It was after 10 a.m. Justin couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept in that late but it felt AMAZING.  In fact, it was the sound of movement in the kitchen that had caused him to stir.  Rubbing the sleep from his eyes Justin rolled onto his side then groaned.  His ribs and lung were still very sore. 

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself up to sit then swung his legs over the side of the bed.  Once he was standing, he quickly pulled on a pair of joggers and a t-shirt then shuffled out into the kitchen. 

JC was already up and dressed. 

“Hey there…looks like you had a good night.” JC said grinning.

Justin made a face.  “How can you tell?” He asked quietly.

JC chuckled.  “The look on your face.  You walked in here with the biggest smile.  I take it your date was just what the doctor ordered.”

Justin laughed and shook his head.  He’d caught JC’s joke and although it was incredibly cheesy Justin knew JC meant well.

Justin nodded and bit his lip.  “It was pretty great as far as 1st dates go.”

JC grinned.  “Does that mean there will be a 2nd date with the good Doctor?”

Justin smiled and nodded.  “I think so.”

JC then nodded to the Dry erase board and markers still sitting on the counter. 

“What’s the story here?”

Justin visibly laughed.  “Dr. Hunter…I mean Chloe brought them.  She said she’d read up on my condition and I shouldn’t be talking so much.”

JC laughed.  “She has a point.”

It was then that Justin blurted out Chloe’s revelation from the night before.

“She has a kid.”

JC’s eyes widened a bit.  It was definitely not what he’d expected Justin to say.

“How old?” JC asked curiously.

Justin held up five fingers.

“Does that freak you out?” JC asked seriously.

Justin smiled and shook his head.  He couldn’t explain why, but it didn’t bother him in the least that Chloe had a kid.

“Nah.  Not at all.  I mean, it makes sense, we are both of certain age, had life experiences, the likelihood that she has a kid isn’t so surprising.”

“Boy or girl?” JC asked.

Justin smiled.  “Girl.  Her name is Gabby.”

JC bit his lip and shook his head.  Both men had dated plenty of women.  Neither of them had ever dated a woman with a kid but as Justin had just explained, it wasn’t so unbelievable.

“Are you going to meet her?” JC continued.

Justin shrugged.  “I hope to, but I told Chloe I would wait until she was ready.”

JC grinned.  “You really like this girl, don’t you?”

Justin blushed a bit, then nodded.  “Yeah.  I think I do.  She’s intelligent, independent, sassy, kind, beautiful and passionate…and…umm…she’s a DAMN GOOD kisser.”

JC couldn’t help but smile.  It was good to see Justin this happy and excited about something. 

“So, when is date number 2?”

Justin shrugged as he reached for a coffee cup.  “I’m going to let her make the next move.”

JC nodded.  “Smart man.”

Later that afternoon, once Chloe and Gabby had returned home Chloe finally found a moment to text Justin. 

Chloe: Hi

Justin: Hey there

Chloe:  I know it’s the week of Thanksgiving and you probably have plans but umm…I have the day off Tuesday

Justin grinned. 

Justin: Would you like to get together?

Chloe blushed and bit her lip.  She knew he couldn’t see her but if he could he would see that just the thought of a day spent with him was making her a bit giddy.  However, given her previous experiences she was determined to keep her cool.  This would only be their second date and she didn’t want to set her expectations too high and then be disappointed or end up getting her heart broken again.

Chloe: I mean…if you want to…if you’re not busy

Justin smiled and shook his head.  Even through text she was being adorable.

Chloe: Gabby will be in school and my brother has court so I have the whole day

Justin: Hmm… a day date…sounds fun.  What did you have in mind?

Chloe smiled.  She really hoped that Adam didn’t walk in and see her blushing this much.

Chloe: Umm…well…you are Justin Timberlake and you are still recovering.  What are you feeling up to? What can you do without getting mobbed?

Justin smiled down at the phone and began to rub at the back of his neck.  The fact that she was worried about his wellbeing was extremely endearing…and appreciated.  She was treating him like a human being with feelings and not just a status update.

Justin chuckled as he typed his reply.

Justin: Not much.  I may need to bring security, if that’s ok with you.

Chloe nodded.  It made sense.  She could only imagine what he had to deal with just to leave his apartment.

Chloe: If it makes you feel more comfortable, I am fine with that. 

Her calm was so refreshing.  It made him relax, something he needed to do more of during his recovery.

Justin: How about a walk in Central Park? Some fresh air would probably be good for me.  Then we can decide from there

Chloe beamed.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d walked through Central Park. It sounded perfect.

Chloe: Sounds great.  What time?

Justin: What time works for you? 

Chloe paused for a moment in thought.  Her schedule was typically a bit hectic.  Normally, during the week she worked from 7-5 Monday, Thursday and Friday, took the On Call shift every Tuesday and alternating Saturday and Sundays.  It seemed like a lot, which it was, but it gave her lots of time at home with Gabby which was what they both needed right now.  In other words, it worked. 

Chloe: Is 9:30 too early?

Justin: Nope.  9:30 is perfect.  The Merchant’s Gate Entrance?

Chloe: Sounds good.  I will see you then.

As promised, Adam took Gabby to school on Tuesday morning.  Chloe was up at 7.  Yes, it was her day off but for her, getting up at 7 was sleeping in.  Normally, she was up at 5 to be at work by 7.  Getting up that early also meant that she was able to give Gabby a hug and kiss before she left for school, something she wasn’t able to do on mornings when she worked. 

Once Gabby and Adam were gone for the day Chloe decided to make herself a cup of coffee and head for the shower.  For the first time in what seemed like forever she could actually take her time getting ready.  She took a long, hot shower, letting the hot water warm every inch of her and relax her sore muscles.  Standing in an operating room for hours on end took a toll on her, especially her back, knees and her feet.

After her shower, Chloe wrapped herself in a robe and a towel on her head then grabbed her cup and headed for the closet to pick out something to wear.  It was getting colder in the city, but thankfully, there was no snow in the forecast.  The high for the day was supposed to be in the high 50’s.  However, at 9:30 a.m. the weather would probably be a bit chilly so Chloe opted for her favorite pair of dark wash jeans, her comfiest pair of boots and a dark green, cable knit sweater with a slouch neckline.  It was comfortable but feminine at the same time.  She hoped Justin liked it.

At 9:25 a.m. Chloe was walking up to entrance of Central Park.  It was a Tuesday morning, so the park wasn’t super busy, but it was two days before Thanksgiving, so it wasn’t empty either.  She spotted Justin almost immediately.  Even from this distance she could pick him out of the crowd. 

He was dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt and a black pea coat with a derby hat and a pair of sunglasses on his head.

Chloe inhaled a bit sharply once she recognized him.  He looked AMAZING!

“Well…crap!” Chloe muttered to herself.

Justin saw Chloe as she approached.  Immediately, a smile tugged at his lips.  She looked comfortable, yet breathtaking.  He couldn’t stop staring. 

Chloe took a breath as she got closer.  She was nervous.  It had been a long time since she’d actually “dated” and this was only their 2nd date.  His smile didn’t help.  Neither did the fact that he was holding two cardboard cups.

“Coffee?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

He grinned and shook his head.

“Hot chocolate.  I would have done coffee but I didn’t want to get your order wrong.”

She smiled and nodded as she took the cup and took a sip.  It was REALLY good.

“Pumpkin Spice Latte in the fall, Peppermint White Mocha in the winter and just a White Mocha any other time.”

Justin smiled and chuckled a bit.  “I will keep that in mind.”

“What about you? What’s your poison?”

“Hmm…good question.  An Iced Triple Grande White Mocha if it’s warm outside otherwise I like to switch it up, I am not picky so long as the drink is hot.”

Chloe nodded.  It was a really good answer. 

“You look great by the way.” Justin blurted out.

Chloe smiled.  She knew he meant it.

“Thanks.  I don’t get an opportunity to wear real clothes during the week very often, so when I do I try to take advantage of it.”

Justin took a sip of his hot chocolate and nodded.  He loved hearing her speak.  There was just something about her voice that was so soothing.  It didn’t matter what they were talking about, it just felt right.

“I can see how wearing scrubs all the time might put a cramp in one’s style.” He mused as they started to walk.

Chloe laughed.  “It does.  Thankfully, we are allowed to wear our own scrub caps in surgery so I can show a little personality.  I have to confess I may or may not have at least one *NSYNC scrub cap in my collection.”

Justin blushed slightly.  “I’m flattered.”

“Surgeons also get to pick music in the Operating Room so there is that too.  Although, I don’t typically play any of your stuff in surgery…*NSYNC or your solo stuff.  I need to concentrate most of the time and your music is a bit of a distraction.”

Justin smiled more and nodded.  “I can see that.”

They walked quietly for a bit, just sipping their hot chocolate and enjoying the beautiful morning.  Justin felt a bit awkward.  Chloe was incredibly smart, obviously, so he was unsure of what to talk about.  Not that he wasn’t smart, he was, he was just feeling a bit intimidated too.

“Umm…so…I’m curious…what’s the difference between a trauma surgeon and just a surgeon.  Isn’t all surgery traumatic?” Justin blurted out.

Chloe couldn’t help but smile and bite her lip.  She found his question incredibly charming and adorable.  She stopped briefly and turned to look up at him to answer.

“Well…a General surgeon can treat almost anyone that needs surgery.  They need to have a good working knowledge of all 9 of the basic areas of surgery.  A trauma surgeon deals with surgery that is a result of trauma such as car accidents, gunshot wounds, farm or work accidents, appendicitis or surgery on patients who were already in the hospital for another procedure or surgery.  So, people who go into Sepsis or Multi organ failure after surgery.”

Justin’s eyes were wide.  It sounded very stressful.

“Did you always want to be a trauma surgeon?” Justin asked, his eyes still wide.

Chloe cracked a smile and shook her head.  “No.  During my Residency I was leaning towards Pediatric Surgery.   Then, towards the end of my last year I got pregnant and realized I couldn’t handle the idea of treating patients that young. “

Justin nodded.  It made perfect sense.

“Occasionally, I do get a pediatric patient who comes into the ER, but if they are even remotely close in age to Gabby, I typically pass them off to another doctor.  It’s just too much.”

Justin nodded again.  He could only imagine how difficult that would be. 

“I would probably do the same thing.”

Chloe smiled.  He was completely wonderful.

“What about you, did you always want to be an Entertainer? I mean, I know you got into it at a young age but did you ever have aspirations of doing something else?”

Justin shook his head and grinned.  “Nope.  As my Mama tells it, I was performing in the womb.”

Chloe giggled.  “Somehow, I can picture that.  You’re really good at it, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Justin beamed.  “I don’t mind it a bit. “

There was another pause but it was brief.  Justin was doing his best to get to know her as much as possible but he was struggling for questions.  Not to mention he was trying to let her do most of the talking so he wasn’t using his voice too much.

“So…umm…you like *NSYNC and my music, what else is on your playlist?”

Chloe laughed.  “I have very broad taste.  I grew up on the crooners like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.  I like Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera and Carrie Underwood.  Michael and Janet Jackson are up there too and Adam and I were big into New Kids on the Block when we were kids.  Hip Hop, R & B, Country, Pop, Classical…I will listen to all of it.  I’m not much into Grunge, Alternative, Heavy Metal or Techno but aside from that I’m not picky.”

“So, No Nirvana or Rage Against the Machine. Got it!” Justin said grinning.

“No thank you!” Chloe laughed.

“What about BSB?’ Justin asked.

Chloe made a face causing Justin to laugh.

“I’ll take that as a “no.”

“To be honest, I do like some of their songs, but I find some of their personalities a bit nauseating.”

Justin busted up laughing at this.  He loved her honesty.  It was refreshing. 

“Fair enough.” He chuckled before continuing.

Ok, then tell me this, if you don’t listen to *NSYNC or me in the operating room, what do you listen to?”

“Ever heard of Vanessa Mae or Bond?” Chloe asked smiling.

Justin shook his head.  He knew a LOT of artists but neither of the names she’d mentioned were familiar.

Chloe smiled.  “Vanessa Mae is like the precursor to Lindsey Sterling and Bond is a female, string quartet.  Two violins, a viola and a Cello.”

Justin bit his lip and nodded.  With every new thing he learned about her it made him want to learn more.

“Lindsey is a sweetheart.” Justin replied.

Chloe’s eyes went wide.  True, it wasn’t his style of music but it wasn’t so unbelievable that they had met.

“You’ve met Lindsey Sterling?” Chloe asked in disbelief.

Justin grinned and nodded.  “A couple times.  But now I have to ask, if you’re in to that sort of thing have you ever heard of “2 Cellos?”

Chloe’s eyes widened more and her jaw dropped.  Justin saw her reaction and couldn’t help but grin.  He knew her answer.

“Judging by your expression I am going to guess “yes.”

“Umm…duh.” Chloe smirked.

Justin laughed.  “Didn’t they just announce a tour?”

Chloe nodded.  “They did.  It starts in February.”

Justin grinned and gave her a look.  “I’ll have to remember that.”

Chloe gave him a look.  “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Justin asked honestly.

“That! This is only our 2nd date, what if you decide you’re not interested anymore?” Chloe replied.

Justin grinned.  “I really don’t see that happening.”

Chloe bit her lip and blushed.  “No?”

“Nope.  You’re gorgeous, talented, intelligent, independent…just tell me when I should stop?”

Chloe giggled.  “You’re doing good so far.”

Justin stepped closer and dropped his voice to a whisper.  “It’s like I told you.  I really want to see where this goes. I put a lot of effort into tracking you down, I’m not letting you get away so quickly or easily.”

Chloe blushed and nodded.  “Ok.”

Smiling, but staying quiet, Justin took her now empty cup from her hand and tossed it into a nearby trashcan.  Then, without saying a word he took her hand in his and started leading her through the park.  He had an idea of where they should go and although it was a bit of a walk, he was anxious to see her reaction.

Chloe inhaled sharply when his hand took hers, thankfully, he didn’t notice.  In the beginning, Eddy held her hand all the time but it never felt like this did.  This felt different, more meaningful, more intimate.  It surprised her.

“Where are we going?” Chloe asked after several minutes of walking.

She’d been to Central Park dozens of times, almost every week when she was younger but she didn’t recognize the path they were taking.

“It’s a surprise.” Justin replied quietly.

Minutes later they were approaching Belvedere Castle.  She’d walked by hundreds of times but had never ventured this close.  It was gorgeous.

Without a word of explanation, they proceeded past the gift shop and up a set of stairs to one of the lookout terraces.  The view of the park was beautiful and, they were completely alone.

“Wow!” Chloe breathed out as she looked over the terrace wall.

Justin couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at her.  The way the morning sun reflected off her dark curls, making them shine and the cool air made her cheeks flush.  He couldn’t help himself.

“My thoughts exactly.” He whispered.

Chloe turned to look up at him and her breath caught in her throat.  He had that dreamy look in his eye.  He was going to kiss her.  She was certain of it, but she wasn’t going to argue in the least.

Justin stepped closer, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.  Smiling a bit, he brushed a wisp of hair from her face then let his hand linger a moment before dropping his head and placing his lips firmly against hers.

Chloe sighed softly and leaned into him, allowing him to part her lips quickly.  His kisses were soft, slow and sensual making her whole body tingle and the longer they kissed the more her body responded to him.  She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the hairs on her neck stand on end, her breathing quicken and a warmth spread throughout her.

Justin moaned quietly as his hands splayed against her back and pulled her into him as much as their bodies and clothes would allow.  He’d kissed dozens of girls but there was just something about kissing her that felt right.  Special.  Meaningful.  He couldn’t get enough of kissing her.

“I like this.” Justin whispered as he pulled away slightly. 

His forehead was still resting against hers and his lips were hovering so that she felt his breath when he spoke.

“Me too.” She replied softly.

“I could get used to this.” He said smiling.

“Me too.” Chloe said biting her lip.

“Should we do it again?” Justin asked grinning.

“If you want to…”

“I do.” Justin replied with a whisper before closing his mouth over hers.

When they pulled away again, they were both a bit winded.

“When can I see you again?” Justin asked, his voice breathy.

Chloe scrunched her face up in thought. 

“Well, technically I have the day off tomorrow but I also have the On-Call shift tonight, 7p.m. to 7 a.m. and Gabby has Early Release tomorrow then we are doing Thanksgiving at my parents house.”

“Friday?”

Chloe shook her head.  “I work until 5.”

Justin grinned.  “What about Saturday?”

“Umm…I’d have to check…I am not sure if I have the On-call shift Saturday night or Sunday night.”

Justin grinned more.  “Come over…Friday night…after your shift.  We can order in, watch a movie, have some wine…”

Chloe bit her lip and tried not to blush.  She had a feeling she knew what he was implying.

“You’re not spending Thanksgiving with family?”

Justin smiled.  “I am.  I am headed to Tennessee tomorrow but I will be back Friday afternoon.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my mom but two days is enough.”

“Oh. Umm…well…I would have to clear it with Adam or ask my parents to watch her for the night.”

Justin nodded.  “Do whatever you need to.  I don’t need an answer right now.  I’m just putting the invitation out there.”

Chloe nodded.  “I will let you know.”