For twenty-seven years, running has been my only escape. I let my feet take me wherever it wanted me to be. Feeling the cold breeze air brush against my pale skin, my sight focused on the big white letters that spelled 'Finished'. Quickening my pace, I kept a mental note that my last record was three minutes and forty-eight seconds in a kilometer run. Pushing myself even further, I wind past every runner I come across and reach my finished line in a hopefully record-breaking time.

"Three minutes and forty-seven seconds. A second less than your last record. Not bad, Aneara," she said, her eyes beaming at the stopwatch with clear amusement.

"It's not bad, because it's horrible. I've been running for a week hoping to gain more than just a second less in my last record," I said walking towards the bleachers grabbing my duffle bag along the way.

"Honestly, I don't know why you're sulking too much about this. It's not like you're training for a competition," she said, dropping to a seat next to mine.

"Noelle, I'm born competitive," I said and proceeded gulping down the last of my water. That running session surely drained most of my energy. Noelle, on the other hand, propped her elbow on the wall and continued to give a watchful stare at a group of hunky runners.

"Oh please, it's not like I'm oblivious about it. We've been best friends for more than a decade now. I surely know who you are inside and out," she said. I mentally rolled my eyes at her and just then, the wind decided that it was the best time to blow harder causing her brown locks to fly straight to my face. Spitting a few of her hair that managed to get into my mouth, I glared at her by which she only replied with a sheepish smile.

"When will you ever learn how to tie your hair, Noelle Jane?" she only gave me an even wider grin before stealing my hair tie from my wrist and tying her hair in a messy bun.

I could never understand how I could have handled all those years with her. She surely is a handful with all her silly antics and childish acts. I feel sorry for whoever her boyfriend would be. He definitely would have to tame her in order to have a simple normal date with her.

"Hey, I know that look from anywhere! You have that judging look on!" she exclaims frustrated. I only gave her a disapproving nod before jumping off the bleachers and once again ran as if my life depended on it. I know that if I stayed for a few more minutes. My ears would fall off with all of Noelle's rants.

"You better get your ass back here, Aneara! I'm not done with you yet! Your stupid thoughts may be the reason why I couldn't get a boyfriend! Murray, get back here this instant!" I shrugged her off and laughed, enjoying that Noelle burst into anger. But even when I had almost run a kilometer away, I could still hear Noelle yelling for me to come back. Not a chance, I'm not ready to die yet.

I used to read Forrest Gump over and over again then my mother would get sick of it and hide it from me. I somehow adapted Forrest Gump in my life. A girl who ran with all her might and had led her to a one-way road to success. If I wouldn't have done so I may have been one of those boring ladies back in my hometown who have done nothing but sip tea and chit chat. Not minding that they were just a mere trophy wife to their husbands who were boasting about anything they could think of. That is one of the reasons I chose to run away from that town. It sickened me to stay in a town where all people did was boast around much like my parents.

Walking back to my car, I looked back at the Golden Gate Bridge standing right in front of me. It has been almost ten years since I left my hometown. I never even visited once. I had calls from my parents occasionally but that was it. I left everything behind in that place and started a new life in San Francisco.

Gladly, I found my luck here.

"Good morning Ms. Murray!" greeted by the guard at my apartment building.

"Good morning. Has Noelle returned already?"

"Yes miss. I would say that she isn't in a very good mood today," Great. A pissed off Noelle this morning. But then again, this is so much better than a sensitive Noelle.

God, that girl has a hundred versions of herself.

The elevator dinged at the 7th floor and slowly and quietly got off. I was pulling my keys from my pocket when the apartment next door opened and behold a pissed off Noelle.

"Hi Noelle,"

"Don't "Hi Noelle" me! You left me in that track! I didn't have my car with me!" I'm sure one day the other neighbors would just ban us from entering the building. Noelle just loves yelling every time.

"Oh, shush already. It's not like I started this. Go get dressed. We're late for work," and with that I opened my door and left her screeching profanities I didn't quite understand.

The bath was steamy and warm and I liked just how it felt relaxing. It has always been a habit to have long warm baths after running. I couldn't do the long part though as I was running late for work. I dressed casually today. I'll be locked in my office all day anyway with no business meetings, which is heaven for me.

I walked past Noelle's door and slipped a note under her door telling her I'll be heading out. I doubt she'll be wanting to ride to work with me after my little stunt of leaving her earlier. I drove off to work as fast I could, dodging most of the San Francisco traffic.

Stepping out of my car, it still bewildered me to think that this entire building and few other stores belongs to me. The Book Hollow has always been a dream of mine and I once never thought that I'll be seeing the reality of it. I spent 5 years of working and saving just to be able to start this business. To prove to myself that I could be successful on my own.

"Good Morning Ms. Aneara, Mrs. Farrell called earlier to send her regards for the books you sent for her son. She sent a basket of goods for you as a token," Mindy, my assistant said, handing me my schedule for today.

"Thank you. Give me her number and I'll call her personally to say thanks," I said just as the elevator reached my floor.

"Mindy, a cup of coffee please to my office," to which she nodded and ran off to the pantry.

Sighing heavily, I looked beyond the tower of paperwork on my table. Work has officially begun today. I went through every sales and marketing report and diligently read every part of it. By the looks on the sales revenue report, we just might have enough to start operating a branch of The Book Hollow outside of the country.

"Mindy, kindly call the Finance Head to report to my office," I asked through the intercom.

A few minutes passed, a knock came from my door and Noelle came in with her assistant.

"You called for me?"

Noelle sat on the chair before me with her assistant sitting across from her. We discussed the finances and assets to see if they really were enough to start operating outside of the country. I started The Book Hollow, with Noelle handling all my finances with the business. She has always been a reliable person at work, far different from the Noelle I see at home. We agreed to stay professional at work and dismissed all arguments until work is done for the day.

It might not be obvious but Noelle is a Certified Public Accountant. I met her when we used to work as waitresses at a diner in downtown San Francisco. She was struggling to study for her board exams and work that time while I was juggling multiple jobs to save enough for this business. We used to live together in a beat-up apartment as we both couldn't afford to live comfortably.

When the business was a success and she passed her exams, we both decided to buy our own apartment. The idea at first didn't sit very well with us. We both didn't want to separate from each other. So, when we heard of two apartment openings next to each other, we both bought it immediately. It sorts of solved the problem of us not moving away from each other but still manages to live on our own.

"So that settles it, I'll be scheduling a meeting next week to discuss it more with the other departments," Noelle concluded.

"Yes, thank you. Loren, would it be okay if you excuse us for a moment. I just have something important to discuss with her personally," With a nod, Loren, Noelle's assistant exited my office and we were left alone.

"So, what are we discussing?"

"My parents are coming," I said as her eyes widened in disbelief.

"For real? When?"

"Next weekend. I don't know what to do. They would just be saying the same thing they always tell me. Get Married. But this time personally and not through a call," I groaned inwardly hearing my parents' voices in my head.

"How are you supposed to get married when you don't even have the time to go out and date," Unlike Noelle, I keep myself busy with work. But not because I have mountains of workload, but because I purposely make myself busy just so I would have a reason not to go out.

My parents telling me to date and get married are the very reason why I didn't want to. They strongly believed in patriarchy that they couldn't see me doing well without a man in my life.

A knock interrupted our conversation and my assistant came in with the number I requested. But I was getting more than what I expected.

"Ms. Murray, you have visitors," as if on cue the door opened wider and my parents came in.