“It looks like just a graze.”
She doused some shit in peroxide and began to clean it up. It burned a little but I’d felt worse pain in my life so I was chilling. After she placed the gauze on it and used the medical tape to keep it in place, she made me a snack.
“I hope this is the last time, Shai.”
“Me too. Another bullet and I may not make it.” I put the empty plate on the end table, and then slowly pulled her sexy ass into my lap. My shoulder was fucked, but my dick still worked.
Erynne
Today my first client wasn’t until 2 p.m., so instead of taking a shower, I opted for a nice hot bath. I had my tray in here and everything, with my phone and a good book. I rarely had time off during the week, which was odd for a hairstylist I know, so I wanted to take advantage of the late start I had today. As I relaxed in the warm water, enjoying the bubbles, my phone started to ring and I saw it was Anna from back home in Chicago.
“Hey, girl.” I smiled into the phone, lifting my feet from under the bubbles.
“Hey, so, what’s up with you and Risk?”
“We decided to part. Remember when you drove me to the airport?” I asked sarcastically.
My heart started to beat way too quickly at the mention of his name. I’d been pretending to be cool about it because I didn’t want to come off as some punk bitch that made a decision before she could think it through, but in reality, I was scared shitless.
Every day that I woke up, I feared the police would be at my door, asking me questions about Risk. I was not meant to kill people and neither was Laine. I felt like the worst friend ever for bringing her along with me, because now she felt the same guilt and paranoia as me. It didn’t matter how many times Mischief and Chaz said it was taken care of, a little part me felt like maybe some type of evidence was left behind. I guess that was part of the first-time blues.
“No, I know all that shit, girl. But someone said he left to California for a business deal, and I just assumed he might swing by you and shake you up a little bit, maybe even dick you down.”
“I mean he did call, but after I ignored him and blocked his number he had no choice but to stop. And I told you, Anna, I have a boyfriend now. Risk nor any other man will be dropping by to dick me down okay?”
“I know, but he’s married, so I was think—”
“He’s in the process of getting a divorce and I told you that, Anna. Stop saying he’s married, okay, because I know that already.”
“Alright, relax, sweetie.”
“And who do you know that knows where Risk travels to?”
“I get around.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Hey, fuck you!” We laughed in unison. “Well they’re about to have a little celebration, hoping Risk and Cook died or decided not to come back to Illinois.”
“Damn, he hasn’t even been gone that long.”
“True, but you know people only fucked with Risk because they were scared of him. Anyway, the whole neighborhood is going and I will be in attendance to see something fine I can take home.”
“Anna.” I shook my head and laughed.
“I want to come to California, so when are you going to fly me out there?”
“Do I look rich? I can’t just fly you out. I’m just starting to make a nice amount of money, and most of it goes to rent and shit.”
“You don’t have to be rich but I know that boyfriend of yours has plenty of cake. I hear his music all the damn time, so he’s no longer just a local, which also means you better watch him. The hoes love him and his brothers.”
“Chaz will not be bothered by some groupies, okay?”
“He’s a man with a dick hanging between his legs. And fame changes people.”
“Not Chaz. He doesn’t do things like that.”
“So you believe that you’re the only woman in the world that can steal Chaz from someone? Please tell me you’re not that naive. Chaz is fine, he’s getting rich, and according to you, he’s good in bed. All I’m saying is to watch him and hold onto your fly swatter. You may have to swat some bitches off.”
We both laughed as I shook my head at her.
I admit she was getting to me, and I think it was because there were a lot of unknowns. I mean the closest I’d dated to a celebrity was Risk, and he was only famous in Chicago… maybe other parts of Illinois too, but that’s pushing it. Chaz would be known in every state and every city, shit he was already blazing through my hometown. I just hoped he was one of the ones that didn’t go Hollywood.
“Well, Anna, let me finish my bath so I can make myself some food and get ready for work. Chaz has all new appliances that I want to use.”
“Okay, and don’t forget to mention a plane ticket for your friend.”
“Yeah, uh huh.” I hung up.
I rose to my feet to let the water out and put my wooden bath tray to the side. I then showered, washing my body down, before I climbed out. I brushed, flossed, and rinsed, then did my skincare routine. As I spread on my face lotion, I heard the front door open and close. Chaz had just left about an hour and a half ago, but I guess his meeting with the label was done already.
“Hey, ba—” I opened the bathroom door and ran down the stairs in my towel, only to see Jade standing there.
“Getting ready to perform your concubine duties?” she quizzed, folding her arms and chuckling. She then walked to the counter and began sifting through the mail.
Like always, she was dressed to the nines but in a red skinny pantsuit. Her hair was hanging down her back, and her light skin was voluminous.
“Actually, I just got out of the bath. How did you know where Chaz lives?”
“Because I’m his wife. I know that doesn’t mean much to someone like you, but to those of us with morals and values, it does.” She threw the mail down onto the counter and began to waltz through the living room, looking at the new shit Chaz had bought. “Nice.”
“Morals. Hmm, is that why you were living out lesbian fantasies in your husband’s bed?”
Laughing as she looked through his bookshelf, she said, “No, I just like to live life. I don’t find it fun to sit up and wait for a married man to fuck me. But clearly we have different tastes in some things.”
“How did you even get in here?”
“Keeps a key under the mailbox just like we used to at our apartment.”
“Get your hands off his shit.” I walked up and moved her hands from the things sitting on his bookshelf.
“Ooh, look at you, fighting for your man! Go, girl! Well, Erynne, you know the saying, how you get them is how you lose them. Don’t come crying to me when Chaz meets someone else while on tour or something. You know I actually heard he was going on tour with that singer Aspen; cute little thing and just Chaz’s type. People fuck each other when they travel together; it’s a known fact.”
“Jade, get out before we have a round two.”
Throwing her hands up in mock surrender, she smiled and laughed as she opened the front door.
“Hey, you don’t want my advice, fine. But I’ve known Chaz much longer than it took for him to get into your panties.”
“Get the fuck out.” I shoved her across the threshold, and when she tried to come back at me, I slammed the door in her face.
I was trying to keep my hands off of her face, because I knew Chaz would be angry as hell if he found out we’d fought. Plus, I didn’t want to do anything that would prolong or jeopardize their divorce.
Shaking my head, I rushed upstairs and got dressed, then came back down to eat a bowl of cereal. I wasn’t in the mood to make myself that big feast anymore. Once I was done, I left out so I could get to work. Hopefully it would keep my mind off of all of this shit.
I made it to the shop and on the way to put my stuff up, I spoke to Sunny and Estella like always. Over time, a couple of the other girls had started warming up to me, even Ambrosia who I was ready to knock the fuck out for calling me stupid.
When I came ba
ck to the front, I saw my first client waiting; a young girl in high school whose mother felt it was important she miss class to get her hair done for family pictures.
“Hi, Erynne.” She grinned widely, small voice bouncing off the walls.
“Hey Tia, go ahead and sit down so we can start.” I hugged her lightly and she took a seat.
Throwing my cape over her, I turned her to face the mirror before removing the hair tie from her head. I started to section her hair up so that I could survey her scalp, and then grabbed some oil for a quick massage.
“Erynne, would it be any trouble for you to get an autograph from Chaz of the Hunnit Boyz? I’d be willing to pay.” Tia looked at me through the mirror.
“Umm… yeah, sure, I can do that. Do you have something for me to take to him?”
“Well, yeah, but I was thinking maybe I could meet him too, you know, and get a picture or two if that’s okay. I told all my friends I could get his autograph and a picture.”
I looked at her through the mirror for a moment, still massaging her scalp, before finally nodding with a smile.
“Sure, Tia. I don’t know if it will be today, but I can make that happen I’m sure.”
“Thanks so much, Erynne!” she giggled and started texting on her phone. “I love him! I’ll be at their next show!”
“I love him too,” I chuckled and so did she.
“Chaz, huh? You guys are still together?” that bitch Ambrosia asked as soon as I got Tia up to lead her to the washbowl.
“Yeah, and will be forever.”
“Oh, I was just asking because my friend saw him out with another woman, so I assumed that you and him were over.”
“Excuse me?” I frowned, dousing Tia’s hair in the water before starting to shampoo.
“Yeah, look.” Ambrosia walked over to me and flashed me a picture of Chaz eating with his assistant Elicia.
“Girl, bye! That’s his assistant. And for the record, get off Chaz’s and my dick before we have a problem,” I spat.
I was a little bothered that Chaz was out with his assistant, but not too much. I guess it was just the fact that I didn’t know about it.
“I was trying to help you but fuck it.”
Ambrosia switched back to her chair, and I heard her homegirl mumble, “Assistant my ass,” before she and Ambrosia slapped hands.
Lord help me keep my hands to myself.
Kordell
“Come here!” I grabbed Brooke up as I barged into her apartment. The bitch had been gone for a cool minute and now that her ass was back, we needed to talk.
“I’m sorry,” she started to cry as I closed her door behind me.
“Sit down, Brooke.” I locked the door and when I turned to face her she was still standing there, rubbing her belly. “Sit down!”
“Okay! Alright!” She sat down on the couch.
Sitting down on the other end, I let out a dejected sigh, and then glanced over at her pretty face. The only change was that her nose had gotten slightly bigger, but she was still beautiful as hell.
“Brooke, I got the results back a while ago as you know, because the doctor told me she tried to call you to inform you. Like you said, it proved the kid wasn’t mine.”
“I know and believe me, Kordell, I wish it was yours—”
I put my hand up so she’d kill all of that. I was no longer bothered by the fact that her muthafucking ass was pregnant by some other nigga. My problem was the fact that it was by my father. I was baffled as to how and the fuck they even hooked up, and before I stepped to his lying bitch ass, I wanted all the fucking details.
“The results said I was related to the father.”
“I told you Mischief… and I… we…” She stopped talking when I started to shake my head ‘no’.
“I already know my pops is the dad, but I want to know how that shit came about, Brooke. You wanted to fuck around on me, okay cool, but my dad? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“No, Kordell, I didn’t want to. I swear I didn’t, but he’d been nice to me and gave me money. He made me feel like I had to do it… so I did.”
“Brooke.” I shook my head and sucked my teeth.
I wanted to be mad at her ass, but my dad was old as hell and clearly took advantage of her. Brooke could be dumb as a box of rocks sometimes, and my father knew that. As badly as I wanted to hate her ass for what she’d done, I couldn’t help but to feel for her. She’d gotten caught up with a muthafucka who was twenty times smarter than she was.
“I’m sorry, Kordell. I wanted an abortion but he wouldn’t let me.”
“How did Mischief get involved in all of this?”
“Well, at first I was supposed to… Kordell, I can’t.”
“He’s not gon’ touch you, I promise. I just want you to tell me the truth. Do some shit right out of all of this fucked up shit you’ve done. You tore my brother and me apart, and for what?”
“Your father hates your brother, Kordell, you know that.”
I knew my father and brother bumped heads a lot, ever since Mischief started high school. I just remember them getting into a fist fight because Mischief wanted to go to school out in Compton where he’d been living with Nate, and not out in Beverly Hills. Imagine Mischief at Beverly Hills High; that’s laughable.
Chaz had only went for a hot minute before he transferred, and when it was my time for high school, I opted out of Beverly Hills High too. Fuck all that. But I digress, I don’t remember a time where they were ever cool, and nobody really knew why.
“Yeah, I know he and my brother don’t get along, but that doesn’t explain why yo’ ass decided to pin a fucking baby on Mischief.”
“Because he wanted me to; your father. He knew it would tear you two apart, and it was all a part of his obsession with ruining Mischief. It was almost like he was jealous of him,” she frowned, confused. “And he told me he’d kill me and my baby… our baby, if I didn’t go along with it. I was just scared because you know how powerful he is. It’s just one bad decision led to a whole bunch of other ones, and now I’m stressed out and the baby and I aren’t doing too well because of it.”
“Look, Brooke, I’m gonna move you from here and after that, I want you stay away from my family. I will handle my father, but I don’t want you around. You need to take better care of yourself and stop always worrying about a nigga. That’s how you ended up in this shit.” I stood up. “Aight?”
“Yes, but what about your unborn brother?”
“I uh, I don’t know yet. For now, I’m just gonna help you move and that’s it.”
“Okay.” She got up to follow me to the door. “I see you and that girl are still going strong. It’s nice to see you as a dad sort of.” She chuckled softly as I stood outside of her door.
“Answer when I call you,” was all I said before I left her apartment and went down to get into my car.
I went straight to my parents’ house, all the way in Beverly Hills, hoping my father was there. He was a hard muthafucka to catch, especially for me because he’d been fucking me over for the past couple of months, so he was dodging me extra hard. When I pulled into the driveway, I was happy to see he didn’t have his two peanut M&M shaped bodyguards, standing outside the front door. I shut my engine off, and when I went inside the house, it was eerily quiet.
As I moved further into the house, I heard soft music in Spanish, playing from the den, so I went to go peep the scene and saw my moms on the couch, looking like she’d been getting high for a decade straight. Her usual vibrant cinnamon complexion was dull, and her brown curly hair looked like it was filled with mud and lint. Her perfume was still nice and familiar though.
“Ma.”
When she turned to look at me, I saw her nose was a little red, like she was recovering from an injury. Her eyes were glazed, so it was obvious she’d been crying.
“Hey, honey.” She half smiled and cleared her throat, trying to get herself together for me. “Are you looking for your father? He’s as
leep in the bedroom upstairs.”
“What the fuck happened to your face?”
“Your brother’s girlfriend decided to hit me.”
“Laine?” I knew it was her because Erynne wasn’t the type, and Laine was just as crazy as the nigga she laid up with. Not to mention it was me who got my mom’s number to her. “How the hell did y’all get into it?” I quizzed, playing the fool a little bit. I didn’t want anybody knowing I played a part in them coming together.
“She called me, got my number somehow. She asked me to have lunch, and when I showed up she started saying all these things to me and I slapped her.” She pushed her hair back, and then refilled her wine glass before sitting back and taking another sip. “I don’t know what he sees in her,” she chuckled.
“Ma, why do you care so much about Shai’s personal life?”
“I’m his mother, I should care.” Her accent was very apparent, something that always happened when she was angry or becoming defensive. “Why does everyone keep asking me that like it’s a crime to care about my own fucking child?”
“Do you even know if I have a girlfriend? Do you even know if Chaz is still married? Or is Shai the only one you have interest in.”
“You, and girlfriend other than Brooke? Yeah right.” She laughed. “And Chaz would never leave that Jenny girl.”
“Her name is Jade, and he did leave her. He has a new woman. Oh, and Jade is most likely a lesbian. And as far as me, I do have a girlfriend. Her name is Cassandra and I love her. Her daughter Melody too.”
She lowered her wine glass slowly until the bottom part was resting on her thigh. She then chuckled awkwardly, as her eyes darted all around my face.
“Well, I’m sorry, mijo, I’ve been a little busy you know. I have to handle your father’s legit businesses, and I just don’t have the time to—”
“Worry about anyone else other than Shai, right?” I grinned. “Ma, why does he hate you so much? Huh?”
“Because we all know that Mischief is an angry person, mijo. He hates everyone and everything, especially if they wear blue.” She burst into laughter at the last part. “Never understood that gang stuff. And why does there need to be so many blood groups? Can’t they all just be one?” She waved her hand in the air, setting her glass on the coffee table. She was trying to deviate from the subject at hand, but that shit wasn’t working.
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