LEANDRA
When closing time came around, my feet were killing me. That’s the price I pay for being born with flat feet. I called Taj to tell him to grab some Popeyes on the way home, but he said he would be spending another late night on the set of the magazine fashion shoot. With all the drama that high-maintenance fashion designer was giving him, he had better be getting a fat check from this job.
Nishelle volunteered to stay behind to help me clean up while Sabrina and Javonte were out of the door as soon as six o’clock hit. I preferred to close with her anyway. “I’m starting to think that it was a mistake making her manager of the place.”
“Who, Sabrina?”
“She used to be so reliable. Now that I’ve made her manager, she’s stopped pulling her weight.”
“I never thought she was a good choice. I mean, Sabrina is cool and whatnot, but she plays and jokes around too much. ”
Everybody thinks that Nishelle is this quiet, mousy girl, but when it’s me and her in the shop, she’s quick to tell me everything that’s going on when I’m out.
“Yeah, I’m starting to see that. Oh, by the way, what was it that you wanted to tell me today?”
“When?”
“When you and I were in the office, before Sabrina walked in. It seemed like you wanted to tell me something.”
“Oh it ain’t nothing,” she said as she swept cut hair off the floor.
“Nishelle, look at me. If it’s about Sabrina or the salon, you need to tell me what’s up.”
“I don’t want to get nobody in trouble.”
“Stop acting like a teenager, and tell me what’s going on.”
“Well, you know Sabrina’s boyfriend, Kier, right?”
“Yeah, I met him once when we had the fundraiser for cancer survivors last year. What about him?”
“Well, while you were out sick, he was hanging around the shop a lot, and sometimes he would bring in a few of his friends to get edged up.”
“Okay, what’s wrong with that?”
“It was nothing at first, but I was noticing that day after day, he started spending more and more time here, hanging out, smoking those stink Black and Milds, kicking his feet up like his ass was at his crib.”
“Now Sabrina knows that I don’t want nobody smoking in in my shop. What was he doing in here sitting up if he wasn’t paying any money to get nothing done?”
“I have no idea, but Sabrina would just let him do whatever he wanted. Sometimes he and his boys would come here, smoke, drink and play cards until we closed. They would show up around two in the afternoon, and wouldn’t be up out until five o’clock, leaving the salon in a mess for me and Javonte to clean up.”
“Oh hell no, see Sabrina knows that I don’t play that shit in my shop. I’m trying to run a business.”
“That’s what I told her. She said that I better not say nothing to you about Kier and his boys being here, or that I would be sorry.”
“Her ass is the one that is going to be sorry,” I said.
“So, it wasn’t until a week before you came back, that I noticed that some stuff was missing from the salon.”
“Missing? What’s missing?”
“Some shampoo, hair grease and stuff.”
“So you think that Sabrina and Kier been stealing shit out of here?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them take nothing, but I’ve noticed that some supplies have been missing, and none of it was logged in, so I don’t know.”
I was livid to hear the news that Sabrina was using my shop like it was a goddamn Atlantic City casino, letting scrubs roll up in here and have the run of the place.
“Sabrina obviously thinks that she’s fucking with a clueless bitch, but it’s cool, ’cause I’m about to get her ass together. Somebody is about to be out of a job.”
Nishelle swept and mopped the floor while I wiped down the seats and mirrors. “I’m going to have to have an employee meeting.”
“Oh, and I don’t know where Krista at.”
“She hasn’t called?”
“Not a phone call, email or text message. I called her moms, but she said she hasn’t seen her in three weeks, so I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Damn, why does everybody start actin’ a fool every time I’m out? Sabrina’s stealing shit, Krista pulls a no-show. Wherever she’s at, she needs to keep her ass there because as far as I’m concerned, she is no longer employed at Radiance Salon. I don’t know what these girls think I’m running. See, that’s what I can’t stand, you show a little bit of weakness and the hyenas pounce trying to rip a lioness’s throat out. Well, not here. I’m the queen bitch of this jungle. This shit officially stops now.”
“I tried to tell them, Leandra, but you know nobody listens to me around here. They all treat me like the annoying little sister. Nobody counts me around here and I can work some hair better than Sabrina, Javonte and Krista combined, but all I do is answer phones and sweep hair.”
I knew the way she was going off, it was a dig at me, but I let Nishelle have her say since this was some shit she wanted to get off her chest.
“You know what, baby girl, you’re right. I admit that I have taken advantage of you and how loyal and dedicated you are here at the shop. Nishelle, I do notice how hard you work around here.”
“I’m sick of cleaning up Sabrina’s messes. I’m not a maid.”
“Well, trust I will talk to Sabrina and Javonte and that some changes will be made.”
“So I don’t want to keep bugging you about this, but I was wondering when you’re going to give me my own chair. You already know how I do. I stay late, I clean; organize the supply closet, clean the bathrooms and I even play plumber in here sometimes when the drains get clogged with all that nasty hair.”
“You’re absolutely right. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty in proving yourself, and yes, I do think it’s about time I turn you loose to do your own thing.”
“Are you serious?” Nishelle gave a wide-eyed smile.
“Absolutely. Krista has been M.I.A. for weeks and her station is just going unused, so why not?” Krista was a pain in my dick anyway.
“She and Sabrina are tight. She’s not going to like that.”
“I don’t give a damn what she likes. She doesn’t write the checks, I do. If she doesn’t like it, she can kick rocks.”
“I’m so glad you’re back.” Nishelle smiled.
“You and me both, baby girl.”
“So when can I start doing hair?” Nishelle asked.
“Well, I would need to hire a new receptionist, but I don’t see why you can’t start next week.”
“Oh my God, Leandra. I promise I will not disappoint you.” She roped her arms around me, giving me a hug.
“I know you’ll make me proud.”
“You’ve made my day, my week—hell, my whole year.”
“Lying up in that hospital made me realize that life is too short for the devil’s bullshit. I thought about all the things I wanted to do, but had not yet done. I thought about how it would kill Emjay if anything ever happened to me.”
Nishelle looked at me with a serious expression on her face. “Can I ask you something? You can tell me to mind my own business if you think I’m being too nosey.”
“Go ’head. What’s up?”
“Did you really intentionally run your car off the road?”
I was unsure whether or not I should answer Nishelle’s question, but since she had the lady balls to ask, then I had the lady balls to tell her what was up.
“I was going through a lot of pain at the time. Some family stuff that I don’t really want to go into details about.” I didn’t feel comfortable telling her about my mess with Emjay and Shariece. I was close with Nishelle like she was my daughter, but I wasn’t ready to go there with her yet.
“I totally understand,” Nishelle said. “I want you to know that if you ever need to talk, holler, vent, have a damn pillow fight, I’m your girl. You can call me day or night.”
“Thank you, baby girl. I could definitely use a friend.”
“Well, you got one in me. I want you to know that I gotcha back.”
“Good, so I don’t have to tell you that what goes on in the shop, stays in the shop. What I told you and what you have discussed with me about Sabrina and Kier stays here within these four walls.”
“Not a word,” Nishelle assured me.
By the time we were done sweeping and mopping, it was ten minutes after seven. Nishelle and I grabbed our purses, mine with that day’s deposits, and locked up. I made sure I had my keys in my hand that had a small thing of mace hanging from the key chain. You can’t be too careful on the South Side. I walked Nishelle to her car that was parked under an oak tree that was in the center of the plaza. “So, I want you to continue to be my eyes and ears around here. If you see anything out of the ordinary, let me know immediately.”
“Oh, absolutely.”
“I’m trying to run a business here, and I have to have people around me that I can trust.”
“And I’m your girl.”
Nishelle unlocked the driver side door of her white Ford Focus, and slid in.
“What are you going to do about Sabrina?”
“Let me worry about her. You go home and break open a bottle of champagne with your man and celebrate your promotion.”
“Oh my God. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get started, and I can’t wait to break the news to Devondre and Sabrina. Now that drama princess can clean up after her own messes.”
“Well, just remember what I said. What happens in Radiance stays at Radiance.”
I was so tired; I could barely walk to my car. I ran a few errands and stopped off to Popeyes to pick up some chicken and red beans and rice for dinner. I made it home in time to watch Scandal. I live for some Kerry Washington. I’m going to punch somebody in the throat if my girl gets snubbed again for an Emmy.
I wish Taj was home waiting up for me for once. I miss our cuddle sessions on the sofa. I had a good mind to go to that photo shoot and tell that prissy fashion designer to stop breaking my man’s balls and send him home, but I was too tired to even blink. I ate my dinner, and before long, I was nodding off on the sofa, barely able to stay awake to watch the last thirty minutes of Scandal.