"Do you think he'll like you mom's homemade salsa?" Taylor said as she picked up her dipped chip.
"Who cares? I just want him to get here already." Sharpay said as she looked at her watch.
Gabriella let out a low laugh as she put her glass down. "You guys act like he's coming to see you." She said as she sat up straighter.
"Well we're all just a little excited." Maria said as she continued to chop up green peppers.
"All except me I just want these damn cameras out of my house." Daniel said as he walked in from the back yard. "If they even think I'm going to let them drill holes in my wall-" Gabriella's father was cut off by a knock at the door.
"Oh my god." Christina said as she put her son on the floor.
"That has to be him." Amanda said fixing her hair.
"You are aware that you're married and pregnant with my child?" Max said as he looked at his wife with questioning eyes. "I thought this was your sister's boyfriend?"
"I'm married and pregnant not dead." She said with a huff.
"And if someone doesn't get the door there isn't going to be a boyfriend." John said looking Towards Gabriella.
"Crap." She said muttered getting up from her seat and mumbling at her own stupidity.
There was another knock and Gabriella quickly ran for the door. "Coming." She said pausing in the mirror to check her appearance and then racing to the door. As soon as she opened it she looked out into the Blue eyes that seemed to haunt her dreams for days.
"Hello tenderfoot." He said with a smirk on his lips.
Gabriella felt her knees go week as she leaned on the door for support. "Hello Mr. Bolton."
"Oh dear god don't tell me I'm back there again?" he said looking at her with a wide set of blue eyes.
"Only if you keep calling me tenderfoot." She said biting her bottom lip it had been to long since she'd tasted his lips and longer since she had touched him.
His hair hung over his eyes just a bit and his face was clean shaven. His eyes looked just as happy to see her as she was happy to see him. His light blue button up shirt did wonders for him and she could just barely make out every muscle in the creases of his arms. In that moment Gabriella realized he had said something. Holding out his arm to her Gabriella's smile grew wider as she noticed the single red rose in his hands. "It's not enchanted but I figured it'd still make you blush." He said with charming smirk. Oh he was good.
"T-Thank you." She said taking it from him.
"You're welcome" he said slipping his hand in his pocket. Gabriella looked down at the rose; no man had ever brought her flowers before. David had always told her it was a waste of money for something that was only going to live a few more days.
"So." Troy said after a moment of silence. "This is a ..um… a very nice doorway."
Idiot "Oh god. Come in, come in. I'm so sorry." She said holding a hand to her head. She probably looked like an idiot.
Troy chuckled and then walked past her with a smile. "No problem." He said running a hand through his hair and looking around at his surroundings.
Gabriella closed the door and locked it before turning around to see him standing there staring at her with his blue eyes filled with desire. Leaning on the close door she pointed towards the kitchen.
"Everyone is in there." She said in a low voice.
Troy nodded and winked at Gabriella. "You look nice." He said looking at her black v neck shirt and tight jeans.
Gabriella felt a heat flush in her cheeks and she nodded. "Thank you."
"Are you shy?" he asked her tilting his head to the left and looking at her with an odd expression.
"No." she said taking a deep breath and walking towards the kitchen.
Troy chuckled in a low raspy way and Gabriella closed her eyes as she walked past him.
"Cute." He said grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her back. Once she was against his chest Gabriella felt his heart beat beneath her palms. She was seriously in trouble if she couldn't be around him and not turn into a shy school girl. He'd touched her in ways that not only gave her pleasure but made her skin burn. "Your sweet." He said looking down into her eyes. "I like that."
Gabriella gulped as she looked up at the man who right know could have told her to jump around in a circle and she just might have done. A grown up woman should never fall this easily or loose so much of her control.
Troy placed a chaste kiss on her lips and then slowly released her. As they made their way into the kitchen Troy grabbed her hand and held it at his side.
Gabriella smiled and she felt at ease as she entered the Kitchen with Troy by her side. "Mom, Dad." she said walking in and looking at the elderly couple. "This is Troy."
Maria smiled and walked over to give him a hug. Her father on the other hand didn't move he stood in his seat drinking his coffee. "Welcome to our mi Niño." She said with care.
Troy looked at Gabriella oddly. "What does that mean?"
"My boy." Gabriella whispered.
"I'm sorry I forget to turn it off sometimes." She said looking at him with a motherly smile.
"This is Sharpay, Taylor, My sisters Amanda and her husband Max and Christina and her husband John."
Troy waved to everyone who waved back. "It's Nice to meet you all."
"Just wait till Sunday when you practically run for the door." Sharpay said with a smirk.
Amanda walked forward and looked at Troy face with a curious eye. "Wow your eyes are really blue." She said looking back at Gabriella. "I hope my nephew or niece gets those." She said with a smile.
Gabriella looked at her wide eyed.
"You do want kids don't you Troy?"
"Yes." He said looking at the pregnant lady before him with a smile.
"I may be pregnant. But I move fast." She said looking at him and taking a step closer. "You hurt her I'll Loretta Bobbitt your ass and I won't be nice enough to leave it behind, I'll bronze that shit like a trophy and put on the mantle."
Troy gulped and looked at Amanda with a new found fear.
"other than that where cool." She said and patted his shoulder.
Gabriella who was mortified looked at her mother and Christina.
"Well you must try our mother homemade salsa." Christina said with a smile as she took Taylors pre-dipped chip.
"Thank you." He said with a small smile and then he took a bite. The room was silent as he chewed and Gabriella was nervous as she waited for someone else to make a fool of them self.
"It's good." He said with a smile as he reached for another. "Nice use of tomato and peppers to keep it moist yet spicy." He said dipping another chip. "Most people either down it in the tomato or really set a taste bud fire with peppers." He said with a smile.
"Gracias." Gabriella's mother said as she smiled approvingly at Gabriella. "A man who can cook is a treasure."
"I work in my father's restaurant." He said with a smile. "I've been around cooking since I was a baby."
"What kind of food do you cook?" Daniel asked lifting his coffee cup.
"Italian and a bunch of other things I really love all sorts of food." He said with a smile. "I find it rewarding to not only use lots of color and flavor but to be able to dip into different cultures and really make the experience rewarding."
"What kind of deserts do you know?" Taylor said with a smile.
"My friend Zeke he cooks all sorts of deserts and I've been leaning into that field so I could get an idea." He said with grinning at her.
"Are all your friends single?" Sharpay said with a grin.
"Yes." Troy chuckled. "Although if we're talking about Chad? it depends what night of the week."
"Every group will have a dog." Taylor frowned as she reached for another chip.
"So Troy tell us why you like our Gabi?" she said leaning forward on the counter.
Max and John rolled their eyes. "Dude want to go play basket ball out back?" Max asked John.
"God yes." He said.
"Troy, you want to play man?" John asked. "I can't promise you'll live if you stay in here." He said with a smirk.
"Funny." Christina said with a smile.
"Yeah that'd be cool." He said with a smile. "You would not believe the hell I've been through for playing basket ball and not football or something." He said walking towards John.
"Dude you don't know the right people." Max said as he came opened the back door.
"I'm going to go watch television." Daniel said getting up from his chair. "Now that you're here maybe I can watch TV at seven in peace." He said as he made his way to the living room.
Troy smiled nervously and followed the men out back.
Gabriella was standing in the kitchen and as soon as they were gone Sharpay, Taylor, Christina and a pregnant Amanda sprang up and danced around the room laughing as Gabriella let out a deep breath.
"He's amazing." Christina said with a smile.
"He smells like old spice." Taylor squealed.
"Did you see his muscles?" Sharpay clapped.
"Those eyes are to die for." Amanda sighed.
Gabriella came to stand by her mother and leaned on her shoulder. Maria smiled and wrapped an arm around her daughter. "Mi Bonita" she said placing a kiss on her forehead. "He's prefect for you." She said.
"Thanks mom." Gabriella said letting out a breath as she watched the other talk about Troy.