A/N: I am so unbelievably sorry with the lack of updates from me lately. School is royally kicking my butt, and while my muse is alive and kicking, I just haven't had the time to devote to it lately. I've got a couple of breaks coming up soon, so I'm hoping that will help with writing and I'll have something up for you soon. In the mean time, here's a little something that popped into my head. I really need to stop using MSN, because I keep seeing these article things and getting ideas that only further distract from my current stories, but to be honest, I just wanted to try something a little different. I rarely write AU stories. I'm just not good at them, so I'm sorry if it sucks, but here you go...love it or hate it.

The article it is based off of is entitled 14 Moments That Define a Relationship.

Enjoy!

It all started with a mix up...

"Mom, this was not necessary!"

"Baby, please!" Gabriella Montez rolled her eyes at her mother's tone; she knew that 'I'm your mother and know what's best' tone all too well. "One of my clients owns the hotel and offered the room up whenever he heard you were visiting."

Stepping out of the elevator and readjusting the BlackBerry that was currently pinned between her ear and shoulder as she made her way down the hotel hallway, dragging her suitcase behind her, "But mom, it's just an interview." Gabriella pointed out, "I'm only going to be here until tomorrow."

"It's not just an interview!" Maria Montez protested to her twenty four year old daughter over the phone, "This is the interview that decides you're first job. This is the job where you learn the tricks of the trade, this is the job where you start gathering your contacts, this is…"

"A really competitive job." Gabriella finished, "There are dozens of people who did equally as well as I did in school and probably have better connections."

"Are you saying I'm not a good connection?" Maria asked in a mock-offended tone, "I'm a lawyer, is that not a good enough connection for my lawyer/daughter?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she watched the numbers adorning the doors, searching for her room: 714. "No mom, but you're not a senator or a CEO, and a lot of these peoples' parents are." Gabriella explained, "Not that it matters. I have plenty of job offers."

"But you want this one."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she stuck her key into the lock of her suite, "Yes, I would like this one, but I'm being realistic. Dream jobs just don't happen with the first job." Yanking the key out of the lock, Gabriella turned the handle and pushed open the wide door, not feeling at all surprised to be met with a lavish hotel suite. "There are starving children in Africa, you know."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Gabriella heard her mom ask excitedly as she shuffled into the room, hearing the door click shut behind her as she came into full view of the room, "Obviously it's not the best, but I looked at pictures online, it runs $1800 a night."

Gabriella took in the plush couch and bed, "Sure does look like it."

Maria groaned on the other end, "Can you not just share in my excitement for one minute? Does everything have to be negative?"

Moving her suitcase up against the wall, Gabriella felt a slight sense of guilt creep over her, "Sorry mom," she mumbled out, "I don't want to get my hopes up just to have them dashed."

"I understand." Maria relented with a sigh, "It's times like this that I wish your father was still here. He was much better at psyching you up for things like this than I ever was." Gabriella looked down, memories of her father who had died four years earlier during her second year at Stanford coming back to her. She knew what her Maria meant. She loved her mother, but deep down Gabriella had always been a daddy's girl, and his passing was very hard on her. "He'll be with you tomorrow," Maria continued, "those kids may have connections and senators for parents, but you have your dad. Don't forget that."

The corners of Gabriella's mouth tugged upwards, "I won't." throwing her key onto the coffee table, Gabriella grabbed the handle of her suitcase. "I'm gonna let you go, mom. I need to shower, I feel all gross from the flight."

"Okay, baby. Call me tomorrow after the interview and let me know your flight itinerary."

Gabriella nodded as she heaved her suitcase onto the bed, "Will do, love you mom."

"Love you too." Maria echoed, "And you're gonna do great tomorrow. You're ten times the lawyer than any of those other wannabes."

Gabriella laughed, "Thanks mom, bye." Ending the phone call, Gabriella tossed her phone onto the bed, digging her toilet articles bag from within her suitcase, "Okay shower," Gabriella said out loud, making her way into the bathroom, "you better feel like $1800."

"My plane landed half an hour ago," the statement was meant to inform, although twenty six year old Troy Bolton knew it would do far more than just inform, "I'm arriving at the hotel just now, I'll be over as soon as I can."

Troy watched the numbers ascend on the display panel inside of the empty elevator he was riding in, willing the numbers to reach seven at a much faster pace than they currently were, "If you'll just hold on, Mr. Bolton. Your father asked to be informed of when you called."

Troy bit his tongue, stopping the sarcastic comment that threatened to spill from his lips, "Of course." Instantly the line went silent, no doubt from being put on hold, and Troy pulled his phone away from his head, tapping the screen to bring up his calendar. Snow had begun to fall in New York, and they had delayed all flights as a precaution, something that didn't fit into Troy's itinerary too well. As the head business manager in charge of sales for JLB Incorporated, he had a very strict schedule, a strict schedule he was two hours behind in right now.

"Troy?"

Lifting the phone back to his ear, Troy looked up as the elevator dinged, "Jack?"

Propelling himself out of the elevator, Troy heard a sigh on the other end, "I have asked you repeatedly to call me dad."

Troy walked swiftly down the hallway, searching for his room number, "Well, when you're about to yell at me for something I had no control over, I don't really feel like your son." Troy explained, "I've already called Jenkins and explained the situation. The meeting's been moved back and anything we cannot finish today, we'll finish tomorrow."

Jack sighed, "Good, glad to hear that some of my business skills rubbed off on you."

Troy rolled his eyes, glad that his father couldn't see him through the phone. Of course his skills had rubbed off onto Troy. Jack Bolton was the founder and CEO to JLB Incorporated, a vast company that invested in many different kinds of things, the most profitable of which was hotels. Troy had spent his childhood watching Jack and his mother Lucille Bolton build this company from the ground up, it was impossible to not learn at least a little of what he did, especially after he graduated from NYU with his masters in business and management.

"What has got you all depressed?" Troy came to stop in front of his room, 714, and stuck the key into the lock, "A month ago you were practically giddy."

Troy pushed the door open, "I am not, nor have I ever been, giddy." He protested, walking into the room, "I'm just tired, dealing with a delayed flight is rather exhausting."

"So this wouldn't have anything to do with a certain ex-girlfriend of yours popping up with that actor on all of the gossip magazine covers, would it?"

Troy tossed his suitcase onto the couch, "Dad…"

"I'm just saying," Jack defended, "if it happened to me, it wouldn't be easy."

"Jackie can fuck whoever the hell she wants to," Troy said bluntly, "I don't care, not anymore. And you can tell mom to stop trying to set me up on dates with her friends' daughters."

Jack chuckled, "Yeah, I advised her against doing that, but we're just both worried. You haven't dated anyone in a while."

"That's because I work all of the time, dad." Troy informed him, "Otherwise, I swear, I'd be dating everyone." Running a hand through his short but rebellious strands, Troy made his way towards the bedroom, heading straight for the partially cracked bathroom door, "Stop worrying, dad. I'm twenty six, I've got plenty of time."

Jack sighed, "I just worry that I've pushed too much responsibility onto you too early."

Troy pushed open the door and walked into the bathroom, coming to stop in front of the mirror, assessing the dark circles framing his dull blue eyes. His father probably was right, the long hours and constant traveling was definitely wearing on Troy. But this was what Troy wanted. He was good at his job, and when the time came, he would be good at running the company, and if that meant a few sleep deprived days, he'd take them. "I'm fine, dad. Stop worrying."

Troy frowned as something caught his eye, and he reached down to touch the purple toothbrush that was sitting next to the sink. Had the maids forgotten to clean this room? "You know I can't do that, you are my son."

Troy, however, wasn't listening to his father as he suddenly became aware that the shower was running. Slowly turning his eyes to the left, Troy silently hoped that the shower had just been left running. However, the sight of the brunette, frozen in place through the foggy glass shower door proved that that was not the case.

"Oh shit…"

"What?" Jack asked immediately, "What's wrong?"

Troy inhaled deeply, but it was the brunette that responded first in the form of a very loud and high pitched scream.

Gabriella Montez was pissed.

"Look, can't we just talk about this?"

Ignoring the idiot who had barged into her room while she was showering, Gabriella marched out of the elevator and over towards the front desk. She understood that the room had been given to her for free, but if the hotel couldn't do something so simple as to not double book a room, it was a crappy hotel. No matter how nice the rooms appeared to be.

"Really," the idiot tried again, "I think you and I can handle it."

Once again ignoring the blue eyed brunette, Gabriella practically sprinted towards the front desk, surprising the front desk attendant, "Oh, miss…"

"How hard is this job to do?" Gabriella asked bluntly, "How hard is it to expect to not have someone walk into your room while you're in the shower?"

The hotel attendant, named Carol according to her nametag, looked shocked and Gabriella's assault and the man seized his opportunity, "We were double booked."

Carol's eyes widened, "Oh my god, sir, I am so sorry!"

As Carol turned her head down and began rapidly typing on the keyboard, Gabriella felt her temper flare, "You're sorry to him!?!" she practically shouted, "He saw me naked! I'm humiliated, he just got a peep show!"

"Ma'am, please," Gabriella felt a hand on her shoulder, "I'm so terribly sorry for this, my name is Troy."

Gabriella looked down as the man stuck his hand out for her to shake, "I don't care what you're name is, Troy." Turning back towards the front desk, "Look, Carol, I understand that this is probably not your fault, I'm just a little humiliated and upset right now, so if you could get us two separate rooms, that would be greatly appreciated."

Carol nodded, "Yes, I'll just have to call my manager."

"I've got it." Gabriella turned her head to find Troy making his way behind the desk, "Call your manager, explain what happened, and tell him I'm handling it."

Carol nodded, "721 is open, we can move her to that room," her eyes turned to Gabriella, "it's a very nice room."

"I'll move," Troy offered, "she's unpacked, I haven't."

"But sir," Carol protested, "I already informed your clients that you were staying in 714."

"I don't mind moving," Gabriella interjected, "I just want my own room."

"Go." Troy ordered to Carol, causing the attendant to immediately take off. "I'll get you into a different suite, is this usually the one you stay in?"

Gabriella shook her head, "I've never stayed in this hotel before, the room was a gift."

Troy nodded, concentrating on whatever was on the screen, "Gabriella Montez?" she nodded her head in confirmation, "Ah…I see what happened. How do you know Jack Bolton?"

Gabriella's eyebrows shot up, "Jack Bolton? The hotel owner? I don't."

Troy narrowed his eyes, studying her, "Who gave you the room as a gift?"

Gabriella looked up, "I don't know his name, it was a client of my mother, she's a lawyer." She explained, "My mom mentioned to him that I was coming to Boston for a job interview and he offered for me to stay in a room overnight at no charge." She rolled her eyes, "Which is ridiculous because I don't need some place this nice when I'm just staying a couple of days."

Troy shrugged, "Take what you can, right?" Gabriella pursed her lips, sending him a forced smile, "Interview for what?"

Gabriella blinked at him for a moment, as though she wasn't sure he was actually asking that, "Law firm. Vichy & Delmar."

Troy nodded, "They're a very good law firm."

"And very competitive." Gabriella added, "And I'm sorry if I'm acting like a total bitch right now, but my future sort of depends on this interview."

"No need to apologize," Troy said instantly, "this was my fault, so this and anything else you want during your stay is going to be on us."

Gabriella felt the corners of her lips tug upwards in an attempted smile at his use of blatant hospitality to try and get on her good side, "You just don't want me to sue you."

Troy nodded, his eyes not moving from the computer screen, "Yep." He said simply, "I've gotten sued multiple times in my life and my parents make my life a living hell every time I do."

Gabriella smiled at his honesty, "So since when do hotel workers stay in the hotel they are employed with?"

Gabriella watched him slip two keys into an envelope before setting them on the counter between them, "I don't work at this hotel nor do I live here." Troy told her, "My name's Troy Bolton, my family owns the hotel. I live in New York. I only stay here when I come for business." He set a piece of paper in front of her, "Please sign here, Miss Montez."

"Oh…" tearing her eyes away from Troy's inquisitive ones, Gabriella grabbed the pen and scribbled her signature, "I'd, um, apologize but you still saw me naked…"

"I'm sorry about that, it was not my intention." Troy replied, "If I'd have wanted to see you naked, I'd have just asked you out to dinner." Gabriella's eyes shot up and she saw Troy's own eyes bulge at his statement, "Not that I just ask girls out to see them naked, it just occasionally works out that way." He added, "Not that I'd have asked you." Gabriella lifted her eyebrows, "Not that I don't want to see you naked, I just…"

Grabbing the key from the counter, Gabriella turned towards the elevator, "Walking away now."

Troy inhaled deeply, watching her walk away, "Have a good stay." Gabriella didn't pause, making her way into the elevator and letting the doors shut behind her, "Oh crap." Shutting his eyes, Troy retrieved his phone from his pocket, dialing an all too familiar number, thankful that he answered promptly, "Dad, I need a favor…"

"Thank you so much for meeting with me today, Miss Montez."

Gabriella smiled as wide as she could muster, shaking the hand of the elder man in front of her, "No sir, thank you." Retracting her hand, Gabriella sat down in the chair facing the deep cherry desk the elder man, Martin Vichy, was occupying. "I appreciate this opportunity very much."

Martin smiled, his eyes, resting behind the pair of bifocals sitting on the bridge of his nose, remaining on the file in front of him, undoubtedly her file, "I appreciate you coming out here to meet with me, as many have told me, this is a very busy time for you. With the bar exam just passing and interviews for various lawfirms…"

"Actually this is my last." Gabriella inserted, glad that he couldn't see her hands shaking in her lap, "I did the majority of my interviews during my last semester."

Martin leaned back, removing his glasses from his face, "I know, the economy's been tough on a lot of people."

Gabriella nodded, "Yes, it has, but I actually have a couple of job offers, I'm just waiting…"

Martin quirked an eyebrow, "Waiting for what?" he glanced back down at her file, "From what I can tell, you have a very impressive transcript, you've built a life in California, so why here? What are you waiting for?"

Gabriella sighed, mentally calming herself down in preparation for the story she was hoping to not have to tell. "Well…a long time ago, my dad started here, and he always told me that if, and later when, I became a lawyer, that this should be where I started."

Martin narrowed his eyes, "Who's your father?"

"Carlos Montez." Gabriella responded, "He worked here back in…"

"…1976." Martin finished, "I remember him. He was brilliant, a great lawyer. We were very sad to see him go." Gabriella nodded, not trusting her ability to speak, "How is he? He hasn't retired, has he?"

Gabriella inhaled, choosing her words carefully, "My dad passed away four years ago in a car accident."

To give Martin credit, he did look upset over the news, but Gabriella guessed this wasn't the first dead father story he'd heard, "I'm sorry to hear about that."

Gabriella shrugged, doing her best to push aside her emotions, "He always told me that to survive, you had to learn how to be cutthroat with a smile. And he always told me that this was where he learned how to do that."

Martin smiled, "Yeah, that sounds like Carl." Sighing, he glanced back towards the file, "I've gotta admit, I like you, Gabriella. You're charming and personable, definitely someone people can trust in. Plus…you got Bolton to give you…"

"What?" Gabriella asked sharply, her eyes having widened slightly at the mention of the last name 'Bolton'. "B-Bolton?"

Martin smirked, "Yes, I will admit I was shocked. Generally I get calls from doctors, lawyers, senators…but rarely my golfing rival." Gabriella wasn't sure if she was turning blue yet, but she was certain she wasn't breathing. Bolton as in the father of the man she had yelled at and ridiculed in front of one of his employees? Oh shit. "I'm not sure if he's just trying to screw me over, or if you're just that good." Flipping her file shut, Martin pushed up from his chair, "I'm willing to take a chance that it's the latter."

Gabriella watched him carefully as she rose from her chair, "You are?"

Martin smiled, sticking out his hand, "Welcome to Vichy & Delmar, Miss Montez."

Gabriella could feel her feet fighting against her brain as she made her way down the carpeted hallway. It could've been her mother. Her mother said that the Bolton family was a client of hers and it was possible that her mother had called in a favor. However, Gabriella knew her mother would never do that. Not because she wouldn't want to, but because she knew Gabriella wouldn't want her to. There's always a chance you're overstepping, and Gabriella would never want her mother to lose one of her biggest clients doing her a favor. And if it wasn't her mother, there was only one other person she knew with a connection to Jack Bolton.

Releasing a breath as she came to stop in front a large wooden door, Gabriella brought her bottom lip between her two sets of teeth as she lifted her hand to knock. She didn't have to do this. He walked in on her naked; she didn't owe him anything other than perhaps a slap across the cheek. But still…without it, come tomorrow she'd be flying back to Boston jobless instead of contacting a realtor. The door flew open and Gabriella instantly inhaled deeply, as though she was preparing to deliver a long speech only to exhale quickly upon finding a phone attached to Troy Bolton's ear. "Oh," Gabriella said, her tone surprised, "you're busy…sorry."

Gabriella turned away; preparing to sprint down the hallway, until she felt a hand on her arm to stop her, "No, its fine," Troy said quickly, turning Gabriella back around to face him, "what can I do for you?"

Gabriella shook her head while simultaneously waving her hand, attempting to dismiss both what she wanted to say and the fact that she was there in the first place, "You're on the phone, it's nothing…"

"I'm on hold," Troy said immediately, leaning against the doorframe, "probably will be for a while, what's up? Is everything alright with your room?"

"No…yeah," Gabriella sputtered out, "the room is great. I, um…" Gabriella glanced down, shifting under his gaze. Yesterday, she had no problem standing up to this stranger, even after she learned his family owned the hotel. Yesterday, he was just some creep who had walked in on her showering and gave her a free hotel room to cover his ass. Yesterday, he hadn't been responsible for calling in a favor that undoubtedly led to her getting this job. And yesterday, Gabriella most definitely did not remember his eyes being so blue. "I just," Gabriella started, lifting her eyes back up to meet his inquisitive gaze, "wanted to thank you."

Troy lifted his eyebrows, "For the hotel room?" he asked rhetorically, "Really it's no problem at all. They double booked us, and of the two of us, I'd say you suffered more…"

Gabriella shook her head, "No, um, not for the hotel room, the…" she paused swallowing the lump in her throat, "I wanted to thank you for what you did today."

Troy sent her a confused look, "What did I do?"

"Martin Vichy?" Gabriella clarified, "Look, I know you had your dad call him, and I really really appreciate it, but…"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Gabriella paused, thrown by his statement, "You don't…"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Troy repeated firmly, "I don't know Martin Vichy."

Gabriella glanced to the side, "Uh, you mentioned yesterday that you did know him."

"I know the law firm," Troy clarified, "not the man, although, I'm sure he's nice."

Gabriella knitted her eyebrows, confusion taking over her features, "So…you didn't call your father and have him give me a good reference for the job I just got?"

Troy frowned, shaking his head, "Nope, but you got the job? Congrats!"

Gabriella honestly didn't know what to say. She knew it was him. It had to be him, and she wasn't sure she'd ever been so blatantly lied to before. "Um…thank you, I guess?"

Troy smiled, "No problem, you deserved it, I'm sure."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes, "Did I?"

Troy quirked an eyebrow, "Someone thought you did."

Pursing her lips, Gabriella sent him a look, "Someone?"

Troy nodded, "Apparently."

Gabriella had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes, "Okay," she said slowly, "well, tell someone thank you, and…that if there's any way for me to make it up to them…"

"There isn't." Troy interjected, "Or, at least that's what I'm sure they'd say."

Gabriella smiled softly, nodding her head, "Okay," she started, "sorry to interrupt. I'll, um…bye." Spinning on her heel, Gabriella began making her way down the hallway.

"Unless…" Gabriella froze, her eyes squeezing shut; she knew it couldn't possibly be that easy, "Hypothetically speaking, if I did do what you are claiming, and you felt compelled to make it up to me…"

Sighing, Gabriella turned back towards Troy, sending him a look, "What do you want, Troy?"

Troy smiled, and despite that Gabriella wanted to feel as though she couldn't trust this man, something about his smile made her think differently, "Do you have plans tonight?"

Gabriella's eyebrows shot up, that was most definitely not what she thought he was going to ask, "Uh…no." she stammered out, "I-I don't really know anyone in Boston, and I have an early meeting with a realtor tomorrow morning for an apartment, she gave me a list…"

"Great." Troy interjected, cutting Gabriella off, "I have some work to finish up, it'll probably take me an hour and then we can head out."

Gabriella blinked, "Head out?"

Troy nodded, "There's this great restaurant a couple of blocks from here. I'll take you, unless…of course…you enjoy the hotel food that much."

Swallowing, Gabriella glanced down, "Look, you've been really nice to me, but I just got out of a bad relationship…"

"Me too," Troy responded quickly, "and I'm not asking for your hand in marriage. You gotta eat, I gotta eat, there's a really great restaurant a couple of blocks away, want to join me?"

Normally Gabriella would have said no. Feigned sickness or fatigue, done something, anything to avoid situations like these. Guys like Troy, those who have the world handed to them and only follow their own rules, were not the type of guys she dated, she'd been there, done that, and she wasn't about to do that with some random guy she met in Boston. Sure, he seemed nice, but truth be told, Gabriella had no reason to believe that Troy would be any different from his predecessors. Yet…something stopped her.

"Oh, music stopped," Troy said suddenly, and Gabriella glanced to his phone that he pressed a little tighter to his head, "do you want to come, yes or no?"

"Yes." Gabriella felt spill from her lips before she could truly process what she was saying, "Yes," she repeated in a softer tone, "that would be…fun."

Troy nodded, despite that his eyes had turned away from hers, "Mr. Reilly, thank you so much for taking my call," he spoke into the phone, "can you hang on for just one minute?" reaching up to cover the mouthpiece, Troy sent Gabriella an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I have to take this, see you in an hour?"

Gabriella nodded, "See you in an hour." Without so much as another word, Troy took a step back into his room, and shut the door, leaving Gabriella alone in the hallway.

For a moment, Gabriella just stood there mentally replaying everything inside of her head. Had she really just agreed to do what she thought she had agreed to do? All she knew about this man was that he was rich, gorgeous, quick to apologize, and slow to look away when you're naked in front of him. This guy could be an asshole…a pervert. What was she doing? What was she thinking?

And most importantly, what was she going to wear?