Something New - Chapter 7 / Serious Talk

Troy
I needed to talk to Gabriella at dinner tonight and I was nervous about how it was going to go. The two of us have been having a lot of fun together and she seems to like me as much as I like her, I would like us to be in a relationship but things are difficult because of the situation with Chloe and Olly. When me and Gabriella talk about them she seems interested in them and she wants to know about them but I sometimes think she's just being polite. I would really like to try having a relationship with Gabriella but I wasn't sure how things would be, since my parents died I haven't had a relationship and Chloe and Olly have never met a girlfriend before.

At dinner tonight I was going to tell her that I wanted to be in a relationship but I am going to tell her about my concerns about Chloe and Olly. Of course we would need to take things slow and I would have to integrate her slowly into Chloe and Olly's lives, Gabriella needed to understand that the two of them come first. Everything I do is for them two and they come before any relationship with any girl, hopefully she would understand and the two of us will be able to try and make things work.

Me and Gabriella are really busy people; she's studying law at college and spends Monday-Friday's there and at the weekend she's trying to catch up with assignments and relax as much as she can. I'm working everyday and when I'm not working I'm taking care of Chloe and Olly or I'm taking them to friends houses, taking Chloe to dance classes or Olly to basketball practise. I have no idea how to try and fit a relationship into all of that but hopefully Gabriella will be willing to give it a try… we'll be OK for a while because I'm working at her house.

What would my boss say if he gets wind of me dating a client? Will he get the wrong end of the stick? Will he think I'm taking advantage of her? What will Gabriella's mother think? Will I still be able to work on the house? Should I keep things quiet between me and Gabriella until I'm finished the work? Shall I just come out and open about it with the boss? This whole thing seems to be getting more and more complicated by the second… was it worth all of this? Yes. Gabriella's worth it.

After me and Gabriella left her house earlier we went back to my house and had a little time in bed together before I dropped her home and picked up Chloe and Olly. She said she was excited for our date and she had a really nice outfit planned for me… that made me excited, she always looked good and I couldn't wait to see what she had planned for me.

The front door knocked and I opened it to see Chad standing on the other side, he was my babysitter for tonight. Some people think I'm crazy for allowing Chad to baby sit Chloe and Olly but he was awesome with them. He would make sure their homework was done, they were bath/showered, had dinner and went to bed on time.

As soon as Chloe and Olly heard Chad's voice they came running down the stairs and Chloe jumped on him as Olly greeted him with their 'secret' handshake. Chad sat down with them on the sofa as I grabbed my jacket "I'm not gonna be back until you're asleep so I will see you in the morning" I said to Chloe and Olly who nodded at me and couldn't have cared less "I love you" I said to Chloe and kissed the top of her head. I ruffled the top of Olly's hair "Call if you need anything" I told Chad and he nodded at me and then I left.

I pulled up outside Gabriella's house and I wasn't sure if I should knock on the door or call her and tell her that I was out here. I decided to make the best first impression so I got out of the truck and knocked on the door, I heard footsteps on the other side of the door and then Gabriella was stood in front of me looking as gorgeous as ever with the biggest smile on her face.

She was dressed in a blue top with a white blazer over the top, she had on black skinny jeans that accented all her amazing curves and some black heels. She had her hair up in a doughnut bun and had her make up done looking natural but beautiful "You look amazing" I told her, she looked down shy for a moment "Are you ready?" I asked and she nodded at me.

We pulled up to the restaurant and I did the gentleman thing and held the door open for her and held her hand. We were shown to our table which was a nice cosy table by the window looking out at the lake, it looked amazing with the moonlight bouncing off the water "What can I get you to drink?" A waiter asked us.

"Can I have a glass of rose wine please?" Gabriella asked and the waiter wrote down her order.

"A beer please" I told the waiter and he wrote that down before handing us a couple of menus and then he left the table "You look absolutely beautiful tonight" I told Gabriella and she went shy "Why do you shy when I say that?" I asked.

"I've never really had someone tell me that" She replied.

"Really? You never had a boyfriend?" I asked.

"I have… my ex Kyle and me were together for a year and a half but he never called me beautiful" She told me.

"Well he sounds like a fool" I commented.

"He was" She replied.

"Gabriella?" I questioned and she stared at me "You're beautiful" I said.

The waiter came back with our drinks and took our food orders before leaving the table and the menus with him. I was about to talk to Gabriella when my phone rang, I was going to ignore it but Gabriella spoke up "Answer it, it might be important" She told me.

"Sorry, I'll be quick" I promised and left the table and went onto the patio outside "Hello?" I said as I answered the phone.

"Hey it's me, I know you're on a date and I'm sorry to disturb you but Olly and Chloe are killing each other… can you have a word?" Chad asked me.

"Sure, put them on" I said irritated.

"She started it!" Olly shouted down the phone.

"I don't care who started it! You and Chloe need to stop acting like five year olds and start acting your age… the both of you" I stated.

"She started it!" He repeated.

"Put her on" I said.

"Hello?" Chloe said as she answered.

"What's going on?" I asked her.

"Olly ruined my homework so I put his dinner in the bin" She stated.

"The both of you need to start acting your age, you're as bad as each other. I'm going back to my evening now and if Chad rings me one more time the two of you will be grounded until you graduate" I told her and hung up the phone. I took a deep breath and calmed myself down before going back inside "Sorry" I said to Gabriella and took my seat again.

"It's OK, everything all right?" She asked.

"Yeah just Chloe and Olly fighting over something stupid" I told her.

Me and Gabriella ate dinner together and made small talk, we learned a lot about each other and I began to like her even more. She asked about Chloe and Olly and about how they were getting on at school and stuff, she seemed to really take an interest in them and it made me happy to know that. We ordered desert and then I paid for dinner and me and Gabriella decided to go for a walk over to the lake. I was going to talk to her then and there about the two of us being in a relationship, God I was nervous.

Me and Gabriella found a little bench to sit on next to the lake and I wrapped my arm around her, she snuggled a little into me and I couldn't stop smiling "Gabriella, can I talk to you about something?" I asked her. We pulled away from the embrace and she nodded at me "I've been having so much fun with you, everything about you is amazing. You're funny, smart, talented, beautiful and kind… everything I've ever wanted from a girl" I started.

"But…?" Gabriella questioned.

"What do you mean but?" I asked.

"When people say stuff like that there is always but at the end of that sentence" She said.

"There's a little but… it's not what you think" I said "I want the two of us to be together and I would like to give a real relationship a chance but I have Chloe and Olly to look after, I have a house to run, I have work and you are so busy with college… could it work between us?" I asked her.

"If we want it to work then we'll make it work, sure we'll be busy and I think it might be a little tough sometimes but we can make it work if we're both willing to put in the effort" She replied.

"We'd have to take things slow because I would need to integrate you slowly into Chloe and Olly's lives… they need to get used to the idea of me being in a relationship, I haven't been in one since me folks died and they're not used to that. Chloe is really attached to me and I don't want her thinking that you're taking me away from her or something like that" I explained to her.

"Troy I understand that they come first, I know that everything you do is for them. That's OK with me and I understand your reservations completely but I want this and we'll take things as slow or as fast as you think is best. I don't want to just enter their lives and make them uncomfortable or make them feel like I'm taking you away… that's the last thing I want. I will be whatever you need and want me to be to them" She said to me.

"So we're on the same page?" I asked.

"Yes" She replied.

"So… you're my girlfriend?" I asked with a school-boy grin.

"If you want me to be" She answered.

"Of course I do" I told her.

Gabriella leaned in to me and she placed her soft plump lips on me and the two of us started kissing. I wrapped my arm around her and we started to deepen the kiss but then she pulled away "We're in public" She said and I nodded and moved my head away from hers "But my mom's not home, she's at a business meeting and she's staying over… you can come over if you wanted to" She told me and I was more then willing.