Chapter 1 – Lonely B. Davis
"Brooke, you have a call on line two."
Millie was handing Brooke a double mocha latte and a fresh, warm bagel. Millie was the best assistant anyone could ask for. She was always punctual, well-mannered, and looked excellent wearing the clothes from the "Clothes over Bros" clothing line Brooke started back in high school. Millie was dark haired, with pouty lips and dark skin. She was very pretty, which is what Brooke expects from any of her employees.
"I swear it better not be Victoria! I cannot handle anymore of her crap or I am going to blow." Brooke grabbed the phone from the receiver hoping she wouldn't have to yell or scream at 9 o'clock in the morning.
"Brooke Davis. Who's speaking?"
Millie smiled at Brooke through the glass while Brooke answered a bunch of questions. Brooke jotted down a few notes and then hung the phone on the receiver.
It had been an agent that called to set up a meeting with Macy's. They are interested in the fall line, and Brooke definitely had some pieces that would knock their socks off.
Brooke began a small venture of design when she was in high school. She had always been interested in fashion, and everyone was surprised At how handy she was with the actual clothes-making part. However, now she hardly gets to touch a single thing except for her sketchbooks. Everything is made in a multimillion-dollar factory. So, all Brooke has to do is come up with ideas, and occasionally make clothing samples.
Brooke is very thankful to have such a successful company. But, like someone once said, it gets lonely at the top. She used to spend her days chasing boys, and hanging out with her best friends. Now, she lives 600 miles away from everyone that was a part of her life back in Tree Hill… except Victoria!
Victoria is an employee of "Clothes over Bros", but she is very impolite and mean. Quite frankly, she's just a bitch. She works for Brooke, yet gives Brooke a million rules to follow. Two of her main rules are "No Boys" and "No Leeching Friends." She handles most meetings and social appearances for work, but she extends the rules even into Brooke's personal life. Since living in New York requires you to be somewhat of a socialite to rise to the top, Brooke is always arranged to be seen at certain places with certain people. And, by certain people, it's the people Brooke is usually set up with for a "fake" date. Victoria doesn't allow Brooke to have any contact with her "fake" dates and makes Brooke leave as soon as the clock strikes. In other words, as soon as Brooke is seen with who she needs to be seen with, Victoria whisks Brooke away in a black limo and brings her home to an empty house, without even getting a single phone number or having a polite conversation.
You may wonder why Victoria is allowed to make so many decisions for Brooke, even personal ones, when Victoria works for Brooke. But, Victoria is very strong willed, and has helped the company become a success. And besides that, she is Brooke's mother. Yep, the same mother that was absent for most of Brooke's adolescence since she was old enough to take care of herself. Brooke never heard from Victoria, until she saw "Brooke Davis" on a billboard in some city she was vacationing in. Victoria rushed to New York immediately, and eventually sort of nudged her way into the company. She hasn't left since.
"Brooke, you have another call. Line two." Millie had stuck her head in and out so fast, Brooke only saw a flash of her.
"Brooke speaking. How may I help you?"
"Hi, Ms. Davis. This is Laurie from the adoption agency. I just wanted to let you know that everything is good to go, and your adoption has been approved. Just come down to my office and we will figure out all the details. Looks like you will be a foster parent soon."
Brooke stared at the phone after she hung it on the receiver. Tears of joy filled her eyes.
"Millie! Today is the day! The adoption agency just called. I need you to watch the store, while I go downtown. I promise to give you all the details as soon as I know anything. You shouldn't be running the store very long by yourself, but I need to get used to having an infant before I come back. You know how crazy that can get. All the important numbers are on my desk. And you can call Victoria for anything else. I can't believe this is finally happening, Millie!"
"Brooke, slow down and breathe. I promise I will take care of everything. Go ahead, and I'll finish up here. Oh, and congratulations!"
Brooke hugged Millie so tight it left Millie breathless, probably due to all of her internal organs crushing on the inside.
Brooke ran to her car still wearing the biggest smile on her face. Before she got in, she popped the trunk, and pulled out a baby carrier that doubled as a carseat. She carefully strapped the carseat in the back seat, and placed a yellow blanket inside. She smiled as she pictured the baby girl or boy that she would soon be bringing home. She jumped in the front seat, cranked the car, and started her drive toward the agency.
As she drove, she hummed the tune of "Pocketful of Sunshine." She was ecstatic, and nothing could bring her down from her high. She decided she wanted a family after she realized how much fortune she was blessed with and had nobody to share it with. She wanted the family she never had. Brooke Davis was not the normal twenty-one year old. She had a multimillion dollar company, and she knew she was destined to be a better mother than Victoria ever was to her. She also knew having an infant wouldn't be easy. She had a trial adoption with a sick infant from another country that came to the United States for a surgery. She grew attached to the little girl, but was so happy she was chosen to experience parenthood and be the caregiver while she was here.
When it grew time to send the little girl back home to her family, Brooke didn't want her to go. She knew that she was recovered, but she had formed a special bond with this child. She brought her to the agency, and they told Brooke they weren't certain, but they may call her for a permanent adoption. And that was what had her smiling from ear to ear today. They called. And she was about to adopt her own little baby.
Brooke pulled into the parking lot, and before she got out, she glanced back at the carseat and smiled. She got out and smoothed out her black dress. She checked her makeup in the mirror from her purse, and then made her way to the front door. She was nervous, and her heart was beating fast. She knew from this moment on, her life would be different.
"Ms. Davis, we need you to sign these papers, and everything should be good to go!"
Brooke took the silver pen in her hand, and signed her name on the dotted line. As she signed the paperwork as swiftly as possible, the name kept ringing in her head. "Santana Lopez." Brooke loved the name, and she was already thinking of all the nicknames she could give her little bundle of joy.
Brooke signed the last page, and handed the stack of papers and silver pen back to Laurie. Laurie scanned the paperwork for completeness, and then picked up the phone from her desk.
"Hi. Is Santana ready? Ms. Davis is here to take her home."
Laurie put the phone back on her desk, and smiled at Brooke.
There was a knock on the door, and Laurie stood to open it. Brooke stood up, and smoothed her hair and dress. She had never been so nervous to meet a child. But, this would be her child. It was different.
The door swung open, and there stood a young lady with nothing in her hands, but a duffel bag. Brooke looked behind her for somebody holding an infant. She looked back at Laurie with a look of questioning when she found no infant in sight.
"Ms. Davis, this is Santana Lopez. Santana, this is Ms. Brooke Davis. She is your foster parent."
Brooke felt her knees go limp, and took a seat before they buckled. This girl she was staring at, and who was staring right back at her, was her foster child. She had to be almost full grown, Brooke thought. She was expecting an infant. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"Yo, you taking me home or not?" Santana popped her gum, and tilted her head to the side, waiting for an answer.
Brooke looked at Laurie, and then looked at Santana, then back at Laurie.
"Yes, Santana. She is bringing you home," Laurie said. She looked at Brooke, who seemed to be calming down, and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
"Well, I'd like to get out of this dump as fast as possible, if that's ok with you." Santana had a stern look on her face.
Brooke stared at her, still trying to figure out how to feel about this. She surely couldn't raise a teenager. An infant, yes. A teenager, no way. She was a teenager just a mere three years ago. How could the agency trust a teenage life to her?
Composing herself, Brooke stood and faced Laurie. "Does there happen to be an exchange policy?"
Laurie looked appalled, but then laughed it off, and walked Brooke towards the door.
"You will be fine, Brooke. We evaluated you, and we wouldn't allow you to adopt if we didn't think you were ready. I know you were expecting an infant or toddler, but we base our choices of placement on the needs of the children. You seemed to be a perfect fit for Santana. I promise that you will do fine. You have my personal number and you can call me at any time."
Brooke took a deep breath, and looked at Santana, who was standing by the door ready to go.
"I'll definitely be calling you, Laurie. Santana, let's go."
Santana walked behind Brooke, following her to her car. Brooke beeped the alarm to her black Mercedes to unlock the doors. Santana rolled her eyes, and scoffed.
"Problem?" Brooke was not going to put up with any teenager attitudes.
"Well, obviously you aren't adopting me for the checks. What is it you need? To prove to your family that you are grown? To fit in with your friends that all have kids? Or do you run a child sweatshop, and just want to add me to the payroll?"
"First of all, I am doing YOU a favor. Second of all, I don't have any family. Third of all, none of my friends have kids. And thirdly, it's not considered a payroll, because I don't pay the children that work in my sweatshop!"
Brooke got in the car, and slammed the door. Santana stood there wondering if she should get in and take her chances, or go ahead and hit the road. The agency always caught back up to her, and she was always moved into a new family's home within a few weeks.
Santana opened the back door to throw her bag in the back, and caught a glimpse of the carseat with the yellow blanket draped neatly inside.
"Can I ride up front, or do you want me to sit in that?" Santana laughed and jumped in the front seat before Brooke could even answer.
Santana watched out of the windows on the ride to wherever Brooke was taking her. She actually could be taking her to a sweatshop for all she knew. That's one thing she learned from being in and out of the orphanage all her life: never trust anyone, no matter how nice they may seem. She had been moved in and out of thirteen different homes over the last eight years of her life. When she was only eight years old, her mother had dropped her on the front steps of the orphanage, and never looked back as she drove off. She didn't even have the decency to make sure Santana got inside alright.
Santana watched the buildings, as they drove down the street. She had never been to this part of New York before. There were really tall buildings, and right beside them, there were small boutiques filled with designer clothes, and even some dedicated to just selling chocolate. She felt like she was in a foreign country, like France or something. She tried not to look too interested in the buildings surrounding them, as they came to a stop, but Brooke was too busy looking through her cell phone for a phone number to even notice.
Brooke was searching frantically for the only number that she knew could save her at this moment. Haley 283-674-9283. She immediately hit dial as soon as she found the name.
"Hi! You have reached Haley. You know what to do." Beep. Brooke ended the call, and rested her forehead on her steering wheel.
"What am I going to do?" Brooke wailed.
"For starters, you can get me something to eat since you drove her slower than a turtle with a broken leg." Santana had her arms crossed and was frowning at Brooke.
Brooke had forgotten that Santana was even in the car with her. She has been quiet the whole ride over. She knew she had to take care of the girl, but she did not want her mother anywhere near this situation. She could hear her mother now, "Brooke, you can't simply adopt someone because you're bored. You can barely take care of yourself." Brooke rolled her eyes at the thought of Victoria running into them together at this moment. She hadn't even had time to explain anything to Santana. She wasn't even prepared for what she would say. She didn't think she would be bringing home a half grown person.
"Leave your duffel in the car. Follow me and stay close. Don't wander, and surely don't talk to anyone unless spoken to first, you hear me?" Brooke was taking a giant risk bringing Santana into the store, but she didn't know if she was allowed to leave someone of her age in the car alone. And, she wasn't sure if she wanted to, either.
Santana got out of the car, and slammed the door, hoping to crack a window or two. She knew Brooke didn't want her. She could feel it. She was used to this feeling, but something was off. Something felt different, but she couldn't quite tell what it was.
Brooke led Santana straight to her office, and shut the door behind them. Santana sat on the leather couch, and breathed heavily until she collected herself to speak.
"This fourteen-floor building doesn't have an elevator?" Santana used her last bit of air to ask.
"Yes, actually. But, we aren't using it and getting caught with Victoria so she can play twenty questions and make this situation worse."
"Who the hell is Victoria? Obviously she scares you. Do y'all not get along or something?"
Brooke looked at Santana and just shook her head.
"Well, you should have let me brought my duffel with me. I have four pairs of brass knuckles and a can of pepper spray in there."
Brooke looked at Santana in astonishment. "Are you kidding me? I cannot believe you brought gang related paraphernalia into my vehicle! What is wrong with you?"
"It's not gang related. Geez. I just had to learn to protect myself, ok?"
Brooke paced back and forth with her hand on her forehead. She was trying to think of any possible way she could get out of this mess. Maybe she could call the agency and beg for another foster child, and explain that this girl was unruly and disobedient. Or, she could just hide her away in her house, and let someone home-school her. She could keep her a secret until she was eighteen, and then send her out to the real world when she would be ready. Brooke would do anything, as long as Victoria never found out.
Just as Brooke was heading towards the door, it swung open, and Millie was standing there with a stack of papers in her hand.
"Here is the contract for the Fall fashion show. It needs to be signed as soon as possible, so I can send it off." Millie was smiling, as usual.
Brooke took the papers from her, and didn't say anything. Millie came into the office, and was peeking around as if she was looking for something.
"Well, where is the baby?" Millie couldn't stand the suspense any longer.
Brooke looked at her, and sighed.
"Oh no! I'm sorry, Brooke. I was sure that it was official, and you would be bringing a baby home." Millie looked apologetic, and now realized the look on Brooke's face was not of happiness. She looked worried.
"No, I got a foster child, Millie. But, she will won't be a child for much longer." She looked to her right where Santana had sat on the leather couch recuperating from the fourteen flights of stairs they climbed. But, she was nowhere to be found.
"Damnit! Where did she go?" Brooke did a complete three sixty sweep of her office, looking for Santana.
"Where did who go?" Millie said, confused.
"Santana!" Brooke yelled.
"Santana?" Millie was still trying to figure out how Brooke's foster child wouldn't be a child for much longer.
"Yes, Millie. Santana. That's who the agency thinks I should parent. And, no she's not a baby. She's not even a toddler. She is a full blown teenager, and she is the worst kind: the kind with an attitude."
Millie looked shocked, but didn't waste any time before helping Brooke look for the missing girl. Millie checked all the offices, and rooms that were unlocked. She rode the elevator several times, hoping to catch the runaway on another floor of the building. She was scrambling off the elevator on the fifth floor when she bumped into Victoria, causing her to spill her coffee all down her satin pantsuit.
"Millie! Why aren't you watching where you are going? And, what are you doing on the fifth floor? You don't have any business being here." Victoria was fuming as she used the only napkin that was wrapped around her coffee to wipe the liquid from her chest.
"I'm sorry, Victoria. I was running an errand."
"For who? Brooke barely knows any floor other than the fourteenth. And last time I checked, you were her assistant."
"Yes, I know. It was actually a personal errand. I came to see Tommy, in the packaging department." Millie blushed, but not for being caught trying to rendezvous with a coworker, but for telling a lie. She was very honest, and hear ears burned at the thought of being caught in a fib.
"Alright Millie, but if you keep this kind of thing up, I'll have to tell Brooke to find a new assistant." Victoria flipped her hair over her shoulder, and stepped onto the elevator. She didn't even look at Millie again while she waited for the elevator doors to close.
Brooke was running around the building like a chicken with its head cut off, searching for Santana everywhere. Then, she thought of it. Santana's bag was in her car, and she knew she would probably want the last little bit of personal belongings she owned before she went anywhere.
Brooke ran down the many flights of stairs, still avoiding the elevators in case of Victoria being in one. She made it to the front door, right when she caught a glimpse of a girl running by the front of the building holding a duffel bag.
Brooke hit the front doors with full force, sending a shock through her body from the impact of hitting such a hard surface.
"Hey! Santana! Where do you think you are going? Get back here! And how did you get your duffel out of the car?" Brooke was steadily running behind her, but she was in heels and Santana had a big head start. She slowed to a walk, and turned back towards the building. That's when she saw the group of security guards gathered around her car.
"Is there a problem here?" Brooke was staring in the face of five security guards that had been admiring her car with a grin.
"Ms. Davis, is this your car?" The security guard tried to hold in a laugh, but slipped a little.
"Yes. Is something wrong?" She quickly walked around to the side they were standing on, and there she saw it. It was missing the back window, and glass was shattered everywhere.
"I'm afraid that girl you were chasing busted your window out and stole something. Do you want us to help you make a police report?"
"That little witch!" Brooke clenched her teeth and her face turned bright red. "Actually, she didn't steal anything. That was her duffel bag, and I am completely capable of filing a police report on my own. Thanks."
Brooke walked away from the car, and back into the building. She was so exhausted that she didn't even think twice of taking the elevator. She walked onto the elevator, hit the button that said fourteen, and tried to compose herself before she faced whoever would be on the other side of the doors when they opened onto the fourteenth floor.
The elevator reached the fourteenth floor, and thankfully nobody was in sight. Brooke made a dash for her office. She closed the door behind her, and went straight to the phone to call Millie.
"You can come back. I've found her. She busted my window out of my car, and took off running down the street. So, no need in searching anymore. Thanks anyways, Millie."
Brooke hung up the phone and laid her head on her desk. Just as she was trying to rub the migraine that was starting to form out of her head, Victoria walks into the office, and sits in the chair across from Brooke's desk.
"Hard day?" Victoria had a smug look on her face.
"Yes, actually. But, you wouldn't understand, Mother."
"I told you to call me Victoria." She looked towards the window, and got up.
"Yes, Victoria. I completely understand." Brooke rolled her eyes, and laid her head back down.
"What in the world is going on around your car down there?" Victoria was looking out the window closely, but being sure not to touch her face to the glass.
"Someone broke into my car. No big deal. Nothing was stolen. So, can we go back to business now?"
"Yes. Macy's called and set up an interview with you, I assume. I called and had it pushed back until May…"
"What? You cannot do that! This is my company, and I decide when to meet with other companies, not you!" Brooke could not believe Victoria had the gall to cancel an appointment as important as that.
"Brooke, I only do what is in the best interest for you. You know that. And you are simply not ready to be presenting your sketches or samples for the fall line!"
Brooke was not in the mood to hear what her mother was saying. So, she smiled at her, rolled her eyes, grabbed her keys, and walked out of the door. She walked out to her car, with the now busted window, and got inside.
She drove the short distance of about three miles to her home. Her home consisted of eight bedrooms and three baths. It was a huge house, but Brooke only occupied about one fourth of it. She always felt lonely, and found herself spending more time at her store rather than her home. Now that her staff was growing, she was finding herself without much to do in her own office anymore. That's another reason she decided to start a family. She hadn't had luck with dating, for most guys her age ran away at the first hint of family.
She pulled her car into the three car garage, and headed towards the front door. She was fishing her house key out of her purse, when she heard the door unlock, and swing open.
There stood Santana wearing her bath robe, and chewing on a carrot.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Brooke had just calmed down, and was fuming again already.
"I live here, remember?" Santana didn't even wait for Brooke to step inside. She turned and walked back into the kitchen where she was fixing herself a snack.
"You, young lady, do not live here! I will not house a vandal or a thief!" Brooke was grabbing all the food that was scattered on the counter, and was putting it back into the refrigerator.
"I didn't steal anything. Besides, while you and your nerdy assistant was having a pow-wow, I heard the other workers on the floor saying Victoria was on her way up, and decided we would need my brass knuckles anyhow. Then, I had all sorts of people yelling at me for trying to open your car door. So, I panicked, busted the window, and took my duffel bag. I asked someone in a building a few blocks away for your address, and they gave it to me."
"That's quite a story, Santana. But, you don't have to lie." Brooke was growing angrier by the minute. She had to call the adoption agency as soon as possible.
Brooke walked to the door where she had dropped her purse when she came in. She grabbed her cell phone from her purse, and dialed the agency.
There was no answer. So, she called Laurie.
"Hello. This is Laurie!"
"Hi, Laurie. This is Brooke. Look, I really need to talk to you about Santana."
As, Laurie was shuffling around her house to get to a more quiet place to talk, Brooke was watching Santana scarfing down the food as if she wouldn't eat again for days. She only paused long enough to take large gulps of water, from a Fiji water bottle. Brooke hadn't noticed before, but Santana had a petite frame, and was pretty thin. She didn't look sickly like some of the girls you see now days, but she was tiny. She seemed to be very fit, though. Her legs were quite muscular, but not in a manly way. She had a dark complexion that seemed to be the perfect shade of vanilla. Her lips were naturally plump, and slightly pink. Her eyes were the richest brown she had ever seen, and her hair was like black satin. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, highlighting all the beautiful featured of her face. She had high cheekbones, and perfect eyebrows. Her face looked almost angelic when she wasn't scrunching her forehead or eyebrows together. Brooke watched Santana stuff a handful of carrots into her bag, and figured she knew she was probably heading back to the orphanage or off to a new family.
"Ms. Davis, are you there?" Laurie had been trying to get her attention over the phone.
"Yes, I'm here. I'm sorry."
"And you were about to tell me something about Santana?" Laurie sounded as if she knew what was coming.
"I just wanted to tell you thanks for sending Santana to me and trusting me with her. I know I didn't thank you earlier today, but I wanted to do that now. I'm sorry if I bothered you." Brooke bit her lip as she tried to hold back the lump in her throat.
Brooke knew Santana needed her. And what would separate her from the rest of the foster families if she was to send her packing now?
"Well, thank you Ms. Davis. And it's no problem. Call me for anything, and I mean anything." Laurie hung up the phone, but Brooke held the phone to her ear just a few seconds more before moving.
Brooke put the phone down, and looked at Santana. Santana was standing there looking at Brooke with uncertainty. She almost looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"Santana, do you want me to show you your room?" Brooke grabbed the carrots sticking from the duffel bag and put them back in the fridge. "No food in your room, ok?"
"Ok," said Santana. She was still confused. She couldn't believe Brooke didn't send her back.
Santana grabbed her duffel and followed Brooke upstairs to her room.