Drucilla Bradford's first day was rather exciting and although she had been in the apartment business for several years, I don't think anything would have prepared her for this?
Drucilla had deep caramel colored skin, a round pie face with eyes that were shaped like a sailor moon in the sky deep off into September.
The strange mechanism of her eye color was that they were genuinely a honey brown and if you starred at her long enough, they gave the observer the lost feeling as if she were gather all their knowledge and swallowing them up in an odd obscure abyss.
Her hair hung long with deep dark ripples flowing down her vertebrae.
She'd worked in places that housed everything from Superstars to sport icons, yet I have an uncanny sense this place will bet all those places hands down.
However, she still won't quite know this place for fairly some time yet.
In the end I believe she will learn that the Heights @ Peyton Place unlike any other community that exist has a small world of its own, and no matter what she says or does... there is no way for her to change the outcome of this story by even an mile no not an inch of the truth for it is a story written in the words of the plain honest truth.
The Leasing Office
A heavyset woman with rouge that appeared as if she were dressed for a stage play rushed through the twin glass doors. She, being in such a rush didn't bother with introductions yet, began her first sentences getting straight to the point. Her first words came out as rantings, mumbling on about what she was in search of she almost appeared to be chatting to herself instead of to the agent that set starring at her. The woman stretched out a white gloved palm giving Drusilla a hearty hand shank, as she set down in her two-piece tweed suit constantly pulling at the bottom of her hem ignoring the fact her enormous breast needed a tad bit more coverage then her sheer stocking covered knees.
"Hello there!... Miss.... I'm Dela.... Dela Washington, I apologize however I'm in a hurry and just need your room prices and layouts. My boss sent me In-town or shall I call this Midtown...oh what the hell ever!"
The Lady heckled a bit flustered as she heaved heavily waving around a paper fan that looked like something, you'd see the pastor's wife wave in a small church on a hot Sunday morning in Georgia.
"...Anywho...wherever I am ...I'm perfectly sure I'm in need of housing. I spotted yawl first ... and by God it's hot as a heathen at an altar in heaven out there...but I must say it's nice and brisk breeze indoors here, so I assume your maintenance is up to par? "
Before Drucilla could reply the sizable frame woman chattered on without a breath in-between her sentences.
"So, Drucilla is it? ... How many two bed rooms yawl got round here, that could be ready to move in by tomorrow?"
The women plunged down in another chair as if the first one was of some discomfort. The orange Italian oversized guest chair made a loud squeaking noise as she swashed her bottom around appearing to get comfortable once again.
was at first unmoved by Della's need of hurry and glared at her for a second without speaking. Drucilla detested people who came in the leasing center and began rushing her... as if she were to move with the speed of lightening. They were all in need of a place to live, and they all in Drucilla's point of view expecting her to spit out some magic information like she was a virtual robot instead of a real live person.
She eagle-eyed the client's size of her hands as she handed her a cold bottle of water from the mini fridge on the side of her desk.
Dru stared at the women suspiciously as she gulped down every drop with a hefty thirst.
"Wow she's a big woman." She thought mentally humming in her mind as she continued to wait on the lady's thirst to quench.
Dru's own huge honey brown pupils mentally took in the prospect as no words came out. Traveling from the huge reddish colored bouffant hairdo to the extreme make-up she wore, straight down to the lady's enormous knees, then to what appeared to be 13 ½ size red shiny patent leather heels.
Drucilla was quite sure on the size of her shoes having been a shoe saleswoman was one of her first jobs straight out of High School that they didn't make women's shoes past a size 11.
This being Drucilla's first day on the job she tried to control her obvious gawking. Nervously, she fumbled with the floor plans trying to make something ...some words utter from her bewildered mouth.
She knew in a matter of days everything would fit in and she would know this place like the back of her hand...however at this very moment though she tried however found herself struggling to find what the women requested, nothing seem to utter from her lips but the word
"...Um?"
Fortunately for her sake the Assistant Manager Sheldon darted to her assistance.
"Hi, I'm Sheldon and your name Ms. ...?"
"Dela.... I said Dela Washington once, dam .... Yawl hard of hearing round here honey?"
Sheldon beheld the woman a bit warily before offering the tall plus size redhead a seat at his own desk. The brood shoulder woman stood all 6'9 of her, put away her church fan in her matching pocketbook and smoothed out her theater like outfit and slowly seat at the desk Sheldon invited her to sit at. She pulled out a colorful pamphlet instead of her fan waving her heavily cosmetic applied face as if it were going to melt.
Drucilla causally walked over and stood next to Sheldon, intently listening in on what she may perhaps had otherwise missed in assisting the client.
Shelton ever so slightly pinched Drusilla's arm to tell her to get away from him. Drucilla responded with a shocked glance at Sheldon, before getting the meaning of his pinch. She almost shouted the word "Ouch" out loud instead of containing it politely as she waltzed away, allowing Sheldon to take over the lead.
Sheldon grabbed one of their company brochures knowingly he asked her questions as he scanned the numbers before handing it to the client.
Although he gracefully came to Drusilla's rescue, she was irritated, he'd pinched her. She rubbed the spot he'd pinched and quickly set down at her desk still quietly observing.
"Well, here are our prices and availability? What size apartment are you looking for today Ms. Washington?"
The lady smiled a wide Joker looking smile blushing as she spoke.
"You sure are a cute boy! "Wow" what beautiful green eyes you have. I suppose I could live anywhere you will be darlin. You remind me of that boy that played in them spy pictures, Matt something or other... Where on earth did you get such a perfect face from honey?"
"I suppose I could thank my mother for that huh?"
"Uh...Yes, I suppose women are good for something." She said with a wide smile comically rolling her eyes at Drucilla, before continuing with her charming presentation.
Well honey, first let me explain why I am in such a hurry. My production company, in which I am a partner, not an important one, but a partner all the same. Therefore, I must find housing for my crew, that's come to Atlanta to perform at the Fox Theater on Peachtree? The one downtown? ... cause yawl have so many Peachtree streets in this one darn City? I've never seen anything like it.
Well ... anywho we will need housing for three months, so I need to find temporary housing for the entire stage crew.
" I know I read it somewhere, yawl do offer three-month leases here, correct?
"Ms. Della of course, how many apartments will you need?
Well, now honey, let's see... I'd like to have at least five different units.
"Oh Dear, I have ten Queens and I do mean, Queens that need to be comfortable, so that they can perform well, you see..."
Sheldon laughed a clearly factious chuckle in the opinion of Dru. His fakeness observed by her seem to go unnoticed by the hefty women yet seem to put her a little more at ease as she watched Ms. Washington waddle her behind theatrically in her chair with glee.
"Hey, are you part of the actors from "Three Men in One Dress" the play coming in September?"
The women cleared her throat and crossed her thick stocking legs and replied in a hefty yet somehow soft voice.
"I believe you are right again Honey! Have you seen the play yet?"
As a matter of fact, I have! My fiancé and I saw it in New York and you
all preformed awesomely!
They chatted on while Drucilla stood by feeling useless before Sheldon finally took the woman on a tour of the community.
The Property Manager Tracie Rose rushed out her office as soon as she heard the glass doors shut.
Tracie was slim however raucously framed in some places giving her a physique of a true old fashion Coca-Cola bottle. Her pale with dark brownish shoulder length locks which had a couple of streaks of exquisite red sparkling through it that mixed though out her hair that meet her shoulder blades.
At first glimpse her hair looked to be a fuzzy curly mess of curls except the mesh of hair seemed suitable to Tracie's personality and somehow made it a perfect fit for her face and personality.
"Oh, poor little Drucilla, I suppose I left out the fact we are totally a retro community.
He is such a great actor have you seen the play?"
"He. He...?" Drucilla remarked with an obscure look on her oval face.
"Come now Drew, you didn't think that was actually a woman, did you?
She frowned, then suddenly smiled.... Oh my gosh.... that was a man? You got to be kidding me."
"Yes honey, you have to get used to it because technically you can't say it legally according to fair housing, but this is a Gaymunity Gayeighborhood.
"Welcome to The Heights at Peyton Place doll!"
The first few months Peyton Place took so time getting use too, Drucilla was totally mesmerized with her new job.
It was a lot different from the places she'd worked in the past and it seemed to have an adventure going on each morning as she walked through the glass pained wooden doors.
The next few mornings at Peyton seemed to be somewhat normal. The community was her eyes like every other community she'd worked in and she began to know it like the back of her hand.
Except men had boyfriends and sometimes came in saying my partner, some even referred to their mate's as their better half or the old ball and chain. A few women wondered into the sprinkled group of residents with of course their wives. Oddly enough due to the excellent well-known school zone, there were a few straight families living in the Gayborhood but not many.
She began to wonder if some of the straight couples had a few skeletons in their closets. However, kept my mouth shut and leased apartments and listen to the gossip from a resident or two.
On Drucilla's second week working at The Heights of Peyton Place, a Caucasian man by the name of Earl Jackson Bradley came bouncing gleefully through the doors.
According to his vibe and domineer, Drew should have sensed his high strung spirit and easy going manner that, he would soon be the life line of The Height's at Peyton Place Apartment homes.
Earl Jackson Bradley is a major character in this novel and from the moment he walked in with his thin built frame and pale faint complexion with brownish almost red colored hair, skin slightly freckled. Drew instantly found his look to be interesting and peculiar oddly attractive in her mind.
She was one of the few African Americans working or living at the property and had only been exposed to urban life at her previous property the rich life of the Buckhead Bettie's or the white collar workers making huge salaries at Atlanta's largest firms.
The Heights at Peyton Place was going to be quite the change for her.
Often, she saw people at that community she viewed as somewhat odd but very friendly.
Earl Jackson Bradley would be a perfect example of one of those residents.
Upon entering the community, he utter demands by snapping his finger before even slouching down in the over-sized off white chair at Drucilla's leasing desk.
Earl made it clear when he strode in and filled out the guest card that he only answered to Jackson and that he had no idea why his mother named him Earl in the first place, being he was a skinny little white boy.
He went one to explained while they were on tour that he was from a small town in Arkansas and his family were church going folk.
Jackson said his mother went to a small Baptist Church and he think he got his name from some pastor that died long before he started going to church there. They viewed a top floor studio apartment and without stopping his story he said he would take the apartment. He declared the hardwood flooring was lovely and asked if Drew's hair was a weave all in one sentence. Laughing she told him yes, he touched her hair and said it was cute before continuing with his tale of how he ended up in Atlanta.
"So Earl, do you think you will be renting here?"
He stopped in mid motion correcting her.
"Look child, I'm not answering to that Earl name... so please refrain from calling me that. You can put it on the lease but please make sure you mark somewhere on those papers I go by Jackson, thank you. As a matter of fact you remind me of one of those famous Jackson Family girls. (He put his finger to his head for a moment the blurted out) Janet! ...that's who, girl if I had more money, I would swear I'm on an episode of the show Punked? Do you watch that show? The one with that cute guy Aston something or other?
"I think so, Hmm... I don't watch a lot of television Mr. Jackson."
"Yea well he's straight up cute girl, I love me some him."
Drucilla took a deep breath knowing, Tracie was expecting four leases by the end of the week from her. Sheldon had beat her in leases last week landing the Drag Queens from the stage play.
"So, Jackson... where in Atlanta are you working?
"I've been employed at the Apparel Mart as the head designer for the store front windows. I just started so I haven't gotten a check yet. "
"Ok, I think that fine, I just need a copy of your offer letter and previously?
"Well, I'm not sure if I can even count my previous job? I moved to this hick town in Alabama, girl it was like living in Memphis being gay in 1950. I only move there because I had a crush on this guy I went to design school with...you see?"
Drusilla could tell this was going to be a long story so she took the scenic route around the pool and through the gym. Jackson continued his story.
"After one night in his bed honey. I fell in love; he was the cutest guy that ever broke my poor Lil Arkansas heart. He was a splitting image of the cutie pie on the show Save by the Bell show? You know the one from that television show back in the eighties? He got homesick and wanted to move back to his home- town. I told him I'd go back with him even though he said we couldn't be a couple once back there because gay couples weren't so When I got there child I knew first that my kind was not to popular there and tried real hard to fit in but they didn't seem to like my humor or my style and well to make a long story short they fired me. Truth be told I'd have fired myself if I'd stayed there one day longer.
I was ready for the lights the camera .... Atlanta baby!
"That's terrible, small towns are sometimes stuck in their ways I suppose, I'm from
Lithia Springs Georgia and I tell you this Midtown is something different for me too.
"Yea! well get use to it honey cause it aint gone change sister. Well any who I goggled gay communities in Atlanta and The Heights at Peyton Place came up flaming as highly favored for the fever of the flavor honey.
"Wow, really? I didn't know you could do that?
"Do what honey?
Google up a gay community?
"Where you been in the ice ages hon."
It's Drucilla, Mr. Jackson.
Looking at her name tag he blurted out.
"Or Ms. Bentley if you nasty."
They genuinely laughed together as they made their way back to the front office and that was the beginning of how Jackson and Drucilla became two of the best friends each other could have in a crisis.