I'M SO SORREEEEE…mega late updating :(
Chapter 9
Well, it was a dress. It wasn't like anything she had ever worn before and she frowned at her image in the mirror, shocked by how different she could look with just one garment.
It was long, split to the thigh and halter-necked, the bust heart shaped to cup her breasts. The material was crushed burgundy velvet and the dress had structured panels down the front for the curvy lady; a small corset type tie running down the middle to flatter her hour-glass waist. The shoes she'd chosen to go with it were toeless black suedette and her hair was over one shoulder, curly but loosely vamp; along with her smokey make up.
If she had to describe herself she'd say soft-goth and even Chad was surprised at the transformation.
"Jesus, Gabi, where'd' you get that dress?" He marvelled at the amount of leg it showed on the slitted side.
"Is it too slutty?" she asked honestly and his grin told her it wasn't but she rolled her eyes at his boyish mind.
"Hey…is everything ok with you and Troy?" Chad asked nonchalantly as they got into the taxi they'd ordered.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" she shot him a look.
"No reason," Chad lied, then, "I just guessed something was going on…"
"Look; this whole arrangement we have is weird ok? You told me to find him a girlfriend and that's what tonight is for. I helped him with his wardrobe; I taught him to dance and now I have to step back and let that happen." She wasn't sure if she was convincing herself more than her friend as the taxi took them to the Jooce Bar.
"Why?" he asked. "Why are you stepping back when you sound like that's the last thing you want to do?" Chad countered as he settled in beside her.
"Because it would never work," she sighed. "He's in Uni, I work…and I work,"she emphasised "How could we ever justify starting something when we both have enough issues to break up ten times over…"
"What kind of issues?" Chad prompted of his friend; semi glad to hear she had feelings for Troy- as planned- but also concerned for her hesitancy to get involved.
"I just couldn't live with myself if I hurt him;" she sighed.
"You might not."
"Then there's you…"
"What about me?" he puzzled.
"You're my friend and his friend and it could get so messy…"
"Gabi, you're making ridiculous excuses…" Chad told her honestly.
"Then maybe I'm the one who doesn't want to get hurt," she offered in a soft tone and he didn't get a chance to pursue the conversation because the taxi pulled up and she shot out of the car to avoid any more questions.
Once inside, Gabi carefully scouted the area for the guy she was getting to know only too well and sighed in relief when she didn't see him. Tonight was about avoidance. Avoidance and having fun; if the two were possible, she mused as she headed for the bar.
"Well hell-o Jessica rabbit…" Casey brushed up against her back as she queued for drinks.
She smiled weakly. "Hmm, funny…"
"You look amazing….I'm Casey by the way…" he introduced.
"Gabi," she twisted to shake his hand, catching sight of Troy as he was ushered inside the hall and she immediately noticed Sophie on his arm; something she knew she was going to have to face one day but still shocked her all the same.
Casey followed her line of vision and nodded casually. "Oh that's just Soph," Casey explained unnecessarily, then added, "You like him don't you?"
"No," she turned back to the bar and ordered two shots and a white wine for good measure. She slipped down one of the neat vodka's and took a deep breath.
"They're just friends you know," Casey shared. "Why don't you come over and say hi?"
"Because I'm perfectly fine here, thank you," she gritted her teeth, and then sunk her second measure before sipping her wine.
"You shouldn't mix…" he warned her and she moved away from the bar to get some space.
"I need more vodka," she smiled wanly once her wine vanished in three seconds flat.
"Wow, lady…" Casey laughed and Chad wandered over with a suspicious squint.
"You okay Gabi?" he checked and she smiled beautifully.
"I'm fine. Stop asking. I'm getting another drink, do you want anything?" she turned to go and Chad looked to Casey.
"Did she say anything to you?"
Casey shrugged. "No, she just went funny when Troy came in with Soph…"
Chad scanned the room and found his friend easily; dressed in a retro brown suit all shiny and different from everyone else. He was chatting to a cute blonde; but they didn't look at each other the way Chad had noticed he and Gabi did and he felt bolstered by that.
"Yo, dude," Chad clasped hands with Troy and smiled at the pretty girl with him. "Hi…"
"Chad, this is Sophie," Troy introduced. "Sophie, my good friend Chad…"
"Hi, nice to meet you…" Sophie smiled at him.
"Did Gabi come?" Troy swallowed, trying to appear non-plussed.
Chad nodded. "She's here. She's getting drunk…" he added and smiled at Sophie again, who again smiled back.
"Oh." Troy frowned at that idea and then looked at his two friends smiling at each other. "Why don't you two go and dance while I find her to say hi…"
"Don't mind if I do…" Chad smoothed and Sophie giggled back, slipping her hand into his proffered one while Troy went to find the girl he had come to care a lot about in such a short time. The thought of her being here and not coming to say hello was soul-destroying but he knew she had this crazy idea she had to let him loose on woman kind now her work was nearly done.
He himself couldn't give one iota about any other girl in this room but he didn't know how he was supposed to tell Gabi that seeing as she had avoided him ever since they'd shared that insanely amazing kiss. He'd quite happily just carry on kissing her like that until either one of them could be bothered to move but she obviously didn't feel the same and that hurt him. It hurt him because he knew they had something; and it was new and exciting but it was also deep- they'd shared an experience, they'd felt the same way and maybe even did now if she would just admit to it.
Maybe she was embarrassed of him, he wondered? Maybe she didn't want to be seen around town with the 'geek'. Maybe his confessions of not wanting to be with anyone right now made her wary of continuing their exploration of whatever it was that drew them together.
Whatever is was, he had to find her and had to find out.
/
"Who are they?" Gabi was talking to herself but the forever-present Casey seemed to answer for her.
"Girls," he relayed with a nod, relaxed from his own alcohol consumption and Gabi checked her wine glass to see if there was any more liquid to help her through the rest of the night. She gulped down three mouthfuls and shivered when the bitter after-taste hit the back of her throat.
"Why are they with him?" she almost whined of the attention Troy was gaining; even though that had been their goal for tonight- for him to talk to new girls he didn't know. Somehow now it didn't seem like such a good idea after all.
"Because you're not..?" Casey guessed and Gabi twisted to squint at him.
"What do you know?" She accused edgily.
Casey smirked. "I know I'd quite like to get to know you better…but not if you're into another guy…"
"I," Gabi announced lifting her glass, "…am not into anyone. I need more alcohol," she added as she turned and headed back to the bar.
/
Troy smiled as politely as he could at the two girls from Uni who had stopped him to talk; only precious time was running away while they distracted him from his target- to find Gabi.
He'd seen her, out of the corner of his eye, leaning on the wall behind the decorated pillar and he'd felt her eyes watching him in return; but his small envelope of acceptable time to move and approach had dwindled as the pretty girls before him chattered on about the party.
Finally, he made his excuses. It must have been a good hour he was stood there, trapped; they must have talked about every aspect of the night they were enjoying but all he could think about the whole time was how Gabi was avoiding him.
His determination to confront her returned with sharp vengeance and he stalked off to find her; vowing not to be distracted this time.
/
"Hey, are you avoiding me?" he asked out right as he spotted her hanging by the bar; looking close to perfection in her thigh- revealing dress.
He remembered those thighs around his when they'd danced and the kiss that followed and as his eyes swept over her and enjoyed the femininity of her figure, he was sure that feeling had never gone away because it rushed back with equal ferocity at seeing her again.
"You look amazing…" he added belatedly; loving her make up, too.
"I'm not…avoiding you," she slurred a little and he clocked how hammered she was already. "I'm just...keeping a professional distance…"
He squinted at her and stepped up close. "Don't you think it's time we stopped pretending that this is about finding me a girlfriend?"
"Whose pretending?" she wondered drunkenly, "And anyway, you found one so woo-hoo!" she knocked back one of the two shots she was cradling.
He flicked his eyes over her face. "Sophie isn't my girlfriend. In fact, she's flirting with Chad right now so you can forget that being a starter…"
"Well, the night is young…" she encouraged.
"The night is young," he agreed. "And I'd like to spend it with you…"
Gabi looked up, shocked. He wanted to spend it with her? Why? She was old and drunk and being a green-eyed monster, who'd want to spend time with her?
She began giggling and he merely raised his brows. "You think that's funny?"
She covered her mouth with her hand and met his eyes with laughter in hers. "Just ignore me! I'm a little…tipsy!" she announced.
He took a deep breath and swallowed, taking five seconds to decide what to do and then he bent over and scooped her into his arms with the ease only a very strong person could master and he smirked as she protested quickly followed by her grasping on for dear life.
"This is stupid, I can walk you know…" she told him as they garnered looks from the party-goers; mostly due to Gabi's revealing skirt having hitched up to reveal the entire expanse of her bare leg to all and sundry.
She drunkenly tried to use the hem of her skirt to cover her modesty, giggling as that failed.
"I'm a tart," she announced loudly once Troy had got them into the parking lot and one of the valet guys leered at her, causing her to burrow into Troy's chest. "Can you put me down now?" she asked.
Troy put her feet to the ground and quickly stripped off his jacket to help her into it while their taxi was ordered and he looked down in surprise as Gabi wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his chest, seeking comfort.
He automatically circled his arms around her, too; letting his gentle hands rub over her shoulders and back to soothe whatever demons she was fighting.
"I could have had two more," she complained of her drinking session cut short.
"I have a whole bottle at home, you can knock yourself out," he promised, running his fingers over her hair caringly.
"What about your date?" she propped her chin on his chest to look up at him.
"She'll be okay," he smiled softly.
"But we never found your Miss Right…" she sighed and sagged.
"But I wasn't looking…" he murmured, kissing her hair without thinking.
She looked up, for that one moment perfectly focused and completely uninhibited. "Am I her?"
"Sir, taxi…" the valet man called and opened the rear door for them, causing Troy to twist his lips in regret, helping Gabi inside.
He slipped in beside her and took her under his arm as she curled her feet up and he prayed she wouldn't puke until they at least got home.
He paid the driver when they got there and carried her limp, little spirit-drowned body up to his room; laying her in the bed in her dress while he found some pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt for her to borrow.
"Is Spiderman okay?" he checked, standing from where he'd bent to get into his drawer; only to find her vanished from the bed and the evident sound of puking coming from his bathroom.
He slowly carried the spare clothes in and knelt with her to capture her hair and rub her back. He was kind of expert at this he mused; knowing how much his ex had liked to drink on a Saturday night.
"Hey, it's okay…" he soothed as she wretched and nothing came up.
"This was such a stupid idea!" she decided, breaking into tears.
"Can you make it back to bed?" he bypassed her comment and she nodded, rising with his help. "I left some pyjama's there for you-" He pointed to the edge of the bath, giving her time to clean up before she trailed her heavy body back across his room where he watched her lay and then covered her with his duvet.
"Don't go," she whispered. "Stay with me tonight…"
He pressed his lips together and nodded; sinking into the mattress beside her with no intention of doing anything more than sleeping but when she flipped over and snuggled up to him; he let his arm curl around her shoulders to hold her close and then he brushed his lips against her forehead before they both fell asleep.
/
"Ohhh god…" Gabi groaned, rolling onto her front to battle the inevitable light of morning. She groaned again when her head stabbed painfully in protest of the alcohol she had consumed the night before.
"Hey keep it down, they'll think we're having sex;" Troy's warm tones reminded her she wasn't alone in this bed. She decided to keep her head down.
"Ugh, I can't even think about sex right now…" she licked her dry lips and lifted her head, just a little; receiving an offered glass of water from her bed-partner.
"How are you feeling?" he wondered; propping on his elbow; loving the fact she was in his bed on a Saturday morning.
"Like death."
"Definitely no sex then," he quipped and she looked at him with a death stare, her eyes ringed with melted make-up and her pupils pinpointed with tiredness.
"Why all the talk about sex suddenly?" she grumbled and collapsed back down.
He shrugged and flipped onto his back. "I guessed you were still drunk so it was worth a try…"
"Last night doesn't change anything, Troy," she sighed.
"Actually it does," he counter-acted and she struggled to understand where this new, confident Troy had come from. "Whether you like it or not." He added and she would have gaped if she had the energy but she didn't so she just groaned again and went back to sleep to avoid any more talk of sex or anything else between them.
/
"Whoa…" Ryan opened his mouth and Jason wolf-whistled the bed-messed beauty that trailed down from Troy's room; in search of coffee or coke or something full of sugar.
"What?" she grumbled, having showered and washed her hair; dressing back into Troy's t-shirt after.
"You're not wearing much…" Ryan offered.
"And you look like you've been sexed up…"Jason added, receiving a swipe from Ryan.
"What? She does!" Jason rubbed his arm.
"You don't tell her that," Ryan admonished.
"Where's Troy?" Gabi asked patiently, making herself a strong drink of coffee with sugar and cream.
"He isn't in bed with you?" Jason checked; getting another swipe from Ryan.
"He went out to get you breakfast. The most we had was mouldy bread and sugar puffs…"
"I woulda had sugar puffs…" she felt guilty for him going out just for her; and besides that she missed him a little, too.
"So, you two are shagging then?" Jason enquired, this time receiving a punch from his friend "What?!"
"You just don't ask girls that shit!" Ryan sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Gabi."
"Hey, I've known you guys my whole life, there's no reason for you to apologise now…"
"He's a good guy, Gabi." Jason said then, causing them both to look to him.
"I know." She said only, folding her arms.
"Hey, there she is!" A happy voice called behind her as Troy brought in two sacks of groceries and he passed her, then flicked her a look, then flicked his friends a look then placed his sacks down. "What's up?"
"Nothing. We were just talking, that's all…" she tried to smile.
"Not about me I hope," he arched a brow.
"She already knows your feet smell…" Ryan supplied.
"And that you dribble in your sleep," Jason interjected, making Troy grin affectionately at his two friends.
"Thanks for only telling her the good stuff…"
"Wait," Gabi dropped her arms and stood straight from where she had been leaning in the wide archway to the kitchen. "Are you wearing a tank top?"
The two guys sat at the table looked at each other and made their excuses to leave as Gabi followed up behind Troy and studied the muscles that flexed in his arms. Yes, those arms had carried her, yes they had even held her, but sweet jesus, she hadn't expected that, she mused as his loaded upper arms proudly boasted tight, hard muscles.
"I went to the gym to do some weights while you were out cold," he explained, and then looked to her. "Are you okay?"
She closed her open mouth and swallowed. "Mm-hmm," she agreed, not trusting her voice to answer in words.
He smiled bemusedly at her. "You can go back to bed once I made breakfast…"
"Troy, I can't stay here all day…" she frowned and tipped her chin up as he came close.
"Why not?"
"Because I have…I have…"
"What do you have, Gabi?" his curly smile tickled her inside.
"I have…errands to run." She managed weakly.
He raised a brow. "Errands huh?"
Why did she get the feeling he was onto her, she mused? Somehow he had accepted the attraction between them; forgiven her last night and was now on the offensive. He knew she was stalling and making excuses. But what happened to his own hesitancy? She didn't like how quickly he had decided he was ready for this when she was still getting over that kiss from a week ago…
"Yeah, errands," she jutted her chin defiantly.
"Okay," he accepted, going back to the counter. "I'll just have to save cuddling in bed with you for another day…"
She frowned and opened her mouth, closed it then opened it again and then finally closed it, taking a couple of fast breaths.
"Since when did we cuddle in bed?" she finally croaked.
He turned and braced his hands on the counter ledge, smiling knowingly. "Since you got drunk and told me you think I have a cute ass…"
/
"I did not say that," she argued as she gratefully accepted his offering of food.
He arched a brow to the contrary.
"I was dreaming, it doesn't mean anything;" she argued.
"Gabi, you said my name…a few times actually;" he grinned and she paled.
"What kind of dream was I having?" she murmured to herself.
"A damn good one by the sound of it," he chuckled and she threw a strawberry at him.
"Troy…"
"I told you last night, let's stop pretending," he countered honestly and she frowned worriedly.
"Whatever happened to you not looking?" she questioned. "All that stuff with your ex you're not ready to deal with…"
"I'm just saying let's see where this takes us…"
She frowned again. "Since when were we comfortable enough to talk about this? I thought after the kiss we decided to go back to normal…"
Troy let his smile drop and squinted his eyes. "So how do you want to play this?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I go back to work, you go back to Uni and-" she paused, signalling, 'that's it'.
His hurt blue eyes met hers. "You want to go back and pretend nothing happened?"
"Nothing did happen," she denied.
"That kiss happened, Gabi. Last night happened. What is it your so afraid of?"
Gabi swallowed the last of the food she could manage without choking and unfurled from her seat.
"I should go."
Troy sighed out and stood too. "Don't leave," he begged. "You asked me to do that last night and I didn't…"
She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry," was all she said before she disappeared.
