Page 38 of Awakened by Sin

Keenan, a black man who could work wonders with hair, tapped his sneakers and regarded her as if she crawled out from under a rock. He wore a striped button up shirt with a fuchsia scarf and a hat pointing sideways.

“I don’t like it,” he announced.

“Well, I do, and I have proof that not all men are repulsed, so …” Carmen put her hand in his face.

Shonda snickered. “You could cut off your tits, and you’d still have men lining up to fuck you.”

“Stupid white bitch, walking in here with that face and body,” Keenan muttered and snapped his scissors irritably. “Making everyone else feel like crap.”

“I missed you too,” Carmen said and kissed his cheek.

“And what the fuck is this?” Keenan snapped as he prodded the donut box as if it was a snake.

“It’s donuts,” she said and reached in to grab a frosted strawberry one with sprinkles. “Help yourself.”

“And she comes with fucking donuts,” Keenan muttered before he walked back to his client. “Who does she think she is?”

Carmen took a bite of doughy goodness, stopped in her tracks, and grabbed another before she skipped toward Shonda’s chair. She ignored the incredulous stares from the rail thin, high-maintenance broads who visited the salon every two weeks to make sure their glossy appearance never wavered. She made a show of eating the donuts, moaning in delight, and licking her fingers because she was in the mood to fuck with people. If there had been any straight men around, she would have licked off every sprinkle and made a spectacle of herself just for shits and giggles.

“Bitch, why’d you bring these donuts?” Shonda asked as she devoured a cake donut.

“Because life’s too short not to eat donuts.”

Shonda finished her donut and eyed Carmen in the mirror. “Don’t insult me by calling for an appointment. You know any of us would drop everything for you. You’re part owner, idiot.”

“Silent partner.”

Shonda rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You saved our ass. You can come in whenever.” She put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “You’re okay? I know you’ve been having a hard time since Vinny died.”

She gave Shonda a determined smile. “I’ll be better once we do my hair.”

Shonda nodded as if she understood completely. “What am I doing to you?”

“First, this needs to go,” she said, pointing at her black hair.

“You want to go back to blond?”

“I’m thinking red.” Carmen waggled her brows at Shonda in the mirror.

Shonda put a hand on her hip. “Are we talking red orred?”

“I’m feeling …” Carmen did a little shimmy under the tarp she was wearing. “You know?”

“I know just what I’m going to do to you, girl.” Shonda handed her a glass of champagne. “Now, sit back, relax, and tell Shonda all about it.”

* * *

Six hours later, Carmen stood in front of a mirror and examined the woman staring back at her. Shonda stripped away the black and replaced it with the color of rich wine. Long layers highlighted her features and gave her a sultry, seductive air. Her fingers and toes were the same shade of dangerous red. She had been waxed and received a facial that made her skin glow.

The woman smiling back at her held no resemblance to the exhausted creature she had been this morning. She spent the day catching up with the salon staff she’d known for years. She laughed, had food delivered, and willed the past away. The hours spent being waxed, prodded, and primped made her shiny and new again.

When she was a little girl, her favorite pastime was dress up. She loved that a shade of lipstick could make an impact and the right outfit could strike an audience speechless. She experimented as a kid and reaped the benefits as an adult. She knew which silhouettes suited her body type and what shoes made her legs go on forever. She used her looks and wiles shamelessly against Vinny who had been poleaxed and ripe for the picking. She had been fortunate that they fell in love and were perfect for one another. Many suspected she was a gold digger. She enjoyed playing the role because that meant she had the upper hand since they underestimated her. She was restless by nature and had a wild side Vinny didn’t try to tame. She didn’t care what people thought about her. All she cared about was how she felt about herself, and right now, she felt better than she had in years.

Keenan ambled up behind her. He’d been watching her progress throughout the day and sent many sour looks her way. They used to party ages ago. He never forgave her for hooking Vinny. It didn’t matter that Vinny was straight. If Keenan coveted, he believed he should be able to have. That was just his way.

“Jealous?” she asked as she fluffed her hair so it caught the light and fell perfectly around her face. She pouted at him in the mirror and posed, exposing her midriff and slight curves, even though she knew it did nothing for him.

“You’re back,” he declared.

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