Read Online Cheesecake and Teardrops by Faye Thompson - Free Book Online

brunette, wiped out a chair and motioned for Charisma to have a seat. She shampooed her hair three times before applying a deep conditioner and placing her under the dryer for a few minutes. Charisma used that time to flip through a magazine and refed the meter. Before she knew it, it was time to be rinsed out.
    Daisy always blow-dried and styled Charisma’s hair no matter who shampooed and conditioned her, shaping up a male customer before turning her full attention to Charisma.
    Customers poured in. The Saturday rush had begun. Daisy trimmed and put the finishing touches on Charisma’s do.
    Finally, Daisy swung her around in the chair and positioned a mirror behind her so that she could see her hair from various angles. Charisma was satisfied. She paid Daisy and tipped Maria. She walked out of Daisy’s ready for a Dark and Lovely ad.
    She stopped by When We Were Queens on her way home to have Cinderella do her eyebrows. She lucked up at Cinderella’s too. Nobody was there yet. She was Cinderella’s first customer. Cinderella gave her sister-friend a kiss on both cheeks, and Charisma sat down in the chair.
    â€œLook at you. You must have a hot date tonight.” Cinderella smiled. “Call the cops,” she said, adding her trademark line. Cinderella cleaned her brows before applying hot wax.
    â€œNo, I’m just going out with my new boss,” Charisma told her. “He’s new in town so I’m kinda showing him around.”
    â€œSo where are you going?”
    â€œActually, he’s taking me to see the Knicks tonight.”
    â€œOh yeah? What’s he like?”
    â€œHe seems like a nice guy.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œToo bad he’s my boss. I don’t think I could ever get involved with someone I work with.”
    â€œWhy not?” Cinderella asked her.
    â€œWhy not? Because when it’s good, it’s very good. But when it’s bad, it’s terrible.”
    â€œWell, you know, sometimes we expect God to come one way, and he comes from a totally different direction.” Cinderella smiled, revealing her beautiful white teeth. “Time will tell, my queen,” she sang, removing the strips from Charisma’s brows. Then she picked up her tweezers and the plucking began. She shaped them like the professional she was, proving once again why she was the best in town.
    She gave Charisma the mirror to review her handiwork.
    Her eyebrows were arched just the way she liked them.
    â€œMommy was in yesterday on her way to Pathmark to do some Thanksgiving shopping. She’s so beautiful. She asked me to introduce you to someone real nice,” Cinderella told her.
    â€œMy mother’s something else.”
    â€œCharisma, she just wants you to settle down and have a family. She just wants to see her little grandbabies.”
    â€œI know, Cinderella, but I’m not ready to get married. Not yet.”
    â€œHow’s Dex?” she asked.
    â€œHe’s okay.”
    â€œYou know something? You deserve all of God’s blessings. You are so precious, and I don’t want to see you waste yourself on anybody. God has someone special just for you. You’ll see.”
    Â 
    Charisma was just a touch nervous as she got dressed for an evening with her boss. She couldn’t decide what to wear. It wasn’t really a date, she reasoned, but she wanted to look good nonetheless. She tried on at least three outfits before settling on black leather jeans and a black suede shirt.
    She applied foundation and bronze eye shadow on her lids and then ended up dropping eye shadow all over her bathroom floor.
    â€œDag,” she said, bending down to wipe up the mess. Why was she so uptight? It was only a night out at the Garden.
    She looked in the mirror and took a few cleansing breaths to calm herself. She finished applying makeup just before the doorbell ran.
    Nate was right on time, casually dressed in black as well.
    â€œCome on