50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

More Life: Chapter Seven

    Everyone wanted to know what was next for Aubrey romantically. He hated that the topic was even on anyone's minds, but understood the nature of that beast. His heart still belonged to Destiny; he hadn't let her go, as of yet. Even his team seemed surprised at how long he was willing to forego casual sex. The idea had crossed his mind, more than once upon seeing a beautiful woman, but he hadn't acted on it. He knew how empty the encounter would feel. Such a taste of irony, after having lived by the code of casual sex - prior to meeting his one love. After experiencing what real love felt like, how was he supposed to venture back to transactional exchanges between himself and women?

    Nevertheless, he was pushed and pulled into multiple directions. The industry was like that. You could have lost the most important person in the world to you, and the overall sentiment was "Yeah, that sucks, but...do you know what would give you great album sales? A rumored fling with Kylie Jenner/Kendall Jenner...any of the Jenners, or Kardashians, or anyone who has any significant fanbase of their own." The team he'd assembled knew better than to spin garbage like that to him, but other industry heads loved to whisper advice into his ear. Words murmured in between puffs of expensive cigars and sips of expensive liqueur.

    He didn't have it in him to sleep with any women, not when his heart was still clearly owned by another - so he worked out a deal with a fellow artist, one that was mutually beneficial. The artist slinked into a dimly lit restaurant with two security guards flanked at her sides. Her dress sparkled beneath the low lights. Brown hair highlighted to honey blonde was pulled back from her face in a neat chignon. The features on her face appeared to be so carved to perfection, that not for the first time, Aubrey wondered if she'd had work done. It was no matter to him, and it never was. She was beautiful in her own right and had been for decades.

    "I only have about an hour," she said, sweeping a hand beneath her to smooth her dress before sitting.

    "You didn't even give me the chance to pull your chair back for you," Aubrey commented, not having ever given the impression he was going to rise from his own seat.

    She gave him a wry look. "You've gotta be quicker than that," she joked, turning her head to the side and waving her security off. "What is this about, Drake?"

    "This is about an opportunity, for the both of us," Aubrey stated, waving their waiter over.

    "I'm listening," she said, twisting her legs to the side and crossing one over the other.

    The movement wasn't lost on him. His eyes lowered to her shapely calves, then returned to her face. "I loved you before the thought even occurred to me to take a shot at music."

    "You know that flattery will get you anywhere," she said with a slow smile.

    "Long before you were 'Waiting for Tonight,'" he continued. "Long before you were known as Jenny from the Block...and long before you made a habit of breaking Ja's Rules."

    She laughed and shook her head. "Such a way with words. You and I know each other. You don't have to impress me. Just give me the pitch."

    "There's a song of yours that I want to sample and play with." He leaned forward and wrapped his fingers around the stem of his champagne glass. Instead of making any move to raise the glass to his lips, his fingers continued dancing around the bottom of the glass while his eyes locked with hers.

    "You know my rates for sampling," she said wisely. "That isn't what this meeting is about."

    "Correct. That isn't what this meeting about. This meeting is about...the chance to play with the public and have a little bit of fun, at the same time."