Her Sweetest Revenge (Delphine Publications Presents) (15 page)

“
Hell, no,” Rochelle had a shocked look on her face.

“
Well, you should be. You have the height, and your bone structure is astonishing. And your hair is fabulous,” Pepper complimented her.

“
Thank you, but you should give Mya the shout-out on my head ’cause she did it.”

“
Mya, you do hair?” Pepper asked me appearing shocked.

“
Yeah, that’s right. My girl is fierce with those hands. She does it all freestyle,” Rochelle continued to compliment my skills.

“
Mya, why you didn’t tell me hair was your thing?” Pepper asked.

“
Well, when we met I was just trying to get my own hair done. I’m always doing other people’s heads. That day I was just worried about my own wig,” I added with a smile.

“
Do you plan on getting your hair license? Like, are you in school for hair or something?” Pepper inquired.

I stalled for a minute not knowing if I should reveal I wasn’t a high school graduate but somehow I felt comfortable with Pepper. I had since the first time we met. “I, uhh, I sort of need to graduate high school first, but yes, I have thought about it a lot. Right now, I have real-life issues I need to take care of first,” I informed her.

“
I understand, but don’t let your gift die. You know, before I moved here I had other things going on too, but I had someone who I looked up to that helped me along the way.” Pepper talked while continuing to do her magic on my head. “You know what? Would you be interested in working here part-time?” she asked me out of the blue.

“
Work here? Doing what?” I asked shocked at her question.

“
Well, you wouldn’t be able to do hair because you don’t have a license, but you could wash heads and help with other stuff around here. I would like take you under my wing, but the catch is you would have to join this program I just started here called Diploma Cuts.”

“
Diploma Cuts? What’s that?” Rochelle asked before I could.

“
Diploma Cuts is a program I started here at the shop where inspiring hairstylists who don’t have high school degrees can come and earn their diploma while earning their hair license degree. It’s a six-month program. When you’re done you will have earned a diploma and your hair license, all at the same time.”

“
Damn, Mya, that’s sounds like a good idea,” Rochelle said. “So like, are you a school teacher or something?” Rochelle was impressed.

“
Actually no. I have an instructor come in that prepares you for your diploma and another hairstylist instructor and I do the hair portion. So what do you think?” Pepper turned my chair around to face her.

I was so speechless at first. This could be a huge opportunity for me. I could earn my degree like my father wanted, and I could get my hair license which is part of my dream. All while having a paid part-time job. “When can I start?” I smiled.

“
I guess you are interested then. You can start next week. I’ll start you washing my clients’ heads next week and class is on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.”

I sat there in a daze. With all the crazy things that had been going on in my family I couldn’t believe how my luck was changing for the better. I couldn’t wait to get started.

Chapter 24

“
So are you enjoying your steak?” Hood asked me.

“
It’s good, just like I imagined it would be,” I smiled. Hood had returned back from his “business trip,” so we were out eating at the Outback Steakhouse Restaurant. He had picked me up from Rochelle’s house. I had been at her house all day styling heads. So I brought my clothes along since I knew that’s where I would be all day. Our food had made it to the table, and I was savoring every bit of my juicy steak, and I think Hood was enjoying watching me chew since he seemed to never take his eyes from me.

“
So how was your trip? Did you get to go sightsee in the Big Apple?” I teased.

“
Not really. It’s business so I didn’t leave my hotel much. I made my moves, and I was out, but you know it’s a big city. Just like on the TV.”

“
I know. I wanna go there someday. Actually, I wanna go a lot of places, but New York is definitely one of them,” I revealed.

“
And maybe you will. What did you do while I was away? Beside let me harass you on the phone.” Hood gave me that smile that he only seems to give to me, and it was indeed making my panties wet. I tried to gain control of myself.

Smiling back at him I almost stuttered while shifting in my seat. “I, uh, I . . . you know, hung out with my girl Rochelle and I got my hair done. Oh, I got a part-time job,” I revealed forgetting all about that for a minute.

“
A job? Doing what?” He seemed surprised.

“
Just washing heads at this salon, but I will be getting my diploma at the same time while earning my hair license.”

“
Oh well, congrats, baby girl. Maybe one day you can have your own shop,” Hood suggested.

“
Maybe,” I agreed before taking another bite of my steak.

“
Yo, do you chop up the fellas?”

I swallowed the steak in my mouth before speaking. “Absolutely, but not that often.”

“
Maybe I’ll let you fade me up sometime then.” Hood smiled while rubbing his flat fade. His hair cut was fresh as always.

“
Yeah, I’ll fade you or bald you up. Whatever you want,” I joked.

“
OK, maybe I should rethink that.” Hood smiled and behind that beautiful smile were his perfect white teeth. His smile made my heart flutter.

“
No, I’m just kidding with you. You know I could hook you up.” I gave him a seductive but sweet smile.

“
So when do I get to meet your family?” Hood asked.

“
Why do you want to meet them? You just met me.”

“
I just want to meet your family. Let them know who I am.”

“
Umm, well, how about I will let you know,” I quickly replied before I changed the subject. “So when do I get to visit your house?” I boldly asked.

“
Whenever you ready. You want to see it tonight?” Hood poured some of the wine he ordered.

Shocked at his question I thought about it before I answered. “Was that a trick question?” I asked.

“
Nope,” he replied while taking a drink.

“
I just had to ask, and no, I would not like to go tonight.”

“
Well, it’s up to you, girl. Whenever you ready just give me a call.” Hood smiled. “You got all my numbers.”

After a dessert that we shared, we flirted for a little, and then Hood took me home. On the ride home I actually thought about going to Hood’s house, but I decided that I wasn’t ready for that. If and when I went to Hood’s house I would be ready on every level to go there.

***

The next morning while brushing my teeth I thought a lot about what Hood had asked me about meeting my family. At first I was trippin’ off that shit. I had never thought about letting a dude meet my family, but on the other hand, I had never given any other dude any time of day, mainly because I kept my guard up. My dad had always been the man in my life, and since I was his little girl, he had loved me. So I wasn’t craving for a man’s love or attention in my life, which meant these lame-ass niggas in the street couldn’t get to me easy, their compliments never fade me, but Hood, I’m really feeling him. I haven’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about him. He was cool people. So I think I will invite him over today before I change my mind. Plus my momma, who is never home lately, is in her room. So why not?

I decided to knock on Li’l Bo’s door first. “Yo, what’s up? Let me in,” I screamed after I knocked six times and he didn’t say a word.

“
What?” he asked with a hint of attitude.

“
Let me in. That’s what.” The door finally swung open.

“
What are you in here doing?” I stuck my head in and looked around.

“
Nothing, chilling. Playing my game.” He bounced back down on his unmade bed.

“
Well, put it down for a minute. I need to talk to you about something.”

“
Then spit it out, Mya. You know I don’t like being interrupted during my game.”

“
Look, I have a friend that I want all of you to meet today. He’s a guy, so don’t be rude.”

“
Yo, this why you come in here to ruin my game? What you want us to meet him for? Nigga ain’t gon’ be coming over here anyway,” Li’l Bo said as he grabbed his joystick to continue his game.

“
Stop being so rude, boy.” I pushed his shoulder. “Li’l Bo, you can’t tell me who can come over here. I am the oldest. I’m eighteen, so that makes me the next adult up in here.” I rolled my eyes.

“
Mya, I don’t care. It better not be none of these busters from the Brewster.”

“
Whatever. Look, clean this room and put on some clothes. Don’t embarrass me,” I walked out of his room and shut the door behind me.

“
Yeah, whatever,” Li’l Bo said barely moving his lips.

I knocked on my momma’s bedroom door, and she immediately yelled to me to come in. “You must want a visitor because you never say come in that quick.”

“
Well, I ain’t doing anything; might as well have some company,” she replied while moving her hand through her still good but brittle hair.

“
I have this guy coming over today. I want all of you to meet him.”

“
What guy?” Ma sat straight up in her bed. “No, Mya. Hell no. Ugh, Ugh. Not today. Look at me,” she protested.

“
Ma, I will help fix you up. I know you only used to the beautician doing your hair, but you can’t afford that no more. You ain’t been to the salon in years, now. You know I do hair. I can hook you up.” I tried to convince her. I had been trying to do her hair for the longest, but she always turned me down.

“
Hell no. You ain’t gettin’ near my head.” She put both of her hands up and covered her hair like she was protecting it from me.

“
Ma, I can do your hair. I’m good, and you know it. Stop trippin’.”

She sat there looking at me for a minute. “All right. I will let you wash it and moisturize it only.” She pointed her finger at me as if to warn me.

“
Wash it only. I get it,” I lied because when I get my hands in her head I was going to hook it up. “Go ahead and get up while I go grab my shampoo and stuff.”

I made a quick dash to my room before she changed her mind. I had called Hood this morning and told him he could come over around 3:00. It was 11:00 so I had to step on it.

“
Monica, Mom just agreed to let me do her hair. Quick, help me grab the hair supplies,” I encouraged her. I had told Monica about Hood coming over as soon as I made the decision since she already knew about all our dates.

“
What did she think about Hood coming over?” Monica asked while moving around helping me grab things.

“
She really didn’t say, but your brother was trippin’ just like I expected. I didn’t tell him it was Hood. Let’s hurry and grab the stuff for Momma’s hair before she changes her damn mind.”

By the time we got all the stuff together my momma was already in the kitchen ready to get her hair washed. After washing her hair and cutting her split ends, I was able to blow-dry it, straighten it out, and put it in a long ponytail with a swoop in the front. That’s all she would allow me to do. Her ends were straight, and her hair looked good. She had that long coal-black hair down her back, so it looked like she had on a long weave ponytail. She was rockin’ it. Now all we had to do was get her in some nice clothes which was easy. My mom was still a size six like me with a big butt and a six-pack even though neither of us worked out. So she could fit in all my clothes. By the time Hood knocked on the door everyone was ready. Although I was really nervous, I had managed to give Li’l Bo a dirty threatening look before I opened the door.

“
What’s up, baby girl?” Hood immediately said when the door opened.

I was so nervous the only thing I could say was, “Come in.”

Hood stepped into the apartment past me. Nobody said anything for a brief moment.

“
Hood?” Li’l Bo immediately recognized him. “Aye, what’d up, nigga?” Li’l Bo got up off the couch and gave Hood a pound.