Hey guys! Thank you all for the amazing reviews I got for Absent With Love :) So glad you enjoyed it. Here is the first chapter of my new story. It's written as Gabriella's personal thoughts – not quite a diary, just the things that go through her mind throughout each day.

Hope you like it!

The Single Girl

Okay. Right. I should not be panicking. Yet.

It's only 8.17am. The bus isn't due until 8.40; I will find my purse before then.

Arrrgh! Just found the sunglasses I was looking for last summer. Why is it that all lost items only ever turn up six months later? It's just...ooh, wait, there's that book I was looking for the other day...

No. Must not get distracted. Am going to be late for work!

8.25. Oh, God. I should have known that doing that major spring clean yesterday was a bad idea. At least before, I knew where everything was. But then why didn't I put my purse back in my bag while tidying? Why would I put it anywhere else?

Emergency call to Sharpay needed.

.HSM.

"Shar, quick, If you were me, where would you put your purse during a spring clean?"

My best friend, to her credit, managed not to laugh out loud upon hearing about my blonde moment.

"Have you been out at all since Saturday night?" she asked calmly, whilst I, meanwhile, glanced anxiously at the time.

I thought for a second. "No..."

"Well in that case, I believe I saw you put it in the kitchen cupboard when we got in at 2am. I think you were getting a glass of water or something. Anyway, I'm guessing it's still there if you haven't used it since."

My mind went back to the night before last, when Sharpay had stayed at my flat after our night out. Come to think of it, I was a bit tipsy. As anyone would be after several glasses of wine...

Phone still in hand, I raced over to the specified cupboard and, lo and behold, there was my purse.

Alright, so I didn't bother tidying the kitchen cupboards, obviously.

"Couldn't you have told me about this before?" I asked, even though I was wasting more precious time.

"I suppose so," she replied in amused tones. "But I thought it would be funny if you discovered it yourself."

And it probably would have been if I wasn't about to be late for work. Either that, or it would have been a painful reminder about the crazy things I do while drunk.

So, anyway, I made it out for the bus after running down the road at top speed.

The bus is packed this morning. Also, the driver must be new. At least on this route, anyway. Never seen him before. All the usual bus drivers around London tend to be older. This one is quite young. My age, perhaps.

Hmm. I must admit, he has very nice eyes. Lovely smile...doesn't strike me as the bus-driving type.

Ah well. It'll probably be another driver tomorrow anyway.

Time for work...

.HSM.

Mad rush of a day. Everyone seems to want their hair done all at once. I still love it; it's never dull working in a salon. But I'm exhausted and it's only Monday.

On top of that, arrived home to an answer phone message from my mother. This might be a good thing if it weren't for the fact that:

a) Most of the time she is in a world of her own, and;

b) she is constantly trying to find me what she refers to as a 'suitor'.

Apparently it is not normal to be unmarried or single at 29. I already know this – she does not have to remind me on a regular basis.

Her message went like this:

"Hi, Gabriella dear, it's Mum." You know, just in case I didn't recognise her voice or something.

"I'm just calling to remind you about the dinner party on Friday for your father's company." My dad is the managing director of an Architecture company. Our whole family home was designed by him (with plenty of input from Mum, naturally.)

"Don't forget, it starts at 7pm. Wear something nice; there are quite a few young bachelors attending you know!" End of message.

Oh God. Don't want to go to hideously boring dinner just so mum can play matchmaker again. But how to get out of it? How?

Oh well. Will think up an excuse later.

.HSM.

Was just settling down to watch the soaps when the phone rang. I prayed it wasn't mum again and picked up.

"Hey Gabs, can you check your handbag for one of my wine glasses?" Oh ha ha.

It was Ryan, Sharpay's twin brother and my other best friend. He waited all of two seconds after his opening remark before laughing down the phone to me. Well, at me.

"Hilarious, thanks Ry. Does your sister tell you everything?"

"Not everything. Just the stuff that will keep me entertained," he answered, still laughing lightly.

"Great. So is that all you rang for?" Frankly, I would rather have got back to the TV than be mocked for my friend's open amusement.

"No - I have news! I met this guy today...I think he's the one!"

I sighed at how dramatic he was being about this already. But then this was Ryan; I was used to it. "You've only known him a day and you already know he's Mr Right?" I asked sceptically.

"Yes! I'm telling you, this one'll be different," he insisted before hanging up. I recalled him saying this about his last boyfriend – who turned out to be a two-timing rat...

But whatever. Maybe I shouldn't be one to judge. For one thing, I haven't even met the new guy yet. And for another, I don't even have a man myself.

What a miserable thought. Perhaps I'm destined to be single for the rest of my life.

At this rate I'm starting to think that Mum and Dad's dinner party might actually be a good idea...

No. No! Am not that desperate. Surely not.

Anyway, why would I want to go out with an architect? We'd have nothing in common.

This is simply not happening. There's got to be something more interesting for me to do on Friday night. Anything that doesn't involve matchmaking for the almost thirty.

'Almost thirty' - why must my brain latch on to these thoughts? That was worse than the last one. Besides, will not be turning the dreaded 3-0 for another six months.

I suppose that gives me half a year to find someone myself before my mother takes it upon herself to put an ad in the lonely hearts for me...

If ever there was an award for worst birthday present ever, that would take first...

Oh wait, is that the door? At 9pm at night?

.HSM.

Well, that was both unexpectedly pleasant, yet mortifying at the same time.

Opened the door to come face to face with the gorgeous blue-eyed bus driver from this morning.

"Well, hello again!" he smiled cheerfully as he recalled my familiarity. "I'm Troy – just moved into the flat below. I was just wondering...er...ahem, nice rollers."

Stood there flushed with embarrassment. Had completely forgotten my appearance – the standard attire for most of my week-nights.

Personally I think the pink dressing gown was far more cringe-worthy than the hair curlers.

Either way, not a good look for a first...er, second impression.

Just my luck.

So, what did you think?

Please leave a Review.

Thanks :)