I finished up my third client of the day and sent him on his way. To keep my mind off of things, I buried myself in work as usual so Smokin’ Kutz is where I had had been living for the past few weeks. Occasionally Elle would cross my mind and I would busy myself into doing something so that it could distract me from her. I had decided to keep her little indiscretions to myself because I knew if Flame found out that she had something to do with him getting locked up, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.
“So, KB, what’s going on with your peoples?” I heard Iggy ask Kiyan. It had been a few weeks since he had had the bomb dropped on him that his grandmother was basically stalking him.
“We talked in depth and she basically told me everything that I need to know. Of course, we are going to take a blood test, but until then we’ve just been taking things slow.”
“That’s good to hear man,” I chimed in. I was genuinely happy for my brother because a family was all he ever really wanted.
“What’s going on with you Iggy?” I turned to him. “And how is Beauty?”
He looked up and smiled. Sprung ass nigga.
“Everything straight on our end. She is getting better and basically want to be up under me all the time, but I love it to be honest.”
“Whatttt! Ain’t never gone fall I love Iggy really out here with one woman. I never thought that I would see the day brother,” Kiyan slapped the back of Iggy’s head.
“Hey, we all have to grow up one day and we had the talk,” he put emphasis on the talk and Kiyan and I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“And?” I questioned wanting to know how she reacted to learning about his alternate lifestyle.
“And, I’m out the game ghost,” he replied mocking his favorite shoe power.
“Whaaaatttt!” I replied stunned.
“Yeah, man. It was either her so it, so I you know what I chose. But between us y’all know that shit gone always be in my blood so if I need to step back in, she does not have to know that,” he winked.
I couldn’t believe my ears, Ignitus Baptist was really in love for him to make that decision, but I couldn’t do anything but salute him for that shit though. It’s hard to get in the game, but it’s even harder to get out.
“And you? Since you full of questions, you still not talking to run away love,” Iggy joked talking about Elle.
“Nah, I’m not even on that,” I replied simply.
“What did she do that was so bad?” Kiyan asked. “I know she disappeared for a little minute, but she’s back now.”
He didn’t even know that half and I wasn’t about to tell him. The guys didn’t even know that she was pregnant, and it was going to stay that way.
“You might as well talk to her man,” Iggy offered and it’s crazy because his ass was usually the stubborn one.
“Man, I don’t have to do shit, Father Time.”
“Yes, you do because she’s walking this way,” Kiyan and Iggy both nodded outside and I saw that Elle was walking up to the shop.
“Baby girl done put on a little weight too,” Kiyan and Iggy both had their heads cocked to the side watching her walk up in the colorful sundress that she was wearing. She looked good though.
The bell chimed signaling that she had entered, and I could tell that she was nervous. She waved a shy hello to Iggy and Kiyan before turning to me.
“Can we talk, please?” she asked timidly.
I nodded towards the door following her out.
We got out there she only looked around like she didn’t know what to say.
“What’s on your mind Elle?” I asked getting a little frustrated.
“Shameer I don’t want to be your enemy,” she started out.
“You are not my enemy Elle; I just don’t trust you.”
“I know and I get that, but I don’t want us to act like strangers either. Regardless of what you and I have to do, we will have to raise this child together. I guess what I’m trying to say is I just don’t want you to resent the baby because of the mistakes that I’ve made.”
She looked up at me towering over her, squinting her eyes from the sun. Three freckles sat on her pointy nose and I could feel the sincerity radiating from her. Yeah, she had fucked up big time and things would probably never be the same between us but, I couldn’t stay mad at her forever.
“We’re straight Elle, there is no love lost. I not ready to be smiling all in your face yet, but you know I’ma be here for you and the little one and whenever you call I’ma come running.”
She smiled a little making me smile to myself.
“And just in case you didn’t know, that shit that happened in Ohio.”
“Never happened,” she finished my sentence.
We stood silently for a while.
“Well, I’m going to get on back in here, I have a customer waiting.”
“Okay, I guess I will see you around and thank you for talking to me.”
We hugged like this was going to be our last time seeing one another, but I knew that it was deeper than that. I was going to have to be friends with the girl that I was in love with.
I got back to work an before I knew it three hours a flew past right when I was on my last head. The bell chimed again letting me now that someone was entering, like it had been ringing all day. I definitely would have to go back to only cutting four heads a day or two days a week like Flame because this shit was getting outrageous.
I looked p and I was met with the eyes of a familiar stranger. It was the dude that I had saw with Sandy a few weeks back. I immediately stepped to him, Iggy and KB following my lead ready for whatever.
“I come in peace,” he held his hands up as if he was surrendering,
“Fuck is this dude?” Kiyan asked, unusually gangster.
“The weakest nigga in America. Guess who this fool is fucking?” I asked with a laugh. “Sandy.”
Kiyan and Iggy both fell out laughing. The shit was comical. Sandy looked like a light skinned rat in the face and any nigga who was fucking her was just doing bad.
I was surprised when he Cracked a smile too. He must’ve knew that he was a gump ass nigga.
“Speak your peace, before piece be steal,” Iggy said, going for his girlfriend on his waste.
“Damn, them Baptist boys tough, but I like that. I guess that the reason Sandy hate y’all fucking guts. I’m on y’all team though.”
“Again nigga, who are you?” Kiyan asked.
“The nigga that’s gone help y’all get rid of that mangy bitch for good, but I have to let y’all know. That Muggs want y’all so bad that she put some shit in your trunk,” he pointed to me.
“I don’t know what it was, but I bet you it ain’t nothing nice. I was following her last night and she pulled up to this shop, popped the trunk and put a bag in this bitch. I knew that it was yours because I remembered your car from when I first seen you at the restaurant.”
“And why the fuck should we believe you?” Iggy inquired.
“Man, you don’t have to, but I’m the type of man who looks out for the people who look out for me. Sandy spoke about y’all so much that I did my own street research and found out that Flame was y’all’s brother. He was locked up with my lil’ brother and looked out for him so I thought that I would repay my gratitude. Yeah, I was fucking with Muggs, but it was only to get some shit on her for my brother. She was fucking with him when he was in high school, but she was grown. The folks found out, that my brother was underaged and then the bitch screamed rape, now my brother doing time for some shit that he didn’t even do.”
This shit had to be a joke. I listen to what ole boy was saying and it was the same shit that Sandy had tried to do to me. The shit was bazar, whole time I thought he was knocking her down because he was with her, but he was only playing her ass.
I’m done with her ass, I got what I needed from her to get my brother out, so I thought that I would just warn y’all. The stupid bitch keep diaries and shit of everything that she does. She crazy as fuck for real.
“Man, this some bullshit,” Iggy said out loud. I was glad that it was the end of the day so the shop was packed at all.
“Aye, look man all I have is my word and Scar banks isn’t no weak ass nigga so trust my word is bond, but I just came to tell you to lay low blood and take that shit out of your car,” he looked at me.
“Damnmit!” I snapped realizing that flame and I had switched cars, just some random shit that we always did since we were little.
“Flame got my car,” I said, to my brothers.
Iggy instantly started to try and call his phone, but he didn’t answer.
“Man, hopefully y’all can get in touch with him because if he driving, I know for a fact Sandy done had somebody watching the car and there will be a routine stop wherever he is. I heard her talking about the shit on the phone earlier. It should be happening—" he looked down at his watch.
“In about ten minutes.”
Iggy got on the phone and tried to call Flame again and again he didn’t answer.
“Damn, man this the only person I know who always his phone in his hand have but never answers the bitch,” Iggy snapped.
I tried calling Pia too and what do you fucking know, there was no answer.
Shit at this point all I could do was ride out and continue to pray that Muggs wouldn’t win again.