Chapter 36: Lydia

Drake couldn’t control his laughter when he entered into his office. Somehow Grace had managed to cuff Lydia to his off chair and she’d shoved a sock in her mouth. If looks could kill Drake would be a dead man. Lydia looked like she wanted to bury him ten feet under.

“Grace,” Drake bellowed between laughter, “Why is Lydia tied up like this?”

“Well,” Grace replied looking as innocent as a newborn child, “She kept trying to leave. Obviously she’s someone very important to you if you’re willing to go through all this trouble, so I called in Antonio and he and some of his friends helped me with the situation.”

Drake turned his head away from Lydia and starred at Grace, she’d called in a favor with her son. He knew that Antonio ran with a rough crowd and that Grace had had a falling out with her son because of it. But it seemed like their issues had been resolved if he was willing to come and assist her.

“Thank you for your assistance today Grace, I am truly grateful for everything you’ve done today.” Drake said, bowing his head towards his assistant before walking towards Lydia and taking the sock from her mouth.

“WHAT THE FUCK DRAKE!” Lydia yelled as soon as her mouth was uncovered.

“Wait, Lydia let me explain.” Drake said, his hand on her cheek.

“Yes, Drake, please explain the reasoning behind having your henchman kidnap me.” Lydia said glaring at Drake.

Drake twiddled his thumbs, not sure where to start, “That.. that picture it’s not what it looks like.”

“Really,” Lydia asked, looking unimpressed, “This was all over the damn picture!” She yelled.

“No. You left Lydia, you left me without saying a damn thing.” Drake replied the hurt evident in his tone and in his eyes.

“I..” Lydia’s shield faltered for a second before she put it back in place. “I left you a letter Drake, I didn’t feel like anything else is needed.”

“Jesus Christ Lydia,” Drake said exasperated, “We were engaged.”

“It was a contract engagement Drake, nothing more.” Lydia replied, trying to hold back her emotions.

“Don’t fucking lie to yourself Lydia, you know it was more than that.”

“How? How am I suppose to know if it was more than that Drake? Our entire relationship is based off of a damn contract.” Lydia replied, looking everywhere but at Drake’s face.

Drake placed both of his hand on Lydia’s face, raising her chin, until she was forced to look up at him, before he crashed his lips down on hers, trying to pour every emotion he felt towards her into that one kiss.

“Does this feel like it was only contractual to you?” Drake asked when he pulled away.

“People can be sexually attracted to each other without actually being committed to each other Drake, Perhaps you don’t remember but that was kind of my job, I had to be sexually appealing to my costumers.” Lydia replied, trying to ignore the feelings that Drake’s kiss had brought to the surface.

“Lydia,” Drake growled feeling his frustrations begin to rise, “Why are being so damn obtuse.”

“I’m not being obtuse Drake, I’m trying to protect the last part of me that I have left. And I am failing miserably at it every second I’m with you. My heart is the only thing I have left to give, and here you are taking that from me too. Drake, this, whatever this is between us. It won’t end well. A low class whore won’t end up with a high class gentleman. This isn’t the movie world Drake. I’m not Vivian from Pretty Woman, and you’re not my Edward coming to rescue me.” Lydia replied unable to hold back her tears.

“Lydia, I have never seen you as a whore.” Drake replied, his heart breaking at how hard on herself she was.

“Really,” Lydia asked, feeling flustered and tired with this conversation, “That’s all you heard, was me calling myself a slut.” Lydia rolled her eyes. “Fine take the entire sex worker out of the equation. I’m not Cinderella, Drake. You can’t take me from rags to riches. It just isn’t done. Think about it. Think of the negative publicity this will bring.”

“I don’t give a damn about the world thinks Lydia. I could care less about my public image. My life is incomplete without you in it. Lydia, before I met you, my life felt empty. It felt like I was just living to live, just breathing because it was necessary. The moment you walked into my life Lydia, my entire life changed. You’ve brought me happiness, you’ve helped me find answers that I didn’t even know I was looking for. You’ve made me feel things, that I long thought were gone. You taught me how to live again. You helped show me that breathing isn’t the only thing needed for living. Lydia, I am hopelessly and devotedly in love with you. You are my entire world, without you I would be nothing.” Drake proclaimed, starring into Lydia’s eyes, desperately seeking to look into her soul.

Lydia’s breath hitched. She wasn’t expecting Drake to admit to having such strong feelings towards her. She expected he felt something towards her, since he’d planned on marrying her, but she never thought he was falling in love with her.

“What cat got your tongue?” Drake asked nervously, his face tinging pink as he walked behind her, and slowly began to untie her from the chair.

“So, you’re letting me go now?” Lydia asked when the ropes fell off of her. She tried to say it in a joking manner but the look in Drake’s eyes showed her that he didn’t think she was.

She stood up and pushed the chair from between her and Drake, before closing the distance in front of them, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you too you big Dummy.”

Drake brought his lips down to Lydia’s this time kissing her tenderly.

“So now that that’s out of the way, lets talk about this picture. What were you doing with the woman in the photo?” Lydia asked.

“I had a meeting with Marvin, He had a file that he wanted to show me. He had me take this back ass way to this bunker on a remote island. Once I arrived he gave me a folder with information on Amelia. And then told me that he needed to get back to the states and that he would have someone waiting to take me back to the main island. I didn’t know my driver would be a female and I think Dianne had a photographer following me.”

“Wait, what did you find out about Amelia?” Lydia asked, forgetting about all her other worries.

“Nothing good,” Drake replied, taking out his tablet, to show Lydia the images he’d taken of Amelia’s folder and to continue to look them over.

***Our leading man and lady are back together again, one obsticale out of the way and many more to conqueor.***