50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

50SOD II: Chapter 6ixty-Nine

    The Baton, as Aubrey had indicated, targeted a much different crowd than Topz. The patrons in The Baton all wore only the most sought after designer brands. Shiny key fobs for luxury cars were swung around index fingers. Grooming was on a whole nother level here - no mullets in sight. No leather chaps or leather pants here. Only the finest of the finest. And Carlos was like a kid in a candy store.

    Destiny had wrestled with whether or not she should go out tonight. Aubrey most definitely hadn't wanted her to leave. He was beside himself with worry. The only way he would let her leave with Carlos is if she agreed to let a driver chauffeur them to and from the club. Even then, he had still been hesitant to pull back from their embrace before she left. He'd held on so tight that it had been uncomfortable, but she knew the meaning behind it.

    She glanced around the night club, adjusting the shoulder strap of her short, red dress. While Carlos chatted it up with a few men, she made a beeline for the bar. Tonight, she tried something a little different: ordering non-alcoholic drinks. She sipped on a pineapple juice and tried to distract herself from thinking about the warning she'd received via instant message. It was impossible to take her mind off it, though.

    Men and women would sit in the stool next to hers, and the brief thought would cross her mind: Is this person sitting next to me someone who is spying on me, or is it just a regular person? Are they watching my every move? Is someone here watching me? Were we followed here?

    Carlos danced it up for a few songs, turned his head and frowned at her. He shimmied over to her and tugged on her hands. "We are here to have fun, but you're moping and looking like you're trying to figure out the meaning of life."

    She laughed and shook her head, but followed him to the dance floor. As she danced with him, she could feel some of the anxiety leave her body. From the funny expressions he made with his face and the dramatic moves he made with his arms, she got the feeling that he was trying to cheer her up. Take her mind off of whatever was bothering her. During the time that she faced him, she almost forgot her worries. But then she made the mistake of turning around and dancing with her back to him.

    A man and a woman, both with dark hair and pale skin, were standing at the edge of the dance floor. They were looking right at her. Without the message she had received, chances were that she wouldn't have thought anything of it. But I did see that message, and so now, I'm questioning why they're looking at me. Are they looking at me because Carlos is dancing all wild and crazy? Are they wondering why Carlos is dancing with a woman? Or is there a more disturbing reason why they're looking at me? She continued moving her body, but her movements became off-beat. Without realizing it, she moved away from Carlos, glancing around the dance floor. Other people were looking at her, but it was possible that was because she looked like she was in a drunken stupor.

    Carlos called her name, but his voice sounded distant. Muffled. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she turned around in a slow circle, trying to hold the paranoia at bay.

    It felt like the people who were staring at her were closing in on her, and she started to have trouble breathing. Panic set in, and it felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room - like she was suffocating. With wide eyes, she turned and ran off of the dance floor. She continued running until she was standing outside of the club, gasping in fresh air. Clutching her chest, she stumbled down the sidewalk.

    "Hey!"

    She whirled around, fear gripping her. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Brian?"

    He approached her slowly, with his hands stuck into the pockets of his jeans. "We have to stop meeting like this."

    She raised a hand to her forehead. An encounter with Brian was the last thing she needed right now.

    His brows drew together. "Are you okay?"

    "No. No, I'm not."

    The door to the club was thrust open and Carlos turned his head left, then right. His eyes widened when he saw Brian. "Well, hello."

    Brian laughed. "Hello."

    Carlos touched Destiny's shoulder. "Honey. Are you all right? What happened in there?"

    "People were watching me," she muttered.

    "Of course they were. You look like sex in a dress," Carlos commented.

    Brian wisely refrained from commenting, but the look on his face said he agreed.

    She shook her head. "No...not like that. They were watching me like they were spying."

    "Spying?" Brian repeated.

    Some of the confusion left Carlos's eyes and he straightened his posture. "I'm sure you were just imagining it."

    "No...something is wrong. Something is very wrong." She knew that she sounded like a crazy person, but she couldn't help it. Once the fear got a hold of her, it was impossible to shake. All of a sudden, she understood just why Aubrey was as frightened as he was. Oh my God. Aubrey. I have to get home. If I'm not safe, neither is he. Without a word to Carlos or Brian, she turned and started walking away from them.

    Carlos trailed behind her. "Not to be a party pooper, but...honey...where exactly are you going?"

    "I have to get home."

    "Are you sure you didn't drink tonight?" he asked her. "We didn't walk here. If you're ready to go home, you should use your phone to call the driver."

    "I didn't drink. I just had pineapple juice." She gasped and stopped walking. "Oh shit. I didn't pay for it."

    Carlos looked very concerned. "I think that's the least of your problems at this point." He turned to Brian.

    Brian cleared his throat and stepped forward, placing his hands on Destiny's shoulders. "Something is bothering you. Tell us what it is."

    She stared up at him. So many thoughts fleeted through her mind, but she couldn't catch a hold of them, couldn't sort them out. The feeling that she was being watched was still there. It was following her, and that was beginning to shake her to her very core.