Too Close for Comfort by La Jill Hunt Read Free Book Online

shop.”
    â€œWe’re talking about opening a high-class, sophisticated salon, Quincy. We need to be downtown. That’s the clientele we’re trying to attract. Not Bonquisha and Shantaniqua who want their baby daddy’s name airbrushed on their nails.”
    â€œAlthough I am the bomb at nail tricks, in case someone does want that done.” Taryn winked at him.
    Quincy laughed, making Yaya even more irritated.
    â€œThat’s not even funny, Taryn. Look, Q , we’ll still have regular clients who are gonna come in to get their faces done. They aren’t gonna wanna come to McNeil Street.”
    â€œThen that’s their issue, Yaya. You asked me for a chance, and I’m giving you one. Do you even know how much the rent is in the building downtown? Hell, I’m taking a chance myself by going down there. McNeil Street will give you ample space to do what you need to do.”
    â€œI can’t believe this. I need some air.” Yaya stood up and walked out the front of the restaurant.
    Her vision of a classy salon was now distorted. Quincy wanted to stick her in the center of the old neighborhood where they grew up. The building had to be older than she was. Uncle Troy bought the building years ago and used to rent offices to small companies. It was his first investment, and once Quincy opened Q -Masters and made it a success, he gave it to him. It would take all their start-up capital just to renovate.
    Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.
    Her life seemed to be falling apart around her. First, Jason; now this. Nothing seemed to be going right.
    â€œYou okay, Yaya?”
    She turned to see Taryn standing behind her. “I’m pissed, but I’m okay. I guess we’ll have to wait on opening the salon, huh? Or we can always just open it somewhere else on our own, find our own location.”
    â€œGirl, please . . . we’re gonna do this the way we planned. Think about it, if we can make the salon work on McNeil Street, we can make it work anywhere.”
    â€œHe’s just trying to be difficult, Taryn. He coulda let us open next to one of his nicer shops. He wants us to fail, that’s all.”
    â€œNo, I don’t think so. I think he wants us to work. He thinks maybe the salon will be good for the old neighborhood too. Maybe we can bring some class to the joint.” She nudged Yaya’s arm. “Come on, we can do this. No time for looking down now, baby. We gotta look up. Lord knows, we’re gonna need to do some serious praying if we’re gonna be on McNeil Street.”
    â€œMcNeil Street.” Yaya looked at her best friend and couldn’t help but laugh. Taryn was always an optimist.
    â€œLadies, I know you left me all alone so you wouldn’t have to pay the check—which, by the way, I did.” Quincy walked up and put his arms around both of them.
    â€œWell, being that you have four shops and we only have one, you should be treating us to dinner.” Yaya rolled her eyes at him.
    â€œSo I guess I’ll meet you two at the shop in the morning so we can get started?” He smiled.
    â€œJust let us know what time,” Taryn quipped.
    â€œIs ten-thirty good?”
    â€œWe’ll be there—right, Ya?”
    â€œYeah, we will.” Yaya sighed.
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    Taryn and Quincy were already at the shop when Yaya arrived the next morning. She fought off the urge to call Jason, even though she needed to talk to him now more than ever. He knew opening the salon was the most important decision she had made in her life and she needed her man in her corner. She needed his support.
    Dammit, Jason, call me . She stared at her phone as she sat in the parked car, hoping that some kind of way she could telepathically reach him.
    Her phone began ringing. She became excited, until she saw Quincy’s name and number on the caller ID.
    â€œYou’re late. Why are you sitting there?” he