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The staff had assembled in the staff room in the back of the shop to discuss problems, solutions, changes, and updates. It was something that Tori started when she opened the shop, Tweet did it while she managed and since I would be managing the shop until Tori found a permanent replacement for Tweet, I kept the tradition.
All of the stylists were in attendance. All of the barbers – Blacc, Ced, Ed, and Nelson – were in attendance as well.
“This is my official first meeting with you guys. Tweet is in DC finalizing her building details and she will be leaving us next week. I am happy and sad at the same time. We are going to throw her a small going away party here at the salon next weekend. I will need your contribution for the food and liquor by the end of the week. On to shop business…”
After all the information was put out, I concluded the meeting, giving us a little time to mingle before our clients arrived.
“Cambria,” Blacc called from behind me.
“Yes, Benjamin?” I called him by his full name.
He rolled his eyes before he spoke. He didn’t like being called by his first name. When Blacc started working at the shop several years ago, I was positive that he was a white boy that was totally appropriating the culture. He dressed in urban clothing, called all Black women queen or sis, and sounded like he grew up around Black people or watched a lot of BET. He was always talking about Black people standing up and fighting the oppressive man. I expressed my frustration with him to Tweet and she quickly informed me that Blacc indeed was just as Black as his nickname indicated. His skin was fair and his eyes were grey, but he was Black. He’d always spoken to me like we knew each other.
One day he finally said,“You don’t remember me, do you?”
“Should I?” I responded, taking a mental inventory of all the guys I’d dated or kicked it with. The list wasn’t extensive and did not include a fair-skinned, grey-eyed one.
“Redmond Pool…” he watched me to see if the lightbulb would go off. It did.
“Oh, my gawd! You were that irritating white kid at the pool when I was thirteen?”
“That was me,” he smiled. “Except I ain’t white.”
We’d been close ever since.
“My fashion show is coming up soon. You still down for doing the wigs that I requested?” Blacc asked.
“Negro, did I say that I would do the units?” I sarcastically replied.
“Yes, Queen, you did,” Blacc responded.
“Then, I got you!”
I wasn’t too hard on him because I knew he was nervous about the first fashion show that his newly formed fashion house had put together. He designed men’s clothing as a hobby, but he got so many requests from people for his clothes that he turned it into a business. He had a team of people that sewed and created patterns for him, but he was the brains behind the designs.
“I was just making sure. I saw you smiling and texting somebody before the meeting. I don’t want ol’ boy stealing your focus,” Blacc said.
“First of all…”
“Uh oh,” Ced chuckled. “She’s starting a list. It’s on now.”
“Shut up, Ced and mind yours,” I chuckled.
I had a great relationship with all of the barbers. They were more like my family than my colleagues.
“So?” Blacc questioned.
“Blacc, I was texting, but I was not smiling. I was talking to my neighbor,” I said.
“And by neighbor, you mean Moe?” Blacc responded.
Blacc paid way too much attention and didn’t forget anything.
“Moe? Your client?” Ced asked Blacc.
“Yeah,” Blacc answered.
“He’s been sniffing around?” Ced asked Blacc.
