Chapter 4
“Ilove you, brother. I’ll call as soon as we land,” Nyla kissed Chello’s cheek as she rolled her Louie luggage to the front door.
Jada sat on the couch texting and randomly staring at Chello, that always tickled Nyla.
“I love you, too. I’m a phone call away, I sent ten thousand to your account in case you want to shop out there. Let me know if you need more.”
“Thank you. I texted you the address to the Airbnb.”
“Ok. Aye, don’t be out there talking to no niggas,” he said but looked at Jada like he was sending a personal message.
“Come on, Jada, our truck in here.”
Jada stood to her feet and walked to the door, but as soon as they stepped outside, she started her shit.
“Bitch, tell me Chello didn’t just dry warn me not to talk no other niggas. I know you saw that!”
Nyla laughed, “Yeah, friend, I saw it.”
“You be hating on me and Chello’s relationship so bad,” she shot back while laughing and climbing in the car.
“Girl, bye. You talked to Banko?”
“Yeah, he wanted to pick us up from the airport.”
“Kyst did too, I told him we had a car.”
“What car you end up getting?”
A smile spread across Nyla’s face, “You already know, a candy apple red AMG Mercedes.”
“That’s what the fuck I’m talkin’ about!”
“You knew how I was coming, especially since we in his city.”
She had been talking to Kyst for almost a month and he was different. He talked to her nice; he didn’t know her as Chello’s sister, he didn’t treat her like she was off-limits, and he definitely wasn’t scared to call her his girl. He matched her energy, style, and Nyla liked that. A lot.
By the time they landed in New York, Nyla felt free, like she wasn’t in Chello’s cuffs.
No eyes watching her, no tiptoeing around the city, just her and Jada stepping into Harlem like they owned it.
Her Chanel dress hugged her curvy frame, her one hundred and sixty pounds was proportion perfectly.
Nyla and Jada looked like money, and they were.
They checked into their house and immediately started preparing for the show that was the following day. She checked in with her brother and Kyst before getting to work. Nyla wanted nothing more than to become a celebrity stylist and she was well on her way.
“You going out with Kyst tonight?” Jada asked, sitting on the floor Indian style.
“Hell naw, I got too much to do. He’s coming to the show tomorrow.”
“Awww, that’s what’s up. I think I like him for you.”
Nyla smiled, “He’s cool. I like that we live in different states, less drama and nosey mufuckas.”
“True.”
They finished up everything they needed to do before Door Dashing some food and calling it a night. They had a hectic day ahead of them and Nyla needed a head start.
The venue was packed wall-to-wall, lights, music, stylists losing their minds, vendors everywhere, and good energy filled the room.
Nyla went to her assigned station and got to work on set up.
There were people lined up to get in Nyla’s chair after she smoked the first girl’s hair.
She was so busy working, she didn’t notice Kyst standing near holding a bouquet of pink roses; it was so big, it turned heads.
His guys, along with Banko, stood around him.
All Harlem energy, all eyes on them and their designer and jewels.
Kyst’s eyes were locked on Nyla, she smiled at him, but she was in work mode; she took her job seriously.
They stood there looking like old money while watching Nyla do her thing. Once the show was over, she walked over to him like the room didn’t exist.
“Thank you!” she sang, taking the flowers from his hands and hugging him as his homies congratulated her.
“You bodied that, I’m proud of you.”
She smiled because no one ever said that to her and meant it; it was usually people dick riding, trying to get cool points with Chello. It felt good to be treated normal, for a second, she forgot about the world she came from.
Kyst promised her a night out and she was ready to see what Harlem had to offer. From what she saw, it was very much hood like Chicago, the people just had a heavier accent, and she loved it.
“What you wearing tonight?” Jada asked, gathering her own outfit because she and Banko were coming out with them, too.
“I’m going with an Ed Hardy jean skirt, a halter, and a pair of wheat Timbs.”
“Oh and here, you gotta rock a fitted.”
“Fasho!”
Nyla got dressed and looked at herself in the mirror, bad was the only word to describe her. She brought a New York swag with a Chicago demeanor.
She and Jada hopped into their whip and drove to the address that Kyst provided.
“Bitch, look at all these fuckin’ people,” Jada sat up and looked through the tints.
“You said you wanted to see Harlem, right?”
“Yeah, I said see it, not get active!”
“You scared?” Nyla giggled while pushing the Mercedes as it purred through the streets.
As they turned onto the block Kyst sent them to, everything slowed down. Dice games paused, heads turned, music blasted, and most admired the whip by pointing.
Jada muttered, “Yeah…getting sized up.”
Nyla caught a park anyway, unbothered by the attention that she always got, even in her own hood.
“Let ‘em look.”
Nyla coated her lips in nothing but Pouty Girlz vegan lip gloss.
Her real hair was past her shoulders and in a bone straight silk press.
Her entire look gave 90’s, around the way girl.
She stepped out first, her skirt barely covered her bubble ass.
Every eye locked on her, whispers followed of course.
“Who dat?”
“Dimes…”
“They ain’t from here…”
Across the street, Kyst leaned against a black Trackhawk.
His arms were folded across a crisp fitted white tee, watching everything.
A navy blue fitted to the back covered his fuzzy plats that hung to his shoulders.
He looked to be mixed with something, his tattoos were the sexiest things on his body.
That slow grin spread across his face as it always did when he saw her. He pushed off the truck and walked toward her.
“Look at you, I see yo drip,” he said low, his expensive cologne hitting her before his words could.
“I wanted to fit in.”
“You could never because you stand out,” he shot back, making her blush.
He grabbed her hand and walked her over to his crowd with Jada in tow.
Banko made sure those niggas knew Jada wasn’t a third wheel.
Kyst introduced her to his people, they spoke with respect and curiosity.
That was because Nyla didn’t just arrive, she made her presence known silently but very loud.
And in the hood, that meant something whether you knew it or not.
They stood talking, sipping, and smoking, Nyla’s energy was easy, laidback, and alert, like her brother trained her to be.
She watched everything and everybody moving, she felt empty without her pistol, but Nyla was good with her hands, too.
She felt energy and she could read any room; she noticed the group of females across the street that had been staring and pointing for the last ten minutes.
She looked over at Jada and her bestie was already on point, she gave her a simple head nod.
That meant they were on the same page and ready for whatever was to come because tension never stayed quiet too long.
Minutes later, a voice cut through the crowd, sharp and loud.
“Oh, you bold bold. I’m on timing and Kyst, you know that.”
Everyone looked for the voice, but it was walking toward Kyst. Nyla stepped aside and placed her back against the truck as Jada came and stood next to her.
Kyst sighed under his breath as Nyla sipped from her cup, “This bitch…I’ll be back,” he said to Nyla as she gave a simple head nod.
“Party over, Ty here,” someone from the crowd yelled, causing a few to laugh while others waited to see what was going to happen.
Ty stood there on the sidewalk like she built it with her hands.
Nyla got a glimpse, and she was built like a horse but also looked like one in the face with those big ass veneers.
Nyla saw that she talked with her hands because they were in Kyst’s face.
Nyla could hear just like everyone else what she was saying and she was tuned in.
“So, you bringing bitches where my people at?”
“Don’t worry about who I’m bringing around.”
Ty laughed like she was trying to keep her composure.
“That’s what you like?” she pointed at Nyla. “Bitches from out of town playing dress-up. She look like a fuckin’ fool.”
Nyla smirked but continued talking to Jada.
“You capping. You pressed, Ty?” Kyst shot back.
“You taking up for the bitch? I’ll drag her ass and see if she still be smiling after that.”
“No you won’t,” Nyla spoke loudly before Kyst could.
Ty’s neck snapped in her direction.
“You must not know where you at, Dorothy. Better take yo country ass back to Kansas.”
“Chicago,” Nyla shot back, very much unbothered by Ty’s loud talking.
She stepped around Kyst, never taking her eyes off Nyla.
“Chicago, huh? I heard y’all think y’all tough.”
Jada shifted; Nyla still calm, still unmoved.
“We don’t think shit, we know.”
Ty sucked her teeth, “Girl, this Harlem.”
“I know, I flew in first class. What we talking ‘bout?”
The block got quieter, the music lowered, and whispers grew louder. Chicago was now face to face with Harlem. Kyst stood in front of Nyla, but she didn’t need protection. Ty did if she thought about making the wrong move, and Nyla was going to give Harlem a show it had probably never seen before.
“You real slick at the mouth.”
“You real bothered by a country bitch.”
“Bothered? This my nigga. Are you dumb?”
“Is it?”
“Ty, chill, you wildin’,” Kyst finally spoke.
“You dead ass got ten minutes to get that bitch off the block before I cause a scene and you know how I’m coming.” Ty walked back over to her people.
Kyst turned to Nyla, “You ready to dip?”
“Nah, I’m good. I’m chillin’.”
“You sure, Nyla?” Jada asked, dropping her phone and everything in her purse.
“Hell yeah, I’m sure.”
Ten minutes came and went, Nyla stopped drinking and made herself sober up. Everything was cool until sounds started coming from the crowd.
“Here that bitch come, what we doing?” Jada asked as Nyla stood ready for whatever.
“Man, I’m finna beat her.”
Ty walked up on business, but Kyst grabbed her and held her back as she talked shit and pointed at Nyla.
Nyla was calm as a bitch while Ty fought hard to get to her.
Phones were out recording, but the show hadn’t started yet.
Nyla had certified hands, Chello made her fight every time a bitch thought they were going to play with her.
“Let her go, Kyst,” Nyla said as he looked at her with an unsure look.
Ty broke loose from his hold and rushed Nyla; she was too quick on her feet, Nyla threw the first two licks and they sounded off like someone smacking pool water with an open hand.
“Damn,” someone from the crowd yelled as Nyla slammed Ty’s back into a parked car.
Kyst’s eyes lit up, he was shocked but impressed. Ty screamed out of breath as Nyla delivered blows back-to-back.
“Yo, get this bitch off me!” Ty yelled as her people came running toward Nyla. Jada was ready, but Kyst stepped up and cocked his gun.
“Word to my mother, any one of y’all touch her, I’m laying you down.”
Kyst let Nyla rock out a little longer before he grabbed her around the waist and Ty’s people grabbed her.
Nyla walked away with a cut above her eyebrow from one of Ty’s rings.
Ty’s pride was shattered, she probably had never lost a fight until that day.
Her pride and ego had to be broken because Nyla just whooped her in front of her whole hood, niggas never came back from shit like that.
“This ain’t over. I got you, bitch… even if I have to come to your city, I got you!” Ty yelled as Nyla nodded, grabbed her cup that was sitting on Kyst’s hood, and acted like nothing ever happened.
“You good? I’m sorry, man, I would never put you in a fucked up position.”
“It’s all good, I’m alive,” she laughed.
Kyst stared at her, but he really looked that time, something deeper, respect and curiosity. A strong like creeping in, she was the first female that didn’t stand down to Ty, in Kyst’s eyes, she was already a keeper.