They slept in a bit the next morning, only having tea before heading out.   They met Trace and Samantha back at The Arcade, sitting at a smaller booth. Deana took Justin’s recommendation of the sausage Eggs Redneck and a mimosa, Justin opting for blueberry pancakes and more tea.

He watched carefully as she took her first bite. “Are we sharing food or is it too good to share?” he laughed. 

“It’s good, but I’ll be nice. Next time, you’re getting your own and we’ll get a side of pancakes…”

“I told you this shit is amazing!” he said triumphantly. 

“I didn’t doubt you.”

“I know you’ve been trying really hard to eat better, but here, just fuck it.”

“Your mom really has no  idea we’re here?” Deana asked, surprised.

“No clue. If she does, we have plans for today anyway and we’ll see them tomorrow.”

“Congratulations,” Trace said to Deana. 

“For what?”

“For getting him to not go straight to his mom’s place, or at least call her.”

Trace took out his phone. The sex is THAT AMAZING you ignore your mom, is it?

Justin stifled a response. “I’m only going to say yes…” he answered aloud.

“I know this is way out of left field, but who is Kate and what happened with her and JC?” Deana asked. 

“It was his second album he was working on. The label kept pushing it back, kept delaying for one reason or another. Even with me producing on it, we couldn’t get traction. He threatens to leave the label and release it on his own, the label leaks it online and screws him over. He can never release it as a viable album because anyone with internet can access it.”

“No wonder he’s become a hermit…” Deana gasped. 

“As much as Lou fucked us over, Jive fucked him sideways, up the ass, lined with sandpaper…” 

“Well that’s a mental image…” Deana replied. 

“But now you know why we don’t really give JC a hard time about things; he’s doing what he can, given the raw deal he got.”

“Poor JC. I bought the first album when it came out, but I had no idea about the second one.”

“Then there was his failed attempt at starting a girl’s group, and the touring cast of Jesus Christ Superstar that got canceled. Poor guy couldn’t catch a break for a while.”

“He seems like he’s doing ok now though.”

“He’s happy writing and producing for other people now. Less pressure on him, but he still gets to make music. Having Jen in his life hasn’t hurt him, either.”

“So basically, women make your lives better?” Deana asked. 

“Absolutely,” Justin and Trace replied in unison.

Deana looks at Samantha, a smile across her face. “I’m glad we’re so appreciated.  Why do I feel sex is part of this?”

“I mean, you’re not wrong,” Justin laughed modestly. “It’s all part of the relationship. You remember how intense our feelings for each other were before we even kissed…”

“Ok, just how long did things take?” Trace asked curiously. 

“That’s none of your business,” Justin quipped. 

“You really took your time, didn’t you?” Trace almost laughed, this wasn’t the Justin he knew. 

“He did,” Deana interjected. “He waited for me to be ready. It was refreshing to not just be treated like a means to an end. A couple weeks after we met, Paul showed up to karaoke.”  It was the first time in a long time she’d actually said his name, and did so without even wincing. “I asked Justin to kiss me, to make him jealous.  It was amazing, sexy as hell, but I wasn’t ready for it in a relationship. He was very patient with me, always being sure I wanted whatever new level of intimacy we took.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Trace backpedaled.  “I just know normally you take a faster route to things…”

“And that’s why she’s different.  I didn’t even know who she was the first night I heard her voice.  Then once we actually met, she told me she’d just had a bad breakup, she wasn’t that kind of girl to have me up to her apartment when I walked her home.  The next day she told me everything that had happened, and I knew if this was gonna work with her, that she needed time.”

“Trace, I will say this,” Deana paused. “Once I was ready for that kiss, week by week things progressed.”

“I’m pretty sure I texted you after I kissed her.  Maybe not RIGHT after, but that it had finally happened, how great it was.  And I KNOW I texted you once I had to go off to restart the tour.  How terrible I felt that we had sex and then I had to go.  You have a pretty definitive timeline right there…”

Justin looked at Deana.  “All of this to say that if you still weren’t ready for anything beyond that first kiss, I would still be deeply in love with you.  You being in my life has made everything so much better, and not just because of sex.  There was so much to be happy about even without it in our relationship.”

They finished their food.  “Shit,” Justin sighed.  “I forgot my golf stuff at the house.  Samantha, since Deana doesn’t know the area, you wanna take my car and you ladies can head out while your husband takes my dumb ass home to get stuff?”

“I think we can manage that,” Samantha smiled.  Justin handed her his keys, the girls kissing their men goodbye before getting up from the table.  They got to the car, Deana sighing.

“Is what I’m wearing ok for today?  I constantly find myself second guessing myself with stuff.  Normally I know what to expect by now, but here, things are so different.  It’s like am I overdressed, am I under dressed?  I walked out last night and Justin said I was all fancy, and I just had to laugh because I didn't feel like that at all…”

Samantha laughed.  “It can be a whole other world out here.  You’re fine.  NYC relaxed is Memphis chic, basically.  I will say this, don’t let where we’re going intimidate you.  Once we get inside, you will see things are very different than what you expected based on the outside.”

“OK.  Thanks, I’m usually very in my head.  Sometimes I keep it to myself, other times, it just gets everywhere…”

“No need to apologize.  I feel like a lot of women are that way.  Hell, even Justin gets in his head.  I can’t tell you how many times he’d talk to Trace about you, worrying that things were moving too fast.  He’d tell Trace what was going on and Trace just had to laugh afterwards because it was so the opposite of fast.”

“I mean, to be fair, our first real kiss to our first time together was about a month, so I could see how he might freak out a bit.  At the same time, it’s JUSTIN, he could get any girl he wants and be done with them the first night they meet.  Hell, my coworker reminded me I probably would have cheated on Justin WITH Justin and not have felt bad about it.  I know that sounded weird, but you know what I mean.”

Samantha drove, going slowly so Deana could really get a feel for Memphis, soak it all in.  Her eyes widened as they approached a huge, fancy looking hotel.  She pulled into a driveway with a sign for hotel parking.  “No way, we’re going in HERE?!” Deana said in awe.

“Again, don’t assume anything right now based on the outside.  Be prepared to see men in Hawaiian shirts and shorts, super casual stuff.  You are fine with what you’re wearing.”

They parked, and headed inside.  Deana’s jaw dropped as they walked into the lobby.  The lobby was huge, ornate crystal chandeliers, everything felt so fancy.  And yet, as Samantha said, there were people in very casual clothes, kids running around.

“We got here just in time.  Let’s grab a seat at one of the tables here.”  They sat in wide, high backed leather chairs, all surrounding a fountain in the middle of the lobby.  “What you’re about to see is a world famous tradition spanning the last about 90 years.  I’ll explain more once you see.”

The kids all settled down and sat, something Deana thought was definitely odd.  There were red ropes up to mark a pathway to the elevator.  A finely dressed man put out a red carpet from the fountain to the elevator, but no one was on the elevator.  It got very quiet, and the elevator doors closed.  After a bit, music started to play.  The elevator doors opened, but Deana couldn’t see anyone come out.  She heard the children get excited, but still quiet.  She turned a bit to get a better view.

“Wait,” she asked.  “Are those… DUCKS?”

“The famous Peabody ducks,” Samantha said.  “In the 1930s, the general manager of the hotel returned from hunting with a friend of his.  Drunk on Tennessee whiskey, they put their live decoy ducks in the fountain as a joke, and the rest is history.  Every morning they do this and enter the fountain, and at 5:00 every day they walk the red carpet back to their penthouse.  I wanted you to see that so seeing the ducks in the fountain later didn’t surprise you.  What we’re REALLY here for is their spa.  Let’s head on over.”

They walked through the hotel, and she saw a sign that said “Feathers”.  “This is what Justin was talking about when he said to take me to Feathers…  Now it all makes sense.”

They entered the lobby of the spa.  “I’m going to get a massage, but YOU will be getting the Vichy treatment.  It’s the only one of these in all of Tennessee.  I’m sure there’s somewhere in NYC that does it, so once you experience it, you might be hooked.”

They went off into separate rooms.  Deana was brought into a room with floor to ceiling, wall to wall marble.  In the middle was a table and a giant series of showerheads over it.  She was told to strip down to her panties and lie face down on the table.  She did as directed, and someone came in shortly after.  A blue light spread throughout the room, calming scents in the air.  She received a steam massage, something she hadn’t even known existed until then.  She relaxed as it sprayed over her body, hitting various points to practically melt her.  

She emerged from the room, glowing in relaxation.  “I definitely need to find one of these in New York,” Deana sighed as she saw Samantha.  

She got out her phone.  Having a great time.  Saw the ducks come out and got a Vichy massage.  Hope you guys are having fun.

Glad you’re enjoying yourself.  Trace is kicking my ass right now, but we just started.  The back 9 is where I really shine, so I’m just getting warmed up.  Love you babe.

“Trace is currently in the lead, if that matters,” Deana said to Samantha.  Deana looked around at the shop they had within the spa.  “Oh, I HAVE to get one of these…” She picked up a rubber duckie wearing a robe, a towel on its head, and had a little mud mask on its face.  She got some bath bombs and other things to use at home or while on the road.

“How often do you get to relax while on the road?” Samantha asked.

“If we have a hotel where I can actually fit fully submerged underwater, I take a bath every night I can.  Sometimes it’s just me, sometimes Justin joins me…” she said, raising her eyebrows.

“Trust me, once you have kids, that part changes.  You’ll take whatever excuse you can just for a moment alone.  At first, it’s to sleep.  You’ll just be so tired, all the time, even when they sleep almost all day.  I felt bad for Trace for a while, there was this tiny human that needed me, and it was like I was ignoring his needs.  Totally typical, by the way, but he understood.  There’s definitely going to be dry spells, through no one’s fault, just either too tired or not the right mood.  It took a long time before I felt comfortable with anyone watching her overnight so we could have some REAL alone time.  She had her own room, but if the monitor went off in the middle, parent mode kicked in and the moment was gone.  Enjoy this season while it lasts.”

They walked back to the lobby, getting something to snack on from the deli.  They sat at a table and just watched the ducks and the fountain.  It had been a while since Deana had had an opportunity to people watch that wasn't while waiting for one of Justin’s concerts to start.  She watched families she guessed were on vacation, businessmen having a quick meeting at nearby tables, people coming and going to and from the elevators.  

“The guys will be a while, we can find some other things to do, grab lunch,” Samantha said.

“If I remember correctly, there was a quiche and wine bar next to the Arcade, and a Cheesecake place next to that.  I say we do that combo for lunch…” Deana suggested.

“There’s a cool bookstore around there too we can look at.”

They walked back to the car, Samantha driving them back towards the Arcade.  They had quiche and sampled some wine with their lunch before going to the bookstore. 

It was a small bookstore, but had a wide variety of new and used books, lots of different genres and interests.  There were fun little toys and gifts, Deana felt herself get lost in taking it all in.  She found an older edition of The Secret Garden, a hardback that had definitely seen some wear.  She was excited to read it again on tour, hoping to lose herself in the book and maybe even feel like she was back in her Gammy’s backyard.

Once she had fully perused the bookstore, grabbing a couple other titles, she made her way up to the register. Bag in hand, they went back to get a slice of cheesecake.  

“If I don’t come back with slices, I’m gonna be in HUGE trouble…” Samantha laughed as she purchased a whole cheesecake. 

“I wanna say with Trace but on second thought I’m thinking of the girls…”

“Trace could care less, the girls acquired my taste in food and didn’t speak to me for a full day once.  On second thought, you wanna take this home?  I could use some quiet and them asking Trace for everything. Be ready for that. Trace will be in the kitchen, and they’ll still ask ME to get them something to eat…”

“As tempting as that is, I don’t think it’s a good idea to take that home with me. Then again, if I don’t actually eat it, maybe we can bring it to his mom’s…”

“Are we at a standstill on who is taking this home?” Samantha laughed. 

“If nothing else, Justin and I pick up something else on the way.”

“He may have his own place, but he’s not that far from his mama…”

“We’ll figure something out.”

“Damn, I guess I’ll have to share with my girls…” 

“Any idea when they’ll be done?” Deana asked. 

“I need to pick up the girls from school soon, you can come with me and Justin can take you home from our place.”

“Sounds good, I’ll text him.”  She pulled out her phone. Hey, I’ll be with Samantha and the girls at their place. 

See you soon babe. I’m gonna bring my golf stuff with me on the bus, I need practice. Trace got lucky today. 

“Trace kicked his ass today, we’ll see how he acts when he gets back.”

They pulled up to the school, waiting in line to get the girls. The girls got into the car, and they headed home. Samantha got the girls a snack while they started on their homework. 

Trace and Justin came in not long after, Justin leaving his gear by the door. “How’s my girl?” he asked. 

“Good,” Deana, Sophia, and River replied. 

Justin laughed. “Glad to hear.”  He kissed Deana on the cheek as she sat at the table with the girls. 

“What about us?!” Sophia complained. Justin hugged each of the girls at their spots. 

“Girls, so hard to please…” he teased. 

“Yet you don’t know where you’d be without us…” Deana hummed. 

“I know EXACTLY where we’d be, but I can’t say in front of the girls…” Justin whispered in Deana’s ear. She smiled. “Let’s just say we’d have a certain body part in our hands…”

Deana rolled her eyes at his comment. 

“Shall we head out? I need to shower and change before we go to dinner.” 

“Where are you going for dinner?” Trace asked. 

“My other main go to,” he said mysteriously. 

“Hey babe, you wanna go?” Trace asked. 

“I’m sure they want to be alone at some point, Trace…”

“They can be alone when they get home. Just one more night…”

“Please?” their daughters begged, giving pouty lips. 

“Fine.  We’ll meet you there at 6:30. Girls, homework has to be done first, and no arguing about ANYTHING the rest of the day. Not with each other, not at bedtime…”

“Yay!!” the girls cheered before settling back into their homework. 

Samantha gave Justin’s keys back, Justin grabbing his golf bag from the entryway. “See you guys in a bit. Girls, be good…”

He put his golf bag in the back, opening Deana’s door for her before getting in the driver's seat. 

“Sorry you didn’t do so well today. Did you have fun though?” Deana asked. 

“Yeah, I just need to practice.”

Justin showered while Deana worked on her homework. “No dessert if I don’t finish my homework,” Deana laughed. 

“You had a good day, though?” Justin asked.

“Yeah.  Oh, I found some great books while we were out today.  Not sure how old they are, I didn't look all that closely, but they at least LOOK old, which is pretty cool.”  She showed him the books she bought, then told him about the battle over the cheesecake.

“Alright baby, you ready to go?” Justin asked a while later.

“Yeah, just let me get a sweater.”  She grabbed her teal poncho and threw it over her head.  “I made it, might as well use it, right?”

“You look great,” Justin smiled.  “This has been a great couple of days.  This is HOME, my real happy place, and having you here is just another level.  I just wish it wasn’t for a short amount of time.”

They got in the car, pulling up to an old wood building.  “Shelby Forest General Store”, Deana read aloud.  “This is a restaurant?”

“You’ll see…  Trace and I hung out here all the time as kids.”

Trace and the family were waiting in the parking lot, and they all walked in together.  Most people didn’t even bat an eye at Justin being there.  At least at the Arcade, a few people turned their heads to look.  Here, it was like they barely noticed him.  It was definitely weird for her to not see people take notice of him.

They sat in a booth in a tucked away part of the store.  Deana had never really been in a small town, she had thought Fresno was small until now.   To have a restaurant attached to a general store was definitely a sign they weren’t in Kansas anymore.  She looked at the menu.

“So, I totally suggest…” Justin started.

“I’ll pick for myself.  Whatever I don’t order that you think I should try, order it for you,” she said confidently.

They went to order, Deana looking back down at the menu.  “I’ll take the shrimp poboy, sweet corn nuggets, and fried mushrooms, with a lemonade to drink.  Please.”

Justin nodded at her choices before ordering for himself.  As they waited for their food, the girls started talking about their day at school, which was a rarity that Trace and Samantha knew was because of Justin and Deana.  

They were laughing and sharing stories, when Justin felt a hand on his shoulder.  A woman’s voice said, “Well, look what the cat dragged in…”

Justin’s eyes widened for a second, his face and body sinking in disappointment, like a puppy tucking its tail between its legs after doing something wrong.

“Hi, Mom…”