Six Sexxy Sisters✔️

17. Ashley on Her Own

Now that she finally told her sisters what she had been dealing with for the last six months, alone, she felt it relieved a lot of her stress. She put it in the back of her mind because cancer was not going to be her endgame.

She focused on her daughter and her business. Long as her daughter was happy and healthy and provided for, she was not going to be sad or depressed about her condition. She was a fighter, always had been, and this was just something else she had to fight.

"Girl! Miss you up in here in the shop," Freya, her right hand, best friend, assistant, partner and been there through thick and thin homie from the Lou said while they opened the shop and readied for the day.

"I miss getting my hands in some heads." She straightened her station, ready for her first client in about five minutes. She ran a tight ship, and lateness was not welcome on either side, her stylists or her customers.

At Styles by Ley they did some of everything because she hired as many diverse people as she could. She had two white beauticians for white clients that loved her, two African braiders, a Hispanic sister, and three Black stylists, one her good friend Raphael. He was gay and could do some of everything. From braiding to weaving to coloring to relaxing and natural hairstyles and did barber cuts. He was the best to ever do it, besides her.

If she had a specialty, and every stylist should, it would be weave. Any kind, from sew-ins to glue-ins, to braiding to bonding. Women, black, white, and everyone else, wanted not only longer hair, but they also wanted hair unlike their own, either soft and silky or curly and bouncy, or they wanted to sport an afro. There was nothing wrong with it. In fact, she wished more women diversified their look. Hair was an accessory like a pair of earrings, and who wanted to wear the same pair day in and day out?

Right on time her client walked in and rushed to her chair.

"Miss Ashley, girl, I miss those hands. Hook me up sister...or should I say Miss. Sexxy Ass Sister?"

"Girl look, you can call me whatever, long as you paying me and buying whatever I'm slanging lining my pockets and my family pockets," she said with a chuckle. "Kitty ain't the only one gonna be a millionaire in this family."

"Say it! Praise Jesus!" Freya said and looked up to heaven with a prayer.

She snickered at her because she was not much of the praying type. She loved God, went to church every Sunday she could with her family, and sang with the choir, but she believed if it was meant for her it would be.

"Can I get a loan?" Sheree asked, hand out. "I just need about four, five hundred thousand...I'll pay you back in the next lifetime."

"Girl, shut up." She grabbed a cape and tucked it around her, pulling up her sew-in locks, so she could begin the process of taking it out, washing, and reusing it.

Pretty soon, the shop was filled with stylists and customers and it was pretty noisy and gossipy. She was here for it all. She spent weeks traveling doing work for KStyle Fashions, it felt good to do her own thing.

"Girl, when is your sis mall opening? I'm ready to shop and ball out!"

"And is her man gonna be around for autographs, hugs, kisses...I mean, you know Icee fi-one!"

"Okaayyyyy!"

"Damn, I wish his brother was alive, I'd be all over that."

"That part!"

She laughed at them. She never thought anything about Craig or Icee. They were nice looking for sure, but she never fangirled or lusted after them. Big fan of their music, she listened to everything they put out and appreciated them putting little Springfield, Mo on the map. Good thing, now that her sister was married to Icee.