"Like a moth to a flame burned by the fire," I sang in the mirror as I applied a little more mascara. I was getting ready for a rooftop New Year's Eve party that I was going to tonight with Michael, Janet, and Rene.

I was excited to see a few of my friends. Apparently, this was the event to go to tonight so I was excited to see everyone. Diana, Liz, Mariah, Toni Braxton, Quincy Jones, Babyface, Teddy Riley, Puff Daddy, and Mary J. Blige were just some of the people in attendance.

I exited my beauty room off of my bathroom to spray some perfume when I heard knocks at my door. I ran my hands through my hair and grabbed my heels heading downstairs. I placed my stuff on the table in the middle of my foyer and answered the door.

"Heyyyy girl," Janet exclaimed loudly. I laughed as she pulled me into a tight hug. "Hey girl!" We pulled back and Janet gasped, "Your house is beautiful oh my god. You designed this?" she asked shocked and I nodded.

As I looked back to the door, I saw two more figures walking up. "Hey Ash," Rene said, giving me a friendly hug, "Lovely home!" I smiled at him. "Thank you!" I heard my front door closed and I looked back to see Michael smoothing out his jacket and hanging his aviators on his v-neck white t-shirt. I smiled watching him.

He was wearing a black military like jacket with white stripes and white epaulets and white embellishments decorating the zipper. He paired it with some black Levi's and his hair in his usual curls. He looked so handsome. He looked up and immediately his eyes landed on me.

I watched his eyes as he scanned me up and down slowly, tauntingly. I smiled and titled my head watching him. When his eyes locked on mine he bit his lip, smiling. He walked over to me slowly and grabbed my hand, spinning me around.

I chuckled as Janet whistled at me. I shook my head embarrassed. "Wow," Michael whispered softly. As I faced him again, I heard him whisper again. "I'm a lucky man."

I chuckled softly as he tugged on my hand, pulling me into him. He hugged me and kissed my forehead. "You're wearing my favorite color. Boy, the things I would do to you right now," he whispered in my ear. I pushed him off of me playfully, pursing my lips.

"Mike, stop being nasty," Janet said disgustedly. Michael and I gave her a look causing her to chuckle. "Says the one who will get on a song and moan in a heartbeat," I said pointing at her. "Shut up!" she yelled laughing as Michael groaned, "Can we not talk about that?"

We laughed as Michael shook his head. "Are we all ready?" Rene asked and we nodded. "Let me put on my heels," I said walking to sit on the stairs to put them on. "Go ahead and wait in the car. We'll be there soon," Michael said looking at Janet and Rene. Rene grabbed Janet's hand and Janet pointed at the two of us, "Y'all better not do anything nasty."

"Get out, dunk," Michael said, shaking his head. "Don't those hurt your feet? Why do you keep wearing them?" Michael asked, looking down at me. "Because Michael, heels are classy. AND they make me feel sexy and plus, they accentuate my legs," I said, caressing my legs playfully. "You're sexy alright," Michael said, helping me up.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, biting my lip and he nodded. "Are you sure you wanna go? We can stay here and get busy?" Michael said, licking his lips. I rolled my eyes playfully and walked to my front door. "Come on Mister."

Michael and I got into the car and Janet cheered. "We are going to party tonight! Rene, pass me the Belvedere!" Janet exclaimed happily. I looked at Michael, "I'm hanging out with Janet more often," I said laughing. "No," Michael said seriously.

"Why not, Mike?" Janet asked, smirking. "Just no," he said looking out the window. "Jan, pass me a shot." Michael looked at me and gave me a look. "Give him one too," I said smiling at Michael.

He tried to hide his smile as Janet handed us all shots. "Out with the old and in with the new! A toast to us for a better year!" Janet said as we all raised our shot glasses. "Cheers!" we all yelled and I turned to Michael. I downed my shot and watched Michael as he slowly downed his. I saw him cringe and pull the glass away from his lips. I put my hand up to the bottom of his glass making him finish it. "YUCK!" he yelled, causing us all to laugh.

"Yum to me, Ash wanna another one?" Janet asked and I nodded as she poured us some more. Michael and Rene watched us chuckling.

Janet and I screamed as Rene put on 'Nuthin but a G thang.' Janet and I rapped as Michael and Rene cracked up at us.

Janet and I rapped pointing to each other. We pointed to Michael and Rene and they rapped along with us.

The car ride was a lot of fun as we all rapped and sang along to all genres of songs. Janet and I took some more shots. We even got Michael to take 2 more. I was surprised we actually talked him into it, but he kept saying he needed to let loose in order to do something tonight. Janet kept agreeing and I don't know what they meant but I didn't push it too much.

As we walked out of the elevator, we were greeted with cheers. "HEY!!!!! Y'all made it!" Teddy Riley said as his wife Donna stumbled behind. He pulled Michael into a hug. I laughed because Teddy was so drunk already.

As he pulled back from the hug with Michael he turned to me. I smiled at him sticking out my hand, "Hi, I'm Ashley." He swatted my hand down and pulled me into a hug. "Oh, I know who you are. Who doesn't?" he asked playfully, "And besides, Michael goes on and on about you," he said as he nudged Michael in the stomach causing him to blush.

"Teddy! Get yo' drunk ass away from them!" Quincy yelled as he walked up to us smiling with a glass of what looked like scotch in his hand. "Smelly!" Quincy exclaimed, pulling Michael into a hug. "Quincy! I've missed you!" Michael said, patting his back.

I smiled watching them interact. I was glad no one was making Michael feel uncomfortable with his whole situation. They were treating him as they usually would and I knew he was grateful for it. "And you must be the beautiful, Ashley. Hi, I'm Quincy," Quincy said as he stuck his hand out. I shook his hand and greeted him back, "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

We greeted a few more celebs and other people in attendance before we found some seats in the back, overlooking the LA skyline. "Are you serious?" Janet said as we saw there were only two seats left. "We'll make it work," Rene said as he sat down and pulled Janet on his lap.

I looked at Michael and smirked. "Wanna sit on my lap?" I asked deviously. Michael scoffed, "Please."

I laughed and he sat down while I sat on his lap putting my arm around his neck. We all talked as we sat down. "Ash, are you coming to the Jackson Family Honors with Mike?" Janet asked as she took a sip of her vodka strawberry. I looked at Michael as he cleared his throat. "I haven't heard of anything," I said nonchalantly. "Mike! You haven't told her?" Janet exclaimed, shocked.

"I was getting around to it," he said through clenched teeth. Janet turned away sipping her drink as Michael shook his head. He turned to me, "Would you like to come with me to this televised event that is featuring my family in Vegas?" I nodded, "Sure, I'd love to."

I tapped my foot along to 'I'm Ready' by Tevin Campbell as Ashley and Janet talked about some chick flick. "No, I thought that was adorable! Jonah just wanted to find his dad a new wife and look! He ended up meeting her at the Empire State building on Valentine's day!" Ashley exclaimed as Janet shook her head. "No Ash. That little boy should've minded his business."

Ashley scoffed and went to argue back before I spoke. "What movie are y'all two even talking about?" Ashley scoffed again as Janet rolled her eyes playfully. "Michael! Are you serious!? Sleepless in Seattle, duh!" Janet patted my knee, "It's not that good, don't worry."

"I could only dream of a love story like that," Ashley said looking up at the sky like a little girl wishing for a star. I scoffed, "I'm a little offended." Janet and Rene laughed as Ashley cupped my face. "No! I-I didn't mean it like that!" she stuttered.

"Let's go get another drink," Janet said as she held out her hand for Ashley. Ashley stood up and I grabbed her pulling her back down. "Don't get too drunk. I want you to remember tonight," I said softly as she smiled. "Why?" she asked softly. "You'll see."

Janet smiled and I gave her a look. I specifically told her not to let Ashley get drunk and they had been drinking all night. She knew what I was up to tonight.

Eddie Murphy came up to talk to me as Ashley was still at the bar. "Hey man!" he exclaimed, hugging me. "Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you here!" I said as I pulled back from his hug. "Yeah, I decided to come and show off the new wifey," he said, smirking.

"Ohhh, where is she?" I asked and he pointed to Nicole over with Janet and Ashley. Nicole and Ashley knew each other through modeling and Ashley and I had gone to Eddie's house for dinner a few times before they got married.

"Man, look I love my wife and she is so beautiful, but damn Ashley is fine," Eddie said and I shoved him playfully. "Eyes off. You're married," I said laughing but I was serious.

"When are you two gonna stop playing games and get together? We've been seeing y'all everywhere together. Nicole told me she even paused modeling gigs to be with you on tour," Eddie said as he sipped his drink.

"Oh, sooner than you think," I said looking at Ashley. She turned to me and winked, causing me to blush. "Y'all are so in love," Eddie said laughing.

I nodded, "She's the love of my life." Eddie pushed me causing me to look at him. "Are you sure? Is she 'the one'?" he asked and I nodded, looking away from her. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

Eddie and I continued to talk as Ashley and Nicole came to join us. It was great to catch up with them and congratulate them on their new union. They made a good couple.

After Eddie and Nicole left, Ashley and Janet started to dance. "Ashley!!!" we heard and as we turned we all saw Mariah approaching her and Janet. They all talked and danced together.

I chuckled watching Ashley sing and dance along to 'Saturday Love'. She was a good dancer. I wasn't too shocked though, she told me she danced for most of her life until she left for college.

The next song came on and all eyes turned to me. "Shout out to MJ who's in the house tonight! Come on everybody, sing along for Michael!" the DJ yelled in the mic as everyone started cheering and singing along to 'Rock With You.'

Ashley walked up to me and grabbed my hands, pulling me up. "Dance with me?" she asked with a smile. I nodded, smiling as we went out on the dance floor.

The DJ ended up going through a Michael Jackson medley and it was great seeing everyone dance and sing along. I was grateful to have everyone still support me and musicianship after everything.

I laughed as Ashley twirled around me singing aloud to my lyrics.

I laughed even louder as the entire crowd, including Ashley, sang out. Ashley grabbed my hands and started dancing with me causing me to smile.

"You are such a fan," I said in her ear as she grinded against me. "Oh shut up!" she said laughing as she turned around and grabbed my shoulders.

As 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' went off, a familiar song with a bass line started to play and everyone grabbed their partners to slow dance.

"May I have this dance?" I asked Ashley, kissing her hand as 'I'll Be There' came on. "Absolutely," she whispered and I grabbed her waist pulling her close to me.

We slow danced in a comfortable serenity before Ashley lifted her head off my shoulder and spoke up. "What did you mean earlier when you said you want me to remember tonight?" she asked as she batted her long lashes. I smirked at her and looked at my watch, "The night is still young. You'll see," I said as I laid her head back on my shoulder and pulled her even closer to me.

Having her in my arms felt so right. It felt as her rightful place was with me and me with her. I truly didn't want anyone else in the world.

I felt Ashley pull away and she ran behind me, "Just look over your shoulder hunny!" Ashley sang along as everyone watched us.

"You're embarrassing me!" I said chuckling and she laughed, grabbing me. "Whatever Joker."

As 'I'll Be There' went off, the DJ made an announcement. "3 minutes till the New Year everyone! Grab your drinks and grab your significant others!"

Ashley and I walked back over to Janet and Rene. They handed us some champagne and we talked while we waited for the new year.

"20 seconds y'all!" The DJ yelled as we stood up. "Help me out y'all!!! 10...9...8...7...6..." the crowd cheered as I turned to Ashley and raised my glass to hers, "5...4...3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!"

Everyone cheered loudly as fireworks went off. Ashley and I clinked glasses taking small sips before she hugged me so tight. "Happy New Year Michael! I can never imagine a year without you! Thank you for being in my life," she said in my ear. I pulled back and gave her a quick peck. "Happy New Year Smiles. You're the best thing I'm taking into the New Year with me. I can't thank you enough for sticking by me this year!"

We hugged again before Janet interrupted us. "I want some hugs too!" We laughed and pulled her into our hug, "Happy New Year you two!"

Ashley and I wished a few people a happy new year before we sat down again. We talked to Mariah and Diana for a while before I started to get anxious. "Let's get out of here," I whispered in her ear. She turned to me and nodded.

We both said bye to Mariah and Diana before we went to look for Janet and Rene. "Dunk!" I yelled, spotting her. She and Rene walked over hand in hand. "We're out of here," I said, giving them quick hugs. Ashley looked at me confused, "Y'all aren't coming?" she asked, looking between me, Janet, and Rene.

"No, we're gonna hang out here a little longer. But, go and have a great night," Janet said looking at me. Ashley hugged them and as she hugged Rene, Dunk gave me another hug. "Good luck," she whispered in my ear.

I grabbed Ashley's hand and we went down to the limo. "So, how do you think tonight went?" I asked Ashley as we rode to another destination. "I think it went well! I had a lot of fun tonight," she said, smiling at me. I grabbed her hand and she scooted closer to me, laying her head on my shoulder.

I leaned my head on hers and took a deep breath. "We're here, Mr. Jackson," the driver said and I nodded. I got out of the limo and went to open her door. I held out my hand for Ashley and she thanked me getting out. "Wait, where are we?" she asked as she looked around.

I smiled and pulled her hand, "Griffith Observatory. Come on."

She caught up to me in her heels, "Why are we here?" she asked, smiling. "Hopefully it's a special night," I said, winking at her.

I led Ashley to the promenade walkway that gave a panoramic view of Los Angeles. My hand was sweating and I was starting to get nervous. I opened the door to the roof and let Ashley walk in. "Michael," she gasped.

I had rented out Griffith Observatory for the night and asked for a dining table to be put on the terrace so we could have dessert and champagne.

She turned to me and smiled. "You did this for me?" I nodded and pulled out her chair. "Milady," I said softly. She sat down and I went to sit opposite of her. "I don't deserve you," she said as her eyes twinkled under the moonlight. I grabbed her hand across the table and looked at her seriously, "I don't deserve you," I whispered.

She gave me a smile and I lifted up the cover on the dessert. "Gelato?" she asked excitedly. "Your favorite. Biscotti flavored," I said smiling at her.

She immediately grabbed a spoon and I poured us some champagne. I handed her a glass and raised my glass to hers. "To us," I said looking in her eyes. "To us."

Ashley and I talked as we shared the gelato and drank our champagne. I looked at my watch and it read 1:15 AM and I knew I needed to put a move on this. I downed the last sip of my champagne and pushed out my chair. I stood up and held out my hand for Ashley to take.

She gladly took it and I walked her over to the railing. "The view is so beautiful up here. I've never been here before," she said softly as her hair blew in the wind. I watched her from the side. She was so beautiful. "The view is surely beautiful," I said, admiring her.

She turned to me and smiled her beautiful smile at me. I took a step closer to her and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.