50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

More Life: Chapter Fifteen

    The coordination of travel for an entire squad was a bitch of a job. Thankfully, Aubrey had some of the best assistants to manage that task. Any major move took a significant amount of planning and finesse. If one of his celebrity friends invited him to another country, what were the best ways to maximize having to take time out of his schedule to travel? He often made sure to conduct some form of business while on the trip. Record a music video, attend an event that would somehow help his business. He'd even popped up on colleges and offered to be a guest speaker. In addition to helping his business and finances, there were times when he had a chance to also pay forward all of the blessings he'd received in his life.

    Turks was no exception. It was determined that he'd film a music video while in the tropical location he'd come to love. A few of his A list friends volunteered to slide through during his stay and serve as a cameo appearance in his music video if he wanted. Last-minute decisions like this affected so many other things: potential appearances in other cities he'd considered, an obligation to visit some of the people he'd come to know in Turks, and the planning of a music video that was originally scheduled to film many months from now. Because he didn't want to rely on his A list friends actually coming through when expected, there were dancers and extras he needed for his music video. For that, he could enlist the help of the locals. They'd be more than happy to be featured in the music video of one of their favorite artists. But because he was him, he had his team reach out to some of the rising InstaModels, so they could be featured as love interests in the video for him and his boys. 

    Planning started immediately once he realized he was making a trip to Turks, continued even after he met with and greeted Carlos, and lasted throughout the duration of his flight. 

    Carlos was a lot more subdued than usual. He seemed to not know how to act or what to say. He was dressed as flamboyantly as ever, rocking a bright kaleidoscope of colors. The slender Latino always knew how to throw an outfit together. Even if a certain outfit was something Aubrey would never wear himself, he did have to give Carlos credit for his unwavering sense of fashion. 

    The majority of Aubrey's team slept on the flight. They'd had to adjust their own plans and schedules to allow for this trip, and a few of them had already been running on little to no sleep. Once the plane touched the landing strip, people shifted into action. They rubbed sleep from their eyes and immediately were making phone calls. Confirming hotel check-ins, vehicle transport, video shooting locations, confirming talent hires for the video, returning a few of the personal calls Aubrey didn't have the energy to make himself. 

    Even in the hustle and bustle of everyone grabbing luggage and wrapping up phone calls, Aubrey remained sitting. His eyes were trained on Carlos, but he was lost in memories that involved Destiny. 

    Carlos caught him staring. 

    Immediately, Aubrey shifted his gaze, but the damage had been done.

    "For someone who keeps claiming they're not interested, you sure have a habit of eye fucking me," Carlos remarked.

    "I-" Aubrey shook his head. "Not what I was doing."

    "Then you don't realize how intense your own fucking stares are," Carlos muttered, standing from his seat. 

    Aubrey also stood from his seat. He felt a need to clarify the reason behind his staring. The last thing he needed was some weird cat and mouse game bullshit with Carlos on this trip. "Actually, I was remembering when I came to pick up Destiny for the opera. At that bakery where you two worked? Crazy how that seems like forever ago, and it wasn't even really that long ago."

    The expression on Carlos's face sobered. "Do you know what I always remember about that day?" he asked as he stepped into the single-file line of team members headed towards the plane exit. "Memories like those, what always sticks out to me is how much I had to convince her you were even interested. She was so sure that because you'd popped up on her while she was in those basic, dusty ass standard-issue khaki and polo shirt uniform, and because of who you were and the fact you could have any woman in the world, practically, you'd never be interested in her."

    Aubrey could feel tears welling in his eyes. He cleared his throat and broke eye contact with Carlos. 

    "I'm probably partially to blame for that, because I was always roasting her about the fact that she had no sense of fashion at all. Not that she even needed it though, because she was beautiful as fuck. You know?" Carlos lowered his eyes and smiled, almost to himself. "I could roast her all I wanted, but no matter how ridiculous her outfit was, nothing could diminish the shine of those pretty curls on her head, or those big brown eyes she had. Those amazing lips I was jealous as fuck of. She was beautiful as hell, and didn't even seem to realize it. Yes, you could have any woman you wanted, but she didn't even realize that you would've been lucky to breathe the same air as her." 

    "Incredibly lucky," Aubrey was barely able to croak out.

    "That kind of humility...I've never known that," Carlos explained. "I popped out of my mom's cooch cocky as hell. I just knew I was the shit. Even after I came out as gay and half of my friends disowned me out of fear that I'd seriously make a move on them, not once did I think I was the problem. While I can't really relate to the kind of humility and innocence that Destiny had, I give her credit for being that way and I admire her for being that way. A true angel."

    Aubrey wanted so badly to tell Carlos what had truly inspired this sudden trip, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Even if he could, while they were stepping off of a plane didn't seem like the right time or place. There was a flurry of activity around them, and as much as he wanted to keep talking about Destiny, and remember her, and give her credit for the beautiful spirit that she was (is?), one of his assistants was already tugging the sleeve of a very expensive Italian suit. Priorities.

    The entire way to the hotel, Carlos's eyes were haunted. He was still remembering his best friend, Aubrey could tell. But they rode in silence, both appreciating her for who she was and one of them wondering if he was appreciating her for who she is.