“Hey, Reg.” Samari untangled her body from Asao’s and crossed the room, falling into the open arms Reg offered. She snuggled into his chest like the daughter he always made her feel she was. Samari absorbed the transfer of love Reg had stored and tucked away just for her since the last time he’d seen her face.
“My little songbird. You haven’t been through here in a long time. Thought I was gonna have to send somebody to come get you.”
She smiled and pulled away, rocking back on her heels. “I’ll do better.”
“Yes you will and what’s that all about?” He motioned toward Asao who watched the exchange.
“You can’t even speak my name before you start minding my business?” Asao walked up behind Samari, making contact with her body, feeling possessive over her presence. He extended a hand, dapping the neighborhood senior who on more than one occasion had been the reason Asao hadn’t fallen victim to the destruction the streets caused.
“We’re good, youngin’, but when it comes to this one right here? I have to choose sides.” Reg motioned toward Samari.
Her smile expanded, knowing the two men were protectively staking a claim to her well-being. Reg as the father figure who’d shown her love as a child and Asao as the man trying to show her love now.
“Respect, OG, but she’s good with me.” Asao wasn’t bitchmade but he also had love for Reg, so he would let him know where he stood with Samari.
“With the way she’s grinning right now, I don’t know that it would matter.” Reg chuckled and lifted the cape tossed over the back of his chair before he motioned to it.
Samari took a seat and Reg covered her body while Asao filled the station next to them, turning so he was facing Samari. “You’re not gonna fuck her shit up, are you? You got a little more gray hair than I remember from the last time I was in here.”
“You really wanna talk shit about my gray hair when your taper line is gonna be back to your ears in a minute. Whoever you’re letting touch your head keeps cutting your hair line back too far.”
Asao chuckled and nodded, knowing his natural hairline was safe due to generous monthly payouts he made to Dre at She’s Elite Cutz. “You got that.”
“I know I do, now mind your business.” Samari locked eyes with Asao and grinned while Reg raked a comb through the left side of her hair. “So how’d you get hooked up with this hardhead?” Reg grinned at Samari through the mirror and her eyes went to Asao before she answered.
“Carver’s.”
“Hmm. You make him work for your heart, songbird.”
“You think I won’t?” Asao chimed in.
Reg and Asao shared a look which exposed their thoughts and revisited the past before Reg nodded and smiled. “Yeah, you will. Between me and your pops you learned what you need to. He loves your mother and I schooled you right about how to step to women. Made a promise to Leedren that I wouldn’t let you disrespect his name.”
Asao chuckled at the mention of his father. He had been the first to guide Asao to Reg’s chair back when he was just a kid. Even after the cops took his father’s freedom, Asao continued to show up, abusing the knowledge that he had unlimited access to Reg from the man who’d raised him.
“Who’s Leedren?”
“My pops,” Asao said, looking Samari in the eyes.
“Is he…”
“Dead, nah. His spirit some days because he’s boxed in. Doing thirty for defending my mother. Beat a man to death because he disrespected her.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. You didn’t put him there.”
When his phone vibrated with a call, Asao stepped away to speak to Niles, watching as Samari let her guard down, laughing and talking with Reg while he cut her hair, doting on her like a loved one who had experienced her best and worst days. Their interaction made Asao feel good that she had love in her life butalso further fueled his need to provide her with the same because he understood moments like this were rare for Samari.
After he finished his call and found his way back to the chair, Samari turned her eyes on him with a suspicious grin on her face.
“What lies he over here telling you?”
She grinned wider. “You tried to fight Reg?”
Asao chuckled and brushed a hand over his waves. “That was a different time in my life.”
He thought about the angry ten year old who didn’t understand why his father had to do time for checking another man’s disrespect.
