Page 74 of When I Thug You Like That

“You da shit. I approve.”

“Oh, I already knew that. This ain’t even the type of cut I’d do to convince you.”

I looked at her through the mirror and smiled. “You a cocky lil’ nigga.”

“Who needs to be paid. Run that 40 ball, my nigga.”

Laughing, I reached in my pocket and pulled three twenties from my money clip and handed it to her.

“Same time next week?”

“Got you.”

Just like that, I had a new barber. A female barber.

“Dad, look.”

Duke spun Justin’s chair around for me to check out his hair. His taper was clean, and from the smile on his face, he knew it.

“Yeah. You look clean, boy.” I slapped fives with him and looked over at Baby Jay.

I hadn’t heard a peep out of him the whole time. When Dre turned his chair, I knew exactly why. He had an iPad in his lap.

“Aight, lil’ one is done,” Dre announced. “You did good, man.” He held his fist up, and Baby Jay tapped it.

The boys’ cuts were already covered under a monthly plan I had with the shop, so I just tipped, and we headed back to the car.

“Don’t forget we getting pizza,” Justin reminded me as I pulled out of the lot.

I shook my head, smiling to myself.

“I ain’t forget.”

CHAPTER 12

Surprise Flowers

JAI’ANA

“Alright now, Mommy, how many more questions you gon’ ask on this call?”

I laughed, holding my phone between my ear and shoulder, as I poured myself a glass of Cran-Grape juice. I’d been on the phone with my mother for the last fifteen minutes, and she’d already asked about fifteen questions back-to-back like she was reading from a checklist.

“As many as I’d like. You know it’s still hard not living in the same state as you and not being able to see my best friend every day. I miss you, girl.”

“Awww, Mommy. Don’t make me emotional. I miss you too. Go ‘head, girl, ask me whatever you want.”

“Between you and Taina, I don’t know who’s the most emotional.”

“That would definitely be her.”

My mother had been claiming Taina as her own since we were teenagers. With me being the only child, it was natural for her to take on the girl I brought home every day after school to study, chill, and raid her refrigerator with. Moving to Texas after retirement with my stepfather hadn’t changed that. Even over a thousand miles away, she still managed to stay in tune and in our business.

“How she doing? I haven’t called her this week yet, but she’s on my list.”

“She’s doing good. There was a little situation at Chuston’s school last week, but she handled it.”

“Really? What happened, and why am I just now hearing about it?”