Geneva took another quick sip of her coffee and spun her stylist chair around. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you,” Cheryl said. “My knees are killing me. It’s so bad that my doctor said I’ll probably have to undergo surgery soon.” She sat in Geneva’s chair and held her handbag in her lap as though someone was going to steal it.
“I can store your bag in my drawer so you won’t have to hold it.” Geneva watched as the woman looked around the shop. “If it’ll make you feel more comfortable I can lock the drawer,” Geneva offered.
Cheryl smiled and nodded her head. “Okay, thanks.”
Geneva could see that Cheryl’s sew-in was high quality Brazilian hair, and whoever had cut it had done a very good job. She placed her hands on the woman’s head and could tell that she had a good amount of her own hair under tracks that had become slightly loose. “So tell me, Cheryl,” Geneva began, “what kind of style are you looking for today?”
Cheryl smiled and turned in the chair so she could look at herself in the mirror as she spoke. “I want something totally different. I’ve been wearing this weave for so long and now it’s time for a change. I want to go natural. I haven’t had a relaxer in over a year, and my hair under this weave is down to my shoulders. I was thinking about wearing it loose, kinda like Traci Ellis Ross’s hair. Do you think that would look good on me?”
Geneva nodded. “Yes, I do. Let’s go for it.”
Geneva began taking out Cheryl’s weave, track by track, as the two of them struck up a lively conversation. They talked like they were old friends catching up on each other’s lives. Geneva learned that Cheryl had recently gone through a messy divorce from her husband of ten years, and that she’d just relocated to the area from California and was staying with relatives until she could find a job and get on her feet. Geneva admired Cheryl’s bravery. She was a woman who’d decided to step out on her own and build a new life, rather than stay in a marriage full of hurt and neglect. It was the very same thing that Geneva had decided to do.
After Geneva finished Cheryl’s hair, she wanted to give herself a pat on the back for how well it turned out, despite the unforeseen challenges she’d faced at the onset. Cheryl’s natural hair was long, but badly damaged, requiring Geneva to cut it down into a tiny afro so it could grow out even and healthy. Cheryl didn’t blink about the drastic change, and had actually welcomed it. After Geneva shampooed, deep conditioned, and cut Cheryl’s hair, the woman looked like a million bucks and she said she felt like it, too.
Geneva unlocked her drawer and handed Cheryl her bag from inside. “Doesn’t she look great?” she said with excitement, turning to Donetta and Shartell for their expert opinions.
“It’s a nice look,” was all Shartell said. Donetta simply smiled and remained silent, which Geneva thought was odd.
“Thank you,” Cheryl said, looking around at everyone. She patted the short, glistening curls atop her head and admired herself in the mirror, turning at each angle to view her profile. “I love it!” She reached into her handbag and pulled out her wallet, still admiring herself, her eyes glued to the mirror. “How much do I owe you?” she asked Geneva.
“Nothing, it’s on the house.” Geneva placed her hand on Cheryl’s shoulder. “You haven’t found a job yet and you’re staying with relatives until you get on your feet. I know how that is. Just enjoy your new do and that will be my payment.”
Cheryl looked as though she was going to tear up and cry, but she held it back. “This is one of the nicest things anyone has done for me in a long time.”
Geneva smiled. “Pay it forward and do something nice for someone when you leave here.”
“I sure will.” Cheryl hugged Geneva tightly, then made an appointment to see her two weeks from today. “I’ve got you on my next visit,” she said on her way out.
Geneva sat in her chair glad to be finished for the day. It was six o’clock in the afternoon, and she’d been in the shop since six this morning.
“You about ready to leave?” Donetta asked as she unplugged her irons, kicked off her clogs and slipped into her stiletto sandals.
“More than ready. But I’m going to sit here for a few minutes, just so I can rest my tired legs and aching feet.”
“You had a long day and you deserve that much. Girl, you did the hell outa some heads today,” Donetta said. “That blowout you gave Lataylor was fit for an Essence spread.”
“Yaaaasssss!” Shartell agreed. “That do was the business.”
“Thanks. I love it when my clients turn out looking great, like my last one.” Geneva thought about Cheryl and she remembered how strangely both Donetta and Shartell had reacted to the woman’s appearance. “Is it just me,” she said, “or did y’all not like the way my last client’s hair looked?”
Shartell spoke first. “I meant what I said. It was a good look.”
Donetta pursed her lips and sucked her teeth.
“Donetta, you have to admit, she looked good,” Shartell said.
“What’s your problem with her?” Geneva asked her friend.
Donetta sat in her chair and crossed her long legs. “I don’t like that fake heffa. There’s something about her that screams messy-as-hell. Don’t you agree?” she said, looking at Shartell.
“Well, now that you put it out there. Yes, I have to agree with you. I don’t usually get bad vibes from people, but that chick had trouble written all over her.”
“You got that right,” Donetta chimed in. “I picked up on it the minute she limped her hefty ass over to your chair.”
Shartell nodded. “I overheard some of your conversation, and frankly, she sounded like the kind of person who says things just to sound good. Couldn’t you tell?”
Geneva shook her head. “No, not at all. I could see that she’s a little vain by the way she constantly stared at herself in the mirror. But I chalked that up to the fact that she was so happy about her new look.”
“Vain is being kind,” Donetta chimed in. “She watched herself in the mirror of every station she passed when she walked into the salon.”
Shartell nodded in agreement. “She sure did, but the thing that got me was the questions she asked you.”
Geneva raised her brow. “She talked about herself for most of our conversation, which I think was because it was therapeutic, given her situation. But she didn’t ask me many questions at all, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I do,” Donetta answered. “She didn’t ask a lot of questions, but the ones she managed to work into your conversation were very personal, asking about your husband and your friends, tryna be all in your business and whatnot. None of your long-time regular clients do that, but this woman who just met you, was in your business.”
“We connected on a personal level because we’re going through some of the same things.” Geneva came short of saying that she was in the same marital situation as Cheryl because Shartell was within earshot.
“Oh, because y’all both goin’ through a divorce?” Shartell said.
Geneva and Donetta looked startled, but they knew they shouldn’t be. Although they’d been very careful and hadn’t let on that Geneva was staying with Donetta, they knew it was only a matter of time before Ms. CIA found out.
Shartell waved her hand. “Don’t worry, I haven’t said a word to anyone. I like you, Geneva, and I know how private you are. If folks find out your business it won’t be from me.”
Geneva looked at Shartell with grateful eyes. “Thank you.”
“But I’ll tell you this,” she said. “Folks gonna know real soon because of what your husband did at the college a few days ago.”
Alarm ran through Geneva’s body. “What happened?”
“He got into a fight with the director of security.”
Geneva gasped. “That can’t be right. The director of security is his best friend. You must be mistaken.”
Shartell looked as though someone had insulted her mother. “When have you ever known me to be m
istaken about my information?”
“Never,” Donetta said. “Tell us what happened.”
Shartell looked at Geneva. “From what I understand, he was already beat up pretty bad when he showed up at his friend’s office. They exchanged some words that led to a fight. It took three campus police officers to break it up. Johnny ended up with a fractured jaw and three broken ribs.”
Donetta smiled while Geneva shook her head in disbelief.
“My Lord,” Geneva said.
“Shartell, you’re somethin’ else,” Donetta said. “Geneva’s his wife and she didn’t know, so how the hell did you find out so quickly?”
“You know I don’t reveal my sources,” Shartell said.
Geneva brought her hands to her mouth and shook her head from side to side. “This is just awful. What were they fighting about?”
“Johnny called his friend’s fiancée a bitch, not once, but twice.”
The sympathy that Geneva had felt for Johnny instantly evaporated. She knew that Candace was a good woman, and that she made Bernard happier than Geneva had ever seen him. But Johnny couldn’t stand Candace, and Geneva had heard through the grapevine that Bernard had proposed. She knew that probably hadn’t set well with Johnny. Geneva knew that Johnny’s disdain came from the fact that he was secretly jealous of Bernard’s newfound joy.
Geneva could only shake her head and be thankful that she’d finally opened her eyes to the kind of man she was married to. She made a mental note to remember to have a process server serve Johnny with separation papers first thing Monday morning.
“Damn,” Donetta said. “If he was hurt up that bad, I wonder how his friend is doing?”
“He’s much worse off than Johnny,” Shartell said.
“Oh, no,” Geneva gasped, putting her hand to her mouth again. “Is he in the hospital?”
Shartell shook her head. “No, he’s at home, probably searching Monster and Indeed.com at this very minute. They fired him the day after everything went down.”
“What? He just got promoted to that position.”
“And he just lost it. Girl, you know they can’t have the director of security fighting on campus. He even threatened to kill Johnny in front of people. Communicating threats like that in this day and time is a no-no. Zero tolerance is real.”
Donetta uncrossed her legs and stood. “I don’t know the man, but I feel sorry for him. And I can’t blame him for wanting to kill that no-good Negro, ’cause Johnny Mayfield ain’t shit. Plus he cost that man his job, and a good one at that.”
If Geneva thought she was tired before, she was exhausted now. She could only imagine how Bernard felt, and Candace, too. Although she knew she had nothing to do with what had happened, she felt a little responsible. She didn’t know if her leaving Johnny had sent him off the deep end, or if he was already at the edge. A sick feeling came to her stomach.
“Don’t let that bastard rain on your parade,” Donetta said. “Count your blessings that you got out of it when you did. Pretty soon he’ll be someone else’s problem, if he already isn’t.”
“That’s right,” Shartell said. “Keep your head up and enjoy your life.”
Geneva knew they were both right, and that she had a lot to look forward to. She and Donetta had been talking about opening a salon together for years, and in the week that she’d been staying with her friend they’d decided to turn their dreams into action. They had an appointment next week with the Small Business Administration to start filling out loan applications. Her personal life was also on the rise, thanks to Samuel, who’d shown her more love and care in a week than Johnny had done during their entire five-year marriage.
Geneva knew that none of the great things that were happening in her life would be possible if she’d stayed with Johnny. From the moment she walked out of her house, her life had skyrocketed to happiness. Johnny was a bad seed, and what happened to Bernard was proof that she needed to keep her distance from him. As Geneva packed up her bag to leave the salon and prepare for her dinner date she made up her mind that she was going to stay as far away from Johnny as possible.
Chapter 21
SAMUEL
Four months later
Just as the season had changed from late summer to late fall, Samuel’s relationship with Geneva had blossomed from unexpected attraction to undeniable love. Their relationship not only enriched his life emotionally, he’d physically benefitted as well, the result of a twenty-five pound weight loss. Through diet and exercise, Samuel had slimmed down his once pudgy waistline, increased his muscle mass, and improved his endurance. He’d gone from cute and sweet, to handsome and sexy, and he felt on top of the world with Geneva by his side.
They’d been seeing each other for four months, and it had taken that long for him to convince Geneva to finally come to his place and spend the night. Her initial hesitation was due to the fact that she was technically still married, and Samuel wasn’t. But now, after several months had passed, she couldn’t wait any longer to share private time with Samuel, outside of Donetta’s house.
Samuel sat close to Geneva on his lone couch in his small living room, sipping wine, and eating cheese and crackers that he’d prepared for their first date in his apartment. The room was lit by several cream-colored pillar candles of varying sizes, and the air was filled with the sound of soft jazz that serenaded them from Samuel’s extensive iPod playlist.
He was glad that his divorce had happened just as quickly, and without litigation, as his friend, Jerry, had said it would. It also helped that Vivana had wanted to end their marriage just as much as he did, and added to that, she didn’t want to challenge the abandonment and alienation of affection claims that Jerry had lodged on Samuel’s behalf. After the papers were filed and the thirty-day waiting period was up, Samuel was a free man. But Geneva hadn’t been so lucky. Johnny was making things difficult, and refused to agree to the terms Geneva was asking for in the separation agreement she’d filed, which was only her rightful half of their marital assets. Johnny knew she was entitled, but he refused to comply, and that’s why they had a court date set for next month.
“This is nice,” Geneva said, stretching her legs across Samuel’s lap as she sipped from her wineglass. “This was a long week and it feels good to finally relax.”
“Yes, and at my place instead of Donetta’s.”
Geneva smiled and looked around Samuel’s sparsely furnished apartment. “The candles are a nice touch.”
“I’m glad you like them.” Samuel made sure he paid close attention to Geneva’s likes and dislikes, and he knew that she loved candles. He enjoyed pleasing her and bringing a smile to her face because of how she made him feel. If his day was stressful or his mood was down, one smile from Geneva would erase whatever was wrong. He loved what she brought to his life, which was balance, support, and happiness.
Geneva had become just as much a fixture at Sandhill as some of the teachers were. Not only did she volunteer with the reading program, she split her time between several other projects and activities. Samuel marveled at how well she juggled it all. She managed to work at the salon during the day, devote time to her business plan of opening a salon with Donetta at night, and volunteer at the school on her days off, all while giving him her undivided attention when they spent time together. She was a good woman, and he felt blessed to have her in his life. Once her divorce became final he wasn’t going to hesitate putting a ring on her finger.
Samuel knew that Geneva would be an excellent wife and a great mother. She was a natural nurturer, and it showed in the way she cared for him, her friends, her coworkers, and the kids at school. They both wanted a family, and had already talked about starting one in the very near future. They were just that sure of each other. In all the time he’d been married to Vivana, she’d never wanted to discuss having a family, but he and Geneva had already picked out names and decided on how far they wanted to space their children apart in age.
“Thank you, Samuel,” Geneva said
.
“For what?”
She smiled and set her wineglass on the coffee table. “For loving me and for doing the little things that make me happy, like filling the room with candles.”
“That’s nothing,” he said, but still appreciated her acknowledgment. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Oh, really? Then show me.”
Samuel’s smile widened when he saw a familiar look in Geneva’s eyes that he now recognized and welcomed with excitement each time she cast it upon him. It was a tantalizing look that let him know that she wanted him, and it turned him on more every time. He set his wineglass beside hers, rose from the couch, and pulled her up from where she’d been reclined. He brought her into his embrace and kissed her deeply as his hands traveled to the roundness of her behind.
“Mmmm,” Geneva moaned as she searched his mouth with her tongue.
It only took a minute for Samuel to feel the stiffness at the crotch of his pants. He pressed his body next to hers, causing her to grind herself against him. He carefully guided her back to his bedroom, which was just as sparsely furnished as his living room, but was replete with glowing candles, and a bottle of champagne resting in an ice bucket on the floor. He watched as she surveyed the room. His small dresser held most of the candles, and was surrounded by a framed picture of the two of them that they’d taken at the state fair a month ago.
Samuel watched Geneva’s eyes dance with desire when they finally landed on the single red rose that he’d placed atop the Egyptian cotton sheets that had been pulled back, ready for their enjoyment.
“Oh, baby.” Geneva smiled. “This is just perfect.”
“Once I close on my new house next month I’ll have a proper set-up for you, but I’m glad this will do for now.”
Geneva wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. “I wouldn’t care if you lived in a shack with no running water, as long as we’re together, that’s all that counts.”
Samuel knew that Geneva genuinely meant the words she’d just said. There wasn’t a materialistic or superficial bone in her body, and her sincere kindness made him love her even more.
Secret Indiscretions Page 19
