Gabriella sat at the table staring at her wedding ring, slowly moving it from side to side examining it. He been watching her for a moment, letting her have the moment she seemed to be trapped in. She looked million miles away from the kitchen, the toast on her plate being neglected. Last night after the small talk in the kitchen he stumbled upon her sitting on the couch on his way from his office to the bedroom. She was on his side, in the nook that he had made there over the years; she was reading her book again. He decided not to say anything, not wanting to scare her or tear her away. Instead he quietly continued to his room quietly shutting the door behind him.
"Chad is here to see you, he's waiting in my office." He could finally hear himself speak, not by choice but because eventually Chad was going to wonder what was taking him so long.
She jerked and spun to look in his direction, quickly she put the wedding ring back on her finger and tucked a lose strand from her pony tail behind her ear. "Me?"
"Yes," he responded walking around her and stealing a piece of untouched toast.
Gabriella watched him take a bite of toast and narrowed her eyes at him before she got up from her seat and began walking down the hall, pausing in Troy's office doorway. She'd never actually been in before, this was a first. "You wanted to see me?" she said still in the doorway testing how it felt to look into someplace considered to be private, he sure had a lot of books and file cabinets.
"Yes," Chad said looking up at her from the paper work. "Close the door and take a seat, please."
Gabriella did as she was told and folded her hands in her lap.
"As a senator's wife you have obligations," Chad said holding up a folder, "These are organizations certain charities to look through, let us know what interest you."
Gabriella took the folder, "So I have to pick one and do what?" there was panic in her voice and white in her face not only was going to have to lie about being married but now she was joining an organization? She never joined any clubs in high school, never really did anything in college and there were reasons for it, socially she sucked.
Chad smiled, "Relax, that's what we're for." Chad opened up another folder, "We took care of your name change, legally your Gabriella Marie Bolton, although you know you didn't have to do that?" he added at the end handing her an envelope filled with new identification information.
"I know, but my mother would kill me." She said leaning back in her chair, "So I have to raise money for a charity of my choice." She opened the envelope and looked at her new id.
"You don't have too but it makes you look good, keeps you in the papers, also helps out in the boredom department." He said with a shrug. "Being here all day doesn't seem like much fun. Gabriella relaxed; He wasn't as bad as his first impression. Then again he was letting this whole fake bride thing go on but he was also just doing his job. So was she. "Is there anything I can help you with?" his voice cut into her thoughts and she tensed up again.
"Not really," Gabriella looked down at all the information in her hands, "I'll get back to you as soon as I can with my charity stuff,"
"Good we also have documents for you to sign and then I can go over new business," he said handing her a pen.
Everything about Troy Bolton had to do with business, his work, his image, his private life, his wife. Gabriella suddenly felt a little sorry for him, sorry that she was here under false pretenses, sorry about his life style. Leaning forward she looked at the papers. "What am I signing?"
"Confidentiality forms, make sure you understand what you can and can't take to the press. What you can and can't say in a public place. No video or photos leaked out to the internet unless we say." Chad flipped the page, "This is the agreement you both settled on upon marriage." He said briskly, "And this is your agreement that whatever you do represents the United States of America and you will uphold that to the best of your ability."
"Seems like a lot." Gabriella said signing her name, "What more is there?"
"Well I wanted to talk to you first because this was not part of any agreements." Chad said gathering all her signatures and putting them in a file. "As you know the Bolton name has great meaning in the political world, three congressmen, and four generations of senators."
Gabriella nodded; she knew that already. "It's amazing." She said biting her lips.
"Yeah well, the board wants to take it to the next step," Chad paused and let out a breath, "They want to nominate him for the presidential election."
Gabriella felt the blood drain from her face; her veins run cold as the warmed rushed from her open mouth. That was exactly what she was supposed to avoid. Eyes wide and perfectly still she let out another breath and then had to force herself to inhale.
"If you want me to get you out of this I will." Chad said in low voice.
It was quite for a moment as a million thoughts, fears, pride, and embarrassment rushed though her before she looked past Chad at the photo of Troy and his dad. The words from last night returning to her, the very thought from moments before. She couldn't leave even if she wanted to. Gabriella shook her head "I can't?" Gabriella said in a rushed tone. "I married him in front of my family, my name is official Gabriella Marie Bolton," she paused and held up her new id to show him. "And he already paid off all of my college loans, so tell me, how is that fair, besides it's just a nomination right?"
"There is always divorce," Chad said with a shrug.
"That is not an option," Gabriella got up from her seat and began to pace. "Give up on hopes of true love yeah it was unrealistic anyway, be a senator's wife, fine but become a first lady of the United States of America? Are you crazy?"
"There is always divorce," Chad repeated.
Gabriella bit her nail and looked back at the chair where she once sat. "What's going to happen now?" she asked only removing her finger for a moment. She had to think, how could she fix this?
"Tonight you're going to a nomination ceremony; Troy only knows that he's going he doesn't know he's nominated yet, so you have to be quite about this." Chad said looking at her curiously. "Can you?"
"No," Gabriella said looking at him with a worried expression, "Maybe," she moved the loose strand behind her ear. "This is really unfair," she stomped her foot and looked at Chad with annoyance. "Damn it why is he suddenly president material?"
Chad leaned back, "Honestly?" he asked looking at her to continue. "It's been brought up in the past, but he didn't have the votes, I mean he isn't really a family friendly icon or a likeable warm fuzzy kind of guy."
"Nothing's changed?" Gabriella said loudly throwing her hands up.
Chad looked at her questioningly as he gathered all the files. "He married you, so far he's been described as a kind, family oriented, warm fuzzy guy?" Chad said reaching for a magazine with Gabriella and Troy on the cover smiling and looking at stuffed animals.
God she didn't remember that. Where do these pictures come from? Gabriella let out a long sigh as she closed her eyes and tried to quite all the noise. "Yeah I can keep it quiet for now." She said in a low voice.
"Thank you," Chad said standing up from the desk. "Good luck." He placed a small kiss on her cheek and continued his way out the door leaving her in Troy's office.
"He is so not going to be happy about this," Gabriella muttered under her breath.