50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

Chapter Three

    Palm trees. A bright sun. Weather so warm, it was as if God Himself had turned the thermostat to Perfect Degrees. Destiny and Carlos walked arm in arm while Aubrey followed close behind, chatting away on his cell phone. A long, sleek SUV was waiting for them at the curb.

    Carlos called shotgun, which left Destiny and Aubrey to the backseat.

    Aubrey's arm went around her as soon as the car door was closed.

    She leaned her head on his shoulder and scooted closer to him.

    Carlos rolled the passenger window down and hung his head out as if he were a dog. He even stuck his tongue out. "Mama, I've made it!" he shouted as the car pulled away from the curb.

    Destiny laughed. "Carlos, what are you doing?"

    "Ever since the day we met, I've told you how much I wanted to live in California," Carlos said, ducking his head back into the car. "You told me how expensive it was, remember? And now we're here. Both of us."

    She glanced out of the tinted window. Even in her distress, she had to admit how beautiful it was, and they were still making their way out of the airport terminal area.

    Aubrey ended the phone call he was on and pocketed his cell phone. "I'm told the house is ready for us."

    "The house is ready for us?" Carlos repeated, twisting around in his seat. "You're talking about it like it's a person."

    "As you know, I spend most of my time in Toronto," Aubrey explained. "While I'm away from the house, it still needs to be maintained and cared for. A small staff lives there year-round. I reached out to them to make sure that everything is prepared for us when we arrive."

    "People live there even when you're not there?" Carlos asked incredulously. 

    Aubrey shrugged. "Yes. They were well-paid to keep up the house."

    "Well-paid?" Carlos repeated. "Getting to live in the house is payment enough. Are you kidding me? Growing up, I always told myself that I would never clean someone else's house for a living. I didn't want to be reduced to a Latino stereotype, but hearing that your help gets to live in your house even when you're not there? I'm fucking jealous. And so in the wrong line of business."

    "So are you saying that you'd rather clean my house than work for Graham Enterprises?" Aubrey asked as the SUV pulled onto Interstate 405.

    Carlos turned back around in his seat. "I wouldn't say that."

    The tall, buff dark-skinned driver adjusted the rearview mirror. "It's been awhile, Aubrey."

    "Long time no see, Spoons," Aubrey said with a grin. "How are the kids?"

    "Missing their Uncle Aubrey," Spoons responded with a shake of his head. "If I'd known moving from T-Dot would've resulted in them not seeing you for more than a year, I would have postponed the move."

    "Coming back wasn't easy for me," Aubrey told him, meeting his gaze in the rearview mirror.

    Spoons nodded. "It couldn't have been. Still good to see you."

    Destiny's brows drew together and she angled a look up at him. It wasn't easy for Aubrey to come back to L.A.? Why wouldn't it have been?

    As if he could feel her eyes on him, he angled a look her way.

    There were questions in her eyes, questions that she didn't ask aloud.

    He gave her a small smile and tightened his arm around her.