Escape to Love Chapter 25
SUMMARY: Gabriella Montez finds her unexpectedly single self traveling alone to Italy, a country known for its love and romance possibilities. Troy Bolton finds himself bamboozled by his mother and reluctantly leading one of her lengthy vacation tours. Neither is expecting to encounter any attractions not listed on the tour itinerary. M for adult situations/subject matter and sexual references/depictions.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own these wonderful characters...I just love them like the rest of you. I don't own anything Disney or otherwise...except a good bit of HSM memorabilia. ;-)
TOUR INFO: Days 20 & 21 (Thurs & Fri)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, yep, life is getting the better of me these days, so this chapter has taken a little while. I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless. I did have every intention of doing some reply reviews, but since it's been some time, I'll just get this chapter up instead. But I'm glad everyone seemed on board with the reveal and how it all was handled. Something fun to share...many thanks to Shadow830 (Marie) for creating an awesome banner for this story. Go check it out...the link is on my profile page. :-D Also, I just wanted to say that my heart goes out to everyone that has been affected by the crazy tornadoes and storms in the southern U.S. My area was lucky but others were not. While I don't really have the extra time to offer up a story for auction as with the Japan fundraiser (and by the way, look for the beginnings of that story hopefully soon), I will do this. I will donate $1 for every review submitted on this chapter by May 10th to the relief efforts in the south. So, read on and hit that lovely review button and you'll make me smile and we'll do something good. :-) Thanks! -Mel
The next morning, as they got breakfast and checked out, they didn't see Katherine again. As the bus pulled out of Pescara, they didn't look back either. Of course, there was nothing wrong with the city itself but it was still nice to be moving on.
After about an hour and a half, the group arrived in Petriolo and walked from the bus through the woods along the river Farma to the Petriolo Thermal Baths. There, they saw hot water gushing from the rocks and white steam rising from the pale blue of the baths. People were wading and lounging in different areas of the rocks and the baths and Troy, Gabriella, and the rest of their tour group joined them.
"This is a little bit nicer than Hell was," Gabriella remarked, running her hands along the top of the steaming water surrounding her.
"It's a lot nicer than Hell was," Troy said with a grin, reaching for her under the water and pulling her closer to him, enjoying the way the heat was making her skin flush.
"And why is that?" Gabriella asked teasingly, anticipating his answer.
"Because back in those caves, I wanted to feel your legs wrapped around me..."
Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him and her lips curved seductively.
"And here, now, I can," he said, looking at her devilishly as his hands swiftly gripped the back of her thighs and scooped them up, bringing them around his hips.
Laughing, Gabriella's arms flew up around his neck to keep herself from falling backwards into the water. "I guess that is an improvement."
"Oh, it definitely is," Troy said huskily, his hands sliding upward to caress her backside.
"Don't get any ideas, signore."
"Not sure what you mean, signorina," he said, bending his knees and lowering them further into the water so that the warmth now engulfed him from the shoulders down and her from the neck down.
"Sure you aren't. But I mean it. We're only a few feet away from the others."
"There are others here?" Troy teased, a sparkle in his eye as he brought his face closer to hers.
Gabriella shook her head at him but couldn't contain the pleased smile on her face.
"Relax," he said in a lower tone. "I just want to kiss my girlfriend."
Her lips curved even further at the title. Troy's curved as well as he brought them down to meet hers in a slow kiss.
"It's just you and me, Montez," Troy said softly as he released her lips, and she knew he wasn't just referring to where they stood physically, but to where their relationship stood.
"Troy! Can you answer a question for us?" Marci Richardson called.
Gabriella tried to stifle her giggles at the look on Troy's face. "Be right there!" he turned and called over his shoulder before turning back to Gabriella. "You, me, and our...tour family," Troy said with a sigh. "Sorry," he continued, rubbing his nose against hers lightly.
"It's okay...go," she assured him. "The question could be earth-shattering," she added lightly with a wink, seeing him roll his eyes at her. She let her feet touch the ground again and slid her arms from him, watching as he smiled at her and then turned to swim over to where the Richardsons were standing, waiting on him. She saw them ask their question and saw him start to answer confidently and she felt a bit of pride just watching him. She sank further down into the steaming water and let it soothe her body further. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feel of it. Her quiet moment was interrupted by the sound of her friend's voice.
"Is it even safe for me to come over here?" Jennifer asked skeptically.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Gabriella asked, opening her eyes and focusing on her friend.
"Umm, you and lover boy were over here heating the water up further."
"We were just kissing."
"Uh huh."
"We were."
"Sure."
Gabriella rolled her eyes at her friend. "If it was that quick, I'd be kind of disappointed."
Jennifer grinned. She believed her friend but just liked giving her a hard time. "Well, you certainly haven't seemed that."
Gabriella averted her eyes and blushed slightly. It was an interesting thing having a new relationship blossom under the watchful eyes of a busload of people.
"So, more than just fun?" Jennifer asked, speaking again.
Gabriella stared at Troy in the distance for a minute before turning to look her friend in the eyes. "Yeah, definitely more."
"And how do you feel about that?"
"I..." Gabriella thought for a moment. "Helpless."
Jennifer smiled. "Meaning..."
"Meaning I'm in love with him and I'm not sure I could've stopped that from happening if I'd tried, but I don't know if that is going to end up being the best thing to happen in my life or end up leaving me broken-hearted or maybe both."
"I'm sure Troy's feeling the same way."
"I know, but what do we do?"
"I wish I had an answer for you, but I think only you two can figure that out."
Gabriella nodded, sighing. "How are you handling it right now? I mean, being this far from David for a month?"
Jennifer's mind drifted for a moment to her fiance. "Of course I miss him, but we've been in touch the whole time with calls and email and Skype. So, that helps. And I just think about the next time I'll see him and how great that's going to be to be back in his arms. But I know this is a finite kind of thing. I don't know how I'd feel about it if I were doing it repeatedly."
"Yeah," Gabriella said, thinking about the times she'd spent between seeing Michael. That had only been a week or so apart at a time, at the most a few weeks. If she and Troy traveled between Chicago and Italy, would they see each other a few times a year? Would the other communication in between visits be enough?
"Sorry. I didn't mean to come over here and be a downer," Jennifer apologized.
"No, it's okay. It's not like I haven't been thinking about it anyway," Gabriella assured.
"On a happier note though, you fell in love in the country associated with love. They should make a movie about you. Maybe they will after your kick ass article comes out."
Gabriella laughed, shaking her head. "I'm not sure I'd want a movie made about my life."
"Oh, come on. I can think of some great actresses to play me."
"Oh, you can, can you?"
"Yep, and maybe some up and coming hot young Disney stars can play you two."
Gabriella looked skeptical.
"Nah, you're right. You two aren't very Disney."
Gabriella laughed again. "Shut up."
"Or maybe you are...those kids are never as innocent as they seem."
"You...have a wild imagination."
"I have fabulous ideas. Case in point, Mr. More Than Fun over there."
Gabriella grinned. "I have a fabulous idea. Let's go get dried off so we don't have to walk back to the bus completely soggy."
Jennifer grinned as well. "That is a good idea," she said, following her friend as they made their way out of the water.
After drying off and heading back to the bus, the group sat through a two hour drive and arrived in Ravenna, where they ate lunch and saw the St. Francis Basilica and Dante's tomb. Then, they drove about 40 minutes to Bologna, their resting stop for the night.
In Bologna, they saw the famous Two Towers, the landmark of the city. They also visited Piazza Maggiore and the University of Bologna, the oldest existing university in Europe, founded in 1088. Eventually, the group separated to either explore the city further or relax at the hotel.
That evening, Gabriella got ready, a bit nervously, to go meet Troy's friends. She could tell Zio and his family were important to Troy and she wanted to make a good impression.
"They're going to love you, Gabriella," Troy whispered in her ear reassuringly as they stood outside the front door of his friends' house and rang the bell. "Just like I do," he finished, earning a sweet smile from the woman at his side.
"Troy!" a friendly-looking Italian man of average height with dark hair and olive skin greeted as he opened the door. Gabriella watched as he and Troy gave each other the typical manly backslapping hug and then she saw that Troy's friend had turned his attention to her.
"And you must be Gabriella," he said with a warm smile, leaning in and pleasantly surprising her with a welcoming hug as well. "I'm Zio. It's great to meet you."
"It's wonderful to meet you too," she returned, seeing his grin widen.
"Please come on in. Anna's excited to see you both too and watch out, Troy...Mila has been talking about playing horsey with you all day."
Troy laughed and, with his hand at the small of her back, gently guided Gabriella inside to follow Zio to the living area where a pretty dark-haired woman sat holding an infant in her arms and instructing her oldest daughter not to pounce on Troy the minute she saw him, an instruction which obviously fell on deaf ears as the little girl ran over and Troy's hand left Gabriella's back as he reached down and scooped up his young friend, greeting her happily.
"Sorry about that," the woman apologized, standing and walking toward them. "Hey, Troy," she greeted, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek as he did the same with her, both with their arms full. "Hi Gabriella," she greeted with a smile. "I'm Anna and I'm sorry to say that you have a little bit of competition in this house," she joked, tilting her head to indicate her older daughter, who was now excitedly telling Troy something in Italian, which had him nodding and smiling back at her. "Mila, say hi to Gabriella."
"Hi Garella," Mila offered, turning her head from Troy to send a quick smile toward the pretty new woman.
Troy looked amused by Mila's pronunciation, as he smiled over at her and then back down at the little girl.
"Hi Mila," Gabriella replied with a warm smile. Then she turned to face Anna again. "That's okay. I don't mind losing his attention to such a worthy opponent," she joked back, earning a further smile and nod from Anna. "It's very nice to meet you. Thank you for allowing me to join you tonight."
"Oh, certainly," Anna responded, with Zio adding, "We're nosy. We have to check you out of course."
"Oh, stop," Anna scolded her husband lightly, backhanding his arm to punctuate the point. "Don't make her feel weird."
"No, it's okay," Gabriella assured them both. "I completely understand."
Anna lifted one of her shoulders apologetically. "It's just, well, we haven't gotten to meet anyone else since..." Glancing at her daughter to see that she was now looking curiously back at her, she chose her words carefully. "...the one who wasn't very nice."
Gabriella nodded her understanding. "I got to meet her yesterday and I fervently hope that I bear no similarities other than Troy."
Zio's and Anna's eyes widened at this. "Well, that must have been interesting. We'll have to chat about that a bit later. But for now, we should probably go grab a seat in the dining room. Dinner should be ready in a few minutes," Anna said.
"Can I help you with anything?" Gabriella offered.
"Sure, that would be great. Follow me, and guys, see that Mila gets washed up before eating, please."
"You heard your mom," Troy said. "Let's go splash the dirt off you."
"Hey," Anna called back warningly. "I don't expect her to come back looking like a wet dog, Troy."
"Oh, but she's much cuter than a dog," Troy teased.
"Troooyy," Anna said in a mock threatening tone.
"Si, Anna. Dry, clean, hungry girl. Got it," Troy said, flipping Mila into a flying position and running down the hall. Zio walked behind them, grinning.
Anna rolled her eyes good-naturally as she heard her daughter's squeals fade away. She turned and Gabriella followed her to the kitchen, smiling to herself as she listened to the squeals too and thought about how fun it was to see how Troy was with Mila.
Once inside the kitchen, Anna turned back to Gabriella. "Do you mind holding Carina while I get the food out of the oven?"
"No, not at all," Gabriella answered, accepting the transfer of the baby girl into her arms. "She's beautiful," she complimented, smiling down at the tiny, sweet face below her own.
"Thank you," Anna said, retrieving potholders and opening the oven door. "She's been a pretty easy baby so far, nothing like her older sister. She was never a fan of sleep...still isn't!"
"Oh my."
"Yes, it's much fun," Anna said wryly, pulling the pan from the oven and placing it atop the stove. But then her face softened once more as she turned to look at Gabriella and Carina again. "It really is though. Zio and I...our lives are just even more full now and the girls bring us a lot of joy."
"I'm sure they do," Gabriella responded, holding one of Carina's tiny hands with her fingers. "Carina's one month old, right?"
"Mmmhmm, as of yesterday."
Gabriella looked up at the other woman again. "You look great," she complimented, seeing Anna's lips curve before she turned her head a bit shyly and focused on fixing up plates for everyone.
"That's very kind of you, Gabriella. I don't feel quite like myself yet but I'm getting there. Thank you."
"Sure. I mean it. How has Mila liked being an older sister?"
"Oh, she's been pretty great about it. She's been fascinated. She does wrinkle her nose at diaper changes and when Carina cries sometimes though, since she doesn't remember that was her four years ago. Mostly, she's proud of her new role though. And she's been good about sharing the attention but I think that's one reason she was particularly excited to see Troy tonight."
"He seems really good with her."
Anna smiled. "He is. They were fast friends from the start." She paused before asking, "Do you want children someday?"
Gabriella nodded and smiled.
"Well, it's an adventure but entirely worth it," Anna said with a grin. "Let's go on in to the dining room and see if they've gone swimming with Mila."
Gabriella laughed and moved in that direction, Anna following her and carrying some plates. When they entered the room, they saw the guys sitting at the table with Mila, grinning up at them, obviously proud of themselves. Mila didn't look much worse for wear other than a few wet spots on her dress. The men rose then and offered to carry in more of the food. Zio went with Anna to do so and they waved Troy back, telling him to just relax. Troy looked over at Gabriella standing there holding baby Carina and he sent her a smile that warmed her. Then, he turned as Mila said his name and asked him a question. Was it too crazy to think this could be them one day? Gabriella wondered. As Troy heard the baby start to let out some soft cries and heard Gabriella soothing her, similar thoughts crossed his mind.
When Zio and Anna returned, Zio retrieved Carina from Gabriella's arms and held her in his own as they all sat down to eat. They enjoyed the meal and enjoyed talking some more. Gabriella answered questions and shared more about herself and she got to hear some fun stories about Troy and Zio when they were younger and running around Montalcino.
After dinner, Anna excused herself briefly to nurse the baby and Zio and Gabriella talked while watching and laughing at Troy down on all fours, giving Mila horsey rides.
"So, you and Troy, it's serious, no?"
Gabriella smiled over at him. "Yes. Is that crazy after only three weeks?"
"Eh, well, I fell in love with him after only a day," Zio joked, winking at her, and making her laugh. Then, he said more seriously, "I don't think it's crazy. I think sometimes the heart just knows what it wants."
Gabriella nodded at him, silently agreeing.
"He seems really happy now and we're happy seeing that...but have you thought about what happens when the tour is over?" Zio asked carefully.
Gabriella felt her stomach clench. "Yes and no. I think we've been trying to live in the moment and enjoy our time together but we know that we're on a countdown at this point."
"Do you see this lasting?" The question was asked kindly, honestly.
"I want it to."
Zio studied her thoughtfully. He had had a similar conversation with Troy earlier and had basically heard the same things. "It's understandable. I don't envy you two your situation. It's not an easy one...but, it's not an impossible one either. You two will decide possible versus not possible."
Gabriella looked over at Troy again, laughing and being carefree. It was not pleasant thinking about having to put that aside and considering more daunting things, though she knew it was necessary.
"Gabriella," Zio said, gaining her attention once again. "I think you are good for each other. Just...talk to each other...soon. Figure this out, okay?"
"We will," she said, giving him a small smile. "Thank you."
Anna and Carina returned and Anna pointed out that it was time for Mila to get ready for bed. The little girl unhappily complied, with the promise that Troy and Gabriella might be willing to tell her a bedtime story.
"Maybe you can tell her about the first time you met," Anna suggested.
Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and laughed. "Umm, that might not be the best story," Troy said.
After a moment of thought, Gabriella said, "I have one in mind."
After Anna and Zio had tucked Mila into bed and said their goodnights, they left Troy and Gabriella kneeling on either side of her bed.
"You love horses, right Mila?" Gabriella asked sweetly.
"Yes," the little girl answered enthusiastically.
"Well, Troy and I got to ride all around Rome pulled in a carriage by a beautiful brown horse."
Troy looked over at her with amusement clearly written on his face. She fought the blush that threatened to rise on her cheeks and returned her attention to Mila.
"You did?"
"We did," Troy confirmed.
They went on to tell her about seeing the city and about how nice the horse was, even letting them pet him. Mila seemed pleased hearing of their adventure but soon yawned, worn out from her day.
"Will you come back and visit me again, Garella?" she asked sleepily.
Gabriella felt the tug on her heartstrings as she answered. "I'd like that a lot, Mila."
The little girl seemed pleased with the answer that wasn't entirely an answer, leaning up and planting a kiss on Gabriella's cheek before turning and doing the same with Troy.
"Ti amo, bella Mila," Troy said softly, placing his own light kiss on her forehead as she lay back down and snuggled up further under her covers.
"Buonanotte," Gabriella whispered, kissing her there as well before rising with Troy and exiting the room.
Pulling the door mostly shut, they started to walk back down the hallway. "Interesting story choice there, Montez," Troy teased.
"I wasn't going to tell her the whole story," Gabriella shot back, rolling her eyes.
Grinning, Troy leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Maybe you could tell me the rest of that story later."
Feeling warmed from the inside out, Gabriella nodded, playfully whispering "Maybe" in response.
Looking along the walls, she turned to Troy. "These are all photos you did?" she asked thoughtfully.
Troy nodded.
"And the ones I saw in the other rooms?"
He nodded again.
"They're beautiful, Troy. The way you've captured the amazing family life they have...it's so special. You should be proud of your work."
"Thank you," he said simply, very pleased she liked what she'd seen.
Leaning upward briefly, she placed a light kiss on his lips and then pulled away smiling before walking with him the rest of the way back to his friends.
Back in the living area, the four adults enjoyed some drinks and talked briefly about the Katherine encounter from the day before, among other topics. Troy had his turn holding Carina and she slept peacefully in his arms, causing Anna to comment that Troy would make a great father one day and Zio to proclaim that he and Anna obviously should have used this night as a date night instead of one for entertaining, since they obviously had two great sitters right there. Troy and Gabriella smiled and she made a mental freeze-frame of him sitting there, holding the infant. It stirred hopeful feelings within her that made her question what she would be willing to do to keep him.
When it was finally time to leave, Gabriella was sad to go. She had enjoyed the company of Troy's good friends and had loved seeing him in his element around them. She didn't know if she'd be seeing them again, but she fervently hoped so. They all hugged and kissed goodbye and Troy led Gabriella the few blocks back to the hotel in which they were staying.
"I was right. They totally loved you," he said, squeezing her hand in his.
She smiled softly, enjoying the feel of it and his sweet words. "They're great, Troy. I'm glad you have such great friends."
"So am I. I'm glad you liked them, because they're important to me too."
Gabriella glanced over at him, understanding the "too" in his statement and feeling warmed by it, but also feeling uncertain because she saw the ties he had here to family and friends, ties she also had...over 4,000 miles away.
They walked the rest of the way back to the hotel in thoughtful silence. Once there, they ran into Jen and Jo and hung out with them for a while in the hotel bar, a happy distraction. As they went to sleep that night, Troy sensed the extra quiet that had taken over Gabriella. He also sensed that she didn't want to talk about it just then. He suspected the reason for her mood but he didn't feel like going there just then either. So, instead, he curled up behind her, one hand splayed across her stomach, and buried his head in the scent of her hair as he fell asleep. Gabriella lay awake for much longer, just memorizing the feel of him.
The next day found them heading to Venice after visiting a few more Bologna landmarks. The bus had to be parked just outside of the city and the group had to take vaporetti (water buses) to their hotel. Once checked in, they set out to explore, with Troy first showing them the famed St. Mark's Square with its imposing Basilica and Campanile and adjacent Palazzo Ducale (The Doge's Palace). This took several hours, after which they rested a while as they had lunch. Following lunch, he showed them the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Santa Maria della Salute, the church dedicated to the Virgin Mary to show Venetians' gratitude for helping to see them through the plague, or Black Death.
Late in the afternoon, they found themselves exploring the Rialto Bridge, the oldest pedestrian bridge crossing the Grand Canal. Gabriella was dragging Troy through the various little shops, hoping to find an appropriate gift she could give to his mother for her birthday. Troy had told her the gloves she'd helped him choose earlier in the trip could be from both of them, but she was still hoping to find an additional gift. In one of the jewelry shops, Gabriella had wandered off toward a back corner and asked Troy to see if anything jumped out at him from the front displays.
"Planning to get one of those for our girl?"
Troy turned to see Jennifer standing next to him staring down into the display case at a line of beautiful diamond rings. "It's a little early for that, don't you think?"
"Doesn't matter what I think...matters what you think."
Troy didn't answer her, simply staring at the sparkling jewels below.
"You don't have to put a ring on her finger, Troy...and no, I don't think she's expecting one, but you should think about whether or not you'd want to in the future."
Troy turned his head and his eyes met those of Gabriella's no nonsense friend. "I do think about that."
"Good. Because if you don't see that happening, don't lead her on. And if you do see it in your future, then make sure she stays in your life so you can reach that future."
"Anything else?" Troy asked, one corner of his lips lifting slightly.
Jennifer's pink lips lifted into a small smile in return. "Her ring size is 5...that doesn't seem likely to change in the future."
"Whatever will we do without you?"
"Oh, I wouldn't think of depriving you two of me. I'm not that easy to get rid of," she said with a wink, turning and walking out of the store.
Troy shook his head, smiling after her, and then he returned his attention to the display below him, thinking about what Jennifer had said.
As evening began to settle in over the city, Troy and Gabriella boarded a gondola set only for two. Troy had known Gabriella would want to get in the gondola experience that Venice was known for but figured she might as well get the best of the experience. The more typical experience involved six tourists sharing a boat, oohing and aahing together as their gondolier maneuvered through the congestion of other gondolas. Troy couldn't do too much about the congested aspect of the waterways other than to go when less folks might be willing to pay the higher evening prices and to ask that the gondolier also traveled some of the back canals which were less often used. But he could arrange for the gondola to only hold the two of them plus the gondolier and he could make sure the gondolier had plans to wear the full traditional garb, including the hat that many gondoliers chose not to wear, and that he planned to provide full hospitality in the way of sharing facts about the area and yes, singing too.
So, there they found themselves, out on the Grand Canal and, intermittently, the quieter back canals, being entertained and informed by their jovial gondolier. Looking over at the woman under his arm, Troy could see that she was enjoying the experience a great deal.
"We are now approaching the Bridge of Sighs," the gondolier announced. The bridge is made of white limestone and its windows have stone bars. It was built in 1602 to connect the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. Lord Byron gave it its famous name in the 19th century from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice out the windows before being taken down to their cells."
"That's kind of sad," Gabriella remarked, "but poetic."
"Ah, but Signorina, it is not all sadness surrounding this bridge," the gondolier assured.
"No?" Gabriella asked.
"No. It is also a bridge for lovers, such as yourselves."
Gabriella blushed slightly, her eyes meeting Troy's. "Why is that?"
Troy gave her a half shrug and an innocent smile. He didn't know all of Venice's legends, particularly not those told from the water.
"It is good luck to kiss beneath it at sunset," the gondolier answered, grinning back at them as he swept his arm up and around them to indicate the sun's descent and changing light all around them.
Gabriella laughed. "Of course it is!"
The gondolier turned his head slyly to face forward once more as they began to glide beneath the bridge. Troy and Gabriella smiled at each other before connecting their lips, and, as was generally the case when they kissed, the rest of the world fell away for the duration. Having glided out from under the bridge, they pulled back and smiled at each other once more. Gabriella willed her dreamy bubble not to burst.
Having given them sufficient time, the gondolier spoke up again. "The local legend says that lovers who kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge of Sighs will be granted everlasting love and bliss and will be in love and happily married for the rest of their lives." This information was met with silence and he looked back to see two pairs of rounded eyes staring at each other and then at him. He turned back around again, chuckling to himself. Oh, how he loved this job sometimes.
Returning to their hotel, they dined at its terrace restaurant overlooking the water. They had tried to laugh off the gondolier's bridge legend and enjoy the rest of their water tour. Troy had continued to hold her to him and it was really a rather romantic setting with the bright light of the sun's last rays touching on the water and the gondolier serenading them with Italian love songs. But their minds had drifted toward the future again, something that seemed unstoppable at this point.
"Well, what did you think of your first gondola ride?" Troy asked, hoping to broach the topic.
"It was great, Troy. Thank you. Really beautiful and memorable."
Troy smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Our gondolier was pretty fun."
"Oh, yeah. I think he enjoys his job. He was really entertaining and sweet."
"Mmmhmm...and knowledgeable."
Gabriella gave him a small smile. "Yeah, it's always fun to hear the quirky local tales and legends."
"Do you believe in them?"
"Well, I...they're fun, but I don't know if there's any evidence to make me believe in them."
"Maybe the fact that they withstand the test of time is the evidence or maybe they last because no one wants to shoot them down. Still, they make you wonder...me anyway, but this country has hold of me in that kind of way, so maybe it's just me."
"No, they...can make you wonder."
After eating in silence for a few more moments, Gabriella spoke again. "This country does have a hold of you, Troy. Your family's here and you have good friends and, I think, a job you like. You love Italy and the vineyard and...well, you have a life here."
Troy nodded slowly, not able to deny anything she'd said.
"I think I'm in that life now...here...but...maybe that's all we get. Maybe we get the kiss on the gondola at sunset but maybe not the rest of it."
"Gabriella..."
Gabriella set down her fork and napkin, not feeling particularly hungry. "I think...I'm going to...I think I'd like to be alone," she said, struggling with her words and her emotions as she stood, turned, and walked from the table.
Troy sat there stunned by the turn of the conversation for a moment, before setting his own napkin down and standing, intent on following her. He was momentarily waylaid as Stephanie and her friend, Jasmine, stepped in front of him.
"Baby, she's really not worth it," Stephanie said, placing her hand suggestively on his chest. "Why don't you hang out with us and have some fun again while you have the chance?"
Troy's eyes narrowed in irritation. "She's entirely worth it," he said with conviction, pushing past them and faintly hearing their resulting sounds of disgust and frustration as he made his way toward the elevators. He saw one just closing with Gabriella in it and he bolted into the next open one, pressing forcefully on the button for their floor. Once there, he ran down the hall and stopped her just as she was pushing the door to her room closed.
"Troy?" she exclaimed, taken by surprise at his sudden appearance.
"There you go with your whole walking away from me thing again, Montez," he said, sliding into the room past her and shutting the door himself.
Gabriella just stared at him for a moment. "Because I needed time alone," she reiterated.
"So you could talk yourself out of us?" Troy shot back.
Gabriella started to shake her head but stopped; she couldn't deny that that was where her mind was leading her.
"Well, I can't let you do that, babe," Troy said, his voice husky, as he moved closer to her.
"Troy, stop," Gabriella protested, backing up and running into the solid wall of the room's entryway. "You can't just kiss me and make it all better."
"And you can't just give up on me because what some gondolier said scared you," Troy argued back, his body pressing hers further into the wall as he muffled any response by kissing her.
As his mouth covered hers, effectively halting her response, her initial reaction was to try to push him away. He was using his own allure against her and that wasn't fair and he wasn't helping her to be logical and sensible about their situation at all.
Troy was half-amused and half-hurt that she was fighting him. But he knew she was letting her head pull her away from him and that was something he just couldn't let happen, so he needed to get her out of her head for a minute. That was really all he'd intended. But the more she fought, the more he fought to overwhelm her senses.
Damn him and his insistent tongue and his hard body pressed against her! Why couldn't he have just let her have time to herself? It was impossible to think of giving him up when he was kissing her like this.
He felt her body and her mouth finally yield to him and it spurred him on further. He poured himself into the kiss. This woman meant the world to him and she had to know that. And, he was not at all inclined to let her go.
Soon, Gabriella found her own tongue meeting his stroke for stroke and her traitorous hands were now trying to pull him even closer to her. She needed him now and she didn't care about the rest.
As her small hands started to tug upward on his shirt, he pulled back just long enough for her to tug it up over his head and toss it away. Then, his lips were on hers again, not giving her time to change her mind. She moaned into the kiss as his hands captured her breasts and then slid down over her thighs.
She slid her hands around his waist and down over his ass, one hand dropping into his pocket and retrieving his wallet. She used both hands to find what she needed within and then tossed it aside, next making quick work of his belt as she felt his fingers trailing her underwear down her legs. Having pulled his zipper down, she had to stop her own actions and just cling to him to keep herself upright as his fingers found her wetness and pushed her arousal further. "Troy," she urged breathlessly, returning to her prior actions and pushing his pants and boxers down.
Troy didn't need a written invitation. He backed up enough to pull her dress up over her head and waited as she rolled the condom she had retrieved onto him before pressing her back into the wall and lifting her thighs up so that she could wrap them around him. Holding her desire-filled eyes with his own, he plunged into her in one long stroke, the sensation of the movement making them both cry out.
"I'm in this, Gabriella," Troy said, his voice raw as he pulled back and thrust into her again.
Gabriella's mouth parted but all that came out was unintelligible sound as Troy pushed into her depths again.
"I'm in you," he continued, stopping and placing his hand over her heart and staring intensely into her eyes.
"And you're in me," he said, placing one of her hands against his swiftly pounding heart.
Gabriella choked on a sob that came from somewhere deep within her as she felt the intensity and truth within his words.
"And you don't get to push me away...not if I have anything to say about it."
Troy's hand came back down to support her weight and his mouth came down to cover hers. His kiss and his body told her he meant what he said. She clung to him, felt the delicious friction of their bodies, took all that he was giving her. She gave herself over to it, crying out with both pleasure and anguish.
Troy gave of himself to the point of exhaustion and as he rocked into her one final time, he buried his head in her neck and grunted as his release shook his body and hers with it. He stayed like that for several moments after, feeling his racing heartbeats mingling with her own, his foggy mind trying to distinguish his ragged breaths from hers. When he lifted his head and looked upon her face once more, he saw her eyes slowly open to meet his and he saw the few tear stains on her flushed cheeks. He lowered her gently to the ground once more, slipping from her body, and then he brought a hand up, gently wiping at the tear marks with his thumb before leaning in and placing his lips softly against those same spots.
Gabriella fought the tears from coming again but her pent up fears and sadness were getting the best of her. She felt Troy's breathing hitch as he sensed a few new tears falling. And then he proceeded to kiss those away too, before pulling back and staring into her eyes with concern. She tried to offer him a small smile and, after fully stepping out of his pants and shoes and discarding the condom hastily, he tugged her gently toward the bed where they lay down and he held her to him.
"I'm sorry, Gabriella, if I hurt you," he whispered hoarsely.
She shook her head. "You didn't. Really, quite the opposite."
Troy pulled his head back and studied her for a few moments. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Troy was silent for another moment. "We should talk."
Gabriella nodded, her eyes holding his.
With those dark, shiny pools staring back at him, Troy couldn't resist bringing his lips back to hers for an unhurried tender kiss. She melted into it and he found himself just holding her and kissing her for an unknown amount of time. They would talk. He would insist on it. But he found that they also communicated much to each other without the use of words. And he didn't want to forsake one minute of this type of communication either, especially if he might have to live without it for a time.
A while later, they found themselves showered, in night clothes, and sitting on the bed together eating food Troy had ordered from room service since neither of them had exactly finished their dinner earlier.
"What you said earlier," Troy began, "is true. I do have a life that is currently here but you are in that life now. And I'd like to keep it that way. I don't know what that means, but...I don't want to lose you, Gabriella."
Gabriella looked at him lovingly. "I don't want to lose you, either."
A smile curved Troy's lips. "Well, that's settled then."
"Troy..."
"Okay, I know, I know, it isn't simple, but deciding we want to make it work...well, that part seems settled, right?"
"Yes...but how do we make it work?"
Both fell silent for several moments, leaving Gabriella's question hanging in the air.
"Do you have to leave next weekend?"
"I...it's all booked and nonrefundable and my editor, Nancy, is expecting me. And Shar is expecting me too. Her wedding is in a month and I'm her maid of honor."
"Okay...so the answer is kind of yes," Troy surmised.
"Yeah," Gabriella confirmed quietly.
"I start teaching a workshop in Florence in two weeks and I'm shooting a wedding in Rome in three."
"When do you start teaching at the college again?"
"In two months."
Gabriella sat staring down at the fork she was twirling slowly through her pasta. She mentally saw herself flipping through her calendar pages back in her apartment, trying to find one that would be the next month she'd get to be with him.
"Hey," Troy said softly, waiting until she lifted her eyes to look at him again. "I know it stinks that we both have these other responsibilities right now, but will you do the long distance thing with me? Not forever, I mean, but enough for us to see where this leads and figure things out more?"
Gabriella looked into those hopeful blue eyes, loving eyes. She didn't want to lose him and she didn't have a better solution right now. At least what he was saying to her was that he wanted to figure things out and that he wanted this to work. It just might take some time and unfortunate separation. "Yes," she responded. How could her answer be anything else?
Troy's face lit up with a smile and he set his food down hastily, leaning toward her, his intention clear.
"Troy...the food," Gabriella cautioned.
"Well, then don't get too excited and knock it over, Montez," he teased her with a devilish grin before pulling her face to his and kissing her happily.
Gabriella giggled as he pulled away. "Besides, that's twice today I have chosen you over food. You should be happy," he teased further, wiggling his eyebrows up and down at her. This just made Gabriella laugh again, a delightful sound to Troy's ears. He didn't want it to be all doom and gloom between them. He didn't like thinking about being separated from her anymore than she did, but there'd be time for sadness. Right now, he wanted their happiness to continue. Grinning, he sat back once more and resumed eating his food and, eyeing him with her own grin, Gabriella did the same.
Later, as they lay in the dark room, curled up against one another, Troy spoke softly against her ear. "Remember Collodi and Villa Garzoni?" he asked.
"Yes, of course."
"Well, you know we have the luck from the maze there too."
Gabriella smiled. "I should have let you drag me off into the woods then."
Troy chuckled. "Yes, you should have but you're distracting me from my point."
"Which is?"
"I believe in that stuff. I think we can work together and accomplish anything, be it a maze or some miles between us."
Gabriella swallowed, taking this in.
"And I think there are a lot more sunsets in our future too," Troy continued.
"So, you think this relationship will work based on the wisdom of a love gardener and a gondolier?" Gabriella asked, attempting to keep her voice light and humored.
Troy squeezed her middle playfully for a moment and placed a kiss against her neck. "Yes...and based on how we feel about each other and how this feels between us," he said quietly but confidently, running his fingers up and down her arm comfortingly.
Gabriella smiled into the darkness. "Well, that...sounds very wise to me," she whispered, turning her head so that she could feel his lips against hers once more before they went to sleep.