Page 4 of Bern and Isley (D-Ville Projects #5)

“Yes, ma’am,” the young girl responded. “I didn’t even cry. Are you still going to give me a prize?”

“I guess so.” She rolled her eyes as she pulled cash out of her pocket then handed it over to Isley. “I’ll text you for her next appointment. Thank you for getting her in last minute.”

“No problem.” Isley smiled as she removed the Princess and the Frog cape from around the child.

As soon as the lady and her daughter left, Isley made her way to the kitchen sink to wash her hands. “Bern, I need about ten minutes to scarf down my food before I start on your hair. I’m starving.”

I stood from the couch then joined her in the kitchen. “Take as much time as you need. Am I the last client for the day?”

“Yep.” She plopped down into a chair at the table and began removing a Styrofoam container from a white plastic bag. “I don’t normally do hair on Sundays but she’s a loyal client and she tips well. You were supposed to be the only person today.”

“Oh damn, I must be special?” I took a seat across from her.

“Boy, bye.” She rolled her pretty, brown eyes as she unwrapped the plastic silverware. “Mmmmm…. this salad is bomb.”

She batted her eyes and moaned. I hated to admit it, but that shit turned me on. I tried to focus on anything but her pretty mouth.

“Bern, is that you?” a soft voice called out from behind me.

I turned around to see Ms. Feona then immediately stood. “It’s me. Hey, how are you doing, Ms. Fee?”

“Oh baby, I’m making it.” She approached me and pulled me into a hug.

Her embrace was a little lighter than I remembered.

But seeing as she’d had some recent health challenges, it didn’t surprise me too much.

But it made me sad nonetheless. When I went into the joint, she was a full-figured woman. Now she was half that size.

“Well, I’m glad to see you.”

“Same. I know Cynthia glad to have you back home.” She grinned.

“You know it,” I chuckled.

I hadn’t told my mama yet. But I planned to move out soon.

Like in the next thirty days soon. I loved my mama with my entire heart, but I was not interested in living with my mother at thirty years old.

I needed my own space, especially after being surrounded by so many people the last five years.

I craved the opportunity to hear silence sometimes.

Or to free ball around the house whenever I wanted to.

“You take care, hear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She turned on her heels and disappeared to the back of the apartment.

I turned my attention back to Isley. She had inhaled that salad and was sipping on a bottle of lemonade. “Damn, you weren’t lying about starving, huh? You tore that food up!”

“Shut up, Bern.” She giggled as she stood to throw away her trash. “Come get your ass in this chair.”

I stood then took a seat in the designated hair chair. Isley threw a black cape around my neck. Then she rubbed her hands delicately through my hair. I closed my eyes as her fingers ran through my scalp. It was relaxing as hell. I didn’t want her to stop.

“Your hair is soft. And it’s longer than I thought it was. Very pretty coils,” she complimented as she began to twist me up.

“So when I’m going to meet this man of yours?” I asked. Not that I really wanted to meet the nigga, but I wanted to gauge how serious she was about him.

She drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know. He a little salty with me right now.”

“Salty? About what?” My brows knitted together in annoyance.

“It’s nothing…”

“Isley, don’t piss me off. I’ll lay that nigga out,” I warned her.

“See, that’s why I don’t tell you anything. People in relationships have disagreements sometimes, Bern. It’s nothing deep.”

“Yeah...aight,” I murmured.

I knew Isley wasn’t the same timid young girl I’d originally met.

She was a little fiery now. She was a nice person, but she wasn’t taking shit off anyone.

Not even me. But still. I couldn’t help but be protective of her.

She meant everything to me. And I’d be damned if I let a nigga think shit was cool if he was out here getting fly with her in any kind of way.

“You need to be worried about Unique. I thought she was going to kick your ass last night.”

I chuckled. “She all talk. I’m not fazed by her ass.”

Unique was my ex. She thought just because I fucked her multiple times since my release that shit was sweet.

But it wasn’t. I’d heard the rumors and chatter about her fucking around while I was doing my bid.

The thing about it was I wasn’t trippin’ about it at all.

I just asked her to be upfront about it.

I knew it wasn’t fair to expect her to hold out while I was locked up.

But she was messy with it. Fucking niggas in DP I was cool with was dirty.

I knew from the beginning of our relationship six years ago that we wouldn’t be forever.

She was a cool chick for the most part, but she was too insecure for me.

She was a skinny chick who envied any woman with even the smallest curves.

I told her genetics played a big part in that shit.

She’d begged me numerous times to pay to have some work done.

I didn’t believe in that shit, so I refused to finance it. She looked good without it to me.

Another issue was her being jealous of me and Isley’s relationship.

She couldn’t fathom that me and Ice never had any type of sexual relationship.

Most people probably didn’t believe it. But we had never touched.

Even when we became adults and she would come spend the night at my place.

Nothing ever went down. Not even a kiss.

Had it crossed my mind before? Hell yeah. But I had never acted on it.

“Are you excited about your interview?”

“Not really,” I admitted. “Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate my boy Theo putting in a word for me. But I’m not geeked to work in a warehouse.”

I wasn’t against having a blue-collar job. I just didn’t feel like it fed the entrepreneurial spirit I had. I needed flexibility. I needed unlimited earning potential. And I didn’t need a company deciding how much my time was worth.

“I can understand that.”

“But I’m going to do what I have to do until I can do what I want to do.”

“And what’s that?”

“I have something in the works. I’ll tell you about it once everything is finalized.”

“Not you being secretive.” She pulled my hair.

“Naw, it’s not like that. I just don’t want to jinx it.” I reached up and grabbed her hand then gently pulled her in front of me. “As soon as everything goes through, you’ll be the first person to know.”

I stared into her eyes while still holding her soft hand. She smirked then gently pulled her hand away.

“You better make sure of it.” She pursed her lips as she gave me a fake eyeroll.

She and I continued to converse while she twisted my hair. It was comforting. It felt like old times. Cracking jokes with Isley. Joning each other. Revealing our innermost thoughts and feelings. We could tell each other any and everything. I missed that shit when I was behind bars.

Before we knew it, an hour and a half had passed and she was finished with my hair. She offered me a handheld mirror when she was done. I looked at my hair and was satisfied with the result.

“Since it was longer than I thought, I went ahead and styled it for you. I know how some people hate the ‘ugly’ phase.”

“Shid, I don’t give a damn about that. Ain’t no ugly phase if it’s on me.”

“I heard that.” She took the mirror from me then removed the cape from around my neck.

Standing from the chair, I pulled my wallet from my sweatpants. “How much I owe you, Icey?”

“Nothing.” She shook the cape then began folding it.

“I don’t expect anything for free,” I told her as I peeled two Ben Franklins from my wallet and shoved them into her hand.

“You just don’t listen, do you? Got those big ass ears for nothin’.” She fussed as she stuffed the bills in the pocket of her apron.

I chuckled. “For real?”

Her phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up, glancing at the caller ID.

“Hello,” she answered. Her voice dripped with irritation. “I just finished with Bern’s hair. I can be ready in thirty minutes.”

I stood with my hands in my pocket. Not hiding the fact that I was intently listening to her. She ended the call within the next minute.

“Let me guess… that’s your man?”

She exhaled as she grabbed the broom. “Yep. He’s getting ready to pick me up. I can’t wait to get my car fixed. Tired of depending on people for rides.”

“I didn’t know your car was down. What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s my transmission. I’m getting it rebuilt soon. I almost have enough money.”

“How long you been without your car?”

“Three months. Every time I get close to having all of the money, some unexpected bill comes up.”

“So how have you been getting around? And your aunt?”

“Snow and Marshall help when they can. Otherwise, I have to pay for an iDrive.”

“Scrap peel head ass don’t help?”

She rolled her eyes and kissed her teeth. “Hell nah, even though Aunt Fee pays his high ass car note and insurance every month. Oh and let me not forget, giving him gas money when he asks.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just excited to see you’re out. I didn’t want to talk about my financial struggles. It’s no big deal.”

“Fuck that, it’s a big deal to me. You need your own transportation so you don’t have depend on a soul to get you where the fuck you need to be. How much do you need?”

“I’m okay, Bern. I don’t need your money… I’ll have it by the end of the month.”

“Isley B. Tell me how much you need.”

“Eighteen hundred dollars,” she answered reluctantly.

“Aight bet. I’ll bring it by here in the morning.”

“Bern, you don’t have to do that. Seriously.”

“Isley, I’ll bring you the money in the morning. Call me when you get up.”

“Okay, fine,” she pouted.

My phone buzzed. Pulling it from my pocket, I read a text from my mom asking if I could pick up a prescription for her before the pharmacy closed. Looking at the time, I had less than twenty minutes to get there.

“Well thanks for hooking me up. I need to make a run.” I pulled her into a hug. Her floral perfume tickled my nose. “Don’t forget to hit me up in the morning.”

“I won’t.”

I hated that I had to rush off. I was hoping to be there when her little boyfriend showed up.

That nigga had displayed a couple of red flags before I even laid eyes on him.

I could feel the friction in her responses on the phone so he was already on my shit list. If he was pissing her off, then he was pissing me off.

Then the fact that the nigga had let her go without a car didn’t sit right with me.

If that nigga didn’t have eighteen hundred dollars on standby, he didn’t have business courting her.

He couldn’t afford to date someone of her caliber.

When I got back home, I went into the safe built into my closet and counted out two thousand dollars to drop off to Isley the next day. If no other nigga had her back, she could count on me. I’d go without before I let her.