Troy drove his car to the office the next day, his own mind running a mile a minute. He was going to offer breakfast but when he knocked on the guest room door, no one answered. No one was there, she was gone. Troy had his morning coffee read his morning paper like every morning before and he found that the only thing that made the night before real was dishes still in the drying rack. Two wine glasses, to plates and two forks. Troy felt alone when he never felt alone before. On his way into his office Chad caught up with him.

"So how was she?"

"We talked, we ate dinner, I went to bed, alone." Troy kept moving however Chad stopped in his tracks.

"That's it?"

"That's it." Troy placed his coat behind the door and his brief case on the floor by his desk. "She was different than I expected."

Chad with a furrowed brow entered his office. "Dude the point of last night was to get laid."

"I refuse to pay for sex."

"I paid!" Chad shut the door behind him. "Troy, this is hard for me but I have to ask, are you gay?"

Troy rolled his eyes, "I'm not gay, I just have no intention of sleeping with a hooker."

"But you didn't sleep with her and she isn't a hooker!"

Troy phone rang and he answered it. "Hello,"

"It's your mother do I put her through?"

Troy pointed Chad out the door. "Yes, might as well get this over with."

"We're going to talk about this."

Troy waved his hand and Chad walked out of the office closing the door behind him.

"Troy?"

"Mom, I'm sorry I've been busy," he said taking a seat.

"That's not how your father put it," her voice was filled with tension.

"You know how dad is; he thinks no one works around here but him." Troy reached for a file from his drawer and powered on his computer.

"Well, whatever the case are you or are you not coming to the wedding, Sharpay says she hasn't had the chance to call and she was worried."

"I'm fine and I will be there." He opened up the file and he began to look it over.

"What about your plus one dear, are you bringing anyone because I know this woman at bingo who's daughter is a-"

"Stop, I am not going with someone from your bingo night." Troy put the file down and brought his finger to his temple.

"Troy your father says that your taking on divorce cases and prenuptial contracts. We're only worried especially now with Sharpay getting married and all I mean this is a lot to handle and if you didn't want to go to the wedding, we'd understand. After all she did break my baby's heart."

Troy felt a shiver run down his spine from the last part. "Sharpay getting married doesn't affect me at all and no one around here wants to handle divorce cases because their usually time consuming and annoying. I have the time, I have the patience I don't see why not?"

"Troy, are you? …. You know your father and I will still love you no matter who you love," her voice was soft and leading at the same time.

Troy shook his head. "I'm not gay mother."

"Just asking, I mean just because we're republican doesn't mean we'll shun you or disown you." His mother said quickly. "I just want my grandchildren and you know I'm not going to be around forever I want you to at least consider giving marriage another thought."

"I was jilted the last time, which was only a year ago. Don't I have some kind of grace period?"

"Your grace period ended when the wedding invitations got sent out." His mother voice became stern. "I'm trying to be understanding but, do you realize how foolish you appear to everyone?"

"I don't care what everyone thinks mom."

"Well I do."

Troy was quiet for a moment and then he took a deep breath. "Fine I have been seeing someone."

"Really?"

"Yes, she's a little rough around the edges but just last night she was expressing how much she wanted to meet all of you." Troy placed a hand on his forehead.

"Oh, dear we don't care if she's poor we just want you to be happy?"

Troy rolled his eyes and then dropped his head to the desk. "I bring her to the wedding then."

"Oh, I'm so excited to meet her. What's her name? Is she pretty? What's she like? How did you meet?"

Troy banged his head once on the desk top. "She going to school for Theater and Music, I met her after a performance we had dinner." It wasn't a total lie. Troy banged his head again.

"Dear I think someone is knocking, I'll let you get that, have a good day."

"Bye mom." Troy banged his head again and hung up the phone.

Gabriella got up from her bed she was wearing a sweatshirt sweatpants and gloves. "I hate winter." She mumbled as she walked over to the stove. Outside was a blanket of snow, her cheeks where cold and nose felt stuffy. Suddenly there was knocking at the door. "Landlord,"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and went for the door. Once she opened it the man on the other side was overweight and grungy he walked into the apartment and Gabriella watched as he looked around. "Can I help you?"

"Last person I rented to had a family in here." He looked back at Gabriella. "You cold or something?"

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "I like this look."

"Where's my rent Montez?" he said crossing his arms.

"No heat, no rent." Gabriella closed the door and walked over to the stove where an egg was boiling.

"No rent, no heat." He said walking over to the space heater to unplug it. "This is a fire hazard."

Gabriella turned around to him and crossed her arms. "I told you I don't have any money until next week alright."

"Not good enough, your killing me here, I've let you slide last month."

"Mick, I can't pull money out of my ass,"

"Could of fooled me." Mick pulled out a chair from the small kitchen and sat down. The apartment was a studio it was a long way from the club but the best she could find for Four hundred a month and still be considered an apartment. There were roaches, there were drug dealers in her hallway and homeless man she let use her bathroom. When the plumbing worked it was heaven but the pipes were beginning to freeze, her ears might as well turn black and Gabriella let out a groan in frustration.

"What are you going to do toss me out into the streets in the middle of a snow storm?"

"Yes,"

Gabriella arms dropped. "Mick, come on?"

"Come on nothing the rent is due every first Monday of the month, Christmas is coming I got mouths to feed too." Mick got up and took a document out of his pocket. "I'm really sorry about this but I'm going to have to evict you."

Gabriella bit her lip. "How long do I have."

"The sooner the better," Mick got up from his chair. "I change the lock in 9 days."

Gabriella watched him leave and close the door behind him. Walking over to the bed she sat down again. "This cannot be happening to me." Gabriella looked up at the stain on her ceiling. She didn't know anyone, she didn't have any money and she couldn't go back to Georgia she just wouldn't. Gabriella sat up and let out a sigh, she might as well start packing.