KUTZ

Chapter 3

He pulled from the curb and started in the direction of the shop never answering my question.

After pulling up to the barbershop Rio turned the engine off. Shifting in his seat he turned towards me.

"You wanted my help right?" He asked.

"I know." I said while sighing.

"It's two things we need to get clear." He said holding up his index and middle fingers to give me a visual. "Never ask me about what I do and two if I'm tryna help you, work wit me."

"I know and I'm sorry." I apologized again.

"Lets go." He said while opening the car door and stepping out.

I unhooked my seat belt and exited the car.
Why did I have to fall back to sleep? I questioned myself.

Rio and I walked into the barbershop and he dapped the barbers that were at their stations getting ready.

"Who is this fine piece of ass?"A dark skin man asked as he dusted off his styling chair.

I looked at him and frowned.

The man was the complexion of dark chocolate and stood as tall as five foot six with a nicely shaped goatee.

"Listen up." Rio announced. "This is Lauren. She gon be helpin' out fa a lil minute." Rio informed everybody while trying to hand me a broom.

"Well Lauren, since this rude mug won't introduce me, I'll introduce myself. I'm Black."
He held his hand out for me to place mine inside of his.

"Nice to meet you." I said giving him my hand.

He gently bought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

"Ight, get back to work." Rio said causing him to let go of my hand.

"My fault bro. That's you?" Black asked.

I looked at Rio as he still held the broom in his hand passing it to me.

"What's this?" I asked pointing to the broom.

"You use it to sweep." He said nonchalantly.

The men in the shop started laughing and I slowly took the broom from his hand and began sweeping.

Rio began cleaning up his station area for his first customer that sat in front of the barbershop waiting.

"When will I be able to cut hair?" I asked while sweeping the loose hair on the floor into a pile.

Black started laughing out loud and Rio chuckled.

"I'm serious." I said stopping what I was doing and placing my hand on my hip.

"Cut it out." Rio said seriously. "Yo. You next." He said getting his client's attention.

The man quickly stood up and made his way to Rio's chair.

"What up man?" His client said to him while dapping him. "Just taper the sides, a lil off the top." He instructed him.

I stood in the middle of the floor mugging him while he turned on the clippers and began cutting hair.

"It's not gon sweep itself." He said glancing up at me and smirking.

I rolled my eyes and went back to sweeping.

"Don't do that, it's not cute."

I smiled to myself as I kept doing my new job.

*
*

I survived my first day at Kutz Barbershop. Rio kept sending me on runs to the corner store to get him and the fellas snacks. By the end of the day I was exhausted.