CHAPTER 13
"Aww honey, you could have gone with Troy, I wouldn't have minded" Karen said, seeing the sadness in Gabi's eyes as she prepped the turkey later in the morning.
"I would have minded. Kaz, hoes over bros remember?" she quipped and Karen giggled
"I remember. Gabi, I love you, girl" she smiled over her shoulder
"I love you too" Gabi returned
"But we should still go get your man" she said with a look "I can't sit here all day looking at that sad face"
"We can't, we have dinner to do…" she protested
"Take my car" she said
"No, Karen, I can't, this is our Christmas remember?"
"You can. My keys are by the door. And believe me, I'm not about to complain at that hunk of man-totty cluttering up my living room" she quipped with a grin
Gabi smiled, secretly excited at her suggestion "Okay I'm gonna go get him" she said, beaming from ear to ear "Are you sure you don't mind doing dinner alone?" she checked
"Go already!" she chuckled.
--
In the Bolton household, it was plain to both Jack and Linda that Troy was there in person but not in spirit.
"Troy, why don't you just go on over and see Gabi?" his mom asked
"Mmm?" he asked, pulled out of his daydream "Oh, sorry, I just wish we could have shared today that's all. I didn't mean to be sad" he said
"Troy, we can both see you are head over heels in love. Go and be with your girlfriend" she urged.
He cocked his head "Are you sure mom?" he asked and she nodded, his dad doing the same
Troy smiled "Okay, thank you. I'll come back later" he promised as he headed out of the house
He was happily driving down the road, singing along to Christmas songs on the radio when his car made a funny spluttering noise and the engine died.
He looked at his dashboard, checking he had fuel. The gauge read empty but the light wasn't on to warn him it was low before it had run dry.
He hit the steering wheel with both hands "Damn!" he swore.
He sat for a few minutes, wondering what he should do, and then deciding he wasn't that far away and it would be easier to walk than try and get a cab on Christmas day.
He grabbed his present, got out and began walking, flicking up his collar against the cold air. About ten minutes down the road it started raining and Troy stopped, flicking his eyes up to the heavens with a brow lift. "Thanks, dude" he said to no-one in particular and carried on walking as the rain penetrated his light clothes and he tried to keep the present dry.
----
Gabi was driving down the road with her wipers going full whack when she swore she could see a lone figure trekking up the road, a lone figure that looked suspiciously like Troy.
She pulled over after she passed him, recognizing his hair anywhere. She got out the car and shouted to him "Troy!" she called and he turned to face her, surprised.
He grinned and she ran toward him, despite the rain and hugged him as she reached him.
"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously as she took in his soaking wet body.
"Coming to see you" he said as though that were obvious
"You walked in the rain?" she asked
"Only from my car about a mile back. It died" he explained
"Oh my god, you are just the cutest…" she said, touched
"What about you? Where were you driving at this time? Forgot the stuffing?" he asked
"I was coming for you, doofus" she said stroking his dripping wet hair
His eyes lit up as he smiled "I love you" he said, kissing her with cold wet lips
"Get in the car, I'll drive you back to Karen's" she nodded toward the car and he linked hands with her as they ran back over to the car.
----
Gabi rubbed Troy's hair with a towel in Karen's bathroom, smiling at his boxer clad form.
His hands went to her hips as she stood between his thighs and he grinned at her from under the towel. "Thank you" he said
"I'll see if I have any clothes for you" she said, leaving and coming back a few minutes later with a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt of his that she had stolen from his collection.
"Do I have to get dressed?" he asked, pulling her into him
"You do" she said lightly, not immune to his semi-naked body
"Are you sure?" he checked as she stroked her hands down his chest
She sighed, wrenching herself away "I'm sure. It's a bit rude for us to make out while Karen slaves away" she pointed out and Troy nodded
"Okay, let's go cook us a turkey!" he said enthusiastically
---
Stuffed with food, Troy and Gabi sat in the arm chair, Gabi in Troy's lap as Karen reached across under the tree to pull out a package.
"Presents!" Karen said as she began handing them out.
Gabi opened Karen's present to her and was shocked to see she had bought her a cell phone. "Karen! Oh my god…how did you…?" she was speechless, jumping out of Troy's lap and hugging her
"I know how much you two wanted to be in touch when Troy's busy or you're busy" she said
"Thank you so much" Gabi beamed, then gave Karen her present which was a pair of heeled sequined ankle boots, just like Madonna's in 'Desperately seeking Susan"
"Oh my god. Oh my fucking god" she screamed as she pulled them out, putting them straight on and parading up and down in them.
"Here's Troy's present to you" she said handing his gift to Gabi and she nervously opened it, finding a brand new pair of dance plimsolls inside, which touched her as he obviously remembered hers were worn through from the audition she did with him.
Then she saw the box inside the plimsolls and looked at him in awe.
"What's this?" she asked
"Open it" he said as she shifted on his lap, doing insane things to his groin
She peeled it open, finding the tiny white gold bracelet and fingering the bunny charm, her eyes wide with awe, tearing up with emotion.
"Oh my god, Troy, that is so beautiful, thank you. And thank you for my plimsolls" she smiled, touching her forehead to his.
"Okay I am stuffed, I'm going to go and have a nap before the films come on later." Karen said
"Oh Karen, no" Gabi said, worried she was leaving because of Troy.
"It's okay honey, you two have fun, I'll be up later" she assured her and Gabi looked at Troy, getting up to get his present from under the tree.
"Happy Christmas" she said and waited for him to open it and he pulled out the gold chain bracelet she had been looking at the day she got kidnapped.
He opened the parcel and took the chain out, smiling at her with a cute grin "It's amazing Gabi, thank you. I'll wear it all the time" he vouched
"Are you sure you like it?" she worried
He kissed her "I love it" he assured her, putting it on and she touched it on his wrist
"I'm glad; I saw it ages ago and thought of you"
"I have your other present" he said, pulling it out of his pocket
It was shaped like a CD and Gabi frowned, opening it to find a copy of Troy's CD single. She smiled at the black and white picture of him. He looked gorgeous. The title of the song was 'Tonight' and she knew it was the song he had sung to her the night of the awards.
She looked to him, shocked "You're releasing it?" she asked
He nodded "That's why I've been so busy working: to get the vocals down, to get the artwork approved, get the CD printed…" he explained
"Oh my god, Troy, this makes my bracelet look pathetic" she cried
"Hey…everywhere I go I have you with me" he said, his arms squeezing her around the waist
"This is amazing" she said, stunned "Can I play it?" she asked and he nodded
"Dance with me?" she asked as the song began and she pulled him up from the chair where he took her into his arms, hands resting on her backside as she slipped her hands around his neck.
He sang along softly to the song, his mouth near her ear as he did so and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, curling her head into his chest.
Troy's arms were tight around her waist as she murmured appreciatively into his chest.
He smiled against her hair, feeling like he was home when she was in his arms.
He pulled back as the song ended and kissed her on the lips, eyeing her expectantly as he caught his lower lip in his teeth.
Gabi pursed her mouth "Look I didn't want to say anything earlier but I have my period and I don't really want to…you know" she said shyly
Troy smiled, stroking her face "Okay, babe" he husked, sitting down on the sofa and pulling her into his lap so he could cuddle her into his chest and Gabi curled into him
"Merry Christmas, bunny" she said softly, leaning up to kiss him.
"Merry Christmas, princess" he returned as she settled back against him, the pair falling asleep gently together.