Chapter 7 Harmoni #2
I gave her the rundown on what was going on as I accepted a walk-in client who had been waiting patiently.
I never took walk-ins, so whoever got one from me was considered lucky.
After I did a traditional sew-in on her with wand curls, she thanked me several times before paying and tipping me.
Throughout the day, I accepted all the walk-ins because I didn’t have any appointments booked.
I made just as much as I would have with my regulars.
“They love you, Harmoni. Nobody wanted to sit in our chairs today,” the new girl, Taylor, said.
Carmen hired Taylor while I was out on leave to get my life on track.
She was a bomb ass stylist, and I felt that if she stayed on her grind, she could be one of the best. It was something about Taylor, though, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Sometimes I would look up and catch her staring at me or side-eyeing me, but when she saw me looking, she would just smile it off.
I knew I could be intimidating, but damn.
I just hoped she stayed on the right track and in her lane because the last hoe who crossed me was probably still somewhere with knots and a headache.
“You’ve still been busy yourself. Today just was a one time thing because I never accept walk-ins. I just needed to keep my mind busy, honestly,” I told her.
“Is everything alright, Boss Lady?” she asked.
I don’t know why, but the way that she asked me that was as if she wanted the tea to go back and repeat it.
“Yes, ma’am. All is well. Thank you for asking,” I said as I faked being appreciative.
I hated for anybody to be all up in my business.
“Do you have any social media, Taylor? I want to put you on our platforms and tag you, so you can get even more clients. I can also feature your work and drop your booking link. That will definitely bring them in,” I offered.
“Omgee, that is so thoughtful of you. No, I don’t have any social media, but I will make some so we can do that,” she lied.
I had seen this girl with her phone in her hand all day, and I knew for a fact she had platforms. Why would she lie? I made a mental note to watch her. A liar couldn’t be trusted.
For the remainder of the day, I worked and talked with my girls in the shop.
They caught me up on the latest drama, and we laughed about how Jakari had run out of there the last time he showed up.
Taylor started asking questions like how long we had been broken up, and she also said she wished she had come into work earlier on the day he stormed out, so she could have seen his face.
That was the day I had officially broken his heart.
Thankfully, he got the picture and moved around.
Carmen told me that she was gonna take the deposits for the past two days to the bank, but I told her I would take it once I locked up.
Taylor and I were the last ones left in the shop.
She told me that she had some family issues and would need to take a little time off.
I let her know that it was no problem, so she packed her things off her station, and I went into my office to count my money.
I had made three thousand today, and I had an additional four thousand that needed to be deposited into the bank.
As we left the shop and I locked up the place, Taylor looked around like she was waiting for someone.
“You okay? You look like you see something,” I said.
“I’m fine. Do you know Diamond?” Taylor asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” I said as I faced her.
“So, you don’t know Jakari’s baby momma Diamond?” she asked again but with an attitude.
“I never knew her name, but yeah. What about her?” I asked with annoyance as my face scrunched up.
Taylor placed her phone into her back pocket as I heard tires screech to a halt onto the street near us.
That’s when I noticed that Taylor had on brass knuckles.
I was taken aback and confused about what was going on until I saw Diamond and another girl jump out of the car that had just stopped beside us.
“That’s my sister, you dumb ass bitch. I know you didn’t think you would get away with that sucka ass shit you did to her,” Taylor said as she threw a punch that instantly dazed me.
I was a skilled fighter; I grew up having to throw them bitches.
It was just something about being caught off guard and with brass knuckles that I couldn’t get with.
I started swinging back, and I was whooping the fuck out of Taylor, brass knuckles and all.
The first punch she threw was the only one she got off on me.
I had her against the door of my shop, punching her face so hard that I drew blood.
I was so focused on this dumb bitch that I had forgotten it was an ambush until I felt myself being pulled backward by my hair.
Some Big Foot ass bitch slung me to the ground with no effort, and that allowed Diamond to have one up on me.
She sat on top of me and started punching me in my face while the other girls kicked me all over.
The big bitch even kicked me in my face.
No matter how hard I fought to get up, I just couldn’t.
I didn’t stop swinging, though. I made sure Diamond knew I wasn’t the bitch you could easily whoop.
When it was all said and done, they beat my ass and took all my money.
They took my whole Dior purse, so I didn’t have my shop or car keys anymore.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Rowdy.
His voicemail instantly picked up. I hung up and called again, but the same thing happened.
I didn’t want to hear Ciara’s mouth or for us to be riding around all night, looking for those bitches.
Instead, I called Carmen, and she was back at the shop in less than five minutes.
“What the fuck! Moni, I’m so sorry this happened to you. I thought I did a thorough check on Taylor. You need to let me take you to the hospital,” Carmen said as she jumped out of the car and rushed to me.
“It’s not that bad, is it? I’m gonna be fine. I just need to clean myself up,” I said as Carmen unlocked the doors to the shop.
I walked into the shop, looked in the mirror, and almost passed out.
My beautiful face was now purple, and I had multiple knots on my forehead.
My nose was either broken or busted, but it was bleeding and sore to the touch.
I couldn’t believe I had been caught slipping like that.
When I lifted my shirt, I saw that my side was bruised as well.
I didn’t know if I had any internal bleeding, so I allowed Carmen to take me to the hospital.
Three bitches had just jumped me, and one of them was damn near six foot, three hundred pounds, with a size thirteen foot that was kicking me in the ribs.
“Ms. Cole, you have a fractured nose, a sprained arm, bruised ribs, and quite a bit of swelling. We will have to put your arm in a sling, and I recommend you be on bed rest while your ribs heal. The good news is that the baby is fine, and the heartbeat is strong. Measuring right on time for eight weeks. You will need to follow up with your primary doctor in a few days to check up on the baby again, but all should be well,” the doctor said, and I began to have a panic attack.
“What baby? I’m on birth control. I think you have my charts confused with someone else. I can’t be pregnant. I just can’t,” I said as I looked at Carmen.
Tuning the doctor out, I pulled out my phone and looked back at the pictures from my first real date with Rowdy.
I looked at the date on the pictures, then I counted on my calendar.
The day before our date, I slept with Jakari, and I slept with Rowdy a few days after.
If the math was mathing, I had slept with them both almost nine weeks ago.
I leaned over and started vomiting in the trashcan beside the bed.
How could something like this happen to me?
I hated the fuck out of Jakari, and I didn’t ever want to have anything to do with him.
“Why are you freaking out? This will be you and Rowdy’s first baby. I’m sure he’s gonna be happy, Moni,” Carmen said once the doctor was out of the room.
“That’s the thing. I don’t know if it’s Rowdy’s or not. I had a slip up with Jakari around the same time,” I said.
Carmen covered her mouth with her hand.
“Please tell me this is a joke. How could you slip up on a good ass dude like that for dog ass Jakari? You gotta be smarter, Harmoni. That wasn’t a smart move at all, boo. I don’t wanna kick you while you down, but that shit was a bad decision,” Carmen seriously said.
“I already know that. I’ve been beating myself up since it happened. Now his baby momma done jumped me and robbed me too. You think I want to deal with this nigga for the rest of my life? I don’t know what the fuck to do.”
“You don’t have many options.”
If I knew for sure that this was Rowdy’s baby, I would be the happiest woman in the world, but now I was heartbroken and depressed.
I didn’t know who the baby’s father was, and that complicated things.
I didn’t know how I would tell my man that I was pregnant and didn’t know whose kid it was.
Although we weren’t official when I slept with Jakari, I knew Rowdy would still be upset with me.
I mean, what nigga would be happy to know their girl had another possibility as the father of her child?
“What’s Jakari’s number?” Carmen asked.
“Girl, we not telling that nigga about this baby. Ever!” I sternly said.
“I’m definitely not about to do that. Fuck him! I just have some questions,” she said.
I called out the number, and she called him on speaker.
“Hello?” he answered.
“This Carmen. I’m calling to ask for your baby momma’s last name.”
“Why? What’s up?” he groggily said.
“Well, tonight, she and two other bitches jumped Harmoni with brass knuckles. Charges will be pressed! I need that info from you, brother!” Carmen said.