They got back into his car.  “Where to?”

“Well, I need to get changed, I can’t wear this outfit to your party after being seen in it last night…”

“To Deana’s it is,” he told the driver.

Soon they were in front of Deana’s building, and the two of them went up into her apartment.  

“What do I even wear tonight?” she asked.

“I’m just wearing this,” he replied.  He had on a red and black flannel, jeans, and a black beanie.  “It’ll be casual, nothing fancy.  But I do want you to show off your poncho, you worked hard on it, it deserves to be seen.  Maybe a black shirt and jeans?  I really don’t care as long as you’re there with me.”

Deana texted Danielle.  I’m getting dressed for Justin’s birthday party, Bruce is taking me.  I’m gonna wear just a basic black tee and jeans, but he told me to wear my teal poncho.  What do I do for makeup?

Well, the silver look wouldn’t be too bad with everything.  I’m so excited you get to be in the same room as Justin, beyond the concert last night…

Me too.

How did last night go?

We went back to his place, and it was amazing.  It was so romantic, intimate, probably the best sex I’ve ever had.

That’s all I need, I’ll be respectful and not ask for more details.  It’s just that after Paul, I was worried you’d swear off that side of things.

I wanted to, but once I met Bruce, it showed me what a healthy relationship can look like.

I’ll let you get going, but have a great time at the party, send me pictures of you with the birthday boy.

Will do, she smiled.  She got ready, even though she knew the party wasn’t for another few hours.  It’s a Friday night, what celebrity would start the party at a normal time? she thought.

She came out to Justin, sitting on the couch.  “You look beautiful, as always.”

“You keep saying that,” she said, blushing.

“I keep meaning it…” he replied, pulling her in for a kiss.  “We can stay here for a bit, then I was thinking about dinner with my parents, along with Trace and his wife.  Kinda ease you into things before the party.  There’s gonna be a lot of celebrities there, I’m sure.  I don’t know who all is coming, I just know where and when to show up.”

“It would be nice to meet a few people closest to you before being thrown in the deep end, yeah.”

“I’ll have them come to my place, that way photographers don’t get pictures of us together too early.  Tonight we might be able to pull off you being there with Samantha, Trace’s wife.  I don’t want to hide you from my friends, but if you want to stay out of the spotlight for a bit, that’s understandable.  It hasn’t even been 24 hours since YOU found out we were together, as far as who I really was…”

“Yeah, I don’t know that I’m ready yet.”

“If we’re careful, it might only buy us an extra day.  There might be cameras around where I’m taking you tomorrow.  I’ve never been there, but it happens.  Tomorrow night is an official date night, I’m not gonna resist holding your hand as we walk in, or have my hand around your waist.  I might even kiss you…  Any cameras around might catch some of that.  I’m not ashamed to be seen with you, we’ve been together at karaoke for weeks now.  It does take some adjusting to though, being in the spotlight.  I’ll warn you now, they’ll probably be a little brutal, the press.  But know that no matter what, nothing changes how I feel about you.  They could call you the ugliest things, or say whatever they want about me, and I will still find you the most beautiful woman I know.”

They sat on the couch, going back and forth between watching TV and making out.  Justin ordered dinner to be delivered to his place, and called Lynn and Trace to meet them there.

Their driver soon appeared, ready to take them over.  Deana’s stomach started to knot.  She’d heard about these people for so long, learning what she could as a fan of Justin, but she would actually get to be in a room with them.  She’d already learned a bunch based on her conversations with Justin, but hadn’t made the connection on who they were at the time.

They got to his place first, Deana taking a little bit to relax.  Justin soon opened the main door, and in walked Mama Lynn and Paul.  Deana got up and walked towards Justin.

Justin met Deana where she stopped, put an arm around her.  “Mama, I want you to meet Deana.”

“Hi darlin’, I’ve heard so much about you…” Lynn came in for a hug.

“Me too, but I didn't realize it was THE Mama Lynn.”

“I’m so glad I get to finally meet you,” Lynn said in her thick Southern drawl.  

“I’m a little overwhelmed, sorry,” Deana said.

“Not to worry, dear.  I remember how scary it is to meet the parents.  You’re doing a nice job so far.  I love your little poncho thing, very cute.”

“Thanks, I… I made it myself.”

“You did?  Wow, that’s a real talent.  If you have the time, I’d love it if you’d make one for me.  It looks so warm.”

“It is, without being too much.  I tend to run warm indoors and I’m pretty comfortable right now, besides the nerves of meeting you.  This is pretty much how I reacted last night once Justin revealed who he was.  It took a bit to process.”  They sat down on the couches in what she guessed was his living room.  She wasn’t quite sure what celebrities called rooms in their penthouse suites.

“That’s Trace, I’ll be right back,” Justin said, heading towards the door.  He opened the door, and Deana could hear the claps they gave each other on the back.  Justin walked Trace and Samantha over to everyone.  

“Trace, Samantha, this is Deana.”  

“Nice to finally meet you, Justin will not shut up about you,” Trace said, giving her a hug. 

“Wow, you’re all huggers… It’s fine, just wasn’t sure what to expect…”

“I remember when I first met them,” Samantha said.  “It’s surprising, you have things built up in your head, then it’s completely different.”

“Exactly.  It’s like what I thought it would be like, when I was younger.  But now as an adult, I figured it would be more formal or something.”

“Expect a lot of hand shaking at the party, the girls might hug you though,” Justin said.  “Dinner’s here, let me get that, you all can head to the dining room.”

Deana was surprised when she saw the big table.  She felt like everyone in her family could fit around it, including her in laws from her sister.  It was more spread out than being cramped at the table for 4 near the kitchen.

“It’s not much, enough to tide us over until the party…” Justin said, bringing out 4 bags of food.

“I think we’ll skip your party since we’re meeting Deana now.  That way you can have fun without having to worry about us,” Lynn said.

“If you’re sure…”

“We’ll have plenty of time to get to know her, your party is one night before you go back on the road.”

“Speaking of which, Deana will be coming with me starting around next week.  She’s taking some much needed vacation time and a leave of absence at work.  She’s got one more semester of school, so she can focus on that while I’m doing stuff at venues and all that.”

“What are you majoring in?” Samantha asked.

“I’m finishing my undergrad in Child and Adolescent Development, then I’ll start applying for credential programs.  I had to take a break for a while, so I’m finishing up later than most…”

“At least you went back,” Lynn said.  “That’s the important part.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t exactly the plan…”

“Deana, you don’t have to tell them if you don’t want to…”

“I want to.  It helped me connect with you, didn't it?”  Justin nodded.

“I left school to care for my grandmother pretty much full time.  She could take care of herself, but I needed to be there in case she fell, take her to doctor appointments, that kinda thing.  After she passed, I started working at Starbucks, where Justin and I actually met, ages ago.  It just took a night of walking around and hearing me sing for him to really take an interest in me.  They’re paying to help me get my degree, and it’s weird that they’re paying for me to learn to do something that will one day make me leave.”

“That’s great though, that you want to be a teacher,” Lynn said.

“She’s pretty good at it, too.  At least from what I saw and heard earlier today.”

“What?” Trace asked.

“She volunteers with her first grade teacher, and we came and surprised them today.  Around Christmas, I came dressed up as Santa and delivered stuff for hot cocoa. Today she brought in a Trolls story and we read the book to the kids, I was outside on speakerphone so the kids thought she knew Branch.  Then I came in and she showed me a video they dance to and it was really fun.  They got all excited when they heard my voice, she was able to calm them down and get them quiet to finish the story.  It wasn’t much, but it gave me insight into what I could do once she has her own classroom and kids of her own.”

“Speaking of kids…” Lynn started.

“Mom, no.  Not now,” Justin interjected.

“We’ve discussed it, and we’re on the same page, if that makes a difference,” Deana said.

“Deana, you don’t…” Justin tried to say.

“It’s fine.  I know we’re gonna get the same comments from my mom tomorrow, as much as I don’t want to admit it.  We want kids, just trying to figure out timing.”

“Thank you Deana, for not being afraid to say something.  You’re a brave young woman, I can tell.  Just what Justin needs.  You’ll stand beside him when he needs you the most,” Lynn said.

“I think she will,” Justin smiled at Deana.  “Enough talk, let’s eat, shall we?”

They talked as they ate, telling the story of him meeting Deana at karaoke and most of what followed. 

They finished eating, moving to the couches to catch up on life. Trace and Samantha had two little girls, Sophie and River. Justin, Trace, and Samantha told stories of the girls. 

I like this side of him, the family man not a lot of people see, she thought. She smiled, looking at Justin, listening to stories and looking at pictures. 

Deana told stories of her nephews, comparing having all boys to all girls. 

Lynn and Paul left, and the four continued to talk, getting to know Deana. 

Justin called for his driver to come get them. They headed downstairs and got into an SUV. They soon arrived at The Grill, cameras outside, awaiting Justin’s entrance. 

“Deana, you’ll come out with Samantha while I walk in with Trace,” Justin directed. Deana nodded and gave him a quick kiss before getting out of the car. 

Cameras flashed as Justin and Trace got out of the car, less for Samantha and Deana, which was fine by her. They walked in, tons of guests were always there, cheering for Justin as he walked in. “Happy birthday!” they shouted. 

Music was playing, food was available, the bar was packed. Justin brought Deana a Midori Sour, a whiskey for himself. 

“To the birthday boy,” Deana toasted, clinking her glass with Justin’s. She gave him a quick kiss. 

“Are you trying to get caught?” he whispered in her ear.

She hung close towards Samantha, surveying the room. It was a veritable who’s who of celebrities from all areas. She recognized Trevor Noah and John Krasinski, along with some of the band and dancers from the show. 

“Hi! You’re Deana, right?” a female approached her. “Justin has told us so much about you.  I hear you’re joining us on tour…”

“Yeah, you’re one of the dancers, right?”

“Yeah. I remember seeing you last night, Justin couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. I bet later he couldn’t keep his hands off you…”

“Don’t mind her,” said another woman. “She’s already had too much to drink. We are looking forward to you being on tour with us, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Some people are just jealous, don’t let them get to you.”

“Thanks…” Deana hesitated. 

“You ok?” Samantha asked. 

“I’m starting to wonder if I made the right choice…”

“You mean picking Justin, or what?”

“I definitely don’t regret that choice, but going on tour… maybe I’m too small a fish to be in such a big pond.”

“It’s not like he’s bringing you in as a backup singer or something. You’re along as his girlfriend, to spend time with him. He wants to mix business and pleasure, have fun and make memories with you while also being on a sold out tour. I remember when I first met him, Trace and I hadn’t been dating long and it was so strange to be on a first name basis with him. He was in our wedding, he’s godfather to our girls… It can be difficult at first, but he’s such a down to earth guy most of the time.”

“I liked seeing that side of him earlier tonight, talking about his memories with your girls. Along with seeing my ‘class’ today, he’s great with kids, he’ll be an amazing dad.  I just wonder when he’ll want to settle down.”

“Everything is new still. Enjoy this time with him. You guys have talked about marriage and kids, so you know it’s on his radar. Honestly, whenever he’s ready, go for it. Take the time off from teaching to be home with your kids. You don’t even NEED to work if you don’t really want to. I know it sounds archaic and old fashioned, but with how much money he makes, you’ll never want for anything.”

“That’s not why I’m interested. He tried to impress me by paying for things early on, giving my bestie and I a girls day, everything prepaid. While it was great and a gesture that he liked me, I didn’t NEED it. I liked him when I thought he was just a crew member, finding out who he was actually almost scared me off. I never thought I could attract a man like him, then lo and behold, he’s professing his love for me and telling me who he really is. To know that he didn’t expect me to be something I’m not just to fit his lifestyle, I had this cognitive dissonance. He’s such a big name celeb, so you figure everything has to be big all the time, but some of my favorite memories were spending time sitting on the couch binge watching Friends.”

…

Justin was going from group to group around the party, trying to maintain a visual on Deana at the same time. 

“She’s in good hands with Samantha, man, don’t worry. She’s great, Justin. Just like you said. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“I’m not as shallow as I look…”

“You’ve always had beautiful women throwing themselves at you, so to end up with someone like Deana…”

“Seriously, cut it out. I love her, man. I’m not sure when, but I definitely wanna get married, settle down. Even George Clooney settled down eventually. I’m not as young as I used to be, I want someone to share the rest of my life with. I know you met Sam while I was still with Jess, we had all these plans and ideas, but life happens. I messed up then, I’ll be damned if I let love get away from me again.”

“What tells you it’s love and not just lowering your standards…”

“Cuz she doesn’t want this big, celebrity lifestyle. She’d be just as happy if I was a crew member than an A list celebrity. She’s comfortable in pajamas on the couch eating Chinese take out instead of going out to expensive dinners every night. She wants ME, not my lifestyle. I think she’ll get used to things eventually, but it’s not her goal. She never thought I’d be interested, so it’s not like she was trying to get me so she can do this and that.  She wants to be a teacher, not some big name singer. Someone I can settle down with instead of compete with.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I had a certain picture in my head of the type of woman you usually date…”

“USUALLY.  She’s unlike any other woman I’ve  ever been with, and maybe that’s a good thing.”

He began to cross the room over to her when everyone stopped. 

“A surprise for the birthday boy,” someone announced.  People parted, catching Justin’s attention. 

His assistant caught the whole thing on camera, the look on his face, then falling to the ground as Mase made his way through the crowd of people. 

Deana looked on, having no idea who this man in all yellow was, but she smiled at seeing how genuinely happy Justin was. 

Soon after, a cake was brought out and everyone started to sing. Deana felt awkward hearing others around her harmonizing to such a simple song, and she felt she could barely do the melody justice.

She shrunk away from the crowd, Justin losing her visual on her. He walked up to Samantha. “Did you see where Deana went?” Samantha slowly shook her head. Justin walked around the giant room, doing a slow check of the perimeter. That’s when he saw it, a sliding glass door leading out to a balcony was cracked open slightly. 

He walked onto the balcony, Deana leaning on the planter box around the edge. “You’re a hard woman to find, Deana, but always worth the effort…”

Her face was like stone, unmoving. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he said, wrapping an arm around her.

“I don’t belong here. Maybe going on tour with you is a mistake…”

“Where is all this coming from?”

“I have no idea who half these people are, especially the guy in yellow you totally fanboyed over. Then when everyone sang Happy Birthday, I realized I can’t harmonize to save my life. I can follow the melody well enough to be good at karaoke, but I can’t consider myself even close to any of the musicians and singers that are part of the tour. I’d just be in the way, the pity addition because I’m the girlfriend, somehow.  That still astounds me, that you find me attractive that way.”

“Well, I do. We’ve made love three times now, each one different and amazing in its own way. You’d be surprised at how tone deaf some of my own crew is.  They do their job well, but they can’t carry a tune in a bucket.  You’re not coming with me to entertain them.  You’re coming to be with ME, because I want you there.  You can make new friends so you aren’t lonely when there’s things I need to do.  This is supposed to be FUN, not something to stress you out.”

He held her close, hugged her tight.  “I love you.  You know that… what else matters?”

She looked up at him, smiled, and he kissed her slowly and gently.  The longer they held the kiss, the more they felt things heating up.

“Wanna grab some of my cake and get out of here?  It’s my party, I can leave if I want to,” he sang, making Deana smile.

“Yeah, let’s go.”