"What I need from you is understanding, how can we communicate if you don't hear what I say"

I sang lowly to myself tuning out the customers inside of the store while I stood on a short ladder painting the wall in the front of the store.

"I don't get how you up there working after last night" Sammy drank from a water bottle with sliced lemons floating inside.

"I can't even tell you how I'm up here right now with the way I'm feeling"

There was no doubt about it that I went extra hard on the liquor last night and then woke up without even eating or drinking anything, I was miserable as hell.

" You got to stay hydrated my love" I wiped the sweat from my forehead on the back of my hand "You want me to get you something?"

"Sammy what you doing over here distracting her for?"

"I was just trying to see-

"You need to go see about those online orders that you behind on" Ermias spoke sternly making his sister roll her eyes and suck her teeth.

"Somebody in a pissy ass mood"

"Samantha" He warned her, I turned away to mind my business and get back to what I was being paid for.

"Okay I got it, damn!"

I could feel him staring at what I was doing, I stopped painting waiting to hear his opinion on it so far.

"When did we discuss the base of the wall being red?"

"I thought that was inside of the paperwork" I stepped down off the ladder sitting down the paint brush on top of the can.

"Nah I said black not red" He looked at the wall with a frown " Look if you not going to do the right work then I can find somebody else that's qualified to spend my money on"

I cocked my head back offended by the way he was coming at me over a small mistake.

"I get your displeased with me making a small mistake but you don't have to come at me like that, I can start over"

" You don't get it I need this done no later than today and it's already hitting four in the afternoon and you used up all of the red paint for the wrong thing"

His mood was off today and I knew it was because of my reckless actions the night before.

"Can you just chill?-

"Ain't no chilling, I got a full press day inside this store and the wall being painted was my finishing touch then you behind on designs"

"Whoa look I know you mad still about last night but you don't have to talk to me like I'm a kid, I can get it done"

"Nobody thinking about last night, you behind on work and you not focused" I closed my eyes counting backwards from ten because I knew how crazy my mouth could get.

"I apologize for not being fully focused, I didn't think we would have to come right to work after all that partying last night"

"You gonna have to learn how to deal with it because we do it a lot"

I chewed on my bottom lip, squatting down inside my supplies bag to get my wallet and phone out, I needed to get away to calm my nerves and temper.

"Again I apologize for not being fully in the zone like you expected as far as the wall, I am going straight to the paint store to get more red paint and your wall will be finished and dry by tomorrow afternoon"

"Aight" I blew out a breath of frustration watching him walk away.

The fifteen minutes on the bus to the craft store would help me clear my head and I could pick up some Gatorade to help with my dehydration and nausea.

"Turn the hell back around"

I smiled at Rico chastising me over getting on the bus, I dropped into the seat beside him sighing.

"I have to go get supplies for the job I'm doing at Ermias store"

"Why you don't seem happy? and you look type sick"

Rico picked his book bag up sitting it into his lap unzipping it passing me a Smart water.

" I'm not happy at the moment and Ermias had a welcome dinner for me last night along with us going to the club and I drank my ass off" I softly smiled remembering how good it felt to have fun.

" Why aren't you happy and drink the God damn water you looking like a white woman on this bus"

I did as he said guzzling the water down feeling slightly better but I was still starving.

"I may have had Ermias driver drop me off at the Caribbean market late at night because I didn't want him to know about where I lived"

Rico chuckled shaking his head at me.

"You got a roof over your head, why you ashamed about that?" Especially around Nipsey, he's a hood nigga"

"Because the minute somebody finds out I live in the hood they pre-judge me before even getting to know me and my story" I drank some more water avoiding eye contact with Rico.

" Then you wear that shit proudly, so the hell what you from the streets, that shit made you who you are and made you stronger"

I knew the streets helped mold me into the woman I was today but it was also responsible for breaking me.

"People relate more to someone who is open about going through the struggle more people than you know"

Maybe I shouldn't have judge people myself thinking they would think any less of me, maybe I did that based off of how my mom treated me once she found out where I had ended up once she kicked me out for getting pregnant and dropping out of college to raise Kameron.

"I will try to do better with that because I pissed Ermias all the way off over it and I'm currently getting the cold shoulder"

"You sure he's suppose to be only your boss cause he sounding like your man"

"Trust me he shut down anything happening between us because he wants to keep it professional"

It wasn't like I was ready to be in anything serious or even date right now but I was feining for some dick and he seemed like a good candidate to help with my drought.

"You seem disappointed"

"Over him? Please" I scoffed trying to play off like I wasn't the least bit bothered

"You're blinking your eyes too much so I know you bullshitting"

I stood up holding the pole to balance myself while the bus came to a halt.

"This is my stop"

"Make sure you get you some more water and something to eat to nurse your hangover and by the look of this picture I know you feeling Naybahood Nip"

"How did you get that" I gasped.

"The Shade Room, you famous now"

I was shocked getting off the bus, did Ermias name really hold that much weight? And what was this shade place saying about this?

....................................................................

Today was press day at the clothing store for me and last night when I had left out Kierra was still there painting the wall and honestly if it wasn't ready then I couldn't continue doing business with her.

Not to say I would completely fire her I just would have to place her somewhere else and pay her less which she didn't need right now.

"Ah shit" I laughed proudly seeing the wall finished and how I envisioned it as soon as I pulled up in my parking spot at six in the morning some of the lights were still on and I could see Kierra's bag was still here.

"Good morning pops"

"The way you worked that young lady and your sister yesterday wasn't right, how could you expect them to work hard when you had them out partying all night"

"I was partying too and had enough energy to get up and do what I had to do yesterday"

"That is you not them, she stayed over night to finish this wall for you to show off to the people coming in today and made new designs for your new collection while you slept so peacefully in your bed she was up working and now in the office sleeping on the floor so if you can keep it down"

My dad was mad and that was rare to see, I didn't expect Kierra to stick around to start on designs after she was done the wall.

"Oh and if you can turn around and go out to get breakfast for her because I didn't see her eat anything from the time I saw her yesterday and when I opened up"

I called myself punishing Kierra for what she pulled the other night instead I was causing strain on whatever business relationship I was trying to build with her.

"Alright pops, you want anything?"

"Ful with eggs and coffee"

I nodded heading back out the door to my car so I could go and get them breakfast.

: Baby sis, I was tripping yesterday come through later dinner on me -6:06 A.M

When I was wrong I was wrong and I was all about owning up to my shit, I was out of line for treating Kierra and Sammy like that.

: Tequila too cause you was coming crazy cuz-6:09 A.M

: Matter fact invite Kierra too cause you did her dirty-6:10 A.M

My first mistake was going off on a small problem with the wall and then letting her get on the bus to get the paint and making her do extra work after she was done with the wall, shit the list was long as hell and breakfast wasn't a big enough apology.

: Fasho, slide through around five- 6:12 A.M

I got Kierra a big ass breakfast platter and fruit salad along with some flowers as a thank you for her hard work.I shouldn't have doubted her work ethic and her ability to work through pressure because clearly she could handle it.

: Nip an emergency came up and I know how important it was for me to braid your hair today but I can't make it-6:20 A.M

This shit was instant karma for how I was acting yesterday, my braids was frizzy as shit and Complex was coming to film and interview me I couldn't be on camera looking like this.

: Don't trip, I hope you straight and will set up something once you got time-6:22A.M

I returned back to the store with breakfast for my pops and Kierra, this time she was awake when I walked in.

"Hear pops" I handed his bag over, walking up to Kierra holding out the flowers " Can we talk?"

"Sure, is everything okay with the wall"

Her voice was raspy and her hair was thrown up into a bun and she had a pair of sweats on from my collection that I'm sure my pops let her have. I followed her into the conference room.

"That shit fire but this ain't about that, this about how I treated you the other day I was out of line and I apologize for disrespecting you"

"You scared me with threatening to demote me after just one full day of working for you"

"Nah I wouldn't do that I was talking shit, this a little apology" I gave Kierra the breakfast platter, she smiled up at me like she already forgot everything I did yesterday.

"Isn't today press day?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Your hair is kinda messy I just thought you would get it braided over before they came" I knew that shit was going to be recognizable I rubbed my hair.

"My braider had an emergency so fuck it"

Kierra ate some of her turkey bacon looking at my hair for a minute with her eyes squinted.

"What? Why you staring like that?"

"If you get the hair supplies you use I can braid your hair for you" I didn't let anybody touch my hair especially people who weren't certified.

"Can you do this actual braid or you just know how to do basic cornow?"

"I can braid really well but if you just want to look scruffy than be my guest"

I wanted to look fly as fuck for this interview, I wanted to make a good first impression and to catch people eye.

"I gotta go back to my crib and get it, how much you want ?"

"I'm okay just go get the stuff"

There was no way in hell she was going to do this without me paying her.

"Two hundred good?"

"I just said I'm okay, you don't have to pay me for this"

"You not doing shit for free, stop selling yourself short in whatever you do"

She nodded.

"Two hundred is more than enough"

"Bet, when you done with my hair I'll drop you home and you get some rest and start back up tomorrow morning"

"Okay" I went to walk away but I stopped coming up with a crazy idea.

"You mind coming with me to my house to braid it?"

"Y-your house?"

"Yeah you cool with that?" Kierra nodded closing her food up "I'm going to have to shower while I do that you can sleep in my guest room"

"I actually need a shower too" The horny ass nigga inside me told me to invite her into mine and fuck the business relationship bullshit on the other side the respectable man in me was telling me to offer up the second bathroom "If you don't feel comfortable with me showering at your place it's fine I understand"

"Nah you can I got an extra bathroom, you need some clothes you can grab some sweats and a shirt you want"

"Thank you"

I thanked the man above for helping me have self control in that moment but I couldn't make a promise if it happened again that I would do the right thing.