Free Retribution by Cairo

chose to do the opposite. She fucked him instead. Even though Zena ended up marrying him—well, they’re in the process of a divorce now for some messy shit she did—she never got over what Persia did.
    Persia shrugs. “Well, that’s different. You and Felecia were practically raised like sisters.”
    â€œWe were like sisters. And the bitch turned on me. And from what I’m hearing she fucked Jasper at some point as well.” And your messy ass knows all about fucking someone else’s man.
    â€œHow do you know this?” I tell her I got it from a reliable source. She eyes me through the mirror. “And you believe this source?”
    I nod. “I sure do. The person who told me has no reason to make the shit up. And, to be honest with you, the more I think about how Felecia was always eyeing Jasper, I believe the shit’s true. She either fucked him, had his dick stuffed in her throat, or both.”
    â€œOoh, that bitch is scandalous. I don’t want to even think she’d be damn dirty to do some shit like that to you. Gossiping, yes. Fucking your man, let’s hope not.”
    Girl, please. You have some nerve!
    â€œDid you at least ask her? I mean, did she admit to it?”
    I frown. “I know that bitch did it. My gut says she did. And even if she didn’t, she was still doing shit behind my back that she had no business doing. So, let’s leave it at that.”
    â€œGirl, I didn’t mean to get you going. I had no idea.” I wave her on. Tell her that it is what it is. I spin her around in the chair, then finish tapering her neck with the clippers. “I hear you. Well, between you and me, you know Paris is still kinda pissed at her ass for gossiping about us to that chick she was with at your wedding.”
    â€œWhich chick? Cassandra?”
    â€œI don’t know what her name is. But she was the chick with the real big ass. The one who wore that fly-ass white dress and had almost every woman at the reception ready to poke their man’s eyes out for struggling to keep them off her ass.”
    I chuckle. “Oh, you’re talking about Big Booty. Uh, I mean Cassandra.”
    â€œYou had it right the first time. Big Booty. Yeah, her. That chickknows she has an ass on her. Mmmph. Well, anyway, she ran into Paris and Desmond at Short Hills a couple of weeks ago and told Paris that she and Felecia had been talking about how messy I was for fucking her man. Then that ghetto-trick told Paris that she had better watch me around Desmond because I was a messy bitch, or something like that. Can you believe that shit? Who the fuck is she? The nerve of that bitch! All I know is, Paris was hot. And that shit didn’t sit well with me, either.”
    Well, shit. It’s the truth. And, yeah, I can believe it. After that stunt you pulled, Paris should be watching your sneaky-ass like a damn hawk.
    I decide to keep this to myself. “Well, Felecia had no business running her mouth to Cass about that. But that’s what that bitch does. Runs her goddamn mouth. Listen. I don’t want to waste any more air space talking about that bitch. She’s dead to me. And I mean that.”
    â€œGirl, that’s fine by me. She deserves whatever she gets.”
    I purse my lips. Nothing more needs to be said on the matter. Persia and I move on to other things like work, her plans for the future, business down at the boutique she owns with her sisters, etc. Forty-five minutes later, her new look is complete.
    â€œGirrrl, you laid this hair out,” she says, looking in the handheld mirror, then handing it back to me. “I feel naked without all my hair. But I am loving my new look.”
    I smile. Tell her I’m glad she likes it. Then I walk her up front to the register so that she can pay for my services. She hands me a twenty-dollar tip. We hug. Promise to do better staying in touch, which is something we always say, but never