Page 39 of New Growth
The thought sat uncomfortably in my mind because I knew it wasn’t true. But the fact that Hope offered that up so easily made me feel weird.
“Well, I can only go based on what I’ve seen, and to me, she’s been phenomenal.”
Hope leaned forward, her voice low and laced with something sharp. “That’s because you’re her new shiny toy. She’s taken you under her wing, wants to ‘fix you up’ because she cares so much. I’ve seen it all before.”
“Oh really? Where?” I challenged.
Hope’s expression hardened. “With me. We used to be locked in. Tight as day-one box braids and close as them too. Now she’s all cozied up with you.”
I blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in her tone. “I mean, we’re all friends.”
Her face screwed up in confusion before relaxing suddenly, like she remembered something.
“Sure,” she said in the most nice-nasty way possible.She could be so mean at times.
After that, she returned to her phone, forgetting my existence and leaving me feeling gutted. I knew she was upset with me, and the thought filled me with anxiety. I wasn’t sure why I cared so much about Hope liking me, but I did. On paper, we were friends, sure. But shealways carried herself like she was above being associated with me—like she was doing me a favor by letting me in her circle.
And I let her.
Esther always called me out on it, telling me not to let Hope’s validation define my worth. But for some strange reason, I was obsessed with getting it anyway. Because deep down, I wanted her to see me as an equal someday.
It was like a sick, secret goal of mine.
Hope sighed dramatically, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Anyway. Onto moreimportantthings.” She said as if what we were discussing was not important in the slightest.
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”
“I don’t think you should go through with this Atlanta expo,” she said with a hair toss.
I paused, caught off guard. “What? Why not?”
She leaned in closer, resting her arms on the table like she was about to get serious about this meeting all of a sudden.
“Because the brand of EL’evation is luxury. That expo gives tacky and cheap. What are you even gonna present? Bantu knots and bamboo hoops? We’re bigger than that now.”
We weren’t.
We were big in influencer spaces, sure, and among celebrities who loved to flaunt us on social media. But I wanted to be bigger. I wanted my name mentioned alongside the greats in the hair industry. I wanted a chain of salons I could run remotely, maybe even my own hair care line. But that wasn’t going to happen if I only catered to high-end clients who thought they were entitled to free services.
I exhaled, choosing my words carefully so I didn’t upset her more. “We’re doing okay now, yes. But I want to take EL’evation to the next level—brand deals, hair care lines, being invited to teach lectures on natural hair. That’s what I want. And I can only get it through exposure.Hencethe expo.”
Hope scoffed. “You really wanna be hunched over a shampoo bowl all day? Preaching about scalp massages till you’re fifty?Realbusinesswomen’s money makes money, Elliot. You need to put yourself in a position to do all of that without lifting a finger. And that only happens by marketing yourself as exclusive and luxurious.”
She leaned back so that she could see me fully.
The position made it appear almost as if she was looking down at me.
“You thinkThe Today Showis gonna call you up because you sell a few bottles of shampoo? Or because you teach little girls how to comb their own nappy ass hair?”
Then she laughed. Like a full-on, in-my-face laugh.
I bit my lip, forcing myself to swallow down the tightness in my throat.
It was a familiar feeling, but one I still couldn’t place.
I cleared my throat. “I thought it would have been a fun experience for the staff and a good opportunity for the salon.”
