Chapter 20
“You look cute,” Nia stated cheerfully as she pranced into the salon.
“And you look…” Reign paused before her lips wiggled into a knowing smile. “Like you’ve been folded up.”
Reign abandoned her booth seat and motioned for her to sit down.
“I’ve been…making time,” Nia spoke lowly with a half-smile. “Considering all the shit happening, we shouldn’t be finding time for anything.”
Nia took a seat and Reign started to take down her hair. The happiness beamed off Nia and it was contagious. Reign was happy for her. She’d only seen Nia and Svyn once, but a blindman could see the love brewing between the two.
“Not going to lie, it looks good on you. Can I put layers in this?” Reign asked, fluffing Nia’s mane.
Nia looked at her in the mirror. “You know what? Yes, do that. Give me some deep layers and volume.”
“I got you. While I have your hair in my hands, I’m going to say thank you. But I’m also going to say I am going to pay you every month for the brownstone to include the utilities,” Reign spoke, reaching for her detangling brush.
Nia chuckled. “Funny how I got a call from my brother late at night with him grumbling and bitching about not letting you pay for anything, and here you are. I’m inclined to believe that was off the cusp of an argument.”
“I don’t argue,” Reign shared. “After he pointed out all the new faucets and brushed doorknobs and the excellent water pressure and how to work the thermostat, I told him again that I was going to pay rent and then I put his ass out.”
Nia yelped in laughter and covered her mouth.
“I don’t see what’s funny. I told you I think he’s slow.”
Nia smirked still giggling. “Markus is a different breed. Slow? No. Enthralled? Without question.”
Reign twisted her face. “I don’t want him enthralled with me.”
Nia shrugged. “Maybe if you tell him yes, he’ll leave you alone.”
“I’m not going for that. Anyway, I’ll be handing you cash every month,” Reign shared, trying to get her mind off Markus.
“Uh huh, so I got something for you.” Nia handed Reign her new phone off her station. “You got a text.”
Reign huffed, “it’s Markus. I’m not answering that.”
Reign stuffed the iPhone into the back pocket of her skinny jeans.
“Where’d the flip phone go?”
“The flip phone was stolen out of my pocket and dropped into the trash can in the subway after being held hostage for hours and then being subjected to a home tour about doorknobs and water pressure. Ugh, anyway, what do you have? Some stuff from the shop? I forgot to bring some new ones over,” Reign asked, sectioning Nia’s hair.
She watched as Nia pulled an envelope from her designer bag and handed it over. “What’s this?”
“Your driver’s license, cosmetology license, and keys to your salon,” Nia shared.
“My salon? I haven’t even been here a full month yet. I’m sure there’s someone else who can run it,” Reign protested. “I can’t accept that, just like I can’t accept the house rent free.”
Nia smiled kindly at her in the mirror. “Reign, this is the first time in years that clients are happy and the salon is running smoothly. I don’t know how you do it, but you have a gift of seeing people and making them feel like they can do anything.
Hell, the girls at the shop asked the new girl when you were coming back. ”
“That’s nice but-”
“But you’re going to run the salon, it’s closer to your house. A shorter train ride and all.”
After the body to body train ride and the sharing of seats on the way home, she determined riding the train wouldn’t do.
Markus and his antics would find some way and some time in his day to be around to torture her.
Like being outside the brownstone every morning to take her to the café and then to the shop and being outside the shop after closing for three nights straight.
“It sounds good,” Reign shared. “I just want to make sure that for once in my life, I earn everything I get.”
“You think you haven’t? You’re the first one in and the last one out. I don’t care how long you’ve been here, I’m looking ahead at how much of an impact you’ve made. You deserve this and you have the stripes to prove it.”
Reign took the envelope with gratitude in her eyes. “I would cry but I need to be able to see what I’m doing.”
They shared a laugh and Nia continued.
“You’ll take Tonya, Jania, and Tim and there’s one chair left for you to hire a stylist that fits what the salon needs. You have a private suite in the back and Ms. Jayne has put her appointment on the books going into next spring.”
“Thank you, Nia. You have no idea what all of this means to me. If I had the words,” Reign sighed. “This is more than anyone has done for me.”
“You work hard, don’t let me down.”
“I won’t.”
Reign did her hair, juggled the evening to-dos while assisting other stylists. Before Nia left to run across town to her private client, Reign gave her the cash she’d made throughout the day. “That should cover the hotel and the clothes you bought.”
“Reign.” Nia looked at the money in her hand. It was far more than what she had spent.
“Nia, please. I need to feel like I’m not a charity case.”
Nia stopped and nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll see you next week at your salon. I’m pretty sure you’re going to need to touch this up.”