Family Hustle : "I Am My Brother's Keeper"

Chapter Nineteen : "Make Over"

                                           -Cynn

       "Hey baby girl, wassup Johnny?" Vinny says while we enter the car. We both say hey to him and he says " I hope y'all tryna ride because I gotta go to the mall real quick". "The mall for what?" I ask. "Ya brother has a celebration to attend" he says flashing that Valentino smile. "Okay that's what's up! Your sister here has a party to attend to herself." Johnny blurts. "Oh word?" Vinny asks looking at me through his review mirror. "No, Cynnthia will not be attending any parties." I say nudging Johnny in his ribs. "Oh whateva, she lying!" Johnny says "we on a mission to steal someone's mans". "Okay, baby sis you out here stealing mans now" Vinny says teasing me. "Oh my gosh!" I yell in humiliation.

30 minutes later we pull up at Sak's on 57th street. "Didn't some man get robbed a few blocks away from here?" Johnny says getting out the car "I saw it on the news". I shrugged my shoulders and looked up to Vinny to see if he had a clue but, he was too deep into the phone call he was taking. Putting his hand over the phone he looks at me and says "Baby girl, I'm about to go in here and get tailored for this suit and attend a business meeting, so you and ya friend can walk around and go shopping or find some to wear for that lil party tonight." He hands out seven hundred dollar bills and Johnny grabs it saying "I'll take that"! "Call me when your ready Cynn." Vinny says kissing me on the cheek, continuing to his phone call. I turn around and Johnny looks at me all excited. "Well damn baby doll, now let's go get you right!" He says eyeing the stores around us. "Wait Johnny, I'm not sure about this." I say grabbing on to him. "Doll, this is going to work, I promise. All we need to do is tweak you a little, go to a salon to get you beautified and get you some new threads hunny!" He says confidently. "Now let's go!" He says dragging me by the hand.

We go into the Vartali Hair Salon and the receptionist asks what service did I want. Before I say anything Johnny says "Ms.Valentino here would like a set of highlights, a wash, blow dry and style please and also some extensions, please and thank you". "Okay, go ahead and take a seat" the receptionist says. "Johnny what the hell, I can't get that stuff!" I say panicking. "Look mami, your beautiful and all but goddamn, give yourself some glow! Hakeem doesn't notice you because you look like a rose in the dark. Now let's bloom you hunny!" He says. "Ms.Valentino?" The stylist says. Looking at her she motions me to come over. Standing up, Johnny looks at me saying "Look everything will turn out fine. Your going to be here for a while so I'll go out and be your personal shopper. I'll be back in an hour". Sitting down in the stylist's chair, she buttons the cape around my neck and starts prepping the bleach. "Here goes nothing" I say to myself.