Chapter 5: The Fam

I was hanging out in the living room watching each of my new roommates go about their everyday lives and realized that these sickingly beautiful demigods were as human as my own family. They accepted me with open arms and I was surprised at how quickly I became comfortable around them. They were funny as hell, the way they interacted with one another, the expressions they used when speaking. It was like one big circus and Roman was the ring master, he kept the order. 

JQ when he wasn't being abused by the girls or annoying them, he was in the kitchen cooking up grub or making sure the apartment was flawless. He was an artist, he did more than the graffiti or abstracts that decorated the walls. His easel and rolls of completed work occupied one side of the office. His musical instruments stood in one side of the living room, a complete band set. He wrote a lot of popular songs but refused to say which ones. 

Dom was the narcissist, she lived in the powder room, always primping, she was also the laziest person in the house, the diva, and surprisingly no one minded taking care of her many needs. Her job profile: porn star extraordinaire! Award winner and nominee for her bedroom antics. She was very down to earth, just your ordinary twenty-something year old woman, not at all what I expected a porn star to be. 

Coco had a huge afro and an amazing athletic body, her skin is the color of my favorite Snickers chocolate. She lived in the gym or in front of the television working out using Wii Sports. Coco managed one of Braxton's clubs, one of the 'titty bars' that my cousin had mentioned. She said there was a lot more to Kandy Shoppe the bar than topless women. When she wasn't working out she was in the office managing her events. A stripper gone businesswoman. When she retired from working for Braxton, Coco wanted to start her own events management company.

Kitty Kat is a Japanese girl with long blue hair, she has a Bachelors degree in Psychology and was working toward her Masters degree. The way she slid up and down a pole was poetic. She petite frame that practically begged to be protected, yet that was something absolutely savage about her sex appeal. 

Scarlet was the silent observer, she didn't say much but she was the one person JQ didn't dare to mouth off to. Scarlet was more than just a stripper, she was an escort too but apparently she called the shots on her dates. Ms. Scarlet in the kitchen with a candle holder. Her body art was absolutely divine, it looked like JQ painted her olive skin with his oils and brushes.  Like I said before, she didn't talk much so I had no idea what her goals for the future were, but I could see her settling down one day, being the best wife and mother any man could want.

And then there was me, the awkward girl who had been sheltered her entire life, the girl who was now out of her element in a city that never slept, in a penthouse apartment with the most beautiful, confident people on this earth. People whose jobs are taboo, whose jobs prove that sex does indeed sell, enough to make one man a billionaire with enough money left over that these six could sit easy for the rest of their lives. 

Tonight Kandy Shoppe the company was hosting one of its biggest events at Coco's club and my roommates thought that it would be best for me to see what this job of mine was all about as soon as possible. I would see event planning and execution in action, I would also get to see my roommates be dirty, dirty boys and girls. 

"It'll help you get over your bathroom jitters." Dom chuckled. She was referring to the single bathroom and the roommates being so comfortable with being naked in the same room. At least there was a door and a wall separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom so I could pee without somebody's body in my face. Truth is, I've never been comfortable in my childish body, it was embarrassing when people mistook me for being younger than I am. Being in a house with all of these gorgeous people and their gorgeous bodies made me feel about ten times worse, although they seemed to be completely oblivious to my discomfort, or at least the reason for it. 

Even now Dom was sitting sprawled on the couch in only a very thin, lacy, thong and I was seeing more of her than I would have liked. I tried to keep the blush out of my annoyingly light skinned face by keeping my eyes on the TV. I never thought having people herded to the bathroom would ever give me any kind of pleasure, but when Roman came downstairs and ordered the roommates to head to get cleaned up, I swear it was better than Christmas. While they were showering I had some time to myself to make some sense of my situation. To me it was still one big dream but I was coming to grips with it bit by bit. 

I got my chance in the bathroom an hour and a half later. The beautiful bathroom with the Jacuzzi tub that was connected to a shower large enough that everyone in the apartment could fit inside at the same time. I avoided the tub, I was pretty sure that my roommates hooked up with each other and I could only imagine what took place in that tub, if not with someone else in this apartment, with some outsider who had God knows what. I let the warm water wash over my body and breathed in the steam to clear my sinuses. I scrubbed my body well, making sure that I smelled like Dove soap instead of sweat. When I was done showering, I wrapped the fluffy pink towel that Roman had given me around my body, dried quickly and dressed in another graffiti shirt and jeans that should have been skinny but nothing fit my toothpick legs.

When I got back to my room, Roman was wearing a pair of tight, sparkly man-thongs and JQ was smearing baby oil on his back. I had never met men who were so affectionate with each other, all of the men I knew were homophobic, scared that their own skeletons would come tumbling out of the closet if they pushed the boundaries. None of the men I knew would rub baby oil on their boys, it was obvious that Roman and JQ had a wonderful relationship. 

"There you go papi." JQ said and hopped off the bed, my eyes zeroed in on his groin. He wore a pair of black briefs that were tight enough that they showed just how blessed he was but slack enough that everything could dance around when he moved. 

"You're making him nervous." JQ chuckled and cupped his balls, Roman laughed and fist bumped him. JQ saved me any more embarrassment by stepping into a pair of black pants, Roman did the same. The rest of their police officer costumes went into duffle bags. The boys primped as much of the girls, by the time they were done brushing their hair, smoothing their beards, putting in earrings and slapping on cologne I was sleepy. 

"Let's roll brothas!" Coco shouted stepping into the room, she frowned at me. "What the hell are you wearing?"

I looked down at my clothes and shrugged, I thought I was dressed up. 

Coco flung her hands in the air, "And your hair darling, your hair! Come with Mama Coco."  She grabbed me by the wrist and led me downstairs to the powder room that connected to the half bath. Dom was still seated there smearing on more blush and changing her contacts from green to gray, Kitty and Scarlet were nearly ready. 

"Park her right here, I've been plotting on her since she walked her teeny ass in here this afternoon."  Dom said. The powder room was a large area with a low island style counter that held four seats, two sides separated by a lighted mirror. Low stools were set up in front of the mirrors. Coco sat me beside Dom. 

"What are you?" Dom asked. 

I swallowed my smart-assed answer. I'm human, just like everyone else, I hated when people wanted to get into the whole race thing. "My daddy is native Indian and black if that's what you mean." 

"You have beautiful skin so you won't need much. Close your eyes."  It wasn't long before I felt Dom dabbing a brush on my eyelids.

"Don't over do it now." One of the girls said. "I call hair."

"I wish she could fit my dress, I have an aqua dress that would look amazing on her."

"It won't be long before JQ's cooking puts some meat on her bones."

Somebody started messing with my hair while Dom continued to poke at my face. The girls continued their conversation as if I weren't even in the room. I blushed as they gushed about my cheekbones and my hair. When they were done Dom spun the stool around so I was looking in the mirror.

"Woah..." I murmured and leaned in to get a better look at myself. The girl in the mirror looked like a living breathing version of my Gramma Jane in her youth. Dom had applied a light golden shadow to my eye lids, and a very light pink gloss to my lips. I assume it was Scarlet who had done my hair, she had pulled out the scrunchie added a but of moisturizer and sheen and some kind of oil for body and my curls had come to life. 

"We should go shopping on Saturday!" Kitty Kat squealed and clapped her hands together. 

"Yeah, we can get you some new threads for work."  Coco grinned. 

"Our treat." Scarlet put in. 

"Sure." I heard myself say. 

"Ladies, let's head out." Roman came in tapping his watch. "Baby Doll are you riding with me?"

"Yeah."

And we were off, nothing could prepare my innocent mind and eyes for what I was about to experience. I guess this first night with my roommates, this first night where I could completely unwind, I guess this when I started to become, well, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn I was born to be, instead of the perfectly sculpted child that my mother had raised me to be, the person who feared change, who was afraid to grow and explore. I didn't just climbed into Roman's car that night, I put one foot in the door to my future.  

Chapter 4: Braxton Building #227

As soon as I was secured inside the car I dug my cell phone out of the pocket of my worn jeans and dialed my father's number. "Guess where I am." I said grinning although he couldn't see me, Roman gave me an amused look before turning his attention back to the road. 

"Hollywood." Daddy chuckled. 

"New York, and I'm working for an adult entertainment company." 

"Excuse me? Brook, what the hell did Brenae do to you?"

I guessed Roman heard him because he chuckled. "I bet you can't explain to him what Kandy Shoppe is all about."

I shrugged, the truth was I couldn't. I had never heard about this company until my cousin told me she snagged me a job working for them. "It's not like that Daddy, I'm working in the marketing department for Kandy Shoppe."

"Marketing? What they market?" He busted up laughing. "I'm just glad you're out from Brenae, but do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"Honestly I don't but it's worth a try and my roommate Roman is cool."

"Roman?" 

"Yeah, I'm gonna be living at Braxton Building #227, in Manhattan."

"Girl you gon' be livin' where!" He shrieked, "You sure all you doin' is marketing work?"

"I'm positive Daddy, look we're at the apartment now I've gotta go but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Yeah baby girl, you take care of yourself."

When I stuffed the phone back in my pocket, Roman snorted, "Oh, you're a daddy's girl."

I shrugged, "Not really, I haven't seen him in years, not since he walked out on me and my momma. He got himself another family in Cali." I chuckled dryly, "In a way I can understand why he ran away from my mother, she's abrasive. But he talks to me on the phone as often as she allows and although he hasn't given me a dollar in years he's there for that emotional support."

"Till you tell him you're gay, then he's gonna tell you the good Lord told him to put you out of the house." 

I folded my arms, "You're still dealing with that huh?"  

"Yeah." He said and climbed out of the car. I looked up at the high rise building that would be my new home. It looked like every other building I had seen, but the parking lot looked like a luxury car dealership. There were cars that I'd only seen in magazines right there where I could touch them, there were cars with custom paint jobs and bodies. Braxton Building #227 is within walking distance from Braxton's NYC stronghold, but I was not about to walk anywhere alone in New York.

"Come on." Roman walked past me dragging my big black suitcase behind him.

Inside the building was as breathtaking as the cars outside. The floor was covered in polished dark wood, columns reached for ceilings. Dark red seats were set up in different sections of the sitting area but the most amazing piece of decoration was the large fountain in the center of the room. Roman introduced me to the doorman Brady and the security guard Hank. Both were big beefy men who looked like they could strangle The Rock with their bare hands. 

I followed Roman onto the elevator, he stuck his key into a keyhole, when he turned it the elevator jolted to life. Five seconds later the doors parted and we were standing in a small hallway, the pair of frosted glass doors against a wall were swung wide open. "Welcome home." Roman grinned and led me through the doors. 

I'd seen lush apartments on MTV's Cribs but I never thought I'd be living in one. The penthouse was split level, the floors were all white tiles, the walls were black and white or painted with bright abstracts. All of the tables I could see were glass, all of the seats were bright reds. A dark skinned girl with a crimpy blond weave and the biggest ass I've ever seen waddled downstairs. She waved at us then disappeared into an arch that Roman said led to the kitchen. 

"That's Dominique, we call her Dom. She's a film star who is managed by Braxton and has won her share of Woody Awards and then some."  He pointed to the walls with the bright abstracts, "Jaraji, JQ's, handy work, other than a paintbrush he can play any instrument you hand him." He pronounced the name Ha-Raj-E and as if on cue the JQ guy came out of the kitchen wiping his sweaty face on a white towel. 

"Hey! New girl!" He shouted and grinned showing of a pair of deep dimples. JQ's skin is a flawless light brown, his eyes a lovely shade of hazel. His hair was long and thick and hung midway down his back but was neatly shaped around his forehead, thin sideburns came to just above his jawline. He was shirtless so I got a good look at his beautiful, lightly tatted body. 

"Brooklyn, and I already nicknamed her Baby Doll." Roman told him. 

"She sure do look like one." I'd heard his accent often enough, every day to be exact, to know he was from Lauderdale. My homeboy! "Playboy, don't forget to put your things on the list, I'm 'bout to head out."

"You should take Baby Doll with you Swag, show her how to catch a cab."

"Man, I'm not about to be runnin' all over New York in no cab. Not that I have a problem taking her with me, she's cute. Its just that Coco's ass wants ackee fruit and...what the hell is this thing?" He squinted at something written on a piece of lined paper. 

"Where are the girls anyway?"

"Coco is in the office and everyone else is still sleeping." He looked behind him then said, "You know Dom only wake 'cause she always hungry."

"Niga!" Dom shouted and tossed a spatula at him that he caught and flung back.

"Anyways, get your groceries on the list." He gave me another smile and scrambled up the stairs.  

Roman watched him go and shook his head. "This is what the universe gave me for a best friend, do you wanna be my replacement? I'll show you to our room."

He led me upstairs to one of the circular rooms. Our room had green walls and a beige rug, there were two closets and two double beds.  Roman told me that the bed on the right was mine and I clambered onto it, inhaling the fresh scent of the fabric softener. "So, you don't know anything about Kandy Shoppe?" I rolled over and looked at my roommate then shook my head. "Well, we'll have to change that, what are you doing tonight?" 

Chapter 3: Howard Braxton, CEO

I entered a lavishly decorated waiting area, the floors were white marbles, the walls white paint, fresh exotic flowers and plants sat in Egyptian style clay pots that rested in corners while expensive paintings hung in golden frames on the walls. The secretary informed me that Mr. Braxton was  not in as yet and told me to sit. A pretty woman with blond hair and blue eyes, yet she shot me a sour look as if I were trying to take away one of her most precious possessions. When I took my seat, Roman leaned over the counter and chatted animatedly with the woman. I shifted in the beautiful but uncomfortable leather chair and watched the woman cheese in Roman's face, I wondered if she knew his sexual orientation, if she knew she was wasting her time. 

Laughing, Roman took a seat beside me and the woman went back to looking daggers at me. "That's Sari, Mr. Braxton's secretary, she's very possessive of her meal ticket."

The elevator's mirrored doors parted and a well dressed middle aged man strode off, he carried a briefcase and spoke into a cell phone. He looked like an aged Morris Chestnut, mocha skin, bald head, salt and pepper mustache and full kissable lips. Sari immediately stood up, "Good afternoon Mr. Braxton, your two o'clock is here," She gave me another dirty look, "Gwen called and said that your shipment from Paris just arrived at the L.A. office, your daughter said to give her a call and perhaps I can give Roman the schedules for his roommates?"

Mr. Braxton offered me a hand, "Howard Braxton."

"Brooklyn James." I said with uncertainty. 

"Step into my office."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and followed the handsome older man into his office. Mr. Braxton's office was not as impeccably decorated as the waiting area, the beauty of the office was the view of the city's skyline through the floor to ceiling windows behind the large mahogany desk. Two black modern style leather seats faced the desk and the left wall was decorated  with a large glass bookshelf. I took one of the seats. 

"Your resume was very impressive Ms. James. I see here you minored in graphical art." He fell silent and looked at me, I guess I was supposed to confirm his statement. "Stone is in charge of the marketing department, for such a large company, our advertisements are all done by a hired third party, that is an expense I feel is unnecessary. We were speaking about hiring somebody in that field and then your file came across my desk, I figured it was a sign." He looked at me expectantly, I had no idea what I was supposed to say or even how to react. "Ms. James, do you want this job?"

I stared at him in disbelief, I wasn't sure if I wanted this job or not, I was certain that I did not want my mother to win, and then I heard myself say, "Yes sir, I do. I'm not a big talker."

"You're shy." Mr. Braxton chuckled, "I'll check up on you in a month, by that time I guarantee you'll be as crazy as those other idiots in that house." He pushed a button on the phone, "Where the hell is Stone?"

"Mr. Braxton I didn't know you wanted to see him."

"Well Sari, his trainee is here isn't she?"

"Yes sir."

"Get Stone up here now."  He ended the call and turned his attention back to me. "I own the building the penthouse is in so you will not be required to pay rent, however the utilities are not my responsibility. As far as a dress code you do not have one. You work nine to five starting tomorrow." The office door opened and closed but I didn't turn around to see who entered. "Any questions?"

I shrugged and Mr. Braxton frowned, to the man who had taken the seat beside me, Mr. Braxton said, "This is Brooklyn James, Brooklyn this is your supervisor Don Stone." 

Don Stone was another man who looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ Magazine. Stone was a Channing Tatum doppelgänger if I'd ever seen one, only he had jet black hair that was combed back like a 40s gangster, his ice blue eyes seemed to peer into my soul. "I'll see you at nine Ms. James." He said in a no nonsense tone. I realized then I was dismissed.  

I slinked back into the waiting area, Roman took one look at me and shook his head, I did go in but I didn't go hard. He waved goodbye to Sari and offered her a very sexy smile that had me wondering if he was gay or bi, he certainly didn't act like any of the gays I knew. Was I being biased?

"Okay, how long is your trial period?" Roman asked when the elevator doors closed behind us.

"A month."

"Well Baby Doll, we've got a month to get you out of your shell." His fingers danced on his cell phone and that reminded me that I hadn't phoned home. I don't even know why I was calling Ma, she had bitched and moaned so much before I left...hell, her bitching was what made me change my mind about leaving, it wasn't normal for someone to get as angry as she did about one bowl being in the kitchen sink. Suddenly it hit me that I was out of my mother's house and on the road to becoming my own woman, I wouldn't call home right now but I would be calling the one and only man in my life, the one person who would give me an unselfish, honest opinion about my sudden move. 

Chapter 2: Enter Roman

I stared dry-eyed at what I could see of New York City which wasn't very much, a couple of the people who had been on the plane with me, six or so lanes of cars and a gray wall of sorts. As my eyes scanned the people and vehicles, I caught sight of a clipboard with my name, Brooklyn James, written on it, it took my tired brain a minute to realize that the casually dressed but still very sexy man connected to the clipboard was waiting for me. I took a deep breath and walked toward him. This experience was just beginning and already it was surreal. The closer I got, the taller he became, when his eyes found mine he smiled boyishly showing off straight, white teeth. I checked him out, the white t-shirt was stretched across a well muscled chest, the tattoo on his yellow neck read Roman, there was that boyish smile again, a dash of freckles over a straight nose, light brown eyes danced, shoulder length dreads were pulled into two plaits that disappeared behind his head and back. 

As soon as I was close enough he offered me a hand, "Hi, I'm Roman and since you're gonna be my roomie I figured I'd be the one to introduce you to the Kandy Kingdom and New York." Got damn he was sexy! I stared at his big hand unsure of what to do with it. I am socially awkward, I try to avoid social situations, meeting new people is at the top of the list. 

"Hi, Brooklyn." I mumble at my feet and set my hand in his. 

"First rule baby doll, if you're going to work for Mr. Braxton, you're going to have to grow some balls...or you know, get some of those prosthetics they put in dogs after the snip the real thing." I looked up at my companion who was chuckling at his own joke, I didn't get it. 

"Brooklyn."

"I know." He pointed at the clipboard and smirked.  "You'll come out of your shell eventually."

Roman chatted while he stuffed my large suitcase in the trunk of the black Escalade. He told me to get in and I climbed into the passenger seat. Roman hopped into driver seat and adjusted the radio, classic R&B drifted through the speakers. "Jeans and a graphic tee huh? The girls are going to enjoy dressing you up, and you already look like a doll baby." He chuckled again. "Yeah, there are five of us in a penthouse in Manhattan, four girls, Kitty and Scarlet share a room, Coco and Dom share a room and me and JQ have rooms to ourselves, well now only JQ does." 

He spun into the flow of traffic and I could finally see more of the city, skyscrapers of varying heights and shapes and a million yellow taxis. Roman continued, "They're all excited to meet you, and for you that may be a bit overwhelming. We're like a family, we look out for each other, you'll love them...maybe you'll want to stab JQ at some point but that's normal." 

"Where are we heading exactly?"

"Mr. Braxton wants to meet you and  then I'll take you to the house and you can meet the fam."

I nodded, London had briefed me on her conversations with Mr. Braxton but he'll know that I'm not the spirited girl he's been in communication with, I did panic then and broke out in a cold sweat.

"You okay?" Roman asked me. 

I shook my head, wanted to puke. "I shouldn't be here, Mr. Braxton was communicating with my cousin, not me. I don't like people and being outside of my comfort zone causes me to freak out."

Roman looked at me and then moved his eyes back to the road, "You'll be fine, he's more impressed with your resume. It's not a big deal Baby Doll, you're gonna be in marketing only, you won't have to spend time with anybody outside of your department unless you're doing a presentation and Stone handles most of those. Just make it through the interview with Braxton and you'll be fine from then on."

I sighed and massaged my temples, Roman reached over and patted my thigh, his touch made me jump and his hand recoiled. He said, "NYC has a way of making people bolder. When I moved down here I was sixteen years old, my parents had kicked me out of the house and so I was out of my element, big time. Unlike you I didn't have anybody to watch my back and show me the ropes. I winged it." I looked up at Roman and he gave me a warm smile. "I had a love of dance, that's how I met JQ and that's how we met Braxton. People frown on stripping, unless you are in fact a stripper, male or female you won't understand or connect with each individual's story, you won't understand how it saved us." He chuckled, "Having your body adored does wonders for a person's self esteem too you know."

Just like that I was addicted to Roman's smile, he didn't seem so threatening anymore. My eyes found his hands which were fisted on the steering wheel, he turned the wheel at an angle and I saw the rainbow tattoo on his wrist. "You can ask." He murmured, "I am. Maybe I'll tell you my story one day, but you'll have to tell me yours." He grinned at me and I smiled back. If I wasn't anything I was open minded and although he didn't know it, Roman's being gay took a lot of stress off of me. I'd never had a boyfriend, my mother always acted so weird when I hung out with guys, the thought of actually sharing a room with one scared me shitless, even though Roman was a pretty nice one, I was still freaked. I think I'd just made a friend, I was afraid of guys and a couple of bad experiences in high school made me hate females so I didn't have any friends. 

Roman pulled into the parking lot of one of those skyscrapers and my heart rate immediately sped up. This was the moment that would define the rest of my life. As if sensing my anxiety, Roman grabbed my hand and even when I flinched he didn't let go. 

"We have a saying in the fam, go in and go hard. That means you're not backing down, first of all, leaving is not an option. When you go in, you're going in with confidence even if you have to fake it. I got you Baby Doll, okay?"

I climbed out of the car and Michael Jackson's "This Is It" echoed in my head, how final that song was for The King of Pop. This was it for me, New York, the city and the state, would either make me or break me.