Author's Note: So, this is a pretty busy chapter, a lot happens. Most of which I didn't anticipate until I was writing it, so, I hope you like it.

Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 11

While we got ready over at my apartment, I noticed the tension radiating through Aubrey. I moved over to wrap my arms around her. "It's going to be ok, Bre. Danny's really nice."

She leaned into my embrace and sighed. "It's not that, Beca. I mean, I am nervous about meeting him, but I'm also worried about Chloe's visit."

"Oh, yeah. With everything else, I forgot about it. When is she coming?" I asked, mentally kicking myself for letting it slip my mind.

Aubrey shifted to give me a sheepish smile. "She's arriving on Wednesday."

"Seriously?" I asked. When she nodded, I continued. "And you're just now reminding me?"

"I'm sorry. You've just been so busy and I didn't want to add to your stress," she said softly.

Irritated, I moved away to pace. Thoughts were swirling through my mind. It took a minute, but eventually two questions seem the most pressing. So I asked, "How long will she be here? Where is she staying?"

Aubrey sat heavily on the bed. "She'll be here for a week and I invited her to stay in my guest room."

I froze, staring at her. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Beca. I told her she could stay with me before you and I got together. I didn't think I'd be in a serious relationship when she said she wanted to visit. I didn't think it would matter," she finished softly, not meeting my gaze.

Part of me wanted to go to her and comfort her, but mostly I was pissed that she hadn't told me before. "What does that mean for us?" I asked.

She flinched under the weight of my anger. "Whatever you want it to. I should have told you sooner."

I sighed, letting the anger fall away. I moved to sit next to her. We sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in our own thoughts. Eventually I asked, "So if I told you I didn't want her to see me in your collar, would I only get to see you either here or out in public with Chloe?"

She sighed, "If that's what you want."

I took her hand and squeezed her fingers. "It's not what I want. I want to be with you. But I don't know if I can be collared around her."

Her shoulders slumped, "I understand."

I hesitated a moment before asking, "Would you let me in your house without the collar, if I can't stand to wear it around her?"

Finally, Aubrey turned to meet my gaze. "Are you ashamed of what we do?"

"No," I answered immediately. "I'm just scared, Bre. You said that you guys fought when she found out that you were a dominatrix. I'm afraid of what she'll say or do if she sees me in your collar."

She studied me for a long time before nodding. "Alright, why don't we go out for dinner on Wednesday after she gets here? I know Chloe and she won't wait long to ask you how you feel about my job. And we'll take it from there. Would that be ok?"

"Yes," I agreed immediately. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, love. I don't want to see you hurt. You do know that right?"

I nodded, "Yeah. I don't want you to get hurt either."

"I know," she said with a smile. "Now come on, I've got to get ready to meet a superstar. I want to look perfect."

I grinned, "You always look perfect, Bre."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the pleased smile from forming. "You're biased, Beca."

"Maybe, but it doesn't make it any less true," I said, pulling her in for a kiss before we finished getting ready.

When we walked into Madeo, the host sneered at us. "Do you have a reservation?"

I smirked, "We're meeting Danny Taylor."

The host sniffed, obviously not believing us. "What are your names?"

"Beca Mitchell and Aubrey Posen. Would you like to see our IDs?" I asked sarcastically.

He consulted a list and said, "That won't be necessary. Pleas follow me. Mr. Taylor has already arrived."

As Aubrey and I followed him through the crowded restaurant, I noticed several people watching us with curiosity. I smiled, enjoying the attention. The rude host led us to the back of the restaurant, where a table was separated from the rest of the patrons by a wall, effectively blocking us from the view of prying eyes.

When Danny saw us, he jumped up and wrapped me into a hug. "Beca, wow, you clean up well," He said pulling back to take in the Navy cocktail dress I'd worn.

I rolled my eyes at him, "Thanks Danny, you too." And he did look nice in a black button down shirt, gray blazer and jeans. I motioned to Aubrey, "And this is my girlfriend, Aubrey."

Aubrey smiled at him and extended her hand. "It's really nice to meet you."

Danny ignored the hand, moving around me to pull Aubrey into a hug. Aubrey's eyes were wide as saucers as she stiffly returned the hug. I bit my lip against the laughter that wanted to bubble out. Danny released her and said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Aubrey. Beca's told me so much about you."

As he moved back to take his seat, Aubrey lifted an eyebrow at me, wryly asking, "All good I hope."

Danny chuckled, "Of course."

I smiled over at her. "What can I say, Bre. You're an amazing woman."

She smiled at me. "Thank you."

Danny grinned at us, obviously loving the genuine affection we shared. I blushed, looking down at my menu. Danny turned to Aubrey and asked, "So, what do you do?"

I stiffened, not even considering the possibility of him asking her that. Aubrey didn't even miss a beat. "I'm an efficiency consultant," she said confidently.

"What exactly does that mean?" Danny asked.

"People hire me to come in and whip their employees into shape," She said with a grin. I choked, coughing and reached for the water on the table.

"You ok, Bec?" Danny asked after I had taken a sip.

I glanced over at Aubrey and saw her smirking at me. I turned back to Danny, "Yeah, I'm fine, just inhaled weird, you know?"

"Sure," he said, relaxing back in his seat. After we had ordered, Danny asked, "So how did you guys meet?"

I smiled, "We actually met in college."

"Really?"

Aubrey shot me a grin, and I groaned knowing what she was going to say. "Yeah, actually we really got to know each other after Beca auditioned for the a capella group I was captain for."

Danny's eyes widened in surprise. "That's cool," he said and I realized that he meant it.

I smiled, "Yeah, except Aubrey spent most of the year insisting we sing lame songs from the last century."

Danny grinned, "I'm sure you hated that."

Aubrey and I both laughed, remembering the many verbal sparring matches we'd had that year. "You could say that," I said.

"But Beca did eventually win me over, and she made a mix that was brilliant, and won us Nationals."

"Really?" Danny said, grinning as he looked between both of us.

I blushed, "Yeah."

"So have you guys been together since then?"

"No, we lost touch after I graduated, and we only just got together recently," Aubrey explained.

"What brought you back together?" Danny asked genuinely curious.

I rushed to answer, worried about what explanation Aubrey would give. "Bre convinced Marcus to hire me for a private party."

"You know Marcus?" Danny asked Aubrey.

"Yes. We met through my job and became friends. I asked him to hire her for his party, in an attempt to see if she was interested in me," she answered with a sly grin.

"I guess it worked," Danny replied.

I grinned, reaching over to take Aubrey's hand. "Yeah, it did."

Danny smiled. "Is that how Marcus found you, Beca?"

"Yeah."

Danny turned to Aubrey, "Then I have to thank you. Beca probably saved my career."

Aubrey blushed, "I don't know about that."

"No seriously, the new album will finally let me play the kind of music I had always wanted to play. She's a genius and I couldn't have done it without her."

"Thanks, Danny. You did most of the work though." I said smiling at him.

"That's not true. You worked your ass off on the album. It's brilliant thanks to you." Danny insisted.

"Beca's been really secretive about the album. Can you tell me about it?" Aubrey asked.

"Sure," Danny said and the conversation turned to his music and the new club opening.

When the bill came, Danny insisted on paying. "Seriously, Beca. I have more money than I know what to do with," he insisted.

"Fine. Thank you," I agreed begrudgingly. Aubrey just looked on amused.

After the waiter returned with Danny's credit card, we stood and he hugged us both again. "Aubrey it was a pleasure meeting you."

"You, too, Danny. Thank you for dinner."

"Anytime," he said. "I suppose I will see you guys on Friday."

I grinned, "See you then, Danny."

As we stepped out of the restaurant, we were surrounded by paparazzi. Shouted questions came from all sides as the cameras' flashes blinded us. Danny ignored everyone and pushed through the crowd. Aubrey and I followed his lead, grateful to the waiter for having the valets bring our cars around before we left. One reporter called out, "Danny are you dating both of these girls?" It almost made me stop, but Aubrey grabbed my hand and pulled me to her car. Flashes continued to go off as she drove away from the restaurant.

"Can you see well enough to drive?" I asked, worried because I could only make out black spots.

"Yeah, I think so. I kept my eyes down, so I'm not completely blinded.

"That's good," I said relieved. After a minute I said, "That was insane right?"

She chuckled, "Beca, you better get used to it. You're gonna be thrust in the spotlight at Tanssi's opening on Friday."

I swallowed hard, "I didn't think of that."

She glanced over at me, smirking. "Have you thought at all about what the guest list will look like for Friday? All the celebrities? The big names in music? The press coverage?"

"No," I answered, shaken as I hadn't actually thought about it. Nerves danced down my spine as the reality of it settled over me.

Aubrey reached over to grip my hand, "You'll be amazing, Beca."

"Are you sure?" I asked, suddenly feeling like I wasn't ready for what would be the biggest gig of my life.

"Positive. Besides, you'll have me, Stacie, Jesse and Chloe there to cheer you on. Plus Danny, who may be your new biggest fan."

My lips twitched into a half smile. "Yeah, you're right. I can do this, right?"

"Yes, Beca you can." The unwavering confidence in Aubrey's voice soothed my nerves.

"Oh, shit, I've got to call Marcus." I said, realization dawning.

"What? Why?" Aubrey asked sharply.

"I need to ask him to put you guys on the guest list." I said sheepishly.

She laughed. "Go ahead and call him."

"Thanks, Bre," I said, digging my phone out of my purse. When he picked up I said, "Hi, Marcus, this is Beca Mitchell."

"Beca, what a delightful surprise. I'm sorry about last night. I hope I didn't step out of line." He said without any preamble.

It took me a minute to remember what he was talking about. "Oh, no, Marcus. It's cool."

"Good," he said and I could hear the relief in his voice. "What can I do for you?"

I smiled. "I was wondering if you could put a few names on the guest list for Friday."

"Of course, how many people?" He agreed immediately.

I wondered if he was only agreeing out of guilt or if he was just that willing to appease me. I hesitated then said, "Four people."

"Sure, give me a sec to grab a pen," I heard him rustling around then he said, "Go ahead." I gave him the names. "Done, though Ms. Posen was already on the list."

I grinned, "Thanks, Marcus. I thought she might be, but I wanted to make sure."

"Of course. Is there anything else you need tonight?" He said calmly.

I hesitated for a second before saying, "Just so you know some paparazzi just got pictures of me, Aubrey and Danny leaving Madeo together. I don't think it'll be a problem, but I wanted to give you a heads up."

"Thank you, Beca. That's wonderful. It's actually really great news. It'll start the buzz about you. Have you told your manager yet?"

"Um no, I should probably do that."

"Yes, you should. Anything else?"

"Nope, that's it. Thanks again, Marcus."

"You're welcome, Beca. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. We'll talk again later this week."

"Ok, talk to you later," I said hanging up the phone before turning to Aubrey. "It's all set up. And you were already on the guest list. I'm sorry I didn't think of it sooner."

"It's ok, Beca. It's been a busy couple of days," she said smiling at me.

"Thanks, Bre. Um, I've also got to call my manager. Is that ok?"

She nodded and I dialed, Cheryl picked up almost immediately. "How's my favorite client today?" She asked and I laughed.

"I'm great, Cheryl. How are you?"

"I'm wonderful, Beca. What can I do for you?" She asked and I could hear the genuine affection in her voice.

"I should have called you yesterday, but I wanted to tell you that Marcus asked me to DJ Tanssi's grand opening on Friday."

"Yes, I know. His admin called me yesterday with the details and she faxed over a new contract. Apparently you've impressed everyone at the label."

"Oh, wow. That's great. Um, there's something else you should know. Tonight, Aubrey, me and Danny Taylor went out to dinner to celebrate and we were ambushed by the paparazzi when we left," I said.

She hesitated for a moment, before saying, "While that is great for your career, I have to ask. How serious are things with you and Aubrey?"

"Very serious," I answered without any hesitation.

"Ok, good for you, honey. Next question, do you want to be publicly out of the closet?"

"Yes, I won't hide who I am and I'm not ashamed of the woman I love," I said immediately. I noticed Aubrey glance over to smile at me. I smiled back at her and reached over to rest my hand on her thigh.

"Great. I'm really happy for you, Beca. Last question, is Aubrey willing to make your relationship public? Especially, knowing that I plan to make you a household name?"

I smiled, and asked Aubrey, "Cheryl wants to know if you're willing to go public with our relationship. And she wanted me to warm you that she intends to make me famous."

She chuckled, "Of course, my love. I'm yours, remember?"

I grinned squeezing her leg and answering Cheryl. "She says yes."

"Wonderful, I will take care of any press questions that pop up. Would you and your girlfriend be available for me to take to brunch tomorrow so you can sign these papers?" She said, getting right back to business.

I chuckled, turning back to Aubrey. "Cheryl invited us to brunch tomorrow. Apparently I have a new contract to go over, and even though she's being too polite to say it, she's dying to meet you." I could hear Cheryl's laughter through the phone.

"Sure, Beca. We don't have any other plans for tomorrow."

"Cheryl, it's a date. Would 10am work for you?" I asked my manager.

"Perfect, see you then, Beca." She said and hung up.

I glanced out the window and saw that we were still about 10 minutes from my apartment. I turned to Aubrey again. "I'm sorry but do you mind if I make one more phone call? I haven't told Jesse yet, and I don't want any distractions once we get back to my place." I said, feeling guilty.

"Go ahead. I'd rather have your full attention when we get home."

I smiled, loving that both our places felt like home to both of us. "Thanks," I said and called Jesse. He expressed all the appropriate jealousy and pride. And I laughed at his childlike glee when I told him I had gotten him on the guest list for Friday. I hung up as Bre was pulling into a parking space.

"Thanks, Bre."

She smiled, "You're welcome, Beca. I love you."

I smiled back, "I love you too."

The next morning, I hesitated before getting out of the car. I turned and placed my hand on Aubrey's thigh, preventing her from climbing out of the car. She turned questioning eyes on me. "I just wanted you to know that Cheryl knows that we got together after Marcus' party," I told her.

Her eyebrow lifted. "How much does she know?"

"Not much, just the nature of the party and that we went home together afterwards. I was really vague on details. But it was implied that we have engaged in at least a little tie-me up play." I said shifting awkwardly.

"Alright, thanks for the warning. But why did you think I needed it?" She asked.

I met her eyes, wanting her to see the truth in my eyes, "Because I wanted you to know that you can tell her the truth about your job if you want to. I didn't want you to think you had to lie for my sake."

Her eyes softened and she smiled at me. "Thank you. You do know that if I tell her, she will draw her own conclusions about what we do behind closed doors."

I blushed, "I know, but I don't care."

Aubrey reached out to cup my cheek in her hand. "Thank you, Beca."

I turned my head so I could kiss her palm. "You're welcome, Bre."

We climbed out of the car and made our way to the table where Cheryl was waiting. I made the introductions and Cheryl shook Aubrey's hand. When we took our chairs, Cheryl turned to me, "Your girlfriend's lovely."

I smiled reaching out to take Aubrey's hand. "Thanks."

I received smiles from both women. Then Cheryl said, "Ok, business first, then we can gossip." Aubrey and I laughed as she pulled out the new contract. "Ok, the basic rundown of the new contract is this: they are offering you more money, more artists to work with and they only want you to DJ one night a week, but they want it to be either Friday or Saturday nights."

"Wow," was all I could say.

"That's incredible, Beca," Aubrey said, pride evident in her voice.

Cheryl gave me a big grin, "Look at the salary, Beca, and then sign the damn thing."

I laughed, but when I looked at the new salary being offered the laughter died in my throat as I forgot how to breathe. I looked up at Cheryl and forced air into my lungs so I could ask, "Seriously?" She nodded and I turned the contract so Aubrey could see the sum. Her sharp gasp mirrored the shock I was feeling. "But that's too much. They don't even know if Danny's record will be a success, it's a huge change in style from what he's known for."

"Apparently, they are impressed enough with you that they don't care about that," Cheryl said smugly.

"But that's a quarter of a million dollars a year, plus royalties from each song produced," I said stunned.

Cheryl laughed, "I know. Should I mention that I'd like to renegotiate my contract with you?"

Her teasing finally broke through my shock and I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm sure you do. We can talk about that later."

She laughed again, knowing I'd never agree to pay her more than the standard management fees, and with this new contract she'd be getting a substantial bump in pay from me. I sat back, my mind racing with the new information and the waiter arrived for our drink orders. I took the time to think about the possibilities; the original contract had wanted me DJing on two week nights. But working on Friday or Saturday nights would affect Aubrey too. When the waiter left to get our coffee, I turned to her and asked, "How much would the DJing affect you and your job?"

Her eyes flashed possessively for a moment before she smiled. "I can arrange my schedule accordingly. But thank you for asking. And if there are conflicts, we can discuss them as they come up."

"Of course, Bre. Thank you. Which day would be better for you?" I asked.

"More events are scheduled on Saturdays," she answered and I nodded.

When I turned back to Cheryl I could see the questions she had and I cut her off before she could voice them. "Ok, can you arrange for Fridays to be my usual DJing night, with the caveat that it can be switched if necessary?"

Cheryl blinked. "Yes, I can do that."

I grinned, "Then give me a pen." After I had signed, I added vaguely, "I think Marcus will understand my scheduling stipulation."

Aubrey chuckled, but before Cheryl could ask about it, the waiter returned with our coffee. We gave him our orders and when he left, my manager turned to Aubrey. "So what do you do for a living?"

Aubrey smirked, "I'm a dominatrix and write non-fiction on the lifestyle."

Cheryl's jaw dropped. She stared at Aubrey for a moment, dumbstruck, before turning to me. I grinned and offered, "I told you I spent the weekend with my old college friend after Marcus' party."

Cheryl shut her mouth and I could see the thoughts whirling through her mind. Aubrey seemed to sense what her biggest concern would be and she did what she could to ease Cheryl's worries. "The community is very discreet, you don't need to worry about how it will affect Beca's career."

Cheryl's gaze focused intensely on Aubrey. "How can you be certain?"

Aubrey shrugged, not affected by the power play Cheryl was trying to pull on her. "Have you ever heard any hint of scandal about Marcus? He's well known in the music world."

"No," Cheryl answered.

"Well, he's been very active in the lifestyle for over a decade. So, as I said, Beca's reputation will be safe." She stated matter-of-factly.

Cheryl deflated, "Alright. Is there any chance of you being tied to your writing?"

Aubrey chuckled, "No, I publish under my professional name, Mistress Bella."

Cheryl finally smiled. "Ok," she said and turned to me. "I like your girlfriend."

I laughed. "That's good, because I love her and I intend to keep her." The other two women joined in the laughter, and we spent the rest of the meal discussing more mundane topics.

On the drive back to my apartment, I was lost in thought. Aubrey seemed to realize that I need the time to think and seemed content to listen to the music on the radio. When we were safely inside, I looked around the small loft space and came to a decision. I moved over to sit heavily on the couch, Aubrey following close behind, waiting for me to break the silence. I smiled shyly at her and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. You can ask me anything," she said immediately.

I took a deep breath to gather my courage. "When I first got this job, I was going to look for a nicer apartment, because the salary was big enough that I could finally afford something with more than one room," I started, pausing to see if she was following me. She nodded for me to continue, confusion evident in her eyes. I went on, "Now with this new contract, I can afford a hell of a lot more than that." I hesitated again.

Aubrey reached out and took my hand. "It's alright."

I relaxed at her soft touch. I blew out a breath and asked, "Do you want to keep things as they are between us, or would you like to move in with me?"

Her grin was instantaneous and lit up the entire room. Before I could respond, I found myself pinned to the couch, with Aubrey peppering kisses all over my face. "I'd love to move in with you!" She practically yelled between kisses.

"I know we'd have a lot to work out, logistically," I said voicing my one concern.

Aubrey sat up, pulling me into her lap. "I know, but we'll figure it out."

I finally let myself fully relax and I grinned at her. "I love you, Bre."

She returned the grin and said, "I love you too, more than anything." I pulled her to me and we made love for hours.

The next morning we went to the bank to secure a home loan. An hour later we left and I was in shock. Aubrey slung an arm over my shoulder and said, "It's gonna be ok, Beca."

"I know, Bre. I just can't believe that we just got approved for a $2.5 million dollar loan. Do you have any idea how much money that is?"

She chuckled, "Yeah."

"I had no idea you had so much money, I mean I know my new contract helped a lot, but still," I said.

She shrugged. "My dad is a very driven business man. I've had a trust fund since I was in diapers. Plus, my first book sold really well."

I laughed, "Alright, let's go talk to a realtor and see what we can find. Do you have any ideas of what we're looking for?"

We reached the car and Aubrey climbed behind the wheel before answering. "Well, we need a bedroom, a playroom, a guest room, an office for me and a mixing studio for you. We need privacy so the paparazzi don't hassle us at home when you get famous, and so we can come and go without prying eyes seeing us in our club clothes," she said ticking each item off casually.

I laughed, "Is that all?"

"Well, I'd also like a pool, but that'd be a bonus and not a necessity."

"You think of everything," I said somewhat in awe.

She chuckled, "Yes, I do."

A short while later, we met a very energetic realtor named Sheila who was eager to help us. We showed her the loan paperwork and told her what we were looking for. She typed away on her computer and said, "I have a few properties that might suit you. Let me see what I can set up." We thanked her and waited while she made phone calls. I have to admit I was shocked when she put the receiver down and announced, "Alright, if you are free today, I've arranged a couple of viewings for this afternoon."

"Seriously?" I asked.

She grinned, "Yes."

I looked over at Aubrey and she gave me a smile before turning back to Sheila. "We're free today."

"Great well, why don't you two go grab some lunch and we'll meet back here at 1, and I'll show you the properties."

"Thanks," I said still reeling from the speed at which this was all happening. Aubrey also thanked her and promised that we'd be back, and then she took my hand and led me out of the office.

When our feet hit the sidewalk, I turned to her, "Is it just me or is this all happening really fast?"

She chuckled, "It's happening pretty fast. Are you alright with that?"

"Yeah, I mean I guess it's good because we won't have time to look while Chloe's here. It's just a little overwhelming."

"I know what you mean. Come on, let's go eat, you'll feel better with some food in your stomach."

"Ok," I said and let her lead me into a nearby bistro.

An hour and a half later, we were climbing into Sheila's car. She spent the entire drive talking to us about the various features of the houses she wanted to show us. I tuned her out, wanting to get my own impressions when I saw them. Aubrey listened intently asking a few questions.

Neither of us liked the first house, it was too sterile, the bathrooms were tiny and the closet space sucked. But the second house was incredible and it was only a short drive through the hills to reach downtown. The second I walked in, I felt like I had come home. I grinned at Aubrey and saw the same excitement on her face. As we moved through the house I began to see how we would use each room, the only hitch I saw was that there wasn't a good room to use for the playroom. But then Sheila led us out the back door and showed us the small guest house. It was perfect. Aubrey asked Sheila a few questions about the load bearing capabilities of the structure, saying something vague about exercise equipment when asked. And then Sheila wandered away so we could talk privately.

"It's perfect," I said as soon as the realtor was out of ear shot.

"I know. I just love the view of LA from the balcony in the master bedroom," she replied nearly squealing in her excitement.

I grinned, "And did you notice the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom?"

She nodded, "And the gas fire pit by the pool?"

I laughed, "Plus this guest house would make a perfect new playroom."

She smirked, turning me to take in the guest house and wrapping her arms around me. She purred into my ear, "Do you want me to tie you up in here?"

I shuddered against her, breathing out, "Yes, Mistress."

Aubrey chuckled, slapping my ass as she moved away, "Good, me too. Let's go tell Sheila."

Sheila was thrilled. She talked us through the process as she drove us back to her office. She said she'd place a bid on the house and let us know what they said. We thanked her and headed out to Aubrey's car. My head was spinning, and I felt completely overwhelmed by the events of the prior 24 hours. Aubrey noticed and took my hand in hers as she drove away.

I glanced at her, smiling slightly. "Bre, will you take me to your house?"

She glanced at me, saw the pleading look in my eyes and nodded, "Sure, love."

"Thank you," I said, grateful that I would be able to put aside all of the worries swirling through my mind, at least for a little while.

When we got there, I immediately moved to pick up my collar. As the buckles closed it around my neck, I sighed, feeling the tension drain from my body, and my spinning thoughts calm.

"I love seeing that," Aubrey said smiling at me.

I returned her smile and said, "Thank you, Mistress."

She grinned, "Come on, I think I found a movie that you won't think is predictable. Will you watch it with me?"

"Yes, Mistress," I sighed, not believing for a second that I wouldn't be able to predict the ending of the movie.

She smiled at my lack of enthusiasm and dragged me into the living room. As she put in the blue-ray, I noticed the title and rolled my eyes. I remembered the ads for Now You See Me, and knew it was about stage magicians. It would be predictable, but I resigned myself to two hours of boredom. Aubrey pulled me onto the couch, and I cuddled into her side while she got the movie started. The movie quickly drew me in, and by the time the action moved to New Orleans, I was enraptured. I couldn't figure out what would happen next. The ending completely threw me. I didn't see it coming.

Aubrey chuckled when I launched immediately into a discussion about the plot when the credits rolled. We talked for a while about the movie, and Aubrey was very proud of herself that she had managed to find a movie that I loved. I asked to watch it again to see if I could see any clues earlier in the movie. Aubrey agreed and we ordered Chinese delivery and spent the rest of the night dissecting the movie.

On Tuesday, Marcus had me meet him at Tanssi so he could give me a tour. The club was incredible. It had a large dance floor, with a gleaming chrome bar and lots of plush couches and tables on the main floor. There was a wide staircase leading up to what Marcus described as the VIP room. It had a balcony that overlooked the lower floor, a separate bar and a smaller dance floor. The DJ booth was positioned underneath the balcony and had stairs that led to both floors of the club. The booth was incredible. It had every piece of equipment I could want. All I needed to bring was my laptop and it would plug directly into the soundboard.

While he gave me the tour, he talked me through the schedule for the evening. I was due to arrive at 8:30pm, the doors would open at 9, but they didn't expect any of the VIPs to start arriving until after 10 at the earliest. I was to debut Danny's new album at midnight, with closing at 4am.

As we finished the tour, he turned to me and said, "Now, your friends have been cleared for the VIP room, but please ask them not to make a scene, and not to ask for pictures with any of the celebrities. We are hiring a photographer to document the opening for the website. I'll make sure you get copies of any of the pictures you want. Just contact Carol next week and she'll get you the files."

"Thanks, I'll let them know." I said.

"Excellent, also, I'm sure you're busy this week getting ready for Friday night, so, I'm going to set up some meetings for you next week with some of our other artists, and with a new band we just signed."

"Great, thanks." I said, feeling the thrill of excitement of working with new musicians.

"I'll contact your manager to set up the meetings."

"Thanks."

"Is there anything you need before Friday?" He asked, leading me towards the door.

"No, I don't think so," I said honestly.

"Alright, well if you think of anything, just call," he said and I thanked him before heading back to my apartment to work on the mixes that I'd been neglecting. I texted Aubrey to let her know I was headed home and she replied that she was writing and would call me later.

The next day, I went with Aubrey to pick Chloe up at the airport. The tension in the car was palpable as we both fought vicious battles with our nerves. I knew my girlfriend was worried about Chloe's reaction to my status as Aubrey's slave. But I was most worried about driving a wedge further between the two best friends. I didn't want to be the reason Aubrey lost Chloe's friendship. Don't get me wrong, I was also worried about how she would react to me, but it wasn't my biggest worry. After we parked and went into the sprawling airport, we checked the arrivals board and saw that we had about half an hour before Chloe was due to land. We grabbed coffees and waited close to where the passengers would pass security.

At the first sight of that familiar red hair in the crowd, Aubrey reached down and gripped my hand. Chloe's mouth broke into a huge grin when she saw us. She launched herself into Aubrey's arms, nearly knocking her coffee out of her hand. Aubrey released my hand to wrap it around the redhead.

"Oh my, God, Bre! I've missed you so much!" Chloe squealed.

"I've missed you too, Chloe," Bre said, her voice thick with tears.

I smiled at seeing their reunion. They'd always had a close bond and I was happy to see them together again. Then Chloe turned to me and pulled me into a bear hug. "I'm so glad to see you, Beca," she said, and I was grateful that she was done squealing.

I chuckled, "Me too, Chlo. It's been too long."

"Oh, totes!" She said pulling back to grin at me.

I laughed, "You haven't changed a bit, Beale."

"Nope, why mess with perfection?" She asked teasingly. We all laughed and went to collect her luggage. Chloe chatted away about her flight and the cute guy she sat next by on the whole way out to the car. I climbed into the back seat, letting Chloe sit up front so she could be closer to Aubrey. As we pulled away, she asked, "So what's new with you guys?"

Aubrey stiffened slightly, so I answered quickly. "Well there's a lot going on with me. I got a job with Atlantic Records." Aubrey met my eyes in the review mirror, silently thanking me. I smiled at her.

Chloe turned in her seat, "Really? That's awesome, Becs. What do they have you doing?"

I turned my gaze to look into her eager blue eyes. "Well, a couple of things really. I just finished producing my first album. It was for one of the label's artists whose career was flagging and he needed a new sound," I answered.

"That's cool, who's the singer? Have I heard of him?" she asked.

I smiled, "Danny Taylor."

"Oh, my God! Seriously?" She asked her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Yeah, his new album is going to be totally different."

"Beca, that's amazing."

"I know, actually you're gonna get to meet him on Friday." I told her.

"What? How? Where?"

I grinned, "At the grand opening of a new dance club the label is opening. I'm DJing and we're previewing the album."

"I—that's—wow, thanks," was all she could manage to get out.

I laughed, "You're welcome. Stacie and Jesse will be there too, and I got you all into the VIP room, so you'll be able to mingle with the stars."

Aubrey glanced at me in the mirror again, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "You didn't tell me that."

"Sorry, Bre. I forgot to tell you last night," I said, smirking at her. I'd spent most of the night gagged and couldn't talk. She blushed slightly, and Chloe opened her mouth to speak, so I hurriedly asked, "So do you have anything to wear, Chloe? Cause we can take you shopping tomorrow, if you want." It sufficiently distracted her for the rest of the drive to dinner.

Chloe waited until we had ordered to ask the dreaded question. "So, Beca, I've been dying to know. How much as Aubrey told you about her job?"

I glanced over at Aubrey and saw that she was a little green. I quickly pushed a wine glass into her hand before turning to Chloe and saying, "I know everything."

She watched me skeptically, "Really? And you're ok with that?"

Aubrey took a deep gulp of her wine, while I paused to push down my anger. When I thought I had control, I said, "Yeah, Chloe. I have no problems with it, so long as she doesn't use anyone but me."

Chloe's jaw dropped. "You—?" She broke off unable to finish her question.

I took Aubrey's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Yeah, I submit to Bre." I said gently. Aubrey squeezed my hand in gratitude and I smiled at her.

"I—," Chloe started to speak again, but she stopped, obviously struggling for words.

I took pity on her and said, "Chloe, you don't have to understand it, but Aubrey and I are happy. It works for us."

She studied us for a long moment, before she sighed, "Alright, I'm sorry. I don't get it, but I can see that you guys make each other happy. And that's all I want for you both."

"Thank you, Chloe," Aubrey said, her voice full of emotion.

I grinned and said, "I'm really glad you're ok with this, because Aubrey and I are buying a house together and you better get your ass back out here for our housewarming party."

They both laughed, breaking the last of the tension between us.