CHAPTER 3

Harry was right; it was cold on set in the huge warehouse that they had chosen for today's shoot.

Gabi huddled up in her gray cardigan, pulling a knitted beret over her plaited hair and the plaits dangled down her shoulders as she sat hunched at the back of the set unnoticed.

She pulled out her filofax from her satchel, along with a pen and her phone and realised she couldn't juggle them all, looking around her and finding a space on the floor to put her bits as she took off her cardigan and sat on it, rubbing her arms as she checked off her list of things to do whilst dialling numbers into her phone.

"Miss Montez?" a voice called and she looked up from her perch; cross legged on the floor.

"Here" Troy said as he held out a padded jacket.

Gabi eyed it wearily. Why did he keep coming back to her like a rolling stone? And why on earth was he calling her Miss Montez?

"Isn't that yours?" she queried, thinking how snug and warm the garment looked and Troy noticed her brown eyes soften.

He shrugged "You looked cold. Maybe I was mistaken…" he said taking it back.

"Oh…" she said making a small gesture to take it then blushing as she realised she were too late.

He paused, letting her meet his gaze and he felt something turn in his belly. She had a beautiful face, high cheekbones, a jutted stubborn chin and a tiny cute nose that he'd love to see scrunched with laughter. Her big brown eyes were framed with flicked lashes. Her kissable mouth was painted red but when he'd seen her this morning, before that mask had gone on, he'd been floored by her natural beauty. He twisted his lips as he considered her.

"Here" he said again and this time she took it, shyly poking her arms into the jacket which was clearly too big for her and even that made his gut roll again. He frowned. There was a pretty little extra waiting for him to finish filming for the day so they could 'go for a drink'. Although the little he had seen of Gabi's figure had him curious, he just wasn't into angry girls.

"Thank you" she said, dropping her gaze.

He stood for another moment, expecting more. She looked up at him "Can I help you?" she checked.

Troy rubbed his lips together, so tempted to come out with something crude, but couldn't think of anything. Not one, witty, single remark. Mmm.

"Gabriella!" Gabriel called from on set and Gabi rolled her eyes, moving to get up, finding Troy's hand there to help.

"What is with the front, Ego Trip?" she asked succinctly.

Troy's chin dipped as his brows rose in indignation "Ego Trip? What is that?" he asked as she ignored his hand and got up.

She blushed, not quite believing she had come out with that. "Just a nickname" she shrugged nonchalantly.

"A nickname? The only nickname you could think of was Ego Trip? You know, most nights, I have girls moaning my name and believe me, Ego Trip is not one of the nicknames they give me" he ground out.

Gabi stared, not quite believeing he had the audacity to stand there and boast about his casual sexual relationships and advertise it as though it were something to be proud of.

"I really needed that image in my head, thank you Mr. Bolton" she scathed "I can see my nickname for you was well-deserved after all" she added with a sweet smile and left him standing there while she attended to Gabriel's call.

He let out a whoosh of breath as she left, hands on his hips as he wondered why she didn't feel even a little bit enamoured by his presence. She was a brat of the business so she wouldn't be star struck, but she should at least be affected by his physical presence. Shouldn't she?

He laughed at her nickname for him. Then sobered as he thought about what his mom might say if he relayed this story to her. Especially as he wasn't entirely telling the truth about girls moaning his name. He hadn't had a girl in his trailer for a good few months now due to his filming schedule and though it would be easy for him to take advantage of the millions of females dying to share his bed, he preferred to save it for the right woman. And the last woman that was right for him had turned out to be wrong and sold a ten tonne of stories about his prowess in bed. He should be grateful. She could have really kicked it to him but she'd complimented him on all levels. But broken his heart in the process. And now he lived to that façade because it was easier than letting people in. Easier than people seeing the real him and being disappointed that he wasn't a charming, sweet talking Romeo. Easier than being hurt because he didn't measure up emotionally, never mind what happened in bed.

Gabi marched back past him as he headed back to the set with a tired hand through his hair and she didn't meet his gaze but she looked so cute with her face all concentrating and wearing that huge Michelin-man coat he'd given her.

She stopped. "Mr. Bolton?" she asked and he turned but she didn't so he was faced with her back.

"What no Ego Trip?" he sounded disappointed so she faced him and pursed her lips, her face relaxing as she tried not to laugh, then letting her smile break out, even a bubble of a giggle releasing from her lips.

"I'm sorry, it's just when you say it like that, I WAS kinda rude" she said and flicked her gaze at him shyly, damn near knocking him on his backside.

Where was the anger, the contempt? Where on earth did that smile come from and where could he find more?

"Did you want me?" he asked of her calling him but Gabi stared at him for a moment.

"Do you want coffee? I'm going out for refreshments" she asked and he realised that's why she looked so damn pissed off. Not only was she working out of an office which consisted of some beat up old leather satchel and the floor of the cold warehouse, but now she had to break her intense organisation to go fetch tea.

"Don't we have tea-boys for that?" he queried lightly.

She pressed her lips together "I'm going into town" she said.

"That's a long drive…" he frowned .

She sighed "Do you want something or not, Teen Idol?" she asked.

"I'm twenty three you know" he said with a small smile.

"I take that as a no…" she said and went toward her mini-office and shoved everything into her bag.

"Hey…thanks for asking" he added with a little nod as he went back to the set finally, hands in pockets and Gabi looked up, momentarily surprised.

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Coffee delivered, snacks distributed, Gabi went back to her corner but found the space was now being used by the props guys.

She sighed, brushing her forehead with the palm of her hand.

She could see her father running through a scene and it appeared Troy wasn't needed.

She knew better than to ask her father if she could use his trailer. God forbid anyone else should step foot in there, even his own family.

She hugged her arms around herself and wandered out into the yard, seeing the trailers lined up and the catering van and a little sheltered area with tables and seats where most of the crew seemed to hang out between takes or when they weren't needed.

She headed over and set up camp there, aware that everyone kept their distance from her because of her father's renowned moods and they presumed she was the same.

"Aren't you going to freeze out here?" Harry asked as he sat down with a tea.

"Hey, Harry" Gabi smiled, shoving her pen down.

"Am I interrupting?" he checked worriedly.

"You know what? I'm glad of it. I'm fed up with work. I spent the last three weeks in Europe 24/7 and then got a flight back here yesterday, I got one proper night's sleep and I'm back to it. I need a break" she said, her eyes tired and scratchy as she said it.

"Come sleep in the car" he said, frowning with concern.

She smiled softly at him, wishfully "I can't. But thank you. You don't know how good that sounds"

"Then do it. I won't tell anyone. No-one will ever know." He reasoned.

"If my dad calls me, he'll know" she said pointedly.

"Then I'll stand inside. And if he calls you, I tell him your working from the car with the heating on. And I'll come wake you"

Gabi looked at him and bit her lip "Okay, thank you. Come get me as soon as he calls" she said again and he nodded, giving her the key.

"Just don't drive off" he smiled.