50 Shades of Drake 3 and 4

Chapter Fifty

    "Did Zorica respond to your text message?" Destiny asked Brian, leaning closer to him and peering at his cell phone screen.

    "She said that everyone knows about the attack, and everyone is talking about it," he replied, scrolling through his text messages. "Human resources sent out an e-mail about workplace safety, advising employees to make sure someone else stays with them if they decide to work late."

    "Wow."

    "The fountain in the lobby is roped off with crime scene tape," he added, angling his phone towards her so she could see the photo Zorica sent him.

    Destiny shook her head. "I still can't even believe that it happened."

    "I missed a call from Detective Larrieux. He has more questions for me." Meaning that they're still looking into the possibility of me having something to do with all of this craziness, he thought, pocketing his cell phone. He settled in his seat, trying to wipe all of that drama from his mind. After all, he was seated in a dimly lit movie theater with quite possibly the most beautiful young woman in the world...close enough that her arm brushed against his. She had such a powerful effect on him that even the smallest of touches like that drove him crazy.

    The movie, a Channing Tatum action flick, hadn't started yet, so everyone in the theater participated in their own conversations or checked their cell phones before the dancing 3-D graphic tub of popcorn had the chance to flash on the movie screen and order them to put their phones away. Because it was smack-dab in the middle of a work day, not many people were in the theater with them. Empty seats surrounded them, which is how Brian preferred it.

    "Today has been amazing, Brian," Destiny told him.

    "I think we both deserved an amazing day," he returned.

    She picked up her cherry Icee and sipped on it.

    The visual of her full lips wrapped around the straw was almost enough to make him break out into a sweat. He swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. "Can I have some of that?"

    With the straw still in her mouth, she looked at him with furrowed brows. When she was finished sipping, she told him, "You had your chance to get one. If I remember correctly, you made fun of me for getting one. What was it you said? That I was too old to be ordering one?"

    "I've never seen an adult order an Icee before," he insisted.

    "Then you rarely go to the movies. They make a Large size for a reason, and it's not for twelve-year olds."

    He poked out his bottom lip. "Be that way, then," he said, turning to face forward. He snuck a peek at her out of the corner of his eye.

    She rolled her eyes. "Now who's being immature?" she joked, handing him the cup.

    He accepted it from her and took a sip. "Damn, that's good."

    "Hence, the reason I ordered it," she said, snatching the cup back from him and using the straw to stir the frozen ice beverage.

    An image flashed on the movie screen, and then the previews started.

    She leaned close to him again and said to him, "You know...this is almost perfect."

    "Almost?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

    "We should have stopped at a store or a gas station to get candy."

    He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "They had candy at the counter up front. You should have told me you wanted some, I would have gotten it for you."

    Her mouth slanted in disapproval. "I care for you too much to make you pay five dollars for a box of candy, Brian."

    He laughed. "So you sneak candy into movie theaters?"

    "I'm an American woman," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's a rite of passage for me to sneak candy into movie theaters. You're lucky I didn't sneak chicken in here."

    "If you'd snuck chicken in here, I wouldn't be sitting next to you right now," he muttered.

    She leaned away from him and blew air between her lips. "Pfft. Yes you would."

    "Everyone would smell that," he went on. "There's no way I'd be sitting next to you if you sneak chicken into a movie theater."

    "Next time I'm doing it, just because you said that," she quipped.

    His heart did a backflip at her indication that there would be a next time. "Then next time you'll be sitting alone," he told her, grabbing her Icee and drinking from it.

    She frowned at him. "You say you're not going to sit next to me if I bring chicken into a theater, and then you hijack my Icee? What kind of show are you running here?"

    "This Icee was rightfully purchased in the theater," he pointed out.

    "Do you always play by the rules?" she asked him.

    He grinned at her while sipping on the straw. Just as the previews ended and the lights in the theater dimmed, he sat the cup back in the cupholder. Placing his hand on the armrest, he directed all of his focus on the movie screen. The smell of her perfume teased his nostrils.

    To his surprise, she covered his hand with hers and said, "Oh my God, it's starting."

    In more ways than one, he thought, closing his eyes for a brief moment and savoring the feel of her hand on his. He flipped his hand over beneath hers and intertwined his fingers with hers. Keeping his eyes aimed straight ahead of them, he gave her hand a squeeze.

    She squeezed his hand back.

    He was tempted to lift her hand to his lips and kiss it, but knew that kissing her hand would be going too far. Today was supposed to be about enjoying each other's company, taking their minds off of all of the craziness in their lives, and relaxing without any pressure or expectations. Making a move on her, other than the small flip of his hand and the hand squeeze, would send her running in the opposite direction - and it would be disrespectful, considering it was only just hours ago that she saw Aubrey catching a plane on the morning news. So he found contentment in sitting beside her and affectionately holding her hand. Throughout the movie, he mindlessly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

    She let him.