Boom said, “I’ve always got your back, girl.”
“When do we get to meet Mr. Magnificent?” Tamu asked.
Yo-Yo stopped folding towels over by the bank of sinks for a few seconds. “Yeah, I’m dying to see what he looks like. I bet he’s megafine.”
I laughed. “Megafine? Is that a new word?”
“Girl, megafine means a man can make you cream all over yourself by just looking at you,” Yo-Yo answered.
“Damn, that is fine,” Jada commented. “I’d like to see something that fucking fine.”
Boom suddenly froze in her tracks and stared at the door. “Speaking of which!”
I glanced at the door in time to see Yardley saying, “Hello, ladies.”
Yo-Yo came running to the front. “Hey there.”
“What’s up, baby?” Jada asked him.
“Can we help you?” Boom inquired. Her voice had become noticeably softer.
“No, you can’t help him.” I got up from her chair and reached in
my pocket for the money I already had counted out and prepared to give her. I handed it to Boom, then went to Yardley and slipped my arm underneath his elbow. “Boom, Yo-Yo, Tamu, ladies, I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Yardley Brown.”
“Oh, my goodness!” Boom yelled out as a collective sigh echoed through the salon. “No wonder you didn’t want to be bothered with Conquesto.”
Yardley looked down at me. “Conquesto.”
“Long story,” I told him. “Tell you later.”
Tamu must’ve hovered over the floor because I didn’t see her coming. Miraculously, she was standing a foot from us when she’d been in the back of the salon a minute ago. She reached out and shook Yardley’s free hand. “So you’re the brother who swept Miss Rayne off her feet.”
Yardley let my hand fall so he could entwine his fingers with mine. “It was more like her sweeping me off my feet.”
“Aw, she rocked your world, huh?” Tamu asked, winking at him.
He winked back. “She rocks it every chance she gets.”
“Quit. You’re embarrassing me,” I said, pulling Yardley toward the door. “Thanks again for everything, Boom.”
“See you next week, Rayne.”
As we were exiting, we heard Tamu say, “Girlllllll, that man is so fine, I’d lick motor oil off his ass.”
After the door had closed behind us, we both laughed.
“Looks like you’re a hit.”
“Come here and give me a kiss.” Yardley drew me to him and laid one on me. “You look beautiful.”
“And you look handsome.”
I’d intentionally asked Yardley to pick me up from the salon that night so the sisters could see a little eye candy. I was proud of him, and wanted them to see what fineness he possessed. I didn’t plan to invite them all to the wedding, just Boom, but I didn’t want them to miss out on getting to meet him. I’d driven my car home after work and caught a cab to get there.
“Have you decided what you want for dinner?” he asked.
I looked at the digital clock on the building across the street. It was well after nine. “It’s kind of late, so something light.”