May 2011

“I’m so excited.”  Emma grinned as she and Justin climbed the steps of the private jet that was going to take them to Rome for their honeymoon.

“I know you are.”  Justin couldn’t help but feed off of her excitement.

“Good morning Mr. Timberlake, Mrs. Timberlake,” the pilot greeted them at the door along with a flight attendant.

“Morning,” Emma replied.  She looked at Justin.  Emma didn’t think she could ever get used to being called that.  They stepped onto the plane followed by two of Justin’s security team who were coming along because they were going to Italy during tourist season.

“This is so cool.”  Emma looked around.

“Go ahead and get settled.  We’ll put your bags away,” the pilot said.

“Is there anything I can get you before we take off?” the flight attendant asked.

“I’m good,” Justin answered and looked at Emma who was excitedly looking at everything on the plane.  “Emma?”

She turned to look at him and the woman, “No thanks.”  Emma opened a door, assuming it was just a bathroom, but was shocked when she saw a bed instead.  “There’s a bed in here, Justin!”

“I know,” Justin grinned.  Her excitement made him chuckle.  Justin walked over to the door and leaned against the frame.  Emma had sat down on the edge of the bed.  She looked up at him with a grin.

“This is crazy.  You know we could of just taken a normal flight over there.”

“Nah …” He shook his head.  “I’m going all out for this … for you.”

“Pardon me,” the flight attendant interrupted.  “We are ready to take off.”

“Great,” Justin replied.  Emma stood up and wrapped her arms around him.  He hugged her back.

“Thanks.”  She kissed him quickly.

“Always.”  Justin let his arms fall as she stepped back.  They walked the short distance to the two free seats and sat down.  They settled in for the 13-hour journey across the Atlantic.  They were going to arrive in Rome about 10 a.m. local time, which would only be 4 a.m. in Arkansas.

*  *  *

“I want to go explore.”  Emma stood in front of Justin who had sat down on the bed in their hotel room.  She was wide awake considering the time difference and not sleeping well on the plane.

“How about a nap first?”  He asked lying back on the bed and yawning.

“Justin …” She whined.  Emma knew what he really wanted as she stepped a little closer to him.  He reached up and grabbed her hands.  Before she knew it she was lying on top of him and he was kissing her neck.

They actually had yet to be together in that manner; seeing as how Emma crashed as soon as they got to the Inn the night of their wedding, the last minute packing for their honeymoon, and obviously, there was no way Emma wanted her first time to be on plane.

“Please?”  She sighed, loving his kisses and his roaming hands.

“I’ve been deprived for so long though …” Justin moaned pathetically.

“And I appreciate your deprivation, I really do,” pulling away Emma looked into his eyes with a smile, “but we have the rest of our lives to do that.  It’s not everyday that we’re in Italy.”

“Emmy-Leigh.”  His arms stayed around her.  Justin knew she was worried about her first time being physically intimate with someone.  “Are you scared about it?” 

“Well, yeah.”  She didn’t want to meet his eyes.  “Who isn’t their first time?”

“You don’t have to be though,” Justin stated.  Rolling them over, so he was on top, Justin kissed her slowly in between each word, “It’s going to be wonderful … passionate … lovely … slow … sexy … perfect … fun … fulfilling …” Emma sighed with each of his kisses, but she wasn’t going to give in.

“I know, but can we go explore … please?”  She met his eyes, with a slight pout.

“Yeah,” Justin nodded.  He didn’t want to push it.

“Tonight.  I want to, but just, not right now.”  Emma stated sincerely.

“That’s fine.”  He pushed himself up so they were no longer chest to chest.  “What do you have in mind?”

“Food for one … it’s breakfast time back home,” she grinned.  “And then maybe the Pantheon because it’s right next to us, and Piazza Navona, which is supposed to be pretty close to here, and we could just walk.”  

“Sounds like a plan.”  Justin kissed her again and then pushed himself off of the bed.  “I’ll call the guys and we can head out in a few.”

*  *  *

“I want to read this to you.”  Emma picked up her Bible that was sitting on the table next to the bed and settled into the pillows.

“Okay.”  Justin climbed onto the bed next to her.  He cuddled up next to her – arm across her waist and head on her shoulder – the way he did whenever she read to him.

“And I want you to know I’m going to do my best to be this for you … well, maybe not all of it, but I will.  And know that I see some of these things in you too, because I believe this applies to the husband as well.”  She felt him nod against her shoulder as she opened the Bible to Proverbs 31.

“A capable wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels.  The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

“She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.  She like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away.  She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls.  She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

“She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong.  She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.  Her lamp does not go out at night.  She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches her hands to the needy.

“She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson.  She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.  Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land.  She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes.

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.  She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 

“Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.”

“What am I in there?”

“You are trustworthy … willing … a provider … strong … not afraid … wise … kind … not idle … happy …” Emma looked at him when he shifted so he could look into her eyes.

“Can we put that away now?”  Passion filled his eyes.

“Yeah.”  She swallowed thickly and her heart rate increased.  Justin took the book from her hands, closed it and placed it back on the table she had picked it up from. His eyes never wavering from hers.

“You are all those things and so much more.”  Justin whispered before placing his lips on hers.  Emma let him take her away into another world.

*  *  *

“Buon giorno, bella,” Justin said.  He had just stepped out of the bathroom.

“Hi,” Emma replied.  She pulled the sheet over herself as she sat up on the bed.  Justin leaned over and placed one hand on the bed so he could kiss her.  “How are you?” 

“Excellent.  You?”  Justin kept his mouth close to hers.

“Good,” she answered before kissing him again.  Thoughts of the previous night filled her mind, and she sighed.

“So?”  She knew what he was asking.

“It was perfect,” Emma was glowing.  “You were perfect.”  She ran her fingers over his bare shoulder.  His grin grew.

“It’ll get better too.”

“Yeah?”  Her cheeks turned red.

“Oh yeah.”  Justin kissed her and slowly leaned forward so she would lie back down.  Emma wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“Justin …” Emma sighed as he kissed her neck. 

“Hmm …” He didn’t let up.

“As much as I like this, I’m hungry,” she stated just as her stomach growled.  Justin chuckled.

“I guess we can get food.”  Reluctantly, he lifted himself up.  “Room service?”

“That’s fine.  What time did you say we were supposed to be at the Vatican Museum?”  She leaned over and picked up her pajamas after Justin had moved over.

“We’re supposed to get there at five, its 11 now.”  He picked up the phone.  “What do you want?”

“Hum …” Emma thought about it for a couple minutes before telling him what she wanted to eat.  While Justin was placing their order, Emma put her pajamas back on and then got up to get ready for the day.

By the time Emma was done in the bathroom, their food had arrived.  She picked up the pastry she asked for and sat down next to Justin on the bed.

“You want to go to Saint Peter’s before?”

“Sure.”  Justin answered.

They finished their breakfast and then decided to explore a little before heading toward Vatican City.

“So, what’s your book say about this?”  Justin asked.  Emma had bought a couple of tour books for Rome and had been reading them at the few places they already visited.  Right then they were in St. Peter’s Square.

“Let’s see …” She reached into the messenger bag she had been carrying around and pulled out the first book.  Emma found the right page.  Justin had already teased her about making them really look like tourists and drawing more attention to themselves with the books, but she would just remind him that at least they had his security watching their backs.

“St. Peter’s Basilica was completed in 1614 with the construction of its façade, in a period when the dramatic and theatrical Baroque style had become popular.  The elliptical and similarly Baroque piazza is enclosed by quadruple colonnades with 284 columns, built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1656 to 1666 during the papacy of Alexander VII.  Joined to the atrium of the Basilica by two straight but outward-splayed corridors, the colonnades appear to embrace all who enter the square and, metaphorically, all of mankind.”

Emma continued to read the two pages in the book about the piazza and basilica, while Justin listened.  They found some of the things that were mentioned about the structures.  Before they walked over to the line that would take them through security to get into the Basilica, Emma took a couple of pictures to document their stop at this famous church.

They walked around inside St. Peter’s for a while until it was time to trek around the Vatican walls to get to the entrance of the museum.  Justin had arranged for a private tour of the museum, at the end of the day so that very few people would be there, and they could enjoy it without the crowds.

Emma was really excited the whole time they were in the museum because there were a lot of works of art that she had studied during art school housed in the Vatican.  Justin just stood back and listened as she talked with their guide about a lot of it, enjoying her enthusiasm for the paintings and sculptures.

They took their time going through the massive, winding museum, and it was well over an hour before they got to the Sistine Chapel.  The space was empty for the most part, give or take a few people.  Their tour guide talked about it awhile before leaving them alone, as much as he could, to enjoy it.

Paying no attention to the floor that was probably filthy and hoping that she wouldn’t get yelled at for doing this – it was a sacred space after all –, Emma sat on the travertine floor before lying down to look up at the ceiling.  Justin looked at her curiously, she just smiled and moved her eyes back to the painting, and when no one said anything about her being on the floor like that, he followed suite. 

“Wow,” Justin whispered.

“Can you imagine lying on your back for four years painting that?”  Emma asked glancing at him for a second and then back at the ceiling.  She was in awe; Michelangelo’s ceiling was even more impressive in person than in photos.

Justin didn’t say anything, but instead reached for her hand, squeezing it and keeping it in his.  He looked at her, more interested in watching her take it all in than taking it in for himself. 

*  *  *

“This is insane.”  Emma laughed and leaned against the stone wall.  They were in Florence for a couple of days on the second part of their honeymoon, and currently were walking up the 464 steps that would take them up to the top of Brunelleschi’s Dome on the Cathedral of Florence. 

The stairs were steep and narrow, and were in all different configurations from spiral to straight.  Emma was feeling a little nauseous from it, and because of the incline, she felt like she was going to fall backward.

“No kidding.”  Justin looked down at her and smiled while she caught her breath and bearings.  “You doing okay?” 

“I’ll be fine.  Just keep walking behind me.”  She grinned and started walking up the next set of stairs, which never seemed to end.  Justin followed.

They headed up a few more sets of stairs before walking down a hallway that when they looked up they could see the curve of the dome.  The next set of stairs they came to went up the side of that curve and Justin had to duck a little because it was low.

When they finally made it to the overlook at the top of the dome, Justin and Emma were pleasantly surprised with the view before them.

“Look at that.”  Justin wrapped his arm around Emma’s shoulder and pulled her close to him.  They were looking out at the city of Florence and in the distance the Italian countryside.

“Beautiful,” Emma said.  “That’s so worth those stairs.”  They were quiet, taking in all that was before them, and because Justin had been able to set it up so that no one else could visit while they were there, they had it all to themselves.

Emma pulled her camera out of her bag so she could take some pictures of the view. 

“Let me see it.”  Justin held out his hand for the camera.  Emma gave it to him.  He held it up and took a picture of her with the city of Florence sprawled out behind her.  “Nice.”

“Can we do one together?” She asked.

“Of course,” Justin answered.  He put his arm back around her shoulder and held the camera out with his free one.  They leaned into each other, both smiling, and Justin took two pictures; the second with him kissing the top of her head.

“Thanks.”  Emma took the camera back from him when he gave it back to her.  They walked around the rest of the overlook before starting their journey back down the steps.  This time Justin led the way.

*  *  *

They had spent a total of two weeks in Italy, finishing off their stay at a resort on the Island of Capri, where they just lounged around and enjoyed each other’s company in everyway imaginable before returning back to real, married life and Arkansas. 

Emma led the way down the hallway of her house and to the bedroom that would now be theirs – at least until they found a home of their own.  She set her suitcase down by her dresser.  Justin stopped at the door and eyed the sign that was still taped to her door. 

“So can I take this sign off of your door?”  Justin asked raising his eyebrows up and down, with a grin.  He was already reaching for the piece of paper.

“Sure.”  Emma shrugged and watched as he wasted no time in tearing down the “No Boys Allowed” sign and crumpling it up.  It was going to be weird sharing her room with him now – not that it was a bad thing, it was just new and different.

“Is this weird for you?”  He saw the look on her face, knowing that she never had to share a bedroom with anyone before.  Justin brought his bag farther into the room and set it down.

“Well … it’s not that I don’t like sharing a bed with you, because that’s really nice,” Emma blushed.  “I just have to get used to sharing my space with you.”  She waved a hand around her room. 

“That’s understandable.”  Justin walked over to where she was standing. 

“It’ll be better when we find our own house.”  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so she could kiss him.

“Yeah it will.”  He kissed her again, placing his hands on her hips.  “I do have to say though, that I am very happy that Trevor isn’t home tonight.”  Justin walked her slowly toward her bed, well, their bed now. 

“I’m sure you are,” Emma said.  She felt herself being lowered onto the mattress.  When his lips left hers, she spoke quietly, “Welcome home, J.”

“It’s been home for a while now … even when I was in the other room.”  Justin laughed quietly.  Emma laughed too and placed her lips on his.  She was happy that he felt that way, even when he was in the other room.