Author's Note: I've been grounded for almost getting hit by a car; my mom limited my computer time to one hour a day. (sniffles) R&R!
Two long years had passed since Troy's un-wedding to Kayla. Mr. Bolton died just shortly after he had made up with his son. Mrs. Bolton now lives with her single younger sister. Mr. Bolton's business partner is also dead. Troy was miraculously able to pay off all of his father's debt. The company grew weaker, and was later bought by a larger one—Brown Industries & Co. Troy's company makes quality furniture.
Gabriella has learned to forget about Troy and was determined that she wasn't going to make her life one big soap opera. Putting her microbiologist dreams on hold, she works as a part-time secretary for her smart and handsome new boyfriend, Derek Brown. She is genuinely happy with their relationship—Derek seems like the perfect guy. He gets along well with all of her friends (well, except for Troy… she hasn't heard from him since the horrible last phone call); he knows exactly how to treat her, no matter how she was feeling that particular day; he was very intelligent and graduated college as a magna cum laude; plus… he was hot as heck (even though she only thought these thoughts in the comfort of her own mind). Ah, yes. She'd never forget that fateful day when she'd spilled her iced coffee on him in Barnes & Noble. Life was good.
---
Troy stood on the city sidewalk and kept on checking his pocket to see if his design was still there. Few things were worse than getting your boss to hate you; you don't burn the hand that signs your paycheck. Troy scolded himself for being so worried. Derek was a cool guy—probably about his age. He didn't have anything to worry about.
---
"Hey, Derek," Gabriella smiled. There were definitely perks to being in love with your boss. Not in that gross, Donald-Trump way, though.
"Hey, Gabbie," Derek returned. Gabriella always appreciated how Derek never called her "babe," "hot," "chick," or "sexy," etc. Both of them agreed that those terms sounded disrespectful and made them feel as if the attraction the person felt was merely physical and nothing more. "Made you some iced coffee… well, I didn't make it, but I bought it…" he sputtered.
"Awww! Thanks." Gabriella took the cup after kissing him quickly on the cheek. "This is the kind I spilled on you in Barnes & Noble… oh my word! It's our monthaversary!" (A/N: "oh my word" is from Nicole, I think… and "monthaversary" is from Life with Derek, but that's not where I got her boyfriend's name.)
"Yep…" Derek smiled shyly. "I was wondering… if we could celebrate…tonight? And maybe afterwards, if you really wanted to, we could go to Barnes & Noble?"
Gabriella laughed. "Sounds great."
"Pick you up at seven?"
"Perfect."
---
"Mary Jane?" Troy asked the red-headed fill-in secretary. "I have an appointment with Mr. Brown?"
Mary Jane nodded. "His office is just down that hall… oh, and good luck, Troy."
"Thanks," Troy smiled gratefully before following her instructions.
---
"Well, I gotta go, Derek… poor Mary Jane's been filling in for me every morning," Gabriella confessed apologetically.
"It's fine. I have a meeting to run off to, anyway. If there are any packages, drop them off in my office." Derek gave Gabriella a soft kiss before they parted ways.
-
"I'm so sorry, MJ," Gabriella said to the slightly older girl.
"It's OK," Mary Jane smiled understandingly. "I know what it's like when you're in love. You lose all track of time." She got up from the chair and made her way to her own cubicle.
"Uh… yeah. Exactly." Gabriella felt a little confused. How did one lose track of time, simply because of love? She hadn't felt that way in a long time. She hadn't felt that way since… Troy. Shrug it off, Gabbie. He's married already. Too late to go back, now. Besides… Derek's great. Everything you wanted in a guy since you were like… six.
---
Derek stepped into his office, finding Troy patiently waiting in a chair opposite his.
Troy stood up politely to greet his boss. "Hi, Mr. Brown."
"Call me Derek. I'm just twenty-five."
"Really? Cool. So am I." Troy felt a little more at ease, and sat down.
"So… you said you have a great new design? May I see it?" Derek settled into his black leather office chair, behind his mahogany desk. "Your email implied something like that."
"Yes…" Troy fished the folded-up piece of paper out of his pocket. He unfolded it, smoothing out the wrinkles. All of his fingers felt like thumbs and he dropped it. He bent down to pick it up, bumping Derek's desk and sending a wooden picture frame falling towards his head. Ow. He rubbed the spot on the back of his head where the picture frame had hit him before picking up the frame and the paper. "Sorry." He set the frame back on Derek's desk, the photo side facing away from him, without looking to see who was in the picture.
Derek looked at Gabriella's smiling face and couldn't help but smile himself. "No, no, it's okay. Nothing was damaged."
Troy slid the paper to Derek across the desk. "This set of legs supports this part, making this chair more long-lasting than any other one on the market."
Derek scanned the drawings carefully. "This is really… ingenious. If you don't mind… could I get everyone started on it right now? That way, it could be available by mid-summer."
"That sounds great," Troy nodded.
---
"Etta? What's this?...oh, a package? OK, thanks." Gabriella put up an "away" sign and headed down the hall towards Derek's office. She knocked on the door. "Package."
---
"Come in," Derek called, feeling the smile already on his face grow. A woman with dark brown curls walked into the room, obviously happy to see Derek, too.
"Here's your package, sweetie," she giggled a little before kissing him on the cheek.
Troy gaped. Ouch.
"Gabriella, I'd like you to meet Troy Bolton, our star furniture designer."
Gabriella snorted, folding her arms across her chest as she turned around slowly… it couldn't be.
"Troy, meet the love of my life, Gabriella Montez."
A/N: I was seriously thinking of tormenting you guys by not having them meet but simply miss each other for at least two more chapters. Should I? Dun dun dunnnn...
♥♥♥ --- Christa (aka Dolce Viva La Glam)
