Men like Troy Bolton were trouble with a capital T. With his Stetson and his I-can-beat-down-an obstacle-in-my-path smile,he obviously thought he could get his own way no matter what.
He was wrong.
Although Gabriella Montez had been her boss's gatekeeper for only a month, she was already good at it. No one charmed or intimidated her. Not even a six-foot-two Texan who claimed to be a friend of Chad's. He was not listed on her boss'schedule and that's all that mattered.
She stared into his to-die-for blue eyes,ignored the runaway beat of her pulse and repeated, "Mr Danforth is in a meeting and can't be disturbed. His schedule is tight today. I might be able to fit you in around one-fifteen."
Troy Bolton's smile faded. "Look, Miss-" His gaze dropped to the nameplate on her desk. "Miss Montez, besides the fact that we do busines together, Chad and I are friends. I spoke to him less than hour ago. He said he'd meet me at ten. It's now ten."
Gabriella wasn't simply fresh out of college with a degree in business , she had an history of street smarts behind her,one that made her square her shoulders and act even more protective of Chad. He wasn't only her boss, he and his wife,Taylor , were her benefactors. If it weren't for them, she didn't know where she'd be now. Maybe still in a homeless shelter,her baby put up for adoption to people she didn't know. Chad and Taylor had given her a home and a new life, and she'd forever be grateful to them. As soon as she earned her real estate license, she'd be more than Chad's office manager, and she'd never ever let him down. She wanted him to know he could depend on her just as she'd depended on him.
Motioning to the chairs, Gabby said firmly but politely. "If you take a seat, I'll check with Mr. Danforth when his meeting is over."
Troy's gaze became steely as he assessed everything from Gabby's long wavy curls and nay suit to her color of lipstick. A slight shiver trembled through her when she realized she was attracted to his raw sex appeal, the jut of his rugged jaw, his broad, muscular shoulders, even with his hat shadowing his face, the lines told her he had to be near forty. He was way too old for her and definitely out of her league. She didn't react to men this way, she had no time for men. She was on a career path; besides all that, she doubted she could find a man who could accept she'd given away her child.
"Since I haven't seen you here before, Miss Montez, I'll take into consideration the fact that you're probably new and trying to do a good job. But if you don't buzz Chad and let him know I m here, you might lose it."
She'd suspected this man might try intimidation tactics, his type always did. She didn't do well with patronizing authority figures. The other employees who work for Chad were under the illusion that she was a relative of the boss and he'd given her this ob to help her get a good start. Only his and Taylor's closest friends knew the whole story-that they'd taken her in in her eighth month of pregnancy, when she was 18, had adopted her baby and treated her like a daughter ever since, including paying for her college tuition. If Mr Bolton didn't "know" about her, then how close a friend of chad's could he be?
"Believe me, Mr Bolton, I m not going to lose my job. If you don't have a seat, then I guess you'll have to leave."
If Troy was surprised she hadn't backed down, he hid it well. Glancing at his watch again, He said "I needed to see Chad immediately because I have an important call to make in 30 minutes. Do you have a conference room I can use to make it now?"
"Follow me" she said crisply, then led him to a hall to the right of her desk.
