by Nikki Brown
She was truly proud of her accomplishments with this salon, it may have been Saque who invested most of the money but it was her idea, her dream and hard work that put this together. For the first time it was all about her.
“Well I think that you should bring the stylist stations to the front and move one of the make-up stations to the middle. I don’t really want to be behind someone else.” Envy poured from her pores as she looked on at Piper’s accomplishments.
She was starting to hate that she agreed to work with Piper, because she again was about to be in someone else’s shadow. If she had the means to get her own shop she would. She felt like she deserved to be in charge.
“I’m sorry but this isn’t about you, A Touch of Beauty by Piper, is just that; by Piper, and this is how I want things. It’s a process.” Piper spread her arms open. “When they walk in, they go to the back and get waxed and plucked, then they move to their nails and feet, come up and get their hair done and last come and get brushed by the best, with their makeup.” The smile on Piper’s face was priceless and Saque couldn’t help but to relish in it.
“Humph whatever.” Sunny waved her off and walked over to one of the stations and sat down. “So, I guess you heard that your girl was out here having people shoot at her and shit.” Sunny looked at her nails not even bothered at the fact that she had just told Piper that someone that she considered a sister was almost shot.
“What!” Piper took a few steps towards her.
“Yeah said she was at the abortion clinic and someone opened fire on her car. Kahleno was there and took the bullet for her,” she scoffed. “I wish I had a man to do some shit like that for me. Hell, if I knew Trouble was gonna be such trouble I would have left him where he was and snatched that damn Kahleno up myself,” she smirked.
Piper covered her mouth with her hand, she knew that her and Sutton’s relationship was a little strained but she made a mental note to call her and check on her. She didn’t want her to think that she didn’t care just because they had a difference in opinion on what a woman should be for her man.
“Are they okay?”
“Yeah, I guess. They say that Kahleno was supposed to be coming home this weekend. She better hope I don’t get anywhere near him because if I do then it’s a wrap for her,” Sunny laughed. “Her and Trouble can take this baby and get on somewhere.”
“Kahleno has showed you on more than one occasion that you are not on his radar. He is so in love with Sutton that I don’t think there is a woman walking this earth that could cloud his vision of her,” Piper said with a scowl on her face.
“Ewww, I thought you didn’t fuck with her, you sure are defending her.”
“We ain’t fucking with each other right now but regardless, a blind man could see the love between the two of them. I thought you were going to be happy with Trouble. Leave that woman and her relationship alone.” Piper tried her best to play neutral because right now Sunny was the only one in her corner even if she felt like she had to watch her every move.
“Whatever!” Again, Sunny waved her off and took another look around the space. “Saque you did real good with all of this.”
“I didn’t do anything, baby girl handled her business and I couldn’t be more proud.” He made his way to Piper and kissed her, collecting a gagging sound from Sunny.
“Well I think I should be shop manager, or at least over the stylist.”
“No that’s okay, I’m gonna manage my own shop.” Piper knew exactly how she wanted her shop to operate and there was no one better than herself in her eyes to make that happen. She looked around and smiled.
“What do you think Saque?” Sunny asked with a sneaky grin on her face.
“What he thinks doesn’t matter, like I said, I’m gonna manage my own shop.” Piper’s hands found her hips as she glared at Sunny, clearly irritated.
“I can speak for myself, and I think that you may want to think about the offer. It would take some of the pressure off of you and we can spend more time together.”
Piper cleared her throat gaining a giggle from Sunny, “Well I’ll tell you what hun, how about when I hold interviews for positions, I’ll think about hiring a manager then?”
“That’s what’s up, but look I got to go back to my shop. I got a few people stopping through. I’ll holla at you at the crib.” He leaned down and crashed his lips against Piper’s and she accepted.
“Alright baby,” she wiped her lipstick off of his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you more ma.” He kissed her again and disappeared out of the shop.
“I wasn’t trying to start nothing in your relationship. I just thought that since we were friends and all-”
“Then exactly what do you call what you just tried to do?”
“I’m just trying to secure my future here.” Sunny got teary eyed, she was putting on her best performance and Piper fell for it. “I just don’t want to end up like I did when I worked for Sutton.”
“Stay the hell away from my man and you won’t have to worry about it,” Piper said jokingly causing the two to laugh, but deep down she meant every word.
“You got my word.” Sunny winked. “Speaking of men, mine is calling. I’ll talk to you later girl. Let me know if you want help with the grand opening of the place because I’m good at spending other people’s money.”
“I bet you are.”
This is life
Sutton had just got Kahleno situated at the farm house. Siya and Mega demanded that he stayed at the house with them until he was 100%. They didn’t know what was going on with who shot at them. Hudson told Mega that Sutton said it was Trouble but Kahleno said it wasn’t.
He told them to wait until he was ready to act on it and he would, but for now they needed to trust him. Mega knew his son so he laid back but Hudson wasn’t trying to hear it and had plans of his own.
“Are you okay baby?”
“As long as I can hear your voice, smell your scent and kiss your lips I’m good.” Kahleno reached out for her and placed her on his lap wincing in pain. His hands went to her stomach where they rested.
“That was the scariest thing I think I’ve ever been through,” Sutton whispered.
“I know baby, and for as long as I can live, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.” He kissed the back of her neck causing her to shiver. “Sutton you and my baby mean the world to me, I can’t wait until we meet him.”
“Or her.”
“Nah I’m shooting nothing but Y’s up outta here.” He smiled against her back and she giggled. The love between the two was undeniable. Sutton felt like the man was designed and created just for her and she was glad that Trouble messed up when he did.
“Whatever silly.” She shook her head, climbed off of his lap, and fluffed the pillow that was behind his head. “I’m going to cook, what do you want to eat?”
“You, I want to eat you.” Kahleno drug his tongue across his bottom lip just thinking about savoring the sweet taste of her juices. He could feel his man start to rise as Sutton stood in front of him, nipples protruding through the thin sweater she wore. “I don’t have to move; you can just come over and cock ya leg up right here and I can eat all day long.”
“St-stop it Kahleno,” she stuttered.
“You want it just as bad as I do, and I’m telling you now that’s the only thing that’s going to satisfy me right now.” Sutton tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and took a step in Kahleno’s direction.
“Daddy!” the two of them heard as the door came bursting open. Kahleno cursed under his breath, Sutton could sense the frustration in his face and it made her laugh. “I’m so glad you’re home!”
“Where the hell yo little cock blocking ass come from little nigga?”
“Kahleno!”
“Yeah Kahleno, watch your damn mouth.” Kahlil chuckled and Sutton gave him a look and he hid his face in his father’s arm.
“Nah don’t be trying to use me, get y
a ass on somewhere.”
“I’m sorry baby, bring it to daddy,” Kahlil said crawling to the end of the bed.
“What am I going to do with you?” Sutton said picking him up and hugging him.
“Put his big ass down before he hurt my baby,” Kahleno fussed. Sutton waved him off as she lowered Kahlil to the ground. She kneeled in front of him because no one had told him about the baby yet and she didn’t want him to hear it from anyone but them. Even if his father had carelessly blurted it out.
“You know you’re going to be a big brother, right?” Sutton asked him and he looked at her like she was crazy. He took the back of his hand and placed it on Sutton’s forehead like he was checking for a fever. “Boy what are you doing?”
“Checking to make sure you okay. Yeah, I know my mommy is having a baby with daddy.”
“Ahh uhhh.” Sutton looked at Kahleno who looked like he could have exploded at that point. Karson was still on her bullshit even after everything. Sutton shook her head because she was at her wits end with her, she was trying on the strength of Kahlil but Karson was making it hard. “We’ll talk about that later but no; I’m having a baby.”
Sutton smiled and Kahlil dented his brows in. He looked from his dad to Sutton and shook his head. Slipping his hands into his pockets, his face took on a disgusted expression.
“So, it’s like that pops, that’s how you do it?” Sutton was confused for a second before she burst out laughing at what Kahlil was getting at. “You knock up my woman?”
“Shut the hell up boy.” Kahleno laughed too. “I told you that’s going to be your step mother. Get used to it and you got a brother or sister coming.”
Kahlil crossed his arms across his chest with a stern look on his face. He stayed that way for a minute before a huge smile broke out on his face and ran and hugged Sutton around the neck. He truly loved Sutton, the way she treated him made him feel special and like she actually cared and wasn’t just doing it to get close to his dad. He couldn’t be happier to have her as a part of his life; he just wished his mother would get on board.
“Man, I hope it’s a boy because if it’s a girl, I’m knocking any nigga that gets in her face out,” he stated with so much conviction that you would have thought you were talking to a grown man.
“That’s what the hell I’m talking about!” Kahleno yelled and held out his fist for his son to pound, which he did.
“Oh god, let this be a boy.” Sutton laughed and called for Kahlil to come and let his father get some rest.
When they got to the living room Sutton was surprised to see her father there. Walking up to him and hugging him, he reciprocated with love. He couldn’t believe that he let his selfish thoughts cause a wedge between him and his only child. Though he only wanted to protect her, he felt like he could have handled the situation better.
The thought of something happening to Sutton pained him and brought up the memories of Nova, but he couldn’t let that stop his daughter from living and he knew that. He loved his daughter and he trusted that he raised her to make better decisions.
The fact that Kahleno would take a bullet for her made him alright in his book. He decided to give them his blessing. There was no way that he was going to miss out on his grandkid’s life because of his selfish ways.
“Hey daddy, what you doing here?” Sutton asked as Kahlil walked up beside her.
“What up old G? I’m Kahlil.”
“Old G? What the-”
“Kahlil go find mawmaw,” Sutton said pointing in the direction of the stairs.
“She’s gone to see uncle AD.”
“He’s cool, I like a man that speaks his mind.” Hudson held his fist out for Kahlil to pound. “I’ll tell you what, how about we get out there in that field and let Old G beat you down in a foot race.”
“Shit we can do that,” Kahlil said with a smile on his face.
“Kahlil Maler!” Sutton fussed.
“Umm I’ll be outside.” Kahlil took off before Sutton had a chance to say anything.
“You got your hands full with him.”
“You have no idea.” Mega finally joined the conversation. “What’s up Maniac, I mean Hudson.”
“Unhhh.” Hudson laughed. “I want to talk to your son if that’s okay.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Sutton butted in. Things had calmed down and the last thing that she wanted was for Kahleno and her father to start their craziness again.
“Men business.”
“Calm down Sutton, it’s okay. This needs to happen.” Mega smiled and pointed to the stairs where Kahleno was. Hudson kissed his daughter on the forehead and took the stairs two at a time to reach the door that Kahleno was in.
“You must have changed your mind, come feed dad-” Kahleno said blindly, when he looked up, he expected to see Sutton but instead he saw the male version of her. Straightening up in the bed he looked Hudson in the face. “My bad, what’s up?”
“I want to say thank you.” Hudson walked over and put his hand out for Kahleno to shake and he accepted it. “You took a bullet for my daughter and for that, I owe you my life.”
“Nah, you don’t owe me shit. When I told you that I loved your daughter, I meant it with everything in me. I will die before I ever let anything happen to her. That woman is my life and now she’s giving me life, there is nothing in this world that I would put over her or my kids. I need you to believe that.”
“And I do, that’s why I’m here. Trouble is about to be taken care of.”
“Let me handle it.” He didn’t want to come out and tell him that it wasn’t Trouble and he knew it for a fact. He needed things to play out the way that he wanted them to before he acted, so for right now everyone involved was being watched.
“He tried to kill my daughter, I don’t know if I can sit back and let this shit ride.” Kahleno sighed, he knew the kind of man that Maniac was and he was for sure that if it were anyone else that he wouldn’t have gave the courtesy of letting them know. Kahleno respected that so he had no choice but to show the same courtesy.
“It wasn’t him.”
“Sutton said he saw the car.”
“She saw that car but Trouble wasn’t driving, I know for a fact that Trouble wasn’t driving that car, because I know who was. I’m just asking you to let me handle it, as a man. Let me protect my woman.”
“I’m not good at that, when I was out there, I handled shit as it came. I’m impatient as fuck when it comes to shit like this.”
“I know and I appreciate you coming to me, that shit means more than you know.” Kahleno nodded his head and Hudson followed suit. “I promise I’ll keep you in the loop but just give me this one.”
“Next time-” Hudson started and Kahleno interjected.
“There won’t be a next time.” His tone held so much power and confidence that Hudson didn’t bother to challenge it.
The love he had in his voice for Sutton superseded any doubt that he once had in their relationship. Seeing what his daughter had found made him want to move on with his life, Nova would forever have his heart but it was time to be happy.
“I appreciate that, treat her good. Maniac won’t accept anything less.” Hudson threw out a small threat that Kahleno accepted like a man, that was his daughter and he was sure that he would be the same way if he had a daughter. “Oh, and I do have an issue with one thing you did.” Hudson furrowed his brows. “You knocked her up without making an honest woman out of her.”
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” Kahleno smiled.
You Are My Son
The salt water assaulted Siya’s nose as she got closer to the beach. She had made the four-hour drive to find her son. Ever since Adoreé was little he loved the beach. He was the only one of her son’s that appreciated its serenity.
When he went and bought a beach house on his eighteenth birthday, it was no surprise to Siya. He didn’t think anyone knew about the house, but she did. She found the deed a little after he bought it a
nd right before he moved out on his own.
Pulling up she smiled at the upgrades that he had made to the house, she had only been here one time before and that was just to check it out and make sure that it was safe for her baby. She could see why he loved his place, it sat right on the ocean and it was so peaceful and placid.
When the realization of why she was there hit, her heart sank nervously. Her biggest fear is him rejecting her as his mother, that would destroy her and she knew it but he deserved an explanation and she was going to give it to him.
Slowly sliding out of the car, she made her way over to the door of the beach house. She knocked lightly, when she didn’t hear anything, she turned the knob and it was opened. Alarm set in and she raced through the house to make sure that he was okay. After making it through every room she picked up her phone and went to call Mega.
When she turned towards the window, there he was. She hit end on her phone and just stared out the window. Her youngest baby, her heart was sitting on a mound of sand looking out into the ocean. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, Siya wanted to cry for him, but right now he needed her to tell him the truth.
Sliding the sliding door back open, she took slow and deliberate steps towards AD who didn’t move. He knew who was behind him, he didn’t have to look. He could smell the scent of her perfume; she had been wearing the same scent for years. It had a flowery base just like what Icelynn wears.
Just the thought of her made him smile, he wanted to see her and apologize to her but how when he was all fucked up in the head. Thoughts of ending his life had crossed his mind but he loved his family too much to put them through that. Thoughts of going to see a therapist like he did when he was younger crossed his mind. Whatever he chose to do, he needed to do something; he could finally admit that he was tired of fighting these demons alone.
“I’m tired ma,” he said with his head down. Siya had to choke back the tears, they were stuck in her throat. “I’m so tired.” The tremble in his voice brought out the tears that Siya was begging to stay put.
“Baby I’m so sorry, but this changes nothing. I’m still your mother and no one will ever change that. Nothing changes, do you hear me Adoreé Maler?” AD hung his head low and his shoulders shook from his sobs.
