Page 29 of For the Love of City

She chuckled and I didn’t miss the way she blushed. Nasty ass was probably thinking about Paul now that we’d bought him up. “ Dickism .”

I snapped my finger at her grinning. “That’s it.

Dickism . If he got a bat let him swing it.

I’ve seen enough porn to know some favor ain’t fair.

He got a good stroke and he’s a billionaire?

Some ancestor is out there praying for him.

Must’ve been a Freedom Rider in a past life because he is clearly winning in this one.

” I was running my fingers through her scalp and I could feel her body relax as I began to analyze her hair.

“I’m still waiting to wake up.”

Billy looked at me puzzled, before she turned to Tiana. “Wake up?”

Tiana nodded as she kept her eyes closed.

“From this dream. How am I here? It seems surreal to be here. Dating this man. For me to love this man the way I do. You couldn’t have told me I wasn’t going to have chocolate babies.

And now I’m over here turned out by a white boy.

” She wailed that last part out but I was sure she wasn’t regretting any of it one bit.

Billy laughed and I had to join her because she was absolutely doing this same song and dance almost five years ago and now her ass had four kids. “Some of us have been there before with the same confusion.”

“Girl, we love that for you. It’s about time some of their wealth transferred back into our neighborhood. Normally it’s flowing the opposite way.” I was more than happy to see some of that ownership NFL money flowing back into a Black bloodline.

“Shit, don’t even get me started on that. Have you heard about the family that’s suing the wife over her dead husband’s estate?” Tiana looked so disgusted and when Billy started to nod I knew I was going to get some aspect of the tea I hadn’t read about.

“You talking about the Devereaux thing?” I felt her nod as I continued to study the strands of her hair. “That’s some crazy rich people shit.”

Billy stopped laughing to look at me like I’d lost my good sense. “Porsha, you’re rich people, crazy ass.”

“My fault. That’s wealthy people shit. I don’t fuck with the country club set. They too fucking annoying.”

“You know that’s about to change, right?

As soon as people see how you’ve done her hair, they gone clamor to get in here.

Even if they just doing it to try to get Parker from her.

” Billy said that just as much to warn Tiana as it was to warn me.

She wanted to help Tiana guard herself even more than she already was.

I pointed to the front of the building and rolled my eyes. “And they can sit their asses right outside. I don’t do walk-ins and I damn near don’t do referrals.”

“How I get in here then?”

I pointed to her with my comb, “You I like.”

Tiana grinned and sat back like my answer pleased her. “Oh, that’s so nice!”

“You gone have to tell them to keep going to whoever they got. Or go to one of the girls in front. I’m not about to change the ambience of my shop because they wanna do something trendy .

Have me messing up money with my regulars trying to tend to them.

No, thank you. If you can’t even rap half the words to Bad and Bougie or one verse off Euphoria, then this ain’t the shop for you.

Hell, if they can’t sing one of Lyric’s songs they need to be put out of the state. ”

Billy took a seat at the other wash bowl and got comfortable as she waited for me.

“Gone have to ask their asses what the chitlin circuit is.” We started to laugh again and I was happy that Tiana was as chill as she’d been in our previous meetings.

“The fact that y’all coming up with this entrance test when I’ve already said no new friends is wild.

” I went back to sectioning out her hair so I could see where the damage was concentrated.

I saw that she had ends that had split up the shaft but I was lost as to why she thought she’d done so much damage to it.

“Speaking of new friends, how do you get along with the other owner’s wives?”

“Billy, you know I don’t. We had that stupid retreat and them bitches tried to hurt my feelings by excluding me since I wasn’t an actual wife.

As if I gave a damn and wanted to be a part of their weird ass club, anyway.

And secondly, all they do is sit around and talk about stupid shit.

Gossip about one another’s teams and players like it’s a damn live action gossip column.

One of the topics of the day for the meeting was changing the team colors to make it more attractive to a more upscale crowd.

” Tiana gagged to show she was just as disgusted with the idea as we were hearing it.

My nose scrunched because who would think changing the team colors was a good idea? “The hell?”

“Right. Like who the fuck wants to change team colors to some bullshit like Benign Beige just because Pantone determines it’s the color of the season?

The colors are supposed to reflect the team’s culture and history but nah they wanted to make it trendy.

I lost brains cells going and I threatened to break up with Parker if I had to go back. ”

“And what did he say?”

“He promised to take me on a recuperative vacation whenever I had to deal with them so I would suck it up.”

I cackled because that man was in love. “Oh, he’s a goner. ”

Tiana stuck her tongue out playfully and danced in her seat. “Is. I still can’t believe them fools wanted all beige uniforms for a season.”

I could only shake my head because she was better than me. “I don’t know how you can handle it.”

“I gotta suck it up. If stuff with us goes the way I think it will, my Black ass children will be in that meeting in forty years. And one thing they not gone ever be able to do is play around with my damn kids.”

Billy was clapping like a proud parent and I knew since her kids were part owners to be one day she felt the same way. “Say it louder for them people.”

“I don’t see Parker giving them any chance to play with his kids.”

“But as soon as it becomes official, we need you to put that shit on. Even more so than you do now for every game. I’m talking about stepping out to go to work looking like wealth and smelling like you invented the concept of luxury. Gag them hos at every turn.”

Rye walked her messy ass over looking like she was about to talk shit about somebody. “Please, our suites already have their asses envious as hell. Billy, I’m sure you’ve seen some of the other players’ wives trying to copy what you do.”

“And look a whole mess while doing it. They will keep trying to rig the game when wealth is just getting Blacker and Blacker. Not realizing that we are the ones who’ve always had to play from the penalty position where they’ve always had the handicap.

We know how to make shit shake no matter what’s thrown at us.

They too busy trying to copy what we do and don’t realize they lack the soul that makes the shit work. ”

“It’s wild how they think they invented the idea of luxury. As though it originated in Europe. When was the last time gold was found up there? They had to come to us for it. Us and India for their gold and diamonds and jewels—”

“Don’t forget the people they stole to enrich themselves—” Rye interrupted me with her very valid point and her words had us all nodding.

“Amen to that. But they wanna act like wearing nice shit is something new to us. Plenty people in the hood know the concept and idea of luxury better than people with all the money in the world.”

“Not you preaching in here, Porsha. Damn, did I pass the test? You can’t have me feeling like I belong and then banning my ass from ever coming back.”

Tiana was looking around like this was sorority induction when I was the odd one out. The only team my nigga ever ran was a team of goons. I couldn’t and wouldn’t gatekeep this friendship from her.

“Oh, girl you been good. You should’ve known that when I let you stay in my chair. Now, are we making this wig or are we doing something with your hair?”

“It’s not too bad?”

“You got a couple split ends and need a trim. I can still service you today and that will start you on the healthy hair journey. That’ll give me a few days to get the unit together once you determine what color you want.”

Tiana contemplated for a minute before a devious smile came over her face. “You said gag ‘em, right?”

“And did.” Rye was hyping her up and I could see the wheels turning in Tiana’s head.

“Let’s make her ginger and see what they say next.”

I cut on the water and grinned as I eased her hair back into the bowl. “Ohhh you messy with it. I love it. I already know the perfect color combo to use for you.”