Wifey (15 page)

“Do you travel a lot?”

“Sometimes.”

“So, who’s going to do the driving today?” I asked as I tried desperately to make conversation.

“Both of us.”

“Well, what does your woman have to say about you leaving her to go outta town?”

“Nothing.”

“Why?”

“Because, I don’t have a woman to question me about things like that.”

“And why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“You got any kids?”

“Nah. But, I would love to have some,” he replied. Which, of course, shocked the hell out of me. I mean, I couldn’t believe a nigga like Russ didn’t have any children. It was too good to be true. And not only that, I knew he had a lot of dough, so where was the wifey?

“How many kids do you want?”

“About four or five is good.”

“Damn, you want a little league basketball team, huh?”

Russ started smiling. “Something like that. Do you and Ricky got kids?”

“He has some wit’ former girlfriends. But I don’t.”

“Do you wanna have kids?”

“Maybe one day.”

“Do you work?” His questions kept coming.

“I own a beauty salon.”

“Ahh, that’s nice.”

“Yeah. But it can be a pain in the neck sometimes, though.”

“Do you do hair yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have a person there to do manicures?”

“Why, you gon’ come by and support us?”

“I might.”

“Well, here’s my card just in case you decide to come by.” I took one of my business cards out of my handbag and handed it to him.

Russ and I talked a little bit more until Ricky came back downstairs and broke up the party. He gave Russ the cue that it was time to leave. Before Ricky walked out of the house, he kissed me on my forehead and promised he would call the minute he got to D.C. I knew it was a lie because he hated it when I knew his every move. I think it was a control issue with him. But, who cares? One way or another I’m gon’ come out on top.

***

The very next morning I got a call from Nikki. She was real excited when she heard my voice. “I just got a visit from Mr. Shapiro,” she told me.

“What he say?”

“He told me about the meeting we supposed to have tomorrow morning wit’ the Feds and the prosecutor.”

“Yeah. He told me about it, too.”

“Are you ready for it?”

“If I ain’t, I might as well be.”

“Is Ricky home?”

“Nah. Him and this cat named Russ went to D.C. last night. He said he’d be back home today.”

“Is he still fucking up?”

“You know he is. He ain’t gon’ change.”

“Are you going to work today?”

“Yeah. I got about five or six clients coming in.”

“Do I still have my job as your assistant when I get outta this place?”

“You can work there, but I ain’t gon’ be there.”

“What you mean?”

“Didn’t Mr. Shapiro tell you?”

“Nah. What?”

“Once we give them Feds all that info about Ricky and his crew, we gon’ have to leave.”

“Leave and go where?”

“Wherever they send us.”

“So, we gon’ be in a witness protection type of thing?”

“Yep.”

“I can’t leave my family!” Nikki said, getting all hyped.

“Please turn down your volume before one of them chicks in there hear you.”

“So, what about my family?”

“What about them?”

“Are you telling me I ain’t gon’ be able to see them?”

“Nikki, this is some serious shit we about to do,” I began to explain. “In these day and time, you can’t snitch on somebody and expect to come outta jail and live like ain’t nothing happen. People get killed behind shit like this.”

“So, what you think we should do?”

“Listen, it’s up to you. I’m doing everything because of you.”

After I said what I had to say, Nikki got quiet. The statement I just made sent her into thinking mode. I sat back and waited for her to break the ice.

“Will I be able to visit them?”

“I don’t know. You gon’ have to take that up wit’ those people.”

Nikki sighed and then she said, “Look, I just wanna get outta here. So, as far as me wanting to be able to visit my family…well, I guess, I’mma have to cross that bridge when I get to it.”

“Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, then.”

“I guess so.”

“Well, call me later ‘cause I need to get to the shop.”

“Alright,” Nikki said and then we both hung up.

Underground

“Who has my bumpers?” I yelled aloud for the whole shop to hear.

“I got them over here,” Rhonda said.

“Bring ’em here. I need ’em,” I told her.

“You would think she’d have her own bumpers by now, wit’all that money she makes,” Sunshine commented, nastily.

“Won’t you mind your business and worry about if somebody else’s girlfriend gon’ come up here to beat your ass for messing wit’ their man!” Rhonda told Sunshine.

“Whatever!” Sunshine replied.

“Look, ya’ll need to chill out! We are running a business here,” I told them both.

Rhonda handed me my bumpers and went back to her station, while Sunshine took a smoke break. I continued perming my client’s hair and after I was done, I took a break too. Instead of going out front with Sunshine, where I knew I would hear a lot of drama; I went into my back office and closed the door behind me.

I knew getting some quiet time to myself was too good to be true because as soon as I sat down at my desk, I heard a knock on my door.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“It’s me, Rhonda.”

I sighed because I really didn’t feel like being bothered, but instead I told her to come on in.

“Close the door behind you,” I told her as she entered into my office.

“Kira, I know you don’t like when we be screaming on each other when clients are here, but I couldn’t help it. Sunshine has been fucking wit’ me ever since I walked in here today.”

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.”

“So, you’re telling me you haven’t done nothing to her?”

“Yeah. I haven’t done anything.”

“Well, let me talk to her. I’ll find out what’s going on.”

“Nah. Don’t say nothing.” Rhonda sounded all paranoid.

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“Nothing. I just wanted you to know what was going on.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Well, I ain’t gon’ say nothing this time. But, if ya’ll start up again, I’m gon’ say something.”

“Alright,” Rhonda replied as she sat there in the chair across from me. Then she looked down to the floor.

“Is that all you wanted to talk about?” I asked.

Rhonda looked back up at me and that’s when I noticed her eyes were watery.

“What’s wrong?” I asked with concern, but Rhonda didn’t say anything. I got up out of my chair to console her. As soon as I wrapped my arms around her, she broke down and cried. “Tony moved out last night,” she finally said, between the sniffing.

“Why?” I wanted to know.

“Because, I found out he was screwing this other chick named Brandy. And when I asked him about it, he had the nerve to blow up about it, talking about if I don’t trust him then ain’t no need for him to be there. And that’s when he packed up his shit and left.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

“Nah.” Rhonda continued to cry.

“Please stop crying, “I told Rhonda as I continued to hold on to her.

“Kira, girl, I’m all messed up.” Rhonda began to speak. “I was up all night crying wit’ a big-ass knot in my stomach. And not only that, I ain’t even had no appetite all day.”

“Girl, I sho’ know what you going through.”

“Well, what you think I should do?”

“First, tell me how you found out he was messing wit’ this chick Brandy.”

“Because, my sister’s best friend Avonne seen both of them going into one of them hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn in Hampton.”

“Well, do you love Tony?”

“Yeah. Sometimes.”

“Well, listen, I can’t tell you what you need to do. But, I will say this out of love for you and your kids. And that is, no man ain’t worth you getting all sick behind. Because if they screwed around on you once and you didn’t put your foot down, then trust me his ass gon’ do it again and again. You know I know!”

“But, I love him.”

“I know you do. But ask yourself, who do you love more? Him or yourself?”

Rhonda went on and on about her problems with her man. And not once did I hear her tell me she was ready to leave him. She was my girl and all, but something had to give. After I decided that I had sat in her pity party long enough, I made up an excuse to get her ass out of my office.

“Look, wipe your tears ‘cause, we gon’ have to cut this short. I’ve got to use the bathroom,” I lied.

“Alright.” Rhonda started wiping her nose.

I got up and left first. About two minutes later she came out and walked back over to her station. I stayed in the bathroom for about twenty minutes, being as though that was the only place I wouldn’t be disturbed. When I finally came out, I noticed I had a surprise visitor sitting in the waiting room.

My heart began to beat really fast but I couldn’t let my emotions show. So, I took a deep breath and strutted my stuff to the front of the salon. As my appearance became more visible to my guest, he began to smile.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Russ.

“I’m here to patronize your salon,” he said. “That is why you gave me your card. Right?”

“But, I give my cards out to everybody,” I said with a humongous smile.

“Well, I’m using mine. So, can I get some service?”

“What do you need done?”

“I need everything,” Russ said with a gorgeous smile.

“Please be more specific.” I tried not to smile back.

“Okay,” he said, as he cleared his throat, “I want my hair conditioned and my hands done.”

“Well, I do have a nail tech on duty. But, what hair are you trying to condition?”

“I have a little bit.” He continued to smile.

“You just want to give me a hard time, huh?”

“No. I just want you to massage my scalp, if that’s alright.”

I stepped back and thought to myself for a minute. If I didn’t know any better, I could’ve sworn this Russ guy was trying to flirt with me. And the way he was talking to me, kind of turned me on. Then I realized I couldn’t let loose. Not here. Because these tramps were waiting to find out the dirt on me so they could go back and tell Ricky. I decided to be good just this time.

“I hope you know it’s gon’ cost you an arm and a leg for my services.”

“Well, I just wanna let you know that I bought two arms and two legs wit’ me, just in case.”

I smiled and said, “Come on to the washbowl, witcha smart mouth!”

While I was prepping Russ for a wash and condition treatment, I noticed every eye in the shop was on me. I even saw Sunshine whispering to her client as she watched me from the corner of her eye. I didn’t care, though. Sometimes it felt good to know you were always the topic of somebody’s conversation. And to have them playing the guessing game, made it all the better.

“Lean your head back,” I told Russ as I adjusted the water temperature.

“What is that you’re wearing?”

“What you mean? My shirt?”

“Nah. I’m talking about your perfume. It smells good.”

“Oh, that’s Romance by Ralph Lauren.”

“I like that.”

“Yeah? Well, I like it too,” I replied with a smile. “So, how long you and my husband been back from ya’ll trip?”

“Umm,” Russ started thinking, “We got back about two hours ago.”

I looked over at the clock on my wall and it read three-thirty. “How did you get up here?” I wondered aloud.

“I drove myself.”

“What you driving?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, not really,” I explained, “but I just don’t want Ricky to catch you up here.”

“Why not? I mean, I’m only here to patronize your business. And anyway, I done already told him I was coming.”

After hearing Russ’s comment, I looked him dead in his eyes. In doing so, I felt kind of weird. It was like he was trying to hypnotize me with his eyes. Then it felt like he was casting a spell on me because the only way I was able to break his trance was when Sunshine called my name. “Yeah,” I answered and looked into her direction.

“Can I use your spritz?” she asked.

“Yeah. It’s in my top drawer,” I told her and then put my focus back on Russ.

“Your hands feel good massaging my head,” he commented.

I didn’t reply. But I did smile for him.

“How long you and Ricky been married?”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“I didn’t ask him.”

“Seven years.”

“Well, why don’t ya’ll have children?”

“I don’t think I can have any.”

“Who says?”

“Nobody. But it seems like every time me and Ricky tried, it never happened.”

“It probably wasn’t meant to be.”

“Probably.” I instructed him to lift his head up so I could dry his hair with a towel. “What about you?” I asked.

“What? Kids?”

“Yeah.”

“Remember when I was back at your house, I told you I ain’t have none.”

“Oh yeah, I remember!”

“Yeah, I bet you do.

“And what does that supposed to mean?”

“Nuttin’. I’m just messing wit’ you.”

“Okay. But, I know you gotta have a girlfriend.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yeah right!” I said, as I ruffled his head with the towel.

“No, I’m serious.”

“Yeah. That’s what they all say,” I commented and then I instructed him to follow me to my station. After he sat down I said, “Do you want me to edge you up a li’l bit?”

“Yeah. And then I want you to spray some of that good-smelling oil sheen right there in my head.” Russ pointed to the products on my stand.

I quickly conditioned and treated what little bit of hair Russ had on his itty-bitty head. Once I was done with trimming him up with the clippers, I brushed him off and then I handed him a hand mirror so he could get a better look at my finishing touches. He began to form a cute little smile, so I knew he must’ve liked it.

“Man if you can keep my head looking like this, I’mma have to trade my barber in for you.”