Throwing my backpack in the back after letting Laine in on the passenger side, I went to get in on the driver’s side and clicked the comment section to read more. I saw them niggas talking about how much of a bitch I was; same old shit niggas always say when they hating. I clicked the profile to get an overview of his pictures, and spotted a 1978 Chrysler New Yorker, the same car I saw the bullets coming from. I then realized the dude’s name was Roshawn, a Crip from a gang called BBC, and a very good friend of Daley.
Just like I thought, it was that nigga Daley and his homie that shot me and killed Nate. All behind Daley’s baby mama that I busted down ages ago, and probably because I embarrassed his ass at that house party.
“Aye, snap a photo of me, baby.” I handed my phone to Laine.
She turned her body in the seat, and leaned back some so she could snap a picture of me.
“Throwing up your hood.” She chuckled as she lowered my phone to look at it. “You look sexy as hell. Tag me.”
“Why?” I laughed.
“So bitches know that what they’re looking at is mine.”
I took my phone back and posted the picture with the caption, Shot nine times but still walked out the hospital with that red bandana ‘round my neck. Added a few hashtags and was done.
I was killing that nigga Daley, Roshawn, and whomever else they were with when their time came.
Erynne
“Are you excited?” Laine smiled as she and Cassie sat on my bed, watching me put my earrings on.
“Excited for what exactly?” I looked at them both through the mirror.
“About going to work to do some hair and stuff.” Cassie smiled. I hadn’t seen her look happy in weeks, so I knew she’d missed Kordell and was overjoyed to be back with him.
“Y’all acting like it’s my first day on the job.” I laughed and shook my head at them as I slipped my phone in my purse.
“Yeah, you’re right, but you haven’t really said anything about the job so I guess that’s why. How do you like it?”
“It’s nice. My co-workers are a tad bit bourgeois, but they’re cool so I can deal with it. And the clients I’ve been booking have been nice too. I have about five people today, three of them full head weaves, so I should be extremely busy.”
I looked at Laine who was smiling, so I had to smile back.
“I’m so happy seeing you actually call hairstyling work,” she nodded.
“That’s exactly how I felt when you moved here for modeling.” Sighing, I went to grab my jacket from my closet and then slipped it on.
“So, Chaz is getting a divorce, Kordell told me. He said Chaz caught Jade in the bed with a woman.”
“What the fuck?” both Laine and I exclaimed at the exact same time about Cassie’s last sentence.
“I can’t believe he didn’t tell me that! Wait until I see his ass tonight.” I shook my head. It was silent for a little bit, before all three of us started to die laughing. “Don’t laugh at my baby.”
“No, no, I’m not laughing at him, it’s just crazy. I never expected that from her,” Laine cleared it up.
“Well, Kordell says that the whole hood used to try to tell Chaz that Jade was gay, but he would always believe her over them,” Cassie added.
“That’s one thing I love about him, he’s loyal. He won’t let some outside shit creep in and fuck with his mind. Not unless he was already thinking it himself,” I said.
“So you love him?” Laine raised a brow with Cassie watching like she was on the edge of her seat.
“Yeah I do. I don’t know. Should I like not be in love with him yet or something? Are there rules to that? Or a time frame?”
“Shit, who knows. My grandparents got married after only knowing one another for three days, and they lasted all the way up until my grandfather died,” Laine explained proudly. “Then again, times have changed. Men weren’t as weak and bitch-made as they are today.”
“I agree. Well, so far, I do love him. It feels nice. I’ve never had anything like this before. I only had one boyfriend before Risk, and that was when I was nineteen and he wasn’t that great. He was fine though.”
“Oh, Marcus? Yeah, he was fine. He was dumb as hell though. Glad you got rid of him.” Laine chuckled.
“Dumb like funny?” Cassie inquired. “Or dumb like he was a cheater and didn’t recognize what he had?”
“No, dumb like he lost points on his SAT because he misspelled his own damn name.” I looked to Cassie who covered her mouth as she giggled. “Hated texting his illiterate ass.” I giggled along with her. “Well, ladies, I will see you tonight when I come to get some overnight clothes to take to Chaz’s.”
“I may see you there,” Cassie replied. Chaz was staying with Kordell, so Cassie and I saw one another a lot more frequently. I enjoyed that because it gave us time to get closer.
“Cool.” I hugged Laine and Cassie, then left out.
When I made it to Salana Salon, I parked some ways down because Salana said it was nice to leave the parking spots located in front of the shop, open for the customers. The street it was on, Melrose, could become quite crowded sometimes, leaving clients to have to hunt for parks for almost twenty minutes, depending on what time it was. And Los Angeles was always congested every damn where after 4:30 p.m. I was learning.
“Hey, sexy.” One of the stylists named Estella waved to me as I walked in. I’d only been here a week and a day, and she was nice to me from day one. I didn’t know if she was kind of gay, or if she was just a social butterfly.
“Hey, Estella. How are you?” I walked past her station and through the shop, as the sound of hairspray, blow dryers, music, conversation, and the clinking of hot combs and flat irons mixed together in the background.
“Great, you?”
“Perfect.”
I got to the back and used my key to open my designated locker, and after putting up my purse and my coat, I grabbed some of the valuable hair things that I locked up in there. I didn’t really leave much at my station except hairspray, hair ties, and other little shit I bought from the beauty supply. But anything that I had to hunt for, use my beauty license to get in bulk, or pay more than $10 for, I locked up or took home. I watched these bitches steal from other stations all day, and it wasn’t gonna be happening to my shit.
As soon as I came out to the front, Derena, the receptionist, let me know my first client, Iesha, was here. I scanned the row of ladies waiting, and when I saw her I waved and smiled.
She was new, someone who found me on Instagram after I’d started posting pictures from my work last week. I was surprised at how many people wanted to make appointments. Kady helped me find a site though that allowed people to book through there, because I would literally spend an hour straight, replying to emails, DMs, and texts messages about hair appointments. That website made my life so much easier, because I didn’t have to worry about accidentally double booking.
“You smell good, what is that?” my other co-worker Sunny quizzed.
I was stationed in between she and Estella, and I was thanking God they were nice. The few girls across from me didn’t say much to them or me; they kind of just conversed amongst themselves, gossiping and eating them funky ass Cool Ranch corn nuts. One of them had a box and they’d just eat bag after bag all day.
“Thank you. It’s Black Opium by YSL. My boyfriend bought it for me.”
“Nice.”
I looked to Iesha and waved her to the back. She got up, then walked to me, and I greeted her when she got close enough. She plopped down into my chair, and I took her bag of hair to sit it on my station counter.
“This is what I want.” She held up her phone to show me a picture.
“Okay, so you want me to dye your hair then, because this hairstyle is red in color; like a brownish red.” I surveyed the picture. “Unless you don’t want any leave out. Or you want me to do the style without the color.”
“No, I want leave out and the color. So yeah, whatever you got to
do.”
“That’s fine, but me dying it is an extra $45.”
“Okay.”
I nodded as I handed her back the phone, and then I removed the burnt orange skullcap she was wearing on her head. I almost threw up from the smell, and was at a loss for words at the sight. Her hair was dyed blue, purple, and teal, and it was more uneven than Mount Everest. I even think I saw a bald spot. And the texture, good Lord, it was equal to a damn Brillo pad.
“Honey, I don’t think it would be wise for me to dye your hair red right now. I think you should just let me do a hot oil treatment, wash it, condition, deep condition, and then straighten and trim it.”
“No, I want it like this.” She stabbed her long stiletto nail into her phone screen, and then turned a little to look up at me.
“Yes, I know, but your hair…” I turned away to get a good inhale and exhale because I was about to die from the stench. “Excuse me. Your hair is not in the best shape right now so if I dye it, it may fall out.”
“Well just do it and we’ll see if it falls out.”
“Iesha—”
“Are you gonna do the shit or nah?” she snapped, light complexion turning bloodshot red. “I got my money and I got my hair! You need to just do it!”
Clearing my throat and reminding myself I needed to be professional, I said, “No I’m not gonna do it because I’m not going to contribute to you messing your hair and scalp up. Now I can— Iesha!” I called after her as she got up, tore off my cape, and stormed out. She came right back in, snatched her bag of hair, and then left.
Everybody in the shop was kind of looking at me as I sat in my own chair and sighed.
“How much was she paying you?” Estella asked.
“A nice two hundred and fifty bucks.”
“Shit, you’re stupid!” A girl across from me laughed and looked over at her homegirl.
“Excuse me?” I raised a brow, lifting my head from resting in my left hand.
“What?” Her laughter and smile faded.
“What did you just call me?”
“I was just joking, girl; damn, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. You haven’t said two words to me, not even when I said ‘hi’ yesterday, so don’t think you can joke with me like that. Next time you call me a name I’m smacking your ass.”
It was quiet as hell; well, besides the sound of hair styling tools and music, but all conversations had ceased. And that bitch across from me didn’t say another word. I wasn’t in the mood. I was trying to keep it professional, but I hated when bitches tried to joke around like y’all were cool, when they didn’t even speak to you. It doesn’t work like that, at least not where I’m from.
“Damn, girl,” Sunny chuckled. “So are you free right now?”
“Yeah, for another hour until my next one comes. Iesha would have been under the dryer with deep conditioner by that time.”
“Cool, then can you wash her hair for me?” Sunny pointed to some girl waiting. “I’ll pay you the $15 I’m getting for it.”
“Sure, why not.”
“Thanks so much. I’m behind because someone was late.”
“Look, I told you my baby daddy was trying not to pick up the kids.” Sunny’s current client sucked her teeth as she got her hair straightened.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Sunny replied.
“Hey, I’m gonna wash your hair.” I walked up to the girl. “My name is Erynne.”
“Erynne, nice to meet you. I think I’ve seen you before. My name is Grace.”
“Really? Well, nice to meet you too. Follow me.”
I led her to my area to take a look at her hair. Once Grace was seated with the cape on, I brushed out her hair, making sure no hair accessories were in it. She didn’t have a weave, which was good because I wouldn’t be taking shit out when she wasn’t even my client. I led her to the wash bowl, sat her down, and then leaned her head back into it, before starting to wash.
“So how is your day going, Grace?”
“It’s pretty good, actually. I remember where I know you from now.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I went to a Hunnit Boyz show last week and saw you kissing and dancing on Chaz in the VIP after the show. You know he’s married, right?”
Taking a deep breath, I continued washing her hair to calm myself down. Nosey ass bitch. I wonder if she came here just to fuck with me.
No, Erynne she didn’t come to fuck with you, she’s Sunny’s client.
“He won’t be for long.”
“How can you live with yourself, stealing another woman’s husband?”
“I didn’t steal him. A person cannot be stolen, remember that—”
“No. If a bitch tries to fuck my husband and he leaves me, that hoe stole him— ahh! What are you—”
I used the water jet and sprayed that bitch all in her face. She coughed, choked, and flailed as I rinsed off that caked up makeup.
“Look, mind your fucking business, bitch. And wash your own damn hair.” I walked off, leaving her there with rinsed off makeup and soap still in her hair.
“Oh fuck!” Sunny sucked her teeth as she left her one client and started towards a disheveled and baffled Grace.
“Erynne!” Estella called after me as I pushed through the door to get outside.
“I’m just going to Starbucks, I’ll be back in time for my next client.”
I didn’t know if I could do this shit.
Chapter Four: Kordell
I spritzed cologne on as the smell of breakfast from the kitchen flowed through my apartment.
Erynne and Chaz didn’t stay here last night, so after putting Melody to bed in the guest room, Cassie and I fucked all over the place. And when I say all over the damn place, I mean all over the muthafucking crib. You ever hit it doggy-style in a little ass closet? Sounds terrible, but I’d never busted so hard in my life. I honestly don’t even know how we ended up in there, but one minute we were kissing and drinking, and the next I had shirts slapping me in the face as I beat the pussy up from the back. I wasn’t complaining at all though.
“Kordell, are you hungry?” Cassie called from the kitchen.
“Always hungry. Give me a second.”
I slipped on my boxers, a wife beater, white t-shirt, and some blue jeans. After I had my socks on, I put on my navy-blue Nikes, and then my watch and chain. I let my dreads hang because I was high key tired of them muthafuckas and knew once Cassie saw me, she’d do something with it.
Entering the kitchen, I spotted Melody sitting at the table, eating a piece of bacon bigger than her ass.
“Hey, baby girl,” I leaned down and kissed her plump cheek as she giggled.
“Hi, Daddy!”
Cassie immediately looked at me with a somewhat worried expression, and I just shook my head to tell her it was fine.
“Let me fix your hair.” She walked over, and started piling my dreads on top of my head, and then grabbed a hair tie to hold them in place. “Much better.” She kissed me. And when she turned around, I grabbed her ass. “Not in front of her!”
“So, tell me what happened, baby. You never told me any details, you just showed up here with a busted lip.” I watched Cassie cut up my pancakes before pushing my plate back to me.
“Well, it was because of what she just did right now. She’d been acting weird the whole night, and Miles was frustrated with her.”
“Weird how?” I quizzed, heart rate speeding up.
The only time kids acted strangely around an adult was for two reasons; the adult had done something to them, or the kid could sense that they weren’t a good person. If that nigga had done something to Melody, I didn’t know if I could hold out on fucking him up. Shit, I might look into having his ass killed. Nah, I would look into having him killed.
“She didn’t want him touching her or holding her. It was like she didn’t know him anymore.” Cassie briefly looked down at Melody as she stuffed her face. “And then when he tried to put her to
bed, she screamed that she wanted her father. He told her he was, and she replied with ‘Delly is my daddy’. After that, he whacked me across the face,” she stated as she shrugged.
“Why you shrugging like that shit is normal?”
“Not that it’s normal, Kordell, it’s just I expect that from him. I guess I never really told you about him, and it was because at first I didn’t think we’d be serious, and secondly, I never wanted you to know about him. I’m from Memphis originally, but when I wanted to get away from her father, Miles, I fled to Oakland. I got some work out there, and that’s how Jude found me and moved me down to Los Angeles.”
“Wait, you’re from Tennessee? What the fuck, Cassie? What do I know about you?” I frowned, dropping my fork. This shit had me hot. She had more secrets than the secret service, and it was pissing me off. She knew everything about my ass, but was always tight lipped when it came to her shit.
“You know a lot about me, Kordell! The only thing I didn’t tell you was that I was born and raised in Tennessee, and that my child’s father was an abusive older man who took advantage of me at a young age. I swear the things that you do know about me are the most important ones like Melody, what I do for a living, my age, my birthday, and my mother. Nothing else is important!”
“You don’t think the fact that you got a psycho ass baby daddy is important?” I laughed angrily. “And females love to say niggas lie about their baby mamas but look at you. I told you about Brooke from day one damn near, and you could have said something then! Did you fuck him?”
“No!”
“No yell!” Melody started to cry as she covered her ears.
“Shit. I’m sorry, baby girl.” I got up and scooped her, kissing her cheeks. “I love you and your mommy, but your mommy upsets me sometimes. Doesn’t she make you mad sometimes too?”
Melody looked down at her mom, then back at me, and nodded with a smile. She then wiped her cheeks with the back of her small hands.
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