When A Woman Hustles

Chapter 9.

Chapter 9.

BAM BAM BAM BAM.
Her eyes jolted open as Reese sat in an upright position, her silk satin sheets falling into the center of her lap as she sat straight up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, glancing at the clock on the side of her bed. 8:53 a.m. BAM BAM BAM BAM. She heard another loud knock on the outside of her bedroom. She threw the covers back, wondering what the hell Jayla wanted and why she was bamming on her door so early in the morning. She reached the door, swinging it open. "What the fuck??" Her hair sat a scrambled mess on the top of her head as she came face to face with Jayla, who stood at the door with an evil look plastered on her face. She was dressed in her nurse scrubs which meant she had just arrived home from her overnight shift at the hospital. "What's up??" Reese asked.
Jayla glared at her. "What the fuck I tell you Reese? What I tell you about bringing that girls money in my house?"
Reese shot her a crazy look, "What the hell are you talking about??" She questioned her.
"What am I talking about??" Jayla repeated her. Digging in to her back pocket, she retrieved a stack of 100 dollar bills. Drawing her hand back, she tossed the wad of cash directly into her face, the paper swiping Reese across the lips as it fell on the floor. Shit. Jayla must have found the money she left hidden in the detergent box in the laundry room. Reese was really crap at hiding things and was not surprised to find out that Jayla had located her stash.
"Don't worry, it's all there. I don't want not one red dime!" She glared. Reese crossed her arms across her chest. She couldn't figure out what the hell Jayla's problem was. She felt extremely disrespected by the fact this girl really threw money in her face, but she decided against acting out and pushed that thought into the back of her mind. "What's your problem Jayla?" Reese asked calmly, really wanting to know the answer.
"You know what my problem is!" She shouted back. "All you do is think about yourself! I told you I didn't want that drug money in my fucking house."
Reese rolled her eyes. Jayla walked around this bitch like she owned everything and everyone who stepped foot through that door, which was not the case. "It ain't no drug money, Jayla. You don't even know what the fuck you're talking about."
Jayla stepped even closer, preparing to challenge her. "I don't give a damn what kind of money it is. Its dirty money Reese! And I told your stupid ass, but you still brought it in here and tried to hide it like I wouldn't find out!"
Reese took a deep breath. Her patience was wearing extremely thin. For the longest, she held her tongue and kept her mouth shut, allowing Jayla to talk to her any type of way and treat her as if she was a child. At this moment, Reese didn't need her money anymore nor did she have to suck up or kiss her ass. She wanted nothing more than to snap and tell this chick to remove her head from out of her ass, but she decided against cussing her the fuck out. "Listen why do you care what I do for money???" she questioned. "What does it matter to you???"
Jayla glared, her expression turning cold. "Honey, it matters to me because you are putting me in DANGER! Can't you fucking see that??? What you think is gonna happen if niggas find out you got all this money???? Do you forget we live in Baltimore?? Niggas will rob you for everything you got!"
Reese wanted to laugh in her face, but she didn't knowing it would only escalate the situation. Jayla had no idea what she was talking about and she was sick of her thinking she was a miss know it all... Reese leaned against the door frame. "I'm good Jayla. I don't need a mother okay? Last time I checked, I never had one so I don't need you pretending to be her now." Reese glared. At times, she felt people like Jayla took advantage of the fact that she had never had a relationship with her mom. Quite frankly, her mama was a prostitute hoe and she never knew who her real father was. Reese didn't have that leadership role in her life, which is the reason why she let folks boss her around and talk to her any way they wanted. But not anymore.

"I'm not your mama???" Jayla repeated, taken back by her response.
"That's what I said." Reese responded firmly. She was tired of Jayla pretending she was the boss and it was time she put her foot down.
"Okay fine." Jayla backed up. "You don't want to hear what I got to say?? You can GET THE FUCK OUT THEN!" She shouted the words loudly, the veins popping out of her neck. Reese's jaw dropped open as she made sure she heard that correctly. "Excuse me???" She asked, shocked that Jayla was taking it this far.
"You heard what I said!" Jayla spat at her. "I refuse to let you put me in danger! You need to get all your shit and you need to move the fuck out!"
Reese stepped forward, clenching her fist to her side preventing herself from swinging on this bitch. It was too early for this and Jayla was really pushing her buttons right now.