Chapter 10 Semi
Semi
The situation with Morgan sat in the back of my mind longer than I expected, not because of her, but because I kept waiting for Zora to look at me different.
I thought that type of chaos might push her back a few steps or make her question what she was stepping into, but she didn’t fold or act shaken.
She stayed right where she was, handled everything without raising her voice, and didn’t treat me like I came with too much baggage afterward.
That stuck with me more than the argument itself.
It made things between us feel solid in a way I wasn’t used to.
Work moved at its own pace once the shop opened, and I kept my focus there.
Clients came in steady, everybody had a chair full, and we had a steady flow going.
Case was running his mouth to his client the way he always did, switching between cracking jokes and giving advice nobody asked for, but that was normal.
I stayed locked in on the cut in front of me, lining the guy up while mentally moving through the rest of my appointments for the day.
When the door opened and Zora walked in, I didn’t have to look up to know it was her; the shift in the room was obvious, not loud, just noticeable enough. Case caught her first and tried to play it cool even though he couldn’t help himself. “What’s good, sis?” he called across the shop.
Zora shook her head at his antics and made her way toward my station. I leaned back slightly and pulled her down for a kiss before going right back to finishing my client’s line-up. “You came all the way over here for what?” I asked, keeping my tone even while trimming the last edge.
“To see you,” she said, setting something down on my counter. “And because I needed to drop this off.”
I eyed the bag but didn’t open it yet. “I’ll check it after I’m done.”
She nodded, unbothered, and stayed near me until I brushed the loose hair off my client’s neck and sent him on his way. Once the guy paid and dipped, I lifted my chin toward the hallway. “Come on.”
She followed me to my office without asking questions. Once the door shut, she set the bag on my desk. “I knew you weren’t going to eat before coming in,” she said. “So, I fixed that.”
I pulled her closer by her waist, kissed her slowly, then leaned back. “My mom wants you to come to dinner on Sunday. She wanted me to let you know that it wasn’t an option… but a request.”
“I’on want no problems, so I’ll be there,” she simpered.
“Good,” I said, brushing my thumb over her hip before stepping back. “I’ll pick you up.”
We walked back to the front together, and I opened the door for her. “Text me when you get to your shop.”
“I will,” she said, giving me one last look before heading out.
The second the door closed behind her, Case turned around with that damn smirk again, leaning on his chair looking like a damn fool. “Yeah, that’s you for real. Don’t try to play it cool.”
I shook my head and grabbed the next appointment card from the counter. “You worried about the wrong shit.”
Case laughed but went right back to work. I tied the cape around my next client and got back into the rhythm of the day, but the ease in my chest wasn’t something I ignored. Zora hadn’t gone anywhere, and I wasn’t planning on letting her either.
***
By the time the shop shut down, the day had run me hard enough that the quiet felt earned.
Everybody filtered out with their own plans, talking trash as they left, but I stayed behind for a few minutes to clean my area the way I wanted it.
My station ended the day the same way it started… organized, and ready for the next day.
When I finally stepped outside, the sky was shifting into that late-evening blue.
Instead of heading home, I walked across to Zora’s shop.
Her lights were still on, so I already knew she had someone in the chair.
I walked in quietly, and she glanced up from behind her client with a soft smile that was still bright enough to light up the darkest rooms.
“You almost done?” I asked, leaning against the counter.
“This is my last one,” she said, turning back to finish the cut. “Give me ten.”
I nodded.
I stayed off to the side while she wrapped up, letting her work without hovering. When the client stood, paid, and thanked her, I lifted a hand in greeting and stepped forward to help her wipe down the chair and sweep up. She didn’t ask… I just did it, and she didn’t fight me on it.
Once everything was clean enough for her to lock up, we walked out together. I stayed close until we reached her car.
“You coming over?” I asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from her.
She hesitated for half a second. “I don’t know. It’s… that time.”
“So?” I frown. “I’m not some lil’ ass boy that gets turned off by a period. I want you there. That’s it.”
Her eyes softened, and she tried to play it off with a small smile. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”
“You better,” I murmured, pulling her in for a kiss.
I opened her door, and she slid inside, giving me one more look before starting the engine. I stepped back as she pulled off, watching the taillights fade down the street.
I stood there for a moment, letting everything settle. Zora had a way of slipping into my day without forcing it, grounding things that usually stayed scattered. She didn’t push. She didn’t pull. She just showed up, and somehow that hit harder than any loud declaration ever could.
***
We walked into Mama’s house, and she came straight over like she’d been waiting on us. “Alright now, y’all get in here,” she said, reaching for Zora’s hands with a smile that showed she genuinely liked her. “Last time was too quick. I didn’t get a chance to actually talk to you.”
Zora hugged her without hesitation. “I’m glad to be here.”
“You better be,” Mama said, hooking her arm through Zora’s, leading her into the dining room. “Sit next to me so we can talk.”
I followed them to the dining room while the rest of the family kept the noise going in the background, arguing about something nobody was really keeping track of. As soon as we sat down, Mama got right into her questions.
“So, Zora, when did you open your salon?” she asked, passing her a dish.
“Six years ago,” Zora replied. “I started with a small space and expanded once I had the clientele for it.”
“That tells me you’ve got discipline,” Mama said. “A lot of people talk about running a business. Not many actually run it well.”
“It took work, but it’s worth it.” Zora smiled.
Case leaned forward from farther down the table. “Mama, you don’t gotta worry about her. She got her stuff together.”
“Boy, hush,” Mama fake fussed.
The conversation moved around the table, but Mama kept circling back to Zora with genuine interest, not interrogation.
She asked about her family, what pushed her into doing hair, and what her long-term plans were.
Zora answered everything smoothly, and she didn’t shrink under attention the way some women did when they walked into a loud family for the first time.
Mama glanced at me once while Zora talked to Maya. “I like her,” she whispered.
I didn’t respond, but she didn’t need me to.
When dinner wrapped up, Mama pulled Zora in for a hug at the door. “You come back whenever you want,” she said. “You don’t need Semi to escort you. Just show up.”
Zora laughed softly. “Thank you. I’ll be back.”
“You better,” Mama replied, patting her arm before letting go.
We headed to the car while everybody else stayed inside. When we reached my car, I opened her door, and before she got settled, I placed a kiss on her lips. Nothing else needed to be said. Tonight already told me what I needed to know.
***
“Your family is something else,” she said.
“That was calm for them,” I told her. “You handled it like a G, though.”
She smirked. “Your mama didn’t waste a second. She asked everything she didn’t get to ask at the shop opening.”
“That’s her,” I said. “She’s direct. She doesn’t beat around the bush.”
“She’s good at reading people,” Zora replied. “She wasn’t trying to test me. She just wanted to know who I was.”
“She liked you,” I said. “And she doesn’t say that about just anybody.”
Zora looked at me for a moment like she was making sure I meant it. “I’m glad. I wanted to make a good impression.”
“You did more than that,” I said. “You fit right in. Nobody had to adjust for you, and you didn’t look uncomfortable at all.”
I slid my hand behind her knee and drew her closer until her thigh rested against mine. She shifted with it naturally, no hesitation. I kissed her slow and pulled back just enough to speak.
“Stay tonight.”
“You didn’t even have to ask.” she grinned.