Justin was waiting by the reception area when she reached the lobby. He smiled when he saw her walking towards him. They got some looks from the other hotel guests and employees but they both ignored it.

“Hey are you ready?” Justin asked as soon as she reached him.

“Yeah, I got the food too” she showed him the basket she was carrying. They rode in Justin’s car with Lonnie driving.

“Hey Lonnie” Gabby greeted. “Are you coming with us?”

“Nah, I’m just going to drop you off and pick you up later. It’s your date so I don’t wanna impose” he laughed.

Gabby blushed a little by what Lonnie commented. “It’s not a date. Justin is just going to show me central park”

“Whatever you say” Lonnie said.

After a few minutes Justin and Gabby is already sitting down on the spot that they’ve found. It was under a tree surrounded by kids running around with a smile in their faces and their mother chasing them.

“This is a good spot” Justin said.

“Yeah” They took the food containers out of the basket and started to eat.

“Wow these are good” Justin said eating the meat balls.

“Thanks. So how was your promotion thing?” she took a little salad in her plate.

“It went okay just a little chaotic” 

“That’s good. At least it’s finished now”

“Yeah. How about you, are you okay now? You know from what happen last night” he asked carefully.

She looked at him for a moment before answering his question. She knows she should say something not a detailed explanation just something. The only thing is if she opens her mouth he might run away.

“Yeah, I’m okay now. Thank you for not leaving me alone last night” she smiled.

“Do you wanna clue me in?” he asked her.

She took a deep breath before continuing. “To say that I had a traumatic life is an understatement” She looked straight at him when she paused for a bit. “I’m not going to go in to a detail because even if I wanted to I can’t. So just the wash out version if that’s okay” he nodded for an answer and waited for her to continue.

She looked at the kids playing and laughing with their parents. “I never got my ‘perfect’ life. Sometimes I look at the people around me and think, ‘it’s so unfair’. And when I thought it couldn’t get any worse a much bigger bomb explodes in my way. Then it came to the point where I have to run away and hide.” She sighed.

“Why do you have to hide?” Justin asked.

She looked at Justin and thought of how she’s going to answer his question but I guess she owes him a little word of caution.

“I can’t tell you right now but I will say this, and feel free to run away afterwards. I’ll understand.” She took a deep breath and… “I’m hiding because a few people want me dead.” Justin’s eyes went wide and he wanted to press for details but he couldn’t get the words out. “I know this is serious but before you become more involved in my life or vice versa I thought I should tell you this much”

“Why? Why do people want you dead?” he couldn’t keep it anymore. This is serious and he has to say something.

“I saw something I shouldn’t have and these people want to ‘silence’ me.” She looked at him and she could clearly see the fear and concern in his eyes. “This is why I can’t be photographed because if my face comes out of a newspaper or magazine, they could find me and just by knowing me you’re life would/could be in danger and I’m telling you this now so that you would have the chance to think twice about being friends with me”

Justin took a full minute before he said anything and she just waited for him to absorb what she is saying. “I don’t know what to say” he told her but then he reached out and took her hand. “But all I know right now is I want you in my life. Even if it’s just as a friend” he said looking her in the eye. “…for now anyway” he smiled.

“I want you to understand Justin, we’re talking about your life here and I’d say it again I completely understand if you cut ties with me. I’m used to being alone in my life anyway and it wouldn’t be new” she shrugged.

“Yea but now you don’t have to be alone and I completely understand about the whole ‘my life being in danger thing’ but it would be okay. If there’s a problem we’ll talk about it.”

“Are you really sure? I don’t want you to regret anything in the end or if something bad happened.”

“I will be with you every step of the way”

She reached out and hugged him. She was just so happy that she won’t be alone anymore. Granted she couldn’t tell him everything yet but for now this will do.

“You do realise I can’t tell you everything right now but when the time comes and I can finally tell you everything I will.” She has to make sure that he understands that.

“I’ll wait for that time then” he smiled.

After the serious talk, they enjoyed the rest of their afternoon. It was about 6pm when they decided to go back to their hotel. For dinner, they just ordered room service and a movie so they could just relax. For the rest of the weekend, Justin did his job on the early mornings and he showed New York to Gabby in the afternoon. They did everything from watching a basketball to shopping. Good thing she have a lot of money because she saw a lot of stuff she wanted to buy.

When it was time to catch their plane back to Florida she has at least another suitcase added to the one she brought to New York. Justin was teasing her all the way for being such a girl and buying a lot of stuff too. When they arrived in the airport they still have another half hour to kill. She went to a magazine stand to buy a news paper when she saw the pictures in the front cover of a tabloid magazine. It was her and Justin in one of their shopping trip around New York. She should be nervous because they got her picture plastered in a front page of a magazine fro everyone to see. But after studying the picture for another minute, she could clearly see that she’s not recognizable in the picture. In fact with her baseball cap and sunglasses she looks like another girl.

Justin came to stand behind her and looked at what she was staring at in front of her.

He grabbed the magazine and looked at the picture. “Shit. I didn’t know they had our picture. I’m so sorry.” He looked at her with a little bit of concern showing in his face but he was shocked when she just smiled at him.

She took the magazine from his hand and put it back in the stand. “It’s okay Justin; I’m not recognisable anyway since I changed my hair colour and wearing a baseball cap.

Besides after telling you some of the stuff that’s going on in my life, I’m so ready. I can honestly say right now, I wouldn’t care if they find me. I finally found someone…” she looked straight at Justin. “… who would actually be there for me no matter what and I’d be damned if I’m going to give it up without a fight” she went to a chair after grabbing the New York post and paying for it. Justin followed her and sat beside her with a little smile on his face.

“You know, it would be so much better if you agree to be my girlfriend” he grinned at her and waited for her to answer him.

She looked at him for a second before rolling her eyes at him. “Don’t push it Timberlake” she said before turning to her newspaper again.

It wasn’t long after that, they heard their boarding being called through the intercom. They grabbed their carry on and went straight to the boarding gate.