Chapter 5
The barbershop buzzed with chatter while music boomed through the air.
After the night Swift had, he needed to get his cut before he headed on the road.
He even missed stopping by his parents' house, even though he knew the flowers had been delivered.
He couldn't wait for his father to curse him out, but he was prepared for it, as they both competed to keep a smile on her face.
Swift rarely waited to be seated as his cousin Ezekiel, also known as Money, owned the shop, Kutz and Fades. He smiled when he heard him arguing with Papa, his Anatolian Shepherd.
"Bruh, that's a fucking puppy. He ain't doing shit to you but doing what puppies do."
"Naw, this little nigga is slobbing all by my station. Can you explain why the fuck he's in here? Thought you were coming by to pick him up last night."
Swift grinned, remembering how Noemi pulled out all the stops, including adding a friend to the fold.
She was working overtime to lock in the great Cairo "Swift" Brighton, and while he saw potential, he'd still have to pass on her.
She had the looks and even ran a successful real estate company, but, like most women, once she had her fill of him, she was way too clingy, especially given that she was older than he was.
"Got tied up." He grinned, scratching the back of his neck, "but I got you." He slid two hundred dollars onto Money's station and grinned. "That's for all the shit I know you had to clean up since I know you didn't take him for a walk."
"Nigga, throw another two on there. His ass be shitting and pissing everywhere. Take him with your ass.
"Naw, I can't have Papa on the road, and I don't want to give him to my moms until he's trained."
"A big motherfucking puppy. Pfft. You just had to get one just as big as you and full of damn energy.
Take his ass to Auntie London. She'll get him straight.
You know my damn mama is into cats. All you have to do is throw some kitty litter in the box next to the water and food, and they're good to go.
You don't even have to wash their asses.
I'm telling you, felines are the way to go. "
Swift frowned. The thought of a cat using its own tongue to clean itself disgusted him.
That, and they had a dog growing up. His name was Barney, but unlike Papa, he was older and already trained.
He died of old age when Swift was in high school.
They never bought another one, but he wanted to surprise her for her birthday, which was in two months.
He figured by then that Papa would be housebroken and following basic commands.
"Let me put him in the breakroom, but if he fucks that up too, that's on you, Money."
He grinned. They called Ezekiel Money because he worshiped the mighty dollar, probably as much as Swift worshipped getting his dick wet.
"That's better than fucking up my station."
Money frowned when Papa angrily barked as if he understood everything that was said.
"What you need to do is find a roommate and let her room and board be to take care of this bad ass baby canine."
Swift wished he could, but his mother would beat his ass if he shacked up with a woman, even if it was for free labor.
He'd heard more times than not that he was getting older, even needing to stop driving so much because they had a team of drivers.
What they didn't know was that Swift enjoyed being on the road.
It gave him time to think and strategize as he took the family business to the next level.
He wanted it all, like the next-level delivery company, like UPS or FedEx, except they'd be black-owned and employ hundreds, if not thousands, of young African Americans from their warehouses, where they shipped and received items, and even offered an intern program for entrepreneurs who wanted in on the trucking business.
While in college, Swift was a business major. He loved football, but he knew an injury could easily have him on his ass, so majoring in business it was. He'd started classes online and had one more year to go before he finished.
"I will, nigga, but for now, I'll pay your little cleaning fee at your crib if you don't want to bring him here."
Money smirked because he knew that he'd give in to his cousin, but they were best friends. There wasn't much they wouldn't do for the other, including sharing women, sometimes together, other times alone.
"Almost got me caught the fuck up too when Tasha came over last week," Money fussed, then motioned for him to sit. "Damn G-string left in the bathroom had her about to knock my ass across my head."
Swift grinned, remembering how he and Kendra ended up at Money's crib.
She wanted to see where he stayed, so because he had a key to his cousin's place, and he had no plans to make her more than a quick fuck, he took her there.
She'd recently moved to Cedar Spike and worked at the coffee shop where he grabbed coffee each time before he went on a long road trip. If nothing else, he'd get free coffee.
"She even checked all the trash bins for condom wrappers, too.
Nigga, you had about four, maybe five condoms in the guest bathroom.
She thought I had some kind of orgy until she realized they weren't the kind of condoms I use.
" Money shook his head as Swift issued a lazy grin.
"The hell you fucked four or five times at my place? "
"No one worth fucking again, that's for sure." She'd been blowing Swift's line up more than Alexis had. The pussy was decent, but not enough to the point where he wanted another repeat of it.
Once the cape was adjusted around his neck, Money brushed Swift's head. He then stood in front of him and began to line him up.
"So, no names?" Money stopped, then twisted his lips. "I wasn't trying to fuck no way."
"Nigga, you can. We'd shared plenty of times except Tasha." Money grinned, nodding his head. She was the only girl he'd halfway taken seriously, but still wasn't ready to settle down, just like his cousin.
"Tasha is cool, but I have to keep one on my team that your ass can't have."
"Please. If I wanted Tasha, I'd hit that pussy too."
"Only if you give up the name of the female who let you hit five times," he jested.
"Alright then, I'll send my people your way once I'm on the road. Shit, we're cousins. That makes us damn near one and the same."
"Hell yeah."
They slapped hands, but Money knew he'd have to be discreet. Tasha was like a pit bull and one who would fight in a heartbeat. She was also one who didn't mind going to jail. He liked his women a tad bit ratchet, while Swift just liked his women accessible anytime he needed them.
"Don't be mad now if she won't let you have that pussy anymore after me." Money winked his eye and snickered.
"Imagine that," Swift scoffed. "I'll call her ass right now." Money knew he would because they were both naturally competitive. Both their mothers said it ran in their blood.
"Any word on that expansion of the trucking company?" Money asked, changing the subject. He loved running his own barbershop, but he saw how his Uncle Cain and Auntie London were living. "I want in on that shit, cousin."
"Naw, but I'm putting some shit together. You know I need the numbers before I approach Pops about anything."
"As you should. That's their life savings they put into those businesses. The rideshare is easier to manage and quicker to see a profit, though, as long as they keep the vehicles serviced and people in rotation willing to drive. That was the best damn idea Uncle Cain could have come up with."
"Yeah, that nigga always looking for a way to make sure we're straight."
"How's Auntie? You know… with everything?"
Swift knew what he meant: her health. It was like the elephant in the room since a few years ago, when they weren't sure if she would make it. She'd been in remission, short of a scare, a year ago.
"Still in remission."
Money tilted Swift's head forward, leaned in, and started dragging the clippers forward.
"She's strong, though. That cancer shit will never have her down and out. That's why she still does her nurse shit on the weekends. She says she feels compelled to help others, which gives her purpose outside of being a wife and mother."
"Hell yeah. Auntie London is the truth."
As Money bobbed his head, listening to music, Papa's whining could be heard from the back. He was fine before Swift showed up, but that told him he knew Swift's voice.
"Papa's whining for you like a little bitch."
"I think I need to take his ass to the shelter. That shit sounds cruel?"
"Hell yeah. You can't just discard his ass because you ain't made the time to train him. That ain't how life works, Swift. Damn, you're cold-hearted as fuck."
"Nigga, I thought you was tired of him. Figured that would make you happy."
"It would." Money laughed. "But I also know why you got him."
"Why?" Swift looked back, almost messing up the line Money was working on.
"Nigga, stay still. You won't be out there lying on my ass about your fucked up haircut," he grumbled.
"Fuck you."
"Naw, fuck you, and you know why. Auntie Lo ain't getting sick no more, Swift.
Service dogs are cool and all, but if you give Papa to her, don't tell her that's why you purchased him.
Tell her it's so she has a mini you around.
Talking about a birthday gift. Nigga, I know you better than you know yourself. "