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Authors: Brenda Hampton

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #African American, #Urban

Naughty by Nature (13 page)

BOOK: Naughty by Nature
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“Then, promise me that you will not get involved with her. I don't want her to be nowhere near Davenports. It's bad enough she's already calling here, and next, she'll be bringing her tail over here everyday working my nerves.”
“I can't promise you nothing like that. I do, however, promise to keep my personal business at home. For you to have cameras around here, and not share it with me—that was devious. If I wanted to, I could have you arrested for that mess.”
She held her hands in front of her. “Cuff me,” she said. “It's obvious you like to be tied up, so I'll be more than happy to play your game with you. Now, I know you're upset about this, but that's what you get for playing house. This is a place of business and any other employer would have fired you for carrying on in such a way. I'm being nice because I like you—I like you as my partner, and I see us going far together.”
“We are not going anywhere, unless you get yourself together. You got a good thing going on, Felicia, and please don't blow it. Honestly, I don't give a fuck what you do with this CD. But, one more stunt like this, and I'm out of here.”
“As of yet, I don't plan on doing anything with that CD. However, my rule stands, if you bring Scorpio anywhere near me, this CD gets mailed to Nokea and to all of our clients as my excuse for having to end this partnership.”
I wanted to punch Felicia in her face for being so stupid, but I held my composure. “So, it's like that, huh?”
“I'm afraid so—it's like that.”
I picked up my briefcase that sat next to my desk. I opened it and put the papers on my desk inside. “I'm outtie. You can't blame me for trying, but I can't work under these conditions. I will talk to our lawyer, Mr. Frick, tomorrow and make arrangements to end this so called ass partnership.”
She folded her arms in front of her. “If that's how you want it, then fine. What I'm asking of you is simple. If you don't understand, then adios.”
There was nothing much left for me to say to Felicia. She had her mind made up and so did I. This unstable partnership had gone on for too long and it was simply time for me to go.
SCORPIO
15
I
was so glad Friday was approaching, which meant more money for me. Jay's always carried a full house on the weekend because for whatever reason, the weekend was a time to look good. Now, I'd made my share of money during the week too, but Fridays and Saturdays were always booming.
I needed a pedicure, and sat down to let Yasing do her thing. Her husband, Yen, stood next to her talking, and everybody's eyes roamed around the room. After they finished their conversation in Chinese, she gave Yen a kiss and I assumed he said good-bye to us when he spoke and waved.
Jamaica stopped working on her customer's hair and held a comb in her hand. “I ain't trying to be nosy, Yasing, but what were y'all saying?”
Yasing smiled. “Huh?”
“You know what I mean . . . I don't think it's fair that y'all can understand our language, but we can't understand y'alls.”
Yasing laughed. “But, our languish is just as easy to learn as yours.”
“Girl, please. You and your man could have been up in here calling all of us niggas and we wouldn't have known nothing about it.”
“No, no niggas. We not call you niggas.”
“Well, what y'all be saying then?”
“That none of yo business. That between Yen and me.”
“Tell her, Yasing,” Bernie said. “Keep that hoochie mama out of your business.”
Jamaica looked at Bernie. “Now, Bernie, I haven't had to disrespect you in two days. We were doing just fine, until you had to open your big mouth. That's the same big mouth that's been spilling all of Scorpio's business up in here.” Jamaica turned to me. “If I were you, I'd kick her butt out of your shop. We wouldn't know half of what you did, if she didn't tell us.”
“Jamaica, Bernie only knows what I tell her. I have nothing to hide and if anybody wants to know anything about me, all you got to do is ask me.”
“Okay,” Jamaica said. “Let's get down with a li'l truth or dare then. Are y'all with me?”
We laughed, but everybody agreed.
“Fine, then I'm gon' start with . . . Bernie. Truth or dare?”
“I knew you would start with me.”
“Truth or dare, skeeza; take your pick.”
Bernie placed her hand on her hip. “Truth.”
“Is it true that . . . you ain't had no dick in three years?”
“Dare?” she laughed.
We all teased Bernie about being unfair. “Okay,” she said. “That is false. Actually, it's been four years and I ain't mad about it either. Until I find somebody who deserves what I got, then I'll make some arrangements. Until then, my legs are staying closed.”
“I heard that,” nearly everybody agreed, except Jamaica. She tooted her lips. “Four years is a mighty long time for a woman to go without sex. I feel deeply sorry for your vibrator because that thing probably getting one hell of a work out.”
“Oh, you betta believe it is,” Bernie confirmed. “And, I don't have to worry about it not calling me tomorrow, giving me a sexually transmitted disease, cheating on me, or finding out that it's on the down-low. You should invest in one yourself. Maybe, just maybe, it'll alleviate some of your problems.”
“Next,” Jamaica said holding up her hand. “Deidra Lasha Evans.”
“Yes,” Deidra said, while swinging around in an empty chair.
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“You's a bold bitch, ain't you?”
We laughed.
“I dare you to go outside, drop your halter, and keep it down until a man gives you some money. Don't come back in here until you have at least ten dollars.”
I interrupted. “Now, that's taking things too far. I don't want nobody to think we're running some kind of whore house in here, and Deidra don't need to be exposing herself in such a way.”
Jamaica snapped, “From where I come from a dare is a dare! If y'all don't want to play the game—”
“Don't worry about it Scorpio,” Deidra said. “Give me less than five minutes and I'll be back with some dough.”
Deidra untied her top and covered her tiny breasts with her hands. After that, she headed outside. Several people moved over to the window to see if she had the nerve to flash her breasts. Jamaica continued on with her game.
“Miss Scorpio,” she said. “You know I couldn't leave you out.”
“I was sure of that,” I said.
“Truth or dare?”
“I'd rather go with the truth since your dares are outrageous.”
“Okay, then—is it true that you got butt ball naked the other day for the Hollywood Lover #2, and screwed him in your office?”
I pulled my head back. “What? Who in the hell is the Hollywood Lover #2?”
“The second brotha with the twisties who came in here and got lost trying to find his way to Hollywood.”
“Shane?”
“Yes,
Shame
. It was a damn shame how good he looked.”
Everybody laughed, and before I could tell my side of the story, Deidra came in waving a twenty dollar bill in her hand.
“Look what I got,” she said, dancing around. “Look what I got.”
Jamaica tooted her lips again. “Now, whoever gave you twenty dollars for showing those li'l tits was a desperate fool.”
“Oooo, girl. You shouldn't talk about your man like that. That is so cruel of you.”
“Please, my man knows better. He ain't got to pay you when he got all this to look forward to.” She lifted a chunk of her left breast.
“Well, he did. He's outside parking his car. Within a few minutes, the door shall chime.”
We all thought Deidra was playing, but sure enough, just moments later, Jamaica's boyfriend, Darious, came through the door.
“What's up, y'all?” he said, looking around with a toothpick dangling from his mouth.
“What's up?” Jamaica said. “I know you didn't just give Deidra no twenty dollars for showing you her breasts.”
“Damn, why you trippin'?” he placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans that hung low and showed his underwear. “It what'en nothin' but twenty dollars. You act like it was a hundred dollars or somethin'.”
Jamaica and her man started to argue. Every time he came in here, some shit always happened. Sometimes the chaos scared my customers away, but I wasn't having it today.
“Look, why don't y'all take y'all argument outside? There are people in here who don't want to hear it.”
“Bitch, shut up,” he said. “Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to my woman.”
“Darious, you need to leave,” Jamaica said. “I don't need you up in here disrespecting me or my friends.”
“I agree,” I said standing up. “Now, I'm asking you nicely to leave and I'm not going to be too many more of your bitches.”
He stepped forward and grabbed Jamaica by her neck. Soon after, Bernie pulled out a silver pistol from inside of her drawer.
She aimed it at him. “Not up in here, and not today, fool. We asked you to leave and now you got a choice. Either you leave with holes in your behind or you gon' leave the same way you came in here—though the front door.”
“She don't look like she playing,” Deidra added. “Her husband quickly found that out, but he can't tell you cause he's six feet under.”
Darious released Jamaica's neck and held his hands up as he walked to the door. He gave an evil stare at Jamaica and made his exit. When he was out of sight, we all slowly got back to our seats.
“You need to be really careful,” Bernie said to Jamaica. “That fool is trouble.”
“Don't worry about it. My brothers are coming from L.A. next week and Darious will be dealt with. His days of putting his hands on me are running out.”
“Just be careful,” I said.
After Yasing finished my toes, I headed back to my office to take a nap. I was tired from the late hours I'd been putting in at Jay's, as well as the late nights I'd been spending with my men. I had a date with Maxwell tonight, but he called earlier and cancelled our plans. For that, he would pay. I would be sure to place him on the back burner and make him wait at least two or three weeks before I saw him again.
I closed the door to my office, lay back on my couch, and within seconds, I was out like a light.
 
 
There was a light tap on my door, and when I woke up and asked who it was, it was Bernie. I pulled my hair back and stumbled my tired butt to the door.
“Hey,” I said, opening it. Bernie came in and so did one of her customers.
“Scorpio, this is Eva. She wants to speak to you about her concerns with your place. She addressed them to me, but I told her you were the one to speak to.”
“That's fine. Have a seat,” I said.
Bernie left the room and Eva sat in a chair in front of my desk. She was an older short woman with a small frame so I didn't anticipate her coming in here to start any mess with me.
“Bernie was doing my hair when Jamaica's boyfriend came in. I was blown away when she pulled out a gun, but more so upset that you, as the owner, didn't do nothing about it. I thought it was bad enough that you allowed one of your workers to expose herself in the street, but the gun incident really took the cake.”
“I'm sorry you feel that way, uh—”
“Eva. Bernie already told you my name but maybe you forgot.”
“Eva, it's obvious that you have some legitimate concerns, however, it's difficult trying to keep things in order around here. I don't know if you've ever tried to manage a business before, but anything can happen at a place like this. Whenever there are a lot of women around, there's always gon' be men. We don't always see eye to eye on things, so sometimes that can mean trouble. Unfortunately, there are times that trouble finds it way to Jay's, and when it does, I have to approach every situation as best as I can.”
“Well, I think you can avoid some of the mess that goes on around here by choosing stylists with a bit more professionalism. Bernie is cool, but Jamaica and Deidra, they are two of the most foul mouthed women I've ever seen. I should be able to relax at a place like this. Whoever the hell you have sex with is none of my business. Just within the last several weeks of coming here, I can write your life story. And, all the cussing makes my bones rattle. I'm a Christian woman and—”
“Eva, maybe you should find a new stylist? I have never had anyone complain about their visit at Jay's, and as hard as I try, I'll never be able to please everybody.”
She stood up and wrapped her arm around the straps of her purse. “Maybe I will find me somewhere else to go.”
I gave her an “oh well” look and Eva headed for the door. After she left, I heard the front door close and Bernie peeped her head in the doorway.
“You all right?” she asked.
“Hey, I'm fine. We can't please everybody, right?” Just then my phone rang. I reached to answer it and Bernie waved good-bye.
“Hello.” I said. There was silence, and soon, I heard heavy breathing into the phone and hung up. The phone rang again, and whoever it was called again.
“Who is this?” I said, while listening to the heavy breathing again. “You're a stupid motherfucka,” I yelled. I hung up and waited for them to call back, but they didn't.
I gathered my belongings in my office and headed up front. I turned down the lights, then made sure all of the hot irons were off. I locked the front door and headed to my car. As I neared it, it looked rather odd. And when I got closer to it, I could see that all four of my tires were flat. My hands were shaking, but I quickly pulled out my cell phone and called the police. It didn't take long for them to get there, and when the officer asked if I had any idea who might have done it, I really couldn't give him a name. I wanted to say Darious, because of what had happened today, but then again, I wanted to say Spencer because he was mad at me for calling it quits. Since he hadn't done anything crazy like this before, I had to eliminate him. I couldn't decide who was capable of doing something so stupid, so for the time being, I told the police I didn't have a clue.
The officer offered to stay with me until Troy's Truck & Towing arrived. I needed a ride home, but when I called home, Leslie didn't answer. I figured her and the kids must have been asleep, so I didn't want to bother her.
Since it was almost 11:00
P.M.
, and I knew Shane worked late nights, I called Davenports to see if I could catch up with him. When the answering machine at Davenports came on, I called his cell phone. Surprisingly, he answered.
BOOK: Naughty by Nature
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