Page 64 of Disrespectfully, Relic

“Hold up! I didn’t say all that.” He laughed while wrapping his arms around her waist. “I’ll slide through, but I can’t stay. My boy got a family situation going on, so the nigga is stressing. I told him, I’ll kick it with him tonight.”

“So, you’d rather sit up under your homeboy than fuck me? Got it.”

“That ain’t what the fuck I said, mama. Kennedy!” he called, trying to hold her in place as she wriggled out of his hold and back into the passenger seat.

“It’s fine, Lomar. We’ll link another time.”

“Why can’t we link tonight? I said I can slide through.”

Kennedy cut her eyes at him and laughed, grabbing her food as she pushed open the door to climb out. Before leaving, she stuck her head inside to tell him where he’d fucked up.

“I know I gave off the impression of being insecure, but please believe me when I tell you, I know how bad of a bitch I am. I’ll be twenty-seven soon, so I’m also grown as hell. I’ve learned what I like and dislike. With that being said, when you can make time for this.” She pointed at her pussy and cocked her head. “When you can make time to fuck me the way I love being fucked, put me to bed like medication, and roll back in it to wake me up, then we can talk. I’m not a fan of quick, half-hearted ass sex, or niggas leaving just as fast as they nut.”

Lomar rounded his eyes and reared back. “Damn, it’s like that?”

“Just like that. Call me if you can get free, or I’ll see you another time if not.”

Kennedy shut his car door and strutted to the salon since there wasn’t much else to talk about. She wouldn’t trip if Lomar didn’t change his plans because it’d mean he wasn’t pressed about pussy. By the same token, it was in his best interest to accept her offer while it was on the table before the thought of allowing another man to see her flaws convinced her to back the hell out. Kennedy was still shocked with how fast she’d let her insecurities go to fuck Relic.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise since she was well aware from the gate that he turned bitches into easy licks. Relic was the type of formidable man who could con the panties off a nun and then manipulate her into believing her decision was forgivable since it was him. He was the exception. Kennedy hadn’t stopped beating herself up for throwing the pussy at him, earning a top spot on his collectibles shelf of gullible bitches. Her only solace was her salon and the money she’d woken up to in her account a couple days after their dinner. She doubted he left the others with more than a few trinkets and a wet ass.

Her eyes swept the room once she entered the salon, and she smiled after seeing her client already in her chair while Ryell blow dried her hair. One of the best decisions Kennedy had made was hiring that girl on a whim. Not only did Ryell pull her weight around the salon by assisting the stylists and keeping up with inquiry calls as well as walk-ins, but she’d also hooked Kennedy up with a fire ass bob she couldn’t have done better herself. Ryell easily put bitches with years of experience to shame, and Kennedy couldn’t wait to offer her a booth.

“Ms. Kennedy, you’re back! I hope you don’t mind that I started her for you. She said, she was just getting a silk press, so I went ahead and washed her.” Ryell gave her an update, making her smile.

“You’re fine, boo. I appreciate you getting her started while I ate.”

“Ate what? Because the only thing we saw you eating was that man’s mouth off his face,” her hairdresser, Tammy, cracked. The room erupted into shrill laughter while Kennedy set her food on her station and rolled her eyes.

“If y’all weren’t so damn nosey, you wouldn’t have seen anything.”

“I mean, it wasn’t hard to miss, but I don’t blame you. He’s a cutie.”

“I’m not gon’ lie, I thought you were dating the salon owner,” Jennifer chimed in, fanning her face as she swooned. “Now, that man is fine. I would’ve shot my shot had I known he wasn’t yours.”

“Oh, hell yes! He was in and out too fast the day of our grand opening, but I saw a picture of him online and damn!” Tammy lifted both hands in prayer as their laughter elevated. “He was with that pretty rapper girl whose hair you did, Jenn. They looked good together, too. I saw someone mention they’re dating when she posted them on her page.”

“He’s not dating anyone.”

Kennedy made that clear as she tossed her head, directing Ryell out of her spot to take over since her client’s hair was dry. She plugged in her flat irons and grabbed her products to busy herself, so she could tune out the gossip that was steering toward topics that would have her cursing her stylists out. The side eyes that the girls gave one another at her expense weren’t missed, although she couldn’t care less.

“Well, excuse me. I was just relaying what I saw online, but since you got your degree and know everything,” Tammy clowned, making Kennedy cut her eyes toward her while brushing up her client’s hair to hold in place with an alligator clip. “Is it true that his chained got snatched at the club?”

The room quieted as every set of eyes landed on her, anticipating an answer she couldn’t give them because she didn’t know any more than the information that they’d found out online. Her conversation with Savvy had been vague. Kennedy didn’t hold it against her friend because they’d been taught the same rules—to know everything and speak nothing. If permission wasn’t given to address it, then family business remained in the vault.

“I don’t believe it. You’re telling me that people got everything on camera that nightbut that? It was too many bodies in there to not see it happen,” Jennifer reasoned, taking Kennedy out of the hot seat. Tammy fanned her off.

“Nobody saw three niggas get killed either, but that happened. It was the exact chain he had on in the live that Titan’s sexy ass posted and took down like people aren’t fast as hell with the screenshots.”

“Well, if he did get his chain snatched, three people died behind it, so it probably wasn’t a good idea.” Ryell joined in the conversation. She leaned against the station and added, “I’m not saying he did it, or that the incidents were even related, but the person who posted the chain is hiding their face for a reason.”

“I know that’s right. I heard Playa P be with the shits, too, but people have him on video coming out the front. It couldn’t have been him.”

“It wasn’t any of them.” Kennedy spoke up, tired of the ladies bouncing theories off one another. “I’d bet any amount of money, he lost the chain when everyone was rushing out of the club because some young niggas were shooting at each other for no reason. Some clout chaser found it and posted it to start up the rumor mill ‘cause that’s what they do best. As far as I know, they didn’t even try to sell it back, so they’re scary as hell like Ryell said.”

“You know what?” Tammy pointed her curling iron at Kennedy with a bob of her head. “That makes the most sense out of everything I’ve heard.”

Hums of agreement sounded around the salon before the topic changed, and Kennedy parted a thin row of her client’s hair to press with a discreet sigh of relief. She didn’t believe a single word that’d come out her own mouth, but if it took the spotlight off Relic and his family; she’d lie again. Kennedy couldn’t call why she was protective over them all of a sudden.

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