Fireworks 1 and 2

Chapter Twenty

    "Are you still moping?"

    Drake, seated at a patio table located near his backyard pool, lifted his eyes. The question had come from Ryan, who was looming over him. "Moping?" he repeated with a chuckle. "Nah, man."

    "I mean...OVOFest went off without a hitch, per usual. The fans are loving you. Other artists are loving you because you're helping to put them on. So you can relax and have fun now." Ryan turned his head, gazing out over the property. A resort-style swimming pool, complete with rock formations and a Playboy mansion-esque grotto, stretched out as far as the eye could see. The statue of a woman with her hands behind her head stood fixed in the center of the pool and other statues could be seen throughout the area. The sun was beginning to set, casting an ethereal glow over the city. Its reflection glimmered in the ripples of the pool water.

    Drake's house was a playground, a theme park for his boys. They worked hard throughout the year, traveled the world with him. Kept him company when he needed it, interacted with fans through social media fansites, worked hard to ensure his security, and even helped him with his music and songs. Without them, he wouldn't have gained nearly as much success as he had. Allowing them to indulge during their downtime was the least he could do.

    Swimsuit-clad women walked back and forth like they were working a runway at a high fashion show. Eye candy. Drake lifted a glass of wine to his lips as he stared out across the pool area. There was a time in his life when he would have been filled with excitement at the sight of these women. After all, they were beautiful women, and from all walks of life. No matter what a man's preference was, it was covered by the group of women that frolicked near and in his swimming pool. However, these women no longer gave him a thrill.

    Chubbs was down for the count, taking a much deserved nap. Niko was at his house with his family, which was also deserved. 40 had locked himself in the studio, hard at work and figuring out a piece of a track he'd been working on for the past few weeks. The rest of his crew partied and relaxed near the pool. Some of his boys lounged in chairs, while others swam or flirted with the endless supply of women in attendance.

    "Relax?" Drake repeated. "I don't know the meaning of the word."

    "You've got all of these girls here and you haven't so much as talked to any of them yet," Ryan observed.

    Drake shrugged, setting down the tall wine glass. "I'm not in that mind frame today."

    "When aren't you in that mind frame?" Ryan muttered, stealing a piece of pasta from Drake's plate.

    "I just...have a lot on my mind, that's all."

    "A lot?" Ryan pressed. "Or one person?"

    Drake speared some of his pasta salad with a fork and popped it into his mouth, a move that saved him from having to answer the question. He blinked over at his cousin as he chewed.

    "That's what I thought," Ryan said, pointing a slender finger at him. "I've known you too long. I don't know why you keep thinking you can fool me."

    Drake smiled while chewing.

    Ryan rolled his eyes at him and sat down. His dark brows drew together in concern.

    With amusement dancing in his eyes, Drake returned his cousin's stare. "What?" he asked finally.

    "Smile all you want. But I'm worried about you, man."

    "Don't worry about me," Drake said, looking down at the plate of food in front of him. "I'm on top of the world. Look at this." He spread his arms outward, indicating the property that they were currently inhabiting.

    Ryan gave the backyard a cursory glance. "You're family. I know you better than that."

    "Yo! Watch this! Watch this!" OB shouted over to them. He stood on top of one of the rock formations, dressed in black swimming trunks.

    Drake looked in OB's direction.

    OB took a swan dive off of the rocks and splashed into the water below. When he surfaced, he cackled and wiped the water out of his eyes.

    Drake and Ryan exchanged unimpressed glances as OB climbed out of the pool.

    OB padded over to them in bare feet, dripping wet. "Will you cheer the fuck up?" he demanded. "You're depressing the fuck out of me."

    Drake's eyes widened. "I'm fine."

    OB and Ryan looked doubtful.

    Drake pushed the food around his plate. "Come on, man. I'm just trying to unwind from a long trip. You know OVOFest takes a toll on me."

    "True," OB agreed, relenting a bit. His facial expression softened. "Whenever we hit Toronto for OVOFest, we don't rest from the time we get there to the time we leave."

    "Endless partying," Ryan agreed.

    "Staying up late as fuck and waking up early as fuck," OB said, running a hand over his head. "And you're right...you do need to unwind." He put his thumb and index finger in his mouth and whistled loudly.

    Everyone within earshot turned to look at the three men at the patio table.

    OB cupped his hands around his mouth. "My boy Drizzy needs to relax and unwind! Who here is going to help him do that?"

    Drake shook his head, laughing.

    The women didn't have to be asked twice. Immediately, they flocked in Drake's direction.

    A tall, slender woman with medium brown skin and a stylish, short haircut was the first to approach Drake. She wore a teal-colored string bikini. Wordlessly, she came to stand at his side and extended her hand to him.

    He barely looked at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out thighs that were a bit too slender for his taste. He could feel his cousin's eyes on him, gauging his response to the woman who was clearly giving the green light. Arching a thick, dark eyebrow, Drake lifted the glass of wine and took another swig. He downed the rest of the crimson liquid and stood up from his seat, accepting the woman's offered hand.

    "That's my dawg!" OB shouted encouragingly, grabbing the nearest towel and drying himself off.

    Ryan shook his head and laughed as he watched his cousin walk off with the nameless, brown-skinned woman.

                                                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    After an hour of touching, teasing, and reciprocal tasting, Drake sat on the corner of his bed with a glass of dark liquor in his hand. He'd dismissed the girl moments before pouring himself a stiff drink. He was a man that prided himself on his skills in the bedroom, but he had definitely not been into it.

    The girl hadn't done anything wrong, per se. She was decent enough in the bedroom skills department. The entire time, though, all he could focus on was how empty it all felt. He didn't know what her name was. She'd told him, but he couldn't remember. If his life were a movie, she was an extra standing in the background of an unimportant scene.

    While he was touching her, another girl had taken over his thoughts. Mia. Whenever he set his mind on something, it was hard to get it out of his mind. When he wanted something, really wanted it, he had tunnel vision. And there was no denying it anymore. Not after having a beautiful woman in his bed that he could barely focus on long enough to satisfy her.

    He wanted Mia.

    And all of a sudden, he understood why his friends were worried about him. 40's words rang in his ears. "You've got it bad."

    Drake shook his head, swirling his drink in his hands. "He's right," he said out loud. "I do." He stared down at the drink and without hesitating, threw the drink back.