Open for Business
Summary: Rivals in business – Neighbours in life. Party animal and babe magnet Troy Bolton oozed confidence by the bucket load. Health nut and yoga freak Gabriella was bubbly and feisty when riled. Are there fireworks ahead?
Disclaimer: High School Musical and all of its characters belong to Disney. I just have them on secondment. I've also borrowed lyrics by Nickelback, I'm sure they won't mind.
A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed this story and a special shout out to Kris, thanks for giving it the once over.
"Fuck! What are you doing here?" she gasped her hand on her heart.
Shock Tactics
Troy looked flabbergasted at his bad luck as he looked back at his arch Nemesis his voice had seized up with shock his throat as dry as a desert. He'd seen the strange car parked outside and was puzzled by it to say the least as he thought the new neighbour was the blonde in the Corvette, noticing the door wide open and thinking he was doing the neighbourly thing had gone out to welcome her to the neighbourhood and also tell the new owner that they'd left their door open but as he approached the car he'd seen a shapely bare leg sticking out, the skirt ridden up to her thigh as she reached inside the car and he'd stopped to ogle.
"Nice legs, cute ass too," he thought appreciatively as he let his eyes wander lazily over the unexpected sight. When she'd straightened up bringing forth her package he noticed the long curly tresses that tumbled over her shoulders and down her back almost touching her waist, he thought she'd looked vaguely familiar and then she turned round.
"Holy fuck! No!" he groaned silently dread filling his heart as he cleared his dry throat. He delayed the inevitable by bending down to retrieve the groceries that had stopped rolling against his feet, handing them back to her as she too had bent to pick up the brown bag.
"Thanks," she murmured as she took them from him and again he felt the electric charge run up his arm as their fingers touched. Her head shot up and their eyes met, brown duelled with blue.
"You…you have got to be joking? Tell me you are not moving in here," he growled staring at her with narrowed eyes.
"Are you following me? I can have you arrested as a stalker you know," she threatened, gripping the grocery bag against her chest, although her heart was hammering like crazy against her chest, she felt vulnerable and she didn't like the feeling one little bit. Troy rolled his eyes at her absurd threat.
"As if. Do I look that desperate?" he said scornfully. Gabriella let her eyes wander up and down him with clinical detachment. However her subconscious was enjoying the perusal but she refused to let it show.
"I don't know, are you?" she replied coolly with another question. Troy frowned as he tried to understand her question and failed miserably.
"Am I what?" he asked in bewilderment.
"Desperate," replied Gabriella with a smirk. Troy growled under his breath and stormed away as Gabriella's soft laughter chased him on the breeze.
"Women!" Troy muttered as he slammed his front door.
Gabriella walked swiftly into her new house, groaning as she rested her back against her closed door. She'd watched Troy go into the house next door unable to believe that she had not once seen him when she'd visited the property on the few times she'd been to view it, surely she wouldn't have bought it if she had known who her neighbour was. She couldn't believe her bad luck, not only would she see him occasionally at work but maybe everyday at home too. A meow brought her out of her contemplation as she refocused on her obligations, she bent down and opened the flap to allow Maverick out of his cage laughing as he cautiously stepped onto the cool tiled floor, his eyes darting this way and that as his black nose sniffed the air. Gabriella carried the ripped bag into the kitchen placing it on the marble work surface, emptying the contents and finding places to store them. Then she went to unpack the two boxes she'd been able to fit in the car, happy when she found the litter tray for Maverick and his feeding bowls. She filled his bowls with food and water and placed them on the floor in the kitchen and shouted for him. He slunk into the kitchen his nose still in the air, his whiskers quivering as he located his food, Gabriella smiled as he started to purr.
She walked back into the hallway and carried her suitcase upstairs to unpack, hanging her clothes in the rickety built-in wardrobe that needed serious attention and was on her to do list before making her bed ready for the night ahead, she stood back with a satisfied smile on her face when she'd finished. She changed into pyjama bottoms and a skin-tight vest that accentuated her curves before going back downstairs to start making something to eat. She took her plate into the living room to eat as she had to wait to bring her table and chairs but come tomorrow some of her treasured pieces left by her grandmother would fill some of the empty space that at present was starkly bare. After finishing her meal she cleared away her plate and made a cup of chamomile tea, settling back on her newly purchased sofa, Maverick leapt onto the sofa and curled up beside her for a catnap. Gabriella picked up her cell phone and speed dialled Sharpay.
"Hey Shar," she greeted her friend.
"Hi Gabi, Are you in?" Sharpay asked.
"Uh-uh and you'll never guess who lives next door?" groaned Gabriella.
"How am I supposed to know? It can't be someone famous, they'd be in a big mansion with electric gates," stated Sharpay randomly at which Gabriella rolled her eyes.
"Hey, what are you saying Shar? My house is cute," moaned Gabriella.
"I'm not saying it's not Gabi but come on, get real," replied Sharpay, "Is it Celia Winterbottom?"
"No."
"Sam Tinker?" guessed Sharpay.
"No, try again," teased Gabriella.
"Eww! It's not that smelly Billy Olsen from college is it?" ventured Sharpay.
"Shar that was just his nickname, I don't think he actually smelt," giggled Gabriella, "he was creepy though, and no thank heavens it's not him although he's nearly as bad," moaned Gabriella as Sharpay huffed down the other end of the phone. "It's Bolton," she answered putting Sharpay out of her misery.
"No fucking way! You're joking right?" gasped Sharpay.
"I wish I was Shar. He scared me shitless when I was emptying the car by creeping up behind me, I mean is that a sign of a normal human being?" ranted Gabriella as Sharpay burst out laughing.
"It's not funny Shar," admonished Gabriella.
"Yeah it is Gabi, there's never a dull moment with you," gurgled Sharpay, "can't wait to hear more when I see you tomorrow." Gabriella rolled her eyes.
"Shar, there'll be nothing more to hear, believe me," huffed Gabriella as she bade her friend goodbye and disconnected.
Troy stormed back into his house, slamming the front door with such force that the glass panel rattled.
"How can someone look so honey sweet on the outside but be a raging harpy on the inside," groaned Troy as he walked through to his kitchen to grab a beer, downing the full bottle in one go. He grabbed another and walked into the lounge area, picking up his phone and stabbing at the keys as he sunk down onto his black leather sofa.
"Yo," Chad answered.
"Can you fucking believe it cos I can't," ranted Troy not even bothering to greet Chad.
"Uh? What ever happened to 'hi Chad, how are you'?" replied Chad.
"Sorry man," apologised Troy roughly.
"Are you okay?" questioned Chad mystified by Troy's manner.
"No I'm freakin' well not. I get rid of that old witch Mrs Cross as a neighbour and guess what?" grumbled Troy.
"What? Am I supposed to be telepathic now? Or is this your idea of a fun evening cos I've got to tell you Bolton, it ain't mine," muttered Chad getting pissed off.
"Guess who's moved in next door?" growled Troy.
"Troy, I'm not going there just tell me," demanded Chad loosing his cool.
"Only your new BFF, that's who," moaned Troy.
"Have you been on those pink jellies again?" asked Chad worriedly knowing how they affected Troy. Troy sighed and took another slug of his beer. "And what the fuck is a BFF? It sounds like something Roald Dahl would write," muttered Chad.
"Yeah you would think that," Troy chuckled then sighed, "Sorry, it's something I heard Kirstie say, apparently it means best female friend," revealed Troy. Chad huffed down the phone.
"Look Troy, do you want me to come over early? That is assuming the poker game is still on?" offered Chad concern lacing his voice.
"Yeah it's still on and it's up to you what time you roll up," confirmed Troy in a couldn't care less tone, "see you later." Troy flung his phone down and picked up his bottle of beer slurping it noisily, gazing out of the window, his eyes gravitating towards the garden next door. He stood up and walked over to the patio doors, sliding them open to peer over the fence, the light from next door illuminated the patio area but from where he stood he couldn't see any movement from inside. He sighed and walked back in slumping back onto the sofa he reached for the remote pointed it towards his stereo and clicked the switch, Another Hole in the Head by Nickelback blasted through the speakers.
I'm through thinking of things to say to you
It's true, I've said enough and so have you
Just arrived, you slam the door and so do I
Tongue tied from all the little things
And they're the reason that I scream
Need you
probably as bad as I need another hole in the head.
Was I mean to you?
Car keys in your hand I believe that you would leave me for dead
"Yeah, that suits me just fine," thought Troy hating his new neighbour but fascinated by her also.
Gabriella was enjoying her evening of solitude after her previous noisy neighbours who happened to be a group of students from UCLA played what they called music but she could only describe it as screaming at all hours of the day and night. She looked out her window into the dusky night, marvelling at her good fortune in finding this house, well apart from the obvious fly in the ointment but she reasoned even Eden had a snake right. The garden was well tended offering a patch of lawn as well as a small patio area; she made a mental note to add a lawn mower to her growing list of wants. She shot off the sofa as a loud blast of noise reverberated through the wall; Maverick leapt up, hissed and ran from the room.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me?" she groaned aloud, her peace and quiet well and truly marred by the cacophony of sound blasting around the room, she guessed she'd spoken to soon to Shar. She strode back to the front door slipped outside making sure she shut the door behind her before marching next door and rapping hard on the wooden frame. Gabriella waited her foot tapping impatiently on the path, as her knock remained unanswered, her temper simmered as she knocked again. She heard a car coming up the street as the door finally opened light poured out onto the path highlighting her in its beam. Troy opened the door thinking it was Chad arriving a smile curving his lips in readiness but was shocked and surprised to find Gabriella on his doorstep, his eyes taking in her appearance, appreciating her skin tight top that revealed every curve and bump, her pert nipples evident to his practised eye.
"What a surprise, come to apologise?" he taunted. He'd said the wrong thing and Gabriella saw red.
"Apologise? What the hell for?" she uttered through gritted teeth as she tried to keep her temper in check.
"Well…for snapping at me instead of thanking me for picking up your groceries would be a start," suggested Troy with a smirk.
"You have to be joking, it was you who made me drop them in the first place, creeping up on me like that," retorted Gabriella a flush staining her cheeks as she valiantly tried to keep calm although she could feel herself losing the battle.
"Me. What the hell did I do? I was just trying to be neighbourly," shot back Troy.
"Try being neighbourly now and turn your so called music down," Gabriella snapped back nastily.
"Hey, I'll play my music however I like," retorted Troy.
"Listen. Buster. If. You. Don't. Turn. That. Fucking. Racket. Off. I. Will. Be. Reporting. You. For. Disturbing. The…" she ranted poking him in the chest as she uttered each word. Troy snapped; he'd had enough of her words, as he grabbed her jabbing hand to stop her a shot of electricity coursed up his arm, he pulled her to him and slammed his lips on hers to shut her up. Gabriella was shocked, the heat from his lips sent shockwaves through her and she groaned, Troy took advantage and slid his tongue into her mouth touching her tongue and loving the feeling even more as she responded their tongues duelling for supremacy. Gabriella involuntary put her hands out to steady herself encountering a solid wall of muscle and sinew, her hands slid up his torso until they connected around his neck as she felt him rest a hand on her hip, the other took liberties at their closeness and massaged a clad covered breast, forcing another groan from her throat.
Someone cleared their throat, "Am I interrupting something?"
