Free Twisted by Tracy Brown

his black card—Celeste hoped he’d be the one to sweep her off her feet.

 
    Â 
    CHAPTER FIVE
    Just Like Old Times
    Brooklyn, New York
    Â 
    â€œH ow can I love somebody else …”
    â€œMary J. Blige is the truth! She said a bitch gotta love herself before she try to love anybody else.” Charly Hanson snapped her fingers to the beat of the song “Be Happy” playing on the hair salon’s radio. Her hair salon, Charly’s, was packed with saints and sinners alike, but all Charly saw was dollar signs. She didn’t notice some of her patrons wincing as she referred to women as “bitches” within the earshot of a few church ladies and several children. Charly didn’t care. It was her shop. And she did as she damn well pleased.

    People knew this about her and they still kept coming each week. That was because the stylists in her shop were some of Brooklyn’s finest. Dimitri and Lauren had the cuts and weaves on lock. Tina’s clientele was composed of mostly kids and old church ladies. And Charly’s friend Robin handled braids, dreads, and natural styles. Charly had an interesting relationship with Robin. While they had bonded during the time they worked together at Dime Piece, things between them had changed.
    There was a sense of friendly competition between the two of them. Charly was single and loving it. She was successful with her salon and she looked better than ever. She had no children, no steady man, nothing tying her down. Charly partied hard and traveled often. She shopped constantly and ate dinner out at restaurants far more than she ever cooked at home. And because of her looks, she had men lavishing her with these things. Charly was good at what she did. She liked to say that she had a hustler’s spirit.
    Robin, on the other hand, was more humble. She was the single parent of her son, Hezekiah. She loved him tremendously and her life felt fuller with him in it. Robin worked hard to keep him dressed well, eating right, and looking good. He went to private school, played in a football league, and scored excellent grades. She had never expected to be a single parent. But his father had died while Hezekiah was just an infant, and she was forced to do it all on her own. She had the odds stacked against her, but she managed to keep her
head above water. And Robin was focused. She had gone back to school, paying her younger sister a tidy sum to babysit Hezekiah while she did so. Robin worked hard and made good money. And instead of spending it on frivolous fashions and costly baubles the way that Charly did, Robin invested in her education. Now it was paying off. She was about to graduate from John Jay College and she knew that Charly was hating that. Robin was doing more as a single mother than Charly could ever accomplish with no one to worry about besides herself. Robin wore her education as a badge of honor, which only grated on Charly’s nerves.
    â€œRobin, you need to sweep all this hair up off the floor between clients.” Charly’s face was twisted into a disgusted grimace. “This shit looks horrible.” Her tone was condescending and everyone noticed.
    Robin kept right on braiding extensions into her client’s hair, ignoring Charly’s comments. This only further pissed Charly off.
    â€œHellooooooo,” Charly said.
    â€œI heard you,” Robin replied, locking eyes with Charly. “When I’m done, I’ll sweep it all up. Okay?”
    Charly wanted to curse her out, but Robin hadn’t given her a good enough reason to. Instead, she rolled her eyes and walked away. Just then, fine-ass Ishmael Wright walked through the door of the salon, bringing almost all chatter to a complete halt. Charly felt a shiver go down her spine as she looked him over from head to toe. Charly and Ishmael had
shared an intense sexual relationship years ago. For Charly, it had been so much more than just that. For her, it