Chapter 1
1
Esani Simms
T he Past
Summer 2019
“Oh shit. Nina, turn that up. That’s my jam!” my best friend, Tania, yelled as she began belting the lyrics to Karyn White’s “Superwoman.”
“ Early in the morning, I put breakfast on your table and made sure that your coffee had its sugar and cream. Your eggs are over easy. Your toast done lightly. All that’s missing is your morning kiss that used to greet me! ” She sang into the comb in her hand while looking at me.
I rolled my eyes as I continued focusing on my client’s nails. She knew I hated those sad ass love songs. That’s why she was singing to me, trying to be funny.
My name is Esani Deanna Simms. I was the owner of Above All Stylez Hair & Nail Bar located on the Westside of Detroit. It had always been my dream to do hair and nails. When I was eight years old, I used to watch my mom do hair out of our basement. I would be so fascinated with the end results that I asked my mom to buy me all the materials to do nails and a mannequin head to practice different hair styles. Of course, it took me until the age of twelve to perfect the craft. But after I had gotten the hang of it, I was doing all the neighborhood kids’ hair and nails.
I went to college and got my degree in business and made sure I worked hard to get this place up and running. It was hard at first, but once I had my grand opening, people from all over Detroit came out to show love. It also helped that I had clientele from the days I was doing nails in my mom’s basement. I chose to do nails most of the time because I hated standing on my feet for hours unless the hairstyles paid more than two hundred dollars. Otherwise, I was sitting in my chair, tricking out nails.
“Yessss! Sang it, girl!” My client, Chanel, egged her on as she slightly rocked in her chair.
“Don’t encourage that mess. Girl, turn that down. This is not the club,” I told Nina.
“You’re just a hater! I promise, one day, you’re going to find Prince Charming, and he’s going to turn yo’ ass out. Watch!” Tania exclaimed.
“Girl, please! So I can be around here singing shit like this? Tuh, just wait on it. I don’t love these hos,” I said with a laugh.
“That’s an immutable fact. E stay having the niggas!” Hanna, another stylist, chimed in.
That was true. I had a nigga for every day of the week because, according to my mother, Shania Simms, men didn’t love women for real. In her words, it would be all good in the honeymoon phase of the relationship, but after year four, the hearts and flowers would be replaced with dirt and weeds. She instilled in me to never give my heart to a man unless I wanted to know what death felt like. So, I played these men like fiddles and continued to live my best life. Hell, men did it all the time—jump from woman to woman, pretend to love us, and leave us for the next chick. Why did women have to be called hos if we did the same?
The chiming of the door pulled my attention from placing the stones on Chanel’s ring finger. The tall, brown, and extremely handsome man that walked in had me in a temporary daze. He was dressed in all black—a button-up that was tucked inside of his slacks that I knew for sure were Tom Ford, his belt, and Ferragamo shoes. He wore an Audemars timepiece on his wrist. He coolly swaggered over to the receptionist’s desk, where Danita was supposed to be, but I was sure she was somewhere stuffing her pregnant belly. I watched him as he signed in before diverting my eyes back to Chanel’s finger. Although I kept working, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. He definitely had the attention of my staff as well as the clients. I could hear the whispers of everyone wondering who he was. I rarely ever got male clients, so him showing up here looking extra delicious had all of these bitches’ panties wet. He took a seat and placed one lean leg over his knee as he reached for The Source magazine.
“Sabrina, can you take over for me?” I asked the witty nail tech who didn’t have a client in her chair. She nodded as I stood up and walked to the front of the shop, being sure to put a little twist in my hips as I approached him. He’s definitely my type.
“Hi. Welcome to Above All Stylez . I’m Esa. What can I do for you today?”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Esa. I just want to get a manicure and pedicure today.” His vernacular instantly made my pussy wet.
He couldn’t capture my heart at first sight, but he definitely captured my vagina at first words. I didn’t want to seem thirsty because I certainly wasn’t, but I wouldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t intrigued. I smiled politely and nodded.
“I think I can help you with that. Follow me,” I told him as I led the way to the back. “You can have a seat here, and I’ll be right with you.”
He nodded and took off his shoes. I walked further to the back to get the solution and other products I needed for his pedicure from the supply closet, as Tania trailed in behind me.
“E, let me do his pedicure. I’m trying to find me a new boyfriend, and he looks like the one.”
I looked at her like she was crazy.
“Since when do your ass do pedicures?”
“I mean, it ain’t that hard to wash some feet and clip some toenails.”
“It’s a lot more to it than that, Nia.” I laughed.
“Come on. I already see you scoping. You need to learn how to share.”
I laughed again. “Chile, please! I’m not scoping anything. I’m not even attracted to him like that, but go off, sis. All I know is if you fuck his feet up and give my business a bad name, you’re fired,” I told her, handing her the things she’ll need.
She smiled a mischievous grin then walked out of the closet. My phone rang, grabbing my attention, so I reached in my fanny pack to see who it was. Seeing my mom’s name and photo on the screen, I answered with a smile on my face.
“Hey, Mommy. How’s Jamaica?” I asked her.
“Beautiful, but I’m trying to figure out why you haven’t called me in three days?”
“You know the Fourth of July is coming up, so I’ve been busy at the shop. Besides, I figured you were out there living your best life and didn’t want to be bothered.”
“Whatever, little girl. I could have been dead, and you wouldn’t have known it until a week later.”
“Ma, stop,” I said as I laughed.
“Anyway, did you get your new car from Chris?”
“Not yet, and his ass is about three seconds from being blocked.”
“Girl, you playing. His ass would have been kicked to the curb for the garbage man to pick up. I know I taught you better than that.”
I sighed as I shook my head. Shania Simms had gotten her heart broken by my father, who I never got the chance to know because he had moved on soon after I was born. Ever since then, her ass went straight rogue. She had no feelings and no filter when it came to the opposite sex. She made it known when she hooked up with her male counterparts that she was not interested in happily ever after. I could count on both hands how many proposals she’d gotten or the endless amount of gifts and trips from men that knew they would never have a future with her. As much as I loved my mom, I felt her ho phase should have been over by now. Hell, was there even a time frame for it?
I was just starting to live out my young ho dreams. I was twenty-eight years old with a different man for every day of the week. Two of them I wasn’t even having sex with. The other two were only allowed to give me cunnilingus, and the other three were the ones who were lucky enough to get what was between my sweet thighs. Christopher, Solomon, and Marcus were at the top of my list because these men were entrepreneurs. Chris owned his own airline company, Solo owned one of the largest and hottest clothing stores in the metro area called Two-Fourteen, and Marc played for the Lions as a cornerback. I rarely got to see him because of his traveling, but he stayed sending me gifts and FaceTiming me whenever he could. The others were just niggas that I kept time with when I was bored and that could buy me a Chanel bag or two.
“Well, he gets a pass for now because I know how demanding his job is. However, he only gets a twenty-four-hour grace period before I cut him off.”
“Mm. I wouldn’t even give him that, but go ’head. Anyway, I was just checking in and letting you know that I’ll be home in the next three days. I want to host a barbecue at the house on the Fourth, so make sure you make time for your mama.”
“You know I always have time for you.”
“Um, Esa. Mr. Perfect is requesting you,” Tania said, poking her head inside the closet.
“I’ll be out in a second.”
“Mr. Perfect? You got a man in your shop?”
“It’s not foreign, Ma.” I laughed. “Men come into the shop all the time…just a few and far in between.”
“Mm hmm. Sounds like Mr. Potential Sponsor to me,” she said, laughing.
“Hm. Maybe, but I gotta go. I love you, Toots.”
“I love you too, baby.”
I hung up the phone and placed it back in my fanny pack. Grabbing some more towels, I walked over to him as he looked up from his phone and smiled.
“I didn’t want to be rude to your coworker, but I would like it if you were the one to help me out.”
“Well, I usually don’t do pedicures, but I’ll make an exception this one time,” I lied.
“That’ll make me very happy—especially since I’m trying to shoot my shot.”
I blushed slightly.
“Oh really? Well, you better not miss.” I flirted as I sat on the stool to do his pedicure.
Some odd hours later, I found myself extremely intrigued by Kwame Wiles. Our conversation flowed freely, and I found out that he not only was a silent partner for the Pistons basketball team, but he was also a trust fund kid. He was single, had a home out in Cadillac, Michigan, but stayed in Farmington Hills to be closer to work. Once I was done with his manicure, he had to take a call, which prompted him to leave immediately without so much as a goodbye or his phone number. I was kind of mad about that, but I didn’t let it get to me. My plate was too full trying to juggle the men I had anyway.
“Y’all looked real cozy over there. Is he the next Mr. Simms?” Tania asked me as we prepared to close the shop.
“Esa’s ass would be a fool to play that fine ass man!” Hanna yelled from the back of the shop.
“How the hell you hear her from all the way back there? Nosy ass!” I yelled as I laughed. “And he isn’t the next anything because I didn’t even get his number.”
Tania looked at me with shock in her eyes. “What? I thought for sure you got them digits the way y’all were over there cackling.”
“Well, that’s the thing. I don’t pay ya nosy behind to think.”
“Bitch, you don’t pay me at all!” she exclaimed, handing me her booth rent as we laughed. “Are we still hitting Tropicana tonight?”
“Yes! I need a drink or five!” I told her just as the bell chimed again. I cleaned my station and put my things away.
“We’re closed,” I announced, looking up and seeing Chris standing there looking good as fuck.
“That’s perfect. I thought I was going to have to drag you out of this place,” he said with a smirk on his handsome face.
I smiled while walking over to him and placing a kiss on his cheek.
“Hey, baby.”
“I got a surprise for you. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. Let me get my bag, and I’ll be right out.”
He nodded then turned to leave. Once he was out the door, I finished cleaning my station, grabbed my purse, and told the ladies to lock up.
Chris was standing by his Maserati with the door already opened for me. I climbed in and got settled, hoping that tonight wouldn’t be Chris’s last night with me. I asked him to buy me a car three weeks ago, and he had yet to deliver. So, if this surprise wasn’t that, then his days of being with me were over. And I’d hate it too because I was actually starting to like him a little bit.
We drove for about thirty minutes until we ended up at his high-rise downtown. I could slowly feel myself getting irritated because I wasn’t trying to stay in tonight. It was Friday, and I had been working all week. I just wanted to go out and have some fun.
“I see the way you’re looking right now, and I promise we’ll only be here for a second,” he told me, pulling into the parking garage. He pulled up next to a pretty cherry red Range Rover Sport with black rims on it. I was secretly lusting over the truck because red and black were my favorite colors.
“I need to shower. I also want to go out tonight because I’ve been working hard all week and need a drink or two,” I told him, breaking my stare down with the Rover.
“I got you, baby. Just come on.”
He got out of the car and walked to my side, opening the door for me. I stepped out as he trapped me between the door and placed both of his hands on my cheeks. When I saw him coming in for a kiss, I turned my head as his lips landed on my cheek. He frowned at me, and I felt bad, but Mama always told me to never kiss a man in the mouth. It was too intimate and gave off the wrong impression.
“You know…If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you weren’t attracted to me. It’s been six months, and all you’ve ever given me was a kiss on the cheek. What’s up with that?”
“It’s not that. I just don’t kiss. It doesn’t mean I like you any less. I’m very much attracted to you…Hell, I even gave you a blow job, and that’s something I rarely ever do, so don’t think of it like that, baby. You know I fuck with you the long way,” I told him, rubbing my hand up his shaft. He seemed to have bought my reason as he smirked at me.
“Yeah, okay. Close your eyes for me.”
“You’re not going to try to kiss me, are you?” I asked him, laughing but being very serious.
“I would never do anything that you don’t want me to do. You know that. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if you see what I’d gotten you.”
“Fine.” I conceded, closing my eyes but making sure I could see slightly. I felt him guiding me a few feet before he told me to open my eyes.
“Surprise, baby,” he said, dangling keys in front of my face as we stood closer to the Range Rover.
“No way!” I yelled.
“It’s yours.” He nodded.
I screamed as I hit the key fob, and the alarm sounded. I opened the door and looked inside. I was amazed at the black leather and the red stitching in the headrest that read my name.
“Oh, my goodness! Thank you, babe. This is so beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.”
I didn’t bother acknowledging his compliment with a reply. Instead, I closed the front door and opened the back. Wiggling out of my thong since I had on a tennis skirt, I dropped them in his hands then slid in the back with a smirk on my face. The look of lust danced in his orbs as he watched me open and close my legs, showing off my neatly trimmed peach. Chris licked his lips then climbed in behind me. His lips went to my neck and his fingers tickled the outline of my vagina. Entering two fingers, he stroked me while his thumb circled my clit. I could honestly say that Chris and Solo did have the best sex I’d ever experienced. Sitting up slightly, I reached for his belt buckle and undid his pants in seven seconds flat. Once my favorite friend was released, I climbed on top of him and slowly ground on his penis.
“You got a condom, baby?” I whispered softly in his ear while sucking his earlobe.
“Mm. Come on, baby. Let’s just do it without one this one time. You know I’m clean.”
“I know, but being clean doesn’t prevent pregnancies,” I said slowly, jerking him.
“Fuck, Esa. I promise I’ll pull out. Come on, bae. You know you can’t get me riled up like this and then leave me hanging.”
I wasn’t standing for it. I’ve had too many men try to trap my ass, and although I was on the pill, that shit was only 99.9 percent effective. I couldn’t chance it. I shook my head then positioned my body to give him some head. It was the least I could do since he just cashed out on a new car and had it customized to my liking.
After blowing him and him giving me a release, I told him that I’d meet up with him later to finish what we started, even though I had no intention of coming back.