Gabriella sat down at the kitchen counter it still smelled like soup, Taylor and Chad left an hour ago and Troy had disappeared into his office. Gabriella slipped into shorts and tied her hair up and picked up her book. She sat up and leaned over for her coffee cup, shifting back down to relax. As soon as she was deep into the world of romance again she heard the sound of a coffee pot clinking against the machine. Looking up she noted Troy standing in front of her a cup of coffee slowly coming to his lips.
"So you like to read," he said before the cup could touch his lips.
Gabriella nodded and then returned back to her reading.
"What are you reading?"
*"no dejas de hacer usted?" Gabriella looked back up at him and let out a sigh, "Jennifer Cruise's Agnes and The Hitman," she said letting her eyes drip back to the page.
Troy smirked as he stood there drinking his coffee watching her read, she was if anything a delight to watch. Her eyes running across the page her lips partly open as though she was just on the brink of being kissed. Her hair was pull back but it was wavy and curl he spent the whole dinner wishing he could touch it. Trouble. "Is it a romance novel?" Troy said taking a step back to lean against the sink.
Gabriella looked back up at him. "Is this your way of getting me to leave the kitchen?"
"No, I just want to talk," Troy said looking down at his coffee cup, Chad said if he could charm her this would be easier. Too bad he didn't know exactly how to do that, she wasn't like other woman he dated. A diamond necklace or a pair of Tiffany earrings weren't going to score him the points he needed. "How do you feel about the interview on Tuesday?"
Gabriella shut her book and set it down on the counter top. Great just what she wanted more preparation about the interview. Taylor and Chad had been going over possible questions all night and while something's lead into conversations she actually didn't mind, she knew that wouldn't be the case with Troy. "What more do you think I should know about you?"
Troy shrugged, "I'm not worried about that," he said tapping the side of the cup. "I'm more worried about what I don't know about you."
Gabriella bit her lip, her brown eyes staring at him as he examined her. "What do you want to know?" she said after a pause deciding to tread the water.
"What do you want to do with your life?" Troy placed his coffee cup off to the side, it was simple enough "You know, like what was the big dream you had for yourself, before you ended up in my office?"
Gabriella nodded, that smile made the breath in her throat hitch and she was stunned for a moment. "I wanted to be a writer," she said with a small nod, "I mean ever since I was little I wanted to do something artistic in some way, but as I got older I just found it easier to write."
"So what happened?" Troy said crossing his arms intrigued. What did she write about?
"Reality wasn't so kind." Gabriella said with a shrug, "I tried it out, sent out my draft to a few editors and nothing happened." Gabriella looked down at her book, "My family wanted me to become some kind of newscaster but being on TV isn't really my thing either."
Seems like she was running from something, but if that were the case why would she get herself into this situation. Did she marry to please her parents? Did she marry to better chances with being published? "Why did you agree to marry me?" Troy said curiously.
"I was new to Washington; my apartment had a hole in the closet and mildew in my kitchen." Gabriella let out a small sigh, "With no job I couldn't afford rent."Not to mention all the other things that went wrong, getting lost on the subway, wondering the streets for hours trying to find the way home. She must have interviewed for at least 15 jobs before she got that call, before she came to Troy's office. She remembered ignoring her cell phone because of her harassing creditors. "I had so many student loans and problems with debt that I was working to pay them off and not working for me. I was lost I guess." Not to mention running as fast as she can from her mistakes, and even then things always caught up with you.
Troy nodded. "So what made you come to Washington and leave the comfort of home?" Troy tilted his head and watched her eyes narrow, "you can talk to me," he said in a low voice.
"I already told you I needed a change," Gabriella leaned back in her chair and brought her knees up to her chest. "I felt like I was doing what everyone else expected." Gabriella let out a groan, "I know it sounds crazy but I just wanted to do something for me I just felt like I went to school for my parents, the college of their choice, the major everyone expected, the good grades, dating the guys they liked. Doing what my friends wanted," Gabriella looked off to the side "I guess I just wanted to go somewhere and have no expectations what so ever," and a place where she wouldn't be haunted by what she had done.
"So you figured you'd come to Washington?" Troy asked wondering how all of this brought her here.
"I threw a dart at map," Gabriella shrugged. "I just had to leave." Gabriella smiled weakly, "It felt good."
"Interesting," Troy said with a smile, he didn't know if it made him like her more or made her more of a distraction but the idea of her rebellion against her life and willingness to do something about it made him envious.
"What about you," Gabriella said looking up then back down turning the tables, "Why did you want to marry me out of all the other women you could have?"
Troy leaned forward resting on the counter, "I didn't want the headache of anyone else," Troy said with a small smile. He watched as her lips tugged at the sides a smile picking up as well. Jackpot he thought as he continued. "I picked you because being married to you wouldn't be who I was expected to be married to. You're much more down to earth and real to me than any other woman they were going to stick me with."
Gabriella paused "Stick you with?"
"Yes believe it or not I was going to have an arrange marriage." Troy chuckled to himself, the idea almost frightening. "Did I ever thank you for saying yes?"
"Didn't you date?" Gabriella asked arching a brow, to believe that this man wouldn't have women jumping through hoops to be in her position was shocking. Surly there had to be someone he wasn't telling her about.
"Not enough to establish conversation, a man has needs, I'm just honest and to the point. Woman in the past have never been the key to success for the men in my family, if anything it makes matter worst." Troy shrugged and looked away from Gabriella. "It's hard enough to trust the people who I work with let alone a woman to love me and not just the idea of being a senator's wife."
"But you trust me?" Gabriella asked curious as to why someone so guarded would ask someone so randomly to commit and be in his world.
"Do you remember your interview when I asked you why did you want to work for me?" Troy asked.
"Vaguely," Gabriella said with a shaking her head.
Troy smiled, he remembered her perfectly, she came in from the cold her nose red and her cheeks clammy. It was right around this question that she started to look normal. "You leaned back in your chair and said, 'I'm new here in Washington, I can't provide references and I really don't know my way around yet. I won't steal; I don't have many friends or anything else to do so I can dedicate all my time to this job." Troy paused and looked back up at her his eyes resting on her brown ones, "It was the most sincere reason I'd heard all week."
"I was pathetic?" Gabriella said with a small frown.
"You were honest," Troy said standing up straight. "Trust me I could have gone with other people who said things I wanted to hear but I've had that all my life, sometimes you just need a connection to something real."
Gabriella didn't really know what to say in response, she was flattered, but she was also taken back by his idea of who she was. Someone who was honest? Guilt trickled in the back of her mind making her pulse quicken, there was that past again, tending on the surface right underneath her skin. They both had their reasons to get involved and they were honest with each other about that. She wanted a fresh start, a clean slate, far from her home and all the memories she stuffed in a box. "Thank you,"
"Maybe we could do this again?" Troy said with a shrug, "at least we can do is be civil and friendly?"
Gabriella nodded, "Friends," her hand came out over the table, friends who kept their secrets in closets where they belonged.
"Friends," they shook on it and then Troy picked up his coffee cup, "I'll be in my office, and if Chad calls I'm charming your socks off." He smirked and so did she. Gabriella watched leave the room, there was a feeling settling in her stomach, warm, fuzzy maybe even a little pitter patter. She'd have to squash that if she wanted to do this job as quick and painless as possible.
*"you just don't stop do you?" Gabriella looked back up at him and let out a sigh, "Jennifer Cruise's Agnes and The Hitman," she said letting her eyes drip back to the page.