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    Tales From Sha-Hair-Azad

    By Najya Yasirah


    Girl Talk - Chapter 22



    “Damn,” said Sheila. Reyjah was wearing her burgundy outfit from the night before. She wanted to be on time for Ms. Holden. Nancy Holden, had just gotten highlights and  was now under the dryer with Velcro rollers. “I’m mad he got a condom collection,” said Sheila, drinking her coffee. Today, she wore yellow zebra print, black Guess? Jeans and matching boots. Her hair was in a ponytail and she even wore yellow John Lennon glasses.  “Did you ask him about the hotel?” she asked. “Nah, you kinda forget those things when someone is going down on you,” said Reyjah. “True,” Sheila nodded. “So, do you love him back?” “Damn right I do.” “Did you tell him that you were a millionaire?” “SSSSHHHH..no, yeah right.”
    “I think Ms. Holden is ready,” said Sheila peeping from the lounge.

    “Everyone at the party was asking about you, Reyjah dear,” said Ms. Holden.  “They  asked ‘where did you find that exquisite young lady?’”
    Reyjah smiled. “Would you sing that one song, again? The Celine Dion one?” Ms. Holden asked. “Okay…’When I was young, I didn’t need anyone…making love was just for fun, now all is said and done….” Reyjah sang as she brushed out Ms. Holden’s hair. “All by myself…don’t wanna be, all by myself…anymore…” When she was done with Ms. Holden’s hair, she was pleased. “This is remarkable, I don’t even feel , 35,” said Nancy Holden. “You don’t look 35, Ms. Holden. You are a sexy-ass woman.” Reyjah had such a charming personality. And she was such a meticulous hairdresser. Ms. Holden felt guilty for sleeping with Antoine even though he said that they were ‘best friends’.  “So have you seen Antoine lately,” she asked as Reyjah took off the styling cape. “Yes..he’s fine,” she blushed. “I can tell he likes you dear, I have known him for a long time,” said Ms. Holden. “How can you tell?” “Let’s just say, he looks at you in a way that he looks at others.” Reyjah walked Ms. Holden to the front desk. She paid Midori the salon fee, and gave Reyjah $50 for a tip. She kissed Reyjah on the cheek. “You are such a lovely girl, Reyjah dear, always remember that.”

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    Reyjah had had 6 more clients after Ms. Holden. Her feet were killing her. She went out to her Navigator to get her Nikes.  Her cell phone rang. “Hello?” “Hi, this is Kate!” “Hey Kate, how are you?” “Deuce loves my hair!” “That’s good.” “How was the party?” “I sang all night, and then when I finally found Antoine, we did the tango all night long.” “When you finally found him?” “Yeah, he slipped out for a moment, he doesn’t think that I noticed, but I did.”  Kate was silent. “Oh well, he watched me perform last night, and then we ended up having sex at his house. Excuse me, making love at his house.” “What??” “Yeah, he’s my first and from the way he’s talking, probably my only.”  “What??” “Yeah, he’s dropped the ‘L’ word.”  “What??” “Am I speaking in another language?” “Can you meet me somewhere?” “Where at?”  “Meet me at Starbucks ?” “Sure, when ?” “I’m headed there, now!”

    Kate was very concerned. She waved to Reyjah. She sat down across from her in the booth. “So what’s wrong?” said Reyjah. Kate took a deep breath. “Did you and Antoine use protection?” “Heck ,yes, and I’ve had surgery on my ovaries, so I can’t have kids.” “Oooh, sorry,” said Kate nervously.  She wanted to tell Reyjah so badly. “I have to tell you something, Reyjah, but please don’t hate me,” she said, holding her hand. “Girl, if it’s true, just say it…” “Antoine’s…really in love with you,” said Kate. “And I know this because he told Deuce and Deuce told me. He said that at Giovanni's he realized that you were the only woman that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.” Reyjah smiled, “Girl, thanks!” Kate grimaced. Damn why did she have to lie?

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    Reyjah went back to Sha-Hair-Azad after her break. When she walked in, Midori handed her a message. ‘Call Back-Urgent’, Akilah. “What the heck could be so urgent?” she said to herself. She went into the lounge with Derrick and Sheila. “I’m mad your sneakers don’t match,” Derrick joked. “I’m mad I’m getting bunions,” she joked. She dialed on her cell phone. “Hello, Akilah?” “Yeah?” “This is Rey Rey!” “Oh shhhh…” “What?” “I gotta tell you something but…what?”  “You remember how I kept saying that I knew Antoine from somewhere?” “Yeah?”  “Well, last week , this woman in her 40’s was really, really drunk, and she was going on about how she accidentally hit some girl at like 5:45 in the morning with her car, and how she got pissed  at the gigolo she was paying to screw her. She was also saying how he was fine, tall, dark olive skin, and his name was Antoine..and get this, she said that she got so pissed, she went to his house and cut his hair in all kinds of crazy ways….”
    Derrick and Sheila were banging on the bathroom door. “Reyjah! Reyjah!” they cried, are you okay. Reyjah was puking. Derrick burst through the door. Her head was in the porcelain bowl. Sheila got on the floor beside her. “What the hell is going on?” said Sheila. Reyjah got on her feet and went to the sink. She rinsed her mouth out with the salon Scope in a cup. She looked at Derrick and then at Sheila. “I just gave my virginity to a male prostitute.”

    Tales From Sha-Hair-Azad - Chapter 23