Chapter Fourteen
Catching Up 1989
“Hey, girl. I missed you!” Wanda yelled as she hugged Brooklyn. The two had met at a Center City restaurant to catch up on the gossip.
“I know we have so much to talk about. Have you seen Stacey?”
“Not lately, but I heard she’s pregnant.”
“Wow! Really? I never thought I’d see the day she’d betray me the way she did. I was sure, when we were younger, that we’d be friends forever. Obviously I was sadly mistaken.”
“Well, you know she was always trying to compete with you. I think she always felt like she was living in your shadows and would do practically anything to get in the limelight.”
“Well, I don’t care how hard she tries, she’ll never be me, honey!” Brooklyn laughed. “I’m sure he’s whupping her ass, so hey, all I can do is say thanks.”
“You think so?”
“I know so, girl. There is no way he’ll change for her. Hell, I’m prime meat, girl, and he wouldn’t change for me. I don’t even know why I was mad that she took him away at first.”
Wanda laughed. “You are crazy, girl.”
“I’m serious. I couldn’t be happier now. Things are looking up for me. I mean, I miss having a man around every now and then, but you know it is what it is. I’m so busy, I barely have time to sleep.”
“Well, I’m really happy for you. I only want the best for you.”
“That’s why we’re friends.” Brooklyn smiled. Brooklyn refused to show how much it really bothered her that Stacey was pregnant. She’d truly just gotten over her relationship with Sincere. It wasn’t just that she cared about him, but now her daughter would be forced to share. She could never imagine sleeping with someone who was in a relationship with any of her friends, but Stacey was cut from a different cloth.
“Well, enough about her, girl. Let’s order.”
When the two finished their meal, they went to the mall to do some shopping. Catching up with Wanda was much needed.
After two hours of walking the mall, they were headed out when they spotted Stacey and her group of friends in their path to the door. The two hadn’t come face to face in almost a year.
Wanda was nervous, hoping the meeting wouldn’t turn into an all-out brawl.
The two stood face to face and locked eyes. As the staring match continued, you could feel the heat rising from both of them. The hatred for Brooklyn was never clear. From the outside looking in, you’d know that she did everything in her power to keep Stacey afloat, so it came out of left field when Stacey became such a backstabber.
Wanda tried to keep her eyes on the both of them, expecting someone to snap.
“Well, well, well ... if it isn’t Ms. Brooklyn.”
“Sure is. In the flesh. See me and weep.”
“Please. No need. There’s nothing special about it, from what I see.”
“Yeah? Well, your man surely thinks so.”
“I highly doubt that. He’s so over you.”
“Yeah, I see he has you fooled. I bet he’s beating your ass too.”
Taken aback, Stacey fumbled for a reply. “You’re real funny, Brooklyn, but try again. See, I’m not you. I guess that shows how much more he cares about me.”
“Look, I’d love to stand here and continue this useless chat with you, but we both know the truth, and bickering about it won’t change anything.” Brooklyn grabbed Wanda by the hand and brushed past Stacey, who stood shaking her head, and they headed out of the mall.
“I’m so proud of you. I thought for sure you were going to deck her.”
“She’s so not worth it. Besides, I’m not trying to go to jail for hitting a pregnant woman. I could see her ass now pressing charges on me and having my ass in handcuffs.”
“Well, drive safe. I’m so glad we got to hang out. Don’t make it so long the next time.” Wanda reached in to hug Brooklyn.
“I won’t, I promise.”
As the two parted ways, both smiling, Brooklyn was proud of herself. Every inch of her wanted to lay Stacey out cold, but she knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. That she was over Sincere made it that much more simple. She was tired of being angry and was ready to start living. Now that she’d seen Stacey, she felt better about moving forward without either of them on her mind.
Chapter Fifteen
Second Chances 1990
Brooklyn was glowing as she made her way around the room in a tight-fitting black mini dress and red pumps. The party, a housewarming and contract celebration for Natasha, was packed, so most of the attendees were models and industry professionals. She graced the room with a half-empty glass, dancing and floating off the cocaine she’d snorted a half-hour earlier. She spotted a familiar face off to the side of the room and quickly grabbed a hold of her friend to confirm.
“Who’s the cutie over in the corner?”
“What cutie?” Natasha asked, quickly doing a surveillance of the room.
“The dark-skinned over by the bar.”
“Oh, that’s Jay. He’s an architect.”
“I thought that was him. I met him a while back. Well, we didn’t officially meet, but he slipped me his card and paid a tab at a restaurant. I never called because I lost the card, but I could never forget his fine ass.”
“Well, go talk to him, girl. I have to do some more mingling.” Natasha nudged Brooklyn in his direction.
Brooklyn fixed her dress and ran her fingers through her hair as she walked over to where the guy was sitting. He looked up as soon as he noticed her standing near him.
“Hi, Jay, I’m Brooklyn. Do you remember me?”
“How could I forget your face?” He quickly looked her up and down.
“Good. I’m glad I ran into you. I lost your card, so I never had the chance to formally thank you for paying my tab.”
“No problem. Obviously you were meant to see me again.”
“Well, I’m glad I did.”
“So you’re a model, huh?”
“Yeah. Can’t you tell?” She playfully rubbed her hands down across her hips.
He laughed. “Definitely. And I like what I see.” He paused and licked his lips. “I was just going to get out of here. Do you want to come with me?”
“Where are you going?”
“I was going home, but I can leave you my number again, if you don’t want to go.”
“I didn’t say that. I was just checking. Let me tell Natasha that I’m leaving, and I’ll meet you at the door.”
“OK, cool.”
After talking to Natasha, Brooklyn headed to the door, where she met Jay. Brooklyn knew the night would probably end with sex, and was hoping it wouldn’t be the last time. She hadn’t been with a man since Sincere and was definitely yearning for some satisfaction. Tall, dark-skinned, and successful, Jay was everything she wanted in a man. It was also a plus that he wasn’t a drug dealer.
They got into his car and were on their way.
“I’m going to make a stop first. I want to show you something.”
“OK,” she said nervously. She wasn’t sure what was coming next but decided to go with the flow.
They pulled up in front of a restaurant, which was totally dark. She was confused. “What are we doing here?”
“This is a restaurant I designed. It’s almost complete. I just wanted to take you inside so you could see my work.”
They got out of the car and entered the building. Jay flicked on the lights. Brooklyn was amazed by the décor. She turned around to compliment him and was met by his face. She took a deep breath as he put his lips to hers. She instantly felt her body temperature rise. He put his hands on the side of her face to intensify the kiss, and she got chills up and down her spine. He was taking control, and it was turning her on.
As his tongue massaged hers, he used both hands to reach around and unzip her dress, and it fell to the floor. He released his grip and slowly pushed her back to the chair placed at one of the small round tables. He sat down and
watched as she turned around and bent over to remove her shoes, her ass pointed in his direction. He reached out to grab it, and she quickly moved away.
“Not yet, no touching,” she said playfully.
Jay smiled as he sat back in the chair and continued watching her. She backed up a little farther and headed to the stereo system. The music began to play, and her body began to move to the notes. It took everything in him not to jump up and tackle her. He wanted to feel her and taste her, but he held it together long enough to enjoy the show.
She slowly unhooked her bra and released one breast at a time. Her perfect nipples at attention, she used two fingers to massage them, moving her hips in a slow wind. Each time she moved her hips to the front and down to the floor, the lips of her pussy showed from the sides of her panties.
Brooklyn was killing him, and she knew it. She turned around and slowly slid her panties over her round ass. Then she stepped out of them and threw them over her shoulder, so he could catch them.
Jay picked them up off his lap and put them to his nose. He inhaled the sweet scent of her juices and became even more anxious to taste her.
By this time she was on her knees and bent over on top of one of the tables. She spread her legs and stuck two fingers inside of her tunnel. He stared as she moved them in and out. As the juices began to flow, she picked up the pace. She moaned as she reached an orgasm.
Jay could feel his dick getting hard. He stuck his hand into his pants and began to massage it. He kept his eyes open, not wanting to miss anything.
She turned around and spread her legs wide. While slowly massaging her clit with one hand, she used her free hand to motion him to come closer. “Come on, taste these juices,” she said in a seductive tone. “I want to fill you up.”
Jay wasted no time moving over to the table. He got on his knees and licked his lips while staring at her pussy. He slowly stuck out his tongue and licked her from top to bottom. Brooklyn moaned immediately as he began to make circles on her clit. The juices soon began to pour out of her, and he sucked them up, not releasing a drop. He pushed her legs up higher and stuck his tongue deep into her tunnel.
“Right there! Yes!” she said aloud.
Soon she was reaching another orgasm and screaming with delight. “Come on, baby, let me satisfy you,” she said as he stood up from the ground.
Jay quickly dropped his pants and stepped out of them. Then he slid off his underwear.
Brooklyn instructed him to sit down. Her pussy dripping wet, she climbed on top of him and began to move up and down with force. As her ass hit his legs, you could hear the slapping sound echoing in the room.
And the two continued the sexual escapade until he couldn’t hold on to the juices that began to flow freely from him. Afterward, both of them were satisfied with the night and looked forward to many more like it.
Chapter Sixteen
Love in the Air 1990
Following their first night together Brooklyn and Jay were inseparable. Rarely would you see one without the other. He’d even picked up the slack with Sasha, where Sincere fell short.
Brooklyn was able to hide her drug habit from him, though she was almost caught a few times. She was so used to the energy she got from cocaine, she normally didn’t go a day without it.
Sincere was still involved with Stacey, and Brooklyn was actually glad, since he no longer had her to focus on. For the most part, things were perfect, but there was always that calm before the storm.
Hanging out with Wanda had slowly faded, as she and Natasha became closer. She felt bad, since Wanda had walked away from her group of friends for her. They were moving in two different directions, and that put a major strain on their friendship.
Four months into her relationship with Jay, they had their first big fight. For Brooklyn, it came out of left field, since he was a pretty easygoing guy. She was on her way over to his house, where he sat patiently waiting for her arrival.
“Hey, baby.” She walked over to the chair he was sitting in to greet him with a kiss.
“What the fuck is this?” he yelled. He turned his face and raised his hand, showing the small plastic bag filled with white powder that he’d stumbled across.
“I don’t know, Jay. Where did you find that?”
“You don’t know? Do I look like a total asshole to you, Brooklyn?” he yelled. “You know exactly where I found it, and stop trying to play dumb, because it’s not working.”
Brooklyn was now walking away from him and pacing the floor, trying to figure out what to say next. She knew that the day would come when she’d have to be honest about her addiction, but she wasn’t expecting it to come quite yet. Her mind racing, it was almost as if she’d stepped out of the situation completely, as she could no longer hear what he was saying.
Jay stood there yelling, waiting for a response, knowing full well what the contents of the package were.
“Look, I was holding it for someone else,” she finally responded.
“You’re just gonna keep the lies coming, right?” He walked over to her and, before she knew it, hit her across the face with the back of his hand, knocking her to the ground.
Instantly her mind flashed back to the days of her tumultuous relationship with Sincere. She knew from past experiences not to move or attempt to get away, since that would only fuel his anger.
“Get your ass up!” he yelled.
If there was one thing that disgusted Jay, it was a liar. After all, it was right in front of his face, and she still couldn’t be honest. All of the trust that he once had quickly drained away at that moment.
“Now are you going to be honest?” he asked, his hand gripping the collar of her shirt.
Tears pouring out of her eyes, she prayed that he wouldn’t hit her again. She hesitated to respond, afraid that whatever she said would be the wrong thing.
His teeth clenched, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, he balled his fist, preparing to strike her once more.
She yelled, “OK, OK, it’s mine! I’m sorry, Jay. I didn’t want you to find out. I didn’t want anyone to find out about it. Please don’t hit me again. I have a photo shoot tomorrow.”
Jay punched her, causing her to fall yet again. This time she could feel her nose running. He stood over her, yelling obscenities, as she placed her hand under her nose, trying to stop the blood from hitting the floor.
“I can’t believe I’m dealing with a fucking drug addict! Does this shit mean that much to you, huh? What if Sasha got a hold of this? Do you even use your head?” He opened the plastic bag and poured the powder over her head as she sat sobbing and bracing herself up with one hand.
Brooklyn questioned whether or not she deserved this. She didn’t believe anyone could be unlucky enough to have two men beat on her.
“Get yourself cleaned up. If I ever see this shit again, you’ll regret it. I promise you that.” He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the house.
She got up from the floor with her face throbbing and went into the bathroom to look in the mirror. She grabbed a washcloth and patted her face, all the while blaming herself for what just happened. She knew she wouldn’t be in the current situation if she hadn’t brought the drugs into the house. Was it enough to leave? She didn’t think so. She’d stuck it out with Sincere through worse.
With her hands holding both sides of the sink, she quickly said a prayer.
She went back out and grabbed her purse, which was still lying on the floor in the living room, to retrieve her makeup. With skill she covered her face with foundation and blush to hide the redness.
After she was done, she called Wanda. She hadn’t spoken to her in a while and was actually the only person she felt comfortable talking to when things got bad.
“Hello,” Wanda said, sounding as if she was asleep.
“Hey, Wanda. It’s Brooklyn. Did I wake you?”
“Hey, Brooklyn. No, I’m awake. How have you been? I haven’t spoken to you in a while.”
&nb
sp; “Not good, Wanda, not good at all,” she said with a whisper. She was trying to keep her voice down, in the event Jay walked back into the house.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Jay. He just hit me twice, busted my nose and all.”
“What?” she yelled. “Where are you?”
“I’m still at his house. It’s all my fault, Wanda.”
“It’s no excuse for that, Brooklyn. When are you going to learn to stop being a punching bag for these men?”
“He found my stash of cocaine and he—”
“Cocaine? What the hell were you doing with that?”
“It was mine. I’ve been using it for a while. I can barely make it through the day without it. I should have kept it with me. I was stupid to think I could hide it in his house.”
“Look, come over my house, so we can talk, OK. You called me for a reason, and I’m here to help you.”
“I can’t, Wanda. I have to be here when he comes back. But if you don’t hear from me by tomorrow, come check on me, OK.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, Brooklyn.”
“Just check on me, OK. I have to go.” Click. Brooklyn hung up the phone as soon as she heard Jay’s keys in the door. She was truly more afraid than she’d ever been and didn’t want to piss him off for any other reason.
Jay showed up with flowers. He felt bad about the earlier incident and wanted to apologize for hitting her. He did love her and never intended to hurt her.
Brooklyn accepted the flowers and acted as if it never happened.
For the remainder of the night, Jay tried to make it up to her in every way possible, knowing he could potentially lose her. At that point, not being with her wasn’t an option for him. He was becoming obsessed, believing he couldn’t live without her.
Chapter Seventeen
Game Time 1991
“What are you doing here?” Brooklyn said to Sincere, who stood in the doorway.
“I came to check on my family.”
“Family? You lost your family the day you slept with that whore.”
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