50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

50SOD II: Chapter Three

    Destiny was under the impression that this dinner would be a small affair. She was incorrect in that assumption. Hal and Ryan Silverstein were the first to arrive. Aubrey referred to Hal as "uncle." Hal was a tall man with dark, graying hair, a narrow face, thick eyebrows, a longish nose, and a salt and pepper beard. He was a well-dressed, handsome man, choosing to don a blue dress shirt, a nice pair of slacks, and dress shoes.

    His son, Ryan, Destiny had seen before. Ryan, Aubrey's cousin, was a constant in his life. He also had been in the days when Aubrey was known as Drake, back in the rapping/singing days. He was very tall - he towered over Aubrey, even. He had dark hair and although his face was a wider, looked a bit like his father. He sported a nicely groomed beard. His hair was tousled and still managed to look amazing. He was dressed a lot more casually than his father was, in a dark t-shirt and a nice pair of dark jeans. He greeted Aubrey warmly, hugging him and clapping him on the back.

    Shortly after Hal and Ryan arrived, Oliver showed up with his fiance, a beautiful young woman with dark hair. Oliver, who was credited with managing Aubrey in his days as an entertainer, was also a longtime friend. He wrapped Sandi up in a bear hug and growled. Then he turned and saw Destiny standing near Aubrey and he broke out into a grin. "Is this her?" he asked Aubrey.

    Destiny's brows furrowed, and she looked up at Aubrey.

    "Oliver, this is Destiny," Aubrey introduced. "Destiny, this is Oliver."

    "Hi, Oliver," Destiny greeted, extending her hand.

    Oliver's eyes remained on Aubrey for another beat before he accepted Destiny's offered hand. "It is very nice to meet you, Destiny. I've been looking forward to meeting the woman who gave the Tin Man a heart."

    Aubrey lightly punched him in the arm.

    Oliver laughed and rubbed his arm. "Ow. You know that was warranted."

    If Destiny thought Oliver was silly, his silliness paled in comparison to the goofy personality of OB, a loud ginger with an epic red beard. He had a snapback clapped over his head and a suit jacket thrown on over a t-shirt. He'd paired the suit jacket and t-shirt with dark jeans and sneakers.

    He zeroed in on Destiny the minute he saw her. "Who is this beauty?" he demanded.

    Aubrey laughed. "This is Destiny. Destiny, this is OB."

    "Goodness, gracious," OB said, sweeping his hat off, revealing a bald head, and holding the hat to his chest.

    Aubrey wrapped his arms around Destiny and pulled her to him. "Back off," he warned OB.

    Now that Destiny's back was to OB, he had an entirely new view of her. "Goodness gracious," he repeated softly.

    "Get the fuck out of here, man," Aubrey said, swatting at him with a hand.

    OB chuckled. "In all seriousness, it's good to see you man. We never hang out the way we used to."

    "Work, man," Aubrey said with a shake of his head.

    "We all need to link up. Just...one crazy night. Get the crew together again."

    "For sure, set it up," Aubrey encouraged.

    More and more people showed up, and Destiny began to understand why Aubrey had bought his mother a house instead of allowing her to stay in a condo. The living room was soon crowded with people. Spirits were positive, though, and the house was filled with love. Everyone seemed to be very interested in Destiny and her relationship with Aubrey. He left briefly to use the bathroom, but once he returned, he didn't leave her side for the rest of the evening. And if his hand wasn't firmly holding hers, then it was at her lower back or his arm was around her waist.