Fireworks 1 and 2

Jungle: Chapter Fifty-Four

    "Your tour is taking the U.S. by storm right now," Angie said, seated in the dressing room. "And tonight, we got to witness a pleasant surprise, which was Mia joining you on stage - for practically the full show. What made you decide to include her in your show?"

    Drake, fresh out of the shower and in yet another change of clothes, leaned forward to speak into the radio personality's microphone. "I had her join me on stage in Miami for the song that we wrote together, 'Soul Cry,'" he explained. "It was just kind of a fluke thing, actually. Like...it wasn't planned at all. She is actually working closely with Nicki Minaj and Beyonce, so she wasn't originally supposed to be a part of the tour. But after the Miami crowd got to see her, the following tour stops expected to see her as well."

    "Did that surprise you?" Angie asked him.

    "I mean...it did, but it shouldn't have. I know what a talent she is, and she has a rapidly growing fanbase." He glanced towards the radio show's cameraman, then returned his gaze to Angie. "But the fans spoke up, and they were commenting on my Instagram that they wanted to see her, tweeting that they wanted to see her, so I couldn't let them down. I had to make it happen."

    Angie turned to aim the microphone at Mia. "How did it feel to perform in front of this crowd tonight?"

    "It felt amazing," she responding. "I haven't stopped smiling since I stepped off from the stage. Everyone was so energetic and they showed me so much love."

    "Now...for the listeners who didn't get to see this show tonight, I must say that Mia's performance was phenomenal. And Drake, you and Mia performing together was nothing short of adorable. We will have clips from the performances posted to the website tomorrow, but what I want to know is, what's next for you, Mia? Are we going to be playing your music on our station in the near future? Is that where your career is headed?"

    Mia opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. She glanced up at Drake, not knowing how to respond to the question. "I'm...not sure. My next projects, like Drake said, are collaborations with Nicki and Beyonce. Once those projects are completed, I'll take some time to evaluate my options."

    "You definitely had star quality while you were on the stage," Angie told her. "If you weren't considering releasing your own music, you really should consider it. You have what it takes."

    "You really think so?" Mia asked her, temporarily forgetting that she was in an interview.

    Angie laughed. "Of course. I'm sure the crowd of twenty thousand would agree."

    Drake stroked his chin. "Let's put that theory to the test. I have an idea." He turned to the camera crew. "Follow me."

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

    Concertgoers were still making their way out of the arena. Drake was smart enough to know that attempting to head towards the main entrance of the building would not work. Instead, he led the camera crew, along with Ange, Chubbs, Tank, and Mia, out of the talent entrance and around the side of the building.

    As he walked, he spoke into the microphone that Angie had given him. "Throughout the years, I've had a lot of success with touring. But the one thing that I keep hearing from fans is that they miss my Club Paradise days. They list a few reasons for that, but the most common reason is because during that tour, I played at significantly smaller venues. It was easier for them to get to meet me, get a few minutes to talk to me." He glanced towards the camera that was still on him. "And that's very valid, because these days, to meet me at a show, they need tickets for a meet and greet. And even then, the entire tone of it is different from the Club Paradise days. But, tonight, what I want to do is reach out to them. Meet some of them, but also just ask them what they thought of the performance tonight." He rounded the corner of the building.