The story behind David was much more than the average young lovers who grew apart. David was the last time she genuinely thought she was happy. The last time she could remember thinking about being married without all this confusion and doubt.
"Hey," he said as she approached him. He was wearing her favorite shirt, the one that fit him just like a shirt should. It was tight, loose and defined his broad shoulders all at the same time.
"Hey," she said quietly, her insides fluttered and he leaned into hug her. Closing her eyes she felt herself tingle from the touch that was over before it started.
"You look beautiful," David said with smile as he pulled away.
Gabriella smiled as she trucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking around the empty restaurant she let out sigh as she motioned for them to sit. He always told her how beautiful she was and he always smelled like books. "What brings you here?"
"I wanted to see you," he said folding his hands and smiling at her.
Gabriella felt her stomach flip as she looked down at her hands. They met in College before her father's heart attack. Back when she was carefree and had dreams of her own about culinary and business. She had so many plans, so many plans that involved David. The problem was when her father died a year after her graduation her world came to stop. She dropped from her internship at the culinary art intuitions, she came back home and moved in with her mother, and she took over the cooking at the restaurant because she was the only one who knew the recipes. At the time all she had was David the only problem was that David didn't want to live here, he didn't want to inherit the problems of the restaurant he also wanted her to move back home with him, back to New York. "Well," Gabriella said finally, "I'm here."
"How have you been?" David smiled as he leaned in.
Gabriella couldn't stop herself from smiling like a fool; she loved the way he listened to her. The way he always leaned in like the next thing she said meant the world to him. "I have the money to save the restaurant," she said quietly.
"Seriously," David leaned back with his brows up in surprise, "Gabriella that's wonderful, that's amazing, I mean I can't believe it."
Gabriella giggled a little as she leaned back in her chair, "We hired another chief for the kitchen," she added bringing her hands down into her lap.
"Wow," David leaned in again, "I knew you could do it. You were always filled with ideas I knew you could do it."
Gabriella frowned; truth was she had nothing to do with it. All these things had to do with Troy, Troy and all his money, all his power and changes. So far she hadn't really done anything and every time Troy talked to her about the restaurant it was about investors, hiring staff, planning idea's for the long term profit. To a point even with her degree she had no idea what he was talking about.
"What's wrong?" David said with a small frown.
"It's been tough," Gabriella said with a tight smile, "I've had my head down for so long I just don't know what's really going on anymore," she leaned in and placed her hands on the table.
"I'm sure you'll get back on your feet," David said reaching in and placing a hand over hers.
Gabriella looked up into his lightly painted brown eyes, she felt a slight sting of tears that she clamped down on as hard as she could. She missed him so much, missed the touch of someone who longed for her, missed the sound of concern in his voice that came from his genuine worry. She missed the way he looked at her. Gabriella looked down at their hands, his thumb lightly caressing her hand. Blinking a bit she let the smile on her lips pull a little tighter.
Loosing David had been painful, she felt betrayed, left behind, worthless and overwhelmed with this resentment about having to take care of her family. In her mind she kept replaying their last few week together over and over, all the morning coffees he'd been quiet for, all the nights they drifted off to sleep in silence with so much space between them. She was constantly searching for that moment she lost it all. That moment in time when he realized that all the little doubts about their relationship were just too much to conquer. She constantly wondered because she couldn't have missed it, she should have saw it, was she walking out the door, walking in from a long dinner shift, smiling like a fool at him and wondering how lucky she was.
"David, why are you here?" Gabriella said quietly looking back up at him.
"I missed you," he said with a chuckle, "I was cleaning out my closet when I came across that box of photos you put away on the high shelf."
"Oh," Gabriella said raising her brow, in all the moving out and avoiding each other she must have missed the photos.
"Here I brought you these because I thought you would want them," he said pulling out an envelope from his inside pocket.
Gabriella took the envelope with caution not really sure what to expect to see. Carefully she opened them and she gasped as she pulled out the photos of her and her father in the kitchen. Her hand came to her lips as she looked down at his face caught in mid-laughter as he held a spoon Gabriella standing on a chair with her own spoon so she could wrap her arm around his shoulder.
She flipped the picture and looked down at a more intimate photo that David had taken of her. in the photo she was smiling as she sat in on the couch with her arms tied around her knees, her hair was shorter, her skin more fair and delicate. She was in her boy shorts and a white tang top, she looked so carefree.
Gabriella flipped and found another photo of her and her parents at her graduation, there was one of her and Isabella at the carnival, one of her and David smiling at the same carnival riding one of horses together on the merry-go-round. The last photo was of her and her dad in front of the restaurant smiling as he help up her diploma and pointed at it while she laughed in the background.
"David," she said looking up at him and wiping a stray tear from her cheek, "Thank you,"
"It's no problem; I didn't want to throw them out because I know how much they would probably mean to you."
"Bread?" Troy said leaning in and placing the bread at the center of the table.
Gabriella shot straight up as she narrowed her eyes at him, "I thought you were watching the fish."
Troy winked in her direction, "I am, just thought I'd come over and say hi," Troy turned towards David and smiled as he held out his hand. "Troy,"
"David," he responded with a confused smile as he took the offered hand.
Gabriella smiled cautiously, "David was just returning some old photos he found," Gabriella said with a small warning in her voice.
"Well, Zeke had a question," Troy said bringing his attention back to Gabriella, "He said it was something about the walk in being off?"
"Shit," Gabriella shot up and looked down at David, "I'll be right back," she said before she ran off.
"Alright," David said with a frown as she was already gone.
Troy sat down in Gabriella spot, "So David?" he said leaning forward with a smile.
"Are you the new chief?" David asked as he looked at Troy's apron.
"Nope," Troy said with a smile as he looked down at the small pile of photos, picking them up he looked at the photo of what must have been her and her father. The next one was of Gabriella standing on a chair as a little girl with her father.
"Those are kind of personal," David said as he watched Troy shift through the photos with a frown.
Troy looked up at David and raised a brow, "You think she wouldn't want me to see these?" He said holding up the pile of photos.
"I'm just saying that maybe you should have a little respect for her privacy," David said cautiously.
Troy put the pictures down and nodded, "Your right, I'm sure she'll probably want to share them with me later," Troy said with a smile "Good looking out."
"I'm sorry, who are you?" David said raising a brow as he frowned at him.
"Why are you here David?" Troy asked taking a deep breath.
"I'm here to talk to Gabriella," David said a little irritated, "Who are you some jealous boyfriend?"
Troy remained quite as he watched David look around the restaurant with annoyance and then over at the kitchen where Gabriella disappeared. "No I'm not her boyfriend," Troy said looking down at the pictures again.
David looked back at Troy and smirked, "Gabriella and I dated for four years, and we were going to get married."
Troy nodded as he crossed his arms resting them on the table and still staring at David without saying a word. Something about him didn't make Troy feel good, he could tell just by the way he was talking to Gabriella that there was a reason he was here, looking down at the pictures he let out a huff. No guy goes out of his way to return a few photos without another agenda. Troy just couldn't figure out what it was and it was only a matter of time before Gabriella realized he shut the power to the walk in off himself. "I think you should leave," Troy finally said.
"I think Gabriella wants me to be here when she gets back," David said smugly, "I wouldn't want her to be disappointed."
"If you leave a message I'll make sure she gets it," Troy said with a smile.
"Look," David said leaning in towards Troy as he kept his eyes on the door Gabriella disappeared too, "I'm not really sure what your fucking deal is here but I can assure you whatever message I have, you wouldn't be able to deliver properly."
"Must be a pretty important message," Troy said bringing a hand up to rest his head in.
Just then Gabriella appeared from the doors making her way over to the table and David smiled as he shrugged his shoulders, "I think you should leave now,"
Troy stood up just as Gabriella came to the table, "Troy did you touch the power box?"
"No," Troy said innocently as he shrugged his shoulders, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Gabriella said with a small frown, "the power must have just had a bug or something."
"Want me to call someone in to check it out?" Troy asked sincerely, "I've been meaning to get an electrician out here with the plumber."
"Could you?" Gabriella said with a flooded relief.
"All you had to do was ask," Troy said bringing his hand up to gently touch her cheek.
"Thanks Troy," she said looking at him with a small smile.
"It's not a problem," he said moving behind the chair and holding it out for Gabriella as she sat down, as soon as she sat down Troy placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Before turning away and making his way back to the kitchen he sent a wink in David's direction.
Gabriella who was flooding with relief about the walk in forgot about David who was sitting across the table looking at her with a curiously stare.
"Gabriella I think that man might be a stalking you," David said as he noticed Troy in the window of the kitchen doing something but keeping an eye on them all the same.
Gabriella turned around to see Troy pouring the fish into his batter, "That's my husband," she said turning back around to face him.
David shot back in his chair, "You're married!"
Gabriella's smile pulled tightly as she held up her hand with a frown, "Four weeks now," she said with a shrug. Letting out a breath she looked down at the pictures and smiled, "Thanks again for bringing the pictures back, how long are you in town for?" she asked curiously.
"I'm teaching a course at the college nearby," David said with a frown, "I'm currently rooming at a motel but I was hoping to find an apartment soon."
"Really," Gabriella said with surprise, "So you're moving into town?"
"Yes," David said solemnly as he looked back at her, "you're married?"
Gabriella nodded, "Yeah," she said looking down at her ring and then back up at him. "I mean it's a really long story but it's just," Gabriella shook her head, "It's crazy is what it is."
David looked down at the table, he wasn't listening to her and she stop talking to watch him slowly look around the restaurant. "I'm happy for you," David said looking back at Troy in the kitchen. "I figured we could talk about us," he said a little lost. "I guess I lost my chance on that," he said with a half laugh as he looked back at her.
Gabriella felt everything inside her come to a screeching halt as she looked up at stared at David who was frowning as he looked off to the side with an expression of confusion and hurt. He wanted her back? He came all this way to see her, to talk to her, to be with her and here she was. Married.
"I should have known better," David said looking back up at her with a small smile, "you're beautiful."
Gabriella couldn't say anything her heart felt like it stopped beating, her hands felt cold.
"I think I better go," David said standing up slowly.
Gabriella still couldn't summon up strength to speak; her eyes looked down at the pictures on the table. Then at her hand, at the wedding band, the suddenly tight and numbing piece of metal on her finger.
"Maybe we could go for coffee and talk? Someday," David said in low voice.
Gabriella smiled slightly as nodded as she looked up to see him tap his fingers on the table as he did when he was nervous, when there was more to say but he didn't want to argue. There was nothing said and he turned to leave.
Troy who been watching the whole time quickly took a seat in David abandoned chair the moment the door shut behind him. "What happened?"
Gabriella looked up at Troy blankly as she felt a tear roll down her cheek.
"You alright?" Troy asked quietly as he reached for the photos, he looked at the one of her and her sister and smiled.
"I hate you."
Troy looked up from photos to see her brown eyes staring at him with pain behind them, "I'm sorry, what?"
Gabriella stood up from the table wiping a tear from cheek "I want you to leave."
"What about the kitchen," Troy said looking back at her with confusion, "I thought you needed help?"
"Stay out of my kitchen," she said grabbing the photos from his hand and turning to make her way to the kitchen.
Troy watched her leave, his frown settling with a firm grim line. Just as he was about to stand Isabella walked over to place the napkin dispenser on the table. Before Isabella could walk away Troy reached out and took her hand. "Sit."
"Dude I have to fill like 20 more dispensers' dinner service starts in a few minutes?" Isabella said with frown.
Troy looked up at Gabriella's younger sister Isabella who was smirking at him with amusement. Troy featured softened, "Excuse my tone," he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet, "I will give you two hundred dollars for everything you know about David."
Isabella took a deep breath as she shrugged her shoulders, "Keep the money," she said taking a seat across from him at the table, "there isn't really much to tell about David."
"What is there?" Troy said putting his wallet away and sitting up straighter.
"David and Gabriella met their freshmen year of college, they fell in loved they lived together, they were supposed to get married," Isabella said rolling her eyes as she looked around the restaurant.
"What happened?" Troy asked shifting his eyes to see Gabriella busing herself in the kitchen.
"Dad died, Gabriella came back to cook in the kitchen and David refused to follow," Isabella shrugged her shoulders. "She took it hard, wouldn't talk to us for days, even now getting anything other than orders or restaurant related bullshit out of her is like pulling teeth."
"Do you even like working here?" Troy asked a little more concerned.
"No, personally I wanted to go to college but we don't have the money so I'm stuck in this hell hole." Isabella said crossing her arms.
"Why not just take out a student loan?" Troy said with a raised brow.
"Because this is the family business, you don't turn your back on family when they need you," Isabella said standing up. "I might not want to be here but I'm not going to leave my family to drown either."
Troy leaned back in his chair as Isabella made her way back to the bar to fill the dispensers. Troy got up from his seat and made his way back to the kitchen, pushing the door open Troy quickly made his way through the kitchen past Gabriella who was beginning to fry the batter he was working on and Zeke who was still chopping. Reaching the office he came in and shut the door behind him.
"Troy," Maria said looking up at him with a smile, "What can I do for you?"
"Send Isabella to college," Troy said crossing his arms.
Maria raised a brow, "It's not in the books," she said holding up her ledger.
"Then I'll pay for it, I just need you to get her there," Troy said with frown.
"What about the deal, the marriage?" Maria stood from her seat, "We've put a lot on the line here Troy."
"If its one thing I've observed from your family it's that forcing the girls to be here is exactly what's dragging this place down, you need a staff committed to making this place work."
"Are you telling me that I am the reason my girls are unhappy?" Maria said jabbing her fingers down at the paperwork. "This is why I made our deal, because everyone is unhappy. The restaurant was their father's dream; it wasn't supposed to be our life sentence."
"And I'm doing the best I can with what I have to work with," Troy said motioning to the walls around them, "Rehabilitation can take a long time, it's why the contract goes up to two years."
"Are you telling me that we are stuck here for two years?" Maria said crossing her arms.
"Maria," Troy said shoving his hands in his pockets, "I'm telling you that I'm making the changes that are necessary to move things along, but I can't do that if your family is so avidly pushing back."
"Who's pushing?" she said exasperatingly, "I think we have been more than understanding to you and your father."
Troy was quiet for a moment and then let out a breath to release a tension in his shoulders. When it was gone he looked back at the older woman standing before him."I'm taking Gabriella away for a week, in the mean time you and Zeke will hire 11 new staff members, that's including another chief, two bus boys, and a dishwasher to help in the kitchen, 5 waiters, a hostess and general manger."
"Does Gabriella know?" Maria said with smirk.
"I will handle my wife," Troy said with a smile of his own, "Our arrangement was that I would buy the restaurant under the condition that you and your girls have a guaranteed job. But this restaurant is under my management not yours and so far I have been met with nothing but resistance to change. No one is happy with the current situation, and do not be mistaken I intend to take matters into my own hand soon if the changes I require are not made. Even if that means replacing Gabriella," he said with small frown.
"It would crush her?" Maria said sitting back down, "She will never forgive you."
Troy looked at Maria with a smirk, "Just make sure you hire more staff, we're going to need more hands on board. I did you favor, because at the time I thought it was an honest idea, but now I think it might be unreasonable. Changes need to be made and I expect them to start with Isabella's enrollment to college." Troy turned for the door not giving Maria a chance to speak on the matter.