Fireworks 1 and 2

Chapter Nine

    Drake stared out over the crowd, breathing heavily. He felt beads of sweat dripping down his face. He dragged his gaze from one side of the crowd to the other, and then he saw her. Brown skin glowing, long dress with beautiful, bright flowers printed on it, her shape looking just right. She was swaying to the music with her eyes closed, not knowing that he was watching her. Not trying to vy for his attention, but definitely getting it. All of it. He licked his lips, which the women in the audience seemed to like. There was only woman he cared about right now, one woman he wanted to please.

    He extended an arm out. "Make some noise for my boy Future the Prince," he said into the mic. "Make some noise for him one time."

    The crowd showed their enthusiasm through a smattering of applause and screams.

    He smiled and wrapped both of his hands around the mic. "I'm going to be honest with you all, right now. That was going to be the end of the show. That was going to be the final song of the night. But I just saw something inspirational. I can't end the show right now. I have to give you one more. One more track. Something you haven't heard. I'm just...going to need you to bear with me for a minute. Can you do that for me?" He held the microphone out to them and they lost their minds. With a smile on his face, he held up his index finger, signaling for them to be patient. He turned and jogged to the DJ booth.

    He jogged up a short set of stairs and entered the DJ booth. He glanced out of the window of the DJ booth and waved to the audience, while talking to Future the Prince. Once the brief conversation ended, he gave him a personalized handshake and exited the DJ booth. The speakers were silent. No music. The audience was loud, all sound. All energy. And excitement. Eagerly awaiting what he would tell them, or sing to them, or rap to them. He loved moments like this, moments when he knew what was coming next but they didn't.

    He approached the mic stand. "I'm glad that you're willing to stay with me through one more song, I do appreciate it," he said with a slow smile spreading on his face. He took the bottom of his shirt and lifted it up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The move was deliberate on his part. He knew the response he would get, and he got it. Tenfold. More bras and panties flying to the stage. He chuckled low into the mic and signaled to Future the Prince. "Drop that beat for me, Future," he called over his shoulder as he adjusted the hearing device in his ear.

    Music flowed from the speakers, music that was different from all of his other music. He closed his eyes and moved his head to the beat. He kept his eyes closed, because if he looked out into the audience and saw the woman that ruled his thoughts, it would throw him off. He pressed his lips against the mic and started singing.

    "Don't you know my soul cries out for you?" he sang out. He let the words hang there while the music continued to play. His words echoed and bounced on every surface in the amphitheater. He hummed into the microphone, and as the music swelled, he pressed his lips against the mic again, raising a hand to the audio device in his ear.

"Don't you know my soul cries out for you?

Don't you walk out that door,

I'm not myself without you.

We've done all of this be...fore.

How many more times will we do this?

How many...more?

Don't you know my heart bleeds for you?

When you're not near,

All I need in this world is you.

Just to be clear.

How many more times will we do this?

How many...more?