Brooklyn enjoyed the movie, but being with Sincere was the real prize. He paraded her around for at least a half-hour after the movie was over as they hung out in the lobby of the theater. Passersby watched with envy the two beautiful people who appeared to mesh so well together.
After leaving they decided to go grab some pizza and hang out for a while before he took her home. He was anxious to get to know more about the girl who was pretty radiant and mysterious at the same time.
They sat down at the table with slices of pizza, talking and laughing, enjoying each other.
“So tell me more about you. I want to get to know everything I can about Ms. Brooklyn.” He laughed before taking a sip of his soda fountain Coke.
“Well, I like fashion, hanging out with my friends, and skating, I don’t really do much else.”
He laughed as he noticed just how young she actually was. He knew the number, but knowing the things she enjoyed really confirmed it. “Well, we’re gonna have to change that, you know. If you’re gonna be with me, no more being a kid. You have to be a woman. Sincere doesn’t date chicks who act like children.”
Brooklyn ate some of her food and then took a sip of her soda, trying to let what he’d just said sink in. What did he mean by that? she thought. “I’m really mature for my age. Everyone tells me that,” she replied confidently, sitting up taller in her chair.
“Yeah? Well, what do you sleep in when you go to bed?”
“That’s a little personal, don’t you think?”
“Not at all. We’re trying to get to know each other. You just said you were mature, so act like. I didn’t ask what was under what you sleep in. I already know that, baby. I’ve seen plenty of naked bodies.”
At first disturbed by his reply, she had to think again before responding. She didn’t want to appear childish but as if she knew it all. “Well, I sleep in nightgowns mostly, if you must know.”
He laughed but quickly followed up with his next question, which was sure to make her even more uncomfortable. “So are you a virgin?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. I haven’t had many boyfriends, and the ones I had weren’t worth giving it to.”
Surprised that she answered without hesitation, he replied, “Wow! Didn’t expect that answer.”
“Why not? Do I look like a whore or something?” she asked, a little annoyed.
Sincere burst into laughter. “Now if I thought you were a whore, I wouldn’t be caught dead with you on my arm. I’d never take you out with me in the streets. So, no, I don’t think you’re a whore. I think you’re beautiful.”
Brooklyn began to blush. He knew just the right thing to say at just the right time. “So what made you want to get with me, Sincere? Really? I’m not fast or anything. I know you have plenty of girls at your beck and call.”
“Honestly, I saw something special. And, sure, I do have access to other women, but they aren’t important. They are disposable like perishables.”
“So how do I know that you won’t say the same thing about me?”
“Have some confidence in a brother.” Sincere laughed, and Brooklyn joined in the laughter.
They continued to eat their food and talk for what seemed like hours before Brooklyn realized how fast the time had gone by. She had to get home to make sure her brothers had eaten dinner and hadn’t torn the house to shreds. Since it was Friday, she was positive that her mother would be out drinking and partying.
Sincere was satisfied with their date and was happy to take her home at that moment. Before she stepped out of the car, he grabbed her by the arm. She wasn’t ready to kiss him but knew that she would if he asked.
“I really enjoyed our time together, and I want you to be my girl. I want to give you the world because you deserve it. I mean that, OK.”
“I really enjoyed our night out as well, Sincere. Thanks a lot.”
“Well, before you go, take this money and go shopping on me tomorrow. Get you some new gear. Not that I don’t like your style, but the tomboy stuff has to go. I need my girl looking like a lady.” Sincere went in his pocket and pulled out two hundred dollars and passed it to her.
She wasn’t comfortable taking that much money from him but she didn’t want to upset him by not taking it. She thought about what he’d said, and if looking like a lady was what he wanted, she was surely going to give it to him.
He reached over and gave her hug before she got out of the car. After opening her door, she blew him a kiss good night. He smiled and drove off.
Chapter Six
Mr. Loverman 1985
It was almost 7:45 A.M., and Brooklyn and her brothers were in the kitchen scrounging around for a suitable breakfast so they could make it in time for school, which began at eight o’clock.
“Stop making all that goddamn noise!” Janice yelled, rubbing her forehead. She tried to shield her eyes from the sunlight poking through the window, as she lay on the sofa nursing a hangover. As usual, she’d come in so drunk, she couldn’t make it up to her bedroom.
“Look, we’ll get something from the corner store because we’re all gonna be late for school.” Brooklyn tugged at Kevin, the older of the two, causing him to slip out of the chair. His face was balled up as he looked over at his brother, whose smile had also turned into a frown.
The boys got up with sad faces and growling stomachs. They hadn’t eaten dinner the night before because their mother was out clubbing and Brooklyn was out spending quality time with her new boyfriend, Sincere. For the past week the boys had noticed Brooklyn’s absence since no one was there to make sure they had what they needed, including food and beverages. If it weren’t for running water, they probably wouldn’t have had even a drop of liquid to quench their thirst.
Brooklyn continued to push them toward the door, grabbing their coats and school bags on the way.
“I’m hungry, Brooklyn,” Kevin yelled as he neared the door. “We’ve been missing dinner every night!” He stopped walking and turned to Brooklyn.
“I know, Kevin. I’m sorry. I’ll make sure I’m here tonight to cook, OK, but right now we have to go. You can grab anything from the store, even junk food, if you want.” Brooklyn smiled as she pushed them out the door.
Kevin smiled back. They had both missed her, though Jason was too young to express it.
Brooklyn walked them to the store and spent some of the money Sincere had given her the night before. After leaving the store, they headed their separate ways toward their schools. Waving good-bye, she smiled at them, even as she felt an urge to do more for them.
As Brooklyn walked toward the building, she heard someone calling her name. It turned out to be Stacey. She hadn’t spoken to her since Maxine and her friends had jumped her. She was still angry that they weren’t there to help her out. Brooklyn acted as if she didn’t hear her, as Stacey yelled louder, almost loud enough to be heard from five city blocks away.
Stacey was out of breath by the time she got to where Brooklyn was standing. “I know you heard me,” she said, hands on her hips.
“What’s up?” Brooklyn replied, ignoring the comment.
“I’ve been trying to catch up with you. You’ve been missing in action since you and Sincere got together.”
“That ain’t true. I still live on Styles Street. You know where to find me.”
“Why the attitude, Brooklyn? Did I do something to you that I’m not aware of?”
“Are you serious? Don’t you remember? I got my ass beat because you weren’t around.”
“You can’t blame that on me. I’ve always had your back. Maybe if you’d stop chasing a man that’s already attached, you wouldn’t have that problem.” Stacey was pissed that Brooklyn was accusing her of not being there for her when she’d been there for her every time she’d needed her. She’d even been the one to sneak food out of her own house to help Brooklyn and her brothers when their party-animal mother neglected to feed them. Here she was, standing in front of the most ungrateful person she’d ever laid
eyes on. It almost made her sick to her stomach. Stacey stood bracing herself for Brooklyn’s response. If she knew anything about her friend, she knew she wouldn’t let that comment go without a comeback.
“No. If you weren’t acting like a jealous bitch, it wouldn’t have happened,” she hollered, her hand in Stacey’s face.
Stacey, visibly offended, didn’t reply but instead brushed past Brooklyn and headed toward the school. Brooklyn wasn’t fazed. She didn’t give a damn about her attitude or her friendship at that point. A true friend would love the fact that she’d finally gotten the man she wanted. A true friend would have also been there to have her back, knowing full well Maxine and her friends would attack her the moment they saw her alone.
After standing there for a few seconds watching Stacey walk up the street, Brooklyn continued on the same route in the direction of the school. She entered the building alone that day and watched as her friends gave her the evil eye before going into class.
One of the girls, Wanda, displayed a looked of sadness. She hated that their group was being separated. Things hadn’t been the same in the past few weeks, and she didn’t know if they would ever be. Wanda waved to Brooklyn as she walked behind Stacey, hoping to be unnoticed. For the moment, Stacey was the leader of their pack. Wanda wondered if Sincere was truly the cause of the drama, or if there was something much deeper going on between the two that she wasn’t aware of.
Brooklyn began slowly walking to class when she heard Ms. Thomas, the counselor, calling her name.
“Hi, Brooklyn.” Ms. Thomas motioned for Brooklyn to come over to the office. “Just wanted to give you a number. Mesa from the modeling agency has been trying to reach you, but your home phone is disconnected.”
As usual Brooklyn’s mother hadn’t paid the bill, so their service had been cut. She could have been missing the opportunity of a lifetime because her mother was more interested in partying than taking care of her responsibilities.
“So sorry. My mom must’ve forgotten to pay the bill,” she replied, making excuses for her mother. “I will call her today. Thank you so much for the information.”
“No problem. Just be sure to call. She’s really interested in you.” Ms. Thomas smiled as she passed Brooklyn a late pass. “Here, you’ll need this.”
Brooklyn went to class the remainder of the day thinking only about modeling, envisioning runways and photo shoots, meeting tons of celebrities, and wearing expensive clothing. She desperately wanted to get out of the situation she was in, to be able to take care of her brothers and not have to depend on other people. Not even Sincere crossed her mind that day. Of course, he could take care of her, but she was tired of using others as a crutch.
The day seemed especially long, so eager was she to make that phone call. Once the bell rang, she ran out of the building but stopped in her tracks after noticing Sincere posted in his usual spot off to the side of the building. She strolled over to him, a big smile on her face.
“Hey, baby. I see you got on that new dress I bought you. Looks good. I love to see my money spent well.” Sincere smiled, grabbing Brooklyn around the waist and pulling her in for an embrace. He got a whiff of her Chanel No. 9 perfume as he kissed her on her neck.
The students in front of the school focused on the picture-perfect couple as they stood next to one another.
“You better stop giving me so much affection, or I won’t be able to resist stripping your clothes off and kissing you all over.”
Backing away but still remaining flirtatious, Brooklyn was smiling from ear to ear. She could feel his eyes tracing her slender figure. “Well, you’re going to have to. Besides, you wouldn’t do that in front of a crowd of people, would you?”
“Shit! Doubt me if you want.” Sincere laughed. “I’ll have you butt naked on the hood of the BMW.”
They both burst into laughter, imagining the sight.
Though Sincere had been extremely patient with Brooklyn being a virgin and hadn’t pressed the issue, Brooklyn was aware that eventually she’d either be forced to give it up or he’d move on.
“Where were you in a rush to?” Sincere had noticed her running out of the building and was interested in knowing what was so important that she almost didn’t notice him standing outside waiting on her.
“I need to make it to a phone. I have a very important phone call to make. I was on my way over to Ms. Rose’s house.” She fixed her schoolbag, which had fallen off her shoulder.
“We can go to my house, and you can use mine.” Sincere stood up from his seated position on the hood of the car.
“I can’t stay tonight, Sin. The boys haven’t eaten dinner all week, so I have to stay home with them and cook. I’m really sorry. I’ll just use Ms. Rose’s phone, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“So that means I have to sleep alone? I thought you were staying over tonight?” He pouted, hoping to get her to change her mind.
At least twice a week Brooklyn would spend the night when her mother was working at the bar. It wasn’t truly a big deal, since he’d be sure to use the free time wisely and call up one of his female friends to warm his bed all night long. Sincere liked Brooklyn. A lot. She was beautiful, and she was pure, both of which made him more anxious to be deep inside her virgin walls. On the nights that she slept next to him, he’d pull the sheets off her, revealing her half-naked body, and as she lay oblivious to his thoughts and movements, he’d reach into his boxers, pull out his rock-hard dick, and stroke it until he’d come in his hand. He wanted to taste her just as much as he wanted to eat food when he was hungry, but he believed this was the start of more than just a sexual affair.
“Babe, I’m really sorry.” She began backing away from him.
“No problem. Be careful going home. Call me if you need anything.” He leaned in to kiss her before releasing his grasp on her hands.
Sincere watched her walk away, and as soon as she was out of sight, he signaled to Allison, who was standing against the wall near the corner store.
Allison jumped at the chance to go home with Sincere, even if it meant she’d be invisible to him the next day. For that moment, and at least the remainder of the night, she’d feel like she was his girl. As she walked over to him, she fixed her dress over her thin frame and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to look perfect for him. She stopped in the same spot where Brooklyn had stood only moments earlier.
“Can I help you?” she asked, sticking her ass out just enough to arouse his senses.
“You definitely can help me. Question is, do you want to?” Sincere grabbed his crotch, as he looked her up and down.
She tried to keep a straight face though she wanted to jump on him and stick her tongue down his throat. She held it together long enough to reply, “No question.”
“Well, hop in, so we can go to my place and make some magic.” Sincere opened the passenger-side door to his car and motioned with his hands for her to get inside.
As she walked around the car and sat down in the seat, he took a quick surveillance of the area. Confident that none of Brooklyn’s friends saw Allison get inside, he closed the door with a devilish grin and walked around to the driver’s side. Once he got behind the wheel, he looked over to his right, rubbed his hands together, similar to a criminal with a master plan, turned his key in the ignition, adjusted his radio, and pulled out of the parking spot. Allison waved to her circle of friends, who’d been watching the entire time. Within a few seconds the black BMW turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Chapter Seven
The Usual Suspects 1986
Three weeks later, things at home for Brooklyn and her brothers weren’t much different. Their mother was still noticeably absent. A week prior she’d come home with some news to share with her family. Though interesting, the news didn’t surprise Brooklyn at all. In fact it annoyed her. Janice, the alcoholic absentee mother of three, had gotten married. Always spontaneous and known to make bad choices, lately her choices had been borderl
ine crazy. She’d met Fred at The Big Moose, the local bar that was always packed with patrons, where you could count on never finding an empty seat, even during the day.
Normally, you’d find Brooklyn pulling her brothers away from the door as they bent down on their knees, trying to avoid being seen, as they stole glances of their mother’s activities. Janice would be so caught up, she wouldn’t even notice them.
Fred didn’t even appear to be the marrying type, but for some reason, Janice’s view was clouded. He was unemployed, his teeth were rotten, and he reeked of cigars and alcohol. In front of the patrons of the bar, he’d asked her to marry him, and her response was “Let’s do it now!” The next day they went down to City Hall without any of their families present and tied the knot. Brooklyn and her brothers were shocked when she came home dressed in her Sunday best, her new husband hanging on her arm.
“Kids!” she hollered through the house.
Brooklyn could tell by the raspy tone in her mother’s voice that she was drunk. It’s four o’clock in the afternoon, she thought. She’s starting earlier and earlier every day.
The boys were in their room playing with their race cars while Brooklyn cleaned up the kitchen to prepare their dinner. She didn’t budge when she heard the annoying scream from the front door.
“Kids! I know you hear me. Get your asses down here! I have a surprise!” she yelled as she moved into the living room with Fred by her side.
Brooklyn could hear the boys running down the stairs and into the living room. She casually strolled in a few moments later. “Will this take long? Because I have to get dinner started.”
Brooklyn was even more annoyed when she saw Fred standing there smiling, dressed in a pimp’s suit, his shoes shiny, and his pants creased so hard, they looked like they could stand up on their own. Something about him rubbed her the wrong way, but she couldn’t put her finger on it at that moment.
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