Fireworks 1 and 2

Chapter Thirty-Two

    "How did it go?"

    Mia sat poolside in a lounge chair next to Bri, who was making up for lost time with her cell phone. She lowered her white framed sunglasses down her nose, arching a look up at Drake, who stood fully clothed in jeans and a polo shirt. Casually sipping a glass of wine spritzer while looking out over his backyard. "There were a lot of contracts," she responded.

    For the first time since they'd been outside, Bri lifted her eyes from her phone and stared at Drake. "I just have one question for you. Are you really that important?"

    Drake's eyebrows shot up.

    "Cell phones held hostage?" Bri asked, gesturing with her phone. "Contracts saying we won't take pics or video or audio without permission? Like..."

    "I have a brand to protect," he said.

    Bri blinked at him. "You don't think you're going just a little overboard with it?"

    There wasn't a lounge chair near them that was free, so he squatted low to the ground near Mia's chair. "I've had women - and not just women, so let me correct that - people take photos, or record me, and send those videos in to gossip sites. When I make mistakes of letting people be...a little too free with the details from my life, I learn from those mistakes. I don't continue to make them."

    Bri slanted her mouth in disapproval. "If you're going to highjack someone's phone, give them a tablet. Something so they don't lose touch with reality. Make sure it doesn't have a recording app on it or camera on it, if you're paranoid about that."

    Mia laughed and slid her sunglasses back up her nose. She went back to reading.

    Drake nudged her elbow. "I don't expect you to start writing today, not after all of those contracts. But I was hoping you'd join me for dinner."

    Bri looked between him and her friend.

    "Of course," Mia said, flipping a page in her book.

    "Seven o' clock?" he asked, standing. "I'll drop by your room and pick you up. Check for you here if you're not there."

    "Or you can text me, now that I have my phone back," she said, looking at him over the top of her book.

    He grinned at her and sauntered away.

    Bri watched his departure and whirled around on her friend. "And you claim nothing happened last night."

    "Shhh," Mia hissed.

    "He's all the way on the other end of the backyard by now," Bri snapped. "What is going on with you two?"

    "Nothing," Mia said, shrugging.

    Bri smacked her lips. "Mmmhm. You're not fooling anybody, bitch." She stretched out on her seat, but not before arching a brow at her friend.

    Mia rolled her eyes and smiled.

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

    Hours later, Bri poked her head into Mia's room. "I just caught a glimpse of Drake and first of all, oh my God. Second of all, he's like...dressed up. So...that..." She pointed at Mia, indicating her casual blouse and jeans outfit. "That...you need to change that. Not going to work for what he has in mind tonight."

    Mia frowned but before she could respond, Bri was gone. She whirled around and dug through her suitcase, tucking strands of her dark hair behind her ear. Why would he dress up? she wondered, tossing articles of clothing aside on the bed and settling on floor-length, black dress. In a hurry, she changed and curled the ends of her hair. A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door while she was evaluating her reflection in the mirror. Gold bracelets jingled at her wrists, and a gold band was clamped around her upper arm. A chunky statement necklace hung below her collarbone and reflected the soft light in the bathroom. She flipped off the switch and exited the bathroom.

    She pulled open the bedroom door and was greeted with the sight of Drake dressed up in a suit sans tie. His black dress shirt was open at the neck, first button undone. His gaze started at the floor, her black and gold heels, and dragged up the length of her. "You clean up nice," she said, pushing her hair behind her shoulders.

    His gaze lingered several more beats. Then he asked, "What are you trying to do to me?"

    "I just want to make sure I look presentable." She looked down at herself. "How did I do?"

    His eyes said it all. Instead of responding, he offered her his arm.

    "I just need my purse."

    He shook his head. "You don't need it."

    "ID?" she asked, frowning up at him.

    "You don't need it."

    She tilted her head to the side.

    He grinned, offering her his arm again.

    She took his arm and followed him down the hall. "Where are we going?"

    "That's for me to know and me to know," he said, leading her down the stairs.

    Chubbs and Spoons stood at the front door with their hands crossed in front of them. They were also dressed up in stylish suits.

    "Car ready?" Drake asked Chubbs.

    Chubbs nodded. "Right out front."

    Chubbs and Spoons led the way outside. The night was warm with a light, rolling breeze. Mia followed the two security guards and Drake to a black Chevy Tahoe with tinted windows. Drake opened the door and assisted her in. He turned and gave orders to Spoons and Chubbs before joining her in the car.

    "I thought we were going to have dinner by the pool or something," she said, peering out of the tinted window to her left.

    "Is that why you wore this sexy ass dress?" he asked, his mouth lifting into a half-smile.

    "Bri warned me that you were dressed up," she told him, looking at him. "You could have warned me."

    "I wanted to see what outfit you would have come up with."

    "I came up with jeans and a shirt," she told him. "I wasn't given a reason to dress up."

    He laughed.

    "Why are we dressed up?" she asked him. "Where are we going?"

    "One of my favorite spots in L.A."

    Chubbs climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. "Everyone buckled in?" he called over his shoulder.

    "He's the angel over my shoulder, I swear," Drake said to Mia as hedrew his seatbelt across his chest.