Chapter 7
Shopping for the condo turned into an all-day spending spree for Nyla and Jada, all on Chello’s dime. By noon, the duo had already hit four furniture stores across the city, going back and forth over couches, colors, and dining sets.
“I really like this black set!” Jada ran her hand over the velvet arm.
“It looks like it belong in a funeral home waiting room, absolutely not!” Nyla yell, tossing her Gucci shades over her eyes and walking off while Jada laughed.
“You just see the vision, baby!” Jada yelled out, trying to catch up.
By the time they finished ordering furniture, both were starving, and it just so happened Ruth’s Chris was close by.
Inside the restaurant, soft music filled the space, and overdressed couples walked the floors, going to their seats.
Once seated, they looked over the menu and ordered.
Laughter and talking started immediately, but Nyla froze mid-conversation.
“What?”
Nyla’s eyes narrowed across the room and stayed there.
“Look.”
Jada followed her eyes and landed on Londa and a nigga that wasn’t Chello. Nyla knew Londa was playing her brother and she didn’t like that one bit because Chello really liked the bitch, maybe even loved her. She was there blushing while the nigga rubbed her hand.
Nyla’s jaws clenched, “Oh, she got me fucked up!”
“Nyla, no,” Jada said before Nyla could stand up.
“Fuck that, this bitch playing in my brother’s face.”
“Listen, don’t cause a scene in here, you know the first thing they going to do is call the police.”
Nyla sat in her seat with her blood boiling, she was so mad, she wasn’t even hungry anymore. She watched Londa feed the nigga from her plate and that was it. She pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling my brother!”
Nyla facetimed Chello and didn’t say a word, she just flipped the camera and put it on Londa. Nyla flipped the camera on herself with a mug on her face.
“You want me to drag this bitch?”
“Nah. Don’t say shit to her.”
Nyla rolled her eyes, “Ok.”
Nyla ended the call and picked over her food. She watched as they stood up to leave. Nyla gave Chello her word that she wouldn’t say shit, but she made sure that bitch saw her face. They had to walk past Nyla’s table to exit and when she did, Nyla made a loud remark.
“These hoes ain’t shit out here.”
Londa looked at her and smirked but kept walking.
“I swear, I wanna slap the shit outta that bitch.”
“Not worth it, Chello will have to see for himself.”
“How much more does the nigga need to see?”
“Sister power and pussy power hold two different weights. Just be there for him if she hurts him.”
That was Jada, always Nyla’s voice of reasoning when she was on the verge of a crash out.
The shop buzzed with hair dryers, music, electric nail drills, and gossip.
There was always gossip and Nyla learned different people’s business daily.
Nyla was in the stock room grabbing the products she needed to replace at her booth when she heard some loud talking up front.
She paid it no mind because the shop was always loud; it wasn’t until she heard her name did she make her way closer to the door.
“Where Nyla at?”
Nyla walked out and locked eyes with Londa as she stood there in Fendi from head to toe.
“What?” Nyla asked as the room seemed to have stood still.
Londa’s head snapped in her direction.
“Let me tell you something,” she pointed and walked toward Nyla as Jada stood up and followed.
“You can’t tell me shit,” Nyla laughed dryly.
“You a weak bitch, you thought you was doing something by telling Chello my business?”
“And I’ll do it again, you better find another nigga to play with because my brother ain’t it.”
Londa smirked, “Yo brother is whatever I want him to be. That’s your problem, you think you know some shit, but you don’t.”
That threw Nyla off for a second, then her expression hardened as everyone in the shop looked at chaos unfolding.
“I know enough. I know you ain’t about to play with Chello.”
Londa giggled and tilted her head, “Nyla, this pussy holds power.”
“That’s it? Londa, bitches with real power don’t gotta announce it. You too loud.”
Londa stared at her for a second with squinted eyes, “You got a slick ass mouth.”
“My hands slippery, too. Get the fuck out my shop before I stick my curling iron up your ass and really make you hot.”
Giggles filled the shop; Londa adjusted her purse on her shoulder. She put a nasty mug on her face and stood there for a minute.
“You lucky you his sister.”
The tension in the shop was thick, Nyla was ready to bite that hoe’s head off her shoulders, but she knew Chello would be mad. Londa had no idea how real shit could get behind her brother.
“Nah, you lucky I respect my brother, bitch. Leave while I’m letting you.”
Londa leaned in close enough for only Nyla to hear her speak, “You better worry about your own secrets.”
Nyla’s stomach tightened instantly, but her face never changed. Never would she let a bitch see her sweat, she’d die first.
“What secrets?”
Londa smiled then stepped back, “I heard you like kisses, well bitch, I’m the kiss of death. Make this your first and last time getting in my business because you don’t want me to get in yours.”
She turned on her heels and walked out. Nyla couldn’t lie, that bitch ate with that last part.
Jada followed Nyla to her office, Nyla felt like she was going to throw up.
She hated for people to know her business or maybe she was thinking too deep into Londa’s words because there was no way she knew about Kyst.
“You ok?” Jada asked, closing the door behind her.
“Yeah, I’m cool.”
“What she whisper to you?”
“She knows something about Kyst and me.”
“What? How?”
“I don’t know, but I’m gon’ figure it out.”
Truth was, her mind was racing because Londa said that shit with confidence, like she knew something for real. And if she knew about Kyst, everything just got real in Nyla’s world.