella Montez," the host said with a smile as he motioned towards her.

"Good afternoon," Gabriella politely as she leaned forward to be heard in the microphone.

"So you've been in hiding for all this time, why have you come out to the public now?"

Gabriella smiled pulled into a tight fake smile, "Well when I first started writing books it wasn't about the money or the fame. It was about my mother."

"About your mother?" the DJ gave her a questioningly look.

"Yes she suffered from dementia and most patients respond to photos or music, but my mom didn't respond to anything except the sound of my voice. So to help her remember and to keep her engage in the present, I wrote the story of her courtship with my dad and read it out loud to her."

"How did you get from there to where you are now?"

Gabriella let out a breath, "A nurse overheard part of it and encouraged me to get it published so I did and I met my agent who introduced me to my publisher and rest is history. For years most of the profits from my book sales goes into research to help cure patients suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease."

"How that's amazing?" the DJ frown as he read something in front of him before looking up again, "Now it says here you're working on a new book?"

"The Cowboy's Kiss."

"Why don't you tell everyone what this wonderful story is about," he said motioning for her to start.

"This story is about a woman name Georgia and she's tired of her life. She a hopeless romantic and constant daydreamer. Her current boyfriend is a very boring, very safe white collar kind of guy who ends up cheating on her. So when she meets this stranger who's new to town, she comes up with this plan and confidence to just come out and ask him for sex."

"Seriously?" The DJ whistle, "Now this is my kind of story."

"Yeah well this stranger ends up giving her a lot more than what she was expecting because he's looking to settle down and he has his sights set on Georgia. He agrees to give her want she wants but on few conditions."

"Conditions? Like what she has to do his laundry?"

Gabriella let out a small laugh as she drifted back in her memory to the past. "Well she has to agree to five dates first and the only sexual interaction allowed between the two is kissing."

"See this is why I can't get into the reading books like this?" the DJ joked, "No man in his right mind would come up with terms like that."

Gabriella smiled tugged and she felt the bitter snap of her heart strings as she looked up at him with a smile. "Well your wrong about that," Gabriella said loud enough to be heard on the microphone but softly enough to hide her hurt. "I wrote this story based on my own experiences with love, I can honestly say that the Tucker in my story is very much alive and well."

"So you're telling me this is a true story, and you're Georgia?"

"Yes," Gabriella said solemnly, "I was swept off my feet by the adventure and romance of one man."

"So who is this lucky guy?"

Gabriella frowned as she fidgeted with the hem of her blazer. "Oh I couldn't tell you that," she teased as she pretending to laugh it off.

"Alright I see how it is," the DJ joked.

"I'm a happy girl and that's all I'm saying on record."

"I bet you're a happy girl," the DJ said looking down at his sheet, "So how is the tour going?"

Gabriella who was happy the hardest part was over let out a sigh she pretended that the tour was the highlight of her life. She gushed about all the wonderful places she saw and couldn't wait to see. All the while her insides were collapsing on top of each other as she thought about Troy. What he was doing? What he smelled like? If he was eating? If he was going to hire someone else to take care of the books at the garage.

When the interview was over Gabriella sat in the lunch room with Blue by her side as she fished through her salad, feeding scraps to Blue under the table.

"You're amazing," Michael said taking a seat at the table.

"I don't feel amazing," Gabriella said lifting her fork to her lips, "I feel empty, soulless and shallow."

Michael frowned, "It's going to get better champ," he said resting his hand on the table. "Right now you're making a ton of money just based on the pre-orders for The Cowboy's Kiss."

Gabriella frowned, her salad had no flavor. Picking up another crouton she fed it to Blue who was all but happy to accept scraps. "Michael, I don't have home."

"We can buy you a new home," he said sitting up straighter, "Pick a spot anywhere, we'll buy it or build it if we have to."

Gabriella eye brow shot up at him questioningly, "I still don't know how the book ends."

Michael let out and exasperated sigh, "well you have a week to figure it out Brie. People are beside themselves to read this one, let's not let them down."

"You mean sign a bunch refundable checks?"

Michael glared at her with an irritated expression, "Gabriella."

"I know," she said quietly. "I'm working on it. Everything's gonna be fine."


	20. Chapter 20

Troy hovered over a box sitting in his living room. Picking it up, he shook it. It was a heavy and something large shifted from one side to the other inside. On the label, there was only his name and address, no sender name or information.

After a few more seconds of thought he picked at the corner of the packing tape and ripped it all off. He opened the flaps and frowned at the contents. Someone sent him paper? Shifting he reached inside and pulled out a thick stack of paper bound by a rubber band. The cover sheet read:

The Cowboy's Kiss

By

Gabriella Montez

Formally known as Brie Carmichael

The book she'd been working on, he'd bet. Was it done? He flipped through the first few pages. Why had she sent it to him? Coming over to the living room he sat down in recliner where a stack of Brie Carmichael books were already piled up. He leaned the seat back propping his feet up and began to read.

He barely noticed when morning became afternoon. When his coffee went cold. His back got stiff from not moving. His stomach grumbled with hunger. But he read straight through, getting up once to go to the bathroom.

Trucker and Georgia were obviously he and Gabriella. Troy recognized the fictionalized versions of some of their conversations. He laughed at the banter, and he got hot at the sexy parts. Unlike all her other books where their story was more hidden and harder to find this one was openly obvious. Jeff was obviously Jason the ex-boyfriend who was greedy and oddly casted with a weak chin.

Jeff only cared about the money on Georgia's farm and what she stand to gain from it if she'd sell, whereas Tucker… Tucker seemed to understand her. Sure this time she choose to lie and only tell Tucker that she was a farm worker and not the owner but valued his opinions and hard work. She respected him and in so many ways she cherished the friendship they had.

Then there was the deal, their deal, the one they made in the kitchen laid out in details. Troy read over the pages each memory slamming through him with full force. Mostly, he remember how great it was with Gabriella. He missed her so bad.

He read until he got to the last chapter, which was blank-except for a handwritten note:

I don't know how the story ends. Do Trucker and Georgia get together? I want them to, but I'm not sure how to write the scene. Maybe you have ideas…

Troy stared at the page. Actually he had no idea, but he'd figure something out, something worthy of a romance hero. He set the book aside and hurried to shower. He had a heroine to woo. ASAP, because their forever was on the line.

Gabriella sipped her coffee as she looked out the window and down at the street. They were in New York and she was set to speak at the coffee shop down stairs about her book. "My books rock," she whispered to herself. "I may not write the Great American Novel, but people enjoy my books."

"Who are you trying to convince?" Michael said shutting the door to the small office behind him and placing a newspaper down on top of the small table.

Her brown eyes narrowed as she leaned back against the frame of the window and watched as Michael went about making himself a cup of coffee.

"I don't feel like bestselling author."

"You don't look like any writer I've ever seen."

Gabriella frowned, "And how many romance writers have you seen?"

Michael huffed, "Danielle Steele lives in San Francisco. You don't look like her."

"Of course not. She's old enough to be my mother." Gabriella let out a sigh as she brought the coffee cup back up to her lips. "So what do I look like?" she asked before taking a sip.

"Like a love sick teenager, whose been mopping around rather than basking in the glow of fame and fortune."

Gabriella considered his statement and then lowered her cup holding it with two hands. "I've lived through the death of both my parents, the tragic loss of my family home, and the death of my marriage, you'd think by now I'd be use to not having things," her laugh was void of humor as she looked down at the coffee in her cup.

"Love is not a thing," Michael said taking a seat on a nearby couch next to Blue who was sleeping soundly, "You taught me that." Blue head came up and rested in his lap and Michael hesitated for a moment before placing a hand down and stoking the dog behind the ear. Earning a tail wag of appreciation.

"Do you ever think that I'm giving women a false sense of reality?"

Michael lowered his cup, "Sweetheart you write about romance and true love. It's real."

"Right." Gabriella sighed, "Love is the most important thing in the world. That's why I write romance, to give people hope and to remind them that it's possible to find happiness."

"So why the doubt princess?" Michael said studying Gabriella closely, "Is this about Troy?"

"I don't know," Gabriella said quietly as she sat down next to Michael reaching out a hand scratch Blue behind his ear as well, "Everything is just so different now."

"Let me ask you this," Michael said quietly, "Would you still do this even if there was no profit or fame?"

"Yes, I would."

Michael shrugged, "then you're doing what god intended."

Gabriella lifted her cup and took a long sip before bringing down her cup. "So I'm divorced and alone because god wants me to be?"

Michael let out a sigh, "You're not alone." Getting up he placed his cup on the table and dusted the dog hair from his pants with a little less irritation than normal. "You're on in five downstairs, pull it together. You write for entertainment. Just like Shakespeare."

"I hear they can train monkeys to produce Shakespeare," Gabriella smirked as Blue adjust himself into her lap.

"Behave," Michael warned, "and leave the mutt upstairs."

An hour later Gabriella sat her table signing what felt like book number 7 billion for the day even though she knew it was only number 28. She introduced herself, given a brief speech about her last book and then a long question and answer session about her life as a writer.

"Can I get you anything?" The coffee shop owner asked.

"Water please," Gabriella said looking up at the next person in line with a smile. She watched as they came all the way up to the table and handed her a worn copy of one of her books.

"This is amazing."

"What's your name sweetheart?" Gabriella said offering her best smile.

"Anna," the woman beamed with so much excitement, "I've read your book so many times, and it's helped me so much during my last break up. It's like my go to whenever I'm sad."

"There is nothing better than good book." Gabriella nodded as she signed the inside cover then smiled as she added happy face. Channeling her best Sharpay she lifted her chin and handed back the book with a wink, "be with someone who ruins your lipstick not your mascara."

"I love you."

Gabriella let out a small laugh as watched the woman hug the book against her chest. Just as she looked down a figure off to her right caught her eye. And that's when the next person in line came up to the table. And in that moment memories raced through her mind, causing sensory overload. She remembered every argument, every conversation, and every bit of incredible tension that hummed through every moment they'd spent together.

"Troy."

He noted the brief reaction of shock and pleasure in her brown eyes before it faded away into a cool businesslike stare. A flush of color stained her cheeks but it wasn't embarrassment or anger- it was desire.

Her hair was shorter, shoulder-length hair that was a tumble of soft light brown curls that tempted a man to spear his fingers through their silkiness. Damned if he didn't miss her long hair but like hell if he didn't find her new look exciting. She was damn near electrifying. Her hair, her eyes, the curve if her hips as she came to a standing position.

Hell, everything about her screamed sexy, powerful woman and that really did it for him in big way. Especially now, knowing what he did. Reading what he had. There were so many new things he wanted to do to her body.

Her perfume reached for him, flavoring every breath with the taste of her. He looked down into her eyes, saw them spark and flash and he knew he was in deep trouble.

"You're here."

"We didn't finish our conversation. You ran out on me."

"And you let me." Gabriella said pointedly. "In fact you told me too. And it took you this long to act on it?"

"Yeah well it took me this long to get over feeling like I'd been played for a fool."

She pretended not to understand what he was saying. "Don't blame this on me. I removed myself from a situation that was harmful to me."

"I'm harmful?" he asked with a frown.

To her heart, he was. "The potential is definitely there."

"You're the one who lied. You misrepresented yourself to me. I thought you were a starving woman, down on her luck. Why do you think I wanted to give you work?"

"I know you want me to think you have a bleeding heart, and the underprivileged woman appreciates your kindness, but she didn't need it." She crossed her arms to keep from throwing them around him and begging him to be hers.

"You led me to believe you were underprivileged. I don't think you can fault me for wanting to see your situation improved." He took a step closer to the table, "I care about you and I wanted to help you."

"So you're here."

"I am," Troy said quietly looking behind her at the poster for her next book. "And I think I have an ending for your book."

"You do?" her lips pulled into a small smirk as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah," Troy said.

When he didn't continue she arched her brow, "Well,"

"You were always an impatient woman." Troy let out a sigh as he watched her with a smile, "I'm no Shakespeare. And my guess is that Romeo wasn't much of a Mechanic either right?"

"No, he wasn't," Gabriella laughed softly.

Troy also laughed as he removed a book from his inside pocket and held it up "You're a really beautiful writer."

"Oh," was all she could say as she looked down at the book between them as he placed it on the table. What was he up to? And why did he have to look so good in that brown leather jacket. He looked as though he stepped right off the cover of come GQ cover in his fitted worn blue jeans and crisp white t-shirt. Her hormones literally melted to a puddle of gooey mush at her feet.

"I really wish I had the most perfect and beautiful words in the world to say to you because if I did I'd say them but," Troy shrug as he looked back at the long line of women behind him. "I'd tell you how great you make me feel when I'm with you and how I love that little thing you do with your lip when you get excited."

Gabriella brought a hand to her stomach in an attempt to calm the fluttering butterflies that were kicking up what felt like the world's largest storm.

"I'd tell you how much I hate it when you use to correct my grammar, but hey," he paused with smirk, "you're the writer so I guess it's only right."

"I'm really sorry about that," Gabriella winced.

"But most of all," Troy said making sure he had her attention, "you make me a better person. My own person. And that's how I know that this," he said motioning to the table and line of people watching them. "Means nothing, and you mean everything. But I'm just a mechanic, I don't have the right words for stuff like this."

Gabriella let out a long breath as she lifted a hand to brush some hair behind her ear. "Those were perfect words," she said choking back a sob. "Come here."

"Try and stop me," he said coming around the table and taking her out reached palm he pulled her closed to him, so they were chest to chest. For a moment he reveled in the feel of her. This was right.

"I shouldn't have withheld my writing job from you or the money. I'm sorry about that."

"And I'm sorry I didn't trust you," he said. "We share equal responsibility."

Gabriella frowned for a moment before speaking, "No offense Troy, but as far as endings go this is sweet but it's not really a homerun for my book."

"Because you haven't let me finish," he said with grunt. Troy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. "One day you'll let me surprise you on my own terms." he murmured as he bend down so he was on one knee. "Gabriella Montez, woman with the worst case of patience to ever walk into my life, will you make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife?"

There were gasps, swoons, murmurs and camera shutters going off as Gabriella looked around at all the onlooker watching. She glared at him. "That's not funny. Don't joke with me. It's cruel."

"I'm not joking." He opened the box to display the ring inside. It was beautiful. A silver band with tear drop diamond.

She stared him in the eye and he gazed back at her solemnly, levelly, letting her see he was serious. Letting her see everything he was offering.

Hope began to overtake the regret. "I want a baby."

Troy eyes widen at her sudden outburst, "At this point I'll give you the moon."

"If you don't want him I'll take him!" a random voice called out.

Gabriella laughed as she nodded her head vigorously. "I want him. Yes, yes I'll marry you."

Troy came up and pulled her into his embrace and he kissed her softly, and then kissed her again more deeply because he could. Because he was happy. Because she was his.

She whimpered from the painful pleasure filling her chest. Her heart hammered, a staccato drumming of both happiness and excitement. She clutched the collar of his jacket, trying to ground herself from the floating feeling of those butterflies making her take flight. But it was pointless the moment his lips touched hers she was lost.

The sound of enthusiastic clapping invaded their consciousness at the same time and they looked up to find a crowd of onlookers cheering them on.

The sound of someone clearing his throat caught their attention and Gabriella turned to see Michael pointing at his wrist watch and tapping at it vigorously.

"Who is that?" Troy whispered looking at the man curiously.

"My agent." Gabriella frowned, "My very angry agent."

"How angry do you we can make him before he breaks that fancy watch of his?"

"Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

"Definitely."


	21. Chapter 21

Epilogue

Gabriella took the glass of champagne Troy handed her and thanked him. They both looked around the hall that was decorated from floor to ceiling in pink and white roses. There were also hues of pink light casted from above them as the overhead twinkle lights sparkled with a twilight atmosphere.

"This is a very pink wedding," Troy murmured lifting his own glass to his lips.

"I'm not wearing underwear." Gabriella said quietly before sipping her champagne.

His glass, which had been on its way to his mouth, stopped abruptly, and his gaze fell to her strapless dress. "None?"

"Not one scrap of lace." Sipping her drink she looked around the hall, which Sharpay had transformed into a wedding wonderland, with white and pink ribbons and cream colored candles. Toward the back there was a small altar set up with chairs circling it. Sharpay had told Zeke she wanted to be surrounded by their family and friends as they exchanged their vows. "It's beautiful in here, isn't it?" she said with a shrug, "Once you get past the pink."

"Yes." He leaned towards her, brushing her hair from her shoulder. "But I'd much rather discuss your underwear."

She shivered, feeling the tug of his desire. "There's nothing to discuss. Literally."

Troy's smile grew, "I'd like to see that for myself." His hand discreetly ran down her back and over the curve of her bottom.

"Behave," she murmured as she lifted her glass.

Troy leaned in close so he could whisper in her ear, "Then you never should have told me about your underwear."

"Hey guys," the sound of Taylor's voice brought Troy's hand up to the safety of Gabriella's hip. However, he nestled her close into the nook of his side where she fit perfectly.

"Hey," Gabriella said warmly as she wrapped an arm around Troy torso holding him close.

Chad and Troy nodded at each other as they glanced around. "Anyone else feeling like they need to do something to bring up the testosterone tonight?" Chad murmured as he lifted his glass.

"No kidding." Troy agreed earning him a nudge in the ribs from Gabriella.

"Have you two set a date yet?" Taylor said with a smile.

"We want a summer wedding, an evening reception maybe?" Gabriella responded hesitantly looking up at Troy.

"It's whatever you want." Troy assured her. "But, no pink."

"Do you want to go find actual beer, like from a bottle?" Chad interjected.

"God yes," Troy said putting his champagne glass on nearby tray from a passing waiter. "I'll be back," Troy placed a quick kiss on Gabriella's temple before taking off after Chad.

Gabriella rolled her eyes as let out a sigh and watched his retreating form.

Taylor let out a laugh as she crossed her arms and came to stand beside her friend. They accepted a mini quiche from a passing waiter.

"Sharpay really outdid herself," Gabriella said before tasting the treat.

"She lives for stuff like this. Personally, I'd have eloped to Vegas and had someone in an Elvis suit marry me."

"Well," Gabriella said looking at the twilights above, "there is something lovely and magical about being married in front of your family and friends."

"Says the romance writer." Taylor grinned and poked her. "I can only image the insanity yours is going to be."

"Actually," Gabriella smiled warmly as she thought about her own wedding ideas "I want a small wedding, mason jars full of sunflowers on picnic tables with tubs of chicken and mash potatoes served family style."

Taylor let out a groan, "I so need to get married, you two are having all the fun without me."

Gabriella let out a small laugh, "I don't know about that," Gabriella said spotting Troy and Chad who were currently talking to Zeke. "You and Chad seem more than happy. You guys found each other so soon and fell in love so quickly."

"Yes, but I want a wedding, and flowers and parties and people staring at me with envy."

"Oh," Gabriella said placing her hand on her chest in disbelief. "Is that all. Well then true love be damned."

Taylor nudged her, "You know what I mean."

"I do."

Just then Sharpay came over to them, her blond hair in all it's curled glory and her wedding dress swaying with each step. "Ya'll this thing is as hot as a billy goat in a pepper patch."

Gabriella laughed quietly to herself, "You look beautiful."

"Really," Sharpay smiled, "Ya'll really can't tell I'm 5 months pregnant?"

Taylor and Gabriella looked at the mini swell of Sharpay belly then at each other before turn back towards her. "No not at all." They lied in unison.

Gabriella felt a small hand on small of her back and looked to find Troy smiling down at her, "Ladies," he greeted.

"Hey Troy," Sharpay said coming over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again for being Zeke's best man. He doesn't really know many people in town. Opening a new business and all he's just as busy as a funeral home fan in July."

"Right." Troy raised a brow as he looked over at Taylor then at Gabriella, "Would you ladies mind if I stole my fiancé away? There's a matter of romantic importance and her opinion's needed."

"Go on," Sharpay gushed, "I was just gonna ask if Taylor could help me go pee."

"Oh," Taylor jerked into action leading Sharpay off towards a nearby exit leaving Troy and Gabriella alone.

"Thank God, I had to take her last time." Gabriella said turning towards Troy. "Two words. Mesh Netting."

"Seriously?" he asked as he led her from the main room up the large staircase.

"She's a sweetheart really but when we get married I don't want be five month pregnant in a dress that can host the Russian circus." Gabriella murmured as she leaned in close to him. Once they were at the top of the stairs she looked around. "Where are we going? There's not much going on up here."

"Exactly." He guided her into a secluded alcove hidden by a curtain and turned her into his arms.

"This is the romantic emergency?" she asked, putting her arms around his neck.

"I'm dying," he whispered, kissing her lovely neck.

She arched her head back. "Do you need mouth to mouth?"

"Hell yeah." He took her lips, just like he'd been thinking about all day.

They kissed, and kissed some more, until it wasn't enough. He lifted his head and looked around. "Here," he said leading her to the windowsill. He perched on it and drew her between his legs. Only soon that wasn't enough for them either.

Gabriella undid his pants pulling him out and holding him in her hands. They both looked down at down at it for a moment and then he reached into his pocket and handed her the condom he'd brought, just in case.

"I can't wait till I can stop carrying those around. I feel like a teenager."

"Then we should really set a date."

"Tomorrow."

Gabriella frowned, as she stood up a little straighter "Troy."

"Woman," he murmured with a smile, "I think the priest is still here, don't you Troy me."

Gabriella let out a laugh and Troy reached up covering her mouth with his igniting the passion burning between them one more time.

"I think you're trying to get us in trouble," Gabriella said once her lips were free.

"If you able to think, I'm not doing this right." He said hiking up her skirt.

"You're doing okay, but you can always try harder," she murmured tearing open the condom.

"Harder I can do," he murmured against her neck, and he did just that.

The End.

Coming Soon 10/6/14

Inescapable

Love is a scary thing, the way it makes you feel, what it does to you. It could make a man capable of anything. For Gabriella Catania it made a man capable of murder. With her seven year old son in tow Gabriella runs home to Highland Meadows in hopes to gather some money and supply for her next move. Only, once the dead bodies start piling up, the new Sheriff in town makes her the lead suspect in his investigation. Lucky for her the new Sheriff is also her ex-boyfriend from 15 years ago, however any plans she had of making a run for it are officially over.


End file.
