Thank you for reviewing! Enjoy chapter seven :)
"Chad, will you just leave it? I've already told you I'm not going to look for Gabriella anymore. Can't I just live a peaceful existence?" Troy asked his friend patiently. Chad gave him a look. Obviously not... he thought wistfully. They were lounging around lazily in Chad and Taylor's living room. "Troy, it was just a suggestion, man. Besides, if you're going to forget about her, then sooner or later you're going to have to start dating again."
Troy knew he had a point. But even though he was giving up on Gabriella, he just didn't feel ready to start looking for someone new. Not yet. What would it say about me if I was ready? he asked himself. In his mind, having flown all the way across America; he had been totally committed to finding her. So being told to get over all of that so quickly didn't seem right.
"I will. Just give me time to think about it, at least!" he exclaimed. Chad rolled his eyes and secretly wondered whether Troy would ever really be ready to move on. For the most part of the day, he had been trying to convince his friend to begin meeting other women. Although, he had to admit, badgering him with the offer of numerous blind dates may not have been the most appealing of ideas. Troy had only returned home the day before; which was why he was finding this conversation a little overwhelming.
"I'm sorry, Troy. But remind me again why you're just giving up?" Taylor asked as she came in from the kitchen. She set down their coffee, and took a seat on the couch next to Chad – who gave her a look that said, "what are you doing?" She ignored him and kept her gaze on Troy, waiting for him to respond. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He didn't really want to go over this again. "Because, Tay, to find her...to find Gabriella, I would seriously have to fly all over America asking around. And by the time I've done that; another eight years could have gone by."
Taylor was speechless for once. She had seen the look in Troy's eyes as he spoke. His reasons made sense; but his heart wasn't in it. And she knew that pushing him on the subject any further wasn't going to help him. After a silence that seemed to go on forever, she spoke again, throwing a quick glance Chad's way first. "Well, maybe Chad's right. I know going on a blind date sounds a little..."
"...Desperate?" Troy finished, looking both of his friends in the eyes. Taylor smirked at him, then went to take a sip of her coffee. "No, actually I was going to say daunting," she told him. "But I suggest waiting a week or so, and then why don't you let me set you up with someone?" Chad spoke up before Troy could give her an answer, his face having contorted into one of annoyance and confusion.
"Hey, that was my idea! I was going to find him a date," he protested. She let out an amused giggle and rolled her eyes, then patted him gently on the shoulder. "Honey, it was never going to be a good idea for you to pick Troy a blind date," Taylor replied sweetly. She could easily imagine what his plan would have been. Find the nearest girl and say, "how would you like to go out with my buddy?" I think not, she thought.
Troy had been quietly contemplating the idea during Chad and Taylor's banter. Finally, he decided that he had nothing to lose; so he might as well just give it a try. "Okay," he replied. "Alright, one blind date." As long as Chad doesn't choose the date...
.HSM.
By the time a few weeks had passed, Troy had been persuaded to go on several more dates. The very first blind date had indeed been set up by Taylor. It was with a colleague of hers, and Troy had anticipated that she would be an interesting person to meet; given her career. After all, he was always eager to hear of the cases that Taylor had dealt with as a lawyer. But it turned out that Lisa did not enjoy her job; and neither was she talkative in the slightest. If he had to be completely honest, she was just...dull.
He agreed to be set up again because he had been genuinely disappointed that the first date hadn't been a success. Yet, time after time and date after date; there was always something that wasn't right or something that was missing. He had been set up with women who were arrogant; rude; boring and even just plain friendly. But even on the pleasant dates, Troy was left feeling empty.
There was a part of him thatwished he could just find a switch in his head and turn off these feelings that wouldn't go away. Instead, he was suppressing them. Troy had now told his friends not to set him up with anyone else. To appease them, he pointed out that the right person would come along when he was ready to look for them. However, this conversation had ended with Chad and Taylor convincing him to go on just one more blind date. Which was what he was getting ready for now. He was just on the point of leaving when the phone rang.
When he answered the call, Troy was surprised at whose voice he heard on the line...
So, who do you think is calling Troy?
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