Company

Chapter 88

Tae bent at the waist as she pushed a large brown cardboard box across the wood floor of the front entrance. Drake, Chubbs, and OB stood in front of a large projector screen as if they couldn't see and had to be standing a foot away from it. Chubbs holding one controller, Drake holding the other, and OB yelling commentary at the NBA that was being played between the two men.

Drake did a double-take to see Tae pushing the clearly heavy box passed the room. "The hell is she doing now?" Drake said under his breath looking at her struggling for a split second. He dropped the controller and jogged to a breathless Tae still struggling to push the heavy box. "What is this?"

Tae stood up as Drake bent at the knees and lifted the large box and carried it to the kitchen, Tae got lost in watching the muscles in his arms flex as he picked it up like nothing was in it.

"It's... The... OVO sample clothing..... for December." Tae took multiple pauses in between words trying to get her breath back to normal. "Skipping three days of working out... Really shows."

Drake shook his head, laughing to himself, placing the box on the kitchen counter he grabbed a knife from the drawer to cut through the thick masking tape and pulled open the flaps of the box. OB and Chubbs walked in looking over Drake's shoulder as he pulled clothing that was wrapped in clear plastic for extra protection.

"This is the stuff you and Oliver did!?" He asked pulling the plastic open and pulling the clothing out.

Drake's face lit up in excitement. Tae's head shook up and down but she said nothing. He held a red flannel button-down in his hand with 'October' written across it in white letters, walking over to Tae he tossed the shirt over his shoulder and grabbed her face by the cheeks squeezing them a little and causing her lips to pucker up.

"I'm so proud of you." He kissed her lips then went back to sifting through the large box that OB and Chubbs were now elbow-deep in.

Tae leaned against the kitchen counter and folded her arms across her chest, she couldn't help but smile while she watched Drake's face of approval. Drake trusted Tae with something that was his, that was his brand and she delivered, she listened to Oliver's advice and direction and came up with something that was clearly a hit.

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Multiple bags sat at the front door waiting to be put in the back of the black SUV's that would be taking Drake and the crew to the LAX airport. Drake stood off to the corner of the kitchen away from the noise of his friends, he spoke to his mother letting her know he'll be seeing her in a few hours. Tae watched his body language she smiled as he grew impatient, she knew by now Sandi was on the other line rambling about how excited she was. He told her he had to go at least four times before he finally hung up with her.

"You talk to your mom?" He asked her, his arms slithered around Tae's waist, and pulled her closer to him. Tae leaned back putting most of her weight in Drake's arms.

"Yeah, she told me...." Tae paused and cleared her throat she bunched up her face squinting her eyes even more than what they already were "since you not come home for Thanksgiving, You come home for Christmas. And that no choice TaeTae." Drake's eyes widened and he pressed his lips together as he tried to hold in his laughter of Tae doing a perfect impression of her mother in her Korean accent.

Tae curled up under a soft cream-colored blanket, laying on the couch that lined the wall of the long jet. The five-hour flight from California to Canada was longer than she wanted to be on a plane so she had no problem with sleeping through the whole thing. Her headphones in, her back turned to all of the commotions of the crew. Tae relaxed as the voice of Erykah Badu filled her ears.

Drake sat next to Chubbs, both men had their feet propped up on the seat in front of them. Occasionally Drake sat up to get a view of Tae, checking on her making sure she was still soundlessly sleeping. Chubbs snuck looks at Drake every time he sat up to check Tae. He smiled and shook his head.

"What?" Drake's thick eyebrows frowned.

"She got you acting like you nineteen again bro." Chubbs spoke with his head leaning on the headrest and his eyes closed. This time Drake's whole face frowned. "You making sure she don't jump out the jet in mid flight?" Chubbs asked with his eyes still closed he took a sip from the clear plastic cup that held a mixture of Hennessy a red bull.

"Just making sure she's good." Drake paused and shot another look at Tae, who was still had her back facing everyone. "You got no room to talk Michelle got you feeling nineteen too!"

"You damn right! Same for Nicky with Oliver, Ashley with Mark! Hell even Jhonny and 40 out her nineteen again." Chubbs said then took another sip of his drink. "And none of us wouldn't haven't it any other way."

Drake slightly laughed at the thought of half his friends actually settling down and being happy with it. Them finally over the escapades that women went threw for some attention, just to say they had a one night stand with a OVO member.

"You're tired of it too, I know you are." Chubbs continued but was cut off mid-sentence.

"So you going to lecture me too?" Drake asked turning to look at his best friend.

"Nah, I'm no 40. I just know you're tired of the same thing, you're 29, still in your prime, yet it's the same women offering the same thing. I know you're over it. I know you think about marriage and kids nshit. I do...." Chubbs paused to take another sip of his drink. "When will I stop running next to you, to run after a little Chubbs!"

Drake's full attention was on Chubbs, he had truly never heard him speak this way, they'd had a deep conversation before, but nothing to this extension. "I know Tae, I knew Tae before you did, before she was your girlfriend, before she was your Personal Assistant." Chubbs paused again to take another sip of his drink, he paused for so long Drake looked over to make sure he didn't fall asleep. With his eyes still closed, it was hard to tell if Chubbs actually did fall asleep mid-sentence.

"I know you see potential in everyone, and I'm not saying it's bad, but her, her over there." Chubbs opened his eyes and pointed in Tae's direction, he lifted his head and looked Drake in the eyes. "she's good for you bro, she's got a lot to offer, a lot more than any woman I've seen you with, all I'm saying bro, is let her make you feel nineteen I know for a fact of you fall, that woman over there will catch you." Chubbs looked at Drake for a second longer before he laid his head back down and closed his eyes.

Drake frowned at Chubbs, taking in everything he said, not sure what to make of it. He continued looking at Chubbs even long after he stopped talking and laid his head back down and closed his eyes. Drake sighed and laid back, his head resting on the headrest, he looked up at the ceiling of the jet and sunk further down into his seat, his eyes extremely heavy, he slid his hands in the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

His mind wandered as he got another look at Tae, who had finally rolled over on her back, her mouth slightly open, the side of her face resting on her fist, one headphone falling out her ear, the sloppy bun she had sitting on the top of her head was leaning to one side while little strains of hair she missed to grab was spread all over the pillow, her sweatshirt was all twisted and her sweatpants pulled halfway up her legs, more of the blanket was on the floor than on her body and not one drop of makeup was on her face.

"She's a mess." He said to himself under his breath as he studied her. Drake smiled at the fact that she was his mess, she was his. He knew Chubbs was right. Tae had more to offer him than any woman he had really ever dealt with. Tae was selfless when it came to him, she always worried about his needs before her's and she never asked him of anything. She was spoiled by his emotions and not materialistically. That was something he had never had before. Not even with some of the ex flings that did have more money than him.