Pushing away any and all thoughts of Drew for the rest of the day was harder than I thought it would be. I could barely focus on my chores and Drew was only making it worse every time our paths "accidentally" crossed. I loved the little moments I got to see him but Ms. Nancy felt differently and forbid him from coming anywhere near me until my shift was over.
Seven o'clock couldn't come fast enough.
I just walked out of the bathroom after changing out of my uniform and into my own clothes when someone grabs my hand.
"Let's get out of here," Drew whispers in my ear from behind me. Tiny goosebumps raise on my neck at his closeness but I smile as I turn to face him.
"Okay."
Drew grabs my hand and entwines our fingers together before he starts to tow me out of the house and into the garage and over to the black hummer.
"Where are you taking me?" I ask when Drew stops long enough to unlock the doors and holds open my door for me.
"I don't know." He admits before motioning for me to get inside the car.
"If I have a say in this horribly planned kidnapping, I have a place in mind I'd like to go," I tell him as soon as we leave the garage and speed out into the road. It's not even eight o'clock yet but the sky is dark, street lights are on, and the streets are quiet.
"Oh yeah? Where to?" Drew wonders, casting a curious look over at me while one hand commands the wheel.
I tell him where I want to go then settle back into the cool leather seat before he's playing with the radio.
"So is there a reason why we're going to the park?" He asks, after turning down the street I directed him too.
I shrugged. "It's a pretty night and I haven't been here in awhile." I turn to him. "We can go somewhere else if you want."
"I'm not complaining," Drew reassures him. "Anytime I get spend with you I'll take." He tells me and I can't help but smile. He was good. I was close to becoming putty in his hands.
"We're here," I say as I unbuckle myself once we reached the park. Suddenly something occurs to me and I stop Drew before he can open his door. "Aren't you going to need secret services or something?" I ask. Up until this moment I forgot that he was a celebrity and that if people saw him things we're going to get crazy. Ms. Nancy's words about him wanting to keep as low of a profile as he possibly could ran through my mind.
Drew chuckles at me. "I'm afraid I'm not that important yet," He jokes before reaching behind him in the backseat and pulls out a black hoodie. "But I never leave the house without backup," Drew tells me before he's pulling the black hoodie over his body and places the hood over his head.
It didn't make a big difference but hopefully, no one recognized him.
"That's your backup?" The tone of my voice let him knew I wasn't impressed.
"Well, this and Blaine," Drew tells me then climbs out the car before I can ask who Blaine is. Drew is over at my side in seconds, opening the door for me to get out. As I'm climbing out of the car I catch a glimpse of an older man dressed in all black who looks completely out of place and rigid.
"Blaine?" I raise an eyebrow at the man.
"Blaine," Drew confirms before shutting and locking the door behind me. He suddenly takes my hand and we start walking. I turn my head to see Blaine trailing behind us slowly. "So we just walk?"
"We just walk." I nod my head.
"You said you haven't been here in a while. How come?" Drew questions as we begin to take the trail that joggers took.
"Layla and I usually come here. It's one of the few places our mom took us when were kids." I confess. "We'd have a picnic every Sunday. Rain or shine. She wouldn't let us eat junk food like the other kids but when we had our picnics she'd surprise us each with our favorite snacks and a candy." I smile at the memory.
"What was your favorite snack?"
"Chocolate Swiss rolls," I answer automatically.
"I don't think I've ever had one."
I stare at wide-eyed. "Dude, you haven't lived until you've had a Swiss roll!" I exclaim.
"Is it that serious?" Drew chuckles.
"Yes," I state. "I'll buy you one someday."
"I'll hold you to that." He smiles at me. "You want to sit down for a minute?" Drew suggests and I nod my head.
Taking my hand, he leads us to a splotch of grass and sinks down to the ground gracefully. I sink down next to him, crossing my legs at the ankle.
"Tell me about Drew." I demand softly.
"What do you want to know?"
"You'll tell me anything I want to know?" I challenge.
"I might regret saying this..." He jokes. "But yeah. Tonight I'm an open book."
"Why did you start singing?"
"My mom used to sing to me every night before I went to bed. Her voice made everything okay. Like if I had a bad day at school; That night she would sing to me and my problems just didn't seem so big anymore." He explained. "The older I got, the more I wanted to be able to do that for somebody else." There's a pause. "Can I ask you question?"
"
"You ever thought about leaving home and getting away from Celine?"
"All the time. But then I also think about Layla and how selfish it would be to leave her to deal with all that by herself. We're pretty much all each other have and I'm not gonna leave her, not when she needs me the most."
Drew looks me adoringly. "You are the most incredible girl I've ever met Mia Thomas."
"You need to get out more Drew Lyons."
After a little while we decide to get up and walk and Drew effortlessly entwines our fingers. As we walk, a little girl and an older lady who I presume is her mother is walking towards us. I smile out of habit at the little girl and keep on walking.
"Mommy, I'm telling you it's him!" I hear whispered from behind us. Drew must hear it too because he slows his steps and turns around. The little girl and her momma are walking towards us. The little girl has dark skin, round cheeks, kinky curly dark brown hair, and her brown eyes stare up at Drew in awe.
"I'm sorry. She thinks you're her favorite singer, Drew Lyons." The mom explains.
Drew smiles and I watch the little girl's face light up. "How's it going princess?" Drew replies in a voice that I swear could melt snow.
"Are you Drew Lyons?" The girl asks shyly. She couldn't be any older than four.
The mother looks at Drew then back at her daughter and shakes her head before trying to pull her daughter back. "Don't be ridiculous Nalani. A guy like Drew wouldn't be on our side of town."
I had to agree with her. If it wasn't for the fact that I dragged him here, Drew wouldn't be caught dead at night in a park in a town like Tempe.
The sight was like seeing Paris Hilton in the hood.
I start to worry that maybe I'm putting Drew in danger having him out here in the open like this. But then, Drew doesn't look worried and of course there's Blaine who stands at a polite distance from us, looking ready to attack a mom and her four year old daughter if he had to, which does help to ease a little of my worry.
Drew smiles at the mother, unoffended by her comment before he focuses on Nalani. "I am Drew," he confirms to the little girl before looking at her mother. "And I'm just passing through with my friend." Drew squeezes my hand gently.
"You're so cute!" She tells him, the biggest smile on her face.
We both laugh.
"Thank you. And you're the most beautiful little girl ever." I watch with a stupid grin on my face as Nalani jumps on Drew and he lifts her into his arms and he hug her tightly. When she pulls her face away from Drew's neck, I see Nalani with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Hey, why are you crying?" Drew asks while wiping her tears with his fingers.
"I just love you so much!" She exclaims.
"I love you too!" Drew promises. "Tell you what," Drew begins before motioning for Blaine to come over. The tall man is suddenly behind the mother and daughter staring at Drew, ready to take an order. "This is my bodyguard Blaine. Mommy is going him your information and the next time I see you and your mommy will be front row at my concert."
"Really?" Nalani gasps, staring at Drew in disbelief. I look at her mother who was silently watching the entire time and I saw her eyes tearing up.
She wasn't the only one fighting back tears.
"Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to us. She lost her daddy three months ago to cancer and the only thing that really helps is your music." The mother tells Drew in between sobs. My heart reaches out for the both of them and before I can say or do anything Drew is pulling the mother into his arms and hugging her tightly. He rubs her back and squeezes her as she cries in the nape of his neck.
"I'm so sorry for your lost ma'am." He tells her in a hoarse voice before pulling away.
"I didn't mean to... I don't usually cry..." She sniffs. "I try to be strong for her." She explains.
"Nalani," Drew says as he sets back slowly on the ground. "Take care of your mommy for me okay." He orders.
"I will." Nalani nods her head.
"Come on sweetie, we got to go. It's getting dark." The mother tells her.
"Wait!" She struggles against her mother's grip on her hand. "Is she your girlfriend?" Nalani asks Drew while looking at me.
Drew turns his head to look back at me and I hope my expression doesn't give anything away.
"Let's ask her."
"Yes?" I came out more like a question and Drew chuckles before turning his attention back to Nalani.
"She's beautiful." I hear Nalani tell him and I can feel myself smiling.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Drew leans in closer after Nalani eagerly nods her head. "I agree."
"Thank you again for everything." Nalani's mom say before she's tugging a reluctant Nalani along with her, but not before Nalani turns around and waves.
"That was really beautiful."
Drew faces me and his smile dims and a worry look crosses his face. He's suddenly in my face, a hand reaches out and wipes the tears I hadn't realize I let fall.
"What's wrong?"
I shake my head, realizing how ridiculous I must look to him crying because he was being nice to a kid.
"You were just really amazing with Nalani." I say, trying to clear the tightness in my throat.
"I love kids." He said as if it was that simple. And I guess it really was. I guess I just didn't picture someone like Drew caring for some random little girl. But he did and watching that girl's face light up whenever Drew spoke to her was the most beautiful thing I'd ever witness.
"You're good with them." I compliment.
He smiles at me in response. "So this is what I know about you so far: You're beautiful, hardworking, love your sister, and you cry when you see a guy being nice to kids." Drew says with a teasing smile and a gleam in his eyes. "Is there anything else I should know?"
I glance over his shoulder. "Yeah. There is..." I say seriously. "I can swing really high."
"Oh yeah?"
"Race you to the swings?" I challenge.
"One... Two... Three!" Drew counts and shoot off towards the direction of the swings. Just as I'm about to claim my victory, large arms wrap themselves around my waist and pulls me down to ground.
When I finally stop laughing, I realize I'm laying on top of Drew. Our bodies are pressed together, our lips just inches apart.
"Guess it's a tie." I say.
"Guess so."
I watch as his eyes narrow down to my lips before he's looking at me with blazing brown eyes the same time he captures my lips with his.
I don't believe in magic but I believe in this moment. And this moment was magical.