The next few weeks were amazing.  Deana enjoyed seeing Switzerland, in spite of the heat.  She stayed indoors as much as possible while he was on his practice days, being sure to have lots of water as she followed him along the course during the tournament.  

Her favorite moment was finding this pristine area in the forest, a small waterfall trickling down the mountainside.  Justin took video of where they were, the beauty he was surrounded by, both the landscape and the woman by his side.  She smiled when he posted it to Instagram, giving the world a peek into their lives.  

She had plenty of time during practice days and while they had downtime or driving to knit, finishing the poncho in record time.  She started the dress, trying to figure out how to put everything together.  “I’ve only made stuff that was on one set of needles.  Now I need two, then put them together onto one, it’s a little tricky,” she said, looking at what was in front of her.  

“It looks great so far, babe, it’s simple but elegant,” Justin encouraged.

“It’s just the neckline to the armpit.  Not exactly rocket science, though there IS math involved in figuring out the gauge, how many stitches to an inch and making sure it’ll fit.  I’m sure I’ll figure it out, there’s only so many ways it can go before it works.”

“We leave for Italy tomorrow, it’s still gonna be hot, unfortunately. Although, I get to enjoy you in your summer outfits,” Justin smiled.

…

They had been in Italy a few days, staying in a beautiful home outside of Florence.  One day, Justin decided they’d go into the city.  Sightsee a bit, maybe do some shopping, go out to dinner.  He got a hotel in Florence for the night, to return to their rental the next day without needing to rush back.  

They walked around, taking their time looking in store windows and looking at the architecture.  Dean was astounded at how old some of the buildings were, still standing after hundreds of years.  

“I think you deserve a dress as beautiful as this city, as beautiful as you, to wear to dinner tonight,” Justin said.

They looked in a couple shops, not finding the right dress.  They walked by one store, and Deana saw a beautiful dress in the window.  “That one,” she said, pointing.  It was a black dress, wide straps but still sleeveless, with a sweetheart neckline.  Around the top of her thighs, it flowed outward, a sheer layer with a floral print of pink flowers on the fabric.  It was beautiful, feminine, she felt a pull towards it.  

They walked into the shop, inquiring about the dress.  They had a couple in different sizes, looking at Deana.  She had been slowly losing more weight, but still considered plus size by fashion standards.  The staff brought out the biggest size they had, hoping it would fit.  Word of Justin Timberlake buying a dress from them for his girlfriend would be good for business.  

Deana stepped into a changing room, trying on the dress.  To her relief, it fit like a glove, stepping out to show Justin.  “Wow,” he gasped in response.  “Yes, we’ll take it.  You look… amazing.  I feel like something’s missing though.  The jewelry you have is all wrong for this.  We need to fix that.”  They purchased the dress, the owners relieved and excited that Deana fit and loved it.

They found a jewelry store, Deana feeling a little overwhelmed. “What exactly are we looking for?” she asked. 

“Necklace and bracelet.  Something like you, simple but elegant… Though not TOO simple.”

They looked, Deana afraid to know how much everything was, with or without exchange rate. “Babe, what do you think of this?” Justin asked, pulling her over. 

It was a set of medium chain links, with diamonds set within the links. It was a bracelet and necklace set.  He had her try them on, smiling at the pairing. “It’s perfect. It goes with so much that you have in your wardrobe.”

“I dunno, first the dress, now this. It’s a lot of money…” she sighed.

“You are worth it. Just wait till we get to the wedding planning. You just get what you like and don’t worry about costs. You are going to look phenomenal tonight. I’m getting verklempt just thinking about it. You will truly be the most beautiful woman in the room.”

They got back to the hotel, Deana working on the dress. She’d thankfully figured out putting it together, now it was just getting the torso long enough before starting on the skirt portion. 

Justin’s phone rang. “Hey, what’s up?  Yeah, I remember… Yeah? Wow, that’s great. December? Ok. Can I bring Deana with me?  Ok. Ok. Yeah, thanks, talk to you soon.”

Deana looked at him with curious eyes. “When I was in LA a while back, I auditioned for a movie. I got the lead!”

“That’s great, babe. What’s it about?”

“I play an ex-con who goes back to his hometown where he’d been this football hero.  They all judge him, and he ends up in charge of this boy that lives next door.  His mom is an addict, and he helps care for this boy, and they both kinda feel like outsiders.  It’s a really good story, I was drawn to it once I heard about it.  It’s about acceptance, choosing your family.”

“Sounds good, where does it film?”

“Louisiana.  They said you can come with me if you want, we film in December, hopefully just a couple weeks to a month.  There are some love scenes though…”

“I can just pretend it’s me, nothing I haven’t done before we started dating.  At least now it’s not weird…” she laughed. 

“It’ll be an extreme long game, taking the connection they want to portray on screen, and bringing it home to connect with you after.  I’m gonna start doing more weights, put on more muscle for the role.”

“No complaints here,” she smiled.

“Shall we get ready for dinner?” he asked.  Deana nodded.  She retreated to the hotel bathroom, doing her hair and makeup before getting into her dress and putting on the jewelry.  She opened the door slowly.  Justin gasped, the sight of her literally taking his breath away.  “Babe, you are absolutely STUNNING…”  

Her hair lightly curled at the ends, cascading over one shoulder.  He took her in, looking down at her kitten heels.  “I think you need more shoes, you wear these everywhere.”

“They’re comfy. My feet are extra wide, so it’s hard for me to find shoes that properly fit, heels especially. If they are wise enough, they are too long and my feet flop around. I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long…”

“We’re in Italy and going to Paris, two fashion capitals of the WORLD. I’m getting you custom shoes, even if they have to be shipped home. They’ll be comfortable, fit perfectly, and make your legs look even longer.”

“It might help mask my man calves…” she sighed. 

He decided not to address that comment, picking his battles. “I love you, man calves and all…”

The length of the dress hid her shoes, much to Justin’s chagrin. A car awaited them downstairs, Deana’s jaw dropping as the car approached their destination. 

“It’s a PALACE…” she gasped. 

“And we are dressed like royalty. Well, you are anyway,” he laughed softly. He was in a black suit, complete with a black bow tie. 

“You are just as dressed up,” she coyly replied. “This is amazing…”

“Wait until you see our table.”

They walked inside, Renaissance decor and architecture everywhere. It was difficult to believe it was now a restaurant, but Justin made her feel like she fit right in. They were led to the garden, her jaw dropping at the sight of thick ivy clinging to the walls. “It’s like we’re in my book…” she gasped. 

“That’s part of why I chose it for tonight. You deserve this beautiful setting, a once in a lifetime opportunity to eat in a Medici palace.”

“You’re giving me a fairy tale, a beautiful dress, exquisite jewelry, dinner in a PALACE… It’s all more than I ever dreamed.”

“Just wait until Paris…”

“Baby, you don’t need to do all of this… I don’t need your money being thrown around…” she said meekly. 

“I don’t mind. Especially since it’s just us. Once we have kids, things will change. It’s your first trip to Europe, it deserves to be perfect.”

“I’m just worried about people assuming that’s the only reason we’re together…”

“We know the truth, the hell with anyone else. Tonight, I’m treating my girlfriend to a world class dinner in a palace, in a gorgeous dress and beautiful accessories. That’s just the start…”

“Is it now?” She laughed lightly. 

“A night like this calls for something passionate but slow.  But enough of that, let’s enjoy our dinner.”

The food was absolutely exquisite, a treat to the eye as well as the tongue. The whole experience was magical for her. They looked around the inside of the upper level, asking to go down into the cellar.  They went down, getting a seat below and just sitting, having a couple glasses of wine and great conversation.  “It’s been an amazing day, baby, thank you,” she said, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.  

He pulled her close.  “Just wait til we get back to the hotel…”