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missed this," I mumbled, to the small woman marching beside me.
    "What's that?"
    "Bryant Park. I mean, Wow! You know?" I stared at the immaculate gardens surrounding us. The colors, the boaters, the 360 degree views of the truly astounding architecture that only New York could provide to the world…this was home. I mean, California had positives and certainly the sunshine was worth the price of admission when you finally achieved entrance into the elite Hollywood club, but New York—the scents, the sounds, the sites—everything was larger than life here. 
    Some people moved at a rapid pace, looking at their watch, or smoking their cigarettes like it was the last moment of serenity before they headed back into their world of 'go, go, go.' Young lovers walked by hand-in-hand, somehow knowing that this was the location that would play home to their future wedding. 
    There were kids running and people sitting against the large, green trees that'd just begun to blossom. Some, and I really loved this, didn't even have laptops. And unlike L.A., there were even some who weren't staring at a cell phone. They were simply leaning back, talking like real people, making eye contact with each other, and loving the fact they were a part of this magical world. 
    Bobby's deep voice entered my ear and brought me back to the strange, and still unknown, situation I was a part of. "I know." He looked around at the same sights. "I love this place. It's so fast and furious, and then there are these corners that simply bring out the life inside you. Makes you wanna dance, huh?"
    I laughed. Actually, it did. I thought a great show number right now would be completely applicable.
    The restaurant up ahead was a favorite for all. The seasonal patio was open for business, and people had already congregated on the rooftop to dine in style while they sat on top of the world and stared at everything from the green lawns to the New York Public Library that called this area its own.
    As I reached out to grab the door handle—to be a gentleman, I thought—the small Nicole ripped it from my grasp and threw it open as if she was Streisand entering the room.
    Bobby just shook his head as she marched away. "She's like that."
    I nodded. "She can kind of put the fear of God into you, can't she?"
    Bobby patted me on the back as a slight tremor ran through me at the very thought of being stuck in a room with Nicole for a long time.
    "Trust me," Bobby snickered. "She talks a big game, but she's the most loyal woman on the planet."
    "Her husband must be a bulldozer to deal with that kind of power," I added.
    "He'll have to be," Bobby replied. "But something tells me when she comes across him we'll see a whole other Nicole."
    "Oh."
    "I'm personally looking forward to it. I've only ever seen one person who could put that woman in her place." He looked over the heads of the small crowd gathered inside. "And you're about to dine with both of them."
    "Great." I swallowed hard. "Any advice?"
    He laughed deeply. "Good luck to you."
    I turned around quickly, eyeing the tall man. "Aren't you coming?"
    Bobby shook his head. "No. I've had a pretty busy morning. Just gonna sit, eat and wait for my friend."
    "I feel like I need a bodyguard," I chuckled, although I was being slightly serious.
    Putting his hands in his pockets, he offered me a stare that was filled with a strange mixture of honesty and worry. "I am one; just not yours."
    I gave a slight nod as I watched him head into the mass of tables. Turning back around I looked at the ground, not wanting to have to smile pretty for a fan right now. But no such luck. As the young waitress suddenly appeared before me, her eyes grew wide. "It's you," she breathed.
    I nodded. "I'm with the small woman in black that just marched through here?"
    "This way," she said, batting her eyelashes.
    Meandering through the place, she kept looking back over her shoulder to flirt with me. I tried to smile back, reaching out my hands more