Chapter 9 Negotiations.
Negotiations.
Five days later.
The spot Hope picked for lunch was quieter than Lizzie’s café.
It was all the way on the other side of town, in an even more upscale neighborhood than I was used to.
Every other week, she called these so-called business meetings to discuss EL’evation’s marketing strategy, but they always ended the same way—with her begging for free services for her friends.
I was used to her antics, but today, I had other issues to address.
I stirred my iced coffee absentmindedly, watching the condensation drip down the side of the cup. Across from me, Hope scrolled through her phone, her manicured nails tapping lightly against the screen.
“Jasmine said she’ll be in Milan for Fashion Week, and she’d love for you to do her hair,” Hope finally looked up at me.
I sighed, already knowing where this was going. “I’m booked for the week, Hope. I’m booked for the month, actually.”
She knew that. She also knew perfectly well that I was taking fewer clients to focus on the business side of things. After all I’m only one person, and unfortunately, as the owner of the business, my availability for hairstyling was limited.
Hope huffed. “Ellie, don’t be difficult. It’s Fashion Week! Do you realize how many people will see your work?”
“I do realize, Hope. And like I said, I’m booked. What do you expect me to do? Cancel paying clients to do a free style?”
Hope rolled her eyes. “You’re paid in visibility, Ellie. We’ve been over this.”
“Yeah, well. The bank doesn’t take visibility checks now, does it?”
She gave me a pointed look, and I squirmed in my seat.
“Look, any other time, I’d love to help, but I am completely booked solid.”
My explanation clearly fell on deaf ears. “So, you really can’t do one head from now through Friday?” She asked with such a commanding and condescending tone that I almost thought she borrowed it from Ma.
I wiggled uncomfortably in my seat. “No, I really can’t.”
She rolled her eyes again and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.
“Whatever, girl.”
I ignored her constantly present irritation and tried to get back to the actual business part of this meeting. I took a sip of my coffee before I asked, “So, how’s the social media stuff? Esther said you told her you wouldn’t post her work.”
Hope scoffed, her expression twisting in annoyance. “She’s being a complete drama queen. Her work is getting sloppy, and I don’t think it represents the brand.”
I frowned. “Her work is not getting sloppy, Hope. Don’t say that.”
“It is! Melissa had a French tip set from her last month, and she said it was giving Spanish suggestions.”
I almost choked on my coffee. “Spanish suggestions?”
Melissa was one of Hope’s high-maintenance friends who practically lived at EL’evation. I’m sure the set Esther gave her was perfectly fine. Especially since she got it for free, of course.
“Melissa doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” I said firmly. “Esther is one of our top performers and most requested staff. Her books are filled out until next year. The girl out-earns me!”
Hope smirked. “First off, she only out-earns you because you only take three or four clients a day. And second, demand is not an indicator of good craftsmanship.”
I sighed, setting my coffee down. There had to be something deeper going on here.
“What’s wrong with the two of you?” I asked, my tone softer now. “You used to be inseparable. Now it’s like you can’t even be in the same room. What happened?”
Hope’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Well, you know what they say. Never mix business with friendships.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I did, and I seem to be doing fine.”
“Yes, but you’re different, Elliot. You can take criticism. Your head isn’t shoved so far up your ass that you can’t tell when someone is trying to help you.”
I tilted my head. “What does she need help with?”
“Everything, clearly!” Hope scoffed. “When she got here, I told her she could stay in one of my dad’s condos, but she insisted on rooming with you. Then she started canceling our lunch dates, ditching plans, and leaving me hanging at the club!”
“That doesn’t sound like Esther.”
Hope let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t know the real her. She puts on this fake persona around you, and I honestly can’t believe you fell for it. Seriously, Ellie, you’re smarter than that.”
Esther was faking with me?
The thought sat uncomfortably in my mind because I knew it wasn’t true. But the fact that Hope offered that up so easily made me feel weird.
“Well, I can only go based on what I’ve seen, and to me, she’s been phenomenal.”
Hope leaned forward, her voice low and laced with something sharp. “That’s because you’re her new shiny toy. She’s taken you under her wing, wants to ‘fix you up’ because she cares so much. I’ve seen it all before.”
“Oh really? Where?” I challenged.
Hope’s expression hardened. “With me. We used to be locked in. Tight as day-one box braids and close as them too. Now she’s all cozied up with you.”
I blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in her tone. “I mean, we’re all friends.”
Her face screwed up in confusion before relaxing suddenly, like she remembered something.
“Sure,” she said in the most nice-nasty way possible. She could be so mean at times.
After that, she returned to her phone, forgetting my existence and leaving me feeling gutted.
I knew she was upset with me, and the thought filled me with anxiety.
I wasn’t sure why I cared so much about Hope liking me, but I did.
On paper, we were friends, sure. But she always carried herself like she was above being associated with me—like she was doing me a favor by letting me in her circle.
And I let her.
Esther always called me out on it, telling me not to let Hope’s validation define my worth. But for some strange reason, I was obsessed with getting it anyway. Because deep down, I wanted her to see me as an equal someday.
It was like a sick, secret goal of mine.
Hope sighed dramatically, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Anyway. Onto more important things.” She said as if what we were discussing was not important in the slightest.
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”
“I don’t think you should go through with this Atlanta expo,” she said with a hair toss.
I paused, caught off guard. “What? Why not?”
She leaned in closer, resting her arms on the table like she was about to get serious about this meeting all of a sudden.
“Because the brand of EL’evation is luxury. That expo gives tacky and cheap. What are you even gonna present? Bantu knots and bamboo hoops? We’re bigger than that now.”
We weren’t.
We were big in influencer spaces, sure, and among celebrities who loved to flaunt us on social media.
But I wanted to be bigger. I wanted my name mentioned alongside the greats in the hair industry.
I wanted a chain of salons I could run remotely, maybe even my own hair care line.
But that wasn’t going to happen if I only catered to high-end clients who thought they were entitled to free services.
I exhaled, choosing my words carefully so I didn’t upset her more. “We’re doing okay now, yes. But I want to take EL’evation to the next level—brand deals, hair care lines, being invited to teach lectures on natural hair. That’s what I want. And I can only get it through exposure. Hence the expo.”
Hope scoffed. “You really wanna be hunched over a shampoo bowl all day? Preaching about scalp massages till you’re fifty?
Real businesswomen’s money makes money, Elliot.
You need to put yourself in a position to do all of that without lifting a finger.
And that only happens by marketing yourself as exclusive and luxurious. ”
She leaned back so that she could see me fully.
The position made it appear almost as if she was looking down at me.
“You think The Today Show is gonna call you up because you sell a few bottles of shampoo? Or because you teach little girls how to comb their own nappy ass hair?”
Then she laughed. Like a full-on, in-my-face laugh.
I bit my lip, forcing myself to swallow down the tightness in my throat.
It was a familiar feeling, but one I still couldn’t place.
I cleared my throat. “I thought it would have been a fun experience for the staff and a good opportunity for the salon.”
She rolled her eyes yet again, and I wondered if they ever got tired. “Girl, wake up. Nobody gives a fuck about that ratchet ass expo. Do yourself a favor and focus on being a celebrity stylist.”
I stared at her for a long moment before nodding stiffly. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.”
I sat back, letting her words settle in my chest like dead weight. A long silence passed between us before I finally spoke again.
“It’s crazy you feel that way, Hope. I was actually going to ask you to be a hair model for the show.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Me? A hair model?”
I let out a small, humorless laugh. “I know. Stupid, right?”
“No, no.” She leaned forward, suddenly intrigued. “That’s actually a good idea.”
I blinked. “Huh? You just said—”
“Elliot, honey.” She smiled, tilting her head. “You still don’t get it. Me being in this little expo will automatically raise the value of it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yes, of course! Do you know how many people will show up just because I’m there? You would’ve been stupid to do it without me.”
Wow. That changed her mind very quickly.
“So… you’re in?” I asked hesitantly.
“Of course I’m in!” She grinned, then took a slow sip of her drink before adding, “That is, of course, if you’re still doing Jasmine’s hair for Milan? Will Friday at twelve work?”
Friday? The busiest day of the week? During the busiest time?
I forced a smile. “Yup. No problem.”
?
“My head’s up my ass?!”
Esther’s voice exploded through the speaker the moment I finished talking.
I held the phone away from my ear as she continued.