50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

50SOD II: Chapter Sixty-Five

    The rest of the week was, for the most part, uneventful. Work was hectic. The media continued to pressure Aubrey for an interview or press conference. He assured the media, via well-thought out statements either created or approved by Brian, that Graham Enterprises was looking into the matter. The media wasn't content with that response, and neither was the public.

    Aubrey's social media accounts were filled with comments from consumers vowing that they would no longer support Graham Enterprises or any of the projects that the company released. They wanted answers, wanted to know where their money was going.

    Brian held meetings, met with members of the media, and tried to put out as many fires as he could. He was charming and charismatic, but even his charm had its limits. It wasn't quite enough to woo the media.

    Aubrey told Destiny that his private investigator was looking into Palmer's automobile accident, and said that the investigator had a possible lead. She could tell he was beyond stressed out, but he tried not to let it show. That was probably for her benefit.

    Leave it to Aubrey to still feel like he has to put up a front for me, she thought as she studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror of his condo. Leave it to him to feel like he still needs to put up this brave front as if nothing's wrong, nothing's bothering him. Like I don't know any better.

    Friday evening, he had apologized to her but told her that she would be better off hanging out with Carlos. News she knew that Carlos would be ecstatic about, but Aubrey's willingness to set aside "training" concerned her. "Is everything okay?" she had asked him.

    "Everything is fine, but there is a ton of work to do. And having you around really is distracting to me. So...just remember what I said. Keep your eyes open, ears open when you're with him. But I want you to enjoy yourself. Okay?"

    More than okay. She texted Carlos and the excited emojis he sent her back in return were enough to indicate that this weekend would officially be "turn up" weekend. The first "turn up" weekend she'd get to share with him since he'd been in Toronto. For the occasion, she had pulled out one of her little black dresses.

    She evaluated the fit of the tight dress and turned sideways in the mirror, tilting her head to the side. I should really start doing more crunches, she thought, smoothing a hand down her stomach and frowning.

    Aubrey entered the bathroom and grabbed his electronic toothbrush from the cherrywood and marble cabinet mounted to the wall. He looked her up and down. "Is that what you're wearing?"

    "Yes, Sir, it is," she responded, not knowing if it was necessary to call him "Sir" at this point. Since he was letting her go out this weekend, she didn't know if she still had to follow the rules as outlined by the contract. Because she would rather err on the side of caution, she decided to go ahead and follow the rules.

    He eyed her out of the corner of his eye while squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush. "You don't think that dress is a little short?"

    You must have forgotten that little white number you made me wear to the sex club. This dress is a nun's habit in comparison. She turned to face him and raised a hand to her hip. "Do you want me to change?"

    He shook his head and shrugged. "You can wear it, if you want."

    "Now I'm going to be worried about how I look all night."

    "I didn't mean to make you self-conscious," he said, flipping up the faucet handle and holding his toothbrush beneath it. "I'm just saying your dress is a little short. And tight."

    "Now it's too tight. I'm going to change." She turned and started to leave.

    He grabbed her by the wrist. "Hey."

    She arched a glance at him over her shoulder.

    "I should have said you look beautiful," he said, raising her arm and spinning her around to face him. "I guess I'm not used to you going out without me."

    "We already had the 'neither of us have to worry' conversation," she reminded him.

    "I know," he said, releasing her wrist and sliding both hands around her waist.

    "And besides...I think Carlos is taking me to a gay bar," she informed him. "So you extra have nothing to worry about."

    "Inaccurate. Women are just as quick to steal a girl away as a man."

    She laughed. "Will you stop?"

    He side eyed her, but remained quiet.

    Her laughing ceased immediately and her facial expression changed to one of mock-seriousness. "I mean, will you stop, Sir?"

    He chuckled and shook his head. "I want you to have fun. At least one of us should try to get their mind off work."

    "You should just let me stay and help you."

    "I don't want you to burn out over this."

    "I wouldn't burn out. It would be for a good cause. I know how important this is to you."

    "No, Destiny." His tone said that his response was final and his mind wouldn't be changed.

    She sighed. "All right, then I'm going to grab my purse and hang with Carlos for the night."

    "As you should." He lowered his head and kissed her.

    She returned the kiss, then hugged him. Hesitant to leave, because she was as unused to spending time without him as he was unused to watching her leave without him. This would literally be her first night out on the town without him. Previously, she had ventured out during the day or to run quick errands, but never had she gone to a club or bar without him.

    After grabbing her purse, she kissed him and hugged him again, eager to feel his closeness once more before leaving. Then, she left the condo and went to retrieve Carlos.

    Carlos opened the door to the condo with a squeal. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her inside. "I'm just putting the finishing touches on my hair."

    "But your hair looks perfect. Literally perfect." She closed the door at her back and followed him through the dining room and down the short hall leading to the bedroom.

    Instead of going into the bedroom, he turned into the bathroom and continued applying funky-colored hair gel to his hair.

    She wrinkled her nose at the gunk he was putting into his hair. "Really?"

    "Beauty is pain," he quoted, eyeing his reflection. "And my current boy toy is fucking up, so I'm on the market for something new. Which means, I need to look my best." He squinted his eyes as he brushed back his long locks.

    "You're probably about one application away from looking like you have a jheri curl," she commented. "Your hair doesn't need gel."

    He looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Without gel, my hair would be a hot mess. But you're very sweet to say that, thank you."

    She laughed and turned her head away, surveying the bathroom. There were a ton of styling products laid out on the long sink counter, but there seemed to be a sense of organization to the chaos. Everything was neat, nothing out of place. Carlos might just be as big of a neat freak as Aubrey is, she thought.

    "You okay, honey?" he asked her while slicking his curly hair back into a ponytail.

    "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...stress. It's nothing."

    "Work?"

    "Yeah, but it will be fine."

    He looked worried, but didn't ask anything further. "Tonight, we are going to forget all about stresses of work and dickhead boyfriends who don't take the time to appreciate you," he declared, raising an index finger into the air.

    She laughed. "Sounds like a plan."