Can't Be That Other Woman

by Ambria Davis

  “Bitch ass nigga!” Devin yelled, as he continued to attack him. I felt so bad for dude, because he didn’t get a chance to get a lick in. Devin was really putting it on him. All I, as well as everyone else in the shop, could do was look on. They were all over the shop, making a complete mess and fucking shit up.

  “Help me break this shit up!” Onijae yelled to a few dudes standing a few feet away from them. On cue, they ran over and helped him separate both Devin and the dude.

  “Get that nigga the fuck up out of here!” Devin yelled, out of breath, before Onijae and some other dude pulled him to the back of the shop. We stood there and watched as the rest of the dudes pulled ol’ boy to the front of the shop and put him out. When everyone was cleared out, I looked at the shop, which was now a mess.

  “Where are the brooms?” Delaney asked. I guess she was thinking the same thing I was thinking. I walked over to the utility closet and grabbed both of us a broom and dustpan, before I walked back over to her. She was already picking up things, so I decided to help her. It took us a minute, but we finally had picked everything up. Since we had no idea where anything went, we just placed them on the receptionist’s desk. Once we were through, we began to sweep the floor, and we were done, everything looked straight. The shop was damn near empty and the guys were finally walking from the back of the shop.

  “Damn nigga, you look bad,” I joked at Devin, who was holding a bag of ice to his busted lip.

  “Girl yo ass. I should’ve let that nigga whooped yo ass,” he said, poking his tongue out at me.

  “And we just would’ve been fighting too. Now let me see,” I said, walking over to him. I peeped how Onijae was just standing there looking at us, but he never said anything. “What the hell you looking at?”

  “Nothing,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Onijae I’m about to go grab me some lunch, y’all want something?” Trice, the girl who braided hair in the shop, said.

  “Nah, I’m straight. You want something, Dev?” he asked, looking at Devin.

  “Nah, I’m good. Besides, I think Tracy owes me lunch, since I took one for her ass,” he said mushing my head.

  “Yeah, well you gon’ be waiting on that lunch for a while then,” I told him. I busted out laughing at the way he was looking at me. “Oh, stop looking at me that way. I’ll take you to lunch, since you insist on holding this over my head.”

  “All right. Let me go change my shirt and shit. I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, before he disappeared to the back of the shop. I took a seat in the chair as I waited on him to come back. When I looked up, I noticed Onijae was staring, but it wasn’t at me. When I followed the line of his vision, I found Delaney sitting in a chair, playing with her phone. He looked at me and nodded his head towards her, but I shook my head no, before flipping him the bird and pulling my phone out as well. There were two other dudes in there, with the exception of another barber.

  I was about to say something, when the door to the shop opened and in walked this handsome, dark-skinned dude. When I said dude was FINE, he was just that. He had to be an even six feet and rocked a head full of hair. Dude’s hair was so long that I was beginning to think he had a weave in his head or something.

  “Excuse me,” he spoke out to get our attention. I couldn’t help but to notice the accent he had. It sounded as if he was from Jamaica or something.

  “What’s up? I’m Onijae and I’m the owner. How can I help you?” Onijae asked, walking over to him.

  “Hi, my name is Aqura. I’m looking for someone to wash and someone to braid my hair.”

  “Well, the girl who does the braids isn’t here right now. She just went to lunch and she won’t be back here for an hour and a half,” he explained to dude.

  “Oh okay,” Aqura said, turning around. I looked over to Delaney, who was still playing on her phone and thought of something.

  “Hold up, wait!” I said, stopping him on his tracks. “I know someone who could do his hair.”

  “Yeah, who?” Onijae asked, with a confused face.

  “Delaney,” I shouted out, louder than I had anticipated.

  “Say what now?” she asked, finally pulling her eyes from her phone. I got up and walked towards her. “Why did you say my name?”

  “I just told my brother how I knew someone who could braid hair.”

  “Well, I don’t know why you did that, because I’m not putting my hands in nobody’s head,” she said, looking at him and rolling her eyes. I know she was doing that because of what had happened earlier. What she didn’t know was that I was doing this for her.

  “It’s not for him, It’s for…” I said, already forgetting dude’s name. “What’s your name again?”

  “Aqura,” the dude stepped up and said. The minute her eyes landed on him, I noticed the change in her body. She was seeing exactly what I was seeing and that was how fine and cute this man was.

  “Like I said, Aqura here needs his hair braided, and I was just telling my brother how I knew someone who could braid hair. Especially since Trice is gone and everything,” I said, looking at Onijae, who had a screwed up look on his face. I wanted so badly to bust out and laugh, but I didn’t.

  “Okay, well if your brother doesn’t mind, then of course, I’ll braid his hair,” she said, looking at Onijae, who really looked like he wanted to curse us out, but he didn’t.

  “Yeah, go ahead. I’ll be in the back of the shop. The prices for braids are on the wall,” he said. He didn’t say another word. Instead, he just looked at Delaney once more, before he left out of the room. Once he was gone, I let out the laugh that I had held in, before I walked over to Delaney.

  “You know my brother is pissed, right?”

  “Girl, I don’t give a damn about how he feels. That man is not about to have me feeling the side effects of being a side bitch. To hell with what he thinks,” she said, obviously pissed also.

  “Anyways, the washbowl and shampoo are in the back of the shop,” I said, pointing to the area. I spotted Devin walking my way with a huge smile on his face. “I’m bouta take my man to get some lunch. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “Bitch, I know you ain’t trying to leave me in here with your brother,” she said, pulling my arm.

  ‘Nah, I’m trying to leave you in here with Aqura. I saw the way you were looking at him and he most definitely was looking at you too. So stop being a coward, my brother won’t start shit, because he doesn’t want Bianca to find out. Do you and get this nigga number, please,” I told her. Delaney was definitely naïve and a Miss Goody Two Shoes, but she needed to loosen up a bit. I was hoping that Aqura would do that for her.

  “You better hurry up, too,” she said, walking off. She walked over to Aqura and whispered something to him, before they took off walking towards the washbowl. Shaking my head, I turned and headed towards Devin, who was waiting by the door for me.

  As we made our way towards the car, I only had one thing on my mind. Well, not so much a thought, but a wish and that was that my brother and Delaney would behave while I was gone.

  * * *

  Delaney

  I don’t know what Tracy thought she was doing, but I was going to run with it for now. I know my friend has my best interest at heart, which is why she does most of the things that she does. I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t hurt when we first got in here, and I spotted Onijae and his old lady coming from out of the back office. No wonder the nigga been ignoring me, he talked all that shit, but no matter what, I will always have to come after his main lady. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out just what was going on in that back office, but I wasn’t tripping. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. The nigga didn’t even speak to me. He just looked at me. Yeah, I saw him. I looked him dead in his eyes, rolled mine and went to playing on my phone. Since he acted as if I didn’t exist before, I didn’t have a damn thing to say to him then.

  As always, Tracy was trying to broadcast my talent. I don’t know why she
liked to tell people I could do hair, when I barely did it. Besides, the only people’s hair, I do from time to time is hers, Dallas’s, Daija’s and mine. I used to do my mother’s hair, but she doesn’t let me anymore. That was a conversation for later on though. Now here I was, about to braid some nigga’s hair. She’s lucky that it actually wasn’t something for her brother, and since I saw how much it actually got under his skin, I decided to do it.

  After washing Aqura’s hair twice, I took him over to one of the stations. I hoped like hell, the person who this station belongs to didn’t catch an attitude, because I really wasn’t in the mood. All I was trying to do was braid this man’s hair and get out of here once Tracy returns.

  “So, how do you want your hair braided?” I asked dude after I had finished blow-drying it.

  “It really doesn’t matter; you could just do you. I just need something done to it and shit,” he replied. I don’t know why, but when he licked his lips, my midsection started to feel funny.

  “Okay,” I said, as I began parting his hair down the middle. Since he had so much and regular, straight back braids weren’t going to do it any justice, I decided to do some train tracks. I was going to do all type of designs, because I’ve been dying to do in a man’s head. I tried wanted to do them in Dallas’s head, but I knew it was going to make her look like a tomboy, which she hated.

  I was in my zone as I worked on the left side of his head. I wasn’t a slow braider, so it was no surprise when I was quickly done with that side. I made my way to the right side, when he finally decided to speak.

  “So, what’s your name?” he asked me.

  “My name is Delaney,” I replied, a little scared. I don’t know why I do that, but every time I talk to a boy, I become nervous.

  “That’s a pretty name for such a pretty lady. You got a man, Ms. Delaney?” he then asked.

  “No, I’m single like a dollar bill. You got a woman?” I threw back at him, which made him laugh.

  “No ma’am, I’m actually single myself,” he said, laughing again.

  “Yeah, well how old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-two. I’ll be making twenty-three in May. How old are you?”

  “Dang, I at least thought you were a little older than that, but I’m seventeen. I’ll be making eighteen in May also,” I told him. He moved his head and look back at me with unreadable eyes.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, a bit nervous.

  “Because I thought you was in you twenties. I had no idea that you were seventeen years old.”

  “Well, it looks like we both thought wrong,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.

  “You feisty too. I like that.” He laughed, before he turned back around so that I could finish his hair.

  “Um-hmm,” was all I said as I went back to doing his hair.

  Thirty minutes later, I was putting the finishing touches on his head, when Trice, Tracy, Devin, and the rest of the crew started returning back to the shop.

  “Damn bitch, them braids are sick as fuck. No offense, Trice, but Delaney, my brother needs you up in his shop too,” she said, causing everyone to walk over to her.

  “Shit, after seeing this, I’m thinking about going back to school to perfect my craft. Baby girl, you did the damn thing,” Trice said, pulling me in for a hug.

  “Thanks boo,” I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

  “Bitch please, I hate when you do that shit,” Tracy said, already calling me on my shit. “You did the damn thing. There’s nothing wrong with receiving compliments, Delaney. So let that shit go.”

  “Okay,” I said, as I spotted Onijae emerging from the back of the shop. Our eyes briefly met, before I felt a pair of arms on my shoulder. I turned to see Aqura standing there looking like a tall glass of hot chocolate.

  “Come take that walk with me outside right quick,” he said, taking my hand before I could object. I looked at Tracy, who wore a smile of acceptance. She winked at me, before I was exited the door.

  “Here,” he said, handing me three hundred-dollar bills.

  “Nah. That style wasn’t nothing but a few dollars. You giving me two-sixty too much,” I said, pushing his hand back.

  “Come on, man. Take the money. You got my hair braided to perfection, you deserve it baby,” he then said, but I still continued to shake my head no. “Look, shorty wants you in the window,” he said, causing me to turn around. I felt him stick something in my back pocket, so I pulled it out. I turned to give it back to him, but he was now in his car, flashing me this million-dollar smile. I shook my head at him, before finally giving in.

  “Okay, I’ll keep it,” I told him. He started his car and rolled down the window a bit.

  “That’s more like it,” he said, blowing me a kiss. “But since you don’t have a man, is it okay if I take you out?”

  “I don’t know you. For all I know you could be a killer, so why would I let you take me out?” I asked, bullshitting with him.

  “I’m no killer, baby. I’m sweet as can be, unless someone tests me,” he said, getting a little more serious.

  “I feel that.” I agreed with what he was saying.

  “So are you going to let me take you out or not?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, hunching my shoulder like a little girl.

  “It’s a yes or no answer. I won’t be mad if you say no, baby, at least I know I tried,” he said, making me laugh. I stood there for a minute, contemplating on an answer. Before I could open my mouth, my phone began buzzing. I looked to see a message from Tracy. When I opened it, I laughed at what it said. Turning around towards the shop, I spotted her looking towards me. I winked at her, before turning back around to Aqura.

  “Looks like we got an audience,” he said, getting out and nodding towards the shop.

  “Yes, that’s my best friend. So about you taking me out, my answer is yes,” I said, barely able to get the words out right. My chest was pounding and I could hear my heart beating through my ears.

  “All right, that’s cool. Let me get your number, then,” he said. I called out my number to him, and a few seconds later, my phone began ringing. “That’s my number, beautiful. Make sure you use it.”

  “All right boo, I gotcha.”

  “All right, I’ll be calling you in a few days. So you better answer that phone,” he said, before he pulled me in for a hug. It was unexpected, but I hugged him back.

  “Okay, I’ll be waiting,” I said, pulling back. He winked, before getting in his car and pulling off. He wasn’t down the street good, before Tracy’s ass came strolling out of the shop

  “I hope like hell that you got that nigga’s number. Shit, especially how long your ass been out here,” she said, butting in as usual.

  “For your information, I actually did get his number,” I said, turning my phone so that she could see it.

  “That’s good. Now my brother can see that he can’t have his fucking cake and eat it too. His ass was watching y’all the whole fucking time.” She started laughing as if that shit was straight comical or something.

  “Bitch, you need your ass whopped.”

  “I don’t need to shit,” she said. She looked at me and smiled, before walking back into the shop. I turned to watch what was going on in the streets, when I heard the bell ring behind me again.

  “You better be ready to go, since you’re out here stalking me and shit,” I said, before I turned around. I was shocked when I noticed Onijae standing there, and not Tracy.

  “So what, the cat’s got your tongue?” he asked, flashing a quick smile, before it disappeared behind a grin.

  “What do you want?” I asked, rolling my eyes at him. I really couldn’t believe he had the audacity to try to question me about any damn thing.

  “You know what I want, Lay Lay. Why are you out here playing on me like that?” he asked, stepping a little closer so that no one could hear us.

  “I don’t have time to play games with you, Onijae. I don’
t hear from you in weeks, then when I do see you, you and your old lady all lovey-dovey. I’m not that stupid, I know when someone’s trying to play with me. So come with something better than that. I told you that I’m no one’s fool,” I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

  “I had to play things cool. When I went home that morning, she knew exactly where I was. The crazy bitch tracked my GPS on my truck. The only thing she didn’t know was that you were the one who lived in that house. I spent the last few weeks trying to get things right, in order, so I can be with you, Delaney,” he had the nerve to say.

  “Cut the bullshit, Onijae. You didn’t spend the last few weeks doing shit for nobody, but your damn self. You were the only one benefitting from that shit. I tried texting you and calling you, but I got nothing. So I stopped fucking trying. I’m only seventeen, I’ve barely had my heart broken. I’m not about to let it be by a man who has a woman that he’s attached to.”

  “I told you that this won’t be like that. I won’t treat you like the rest of them niggas treat the females they sleep with. I actually want you, Delaney.”

  “If you want me like you say you do, then telling me why the hell you’re still with Bianca then, Onijae?” I asked, raising my voice a little.

  “Lower your voice before people hear you,” he said, looking around us. Once he saw that no one was paying us any mind, he continued. “If I could get rid of her today, I would.”

  “Well, what’s stopping you then?” I asked, pissed off by the shit he was saying.

  “I still love her. I mean I’m not in love with her, but I still love her.”

  “Well, if you love her, then you should do right by her then,” I told him. I looked at him, waiting on him to say anything, but he didn’t say anything at all. I left him standing right there feeling whatever way he was feeling. He had to see that I was actually serious. I wasn’t about to let him play me. I wasn’t going to play no man’s fool or be his other woman. I don’t care if I was only seventeen, and never had a man before in my life, but I wasn’t dumb. I’d seen the shit most women went through with sharing the same man. Trust and believe, I wasn’t trying to be like them, so I was making that shit known to him again.