Chapter 8 #2
“Um, I know we’re just now cool again, so it’s not my place. But if that’s your man, get a new one. He was way too excited when he was checking me out. And I’m not trying to be funny or anything, Joi. I hope you know me well enough to—”
Joi cut her girl off, holding up a hand.
“Nah, it’s cool. I’m about to handle that right now.
” She glared over her shoulder toward the back of the building where her office was, knowing the decision she was making was the right one.
“It’s not just you. I’ve been seeing a lot of suspect shit with him lately. ”
Ria raised her brows and stared at her friend.
She had been away, but they would always be cool.
If her so-called man needed his ass handed to him, she was down.
Another reason she was glad to be from under Lue’s thumb.
He would lose his mind if he knew she had a thought like checking a man for her homegirl. Hood shit.
“No, it’s cool. He isn’t gonna do anything but beg.
” Joi rolled her eyes then laughed. “That should be a clear sign that I need to remove him. A man handles business, makes his position clear, and never leaves room for a woman not to know where she stands. That’s definitely not Reg. I guess we’re both starting over.”
“I can see if my dude has a friend.” Ria grinned, totally feeling her girl’s pain.
“Girl, I don’t know your dude, but I’m straight. Let me just go handle this. Call me later.”
“I will, and Joi, I promise I’m sorry for bailing on you. It will never happen again.” The two women hugged, Ria left, and Joi slowly walked back to her office, trying to mentally prepare for the standoff with Reg.
When she made it to her office, he was sitting behind her desk and had the check with his name on it in his hand.
“What’s this?” His face was tight. Reg wasn’t a dummy, so he knew something was up. Her little comment to her girl had somewhat tipped him off.
“It’s for you. The money you gave me to start this.” Joi looked around her office.
Reg laughed sarcastically. “It wasn’t a loan.”
“I know, but I still want you to have the money back. This is my place. I want to have full ownership and I can’t do that knowing your money is a part of it.”
“You don’t owe me. I said it wasn’t a gotdamn loan. But I’m sure it’s not about that. What’s really going on, Joi?”
“You’re right, it’s not just about the money...” She hesitated and he quickly jumped in.
“Aight, so…”
“So, I need a break. Things with us are…”
“Maaaan, don’t come at me with that shit. You’re always trying to put another woman on me when I’m all about you.”
Joi laughed angrily then shook her head. “How do you assume it’s about a woman? Maybe I just want to focus on my business, and since you have a problem with not being the center of my attention, then I’m asking for space. Why is another woman the first thought you have?”
“Because.” He stood quickly from the chair he was in and slammed his hands down on her desk, looking her right in the eye. “Every time I don’t text you right back or answer a call, you swear I’m cheating. You know how much I hear that shit from you? It’s annoying as fuck.”
So, you’re just going to ignore everything I said and make your own reason for why I need space. That just screams guilty, asshole!
“Well, let me help you with all the annoyance I apparently cause. Don’t worry about my calls or texts because they won’t be coming. You can do whatever you want without my annoying ass. Take your money and go.”
Joi pointed to the door. His guilt was all over his face. She could see and feel it, but she really didn’t care.
“Wow, you’re on some shit, Joi. You got East sniffing up your ass for one second and you’re trying to dismiss me.”
Joi’s face showed every bit of confusion she was experiencing and Reg was on her quick. He moved in so close Joi inadvertently took a step back.
“You don’t think I know shit? You’re so worried about me being with another woman, but you’re all up on another man.
Sitting in his lap and grinning in that man’s face.
Not to mention, you left with him too. Yeah, I know all that.
Why do you think you haven’t heard from me lately?
I needed time to figure out how to deal with that shit.
It was disrespectful as hell. I really wanted to snap your gotdamn neck for playing me like that.
Do you know who the fuck I am, Joi, huh?
You have me out here looking crazy with your disrespectful ass.
Did you fuck him that night? Shit, you might as well have because everyone thinks you did. ”
“Are you really asking me that?”
“Hell yeah, I am. Why wouldn’t I? You’re moving real grimy right now.”
“I guess that makes two of us,” Joi was quick to throw back at him. She didn’t have solid proof, but she knew. She was also well aware Reg would never admit it, but secrets always had a way of surfacing. It was simply a matter of time.
“No, the fuck it doesn’t. I’m only about you.”
“Right, so the girl who was supposedly Riggs’ girl wasn’t one of your hoes? If I’m not mistaken, when he was trying to get at Ny, he clearly said he was single.”
“You’re funny. You really think you hitting me with something? I have facts, you have assumptions. You were all up on another man like you didn’t have a man. Not just that, in a room full of people like you really didn’t give a damn.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, so what does it matter? But, trust, I don’t have a man anymore, so maybe I’ll just see how things play out.”
Joi noticed something pass through Reg’s eyes. His nostrils flared and his spine stiffened. His entire demeanor changed within seconds and it made her nervous. She was instantly grateful that her next client was early, assuming them to be the reason why her door chimed.
“Hey, hey. Joi, you in here, girl?” Joi backed away from Reg but kept her eyes on him, still unsure of what his next move would be.
“I’m back here, Ly. Is that you?”
“Girl, yeah. I know I’m…”
“No, it’s cool. Come on back,” Joi instructed before she addressed Reg.
“You can go now.” The two didn’t break their stare until he chuckled and rubbed his hand down his face.
“Yeah, aight. I’ma see you, though.” He offered a devious, almost eerie grin before pointing to the check, which was still on her desk.
“Keep that. Like I said, it wasn’t a loan.
It was insurance.” Reg was on his way to the door but stopped, turning around to reconsider.
Ten grand was a lot of money to piss away on someone who was acting ungrateful.
“On second thought, since you don’t respect that I cared enough to look out for you, then maybe I will take this. ”
Reg snatched up the check, issuing a hateful look to Joi before he walked out, brushing past Ly as she walked in. Joi’s body tensed from Reg’s last words and she watched his back until he was completely out of sight.
“Hey, you good?” Ly could feel the tension as she glanced at the door then looked at Joi, who planted on a big smile.
“Yeah, girl. You know how men like to act up.” She playfully rolled her eyes and smiled again. “Come on, so we can get started.”
Joi led the way to her work station with an anxious feeling, but she couldn’t worry about it right now. There were four more clients she had to handle for the day and money was her priority. Reg and his little tantrums and threats would have to wait.
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
East’s eyes lit up in amusement toward the conversation going on around him.
His eyes were on his phone as he tapped through Joi’s story.
He had done this several times already today but noticed she had added a new video of herself while in her car, singing along to some song he didn’t recognize.
Her words were enunciated and performed with a bit of fire behind them, which had East curious about where her head was.
Did dude fuck up again? He and Joi had been talking since the night he took her home. A few calls and texting throughout the day, but nothing major. East wasn’t the type to be on the chase, and until Joi put effort into showing the interest he knew she had, then East would lay low with her.
“Who needs ink? Let’s settle this shit right now. East, you still want that piece on your back?”
He lifted his eyes to Rabbit. He was wearing a serious stare. His big ass teeth pierced his lip because he was waiting. Damn, this muthafucker really looks like a rabbit.
“If he does, he isn’t about to let you do that shit, so you can fuck it up. Trust, fool, I’m better than you. Why you think East only sits in my chair? This is his shit, he hired you, but he won’t even let you ink him.”
The shop erupted into a bunch of oohs and ahhs followed by laughter, causing East to chuckle himself.
Rabbit was a dope ass artist, or he wouldn’t be in his shop, but Numbers was right.
East only trusted his skills. The two had been down for years, which was why the second East considered opening a shop, Numbers was his first and only choice to run it.
He was self-taught and talented as fuck.
East had even learned a few things under his watchful eye.