Just a quick nod to AFan who commented on each chapter as you read through –TY.
And thank you for all of my reviewers who are the reason I am still writing!
CHAPTER 7
Gabi considered her small selection of footwear. Well she had ten pairs of shoes with her; it was quite small compared to her collection back home. Two suitcases were considered travelling light for her.
The only flats she had were pumps, gladiator sandals or her flat black suede knee high boots. She didn't have much choice. She pulled out the knee highs and her dark denim shorts and put them on with fishnet tights and a casual vest top that hung nicely around her hips and she had on a lacy vest under it.
She smiled at her appearance in the mirror, her long dark hair curly around her shoulders, her eyes smouldering back at her.
Leona was waiting for her in the lobby looking stunning, as models do, in a short bubble dress and Gabi felt decidedly short next to her, let alone unglamorous.
"Where's the heels short-ass?" she teased and Gabi smiled.
"I twisted my ankle, I can barely walk on it" she said as she limped a little.
"Oh what happened to dancing the night away?" Leona frowned .
"Ah, I'll be okay, I'll just hop up and down or something" she joked and Leona laughed.
"Okay then, let's go." She said and they headed off hand in hand, giggling.
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Gabi downed a shot of vodka and turned to her friend, finding her being chatted up by a cute guy in the club and it didn't surprise her that Leona had attracted male attention after being there most of the night. As a leggy model, she had a figure to die for, all slim and lithe. Unlike her diminutive, curvy self.
And with no extra lifts in her boots to boost her height, she may as well be a child in this sea of tall, good-looking people she mused. The night was wearing on and she was a good way into her objective to get drunk but she felt dizzy already and she didn't want to end up falling over again. God knows she had embarrassed herself enough by falling over this morning. In front of Ego Trip no less. As if he needed any more excuses to rib her silly.
"Well, well, if it isn't little Miss Montez" came Troy's voice and Gabi wondered if she had summoned him just by thinking about him.
She turned, about to give him a mouthful, when she noticed the leggy blonde attached to his side.
He lifted his eyebrows; silently challenging her while the blonde simpered over him and gave Gabi a look down her nose.
"If it isn't little Troy" she returned, eyeing his crotch, then wishing she hadn't, because all kinds of images filled her mind, but she pushed them away and met his gaze briefly but found he had that smug grin on his face, unperturbed by her comment.
"What are you doing out I wonder?" he asked "All alone, too." He said condescendingly.
She didn't have to justify herself to this moron she reminded herself; just ignore him.
"Hey baby, let's dance" some positively revolting guy lurched over to her and grinned inanely.
She gave him a death stare but he didn't notice so she smiled instead "Sure, I'd love to!" she replied and Troy smirked, but his eyes followed her as she walked away with the guy and she flinched as the guy placed his hand on her rear.
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Troy watched as Gabi walked away, the lech placing a hand on her rear as she flinched and tried to remove it. He didn't like the way his thoughts were heading, wishing that was his hand on her backside instead.
He had a beautiful leggy blonde on his arm and here he was thinking about the short little exotic beauty that hated him with a passion.
He shook his head as he ordered some drinks, trying to enjoy the attention from the model but his mind was somewhere else, mostly toward the dance floor where he could make out a throng of people dancing and wondered where Gabi was amongst them. She was so small in those flat boots of hers, he couldn't see her.
His body itched at the thought of her being lost in that crowd and being pawed by that drunken moron. Why was she so damn…stubborn?
He unlatched the blonde from his side and left her at the bar as he made his way through the crowd. It was jam packed in here tonight he mused.
When he'd finished filming he'd just had to get out of his hotel. And this seemed the perfect place with all these models wandering around.
He dived into the crowd of writhing bodies and looked around, seeing Gabi, sweaty, arms aloft as her little body wound sexily in front of the leering drunk who was pawing at her waist and she was giggling and removing his hands frequently.
He began to groove to the music, looking nonchalant as he headed over.
He danced up to a group next to her and accidentally on purpose elbowed her, turning to apologise.
"Oh I'm sorry, it's packed in h…"he began then feigned surprise "Fancy seeing you here!" he shouted over the music.
Gabi looked up at him, her eyes not focusing quite properly with her alcohol consumption.
"You…!" she began randomly "You just keep showing up don't'cha?" she asked a little slurrily.
"I'm just dancing, like you" he said and eyed her dance partner "Hey dude, I'm cutting in" he said and moved in front of Gabi, effectively cutting off the guy from her body.
She was still rolling her body in that sexy little dance of hers and he didn't know where to look. This sexy dancing woman was a far cry from the prim and proper girl he had faced the last week.
"You wanna head back to the hotel?" he yelled as he moved along to the music.
Gabi watched him and thought he was actually a great dancer as she danced in front of him.
She screwed up her face "Are you trying to chat me up, Mr. Bolton?" she asked, but she bit her lip so cutely after, he felt a little stirring in his groin.
"No!" he yelled back, annoyed. Could she not for once just be pleasant?
"You think I'm drunk!" she called with a laugh .
He looked at her with lifted brows, stopping his dancing as the other revellers bumped against him.
Gabi was damn near in his lap as the crowd folded in. She looked at him, lips pursed, eyes alight, body relaxed and twisting showing off those amazingly tempting curves of hers.
If he were a different person, in a different place, and she was just another party girl on the circuit, he would be kissing her right about now, enjoying that hot little body. But he wasn't a different person and Gabi would never let him get that close, that much he was sure of.
"Okay Teen Idol, let's go!" she smiled, grabbing his hand and moving them through the crowd in her drunken, swaying way as the crowd continued to push against them.
They made it onto the club floor, Gabi wondering if she had brought a jacket and remembering she hadn't.
She pulled him outside, limping a little as she made it through the crowd and out into the chilly air.
Troy stripped off his jacket as he followed her and watched as she giggled upon hitting the fresh air.
"Wooh! It's party time yeah!" she sang, and then rubbed her arms "Ooh chilly"
"Here" he said and she stopped, placing each arm into his jacket as he helped her on with it.
She began walking then staggered "Steady there" he said in his husky voice "I've called for a car" he said as he touched his hand to her back to steady her.
He saw the paparazzi in the distance, clicking away and he closed his eyes in regret. God he didn't need them here tonight. Gabi didn't deserve to be splashed all over the front page as one of his bed partners; she was too good for that.
The car pulled up and he helped her in, scooting in next to her and laying his head on the back of the seat in fear of what the press would print.
"Troy Bolton, my hero" she said from beside him and he turned, surprised, pleased she was still taking the mickey out of him, even when she was drunk.
"And you thought you'd grown out of your teeny bopper phase" he mused amicably.
Gabi's body lolled toward him as the driver took a corner and before he knew what was happening, she retched and puked right in his lap.
Troy looked down, hands aloft as the acrid smell hit him and Gabi remained lifeless as she bent over him, her curly hair brushing his thighs.
"Oh god" he sighed "I deserved that" he said to himself and rubbed her shoulders, trying to get her to come round but she just kind of lolled against his arm, semi- conscious.
"Hey man, is everything okay?" the driver asked "Did she puke on the seat?"
"You know what, dude, I think most of it is in my lap" he said drily.
"Man it reeks" he complained .
"Look, she had a little too much to drink, okay. Its just sick, it'll wash out" he said flatly and put an arm around Gabi as she wavered next to him.
At the hotel, he wrapped her into his arms and lifted her out of the car, quickly transferring her inside before anyone caught the state of them and he rushed up to their floor.
He let himself into his room, not wanting to risk taking Gabi back to her room if Gabriel was there because there was no way he could see her like this.
He didn't know where to go first so he laid her on his bed where she collapsed in a heap and he surveyed the damage, noting she had remained puke-free.
He stepped back, casting his eyes down his own body and kicking off his trousers and putting on a fresh t-shirt and dumping all of his used clothes into the hamper for laundry. What a night!
"Oh god…" came a groan and he dashed out, finding Gabi staggering for his bathroom and he dived out of the way as she put her head down the toilet bowl and emptied her stomach some more.
He crouched down and gently rubbed her shoulders, pulling her long hair away from the toilet and using his hand to restrain it in a bunch at her neck as her body convulsed with the projection of her vomit.
She rested her forehead on the back of her hand, the stabbing pain and bright lights making her dizzy and confused. And who was that holding her hair back and stroking her so tenderly she wondered? Had she wandered home with some weirdo?
She turned, meeting a pair of spectacular blue eyes and she inwardly groaned. Oh god, not him! Anyone but him.
He knelt down then and handed her a glass of water, using a bandana to tie her hair into a ponytail away from her face as she sipped. Why had he rescued her?
Oh god! She'd puked in his lap she realised as she wondered why he was only wearing boxer shorts. She would never live that one down.
"You know what, when you told me I made you feel sick, I thought you were only joking" he said gently, a genuine smile flickering at his lips.
And he was being so nice to her! Why? She wasn't sure she liked this nice Troy. She had kind of resigned herself to hating him for the duration of the shoot, confident that his portrayed image was the right one.
But he'd left the skinny blonde in the club to help her back to the hotel, had her puke in his lap and still he was taking care of her. He'd brought her back to his room instead of leaving her to fend for herself. Was this the real Troy Bolton she wondered?
"I am so sorry…" she began, mortified by what she had done.
"Now don't start that" he chided "I was just getting used to the hate and contempt, Miss Montez" he joked.
She looked at him and he took in her face. Her make up was melted down her cheeks leaving her with two black eyes, her hair was lank and messy, her eyes bloodshot from the tears of her spasms.
And yet she looked so fragile. Like he could just curl her into his strong arms and hold her there until she made him let go.
"You can call me Gabi, you know" she said softly and his heart beat double pace at her words.
A knock sounded on his door and he frowned, getting up from the bathroom floor and moving to answer it.
"Is she here?" Gabriel asked sharply as Troy opened the door in his boxers and t-shirt.
"Is who here?" he feigned innocence.
"My daughter of course" he said and Gabi appeared from the bathroom, limping, but sobered.
"Hi dad" she smiled weakly.
"What in the hell did he do to you?" he demanded, taking in Troy's scant attire and Gabi's melted make up.
"Nothing!" she said quickly "I…went out dancing with Leona and some drunk guy tried to dance with me and Troy rescued me" she lied, beseeching him to go along with the story.
His dark thick brows knitted together as he studied her "Yeah, that's all Mr Montez. She just got a little upset about it and came back here for a while to calm down."
"Why are you in your boxer shorts then?" he demanded "Gabi, get out here, now. I told you not to let him talk you into his bed, you never listen to me do you!" he chided and Gabi felt like she was sixteen all over again and been found making out. Chance would be a fine thing. She kind of wish they HAD been making out, at least she might deserve this ridiculous tirade.
"Dad, he didn't DO anything" Gabi repeated and turned to Troy as Gabriel took her arm and dragged her out "I am so sorry, Troy" she sighed .
"It's okay" he said quietly as he watched her go.
"I've been worried about you all night" Gabriel fumed as they walked away and Gabi cast a doe eyed look back at Troy as he threw his door shut gently.
"You knew I was out with Leona, I told you I would be late" she reminded him.
"It's 3am." He said and Gabi lifted her brows. It was? Wow.
"Oh okay, well I'm sorry but I am an adult now and I do have a life" she said next.
"Just not with that moron" he said and Gabi suddenly felt very defensive of Troy. He'd really helped her out tonight and she owed him a thank you and another apology.
"Okay, okay, I get it" she conceded and lay in her bed as they made it back to her room, praying the hotel would find her a room of her own after the Fashion show tomorrow night.
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