Athena Tyler is an Italian-American musician who rose to fame as the lead singer of a girl band with her sisters, called 'Sorelle'. She has amassed millions of dollars and now lives alone in a luxurious mansion. Although she no longer sings, she has...
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CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA—PAISLEY PARK
When Athena knocked on the door, a woman with long hair and a curvy body answered, "Hi. Can I help you?"
Athena looked up, surprised to see her standing there, "Oh, you're pretty," she smiled, "Sorry. Hi, I'm Athena. Can I see Prince?"
The woman's eyes widened in recognition at Athena's name, "Oh, you're Athena! Prince has mentioned you before. Come in, come in," she said, stepping aside to let Athena enter Paisley Park, "Congrats on your marriage! Prince talks about you a lot! He says you're like his best friend."
Athena suddenly noticed a shimmer on the woman's hand, "So he finally found a woman who could tolerate him longer than ten minutes?"
The woman burst into laughter, "I'm Lizzo. It's a promise ring, but I hope he proposes at some point!"
Athena laughed at Lizzo's candidness, feeling a flicker of warmth in her chest amidst the turmoil. "I hope he does too. Prince is one of a kind," she said with a smile, following Lizzo through the halls of Paisley Park, the echoes of their footsteps reverberating through the corridors filled with music memorabilia and vibrant artwork.
As they approached a set of double doors, Athena's heart quickened with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Lizzo gave her an encouraging nod before pushing the doors open to reveal Prince's private sanctuary. The room was bathed in a soft purple light, casting a soothing glow over the instruments scattered around and the luxurious velvet furniture that adorned the space.
"Hey, babe!" Lizzo called, "I have Athena Tyler here!"
Prince turned around from where he was strumming on his guitar, a wide grin spreading across his face as his eyes landed on Athena, "Well, well, well, look who it is! Athena, come here and give me a hug!"
"I'll give you two some privacy," Lizzo said.
"You don't have to if you're more comfortable staying," Athena said genuinely, "I don't want to make you think I'm trying to steal your man."
Lizzo chuckled, waving away Athena's concerns, "Oh, please, honey. I know you're married to Michael Jackson. And I don't think you're the type to get involved with taken men. I'll see you both later."
Athena placed her bag down and practically ran into his arms, unable to hold back her tears anymore.
Lizzo frowned, sensing her new friends' distressed state, silently signaling to Prince that this was a moment that required his full attention and care. With a gentle smile, Lizzo exited the room, leaving Athena and Prince alone in the sanctuary of Paisley Park.
"Let it out, mama," Prince held Athena close as she let out all the emotions she had been bottling up inside. He stroked her hair soothingly, murmuring words of comfort and understanding.
When her tears finally subsided, Athena looked up at him, "I'm sorry for just showing up. I should have called first."
Prince cupped her face in his hands, his eyes filled with concern, "Don't apologize, Athena. You know you can always come to me, no matter what. What has you in tears?"
And so, Athena launched into her explanation of what had brought her to so much inner turmoil, "It's Michael. Or maybe it's me. He has these two music videos coming up and one is with Naomi Campbell on my birthday, which I know you don't believe in birthdays but still. He has to dirty dance with her in that one. And the other is with Iman on December 10th and he's supposed to kiss her in that one! His family told me that it's okay to fire people on his set if I think it's necessary, but I already know if I did that he would throw a fit—but if he fired someone on my set, he would just expect me to go along with it!"
Prince listened intently. He knew the internal struggle his best friend was dealing with. And he couldn't say she was wrong for feeling the way she feels. He put himself in her shoes—if he had to watch Lizzo and another man in such intimate scenarios, he would undoubtedly feel a mix of jealousy and insecurity.
Prince held Athena's gaze, his expression a mix of sympathy and understanding, "Athena, I can only imagine how difficult this is for you. It's not easy to see the person you love in such romantic situations with others, even if it's just for a music video. Have you talked to Michael about how you're feeling?" Prince asked softly.
"No, but I feel like there would be no point because he just says 'it's for work' and I don't want to be the jealous wife or seem like I'm trying to derail his artistic vision or his career," Athena said dejectedly, "I don't know, I guess I've just resulted in staying quiet about it."
Prince nodded thoughtfully, understanding the delicate balance Athena was trying to maintain in her relationship with Michael. He gently squeezed her hand, offering his unwavering support, "Okay, listen, mama. Your feelings are valid, and it's important to communicate them to Michael. Keeping them bottled up will only cause more turmoil. I'm sure if you talk to him, he will do everything in his power to rectify the situation. That man loves you, that much I do know. It's not okay that he would agree to do these videos with these women, without having that discussion with you first. As a man, I can say that Michael would want to know if he is inadvertently causing you pain or confusion. It's not about being a jealous wife; it's about having your feelings acknowledged and respected in the relationship," he paused, "Now, all of that being said, take Lizzo and I for example. Say I was doing a collaboration Lizzo was uncomfortable with, I would expect that she come to me, even if I have to sit here and let her cry on my shoulder for hours. I'd rather be made aware that she's hurting than to have her suffer in silence."
Athena nodded in understanding, "She seemed like she was the type to tell an entire room that she wasn't going to tolerate something and then walk out in a dramatic fashion with her head held high," she chuckled softly with tears still in her eyes.
Prince smiled too, knowing full well Lizzo's penchant for making her feelings known, "You know, she probably would. But seriously," he paused, "I recommend talking to Michael. If it makes you feel closer to him, go sit on his lap and talk to him. I'm serious about that—sitting on laps is bonding."
"No, it's not," Athena said in confusion.
Prince laughed at Athena's confusion, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Trust me, sitting on laps is an age-old bonding technique. It's a scientific fact," he said with a wink, "Anyway—go sit on his lap, cry on him—Lizzo says it's liberating when she cries on me!"
"Oh, it is!" Lizzo giggled as she came back in, "Am I intruding?"
"No, I was just explaining to Prince how...." Athena said, going into her explanation about Michael and the music videos and the supermodels and about the whole firing thing, and how it caused her to go through some inner turmoil where she was left feeling silenced.
Lizzo and Prince listened attentively, offering their insight and words of encouragement. Lizzo shared her own experiences of standing up for herself in difficult situations, empowering Athena to voice her concerns to Michael.
"You know, Lizzo, I'm glad Prince has you," Athena smiled at her new friend, "I've been hoping for him to find someone like you."
Lizzo beamed at Athena, feeling touched by her words, "Thank you, honey. Prince has been a guiding light in my life, showing me how to stand strong in the face of adversity. I'm grateful every day for his presence," she said warmly, "I'm also glad you two have each other as a best friend."
"You're not jealous?" Prince asked.
Lizzo chuckled at Prince's question, shaking her head playfully. "Jealous? Please, I've got a love that fills my soul. I can't begrudge the bond you two share. Besides, Athena is a gem, and I'm happy to see you both supporting each other," she said sincerely.
"And I would never go for Prince," Athena added with a laugh, "He's like a big brother to me."
Lizzo laughed at Athena's remark, playfully nudging Prince, "See, big brother material right there," she teased.
Prince feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart dramatically, "Hey now, don't go revealing all my secrets," he said with a grin.
