Sorry the last chapter was short, I never manage to split my stories quite evenly! Hope you are still enjoying it xx

AndieB- thank you for your comment, that is the exact look I was going for ;)

And I update quickly because I write the whole story before I post, I post about 6 months behind what I am working on currently!

7.

Gabi's house was fantastic- warm and seductive and full of oranges and browns that complemented each other and her skin tone and when she had answered her door to his knock, he hadn't expected her to be dressed in a short, cotton floral jumpsuit with shorts and a shaped neckline, her petite figure suiting the all-in-one perfectly.

Her hair was down, soft and wavy, her face tinted with make-up but not drowned in it. She'd made an effort and he felt kind of happy at that. He felt kind of proud.

He'd washed, changed, put on his best black jeans and grey military shirt; grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge and bought a dozen burgundy tulips on his way over- a token for her gesture to invite him and she had accepted his gifts with an awkward- but enthralled smile.

"Do you want a glass of this while you wait?" She asked over her shoulder as he wandered in- hands tucked into his pockets nervously. He'd never been to dinner before at a woman's house. He only ever ate in- or out-or at his mom's.

"Err…sure, if you are?" he answered and asked at the same time.

"I think we deserve a wine after today," she replied sourly.

"Tell me you're coming to club night Friday," he begged. "We need to get drunk and pass out."

"I doubt it," she replied honestly, flicking him a look where he leaned in her doorway, filling the space nicely.

"I have no partner in crime, then," he pouted.

"Hey, you've been going to this thing for months without me." She reminded.

"But now that you've been, it's not the same without you," he quipped smoothly, making her groan.

"You are such a cheese-string, Bolton."

"Ok well I still have two days to change your mind…" he led confidently, like he thought he might actually achieve this.

"What makes you think I will change my mind?" She challenged.

"You're getting used to me. I might even persuade you to like me soon enough…"

"That's a long goal, Bolton. Way, way long," she warned.

"Don't set me challenge, Montez," his eyes flashed with dangerous mischief. "I will achieve it."

"I have plans Friday," she excused finally, meeting his eyes as she brought over his wine.

"You do huh?" He smiled at her knowingly.

"Uh-huh," she nodded, walking away, the wiggle of her ass not un-noticed by his keen eyes.

Damn, but she blew him out. Unsurprisingly. He'd hardly been anything but rude to her, what had he expected?

But tonight she had rolled back her justified hatred of him to offer him a little support. Support he would never admit he needed but that he did need all the same. The events of the last days were both confusing and frightening and he thought he should be the one comforting her, but here she was, being the man in their partnership and giving him a proverbial cuddle.

He smirked as his mind wandered, wondering if he would get a real one at any point tonight. Her small breasts were barely visible in her one- piece but he wanted to feel their softness against his chest and measure their weight in his hands. The latter he knew would never happen but his urge to hold her was strong and becoming harder to fight each day.

The more she kicked his ass, the more he wanted her; that was a fact.

"What are you smirking at, Bolton?" Gabi asked from the doorway, her brow arched.

"Just thinking how ironic it is that I gave up a date with Randy Rebecca to be here with you…" He quipped, masking his real feelings expertly once more.

He watched Gabi's lip curl and her eyes cloud over with disappointment before she twisted back toward her kitchen and he opened his mouth to take every stupid word back; but it was too late. She was gone.

And he felt like a complete prick for lying in the first place.

She was right, he was never going to settle down and find a woman to love him if he carried on being an idiot, but then that was kinda his plan. Wasn't it?

He frowned at the idea that maybe he didn't want to be a bachelor anymore and that maybe she was getting under his skin more than he liked to admit. But he quickly shook it away, straying toward her sofa to sprawl there, arms across the back, thighs wide.

Troy Bolton wasn't made for long term. Love didn't exist in his world, only pleasure. And he had to remind himself of that, he realised. He had to remember the exquisite Latina was not worth losing his cool over. She was just a girl.

A girl who intrigued him more and more.

/

"You seem perkier now," Gabi commented as she watched Troy shovel forkfuls of her lasagne into his mouth like a starving child, her head tilted to one side as she marvelled at his appetite. Something inside her wondered if he were as voracious in his hunger in other areas of his life, but she quickly blinked her eyes down to remove that thought.

His eyes rose from his plate as he finished his mouthful. "Your cooking is amazing."

"You look like you haven't eaten for days," she remarked drily.

"Well, I don't normally get food like this," he admitted. "I'm a beans on toast kind of guy."

"I see," she commented, obviously not seeing at all.

"But thank you, for dinner, I appreciate it." His words were sincere and they accompanied the direct gaze of his blue eyes into hers, leaving her trapped like a deer in headlights.

"You're welcome," her voice was throatier than she had hoped, her tummy lolloping against her will.

"So how come you're not freaking out over the last few days? Did Sam the fireman promise to protect you?" He quipped with his bravado.

Gabi rolled her eyes and pursed her lips as she stared at him patiently, reading his fear but not commenting on it.

"I have plenty of reasons to be afraid," she admitted. "And no, Sam is not protecting me," she added with a warm smile at his intended joke. "But..." she licked her lips and sighed, searching for words.

"But what?" He pushed gently, leaning forward.

"But if I think about it, it's gonna eat me up, you know? It's easier just to pretend that everything is okay."

Troy nodded with understanding, taking his own sigh. "What if they come looking for us?"

Gabi darted her eyes up to his, shocked at his threat.

"Honestly, I don't know. But we're in this together. We have to look out for each other, Al was right about that."

Troy's lashes flickered as he blinked. "Did you think I wouldn't?" He wondered.

"No," she denied quickly, softly. "I just..."

"Think I'm a doofus," he supplied for her lack of explanation. "A doofus who's gonna land us both in trouble."

"Troy, I do not think that," Gabi denied, confused at where his self-doubt came from. His quietness from earlier was beginning to make sense now. Maybe he really did feel like their safety depended on him and him alone and he was afraid of failing.

"Well, it's true," he counter-acted, rising from his seat to track to her back door, looking out on the patio as he shoved his hands in his pockets, hiding his thoughts from her in doing so. "I'm not cut out for this."

"You're the one who protected me from the explosion," she argued, standing too to follow him. "You're the one who warned Sam off in case he was trying it on. I think you're better at this than you think," she allowed, standing beside him and sharing his view of her yard, darkened in the night.

"You are the last person I expected to be standing there telling me that," he commented, twisting to her with a little smile. "All I deserve from you is hate."

She shrugged, his reminder of his rude comments barbing her in the chest where she swallowed against the pain. Sure, her hips were big and her backside even bigger and she didn't fit his ideal woman checklist, but she didn't deserve his insults, either. He didn't have to date her, find her attractive or accept her appearance; all he had to do was work with her. But maybe now was a good time to be honest with him and try to rectify their glitch and maybe even make her working day better. She needed that if they were under threat, too.

"I'm not gonna lie, Troy. It hurts when you say those things about me," she admitted softly, looking down and frowning in memory.

"You know I'm only kidding right? It's just…me being me. I'm just-"

"Being honest?" She questioned back, striking him with her real feelings. "It's not like I don't look in the mirror and see every flaw I have. Having you magnify them- it's not helping."

Her voice was sore, her chest tight and he could hear her upset clearly in her raw throat. At that moment, he didn't think he'd ever felt so disgusted with himself, so appalled. What had started off as a method of self- defence, a teasing affection to cover his attraction had turned into something far more hurtful and Gabi's small form next to him, huddled and self-hugging, told him just what damage he had done. Only he didn't know how to undo it – at least without letting on how he felt. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"I'm just being an ass-hole," he amended truthfully. "I promise you, your ass is not big in any way. And…" he searched for words, wincing as he realised he didn't have any. None except those that came out of his mouth of their own accord, without his permission. "You have beautiful curves, Gabi. Don't listen to anything I say."

Gabi looked up to him, her eyes plastered to his as a dig formed above her brow, trying to make sense of his admission and finding no answer to the puzzle as he continued to look down on her, his blue eyes showing his honesty.

Why would he rib her every day about her Latina ass if he thought she was beautiful, curves and all?

"So what do you think's gonna happen?" he asked, quickly moving on. "Do you think Mannie will come after us?"

Gabi sighed, turning to him fully, touching his arm to bring his distracted gaze to her again. "If he does, what can we do?"

Troy looked down to her small hand, curled around his bicep, strangely comforted by her touch. "Beat the shit outta him?" He gleaned with a mischievous smile.

Gabi rolled her eyes and dropped her hand. "And so the real Bolton returns," she derided.

"I mean it, what can we do? They said it might not happen," he repeated.

"I guess we just stay alert." She replied eventually, thinking. "I guess we just pray nothing happens."

"Tonight's been nothing like I expected," he smiled, turning from the door. "Do you want to go out for ice cream?"

"Now?" She giggled. "No, I think I better get some sleep."

He tipped his head sideways, smiling at her laugh. "Okay, goodie two-shoes. I'm out of here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bright and early," she confirmed as she walked him to the door.

"Hey, thanks, you know…for this…"

"Goodnight Bolton," she folded her arms as he stood in her doorway.

"Goodnight, Montez. Sweet dreams."

/

"Have you put in for Montez' collection?" Chad asked as he held up the envelope of coins he had so far gained.

"What, you mean it's her birthday?" Troy frowned.

"Yep, this Friday. Didn't you know?"

"Oh man," Troy wiped a hand over his face.

"She's gonna kill you…" Chad chuckled.

"I still have time to decorate her locker," Troy defended edgily, annoyed at his forgetfulness.

"Uh-huh," Chad tittered behind his hand.

"Shut up, man! You could at least help me!" Troy accused.

"Gabi's gonna kill you, Gabi's gonna kill you…" Chad chanted.

"Kill him for what?" Gabi asked from the doorway of the break room, causing Chad to quickly hide his envelope.

"For the fifty dollars I'm about to place on the horse Chad told me is a cert," Troy smiled easily, laying the notes into Chad's hand.

Chad looked at him with a confused frown. "Fifty dollars?"

"Why would I kill you?" Gabi shook her head, also confused.

"I guess he was wrong…" Troy excused non-sensically, and then looked to his buddy. "Yes fifty, for the bet, now run along gaping man…"

"You two are up to something," Gabi decided as she came over toward Troy to fill the space Chad left.

"Nope, not us," Troy lied innocently.

"If you're planning some kind of stupid stunt for my birthday then don't even think about it, Bolton. I'm not in the mood to be messed with…"

"Speaking of your birthday, what's the plan? Are we going somewhere special?"

"We are not going anywhere," she told him. "I am going out with the girls to Spearmint Rhino."

"But that's a strip club!" Troy spluttered out.

"You know it then, why am I not surprised?" she muttered.

"But why are you going there Montez? It doesn't seem your…thing."

"They have pole dancing lessons. The girls organised it. It sounds like fun," she shrugged nonchalantly.

How in the hell she could be nonchalant when all he could imagine was her insanely distracting curves wrapped around a pole in all manner of erotic ways was a mystery to him, but she did a good job of it.

"Troy are you even listening to me?" She demanded with her arms folded across her chest.

"Mm, sorry, what did you say?"

"I said it's girls only. The guys are going to Rudy's and we're meeting up after to play poole."

"This is your plan? This is why you said no to club night?" He guessed and she nodded. "You could've just told me."

"Where's the fun in that?" She asked with a mischievous smile- one he had never seen before.

"Fine. I'll go with the guys to Rudy's," he sighed in agreement.

"You don't have to," she frowned at his tone. "It's not obligatory."

"I want to, Montez, okay? I want to be there to wish you many happy returns and give the birthday girl a kiss," he smirked.

"Fine," she agreed shortly.

"Fine." He confirmed.

"See you later," she walked by him and he looked up, praying to someone listening that he would make it out alive, because Gabi and pole dancing was just a combination that might finally break him.