Finessed a Dope Boy's Heart Page 11

  As soon as my client was out of my chair, both women were on their feet and walking in my direction. The black girl was holding the little boy’s hand, practically dragging him across the shop before someone else got into my chair.

  “Hello, ladies,” I greeted them, but I was getting a bad vibe from them by now. “My name is—”

  “Shontelle,” the white girl finished for me. “I’m Gina, and this is my sister, Lauren.”

  “Sister?” I asked, confused as hell. Their mama must’ve been an old-school ho to have two kids of two different races.

  “Yeah, my sister,” she said like it was a dumb question. My spidey senses were tingling, and I could feel the bullshit brewing. “And this is my nephew. He needs a haircut,” she finished, pointing to the little boy.

  I turned my attention to him in order to not cuss this cracker-ass bitch out. If she knew who I was, then she knew she was in my shop, and I could beat her ass or refuse service as I saw fit. That was one of the perks of having your own shit. You didn’t have to take shit off nobody. And I wasn’t going to, either. I’d had it up to here with folks damn trying me.

  “Well, I’ll be more than happy to give you a haircut, handsome little guy. I’ll make sure that you’re fly as hell for the girls at school,” I said with a smile, and he blushed. “What’s your name?”

  “Jasheem, but my friends call me Jay. So you can call me Jay,” he said in the cutest little voice ever.

  “Jasheem?” I asked, making sure I had heard him right.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he confirmed, making me smile again because it was so rare that kids his age had manners nowadays. He must’ve gotten that shit from his daddy because his mama and damn auntie were rude as fuck.

  “Cool. You know how you want your hair cut?” I asked, putting the stool down so that he could step up into my chair. I put the cloak around his neck when he was settled in, and he moved his tablet from up under it. Looking down at it, I was shocked to see that he was reading a book instead of playing a game like so many of the little badass kids did that came through here.

  “Yeah, I want my hair cut like my daddy’s,” he said like I knew who his daddy was. The way that the “sisters” giggled, I knew that they’d coached him to say that shit.

  “Well, I don’t know your daddy, honey. So you’re gonna have to be more specific. Look at that wall right there,” I said, pointing to the pictures of the posters that had different haircuts displayed.

  While he studied them, I looked at the two women who had brought him here. As if sensing that I was in trouble, Liza came back to her station beside me. She picked up her broom and started sweeping up the hair from the pixie cut that she’d just finished on her client, but her eyes were glued on the women that were staring at me.

  I wheeled the chair around so that Jasheem was facing me and leaned down a little bit so that we were face-to-face. I didn’t want to look at them bitches anymore because they were about to get cussed out. Apparently, they asses were never taught that staring was rude as fuck, but I was about ready to let their asses know.

  “Didn’t see anything that you liked?” I asked him, studying his face to see if I could choose for him.

  “That one,” he said, pointing. “And that’s my daddyyyy! You know my daddy?” I wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell the little boy that his mama was a ho who fucked other bitches’ men, so I chose to say nothing.

  I froze for a second before turning around and looking at where he was pointing. It was a picture collage of Jakeel and me from when we first started dating ’til right before I’d put his ass out. I had just added that picture, and that was the one that he was pointing at. It all hit me at once, and I had to suck in a deep breath. When I looked back at Jasheem, I saw it. He looked just the fuck like him. Then my eyes drifted back to his mother, who had a huge smile on her face. I didn’t feed into her shit, but I did recognize her, though. She’d gained a couple of pounds in all the right places and apparently upgraded her life a little bit because she was dressing better and had her hair laid and her lashes looking like Sunday morning church fans. But she was the bitch who had claimed to be pregnant by Jakeel when he first got locked up.

  Wheeling Jasheem back around, I grabbed my clippers and cleaned them. I had to keep my shit together before I lost all professionalism and showed the hell out in my shop. And I knew that was what she wanted. Why the hell else would she bring this little boy in here? She must’ve heard about Keel and me and wanted to start some shit. See, this was the kinda shit that made me wanna leave Keel alone for good. His past and the shit that he’d done were still impacting us in the present.

  “Now, this is gonna be kinda loud, honey. I don’t want it to scare you,” I said before I flipped the clippers on.

  “It’s OK. I’m a big boy. It won’t scare me,” he said before his eyes went back to his tablet.

  “I hear you, big boy,” I said with a smile, and that kinda hurt my heart. I wasn’t the one to give Jakeel his first child, and I’d always wanted children with him. But if we did get back together, I was happy that this well-spoken, intelligent little boy was his child. The mother, though, she was gonna be a problem for me, and I could tell that shit.

  About fifteen minutes later, I’d learned so much about Jay, as he’d asked me to call him. He was 7, loved to read, write, and draw, and wanted to be an artist when he grew up. He was sweet as pie. I’d given him a Mohawk and used the sponge on his pretty curly hair that I knew he’d gotten from Jakeel. I hadn’t given his mama the pleasure of seeing me sweat. Instead, she was seeing that she would never be on my level, because she came here to start drama, and I handled my business and was even kind to my man’s bastard child.

  “So, you ready to see the finished product, Jay?” I asked him, and he smiled and nodded his head.

  I turned around and grabbed the mirror and the recent picture of Jakeel and me. Holding the mirror up in front of him and the photo beside it, I let him check out his fresh new cut.

  “Oh, wow! I look just like my daddy! Thank you!” he said, and I smiled down at him.

  “It was my pleasure. And when you see him, he’s gonna love that you wanted to look just like him,” I said, looking at his mama with a wink. “Now, you make sure you come back and see me again, OK?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m gonna do all my chores so that I can use my allowance to come to you!”

  “Nah, your money’s no good here,” I said, reaching into my apron and pulling out a couple of dollars. “As a matter of fact, why don’t you take this over to the counter and get yourself one of those snacks. I mean, if that’s OK with your mama,” I said, throwing the ball that she’d tossed at my ass back at her and showing her more respect than she deserved wit’ her messy ass.

  “Can I, Mama? Pleeeaassseee!” he begged. Now, if she were rude to her child when I had been anything but, that would say so much about her character. However, she just nodded her head, and he took the money from my hand and ran toward the front of the shop.

  As soon as I was sure that he was out of earshot, I picked up my broom and started sweeping the hair up from around my chair. It wasn’t much, but I needed to get my words together so that I could let her ass know.

  “Now, for you. You two came into my shop to start some shit. That was petty and juvenile as hell. And to use that cute little boy to do so says a lot about you and your sister or whoever the fuck this pasty white bitch is. You have a great son, and even though he was made by you being a whole ho out here in these streets, he’ll find out the kinda woman his mama is soon enough. I ain’t got no beef with you, and whatever beef you got with me, you need to take that shit out, thaw it, cook it, and eat it. ’Cause it ain’t welcome on my table. Take your issues up with Keel. I ain’t the one who knocked you up and dropped yo’ ass.”

  “Bitch—” the white girl started, but Liza stepped up beside me, shaking her head as a warning.

  “Aht! Aht! This
ain’t yo’ fight, little whitey. Don’t getcha ass beat behind some dick yeen even smelled,” she said, and the white bitch shut the hell up.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jasheem coming back with a bag of cotton candy. His mother reached into her purse to pull out the money to pay so that she could keep up her front for her son.

  “Nah, don’t worry about it. Keep that little change. Maybe you can go down the street and around the corner and buy you some fuckin’ class,” I said, and Liza giggled. I was big mad as all fuck, but I couldn’t come unglued in front of this bitch.

  “Now, you make sure to come and see me next week, OK, Jay?” I asked, and he nodded his head before coming to hug me. “And make sure your mama takes you to see your daddy so that he can see how y’all twinning, OK?”

  “Yes, ma’am!” he said, and I wanted to ask if he’d ever met his daddy, because Keel had never mentioned meeting the little boy to me. But that wasn’t my business. At least not anymore. This encounter had confirmed for me that I had to let Jakeel’s ass go. That nigga would be the cause of me having gray hair and heart palpitations. I wasn’t about to have a stroke behind his wandering-dick-having ass.

  “Thank you, ladies, for coming. Hope to see y’all again soon,” Liza said, waving at their asses and letting them know that it was best for them to take their leave before the hood bitch that was itching to be let loose hopped out and all over their asses.

  Jasheem’s mama took his hand, and she and the white bitch made their way out of the shop. As soon as I heard the door close, I made my way to my office. I was sure that Liza was gonna check on my client for me, but then she would be hot on my damn heels.

  I hadn’t gotten in the door good before I broke down. I collapsed on the couch in my office and buried my face in one of the throw pillows and cried my eyes out.

  “You deserve some retail therapy, ho!” Liza said, coming into my office. “You handled their asses like the real boss bitch that you are! Ooooh, baby girl, I’m so sorry. Are you OK?” her tone changed as soon as she saw me shaking and crying on the couch.

  She came and sat down beside me, rubbing my back as soothingly as she could. I was so over this shit, but for some reason, I still felt like Keel had a hold on me. I hadn’t really realized the amount of damage that he’d caused to my heart with all that he’d taken me through until now.

  “How many clients you have after this last one?” Liza asked, and I finally sat up. I couldn’t speak, so I just shook my head, telling her that I didn’t have anymore. “Well, then, I’m taking you shopping. You need a new wardrobe for this new stage in your life. I’m soooo proud of you, boo. I can’t say that I could’ve played that shit like you did. And you told that bitch to keep her li’l money and go ’round the corner and buy herself some claaaass,” she said, and we both laughed. “That shit was epic, bitch. I wished I had recorded that shit. Wait—I did!”

  She pulled out her phone and showed me that she’d set her camera up and recorded the whole encounter. This bitch was a stickler for evidence. She was the recording and screenshot queen.

  “You know what? You’re a trip!” I said, shaking my head, and she looked at me like I’d offended her.

  “Girl, listen, you needed this shit so that you could see how you read that bitch. You showed her why you’re the main, and she was just a side thang. And you never know what might’ve happened. What if they’d provoked you, you’d beat both their asses, and they broke asses had tried to sue you and take this damn shop? Not on my watch, boo. My camera is always watchin’.”

  I hugged her, and we both leaned back on the couch while she pressed play, and we watched the replay of the encounter that had just proven my level of grown woman-ness. I had to admit, watching my personal growth made me smile. I had really grown a lot from the little girl who was beating up bitches who said they’d been fuckin’ my nigga, even when it was proven that they’d been fuckin’ my nigga.

  “Wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . Here’s my favorite part! Watch this pale bitch turn red as all fuck,” she said, and we both laughed. This was much needed and made me feel so much better. Moments like this made me happy to have a true friend in Liza.

  * * *

  “You were right. This was just what I needed!” I beamed at Liza. We had been shopping for three hours, and I was so glad that I’d chosen to do this instead of going home and crying about that fuck nigga.

  “Yeah, I knew it was. But could you go easy on a bitch’s bank account? You got me swipin’ this strip like we fuckin’ or some shit,” she said and rolled her eyes playfully.

  I waved her off with my hands full of bags. I knew she had it. And if she didn’t have it, then her sugar mama, who happened to be Keel’s sister, Toya, sure as hell did. I think the thought of spending Toya’s money was what made this shit that much sweeter. Call me petty, but I had to get my happiness where I could.

  The realization that she was dating his sister hit me and made me feel dumb as hell at the same time.

  “Liza, you know where Keel is working?” I asked her, and the way she turned her head to the side let me know that she was about to give me the same spiel that she did every time I tried to get information from her.

  “Now, you know that even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. You my best bitch, and you know that. But I don’t bring my house business and pillow talk outside my house. That’s how we’ve been happy this long,” she said, and I knew that was what she was about to say.

  She was telling the truth, though. She kept that shit separate. I respected their relationship, honestly, and respected her even more. She wasn’t gon’ tell me shit that Toya told her, and she never repeated shit that I told her ass to Toya, either. Otherwise, I’d be in a hole in the ground, because she was the only other person who knew about Mel and me fuckin’ around. Liza was as solid as they came, and that’s why I would always love and respect her ass, even though I didn’t think I would ever understand her not liking dick. But to each her own, I guess.

  “Bitch, look!” Liza elbowed me in the side, bringing me out of my thoughts and making me wanna punch her ass in the face. When I followed where her eyes were looking, I instantly forgave her and turned my aggression on the muthafucka that she was lookin’ at.

  “So, that nigga ignoring my calls, so that he can skin and grin in some old bitch’s face?” I asked, not really expecting an answer. I wouldn’t have heard shit she’d said anyway because I had started to walk toward TGI Fridays. The nigga must’ve been embarrassed by the bitch, because they were in the corner, thinking that nobody would see them. But Liza had, and now, I had, and I was about to make that shit known.

  “Bitch! Shontelle! Don’t make a scene!” Liza yelled at my back while she struggled to keep up. I knew she was trippin’ because there was no way that she didn’t expect me to make a scene when she’d been the one that had pointed that shit out to me. You would think the bitch ain’t know me at all.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jakeel

  I was sitting in TGI Fridays nervous as hell about this date with my probation officer. I’d asked for a booth in the far corner so that no one would see us because I wasn’t trying to cause any issues for her. I didn’t know what it was about her, but she was sexy as hell to me. I usually didn’t date women older than me, but she ain’t look like she was a day past 30, and that told me that she took care of herself.

  I kept watching the door and looking at my watch. I didn’t want to think that she was gonna stand a nigga up, but it had been two hours and three minutes, and she hadn’t come in yet.

  “You know what you want to drink, handsome?” the waitress came over for the third time, asking me. I could tell that she was the one who was thirsty as hell while she was asking me what I wanted to drink.

  “Nah, I’m gonna wait for my date before I order,” I said for the third time. She rolled her eyes and popped her mouth, giving a nigga plenty of attitude before walking away.

  That was something else. If I had
been meeting any other bitch, that shit would’ve caught my attention. But knowing that I was meeting Mrs.—my bad—Ms. Blake here tonight, there wasn’t a bitch in here who could catch my attention. I’d caught wind that something had changed about her. She’d gone from happily married with that big-ass ring on her finger, to there just being a tan line where the ring used to be. I’d peeped that shit but didn’t say anything. I just tried to shoot my shot and was honestly shocked that she’d agreed to see me. I had thought about going home and changing clothes, but that shit woulda made a nigga look too eager, and that wasn’t my move.

  But when the hostess finally walked up, and I saw that she’d changed clothes and even put on some makeup and perfume, I felt like I wasn’t doin’ her fine ass justice in what I was wearing. Standing up from my seat, waiting for her to sit down, I smiled at her and took in that nice ass that was poking out from behind the wrap dress that she had on. We sat down, and I motioned for the waitress to come to our table to take our drink orders, but she looked away like she hadn’t seen me. I hated bitches like that. She ain’t get what she wanted, so now she wasn’t gonna do her fuckin’ job. I was gonna let her have a pass, but if she ain’t make her way the fuck over here in the next couple of minutes, I was gonna call the manager on her ass.

  “You know,” I said, checking my watch, “if the roles were reversed, I would violate your ass. You’re late,” I joked, and she giggled. I wasn’t sure how she was gonna be on this encounter, but I was glad that she’d left her hard-ass probation officer persona at the office.

  “Well, I mean, it takes a little time to look this damn good,” she flirted, leaning back so that I could see her better. I couldn’t disagree with her there.

  “Are you and your mother ready to order something to drink now?” the waitress’s petty ass appeared outta nowhere and asked.