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?"