INFLUENCE

Chapter SIX Astoria was loud in that easy, lived-in way Brooklyn loved. Cars hissing past on damp pavement, snippets of conversation floating out of cafés, the low rumble of the train overhead. Today barely registered.     Stepping out of Rosé's headquarters with her shoulders tight, breath shallow, posture still professional out of habit. The meeting played over & over in her head whether she wanted it to or not. Questions disguised as concern, side glances, the unspoken "we're watching you now". She'd answered everything cleanly, calmly, refusing to give them anything they could twist. Adjusting the nude suit she wore, silky fabric catching the light with every step she took. Button-down smooth against her skin, jacket perfectly saturated, pants tailored to fall just right over her six inch Prada heels. She looked composed, expensive, & untouchable. No one would ever guess how loud her thoughts were.     "You survived?" Romare asked lightly. She exhaled a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Barely, but yeah I survived." They start walking to toward SmashBurger, just 15 minutes away. "You handled that though" Romare said after a beat. "Whatever that meeting was about. I could tell you held your composure by the way you came out with your head held high." Brooklyn glanced at him. "You always talk like that?" She asked. "Like what" he answered, clueless. "Like your rooting for me." He shrugged, them smirked."I am". That did something to her chest. Not fireworks she hated those. This felt warmer, dangerous in a different way. Inside SmashBurger they ordered comfortably. Brooklyn: cheeseburger with pickles, ketchup, & avocado & fries on the side. She grabbed a cherry Pepsi for beverage. Romare: triple cheeseburger with onion rings as he grabbed a vanilla Mountain Dew. Romare's order made Brooklyn laugh. "You eat like that & still look like that?" She asked, raising a brow. "I work out so I can eat like this" he said solemnly. Then cracked "And minding my business."    They slid into a booth. Romare put his phone in his pocket & Brooklyn clocked it immediately. No sneaky angles, no half-attention. It felt respectful & refreshing. "What made you want to work at a law firm?" Romare asked before biting into his triple cheeseburger. Brooklyn paused, she thought about her response before speaking aloud. "I like the stability working for the firm comes with. I can be precise, & sharp without having to be loud." He nodded. "Makes sense". Brooklyn smiled "What about you? Why deliver for Rosé?" Romare responded instantly, keeping his tone smooth & gentle "If I'm being honest, they pay is unmatched & I only work about 18 hours a week." Brooklyn noted       Changing the topic of work Brooklyn asked "So what music do you listen too?" Romare smiled then replied "I love old school R&B. My mom use to play music aloud when she was cleaning, at functions, anywhere she could get her hands on a 12 dollar speaker." He paused laughing, then continued " me & my 3 siblings grew accustomed to the music & now we listen to it as adults." Loving the conversation & wanting more dialogue Brooklyn follows up with "so what artists are you into?" Romare rubs his beard then says "I like Mary J. Blige when I need grounding. Her emotional intensity is underrated. Then we got De'angelo whose music is soft & masculine. & last but certainly not least Tupac, a very honest man who saw this world through different lenses. His artistry will forever be one for the books." "Those are solid choices" Brooklyn said. Impressed by his taste & education on music. "I don't chase trends, I chase feelings." He replied. That's when it hit her. Again. The butterflies in her stomach. Sudden, & sharp. Her stomach flipped, chest warm, pulse shifting. Brooklyn stilled, fingers gripping tightly around her cup. Nope, too soon. She thought. Romare didn't push, didn't lean in, didn't capitalize, just stayed present. What neither of them noticed was the phone angled a little too long at the booth across from them. Or the whisper "that's her", or the quiet tap of record. Yeturah's POV: Across the city, SoHo gleamed. She moved through the city like she owned it. Louis Vuitton from head to toe, tailored, intentional. Thigh- high heels clicking confidently against the sidewalk, hair flawless, posture commanding. Shopping bags from Alo, Fendi, Louis Vuitton swung around her arms. She deliberately skipped Prada without hesitation. Brooklyn loved Prada & that mattered to Yeturah. Her personal driver John waited patiently at the curb, already stepping forward to take the bags. "Careful, these look expensive." He said smiling. "They are." Yeti replied smoothly. Her phone buzzed instantly. Novi Avi 💛💛💛. She smiled instantly, warmth blooming in her chest. John paused respectfully as she answered. "Heyyy" she said softly. "Hey you, you shopping the city dry?" Novi replied, voice familiar & comforting. Yeti laughed, cheeks warming. "Maybe. You wrapping up?" Novi replied "Yeah, just finished filming an episode of Avi Lanez, I'll be home soon." Before Yeturah could respond she heard a voice in the background. "Novi. Who you taking too?" The smile slid off Yeti's face instantly. Her mood immediately killed. She said into the phone very calm, & chilling "Novi who the fuck is that & why they so comfortable questioning you?" Silence. Then the call drops. For a second, the world narrowed to a pinpoint. Then it shattered. Heat surged up in her spine, chest tightening, thoughts splitting in different directions at once. There it is. The disrespect Humiliation Tina surfaced first. Cold, sharp & unforgiving. You're being played with. Then Aisha followed. Quieter, more dangerous. Everyone is watching, don't let em think you're weak. Her breath became shallow & fast. Her hands trembled as she stared at the phone calling back. No answer. Again. Voicemail. "Yeturah?" John asked calmly. She didn't hear him. Her voice rose, sharp & unfiltered. "He hung up on me!!! In my face!!!" People slowed instantly, lifting their phones. Her pacing became erratic, words tumbling out. Anger, betrayal, certainty without proof. Tears burned but didn't fall, this wasn't sadness, this was combustion. "He thinks I'm stupid, like I didn't hear that bitch in the back." John tried again "let's get in the car-" "NO!!!" Yeti shouted, cutting him off & startling nearby pedestrians. Tina pushed harder. Burn it down. Aisha calculated. Set it off. By the time Yeturah realized that she was being recorded, it was too late. Clips were already uploading with captions writing themselves. Everything was unraveling.