50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

Chapter Forty-Two

    Everyone stood from their seats, clapping loudly. Destiny looked around and slowly rose from her seat, clapping her hands. When she was finished clapping, she wrapped her hands around herself.

    Aubrey walked around the podium and beamed at the audience. His gaze fell on Destiny again, as the dean approached him.

    After the ceremony, Destiny found her parents. Her mother, who looked like an older, shorter version of her, wrapped her up in a tight embrace. "I cannot express to you how proud I am right now," she said into her daughter's ear.

    "You definitely should be," a deep voice sounded behind them.

    Destiny straightened and whirled around. Her heart started to pound in her chest. "Aubrey."

    "Hello."

    Her parents exchanged excited glances. "You're the head of Graham Enterprises," her father said. "The one our daughter interviewed."

    "The reason she's getting hounded by all of those reporters," her mother added, pursing her lips.

    "Guilty of both charges," Aubrey said, stepping forward and giving both parents a firm handshake.

    "He's also the reason I have so many offers from different newspapers across the country," Destiny told her parents. "You should be thanking him."

    Her mother's facial expression softened. "I guess you're right about that." She turned around. "I thought we were going to get to meet Chad."

    Destiny's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened. "He's around here somewhere," she said. "You will meet him soon enough."

    Aubrey stretched his neck, surveying the crowd of students. "I wanted to meet him too," he said, turning his attention to Destiny.

    Destiny stared at him. "I don't think that's necessary."

    "It's very necessary," he argued with a polite smile on his face. "I'd like to shake the hand of the man who has been...taking care of you."

    She narrowed her eyes at him.

    He returned the look.

    Mrs. Richards looked between the two of them and after a moment, touched her tall, light-skinned husband on the shoulder. "Your father and I are going to give you two a moment," she told her daughter with a knowing look.

    "We are?" Mr. Richards asked.

    "We are," Mrs. Richards confirmed, steering her husband away.

    Destiny clasped her hands together in front of her. "Out of all of the colleges you could give commencement addresses for, you decided to come here."

    "I've had a long history with Howard University," Aubrey explained, sliding his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. "And since the university's paper helped garner attention for my program, I felt it was only right to give the address here."

    "Then what is this about you wanting to meet Chad?" she asked him, frowning.

    "Walk with me."

    She took a deep breath. "I really don't have the time for this, Aubrey."

    "Please?" He offered her his arm.

    With a sigh, she accepted his arm and walked beside him. "Don't think I'm going to let you off the hook. I want to know why you want to meet Chad. What could you possibly have to say to him?"

     "I just want to meet the guy that swept you away."

    She walked alongside him in silence, trying to convince herself that the nervousness she felt was not because he was in close proximity to her. She tried to convince herself that the simple act of having her arm linked with his wasn't causing butterflies to go crazy in her stomach.