Fireworks 1 and 2

Jungle: Chapter Sixteen

    The car ride from the Staples Center in Los Angeles to Calabasas always took approximately forty-five minutes. Which was fine with Mia...there were always ways of keeping busy when her man was in the car with her. Completely ignoring the driver, she straddled Drake's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "In my defense, I won't be able to do this for like...months," she told him.

    "That's a pretty strong defense," he said, settling his hands on her waist.

    "Tonight, I think we should have a slumber party."

    His brows drew together. "A...a slumber party?" he repeated. "As in what thirteen year old girls have?"

    She laughed. "I'm serious. We go on a raid for junk food. We go home, get in our pajamas and just...have a movie marathon. Watching movies until we pass out."

    "Do you have to call it a slumber party, though?" he asked.

    "Yeah, because that's what it will be. Ice cream, candy, whatever we want."

    "We're going to be middle schoolers for the night, basically," he said with his brows still furrowed.

    Her mouth slanted in disappointment. "You hate the idea."

    "I don't hate the idea," he argued. He lowered his eyes and stared at her breasts. "But if we're going to pretend to be teenagers, can I make it to second base?" He nuzzled his face in her neck.

    She giggled and squirmed on his lap. "You're horrible!"

    He called to the driver, "Hey, Anthony. Before we head home, we need to stop at a gas station. Or a convenience store."

    "Got it!" the driver called back.

    Drake started tickling Mia's ribs.

    "Oh my God, if you don't stop!" she cried out, clinging to him.

    He was still tickling and teasing her by the time the driver pulled the car into the parking lot of a convenience store in Drake's neighborhood. The minute the car pulled to a stop in a parking spot, Mia swatted at Drake's arm and grabbed for the car door handle.

    She pushed open the door and stumbled out of the car, straightening the skirt of her dress. "You play too much, Aubrey."

    "Aren't you the one who wanted us to have a play date?" he questioned, standing out of the car and grinning.

    "I didn't say a play date. I said a slumber party," she corrected, pointing a finger at him. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and walked towards the doors to the convenience store.

    He jogged to catch up with her and placed a hand at her lower back. He opened the door for her and followed her inside the convenience store. "Play date, slumber party...it could be a game of Scrabble and I wouldn't care, as long as you're there with me."

    She slid her arm around his waist and leaned into him. "And now the moment of truth...what do I feel like snacking on?"

    "I'll get you whatever you want, baby," he said low into her ear.

    She shivered and rolled her eyes. "I can get whatever I want?"

    "Whatever you want, anything."

    "All right..." She frowned at the aisles they passed.

    A group of college kids wearing Pepperdine University hoodies were crowded around the front register. Either they had a major case of the munchies or were planning a slumber party of their own, based on the haul they'd dumped on the store counter. One of the kids, a tall lanky boy with curly blonde hair, turned his head and widened his eyes. "Fuck! It's Drake!" he shouted.

    His friends followed his gaze. "Holy shit!" another one exclaimed.

    Mia ran a hand through her hair and said under her breath, "All I wanted was some ice cream. Damn."

    Drake laughed. "Welcome to the life of a celebrity," he said, turning and flashing one of his brightest smiles to the college kids flocking around them. "So what will it be tonight? An autograph? A photo? A combination of both? What?"

    Autographs. Photos. The kids excitedly told him that he was their favorite rapper as he scribbled his name on whatever random items they had available. They even wanted Mia's autograph. One of the kids wrapped an arm around Mia's back. Drake leaned back and eyed the boy's arm placement.

    "Watch where your hand sits, homeboy," he warned.

    "I was just trying to make sure I didn't mess up her hair," the dark-haired boy claimed.

    Drake raised an eyebrow at him. "Mmmhm. I got my eye on you."

    "Am I everything you see?" the boy returned.

    Mia laughed behind her hand.

    Drake rolled his eyes. "All right, all right. Are we done with the photos? We're done, right?" He waved them off, then wrapped his arms around Mia.

    "You have to admit, that was funny," she told him.

    He nodded. "It was kind of funny, I give him that." He ducked his head down and kissed her.

    The kids hooted encouragingly, holding up their cell phone cameras.

    Mia pulled back from the kiss. "Will you guys get on?" she asked the college students.

    They nearly forgot the snacks they came in to buy, but eventually the kids filed out of the store.

    Mia smoothed down her hair and turned down one of the aisles. "Hmmm." She touched a finger to her bottom lip, trying to decide what she was in the mood for.

    Drake was in the next aisle over, browsing through chips.

    She raised her eyes over the top shelf and observed him with a smile on her face. There were moments when they would be doing something completely mundane, something trivial. And it would hit her: this was her boyfriend. This was the man she was dating. This gorgeous, beautiful, creative, talented, adorably dorky person was the man who'd captured her heart, the man that still managed to keep her smiling or laughing throughout most of the day. This was one of those moments.

    He lifted his head and stared back at her. A small smile curved his lips.

    Is he thinking the same thing about me? She twirled the end of one curl and continued holding his gaze as she moved down the aisle.