“Really?” Joi questioned with skepticism along with raised brows, considering how he spoke to her earlier.
“Yeah, really. I only came at you like that because it’s how you came at me. You are indeed beautiful and had you blessed me with that pretty smile that you gave my lil partner, Nick, then our conversation would have been different.”
East wasn’t the most sociable person in the world. Most days he didn’t have much to say at all, which set a precedent for how people dealt with him. He had a little status from his earlier years that had filtered over into his adult life, but East’s ego was bigger than any attention awarded by others. There was a certain level of respect that once earned, you kept, so East was a bit of a hood legend in a sense. Those who knew him also knew how to deal with him. Tread lightly was typically the normal approach; however,The Grinchwas clueless, which amused East.
Joi rolled her eyes and helped Nick down from the chair. “So you’re just out here in the world, making all the women fall for you?”
East grinned and moved closer. It was never his intention to make any woman fall for him, but the fact that she stated it said a lot about where he had her head. “Maybe not all of them but the ones who qualify.”
“Oh my God,” she groaned before giving her attention to Nick. Even if she was turned on by his forward behavior, she had a man, and it wasn’t this one. “You have your money in your pocket, right?”
“Yep, Mommy gave it to me. It’s right here.” Nick shoved his little hand into the pocket of his shorts and removed two neatly folded twenties, which he held up for Joi as confirmation.
“Go ahead and pay for your haircut, so we can go,” Joi urged, and East chuckled at Nick sticking his chest out before extending his hand to him.
“How much you got, little homie?”
Nick frowned and looked down at the folded bills, which he separated. “Two of theses. One is for a tip.”
“Word, you’re tipping too? Yeah, you definitely need to come back and see me.” East accepted the bills from the young boy and placed them on his station. After which, he removed a business card and candy before kneeling to get eye level with him. “Put this in your pocket and give it to your mom when you get home. Tell her to hit me up when it’s time for your next cut. Make sure you tell her you don’t want to come to anyone but me.” East then handed over two Blow Pops.
Nick immediately grabbed them from his hand, nodding as confirmation that the deed was as good as done. “Joi, look what I have. You want one too?”
“You’re bribing kids? I bet you have a beat-up old white van parked out back too.”
East chuckled, not offended in the least, but he responded to Nick instead just to further fuck with Joi.
“Nah, little homie, you keep both of those…” He lifted his eyes to meet Joi’s before he finished. “I got something else for her to suck on.”
Joi’s lips parted in disbelief and her cheeks warmed again. This time, not from embarrassment, but because she was turned on,again. Other parts of her body fell right in line with a reaction of their own and Joi knew she had to get out of there. The more she was around East, the more she fell under his charming spell, and that was dangerous.I have a man.
“Nick, let’s go.”
East smirked, knowing he had her right where he wanted her. Before she could get away, he snatched up another business card, and instead of handing it to Joi, he stepped into her personal space and pushed it into her front pocket. With his fingers still submerged, he leaned close to her ear and whispered.
“We close at nine. If you want to take me up on that offer, hit my line.”
Joi’s chest rose slightly before she stepped back. “What offer?”
East flashed her his perfect smile again then moved his hand to his jeans. “This one.”
Joi didn’t bother to entertain him with a response. In a hurried motion, she grabbed Nick’s hand and dragged him through the shop, avoiding the eyes and smirks from the men who had been listening to their conversation. When they reached the door, Nick turned to yell goodbye. He waved his little hand while rocking a boyish grin, oblivious to the interaction that had Joi’s pulse racing and her running to freedom.
“Why you put shorty on the spot like that? You had her all sexually frustrated and you didn’t touch her, bruh.” Electing to watch Joi until she was no longer in view of the massive storefront, East turned back to his station, laughing at what Chuck said before he addressed him.
“She put that on herself. These women better learn not to fuck with a real one. I’ll have her signing over her entire life to me and she don’t even know my last name.”
“Muhfuckin’ G. That’s why you’re my dude,” Chuck stated, causing a few of the other men in the shop who admired East to nod and agree.
East wasn’t moved by the adoration. He didn’t function off the energy of others’ attention. His confidence was too big for that. Instead, he allowed Joi’s name to run through his head while smiling to himself.
Pretty girl Joi. I’ma have to see you again one way or another. Just as quickly as he allowed her to enter his mind, she was gone again because he had work to do. East waved his next client over, sizing up the cut that would take place. With ten heads waiting for him, he needed to keep moving. Years of putting in work had earned him the right not to work as hard as he used to, but today was different.
East only cut a few days a month, and even that was selective. But with one of his best barbers down for a few days with a new baby, he decided to step up. You couldn’t run a business if you were not willing to do everything necessary to keep the money flowing. Right now, that meant handling clients. After business was done, he planned to hit up Presidential since he made a promise to be there then catch up on some much-needed rest.
The hustle never stopped.
2
