Wow. So it's been a month since the last update... Sorry about that, guys - I just haven't been well. Anyway, here is chapter sixteen for you :)
It's Friday, and I'm sat on the bus thinking about the salmon I don't want for dinner tonight. Then my phone rings. It's my parents' house number.
"Hi, Mum," I answer reluctantly. If I'm seeing her tonight, I can't just keep avoiding her calls.
"Gabriella, it's your father," is the unexpected reply.
Oh. Oh God. What's happened?
"Dad...hi."
"I'd like to talk to you about Troy," he says in a serious tone.
"Okay..." So my father's just been told his new Deputy is planning to betray him, but he calls me up to talk about Troy?
"He and Frank have been to see me about their suspicions over Tim, and I'm not entirely convinced about Troy's side of the story."
I'm almost lost for words. Almost. "What! Why would you say that, Dad?"
"Tim is a very reliable employee, I've never had any reason not to trust him. I know Troy has ambitions to grow in the architect business, so it might be that he's trying to frame Tim..."
"No!" I yell out, then look around me self-consciously when I remember where I am. "That's not true. I was with him when we found the contract, and it was in Tim's office..."
"...and surprisingly easy to find? Exactly – my guess is, it was planted there," my father suggests.
"That's ridiculous, Dad. I know this man's taking you all for a ride. And even if that contract was planted; it's nothing to do with Troy."
His voice is stern now. "I'm not having an argument with you over the phone, Gabriella. I'll see you at dinner tonight."
"You mean it's still on? Even after what you just..."
Oh. He's hung up. What the hell is going on?
Great; this is my stop. The last thing on earth I feel like doing right now is going to work...
.HSM.
"Gabi, d'you want a cup of tea while you're waiting for Mrs Hughes' hair to dry?"
"Hmm?" I can hear Dani's voice, but I'm not registering what she's asking me.
"I said, do you want a cup of tea?" she repeats patiently.
"Oh, er, yes please."
She flicks the kettle on and turns around to face me again. "Alright, what's wrong?"
"Where do I start? I'm taking Troy to my parents' for dinner tonight, even though my Dad suddenly doesn't like or trust him anymore...oh, and some total arsehole is trying to take over the business!"
Her mouth drops open, but before I can say anything else, I hear Mrs Hughes calling me about the dryer being too hot.
"And all I was really dwelling on when I woke up this morning was stomaching the salmon I have to eat tonight..." I add over my shoulder as I walk out of the back room.
.HSM.
I never did get a chance to explain my list of multiple dilemmas to Dani today. Maybe she can lend out some advice tomorrow, after I've got through whatever it is that's in store for me tonight...
I've just got back from work, and I'm heading to Troy's flat. I'm guessing he has no idea about Dad's suspicions yet, because he's been working on the buses all afternoon.
I, however, have been stressing out about it all day.
I'm knocking on the door now, and admittedly I probably need to calm down. Just try telling my brain that though.
"Whoa whoa, hey what's going on? Are you alright?" he says as he opens the door.
"Have you spoken to my father today?" I ask, breathless from running up the stairs in my haste.
"Er, no. Why, should I have done?"
"I do believe he's going to eat you alive at dinner tonight," I tell Troy as calmly as I can manage as he lets me in.
"Oh," he replies calmly. "Double-checking I'm suitable enough to date his daughter, I take it?"
"That would be a doddle compared to what he's actually got in mind," I shake my head at him. He looks confused again.
"Gabi, what's going on?"
"He doesn't believe Tim's guilty of any wrongdoing...he thinks you've framed him," I explain, still in disbelief.
Troy's face looks exactly how I imagine mine looked this morning on the bus. Shell-shocked.
"Wha...but I didn't!" are the only words he can manage.
For some bizarre reason, I end up smiling at him. It's the look of vulnerability etched all over his face. "I know that, Troy," I assure him.
"But your Dad doesn't..." he clarifies, looking almost pained by that knowledge. It is then that I realise that Troy really idolises my father.
How can Dad not see that for himself?
"We'll prove him wrong," I announce firmly, standing up.
"How are we going to do that?" he asks. "And how can I still be invited to dinner in this situation?"
"I have no idea whatsoever. About either question, to be honest. But I'm not going to let this happen, Troy."
He stands up to reach me and squeezes my hand. "Well then, we'd better get going," he says with a small smile.
"Okay – I just need to go back to mine and change," I reply, and we leave his flat quickly.
I'm really not in the mood to get dolled up for this dinner; but I can't show up for it in these work clothes.
Although I suppose that would make for some kind of statement in protest...
.HSM.
Cannot believe it, but I am actually sat in the car wearing another posh dress with stockings. It's like I'm automatically programmed to dress like this when visiting my parents.
"You look great, Gabi," Troy tells me as I fiddle self-consciously with my dress.
I send him a half-smile, even though he's busy concentrating on the road. "Well at least that's something, because I feel full of dread..."
His head turns for just a second, just enough time to catch my eye. "Hey, it'll be okay...somehow."
When he pulls up at the house, I see that my mother has already opened the door. This time there is no smile on her face.
"Oh God..."
"Come on, we can do this." Troy helps me out of the car and drapes an arm around my shoulder as we walk up the path.
"Hi Mum," I say brightly as we reach her. She nods a greeting without saying a word, then moves out of the way to let us both inside. Then I almost jump a foot in the air when I find my Dad waiting for us in the middle of the hallway.
"Dad," is all I can think of to say.
"Troy, Gabriella, come and sit down for a moment, please," he says calmly.
We follow him into the lounge and sit on the sofa side by side. Mum is suddenly nowhere to be seen, and Dad takes a seat opposite us in his usual chair.
The tension here is killing me.
"Now I know this is outside of work hours and in any case, we're not at the office. But I think we can make an exception to deal with this here and now. Especially because you are not just my employee, but also my daughter's boyfriend."
As he speaks, my father's face becomes more and more drained, as though it is exhausting him to say all this. He must really believe that Troy is guilty, otherwise he wouldn't be doing this.
"Troy, I'm going to ask you this only once, and I want an honest answer."
"Yes, sir," Troy nods solemnly. You'd think this actually was their office, the way they're both carrying on here.
"Did you plant the contract in Tim's office?"
"No, I did not. You have my word," he answers without any flicker of hesitation on his features.
My father spends about a minute in silence, considering this.
"I asked Tim point blank about that document, and he said exactly the same thing you did. Tell me, Troy; whose word should I believe?"
Troy doesn't answer straight away; just keeps his gaze fixed on his boss's face. I'm sitting here transfixed, willing the truth to dawn on my Dad.
"I can't make your mind up for you, sir. All I can do is tell you that I mean what I say."
If I were in his shoes, I'd be badmouthing Vile Tim something rotten. But it occurs to me that Troy is much more gracious than I could ever be.
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow morning in my office, Troy. Nine O' Clock sharp."
Clearly taking that as his cue to leave, Troy nods, then stands up. Without even looking at my father, I get up from my own seat.
"Where are you going, Gabriella?" asks my Dad. I turn around behind Troy, halfway to the door.
"I'm going home, Dad. I don't know why you let us come all this way for that five minute conversation," I reply shortly.
"You are here for dinner, Gabi. I kept to Troy's invitation in order to hear his side of the story."
I can't believe this. "And now you're just going to send him all the way home again?" I ask incredulously.
My father sighs. "Gabriella..."
"No Dad, please just stop. If he has to go, then I'm going too."
He shakes his head, looking even more uncomfortable than he was at the start of this whole exchange. "Then it looks like you've left me no choice. I was trying to go about this delicately, but perhaps you ought to know everything."
I look over at Troy, who looks just as puzzled as I do. Then I turn back to my Dad. "What does that mean?"
"It means that earlier today, I was informed by a solicitor – who happens to be an old friend of mine – that he'd been contacted by one of my employees about taking over the reigns of my company. I've been given a copy of an email that proves the identity of that employee to be Troy."
Okay. I need to sit down before my legs give way.
I drag myself back over to my original chair and almost fall down into it. I want to ask what the hell is going on, but nothing's coming out of my mouth.
Troy's face is as white as a sheet now. He looks like he has a million and one things he wants to say; but like me, no sound will come out.
And then he finds his voice again. "Sir, I don't know what on earth is going on and how I've been implicated, but I have been nowhere near a solicitor and I certainly haven't sent an email to one."
Dad holds up one hand. "Enough. I gave you a chance to tell me the truth tonight, and you have chosen not to do so. We will finish this conversation in the morning."
I want to spring to Troy's defence again; but something is stopping me.
Is it possible that in the two weeks that I've known him, I've fallen so deep that I've been blind to everything else?
I look in his direction, hoping that by seeing his face, I'll have my answer. But he's already gone. Instead, the voice of my mother cuts across the tension in the room.
"Dinner is ready."
There are now two things that I feel physically sick at the thought of. One is that Troy might actually be involved in the scheme to take over my father's business.
And the other? The damn salmon waiting for me in the next room.