50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

Chapter Five

     On Thursdays, Destiny didn't have any classes. That resulted in a longer shift at the bakery, and more time for Carlos to delve into her personal business. She didn't mind it. He was hilarious, overdramatic, and entertaining. He worked the cash register while she stocked pastries on the shelves behind the register.

    "So...let me get this straight," Carlos said, turning around to face her as the bell over the door rang. "He cheated on you. You broke up with him and ignored him. Instead of moving on with his life, he shows up to your apartment...for what?"

    "He wanted to apologize and patch things up," she answered as she stood on tiptoe to place a tray of pastries on one of the higher shelves. "He brought flowers and everything."

    Carlos rolled his eyes. "Ugh." He turned and assisted the customer who'd entered.

    "Right?" Destiny asked him after the customer's order was served. "My roommate, who used to hate him, is siding with him now. Saying I should give him another chance."

    "Oh, no, honey," Carlos said, snapping his fingers in the air.

    "I know. I'm not taking him back," she told him. "I could hardly even stand to look at him. I just hate that he does me dirty, and then has the nerve to make me feel like the bad guy. He's the one who cheated."

    Carlos ran a hand through his dark, curly hair just as the door bell rang again. "You don't have anything to feel bad about. You're standing up for yourself, letting him know you won't put up with bullshit. And you deserve better than some jerk who's going to cheat on you and come crawling back with his tail between his legs."

    "Amen," Destiny called over her shoulder, loading a pastry tray to one of the lower shelves.

    Carlos watched her work as he said, "If you take him back, I'm disowning you."

    She laughed. "Disowning me as what?"

    "As...as...my co-worker and friend," he said.

    "You don't have to worry about that," she assured him, clapping her hands to shake the flour from them. "I'm not taking him back."

    "You should come with me to Crave tomorrow night," Carlos suggested.

    Destiny finished loading the final tray of pastries and straightened, rubbing her hands together and flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Why should I come to Crave with you?" she asked. "So you can get me drunk and help me hook up with some random stranger?"

    Carlos shrugged, a small smile curving his lips. "The best way to fall out of love with someone is to fall into bed with someone else," he theorized, turning to face the register and the customer waiting to be serviced. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

    "Thank you for the tip, Dr. Phil," she joked. "But I don't need to fall into bed with someone to get over Jordan. I fell out of love with him when I walked in and saw him kissing someone else." She turned around because she had more to say, but her voice caught in her throat at the sight of a very familiar business executive.

    Aubrey's eyes were on her and they were filled with curiosity. "Your boyfriend cheated on you?" he asked softly.

    Carlos, trying hard to contain his excitement, answered for her since she couldn't find the words. "Her ex-boyfriend," he clarified.

    Aubrey's eyes slid over to him. "I'd like a number seven," he said, handing over a twenty-dollar bill. "Cream. Sugar. Keep the change."

    Destiny lowered her gaze to the floor, feeling her cheeks burning with embarrassment.