Pawn

Chapter 45

It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be with Veno and Mia around. To my surprise, everyone was getting along fine. Things were so good with all of us that we begun to hang out. Drennon, Veno, and Lee was outside while Mia and I stayed in and just chatted.

"So Riley, how are you and Drennon? Veno told me about you two being together now." She asked giddily.

"I'm not going to lie, it's a bit of a change for me compared to how we were in the beginning when I first arrived here. I didn't expect me and Drennon to develop any kind of emotion for one another. I'm still trying to get adjusted to it but all in all, we're good." I said smiling at Mia.

Things with Drennon has been a major transformation and I like it. Sometimes I can't believe that I'm at the stage where I am with him. This reverts back to me first being here. I thought Drennon would've just killed me after a couple of days for not being a vital lead in his plan to get his things back. It may sound like a reach but that's how it was in the beginning. Now he's done a complete turnaround.

"I'm happy for you, Drennon is really a good person under all that rough and tough exterior. He has a heart of gold." Mia said. "I'm glad me and him can still be cordial due to me and Veno being together."

"Speaking of Veno, how are you two? All this talk about me and Drennon."

As soon as I mentioned Veno's name, Mia's face lit up like a firecracker on the Fourth of July. "He's my everything. Like I know we've only been dating four months but I feel right with him ya' know." I nodded my head in understanding.

"I feel alive with him. I feel my soul has life in it again. After my fiancé has passed, I was in a dark place in my life. Meeting Veno made me whole again."

"Do I hear wedding bells?" I asked happily.

"Hell no. Oh I'm sorry Riley." We laughed. "I would want to get married again but for right now, I'm letting things go with flow." She said spreading her arms out.

We continued to talk some more just getting to each other better. I found out Mia was the owner of her own hair shop that specializes in natural hair. It no surprise, Mia's hair is so gorgeous in that big puff ball of hers. It really suites her face.

"What made you want to go in the hair business Mia?"

"Well one day I went to this hair salon and decided I was going to get a perm. Now back then, I didn't know what kind of damage a perm could do. Anyway, the stylist left the perm in my head too long and it took out a big chunk of my hair."

My eyes widened as my mouth dropped opened.

"The stylist tried to blame me saying it wasn't her fault and that she was not going to give me my money back or try to fix the damage. At that point, I was fed up and took her to court."

"Did the judge rule in your favor?"

"How you think I got the money to open my shop?" She replied crossing her arms. "Every since that horrible incident, I taught myself the ways of keeping healthy natural hair. I want other ladies that come in my shop to know that hair can beautiful without harmful chemicals."

"That's really inspiring. I always did think perm was a bad thing because of how it smelled."

"A lot of women know the bad effects of a perm and still get it. At my shop, I try to stray them away from it. I show them different alternatives to keeping healthy hair. It's not hard once you have a good routine."

"There's my baby." Veno said smiling coming over to Mia. He kissed the side of her cheek. She looked at him in fascination.

"What y'all doing out there on the patio? Smell like somebody burning something."