Gabriella sat in the passenger side of the car looking out the windows and watching as the houses got bigger, driveways grew longer, and the fences rose higher than the last. "What is it about rich people it's like the more money you have the more away from everyone else you want to be?"
"Do you know how many people ask you for money?" Troy casted a sideways glance in her direction to see her looking out the window at all the houses they passed. "Do you know how many people want to break in and steal from you when you have something they don't?"
"My sister lives in a shitty apartment were a bum sleep in the hallway, and she's never been robbed," Gabriella countered.
"Your sister also has nothing worth stealing," Troy said carelessly as he kept driving; "Besides everyone has a right to their own privacy, no matter the status of it."
Gabriella was quiet as she watched him drive, his arm on the steering wheel was relaxed as he looked up in the rearview mirror and then back at the road. "Why don't you have a driver?"
"Why do I need a driver?"
Gabriella shrugged her shoulder, "Don't rich people have drivers?"
Troy shot her another sideways glance, "I waited 16 annoying years to get behind a wheel. I don't care how much money I have, no one is driving my cars but me."
"Not even me?" Gabriella said coyly.
"Including you," Troy said with a smile, "You can have your own car; all you have to do is ask."
"I rather take the bus," Gabriella let out a sigh and looked back out the window.
Troy shook his head as he glanced over at her and then back at the road. "Why do you insist on being so difficult? I can make life so much easier for you."
David taught her how to drive when they were in New York. One of their mutual friends got robbed on the subway. David never wanted her to take the subway after that, they learned all the bus routes together, they took cabs. Gabriella looked down at her wedding band as she bit her lip. David was the last man who ever cared enough to make her life easier, and even then he did it out of love not money. Gabriella brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Because money changes you and I happen to like the way I am. I work hard for the things I earn and I have morals," Gabriella said proudly.
"Really so what morals allow you to marry someone for their money?" Troy said pulling up to a gate and opening his window so he can speak into the intercom.
Gabriella let out a sigh and shook her head as she turned away from him. She hated him, she couldn't stand his attitude, and everything about him was like a world of make believe. Just then his hand reached over and took her hand in his causing Gabriella to jerk in surprise.
"Don't be angry," he said calmly, "I married you to get what I want and you married me to get what you want. We're even; can we kiss and make up?"
Gabriella pulled her hand away from his and let out a sigh, "I'm not going to sleep with you,"
"Only a matter of time," Troy said with a smile as he they watched the gate open and Troy proceeded to enter the gate.
When he opened her door she got out of the car crossing her arms as she stood there while he got out his briefcase from the back. Looking around she took in the brick flooring and all the hedges, she been there before. The engagement party was in their back yard and even that had been right out of some Hollywood story. White satin tents and food flown in from different parts of the world, there had been so many guests there. Everything was so fast and so glamorous that even now she felt like it had all been a dream. When she felt his hand touched the small of her back she gasped from the soft touch. Reaching behind her, she pushed his hand away. "I know where the door is," she said matter of fact.
"Do you now," Troy said walking past her a little and turning to face her, "Should I let you lead the way then?" he motioned behind him to the house.
Gabriella crossed her arms again she began to walk towards the door with him closely behind her. "I can feel your breath," she said quietly as she rang the bell.
Troy leaned in and placed an arm around her waist pulling her softly against him as he nuzzled himself into the warm nook of her neck and placed a kiss there. Smiling to himself as he felt her shiver a little as her hand covered his on her waist. "Tell me," Troy said with a soft whisper, "What else do you feel?" he said pulling her closer against him.
"Well aren't you two just adorable," Cathy chimed as she pulled the front door opened.
Gabriella jerked away from him, reaching forward to offer Cathy a hug, anything to get away from him.
"Good morning sugar," Cathy said with a wide grin, her blonde hair was put up really high. "Troy your daddy is waiting for you in the living room."
"Thank you," he said walking up to Cathy and placing a small kiss on her cheek before disappearing inside and leaving Gabriella behind with Cathy, alone.
"Well come on Darling, Sharpay is waiting for us inside; I figured we'd have breakfast catered in on the patio." Cathy smiled as she ushered her inside the house. Cathy had a strong Texas accent and always said things that Gabriella had come to learn, didn't make sense. Either way she was a world wind of energy to keep up with and she had a big heart to boot. Gabriella didn't understand why Troy disliked her so much.
Gabriella nodded as she came in, "Sounds nice," she said politely.
Gabriella walked through their big house and into the back yard, Sharpay, who was sitting at the table already was texting on her phone. Her blonde strands in curls around her face.
"So we have a party to plan?" Gabriella said looking at both women, "Troy tells me it's your 25th anniversary?"
"Oh lord," Cathy said pulling out a chair and sitting down, "Love is something else, don't you think?" She said with a laugh as she looked down at her plate, looking back up she flashed her smile again. "I mean one moment he's asking me to dance and the next I'm moving on in with a big rock on my finger."
"The Bolton boys do move quickly," Sharpay said with a smile as she looked at Gabriella, "You and Troy only knew each other for barely a month before he put a ring on it."
27 days, Gabriella thought to herself as she crossed her legs and looked at all the food on the table. "Troy is," She said with a smile she meant a little more than she'd like to admit. "He's charming," she said finally.
"Look at her, three months married and she's still glowing with that feverishly hot sizzle of new love," Cathy said knowingly.
"That's probably because they've been humping like bunnies," Sharpay said as she stuck her spoon in her oatmeal.
Gabriella tired her best blush on cue, not really sure it worked she settled for looking down at her own plate of oatmeal.
"That's because I married a gorgeous woman I can barely keep my hands off of," Troy said as he came outside leaning in from Gabriella's right side and placing a small kiss on her cheek. When she turned towards him to welcome him but his lips came down on hers so quickly she was put on the spot. His lips were soft as they pressed against hers and he smiled into the kiss as he bit her bottom lip making her gasp from the shock of it.
"Eww," Sharpay said with a laugh, "Suck face somewhere else."
Troy pulled away and smiled devilishly as he moved to take his seat beside her.
Gabriella who had been taken by quite the surprise quietly bit her bottom lip even though it still tingled from his bite and returned back to her oatmeal. This time her cheeks were aflame with the heat she felt there and against her resistance her lips curled into a small smile.
Cathy laughed as she began to eat, soon after the giggles and teasing wore off, Jack joined them and he dropped an envelope in front of them before taking his seat beside Cathy.
"What is this?" Gabriella said looking at the envelope and looking over at Troy who was smirking in her direction.
"Your plane tickets," Jack said causally as he sat down next to Cathy.
"Plane tickets?" Gabriella asked curiously.
"I have a few meetings I'll need to attend in order to get some supplies for the restaurant and make some allies we can rely on," Troy said looking at his father, "I'm doing the best I can to learn everything there is to know about this business. I also figured that this could double as a honeymoon for Gabriella and I since we couldn't really go on one since the wedding."
Gabriella's spoon slipped from her hand and hit the bowl with a loud clink as she let out a gasp to follow. Anger bubbled as she narrowly looked into his blue eyes that lazily smiled back at her.
"Oh look she's so excited she can barely hold her spoon!" Cathy said with a loud laugh, "I just knew you would love it, he got you a honeymoon suite for the whole week."
"We'll go shopping later today," Sharpay said leaning in and placing a hand on Gabriella lap. "Trust me you're going to need a few things and I know exactly where we can find them."
Gabriella nodded and looked around the table, looking at Troy he was still quiet as he smiled and ate his oatmeal. "What about my job?"
"That's why I hired Zeke; you can't always be in two places at once Babe," Troy said with a concerned expression.
Babe? Gabriella frowned as she looked down at her plate and then back at him. "Troy-"
"Your father is proud of you, you have sacrificed a lot for his restaurant," Troy said with a knowing look as he cut her off before she could protest. "You just have to trust me. You need time away for perspective."
Gabriella was quite as she looked across the table at her father in-law who was watching them with a curious expression. She could almost hear his mind thinking out loud. The Bolton's were no strangers to mixing their business with family matters. Jack Bolton had both his step son and son working for him at his company, grooming them for the day he'd step down and leave one of them in charge. She could only assume that, that had something to do with what he was up to.
Looking back at Troy he raised a brow, "What is it?"
It was the conversation in the kitchen all over again. "My perspective is fine," Gabriella looked down at her plate, "When are you going to come down to the restaurant for your own perspective?"
"I love this woman," Jack said with a smirk as he looked over at Cathy.
Gabriella smiled as she looked back at Troy who was looking at her with narrowed expression of his own.
"My perspective is strictly coming from a consultant's point of view baby," he said picking up a napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth.
Baby, Gabriella bit her lip to get a hold of her temper, "I want you to come work in the kitchen tonight."
Troy looked up at his father and then Cathy who was watching the spectacle she was making out of the honeymoon. Honesty, most women in her position would have been thrilled with a spontaneous honeymoon. Then again Troy had never had the pleasure of meeting someone in her position and after this arrangement he had every intention of never meeting one again. "Would that make you feel better?" Troy said finally.
"It's a start," Gabriella said firmly folding her hands in front of her with her jaw line clenched.
Troy leaned forward, "Then I'll be there," he said placing a soft hand on her shoulder and rubbing her skin with his thumb. Her shoulder fell a little and she forced a smile as she looked back at everyone else on at the table and nodded.
Cathy clapped her hands in celebration and the table erupted with cheer. When the laughter died down the conversation went into party planning as Gabriella actively listened to all of Cathy's ideas about the flowers and theme. She wanted to reenact the mood of when her and Jack first met, the soft music in a low lit place. A dance floor for couples to sway to live music, in essence she wanted the entire thing to scream romance.
"I'm so excited about this, I was just on the phone with Ryan last night about it and he says he knows a company that decorates for occasion like this, he even said we should get one of those party planners."
"Already taken care of," Troy said lifting his glass of orange juice. "I have someone coming in to talk to Gabriella about the layout of the restaurant and the décor. We are also working with a party planner of our own who will be working exclusively for the restaurant and if all goes well for the company as well."
"What's wrong with the party planners we have on staff?" Jack asked.
"We need someone who deals with the food industry and know how to handle small company fuctions. Our party planners are capable of doing amazing work but I want to find someone a little more defined for what we want."
"You mean what you want?" Jack said with a raised brow and a frown.
There was an uncomfortable vibe in the air and Gabriella let out a sigh as she leaned in and looked at Cathy. "Where is Ryan?"
"He's in Texas right now; we have an event happening later tonight with an oil company for the investors."
"The Maxims account?" Troy asked a little interested.
"Yes, I figured since you're dealing with the restaurant, you need a little more wiggle room so I gave the account to Ryan," Jack said with a grin.
"Yeah," Troy said with a shrug, "I mean I can still work on my side projects, this is just one of my bigger items."
"I know," Jack said, "but we do have other clients who need our time."
"And as a wife I require a certain allotment of time," Gabriella said interfering in their conversations, "I mean honestly if we get the restaurant up and running again, it helps us in the long run. Even as a busy business man with tons of other clients," she said motioning to Troy and Jack. "We're not just rehabbing some little print shop, we are rehabbing the way your company can branch out to help other clients in the food industry and small community rehabilitation."
Jack smiled as he looked over at Gabriella, "I suppose you wouldn't be interested in a position at Bolton's Enterprises?"
The table ruptured with laughter and Troy remained quiet as he picked at his food. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "I'm only repeating what Troy talks about non-stop," she said brushing some hair away from her face. "He's got a really good head on his shoulders, but, you know how these things can be. I mean when we first moved in together I thought I'd never get him off all that fast food and garbage but he's beginning to eat normally with time and my genius coaching." Laughter erupted for a second time and this time Troy smiled as he looked over at her with a playfully hurt expression.
When the visiting was over and Gabriella she had an idea of what to start getting in motion for the party, they made their way to the front door. Gabriella gave her in-laws a large hug.
"We'll go shopping later," Sharpay said with smile as they hugged good bye.
Gabriella got into the car after Troy held the door open for her. Sitting in the passenger's seat of his car she waited in silence as he got into the car and turned the key roaring the engine to life.
"My family likes you more than they like me," Troy muttered putting the car in drive as he pulled out and began to make his way down the drive.
"I think you just try too hard," Gabriella said as she looked at the envelope in her lap that contained the plane tickets, "We're not really sharing a room are we?"
"Yeah you're right because newlyweds always book two separate rooms. There is absolutely nothing suspicious about that," Troy said glancing at her as they got back on the road.
"I'm not sleeping in the same bed with you."
"Despite the ideas in your head I only engage in consensual sexual activities."
"Right," Gabriella said as she watched him drive, "because throwing your money around makes everything consensual."
Troy let out a laugh, "Money can't buy love, but it sure as shit gets you a great bargaining position."
"It makes me sick to think that you can just sleep with someone and have no emotional attachment?" Gabriella said as she looked away from him and out the window to watch the houses pass by.
Troy rolled his eyes as he listened to her comments. "Look," he said giving her a sideways glance.
"Sex without love is an empty experience, but as far empty experiences go," Troy said looking back at the road, "It's one of the best."