1
“Of course I’ll braid your hair, sweetheart,” Naisha said, affectionately ruffling the hair of the young girl who stood smiling expectantly before her. The girl’s shoulder-length blond hair was fine and wispy, but had a bit of a curl to the ends. It certainly wouldn’t hold large cornrows very long, but she was sure young Willa wouldn’t mind. After all, life was about the journey, not the destination, right?
Jacyn, a new client with whom she had formed an instant bond, cut in. “Just make sure you use my products!” She handed her a beautifully packaged tub of Napturally Beautyfull twisting cream with a stern look.
“TanteJacyn, I love the smell of this one. I only want your products in my hair!” Willa announced, declaring her loyalty to the brand, and both women laughed. Willa neither seemed to notice nor care that Jacyn’s extensive line of products were designed for women with Afro-type hair who frequently got frustrated trying to find mainstream products that made them look their best without damaging their hair.
Naisha looked on as Jacyn bent forward and kissed the girl on her forehead. There was genuine affection between aunt and niece, and it made Naisha happy to see that. From the gossip swirling around the set of this advertising campaign, she’d deduced that Jacyn had married a wealthy Frenchman who was also Willa’s uncle. She seemed to have all but taken the child under her wing as a substitute mom, since the death of Willa’s mother two years before.
The women were gathered at the production office, preparing to film a series of commercial photos and videos for Jacyn’s products. The line had been launched just two years ago, but the NB name was already on the lips of influencers and trendsetters the world over.
While the photographer and his assistant collaborated on an issue they were having with one of the cameras, the women had gratefully stepped away from the hot lights for a break.
Naisha’s agent had urged her to become the face of the products, and she happily agreed since this might be her last gig in the entertainment industry. After weeks of contemplation, she decided that she was done with modeling. She’d enjoyed the limelight while it lasted; gone to lavish parties, worn the best clothes, and drank the most expensive champagne, but she was almost thirty years old and it was time for her to take a step back.
Especially since things between her and her ex-boyfriend, Abe, had taken a turn for the ugly, with him drunk dialing her in the early hours, sending nasty texts, and even turning up in places he knew she would be.
She began expertly braiding Willa’s hair, resisting the urge to tease Jacyn, the newest natural hair guru on the scene, for being able to do any type of braid except for cornrows. “I make the products!” Jacyn had protested. “I don’t need to be an expert hairstylist!”
Naisha laughed. “One day, when we both have some downtime, I’ll teach you.”
“Thanks, sensei.”
The braiding was a bit awkward, as Willa kept dipping her head to read a sheaf of printouts in her lap. “This one is allergic to rabbits!” she announced in disgust. “Can you believe that? Rabbits! I own three. I’m not going to hide them away from anyone.” The child tossed aside the sheet of paper.
Naisha watched as Jacyn retrieved it and put a neat X in the top right-hand corner. “So, no to this one too, huh?” she said. There was a note of patient fatigue in her voice.
Willa rolled her eyes. “I’m looking for a new governess,” she explained to Naisha. “Papa fired the last one because he stole from us, and mama hurt the one before that.” In her frustration, her French accent grew heavier. “They were all awful. And these,” she shook the papers in her hands, “ugh! This one is seventy-three years old! Her application is written by hand! Do you think she can use a computer?Non!Andthis onesays she will not take the job unless my papa allows her to spank me when I misbehave.” The eleven-year-old looked both scandalized and defiant. “Spank! Me! Can you imagine?” She shoved the applications into Jacyn’s hands as if she couldn’t bear to look at them.
“I can’t,” Naisha admitted, trying not to grin, but didn’t say out loud that she found it very strange that a child could be responsible for hiring her own governess. Where were her parents, and why weren’t they involved? Rich people, huh?
“I hope the right person comes along,” Naisha said.
“Me too,” Jacyn readily agreed. “We’ve been searching for one for over a month now and nothing yet. Missy needs to get back in a classroom.”
Naisha nodded.
“How long have you been a model?” Willa asked after a few moments.
“Since I was about nineteen. I’m twenty-nine now.”
“Wow! That’s a long time,” Jacyn responded, while taking hold of the braid Naisha had just completed.
“I know. After I’ve done this contract with you, I plan to take a break. Slow down a bit.”
“What! You’re packing it in? But why? You’re so good at it,” Jacyn commented.
“You’re famous!” Willa exclaimed at nearly the same moment.
“Instagramfamous now,” Naisha corrected her modestly. “Semi-well known.”
Jacyn made apffttsound. “Oh, people know you. People like me who need to know you, people who need your pretty face and feisty personality to get their products out there. And that’s close enough to famous.”
“Maybe,” Naisha agreed. “But sometimes, you come to a crossroads in life, and you need to make a change. Besides, I did study education in college.”
“Get out!” Jacyn gasped in excitement.
She shrugged. “Gotta have something to fall back on, as my mother always says.”