Chapter 10 #2
“How are you making P suffer when he doesn’t want you, Lexi?” Savvy quizzed, tipping her head in genuine confusion. “You and Nubia’s situation ain’t the same, and the problem is, you believe that when it’s far from the truth. I try to mind my business, but your delusion is starting to piss me off.”
“Girl, delusion. Do I need to pull up the Cash App, the bank receipts, and the name on the card paying my rent, or what? You and your sister are delusional if y’all think that I ain’t sitting pretty and funded. I don’t lift a finger, and that’s just facts.”
“Oh, we know. It’s very visible, but you think that shit is cute, so nobody says nothing.”
“What the fuck does that mean?!”
“Alright, let’s chill out,” Nubia suggested, easing between them while glancing around at the nosey eyes darting their way. “This is ‘pose to be a day for us to celebrate me and Kenn’s accomplishments together. No beef.”
“She’s the one with the fucking beef! Speak your mind, Savvy!” Lexi spazzed. When she tried pushing past Nubia, Savvy fell into a fit of laughter.
“Girl, please get past her, and when you do, know that I am not my little sister. I will drag your ass around this salon and have my brother-in-law pay for the damages. I’m gon’ keep it cute, though, unlike you, because I got shit going for myself. To keep it simple, you’re waiting for handouts, Lexi. You sit around, harassing P for him to spoon feed you money since you think it upsets my sister. Do you think Tres is worried about you when she literally has access to all his accounts? Hell, it’s probably her sending the money ‘cause P don’t like giving you shit, but Promise lives under your roof. You look at your baby momma card like it’s an AMEX when it’s a prepaid Visa.”
“Savvy,” Kennedy whispered, shaking her head, but Savvy held out a hand and continued.
“No, she asked me to speak my mind, so I am. Did you forget my baby daddy is in the NBA, Lexi? You think my fucking account ain’t loaded? I still go out and get it. I’m not saying you have to because I am, but you’re not doing it out of pure spite when you could be doing so much more. You turned down running a business with Nubia because of my sis. Like, what? I ain’t ever letting a bitch trick me out of my spot and my bread.”
“No, she didn’t do it because she didn’t want to pay back a student or personal loan right now. She’ll do it on her time,” Nubia defended, but Savvy stared straight at Lexi whose shoulders slumped.
“So, I guess you didn’t tell her that P offered to pay upfront because he wants you to have your own? And I get you wanting to defend her ‘cause y’all buddied up, Nu, but common sense and her new breasts should’ve told you that was a lie. It’s one thing to want to be kept, but it’s another to penny pinch off Pierre to prove she can get bread from him when we all know Lexi can be stacking paper off her looks and style alone. At the end of the day, that mentality is only hurting her.
“Fuck the issues with my sister. I’m saying this out of love ‘cause at one point I fucked with you, Lexi. Still do, or I wouldn’t have said shit and just talked about you like a dog. Now if I’m wrong, and you really are just a baby mother with nothing more going for yourself, then my bad. I’m going to get a drink.”
Savvy stormed off, and the girls stood in a circle, stunned into silence. Kennedy glanced at Lexi, peeping the water building in her smokey shadowed eyes that she tried to blink away. The fact Lexi was bordering tears instead of snapping let Kennedy know, Savvy had struck a nerve.
“So,” Michi dragged out to break the awkward silence, pointing at the portable bar where her cousin went. “Are we getting a drink?”
“Me and Lexi are going to head back over to my spot. I’ve already been gone too long.” Nubia declined the offer, hooking her arm through Lexi’s. “I’ll talk to you later, Kenn.”
“Okay.”
They gave one another a one-armed hug before Nubia and Lexi exited the salon while Kennedy and Michi strolled to where Savvy was standing near the bar. Kennedy scanned the salon in route, ensuring there weren’t any issues while lowkey checking that no one had been recording the heated exchange. When they made it to Savvy, she swiped a pre-poured champagne flute from the bar top, and Savvy did the same to chase down a shot before pushing out a breath.
“I went too far,” she blurted, making Kennedy laugh because she could see the regret written over Savvy’s face.
“To be honest, I don’t think you did, but I do think it was at the wrong time and for the wrong reason. Other than that, she needed to hear it. I agree with what you said, but it wasn’t my place to say it because I haven’t been around as long.”
“I feel like if we’re all friends, we shouldn’t be afraid to check one another when we’re slacking, but off that. We’ll talk about it once shit calms down. Have you decided if we’re popping up on the men tonight, lil’ cuz?” Michi asked Savvy, giving Kennedy a discussion worth hopping into.
“Y’all are going to the club tonight? Tek asked me to go since he’s not coming here, but I doubt I will.”
“Why isn’t Tekken coming to the grand opening?”
“He said that Relic told them not to come either because they’d steal the shine, and it wasn’t about the label.”
Savvy sipped her drink with a nod. “Makes sense. They’d for sure steal these thirsty hoes’ attention. They can save that for tonight ‘cause I know they’ll be turnt the hell up between the whole gang being together and it being P’s birthday weekend. I’m surprised Relic is even going.”
Kennedy’s heart lurched at that for personal reasons. “He’s going? I thought he didn’t like going out.”
“He doesn’t, but this is business to him. I think Aura and Saucy are going as a label requirement, too, but none of us girls are allowed.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that part. Earlier, Lexi had mentioned she was going.”
“I bet she is, especially since it’s going around that P and my sister broke up.”
“Listen, I didn’t want to bring that up but...” Kennedy fanned a hand, urging Savvy to give up the details.
“Girl, long story short, she went to a party with Toot, and some boy kissed her while they were playing suck and blow. P had popped up at the same time ‘cause she wasn’t responding to him, and it turned into this heated argument. He broke up with her, but they were laid up that same night. Bitch was ‘pose to come to my house but called me whispering ‘cause he was asleep.”
“I know that’s right, Tres! I ain’t mad at lil’ cuz number two. Don’t let them fuck up yo home,” Michi said with a proud smile. “She knows bitches are waiting.”
“That she does, and P got her ass shook, which is why I’m not popping up on Shabu. She wants me to sit with her while she babysits like a good girlfriend.”
“The devil is a lie!”
“Look, if she likes it, I love it. You might as well kick it with us, and let Titan breathe. I think Toot and Tima are coming over, too. You down, Kennedy?”
Kennedy pursed her lips, trying not to smile. “I told my friend you saw earlier that I’d let him take me out after this was over.”
“Wait a minute! What friend, and what did I miss? You saw him, Savvy?” Michi shot out questions back-to-back, making them laugh.
“I didn’t get a good look at him because Kennedy would’ve caught me being nosey, but he sounded cute, and he came with gifts. That’s a check in my book.”
“I’m excited for you, Kenn! I was starting to think your ass was anti-men. But speaking of dates, what happened with that little business meeting situation you had with Relic?” Michi pried. “You never told us about it.”
Savvy immediately turned away because she wanted no parts of the lie Kennedy was about to tell. Kennedy sipped her drink, giving herself time to come up with a story that wasn’t too vague but not too telling. She wasn’t sure if she could trust Michi to not run her mouth if she spilled the beans.
“It was cool,” she answered, peering around the salon to avoid eye contact. “It was a meeting with a potential partner to help manage his businesses.”
Michi frowned. “Isn’t that what you and Savvy do?”
“Yea, but I think he’s utilizing different people for each aspect of the companies. I’m not all the way sure. I just do what the nigga asks and wait for my money to hit my account. What the hell is going on over there?”
Her attendees flocking toward the front doors with their voices escalating stole her attention. She was grateful for the save. Kennedy headed toward the melee but slowed her stride when Ryell—who’d been manning the receptionist desk—broke through the crowd and scurried toward her.
“It’s about to get crazy in here, Ms. Kennedy. You have guests,” she said with a cheeky grin. Ryell fixed her ruffled sheer blouse she’d tucked into her leather pants and then brushed a hand down her sleek buss down frontal before adding, “Your nephew is cuter in person, too.”
“Tek is here?”
Ryell nodded, and an elated grin burst onto Kennedy’s face before she rushed to the front door. It wasn’t hard for her to spot her nephew’s wild, undone hair towering over the women surrounding him who were shoving their phones in his face. He didn’t seem to care as his gaze toured the salon before making a stop on her.
“Muthafuckin’ congrats, big dog!” He threw both arms in the air and exposed his jeweled teeth. Kennedy didn’t think twice about racing over to pull him into a hug.
“You lying ass nigga! You told me you weren’t coming.”
Tekken cracked up, sideswiping people as he ambled into the salon with a hand around Kennedy’s neck. The woman stalking their every move made it apparent to him why Relic didn’t want the label there.
“I wasn’t planning to come, but Aura told me that she was heading here to get her hair done, so I said fuck it.”
“Who’s getting their hair done where and by who? This is the first time that I’m hearing of this.”
“Well, shit. Her and Relic are on their way inside.”
As soon as Tekken made that announcement, Kennedy’s stomach dropped like she’d plunged from fifty stories at the sight of Relic ambling into the salon with Aura by his side. The intrusive cameras panned from her nephew to Aura, and the tension lining Relic’s jaw as he pushed his frames further up his nose told her, he was agitated with the attention. Relic was used to playing the background.
She swallowed down the last of her drink and tacked on a smile, studying the sweatsuit he donned with a durag tied around his head. It was her first time seeing him in leisure attire, and she wondered if he’d been chilling with Aura, and that was why he didn’t have the decency to respond to her messages during her morning spiral. Her smile faltered at the thought, but she regained her cool since she knew he was watching. Those analytical eyes stowed away behind his shades were dissecting her as he stalked into her space.
“She needs her hair done before the label appearance tonight. Get her right.” Relic grabbed Aura’s arm and all but flung her toward Kennedy, who stared him dead in the face.
“No.”
“Oh, shit,” Tekken hissed, choking on a laugh.
Relic didn’t find a damn thing funny. He had more important bullshit to worry about than women in their feelings for reasons he couldn’t care less about. Kennedy’s expression was lax and unreadable as usual, but he noted her dainty fingers clinging to her glass so tightly that he expected it to break and puncture her skin at any moment. Relic didn’t have the time or patience to figure out why she was pissed.
His hands tucked into his sweats pocket as he eased in front of her and bent so they were eye level. “Did you forget, this is my shit, Kennedy? You work for me,” he reminded her, gaining an affronted look in return.
“And? Today is my grand opening, which means I’m here to mingle and keep eyes on my guests. Not to mention, I’ve been drinking. There are two available stylists who can hook her up, there and there.” Kennedy pointed them out before using that same finger to poke at his chest. “If you don’t like either option, figure out a solution yourself like I had to do this morning.”
Relic’s stare dipped to her finger before he stood tall. “I should fire your ass right now.”
“Do it, and I guarantee you, I won’t lose any sleep behind it. Are you asking one of them or not? Because the event is over in a couple of hours, and I have plans later, so we don’t have time to play these little games of yours.”
She didn’t give Relic time to stew over the options before she glanced at Aura, tossing her head for the girl to follow her. Aura did so while wondering who the hell Kennedy was to Relic because, had that been her getting slick at the mouth, he’d have hemmed her up or pinned her down before the words finished flowing through her lips. Aura wasn’t foolish enough to believe Kennedy being Tekken’s aunt warranted her a pass to pop shit to Relic.
Kennedy could feel Aura’s eyes on her and made sure to add extra umph to her strut as she guided the girl to the stylist she believed would slay her hair the best. At the end of the day, her name was attached to the salon, and a simple complaint from Aura to her fans could give it a bad reputation.
She started toward her stylist, Tammy, but paused when she noticed a flat iron set on the girl’s station with an aerosol can beside it. Fear gripped Kennedy—tying her stomach in a knot and rooting her feet in place as the explosion that’d almost taken her life flashed through her mind. That suffocating air filled with smoke seemed like it was back in her lungs as she cowered under a station while shielding her body as best she could. She grew lightheaded as she tried to gasp for air.
“Uhm, are you good?” Aura staring in her face while asking that question pulled Kennedy from her internal panic. She nodded and stormed toward Tammy.
“Are you fucking dumb!” she spazzed, snatching up the can as Tammy spun to her, startled. “Do you know you can take someone’s face off with this shit or start a fire? This place has already gone up in flames once. Put the flat iron in its station or turn it off, and keep flammable products away from it. I’m letting y’all know,” she started, raising her voice so her stylists could hear. “If I see some shit like this again, or anything that could set a fire or cause anyone bodily injury, you’re fired. Please, don’t take that threat lightly.”
She tossed the can into Tammy’s styling chair before beelining across the room for another option. Kennedy could feel every eye in the room on her, but she didn’t give a damn.
“Hey, Jenn,” she called, garnering the stylist’s attention who was already rushing to reorganize her station. The moment she glanced up and noticed Aura with Kennedy, she perked up, knowing what time it was. “This is Aura, and I need you to fix her up for me if you have time to stay a little later.”
“Of course, I do! Sit down and tell me what you’re looking to get.”
Kennedy smirked at Jennifer’s eagerness, but it dwindled when Relic strolled his ass over and removed his shades. Jennifer cut her eyes toward him and then did a double take, salivating at the mouth as Relic pinned his bright gaze on her with slow blinks and a barely noticeable smirk. Kennedy shook her head because the nigga knew what the hell he was doing.
“How much?” he inquired, putting a sheepish smile on Jennifer’s face while she removed the hat from Aura’s head.
“Umm, I’m not sure what she wants yet, but it’s on the house.”
“Girl, what?!” Kennedy screeched, unable to mask her indignation. “I know you did not let this nigga come bat his funny looking ass eyes at you and trick you out of a payment.”
Relic bit back his amusement. “So, my eyes are funny looking, Kennedy?”
“Weird looking as fuck, nigga. Pay that girl her money! Jennifer, I better not ever catch you doing that again, especially when he has money, and so does she.”
Jennifer’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she nodded while Relic removed a clipped stack of blue faces from his pocket since paying what he weighed was nothing to him. He licked a thumb, counting out ten bills to toss on her station before reclipping the rest to slip back into his pocket. Kennedy shot Jennifer an I told you so stare that was seeped in chiding because she should’ve known better at her big ass age.
“Make it as quick as you can, Jennifer. Kennedy, let’s have a talk in your office,” he requested, heading there before she could respond.
He retrieved his keys, locating the one for her office door and unlocked it, letting himself in as she entered behind him with her face screwed up.
“You have a key to my office?”
“Since it’s technically mine, as is every-fucking-thing in this salon. Yes. You got something you want to say to me?”
Kennedy shut the door and leaned against it with folded arms. “Nope.”
“Your attitude says otherwise, but if you say so. Come here. I need to show you something.”
Relic rounded her office desk and went to the wall mirrors aligned behind it as decor. Once he confirmed Kennedy was paying attention, he gripped the center mirror on both sides, lifting it from the nail holding it in place to reveal a small wall safe he’d gotten built in.
“No one knows this is here but us,” he told her, setting the mirror on the floor to lean against the wall before punching in the safe code. When it beeped, he tugged open the door, and she gawked at the stacks of cash nestled inside. “Zero, eight, one, five is the code. Emergency money is inside, but I’ll be adding more. Let me know before you take anything.”
He secured it shut after giving those instructions, putting everything back in its place while Kennedy leaned against her desk and observed his every move. Her body tensed when he sauntered in front of her, his eyes sweeping over her from head to toe before he clasped both hands at her waist and hoisted her up onto her desk.
“I like this on you.” He tugged at the black and white pinstriped pantsuit jacket she’d turned into a mini dress. His inspection traveled downward to her black stockings and slingback pumps as he admitted, “I got your messages this morning.”
“I know you fucking did.”
“Then you should know why I didn’t respond. You’re the manager, right, big dog Kennedy? It’s your place to fix the kinks when shit goes wrong, not mine. I should be your last call. Expend all options before hitting me up, or I’ll assume that you aren’t capable of holding the titles I’ve given you.”
As much as Kennedy wanted to debate him, she couldn’t since he’d made valid points. It was on her to keep the salon afloat, and if she couldn’t, she wasn’t as prepared for the position as she’d convinced herself.
“Well, I got it done without you. Are you going to tell me, I did a good job?”
“I don’t hand out cookies for shit that should be done. You’re my partner, and that’s your job. Who gave you those?”
Kennedy frowned as he bounced to another topic while reaching past her. It wasn’t until she spotted the card in his hand that she realized he was referring to the bouquet Lomar had given her that she’d placed on her desk.
“Stop being so damn nosey!” she fussed, attempting to snatch it out of his hand. Relic raised it above her head and skimmed the note.
“ Congrats, mama. Your future man, L, ” he read with a chuckle before flinging the card aside. Relic slapped both hands on her thighs, giving each a rough squeeze as he smirked. “Does your future man know I turned that pussy every which way but loose? While he’s calling you mama, did you let that nigga know, I’m daddy, Kennedy?”
A cackle erupted from her before she could contain it. “You’re so damn cocky, Relic.”
“I’m assured.”
“You’re an asshole,” she quipped, making him chuckle. A smile spread on her face because he almost seemed normal when he allowed himself to do simple shit like that. “Before I forget, thank you.”
“For?”
“For allowing me to run the salon. For throwing my nephew a rope to climb out the streets before it sucked him in. For the chessboard,” she tacked on last, glancing at where she, Savvy, and Ryell had struggled to carry it to a corner of her office. Kennedy gave Relic a soft smile and lauded, “I love it. I appreciate it and everything else.”
“You aren’t going soft on me, are you, Kennedy?” His hand went to the side of her neck, grazing her scars as her gorgeous face scrunched up at his random question. She tossed her head, and he nodded. “Good. I can’t have you doing that ‘cause then I’ll have no use for you, which won’t end well. I rather have a use for you, baby.”
“Thanking you for doing things you didn’t have to do for us isn’t weak, Relic. But I guess showing no emotion makes more sense in that twisted head of yours ‘cause you rather I not point out that somewhere in there,” she pointed at his chest. “You have emotions, too.”
“That stopped working long ago, Kennedy. Just make sure that whatever you do or say makes sense to my logic, and we’re good. That other bullshit you’re talking about doesn’t and will never matter to me.”
Relic might as well had tossed a pail of cold water in her face with how much he’d jilted her with his decree. She sighed at the fact he believed such an asinine falsity about himself, but a part of her wasn’t surprised. He’d voiced it before. Kennedy wasn’t certain whether he’d come to that conclusion, or if others had forced that notion into his head.
Her gaze softened as she stressed, “You’re not the monster everyone paints you as, Relic.”
“Oh, but I am, baby. I just make that shit look good.”
She didn’t have time for his words to register before he walked off, bringing their conversation to an abrupt close. Kennedy hopped off her desk to race around it before he could leave.
“Wait! The card you gave me. What does it say?”
Relic stalled at the door with his hand on the knob. He glanced at the box stored in a corner with the roses he’d given her stacked on top like his gestures didn’t compare to the nigga’s whose gift she’d stationed on her desk. His stare stoned before landing on her.
“If you haven’t taken the time to figure it out, maybe the shit doesn’t matter to you as much as you just made it seem, Kennedy. Your mouth said one thing, but your actions prove another.”
Her mouth gaped and then shut along with her office door that Relic opened, slid out, and gently closed behind him. Kennedy rolled her eyes with a heavy breath, realizing she’d probably never figure his ass out.
Instead of dwelling on his baseless accusation, she returned to the salon’s main area to continue entertaining her guests. Relic’s frame heading toward the door caught her attention before she peered at the bar where she’d left Savvy and Michi. She smiled once noticing Michi was missing, but Shabu had taken her place with Navy clinging to his leg, and Indigo propped on his hip.
“Aww, look at daddy daycare,” she teased.
“Kenn dog! What’s good?” He held out a hand in greeting once she neared him. Kennedy dapped him up but then frowned when he kept hold of her hand with a raised brow. “What the hell did you just do to my brother?”
“I didn’t do anything to his moody ass!”
Shabu laughed, letting her go before digging his fingers in Navy’s golden coils as she peeked at him with a sheepish smile. Savvy wrapped an arm around his waist, and Kennedy grinned because they were the cutest little family.
“Nigga has been moody as fuck,” Shabu agreed, refocusing on the topic at hand. “I’m gon’ try to get him drunk off his ass tonight ‘cause he needs to relax.”
Kennedy’s gut toppled at the mention of Relic going out. It was the second time her body had reacted to that news, and she was convinced her intuition was giving her a warning. Koda had told her once that his sixth sense saved his ass plenty of times.
“Watch after him,” she blurted, wiping Shabu’s playful expression off his face. “Relic can handle himself, but keep an eye on him still, and don’t let him drink too much. I doubt he will since he has—”
“A cap,” he finished with an inquisitive stare. “He told you that?”
Kennedy fabricated a lie so fast; she surprised herself.
“No, but I noticed it when we went to a business dinner. Either way, play him close, okay? Relic is cautious, but he can’t be the only person on guard because if he’s watching all of you, who’s watching him?”
Her valid point made Shabu bob his head, although his eyes squinted because it was as clear as day that she was worried about his brother. He planned to chop it up with Relic to see what the hell was going on between them.
“I got him, Kenn Dog. Ain’t shit going on like that, anyway. We just turning up and having a good time. No bullshit,” he promised, lifting a hand for added measure.
Kennedy wanted to believe him, but that nagging feeling wouldn’t allow his vow to ease her doubts. If she thought for even a second that Relic would listen to her, she’d convince him not to go because she’d endured the exact feeling the night that Koda had been gunned down.