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Ang

CHAPTER4

Dressed in boot cut jeans, a slouchy grey top that fell off one shoulder and heeled boots to boost her petite frame, Gabi headed for the back door of the club. Her real hair was curly and tangled from wearing the wig for her costume, but she scooped it into a messy ponytail.

Her boss had let her go, saying he had nothing but praise from Troy for her wonderful performance and she stood shocked, but pasted a smile on as he gave his approval.

She opened the door at the back of the building and looked around for Troy.

She saw a black car and noted the lights flashed so she headed over, checking in the back seat that he was there before she got in.

She thought she saw another flash behind her and checked that no-one else had followed her out of the club, before getting into the back seat, the darkness of the car enveloping her as she felt Troy's presence next to her.

"Where to, princess?" he asked with a warm voice

She gave him the address of her Motel and he frowned, but didn't say anything, just asked his chauffeur to take them there.

"So what did your friends say?" she asked casually

"That I would have a sore wrist tomorrow" he answered, equally causally

Gabi snapped her head round to face him as she got his meaning, his blue eyes shining with amusement.

"They think you're…" she couldn't even finish her sentence, she was so embarrassed.

"Going home to…relive the moment, shall we say?" he quipped, his mouth pursing and pointing downward as he tried not to laugh, his eyes bright with laughter

She sniggered then, seeing the funny side "Oh that's funny!" she giggled out loud, the more she thought about it, the funnier it was. He laughed too, enjoying the relaxed look on her face as she doubled over with giggles.

"Oh thanks, laugh at me why don't you?" he asked, mock hurt

She sobered "Well it IS kinda funny. I mean, there they are, buying you a lap dance for your birthday, thinking you've had the best night of your life, and if they knew what had REALLY happened…" she smiled

"Hey, how do you know I didn't have the best night of my life?" he asked in a challenge

"Mmm. Let me think. Guy turns 21, expects to have a lapdance by a beautiful girl, instead he is faced with a blast from the not-so distant past, and doesn't get his sexy wish come true" she said drily

Troy looked at Gabi, taking in her girl-next-door look. She had much more sex-appeal than the girl in that room back there. If only she knew it.

"My sexy wish come true is here" he said huskily, moving his hand across the leather seat to touch her fingers.

She looked into his deep intense eyes, twisting her hand to face palm up as he entwined his fingers with hers. She still wasn't sure she could trust him, but she was enjoying herself too much to question what was happening here.

"We're here Mr. Bolton" the driver said formally, then opened their door for them as they got out.

"Mr. Bolton?" she asked as they headed toward her Motel room

"Yeah, it's my business chauffeur, I borrowed him for the night" he semi- lied.

She unlocked her door, taking Troy into a dingy, not very inspiring room.

He looked around, thinking, she can't be serious. The lock on her door was barely safe. Anyone could come in here and…he didn't want to think about it.

She dropped her bag on her bed "You can go now" she said lightly, placing her hands on her hips feeling awkward with him filling the space in her small room.

"Don't I get coffee?" he asked, stalling for time

She rolled her eyes "You want to be up half the night?"

He clearly didn't want to leave. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Their fleeting holiday romance had left her a little bruised when it came to her feelings for Troy, but there was no denying he was showing he cared about her in some way.

The fact he sounded like her dad when he told her she shouldn't be lap-dancing was kind of sweet. And a little bit un-nerving.

"I can help you find another job" he said out of the blue

"Troy…" she sighed

"I mean it, I don't like the thought of you in that place…" he tailed off, knowing he had no right to say that.

"I have an audition on Monday. For a few days work. It might lead to something else if I get it" she said, hope burning in her eyes.

He sighed "Can I stay with you tonight? I just want to know it's safe here"

"Troy, I've been staying here for two weeks. I've been perfectly okay" she insisted

"Please?" he asked, his blue eyes begging

"You're a pervert, remember? Wanting your wicked way with me" she joked

"I promise, I won't touch you. I'll sleep on the floor"

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" she argued.

"Not tonight. My chauffeur can get me at day-break" he offered

She rubbed her face. She would be crazy to let him stay here. What was it with him and thinking she was in danger?

She sighed "Okay, but only because I think if I say no, you'll sleep on the veranda and die of pneumonia" she huffed

He smiled. She was almost right. He would have slept in the parking lot if he had to.

"You won't even know I'm here. I'll be quiet as a mouse. I don't even snore" he assured her

"Don't push it" she warned as she headed into her tiny kitchenette to make a hot chocolate.

"What food do you have?" he asked hopefully, his hands jammed in his pockets awkwardly as he looked cooped up in the small space of her room.

Gabi smiled at him. Typical guy, always thinking about food.

"Let me see…" she opened the fridge "Well, I normally have toast, so I don't have much else…How about some beans on toast?" she asked innocently as she turned to Troy and he was beaming, hiding his laughing mouth behind his hand, raised sideways across his face

"What's funny?" she asked, confused

"Beans on toast?" he giggled

She folded her arms, shutting the fridge door with her hip "Fine. Go hungry. See if I care"

"Oh, Gabi, I was kidding…" he began and stepped toward her

"Nope!" she held out her arm, hand flat to stop him "Too late." She dead panned

"Hey…I was kidding…it sounds amazing" he came over to her despite her previous attempt to stop him. He smiled into her face even though she was sideways to him, busying herself with stirring her drink.

"Stop doing that" she said softly

"Doing what?" he asked, his breath soft against her hair, his hand brushing the side of her neck, causing her to close her eyes at the contact and turn her brown eyes to him, trying not to smile

"Making me laugh when I'm trying to be mad at you" she said then, her smile escaping

"Don't be mad" he begged, kissing her so gently she was surprised she felt it.

"I'm not. I'm hungry" she sulked and he chuckled, hugging her a little as their intimate moment broke

"Okay, I'll order pizza" he suggested and went to do just that.

The pizza arrived and Gabi sat on the bed to eat hers, legs crossed in front of her as Troy mirrored her pose.

"Mmm" he smiled "I love cheese"

"I don't believe that!" she scoffed, eyeing his muscular physique "I bet you don't normally eat this stuff"

"Maybe not" he admitted "But I still like it" he shrugged

"I've gotta say it was a bit of a shock for me seeing you in that place. I'm sorry that I said those things" he apologised honestly and Gabi looked to him, losing herself in his eyes.

"I understand why you did." She said softly "But I am still going to work there" she shrugged, almost asking if he was okay with that, and saying she didn't care if he was or not at the same time.

He nodded, finishing his slice of pizza and seeing Gabi was slower at eating than him and still had two slices left.

He eyed one while biting his top lip and Gabi smiled at him without him seeing. When his eyes flicked to her, she hid her grin and chewed thoughtfully.

"You really hungry?" he asked innocently

"Mm-mm" she nodded

"Would you miss a slice?" he hedged

"You are such a greedy guts" she said flatly, cocking her head affectionately

"I'm a growing man" he defended, wanting to make her smile so he could see her beautiful face light up.

Gabi lifted her brows "That's the best you got? You're a growing man?" she checked, picking up the last but one piece of pizza and eating it, Troy watching the last piece longingly

"I didn't eat at lunch?" he tried and Gabi laughed, mouth full of food and she covered her mouth as she finished eating, her bright eyes meeting his.

"Okay, you can have it" she smiled

"Are you sure?" he checked, already picking it up and taking a bite.

"Well I'm not going to eat it now you've slobbered all over it" she mused, wondering what Troy was doing here, in her little Motel room, at nearly midnight and why she found it strangely comforting that he was there.

He looked insulted "Slobbered?" he repeated as his eyebrows shot up into his shaggy fringe

"Yep" she smiled as she finished her last mouthful, surprised when Troy leaned across the bed to kiss her cheek, a big wet kiss that squelched against her skin.

"Oh yuk!" she protested, wiping his saliva off her face quickly

"That's not what you said when I kissed you earlier." He reminded her

"Kissed? I hardly call that a kiss" she chided, thinking of his gentle lip brush after saying she shouldn't be mad at him.

Troy's eyes lit up at her words and she realised he took that as a challenge and he got onto his knees, crawling toward her.

"Troy…don't you dare!" she said, shifting across the bed to avoid him, having to get up when he followed her.

He smiled as she stood at the side of the bed "You really don't want me to kiss you?" he asked

"Not if you're going to slobber like that" she huffed

He held out his hand from where he sat on the bed, one knee up, his other leg folded in front of him.

She took his hand and knelt on the bed in front of him and he too got onto his knees and she watched him very carefully as he took her face in his hands, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs as his eyes were intensely locked with hers.

He tilted his head, kissing the very edge of her mouth and she parted her lips, allowing him to place his mouth over hers but he did it so gently she wondered how he managed to keep himself from ravaging her mouth as that's what she wanted to do to his.

Their lips moved together slowly, tasting, testing as Gabi felt a tingling run across her skin and she lifted her hands to his wrists at her neck. She didn't know she could miss kissing someone until now.

He pulled away, looking at her for a moment. "Did I slobber?" he asked huskily

Gabi was entranced "Not so much" she answered softly

He smiled gently "Good. Now I should get to bed" he said, moving from her and checking out his makeshift bed on her floor, stripping off his jacket, then his shirt to reveal a vest.

He looked to her and she was still knelt on the bed, just gazing at him. Troy compressed his lips, a need coursing through him to pull her from the bed and bring her up against his hard, aching body.

"Do you mind if I sleep in my boxers?" he asked instead

She snapped out of her reverie and got up off the bed "Nothing I haven't seen before" she commented as she disappeared into her bathroom

Troy smirked, removing his trousers and hunkering down on the floor, hearing Gabi moving around until the light eventually flicked off.

"Troy?" she called

"Mmm?" he answered

"I'm glad we met again" she ventured

"Me too" he smiled into the darkness

"Troy?" she called again

"Mmm?"

"Good night" she said softly

"G'night princess" he returned, shifting restlessly on the floor until he managed to sleep.

---

A loud pounding came at the door the next morning, though to Troy it felt like he'd only been asleep for a couple of hours.

He woke up off the floor, stretching his aching body as he roused into reality, realising he was in Gabi's room. He checked and she was fast asleep on the bed, hair messy and face soft as she slept.

"Pay me rent little missy, or I'll take what I'm owed another way" a booming voice called through the paper thin door.

Troy got onto his feet quickly, ripping the door open to face the burly man on the other side.

"Touch her and I'll have you shot" he warned in a low voice and the man just sniggered until Troy pinned him with an icy blue stare.

He flicked off some bills from a wad as he asked "How much?" and he gave him enough money to shut him up for a long time to come.

He checked over his shoulder to ensure Gabi hadn't awoken, closing the door and creeping over to the bed, kneeling on it as he climbed into the space next to her, laying out on his back and wondering how in the hell he was ever going to convince her to leave this hole.

----

Gabi roused in her bed, sleeping late. That was one bonus of working nights.

She thought back to last night and suddenly came-to, flicking her eyes from side to side, wondering if Troy were still here.

She sat up in bed. His makeshift bed on the floor was empty.

She stretched, yawned and put her feet on the floor. So much for making sure she was safe.

She put on her slippers and padded to the kitchenette in her motel room.

"Paper!" called the owner, shoving today's edition through her door as usual.

She rolled her eyes. He wanted his rent money and she got paid at the end of the month. Having not made any tips last night, she was cashless.

When she was told she had a special client, dollar signs had hit her eyes. She frowned now, wondering why they said Troy was a special client.

She poured her orange juice and cereal, put the paper under her arm and sat on one leg on the bed, casually unfolding the paper with one hand as she took a sip of juice with the other.

She spat the juice out, all across her bedspread, as she read the headline

"Bolton in Pole Position" and there was a picture of her getting into Troy's car, in zoomed glory and a smaller picture of him leaving the parking lot of the Motel, his face hidden partially with shades.

She read on, holding her breath subconsciously

"Major singing sensation, Troy Bolton, ruined his nice-guy reputation as he came of age celebrating his 21st Birthday at 'Striptease' last night.

Bolton personally selected a girl for a private lap dance and was seen leaving the premises with her, after sneaking out of the back door.

This morning he was spotted leaving a Motel room, causing his fans to wonder what the pair got up to.

It's safe to say Troy Bolton became a man last night, if this voluptuous beauty is anything to go by.

The nightclub owner refrained from comment when quizzed about the incident"

Gabi sat with her hand over her mouth in shock. Since when was Troy a singing sensation? Why didn't he tell her?

It was all clicking into place. The secluded holiday, the resistance to get involved, her so called 'special client'.

And yet he'd done a runner on her. After sitting in the back of his chauffeured car and saying she was his wish come true, he'd gone to leaving her high and dry when she needed him the most.

She wondered if there were photographers outside. They'd managed to deliver her paper ok.

She took a breath. She just had to carry on as normal. After all, the bills would not pay themselves and Troy had no responsibility for her. None at all.