“Yep. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s serious about her business so you’re going to have a great time.”
They weren’t joking about Porsha being serious about her business. Her salon was absolutely stunning and had the type of comfortable, high-end feel that wasn’t too pretentious. It was a full-service salon with makeup, nails, braiders and stylists who I knew had been handpicked. There was even an aesthetician who worked by appointment. I instantly knew I was going to love this place and was thankful she told me she could take me now.
Carine and Rachelle were worried about leaving me but I let them know I would get a ride back home. Porsha stored the bags I'd brought with me in her office. And when she started to do an analysis of my scalp before she started taking out my extensions, I knew she was the type of stylist I would fly in to keep an appointment with.
“Normally I don’t have an issue with what my clients want unless I think it’s bad for them, but why did you have K-tips in?” She was stacking up the used hair and I wasn’t sure if she was going to reuse it or get something else. My hair had always been fairly healthy and when I noticed breakage from how I was wearing my hair in buns, I switched it up. Now I was worried she was going to tell me it was still damaged.
“I needed the added fullness in my hair because it’s so thin.” The words tasted tainted as I spoke them and I knew it was because they were my mother’s words and not my own opinions.
Porsha looked at me in the mirror with her brow arched and her face frowned up like she knew what I was saying was bullshit. “I’m not seeing thin hair at all. Even as I’m taking these out. You have fine hair but it’s very dense.” She fluffed my hair out and I didn’t have a good way to discuss what was going on. Not without airing family business that probably didn’t need tobe aired. Of course, this was a beauty salon so this place was where you were supposed to get your grievances out.
“Is it that you wanted extra length? I mean, from what I’m seeing you don’t even have a lot of tips in.” She was still running her fingers through my hair and I knew she realized that the length was mine too.
“It was a suggestion from my mother that I get them done because my hair lacked fullness.” I tried to keep a straight face when I spoke but I must’ve made a gesture or something that showed my annoyance. That or this lady was just good at reading people and shitty situations.
“Girl, not to be rude but is your mama a full-time hater or part-time? Because I do this for a living and there ain’t nothing wrong with your hair. Now, if you just want some Hollywood bombshell hair I won’t knock it. But you absolutely don’t need it.” For Porsha, who looked like what my mother would absolutely accept as a daughter, to say that meant a lot. It was her job to make money but she was going to lose it if she didn’t put in the extensions. Instead, she was encouraging me to do fewer services instead of more.
Yeah, definitely gonna be flying back here after my time is done.
This was the first time I’d had someone who was eager to affirm my decision not to get something done. The K-tip service would easily cost me several thousand dollars and this woman was actively taking money out of her own pocket by not recommending them. “What do you think I should do?”
“Wash, a good deep condition and a trim. What I can do is texture match clip-ins for you that will give you the ability to have your fullness without committing to the maintenance or the expense of having k-tips. They’ll last you about a year even if you use them every day and longer if you aren’t.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Can they be a highlighter color?”
Her face lit up and she started to run her hands through my hair again like she was determining what color would look good. “Ohhh, yeah I like that idea. You want a full undercut of color or just the highlights?”
“Can we do both?” I was never very adventurous with my hair but now she made me want to be. I wasn’t sure how much time she had on her hands but I thought clip-in highlights would be really fun.
She hesitated but then went on with what she had to say. “Not to count your pockets but—”
I pulled out my credit card and handed it to her. “Whatever you need to charge me, do it. I paid seven thousand for my last service so if it’s anywhere less than that then we’re doing good.”
She bit her lip before pursing them together like she was trying to hold something in. Porsha obviously failed at it because she damn near blurted out, “I hate to say this baby, but you got robbed.”
We both laughed and I swore this lady looked like a Black Barbie I’d gotten for Christmas when I was ten.
“It was in New York, I’m never surprised by how crazy stuff is.” I shrugged it off because it was a service I hadn’t really wanted. My mother paid for them the way she always did when I was obedient to her desires to modify my appearance. I never told her my address while I was away because I was sure weight-loss injections would just appear at the door.
“Well, we’ll get you right in Texas and it won’t be anywhere near that. Now, I’ve got these K-tips out so we can gossip while I shampoo this hair.” It was wild that she was dressed in silk but was moving around like it was nothing.
“About what? I just got here yesterday, so I have no gossip.”
She furrowed her brows as though she didn’t believe me. Either way, I wouldn’t talk about Aldrich or his situation. NDA or not. “About how you better step when it’s time for these games to start.”
“Step? What do you mean?”
“I mean that you need to be there to cheer as loud as you can for your man.” She shimmied her shoulders like she was dancing and I had to shake my head.
“My man? I just work for Aldrich that’s all.” I felt like Ebony inPlayer’s Clubsaying that but it was the truth.
“That ain’t all. As fine as that man is? Girl, you must be blind. I understand you can only say so much, but I’m telling you that type of proximity is going to spark something.” She winked at me as she scrubbed my scalp and had my mind tumbling over my thoughts.
“He’s attractive but he’s also my boss.” I wasn’t going to give it all away but I wasn’t going to lie either.
“And he’s moving with you in a way I have never seen him move with anyone else.”
“What do you mean?”
