50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

50SOD II: Chapter One

    A simple, black dress with criss-crossed straps. A thick, diamond tennis bracelet. Large diamond studs. Hair flatironed and pulled back in a neat chignon. A classic, red lip. Winged, dark eyeliner. The smallest hint of eyeshadow. Destiny studied her reflection in the mirror, turning to look at her profile.

    The gorgeous jewelry was courtesy of Aubrey Drake Graham. Multimedia mogul and head of Graham Enterprises, a company that had its hands in music, television and film production, and publishing. The public often still referred to him as Drake, since he'd used his middle name as his stage name in his days as a rapping/singing entertainer. She referred to him as Aubrey. The name seemed to fit him. Drake was a long-forgotten alter ego that she never had the pleasure of meeting.

    Approximately eight months ago, she was working in a bakery near the Howard University campus where she attended school. Aubrey walked in to order breakfast and from that day forward, her life was forever changed. He was instantly fascinated with her, and even though he'd told her why, to this day she still couldn't understand how a man of his caliber could find her as fascinating as he did. But his fascination led to him returning to the bakery and asking her out on a date.

    Phantom of the Opera, she thought now, smiling in the mirror. She lowered her eyes as she remembered the first time she'd gone out with him. He had bought her a beautiful blue dress that she still owned. Matching heels. Very much a man who paid attention to detail, no matter how small. That night had started off amazing. They rode to the opera in a limousine. The opera itself was an amazing experience. Afterwards, things between Aubrey and Destiny got heated in the limousine. And of course that is when he wants to drop the bomb on me that he isn't looking for a serious relationship. That is when he wants to tell me that he has special "interests." That is when he wants to pull the rug from under me.

    She'd come close to making love to him right there in the limousine, the first night he'd taken her out - and having sex on the first date was something she'd never done before. She didn't condone sex on the first date, and still she'd come close to having it with him. Why?

    Her mind summoned up an image of Aubrey. The product of a Jewish mother and African-American father, he had light-colored skin. Thick, well-groomed brows. Adorable, wideset, downturned eyes the color of Godiva dark chocolate. A nice, proportional nose. Full lips, capable of stretching into the most boyish, infectious smile. What seemed to be a permanent five o' clock shadow, which, along with the fade haircut he wore, was also perfectly groomed. He was tall, with a lean muscular build. Tattoos scattered all over his back and arms, only visible when he took off his trademark suit jacket and button-down dress shirt. He dressed in the finest of Italian suits.

    Not that his looks and amazing fashion sense were the sole reasons why she'd nearly made love to him on their first date. They were definitely factors, however. The attraction she felt towards him was strong from the beginning, and also had to do with how he carried himself. Confident. Particular. Polite, but very shrewd. Intense. And if she used one word to sum up Aubrey, intense would be the word she chose. She'd never met an individual quite as intense as he was. He could sit in a chair, not speak a word, and his presence was formidable. Larger than life. His presence, while not even speaking a word, could overwhelm everyone in the room. His stare had the power to make a woman swoon and melt, but also had the power to make a challenger cower and wither. And that stare...of all of the physical features he did have, those eyes of his were her weakness.

    Destiny hadn't liked hearing that he was only interested in a casual arrangement that would require her to sign a contract. She'd been offended when he offered to give her an interview in exchange. An interview with Aubrey would be a great start to any aspiring journalist's career, since he shied away from the media, but anything in exchange for a sexual relationship made the entire setup feel cheap. That night, she'd walked away from him.