Fireworks 3 and 4

Chapter Five

    "Seat taken?"

    Mia looked up into the face of a brown-skinned man with his black hair sectioned into ten braids. He was dressed in dark pants, dark shoes, and a simple, black short-sleeved shirt with a small orange and yellow flame logo on the left chest. Tattoos were scattered along his upper arms, forearms, and on the backs of both hands. While he looked familiar, she couldn't quite place his face. There were a number of rappers with braids whom she tended to mix up and confuse with each other.

    He flashed a bright smile and made a random gesture with his drink. "Me. Travis."

    Travis Scott. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Right. Um...the seat isn't taken, no."

    He slid into the booth across from her and set his drink on top of the table. "I see you've had to beat them off with a stick tonight."

    "Them?" she repeated with a dry laugh. "More like him. One guy who doesn't know how to catch a hint."

    "The whole world knows you're off the market by now," Travis said, his gaze scaling upwards to the rap star and pop diva who were talking and joking around with Chubbs.

    "I'm not so sure about that," she said, following his gaze. "As of tonight, 'Drake and Mia are on the outs and rumored to have broken up.' Or so TMZ and TheShadeRoom would have you believe."

    "The stories have already started, huh?" he asked, shaking his head.

    "They already have photos of Aubrey and Rihanna dancing in this club, and we haven't even left yet."

    Travis laughed. "Welcome to the crazy life we lead," he said, stretching out his arms. "Comes with the territory."

    "Are you in town for the show?" she asked him. "I thought I saw you at the concert."

    Travis nodded and picked up his drink. "Yeah. I was there."

    "To see Drake or Rih, or both?"

    Another flash of bright white teeth. "I'm partial to Robyn."

    "Her latest album was pretty amazing," Mia admitted. "The vocal growth she's shown is remarkable."

    "Vocal growth. Right." Travis raised his cup to his lips and busied himself with watching Drake and Rihanna.

    Mia continued staring at him, and all of a sudden she remembered the rumors involving Travis and Rihanna. She gasped. "Oh."

    Travis slanted a look in her direction.

    "Oh," she said again. "You didn't just come to see her. You...came to see her."

    He smiled down into his cup. "I'm surprised, but also not surprised, that your boyfriend didn't tell you about me."

    "Do you and she have...an open arrangement? Is that too personal of a question?"

    He shrugged. "I don't give a shit, you can ask me anything. And as far as whether or not our 'arrangement' is open...not quite."

    She narrowed her eyes at him. "So...you two are serious?"

    A mysterious smile appeared on his face.

    "And seeing her up there dancing and flirting with Aubrey doesn't bother you?"

    Travis burst out laughing. "No. It doesn't bother me."

    She leaned back in her seat, unable to take her eyes off of him. "You're not threatened by him at all."