Down The Line
Chapter 6
Her navy blue painted fingernail hit redial. Troy had asked her to phone him and now he wasn't picking up. She missed him. With a sigh she put down the phone.
"Montez you ok?" asked Brianna.
"Yeah," she answered. "Never start a relationship when someone is about to go on tour."
"My brothers not picking up?" asked Brianna.
"No he asked me to phone him. It's four in the afternoon over there," answered Gabriella.
"Troy hi you have a very pissed off girlfriend," said Brianna.
"What why?" asked Troy.
"You texted her asking you to phone her," answered Brianna. "And you're not picking up."
"His number's been disconnected," muttered Gabriella.
"I have to go I have to go to sound check," said Troy, hanging up.
"He's in sound check," said Brianna. "Show me the number.
"That's not his number. I'll give you his direct line," said Brianna.
Within minutes Gabriella had his direct number and sent a quick apology text. But she heard nothing back and she didn't except too until late. And then it became like when they first meet, phones calls at weird times of the day and night. But it was different but the same. I mean they weren't well she wasn't the same person as when they started talking. She didn't know who he was, apart from her bosses brother. Neither could have known the massive impact they would eventually have on each other. Neither knew that in years to come that first phone call would change their lives. All because of a call down the line.
Her phone bleeped.
Sorry was in sound check – again. Time zone thing is killing me. I just want to hear your voice. Troy.
Well its four am here don't know where you are but I'm up. Gabriella.
Then the her mobile rang.
"Hey," she whispered.
"You're in the office," said Troy. "I'm in London by the way it's nine am."
"I haven't gone home yet," answered Gabriella. "I'm going to have to run to fashion as soon as Yazmin comes in to change into some new."
"Don't you keep some clothes in that cupboard?" asked Troy. "Unless you haven't gone home all week and it's a pile of dirty laundry."
"I haven't been home in seventy two hours. I'm down to one outfit and I'm not changing in the office."
"You've not slept in seventy two hours?" asked Troy. "I'm guessing you've barley eaten."
"It's been busier than usual. I've been doing my job and Yazmin's she had full and surprisingly your sister hasn't fired her," said Gabriella. "Yet."
"I think you've changed her," said Troy.
They kept talking for an hour, on speaker while Gabriella worked. He kept quiet when she took calls. And five am she brought the phone back to her ear. She could stop for fifteen minutes except the phone calls. She leant back closed her eyes and listen to Troy talk about the tour occasionally saying something. Of course she didn't realize Brianna had walked in until her coat hit her in the face.
"Troy I gotta," she mumbled into layers of fabric.
"My sister threw her coat in your face. But me on speaker," he said.
She did so and Brianna came back out as Gabriella hung her coat up.
"Morning sis," said Troy.
"Of course it would be you stopping my secretary from doing her work," answered Brianna.
"Take me off speaker Brianna," said Troy.
His sister did so and walked into her office with Troy's phone.
"Let her go home," said Troy.
"Excuse me," said Brianna.
"Let her go home. My girlfriend has been up for seventy two hours. Let her go home or I'll stop this tour and come to shout at you," answered Troy. "It'll only take me seven hours."
Brianna felt the phone being taken off her and turned to find Gabriella.
"Troy I've done this before I'm fine," said Gabriella.
"You might feel fine but I guarantee your body won't. Pretty soon you'll collapse," said Troy.
"Troy I've been eating, I've had illegal five minutes naps. I've been drinking water. I've fine," answered Gabriella.
Troy started talking at her again but didn't get a response because Gabriella wasn't as fine as she thought.
"I feel dizzy," she whispered.
Brianna guided her to a chair and called Yazmin.
"Yazmin can you come in as soon as possible Gabriella isn't doing so good," said Brianna. "I can help with some things."
She then hung up and plucking the phone out of Gabriella's hand.
"Troy she's not doing too good. She ok but dizzy," said Brianna.
"Send her to me," said Troy.
"What?" asked Brianna.
"Send her to the airport with your driver and put her on a plane to London," answered Troy. "I'm booking a flight right now it leaves in two hours. So she should be touching down at sixish which means she should be with me at seven just in time for the show."
"Ok," answered Brianna.
"I've checked her," said Troy.
"You'll see her soon," said Brianna, hanging up.
She made a call to the fashion and make up department and crouched down in front of Gabriella.
"Gabriella hun you need to take the week off," said Brianna.
"I'm fine," said Gabriella. "I just had off moment."
"Doing what your doing made me who I am today but I had some near misses like your having right now. I was in hospital twice. I didn't have someone like my brother like you do. I'm sending you to Troy," said Brianna.
"Miss Walsh I'm here," shouted Yazmin.
Brianna walked out to meet her.
"Can you go and get Gabriella suitcase from fashion. Make up should have sent though a bag as well," said Brianna. "Be quick she needs to get going."
"I thought she was ill," answered Yazmin.
"She is she's been working herself into the ground the past three days. I'm sending her to my brother for the week before she ends in hospital I've seen it happened before that why I let you have time off and I'm sending her off now I don't want either of you to become like me or at least not how I did it," explained Brianna. "Now go her plane leaves in two hours."
Within twenty minutes Gabriella was in a car and on her way to the airport and Brianna was going to drop her off.
"Now go see my brother, be all disgusting, coupley and lovey dovey. Get better see the UK and come back healthy," said Brianna.
"I will," answered Gabriella.
"Now go you need to get though security," said Brianna.
Gabriella hurried out the car and within half an hour – the perks of first class and being fast tracked she was on the plane. Setting her kindle and phone to flight mode she leant back and drifted off to sleep. Not waking until the wheels hit the British tarmac.
Though the gates, with her suitcase she was meant by Troy's driver – Jeffery who she knew and was soon on her way to the Wembley Area were Rebound would be performing. They were on at half seven and as the car pulled up into the back car park – next to their bus. It was five past seven.
"Is there enough time for me to see him before he goes on?" asked Gabriella.
"Probably not," answered Jeffery. "But we can try."
He passed the suitcase to the bus driver and Gabriella was quickly fast tracked though to backstage with the opening act being told to do one more song.
"Alright guys are you excited for Rebound," shouted a guy on stage.
A roar came from the audience.
"Well we've been told do one more song guess the band aren't quiet ready," said another voice.
"What they talking about of course we're ready," said Chad.
Gabriella spotted them up ahead. Jeffery stopped.
"I believe you know your way from here," he smiled.
"Troy!" she shouted.
Troy turned, grinned and handed in microphone off as Gabriella broke into a run. His publicist scowled in the background. Then Troy caught Gabriela in his arms as her arms wound round his neck and her legs locked round his waist.
"You made it," said Troy. "How you feeling?"
"I had a seven hour nap on the plane," answered Gabriella.
"And an hour in the car," added Jeffery.
"Thanks Jeffery," said Troy.
"You need to get on stage in two minutes," said the tour manager.
"So you flew seven hours just to see our concert?" asked Chad.
Gabriella suddenly became acutely aware of how many people were around them.
"Um Troy let me down," she said.
As her feet touched the ground she wobbled and Troy tightened his grip.
"No his darling sister gave me the week off," answered Gabriella.
"The dragon gave you a week off?" asked Jason.
"She had no choice Troy bullied her into it," answered Gabriella.
"You almost collapsing on her carpet didn't help Brie," said Troy.
"Collapsing? Is she sick? Should she even be around you? Who is she?" snapped his publicist.
"Brie this is Emma are lovely publicist," said Troy. "My girlfriend, Emma, is fine just exhausted, probably hungry and dehydrated. Before the flight she hadn't slept for seventy two hours. When'd you last eat Brie?"
"Um yesterday some time. Someone brought me a sandwich," answered Gabriella. "You know I really want to see your concert."
"But your exhausted?" asked Troy. "We have another night here and more four shows this week you can see us in Manchester or Liverpool or the other places. Go sleep in the dressing room."
He dropped a kiss on her forehead and mouth and ran to the stage. His publicist scowled at her again and Jeffery led her to the dressing room.
"Do you wanna sleep here on go sleep on the bus?" he asked.
"I'll be fine here," she answered.
"Someone will be on guard out side," said Jeffery. "Precautions."
She didn't even hear the door close, her head hit the sofa and she was out like a light. She didn't hear the guys run in to change clothes or Troy drop a blanket over her. She did subconsciously feel him carry her to the bus and place on a much comfy her bed. She felt him crawl in besides her about half hour later.
"Were we off to?" she asked.
"Hotel," he answered. "Go back to sleep I'll carry you in."
She didn't feel him move her ten minutes later she was aware of nothing until she woke up the next morning curled up besides him in the Hilton hotel.
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Gabriella Somerfield