INFLUENCE

CHAPTER TWO: Brooklyn's alarm was set for 6:30 a.m., but she'd been awake since 4:00 a.m., her mind sprinting through every possible scenario. By 5:30 a.m., she rose from her bed, every muscle tense, heart racing, her anxiety vivid & all consuming. Her 12 inch burgundy bob framed her face perfectly, a small source of confidence in the storm of her thoughts. In the kitchen, Brooklyn mixed 1 spoonful of white granulated sugar, 1 spoonful of Pure African Honey, & half a cap full of lemon juice. She mixed until she got a sticky, fragrant paste then gently massaged the exfoliation on her face leaving it on for 15 minutes. The sharp citrus scent cutting through the early morning haze. When the 15 minutes was up Brooklyn washed her face, looking refreshed, & glowy. She brushed her teeth, showered, dried off then moisturized her arms, collarbone, & thighs with Dream Angel Body Cream: Sweet, feminine, soft. She sealed it with the matching perfume, a final layer of protection.     Her outfit was intentional: Light pink tailored women's suit, crisp lines, matching fitted jacket. 6 inch beige heels. Secretary or not, Brooklyn believed in presence.     By 7:45 she was in an Uber, Rosé already loaded into her phone. She hit shuffle on Apple Music, Jhené Aiko - July ft Drake filled her AirPods. "You had to change up the game, oh the weather is not the same, now there's only cloudy days, I can't stand the rain in July". Her shoulders dropped just a little. She felt every word, July isn't supposed to feel like this but neither is becoming yourself.     The Uber driver dropped Brooklyn off, right at the entrance of Rosé. Brooklyn walked through the entrance doors at 8:55 A.M., & instantly Mrs. Stewart clocked her. "Brooklyn" she said sharply. "Before you sit". Brooklyn stopped. "We need to discuss dress code" Mrs. Stewart continued, eyes scanning her body. "HR prefers a more neutral presentation. Less. Distraction." Brooklyn replied "I'm in compliance" tone calm. Mrs. Stewart's smiled thin. "I'll forward the policy anyway".     As Brooklyn walked toward her desk Mr. Stewart added from behind her, voice light. "Hard to tell what category you're in these days." Laughter. Quiet ugly laughter. Snickers. Someone muttered, oh my God. Through it all Brooklyn kept walking.    By 3:24 P.M., Romare walked through the doors with the delivery for the day. He was Cuban, Lightskin, Tatted, & had waves in his hair. Just Brooklyn's type. He stood at her desk with the delivery packages & smiled. "You smell really good" he said, genuine. Brooklyn didn't look up, she just said "thank you." Polite, dismissive, & closed. Yeturah's POV: Wrapped in a spa robe at Spa Dew Acupuncture in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Yeti held her phone above her face, live on instagram. "Y'all, I needed this." She laughed softly. "Bad." Fans flooded the comments. @GlowUpMami: skin finna be glass 💆🏼‍♀️ @AviLanezFanClub: Yeti always glowing 😻 Then it popped up. @TheRealNoviAvi ✔️: Relax, beautiful. You deserve it. Her smile changed instantly. Softened, warmer. She glanced at the comment again, lips pressing together.    "Hey baby.," she said into the phone, like it was just him. Brooklyn's POV: 8:30 P.M. Brooklyn was done. Mr. Stewart stopped by her desk again. "Some clients don't understand lifestyles like yours," he said casually. "We have to be mindful." Lifestyle. That word croaked something open. Brooklyn stood. "No!" She yelled. The office froze. "You don't get to call my existence a lifestyle" she said, voice sharp, anxiety boiling over. "You don't get to misgender me, joke about my body, laugh behind HR policies, & pretend you're professional." She turned to everyone. "I hear the whispers, the jokes, & the silence when it matters." Her chest burned. Heart racing. Vision sharp. "I do my job, show up, & you still treat me like a problem." Silence.     At 8:45 P.M., Brooklyn was done with her rant, she went back to her desk. Colleagues moving out of her way without a word. When she got back to her desk she sat down, opened a document, & began typing a lawsuit against the Stewarts. No one spoke.       When it was 9:00 P.M., she was in a Uber on her way home. She felt her phone vibrating. Yeti 💞🔐 popped up on her IPhone 17 Pro Max. Brooklyn was hesitant, but answered anyway. Both of them missed each other, haven't spoken since the Bed-Stuy mansion argument. "Hey" Brooklyn said softly. There was a pause on the other end. Not awkward but heavy. "Hey" Yeturah replied. Voice calm, almost gentle. "I didn't know if you'd pick up." Brooklyn swallowed. "I almost didn't." Yeti exhaled "I know, I miss you." That did it. Brooklyn looked out the window, city lights blurring past. "I miss you too." Another pause. Longer this time. "I've been wanting to call" Yeti said. " I just, didn't know where to start without making it worse." Brooklyn nodded to herself. "Same." Silence filled the line but it wasn't empty. It was familiar, old. Safe in a way that hurt. "I don't want to fight with you" Yeturah continued. "You're home to me." Brooklyn's throat tightened. "You hurt me" she said quietly. Not accusing. Just honest. "I know" Yeti said immediately. "And. I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. Didn't notice how far I was pushing you away." Brooklyn closed her eyes. "I've been holding so much in" Brooklyn admitted. "At work. Everywhere. And when we argued it felt like I lost the one place I didn't have to explain myself." Yeti didn't interrupt. "That scared me." Brooklyn finished. "I never want to be another place you have to survive BK" Yeturah said. Her voice soft, smooth. "I want to be where you rest." They sat in silence again this time lighter. Then Yeti asked carefully. "How was your day?" Brooklyn laughed once. Dry. "You sure." Yeturah responded "yes" calm. Brooklyn hesitated, then spilled everything. She told Yeturah about the dress code comment. HR. The laughter. The Stewarts antagonistic ways. The way it all stacked until she couldn't breathe. "I went off" Brooklyn said, voice shaking. "On everybody, I didn't filter or sugar coat anything." Yeti instantly said "I'm proud of you." Brooklyn blinked. "You are?" Yeti replied " You stood up for yourself. You shouldn't have had to but you did." Brooklyn added "I typed up a lawsuit against the Stewarts & didn't say a word" Yeturah smiled softly on the other end. "That's my best friend." Brooklyn let out a shaky laugh. "I'm still anxious. Like my body hasn't caught up to what just happened." Yeti replied "I know the feeling, take a minute & breathe with me for a second." They breathe together. In sync. Like they always had. "I love you" Yeturah said. "I love you too" Brooklyn replied. The uber slowed as it turned onto Brooklyn's block. "Call me when you get inside & don't disappear on me again." Brooklyn promised "I wont." They hung up but the warmth lingered.     Some connections don't fade.They pause. They blend.They wait