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Whispers, mutters, and conversations are what invoked this shop. The one place where black women have come for decades for an immense amount of relaxation and just a dash of drama. Scotlynd watched nursing a bag of chips as Tessa was in her element, this was her passion. You could see it the way she paid attention to the details not leaving one hair out of place. The smile that barged upon Scotlynd's face she tried to shake it off, this was her cousin's dream and she was living it. Proud wasn't even the word.
"Girl, where is your man at? Shouldn't his chocolate self be walking through here with your lunch," Tessa's regular client Ms. Angie asked, turning in her chair to face her. "I told you, I wouldn't dare have my man in here around all these little hoes." The shrieks filled the shop as everyone cut to look at the middle-aged women. She returned their stares with a yeah-I-said-it look. After a moment of settling everyone resumed their prospective task. Tessa just shook her head sneakily smirking at her cousin while finishing her client's hair.
"Yeah, where is Julz," a brown skin called emphasizing his name. Scotlynd sat up in the chair, hearing the hidden undertones of the woman's voice. Her eyes went from the brown skin to Tessa and back and forth. Tessa wasn't able to sit the hot comb as it plummeted to the floor. "What do you mean where Julz?"
"I was just asking a question," the woman rebutted with a roll of her neck. Tessa grabbed the bridge of her nose pausing her steps. She was weighing her options. Hit her, ask questions later, or just hit her. "Get out," she said in a small voice. The woman threw her hands up in disbelief as she sat, hair in a wild ponytail, ready to be braided up.
"What about my fucking appointment?"
"Get out!" Tessa said once more.
"Girl you're doing all this about some community dick? Hell, I know a couple of bitches that have had it and you tripping over me?!" Just as the words slipped her mouth Tessa snapped. She forgot every professional bone in her body as she was laying blows on the women. The usual loud shop was quiet under shock. Tessa wasn't herself, she was scorn. Her heart had taken too many hits and she felt she was bleeding to death from the inside. Women after women. Messages, calls, all telling her that her man was in fact a man of the streets. She wanted to scream, wanted to cry, maybe even die. Even Scotlynd touch couldn't pull her from her trance. Her face was doused in her tears and sorrow.
"Get OUT!" Tessa fired from behind Scotlynd's grip.
In a blind fit of rage, Tessa couldn't see anything. Not the clients watching her, not her employees' mouths dropping. Nothing mattered. After so many times being hit, you learn to take it, but at this moment she couldn't. She didn't realize they were in the office until she heard the door close shaking her from her abstraction. "I'm pregnant," she said hushed in a shaky tone. Her hand touched her belly which held the tiniest ounce of life. "I'm pregnant... I'm pregnant by a nigga who— A nigga who constantly disrespects me and my body. I—," her lip shriveled as she held back all her tears in the last attempt to be strong. Scotlynds eyes bucked at the confession. Not knowing what else to do she grabbed her cousin holding her tightly as the whimper was like a little girl who lost their favorite toy. Tessa held on for dear life, feeling if she let go she might fall. Her body physical held no strength at this moment. No words, just sorrows, and regrets. To ride for someone so hard and finally, the wheels had fallen off.
