Part 2 of this story will be on that account ]

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𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲 | 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚇 ;

❦

After organizing the lash supplies in the storage I turned off the light and walked to the main area of the studio where the hair vanities are.

We close at 9 on Thursdays and it was already 8:30 and most people book lash appointments earlier in the day. The only people who really stay until closing are the employees that wanna color wigs or practice, and customers that are still finishing up their hair. The only people left in the studio currently were me, Camille, Aijah, and Kania since Aijah was doing her

hair.

I sighed and walked to the front desk with a fat ass headache to do today's money count. "You still feel like shit?" Aijah asked and I nodded.

Ever since the gender reveal I been having flu symptoms. I have a feeling I got sick from Cee cause she got a fever right after the gender reveal. Yea, sis got a fever in the middle of Summer. I don't know where they do that at.

"You should've stayed home girl." Camille added making Aijah nod in agreement.

"I would've but theres soo much stuff to be done. I gotta order more colored lash strips cause we ran out again and there are utility bills to pay."

"Tell you what, if you still feel like shit tomorrow don't come. I got it all covered." Aijah reassured and I nodded.

I took all the cash we made out and started putting them in different piles while writing down all of the credit card payments in the journal. I could barely actually focus cause my head was hurting like a bitch, but I already started counting so I didn't wanna stop 'till I was completely done.

"Niggas are actually weird." Cami groaned and threw her phone down in her lap. "Like they'll really sit up here and do you weird as fuck but the moment you start playin' their game they wanna act all butt

hurt and shit."

"What happened?" I asked as I separated the bills into their designated piles.

"So I found out that this boy I was messing around with or whatever had multiple females in his phone that he didn't look like he was getting rid of anytime soon. So you know what I did?"

"What?" Kania asked with a mouth full of barbecue chips.

"I collected my hoes too!" Cami threw her hands up. "Then the nigga gon' go through MY phone and tell me that it's not cute when a girl has multiple niggas in her phone and it makes her look like a hoe." She narrowed her eyes.

"Like bye! I'd be a hoe if I was fucking all of them but i'm not. They're for entertainment purposes only."

"She said entertainment purposes I'm fucking crying." Me and Nia bussed out laughing.

"Girl I used to be on that same type of time too. Before I got with Rell obviously. But there's nothin' wrong with running game on niggas." Aijah shrugged.

"One of y'all teach me how to play niggas." Nia cheesed. If only Samiron was here to hear this shit.

Cami jerked her head back. "Hell naw! So yo brother can kill us and bury our bodies?"

"Honestly, I'd rather her play niggas instead of niggas playing her." I shrugged. "Facts!"

"Wait so what's up with you and Dina?" I wiggled my eyebrows at Camille.

She laughed, "We text here and there, she's a real coo person honestly. But she be volunteering at that middle school and shit so i'm waiting for the school year to be over so I can actually kick it with her."

"That's wassup."

The door chimed and I looked up to see Eli running in. "Fuck you doi-"

"Give this to yo boyfriend for me?" He asked in a hurry, throwing a bag on my desk.

"Um oka-"

"Thank sis. Love you!" He yelled, running back out the door.

"There's something wrong with him." Camille mumbled.

"We been knew that though."

"Y'all still fuckin around?" Aijah asked Cami.

"Naw, he was just a coo lil' one night stand. Definitely gives me hoe vibes." Cami replied and I just pursed my lips to the side. Glad she found that shit out.

I looked at what Eli put on my desk and it was a bag of "flour" but the top was taped shut. With scotch tape. I undid some of the tape and looked in the bag to see a bunch of smaller ziplock bags. I already knew what it was so I shook my head and taped it back up.

I don't know why Eli's even gave me this 'cause i've made it clear for years that I don't want anything to do with the business they got goin' on. And more

importantly I wanna know why he's giving this to Samiron. Granted he has been talking about opening up the club with Rell and it seems like he's actually doing it so I'm definitely happy about that. But I'll be relieved once he leaves the streets for good, whenever that might be.

I put the bag in one of the slide-out drawers in the desk and continued counting. "Nia are you out of school yet?"

"Nah, Tuesdays our last day."

"What do you wanna do this summer?" Camille asked her as Aijah ran the straightener through her wig.

"I don't know,. I just don't wanna be in the house that's fasho. Kai has basketball camp up until mid-july so I can't even do anything with him." She poked her bottom lip out.

"Y'all take that 'twin' term too seriously! Y'all are literally attached at the hip, that shit is crazy." Aijah chuckled.

"Literally! But we should go back to Florida this summer and take Nia with us." I suggested and Aijah nodded.

"Ooohh! I'm finna ask my daddy." Nia cheesed.

"Fuck yo ugly ass daddy." Someone mumbled. I turned around to see Samiron walking in looking fine as fuck like usual wearing some distressed Amiri jeans, a wife beater with a towel over his shoulder,

and his Alvah Yeezy 700's.

"Um we have the same dad sir." Nia stated in an obvious tone. Samiron shrugged before walking behind the desk to me.

He smiled and leaned in for a kiss but I backed up. "I don't wanna get you sick." I told him. He sucked his teeth and pecked my cheek, forehead and nose anyway.

"Shouldn't have even came to work today if we're being honest." He said as he walked back around the desk and leaned forward with his arms crossed.

"There's shit that has to be done."

"Shit that we could've did!" Cami shouted making Aijah turn around and nod in agreement. "Y'all ade supposed to be on my side." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't you got yo check up at the hospital in a few days? You can tell them you sick then." He shrugged.

"Aw. You remembered." I cooed.

"Duh. You been told me you don't like hospitals so you asked me to come with you." He looked at me like I was dumb.

"Oh. Damn, you right. "I pressed my lips together. He chuckled and mushed my head before walking over to where Nia was getting her hair done. He stood there in front of them silently, rubbing his chin with his eyes narrowed at both Nia and Aj.

Here he go.

"You made her look grown." He finally said, mugging Aijah. "Well shit, hello to you too!"

"Fuck off."

"Samiron this is not grown! I wanted red then you and daddy told me that was too grown so I got this instead." Nia said since she ended up getting a brown wig with honey blonde highlights as opposed to the burgundy one she originally wanted.

"You look older than 16. I don't know how to feel 'bout that." Samiron pinched his eyebrows together. Ole hating ass.

"Shut up, she looks good." I smiled while Aijah combed through her hair nodding.

Nia frowned and looked in the mirror before looking back up at her brother. "Does it really look grown Samiron?"

"Naw, i'm just fuckin' with you. You look beautiful." He nodded and she smiled.

If it's one thing about Samiron it's that he's gonna treat Nia like his own daughter, especially since that's his only sister. Samiron pays for her clothes, shoes, nails, hair— all that. But then again, she's been the only girl in a household full of boys since she was ten years old which is why they all spoil her the way they do and are so overprotective of her.

"Awww!" Me, Aijah, and Camille all cooed

"Shut y'all loud asses up." He mugged.

"Rude! Anyway c'mere, I have a bone to pick with you." I pointed at Samiron. He sighed and walked over to the desk like a lil' kid who's expecting an ass whooping.

I took out the bag that Eli gave me and threw it on the desk in front of him. He untaped the bag, peeked inside, and nodded to himself like an idiot.

"You wanna explain that to me?" I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. "You're giving me interrogation flashbacks right now, shorty." He shook his head as I kept a straight face, waiting for him to reply.

He finally sighed. "Listen, I am serious 'bout stepping away from the streets, but I'm trynna stack my money up before I do. So Eli had an extra brick he got from this nigga up in Dallas so he gave it to me." I exhaled and shook my head. "An extra

brick Samiron? Really?"

"It ain't even that much! I'm just trynna stack my bread up, you know how it is."

"What if you get caught up befo-"

"I'm not. We good." He cut me off. "You don't know that."

"Yes I do. I know my way around. I'm not new to this. I got certain people that I trust handling this shit for me. I'm just giving the shit out and letting the money come back to me." He shrugged making me huff. It's literally the same speech with him every time.

"Whatever bro. I'm not gonna repeat myself again cause everything I say goes in one ear and out the fuckin' other." I waved him off.

"Chill out." He looked at me for a lil' longer before motioning for Nia who had just gotten done to hurry up.

Nia said bye to Cami and Aijah before coming around the desk and giving me a hug. "Bye, sis in law!"

I chuckled and pulled away from the hug. "Bye sis."

"Here. Go start the car." Samiron handed her the keys to his Hellcat. She nodded and waved at us one more time before leaving.

"You mad at me?" He walked back around the desk and I shrugged.

The more product he brings in the less he cleans his money and that's what pisses me off. I understand trying to get your money together before you leave the streets, but that doesn't mean being more careless about it. It's like he's asking to get caught up or arrested at this point but he swears he knows what he's doing so I can't tell him shit.

"Don't be mad, baby." He said as he combed his fingers through my hair. When he got the memo that I didn't feel like responding he blew out a breath.

"I'm finna drop Nia off and go to the sto'. Text me whatchu want." He said and I nodded.

Samiron leaned down and pecked my forehead. "I love you." He said lowly, making me bite my smile back.

Those three words always make me so jittery and he hasn't stopped saying them since the first time he said it. He'll say it before we get off the phone, through text, even if he's about to leave the room.

He never misses the opportunity to say it and I love that about him because you never really know when your gonna see someone last.

"I love you too." I pursed my lips to the side to avoid smiling.

"Say it again." He smirked and I chuckled, mushing his head back. "Say it again girl."

"I love you, Samiron." I tilted my head back and looked into his eyes. He smiled and walked back around the desk and picked up the bag of "flour"

"Love you more shorty." He winked and made his way out the door.

Good thing he left cause I was 'bout to let him bend me over this desk and fuck the sickness out of me.

"Y'all done swallowing each other's tongues?" Aijah asked as she and Cami walked out the storage room.

"Bye Aj. No one was swallowing anyone's tongue!" I put my hand up and started stacking up all the money and putting it away.

"If you say so!" She laughed as she and Cami started cleaning up the last of the hair supplies.

After putting the money and the journal away and turning off the computer, I leaned back in the chair and put my head up against the wall. I started feeling hella uncomfortable and I just knew either a stomach ache was coming on or it was those cramps I get right before my period starts.

"We gon' lock up Mari. Go home and get some rest." Camille said. I nodded and got up to walk to the office. After unplugging my phone and taking the rest of my belongings, I waved to Aijah and Camille before walking out the shop to my all black S-Class Mercedes.

Getting in, I put my stuff in the passenger's seat and started the car. I started feeling hot as fuck so I turned up the a.c and backed out the parking lot while listening to No Love by Summer Walker and SZA.

If I had you back (back)

I wouldn't have did all that (that)

I would've played it just how you wanted to play it

You didn't yet see my worth, so you tried to play me

But I was so in love, love

That I just got a little bit too complicated

"But if I had you back, all I'd wanna do is fuck." I mumbled to the lyrics and looked down at my phone when I got an iMessage notification.

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Today 9:22pm

^^

So do you hold my dick when we sleep??

That's the real question

Gon with that dumb shit bro 😭😭😭

Almost made me crash my car laughing

Hollup don't die on me na

Im at the store doe whatchu need?

Get me some Tylenol, vitamin water and

lemon tea please !

❤️ loved, "Get me some Tylonel, vitamin water and lemon tea please !"

And some nyquil

Nyquil??

You makin lean lil folks?

No dummy 💀

Ian no dummy tf

You eat soup?

Yessirrr

Aight I gotchu

Ion know what typa soup you eat and they

got 5 different types so I just got you all 5

Lol thank youu ❤️

Fs fs ❤️

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𝙊𝙢𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚇 ; Mari's House

Mari put her phone down and pulled into the driveway of her 2-story townhouse. After turning off the car, she grabbed her Louis Vuitton tote and phone before getting out. She walked up the steps, unlocked the front door, and kicked her blue Balenciaga Track Runners off. She made sure to lock the door behind her and walked up the stairs, switching on the chandelier that hung over the foyer since the rest of the house was completely dark.

Once she got in her room, she threw her tote down on the floor near her dresser and plopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Exhausted wasn't even the word at this point. The studio had been fully booked since the day it opened so she watched about 100 people enter and exit her studio daily.

But her restlessness was worth it because her and Aijah, along with the rest of their employees, raked in about $50k to $100k a week. They'd only been open for about 6 weeks at this point and already made over $400k in revenue so they knew they were doing something right.

Mari adjusted herself on the bed, repeatedly flipping from side to side. Her body was sore and she felt extremely uncomfortable in her own skin. Just as she finally began dozing off she heard the doorbell ring and sucked her teeth. The only person she was expecting was Samiron and he had a key.

Mari huffed and got out of bed. She went down the dimly lit stairs and into the foyer that was illuminated by the chandelier. She opened the door without looking to see who it was since she expected Samiron only to see TK standing there.

Mari pinched her eyebrows together and stared at him in disbelief and irritation. She hadn't interacted with TK since the cookout months ago and here he

was pulling up to her house at 10pm, unannounced like they were cool or something.

Niggas must've lost their mind, she thought to herself.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She asked with an attitude, clearly irritated.

"I gotta talk to you mane." He sighed while Mari continued staring at him blankly. Standing at 6'2", TK has dark mocha skin with a small goatee, a tattoo below his left eye and medium-length dreads. His eyes are a light-ish brown color that you can

only really notice in the sunlight and he has plump pink lips. All signs are pointing to ain't shit.

One thing Mari used to give TK props for was his straight smile. But Samiron has all of that plus more so that didn't excite her anymore.

Samiron always smelled good everywhere he went and he took care of his hygiene extremely well. He has perfectly straight teeth without ever having worn braces before, and he knows how to dress regardless of where he is. Even if he was just wearing a wife beater, he looked good in it. He didn't flaunt his money in people's faces, but just by looking at him you could tell he had it.

"Talk to me about what? We don't have any words to exchange, Tykeith." She crossed her arms appearing bored.

"Yes we do bra. I needa talk to you on some real." He sounded sad and walked around Mari and into her house.

Mari jerked her head back and looked at him like he had three heads. She didn't like people who weren't family in the place where she lays her head at let alone her cheating ass ex.

"Nigg- who told you to come in?" She looked at him crazily.

"Lemme holla at you." He said lowly, ignoring what she said.

The one time I need my gun it's upstairs. God really isn't on my side right now. She thought to herself.