Page 4 of Scythe's Salvation
“Appreciate it, Brick. We don’t wanna bring anyone in that won’t be a good fit who might cause the club issues,” I reply.
“Then we’ll get them set up and let y’all know when you’ll be needed,” he says, striding toward the bar and his old lady, a gleam in his eye. I roll mine, knowing the club is going to continue to grow the way the taken brothers are with their women.
CHAPTER
TWO
Tamara
I groanwhen my phone alarm goes off, not quite ready to get up out of my comfy bed and face the day. The past four weeks have been non-stop since I opened my own business, Healing Hands. The name itself isn’t all that original per se, but I like to think Idoheal my clients with my hands and knowledge of the human anatomy. Hitting the stop button, I roll out of bed, then stand and stretch out the minor kinks I got overnight.
Thankfully, a good friend from school and I regularly trade one another for massages, so I have no lingering stiffness. After I make my bed, I grab my clothes and head into the bathroom to take my shower. I wear scrubs at work with my business name embroidered across the left side of the chest area since they’re easier for me to maneuver in. The only thing better would be wearing sweatpants or leggings, which I wear from time to time, but it’s almost laundry day, so scrubs it is.
While I wait for the water to heat, I pile my hair on top of my head, making a mental note to reach out to my hairdresserseeing as it’s beyond past time for a trim. She understands though; the ‘beauty’ industry, which she lumps me into, often neglects those things for themselves because they’re so busy taking care of paying clients.
Once the warmth is at my preference of hotter than Hell setting, I step inside and moan when the water hits my back. There’s something about hot water pounding on me that is soothing. I’m sure a psychologist would have a field day trying to figure out why I like my temperature scalding. I just know I enjoy it. Now properly wet, I start my regimen, which Amara laughs at, but it’s working, so I ignore her. I fell down a rabbit hole on TikTok, and immediately purchased items to help me properly exfoliate my whole body, not just my elbows and knees, then rehydrate it with lightly scented oils and lotions.
I’m very careful about the fragrances I use since I don’t want it to clash with the essential oils I put in the diffuser I have set up in my therapy room. Depending on the client’s specific needs, I change those out; sometimes I have relaxing oils, other times I use an energy blend. Is it a pain in the ass to change between clients? Sometimes, but I already have to swap the used sheets for fresh ones, so I don’t mind all that much. I also use a special oil that has a low probability of an allergic reaction, and when needed, I will use a menthol-based or CBD-based one on the clients who have chronic pain issues.
After I’m fully exfoliated, including shaving my legs, I step out and quickly pat myself dry, then use witch hazel wipes on all my bits. I’ve noticed since switching to this routine that I don’t seem to sweat as much, which is awesome considering that Chance is now involved in sports through the rec league. A light lotion and I’mfinallyready to put my clothes on, which makes me snicker. When I was younger, I was given ten minutes max totake a shower but now that I’m on my own, I bathe as long as I want and with this new regimen, I’m in here for at least twenty minutes, unless it’s time to shampoo my hair. Then it’s closer to forty.
Still, it’s a small luxury for this single mama, so I’ll take whatever I can get. I don’t have a client babbling in my ear, or my beloved son asking two million questions. It’s just me time and I’m definitely here for every second. At night, once Chance goes to bed, I usually fill up the tub and soak while drinking a glass of wine.
“You definitely live the high life, Tam,” I say out loud to my reflection as I take my hair out of the clip. “Now, what are we doing with you today, hmm?” I ask my hair as I work my brush through the waves and curls. Thankfully, there aren’t too many tangles any longer since I started wearing a bonnet to bed. That’s something else Amara laughs at me for, but I don’t look like an alpaca that got struck by lightning when I get up, so I ignore her.
Glancing at my phone, I see I need to get Chance up, so I decide to put it in a high ponytail and call it good. I know that by the end of the day I’ll have curly tendrils slipping out, but at least right now, I look like I’m put together. A little moisturizer, some bronzer for my cheeks, and a swipe of lip gloss and I’m ready to tackle the world.
Or in my case, one little boy who is hard to wake up, and a relatively full client book. I mean, there might be a cancellation in there, which will let me get caught up on the billing, but it’s highly unlikely. Cadence, my hairdresser, told me to charge at least fifty percent of my fee for no-shows and cancellations, unless they gave me forty-eight hours advance notice, so I could possibly fill their time slots. I implemented it the day I opened for business, and so far, so good. A few people wanted to balkwhen ‘something came up’, but when I explained that if they didn’t pay it, I was firing them as my client.
That’s not to say I’ll be a total hardass with my clients. Once I know them better, I’ll know when I need to extend a bit of grace and when to hold the line. I just can’t do it all the time since I have bills to pay and a little boy to feed. And Lord have mercy, I think he’s going through another growth spurt because he is constantly hungry.
Satisfied that it’s as good as it’s going to get today, I head out of my bedroom and down the hall to Chance’s room. I knock lightly in case he miraculously woke up on his own and is dressing but hear nothing. Walking inside, I grin when I see him fully burrowed under the covers. “Chance, time to wake up, little man. Gotta get ready for school.”
“Don’t wanna go,” he mumbles. “I’m tired.”
“Ah ah ah, remember what I said last night after your practice when you wanted to stay up just a little longer? If you complained about getting up today, it wouldn’t happen again,” I remind him as I flip the comforter back.
“I’m up, Mommy. Can I have oatmeal for breakfast?” he asks.
“Absolutely. Anything special you want me to add to your lunch?”
He taps his finger against his lip. “Yes, can I have sliced strawberries?”
“Definitely. Turkey and cheese sandwich okay?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay, you get dressed and I’ll get those going for you. We’ve got about forty-five minutes before we have to head out and the clock’s ticking,” I tease.
Leaving him to grumble as he gets out of bed, I head into the kitchen, pop a pod into my Keurig, then wait for the cup of java I need to jumpstart my day. While it’s brewing, I quickly make Chance’s lunch, then heat the water for his oatmeal. I can’t stand the stuff, but he tried it once at Amara’s house and fell in love with it, so it’s become a regular staple in the pantry. He loves the fruit flavored ones, and I check the box to see that I need to put more on the grocery list.
With his oatmeal and some juice at the kitchen island, I quickly jot a few other things on the list in addition to his oatmeal, then finally fix my coffee. Amara has to have hers before she can even function, but I don’t have that luxury. I put together an easy lunch for myself out of last night’s leftovers and place it in my insulated bag.
“Chance! Your food’s getting cold,” I yell out, before I start a load of laundry, then make sure his backpack is ready to go, setting it and my tote bag by the front door.
“Coming, Mommy,” he hollers back. He slides into the kitchen in his socks, and I grin while shaking my head.
“You have practice this afternoon, so we’ll pick up your Gatorade on the way there, alright?” I ask while I eat some yogurt. It’s not my favorite thing in the world, but it’s quick and easy, which is my key to happiness.
