Too Naughty

by Brenda Hampton

  Once they drove off, I planned to stay at Stephon’s place and rummage through his things, but I decided against it. I already knew what kind of scum he was, and there wasn’t anything in his place that would reveal anything different to me. Instead, I left without closing the door, heading back to my place. I wasn’t up for car shopping anymore, and I had a feeling that Stephon would show up, apologizing, soon.

  Throughout the night, I tossed and turned. Stephon was on my mind, but so was everything else. I hadn’t handled my business at Davenports like I normally did, and having so much money caused me to splurge more than I thought. Plus, I was starting to regret giving Stephon half of the money, especially given how he treated me today. And then not to call or come over really made me mad.

  Furious, I looked at my alarm clock, and it was almost midnight. I looked at the phone and thought about calling him, but I decided against it. Instead, I did the norm and rushed out of bed to get dressed. I hurried into my orange and white Baby Phat sweats and put my long braids into a ponytail. After sliding into my clean white tennis shoes, I headed out.

  Stephon’s house was pitch black on the outside and inside as well. His cars were both there, so that was a plus. Alone? I wasn’t sure, but I really didn’t care. I needed an apology from him; and as much as I did for him, he had to give it to me.

  When I reached the door, I knocked several times but got no answer. I rang the doorbell over and over again, but still, no answer. I paused for a moment and then, reached for the doorknob and turned it. The door was open, so I stepped inside.

  “Stephon?” I whispered and reached for the light switch on the wall next to me. I flicked the switch several times, but the light didn’t come on. I closed the door and tiptoed down the hallway to his bedroom. His door was closed, and as soon as I reached for the knob, somebody’s hand touched the top of mine and squeezed it. Immediately after, a hand covered my mouth, and whatever that awful smell was, it caused me to pass out.

  What seemed like hours later, I was awakened by the same smell. My head was spinning, and all I could see was a blurred vision of Stephon sitting naked while on the couch. He had a cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth, and as I attempted to sit up, I couldn’t, because my body was sore. I heard him mumble something, but I couldn’t quite make it out.

  “What did you say?” I asked while rubbing my eyes, looking in his direction. He removed the cigarette from his mouth and smashed it out in the ashtray in front of him.

  “I said it’s about time you got your lazy butt up.”

  My body was cold, so I knew I didn’t have on any clothes. And from the wetness between my legs, I knew I’d had sex with Stephon. For the moment, I couldn’t remember a thing.

  “Wha ... what did you do to me? I don’t remember anything, and what is that smell?”

  He stood up and walked over to me. He lifted my chin and looked down at me. “The only thing I smell is pussy. That would be yours, since we’ve been having sex for the last two hours. So, why don’t you get up and go clean yourself?”

  He removed his hand from my chin and walked away. I slowly got up from the floor and felt extremely light-headed. I was so woozy that before I fell, I had to quickly make my way to the couch. Stephon came back into the room and gave me some towels.

  “Your bathwater is running. Can you make it to the bathroom or not?”

  After reaching for the towels, I laid them on my lap. I placed my forehead in the palm of my hand.

  “I am really feeling ill. Now, I asked you before... . What did you do to me!”

  “Woman, I didn’t do nothing to you. You did it to yourself. Don’t you know better than to walk into a man’s house, or anybody’s house, unannounced? Not only that, but leaving my door open earlier wasn’t cool. I was mad at ya, so you know I had to put a hurting on you. Right now, you’re just feeling the aftereffects. Once you take a bath, you’ll be okay. Then we can finish where we left off,” he said, taking my hand and placing it on his dick. I wanted to yank that motherfucka from his body, but I didn’t have the strength to do so. Aside from possibly raping me, I knew he’d done something else to me. Until I had it all figured out, I had to play it cool. I moved my hand away from him and slowly stood up. Like a turtle, I moseyed down the hallway, making my way to the bathroom. I locked the door and sat on the toilet to gather myself. I was still light-headed, and needing a bath like it wasn’t funny, I dipped my hand into the water to feel it. It felt soothing, so I stepped in and lay back. I closed my heavy eyelids and could hear myself snoring.

  SHANE

  20

  Since Scorpio had forgiven me so easily, I spent the next few days making it up to her. We’d been to the movies, to the Jazz Corner, to the mall to shop, and we’d taken a late-night ride on my motorcycle through the park. Being at the park always led to sex, but I promised myself that our relationship wouldn’t be based on that alone. And when I told her I had plans to go to Florida and chill with Jay for the weekend, she kept giving it to me as if I was never coming back. Whenever she was in my presence, it was hard for me not to want to make love to her. Many times, I had to control myself, and so did she. We agreed that once I got back from Florida, we’d take a trip together, too. I even suggested that Mackenzie, Leslie, and her kids come along, and Scorpio said it might not be a bad idea. Since we’d been together for a while, I wanted a closer relationship with her family. I didn’t want to rush her into anything, because I knew how protective she was of Mackenzie since the breakup with Jaylin. She hadn’t let any of her companions, including me, near Mackenzie. I respected her wishes, but I wanted to show her I was capable of loving her family just as much as I loved her.

  As for going to Florida, I hated for Scorpio to feel left out, but there was no way possible for me to take her with me. Nokea and Jaylin would be very uncomfortable, and I was in no position to make them feel that way, even though he was my best friend. So, for the time being, things had to be left as they were, and we all had to deal with this uncomfortable situation as best we could.

  On Friday morning, Scorpio took me to the airport. I was running behind schedule, so I rushed to get my luggage out of the car and to say good-bye.

  “I’ll call you when I get there, okay?” I said, standing with my luggage hanging on my shoulder and another piece in my hand. She held my garment bag across her arm.

  “Don’t forget. And please have your phone on so I can call you.”

  “I will,” I said, puckering for a kiss. She gave me a tiny kiss, and when I opened my eyes, she stared at me.

  I backed away. “Is something wrong?”

  She had a perplexed look on her face. “Not really. I ... I just don’t like the thought of you going to Florida to see Jaylin. He’s always trying to feed you a bunch of bull, and I don’t know how much you trust and believe what he says to you. In addition to that, I’m afraid he might try to hook you up with someone because of his hatred for me.”

  “Baby, listen. Jaylin doesn’t hate you. And I’m not easily persuaded by my friends. I never have been, and I never will be. Don’t you know that by now? If not, then you still have a lot to learn about me. But now ain’t the time to discuss this. I’m late, and I will call you the moment I get to Jay’s house. Okay?”

  She nodded, and I barely had time to peck her lips again. I rushed off, even though I could see the concerned look on her face. I wasn’t really sure what it was about, but Scorpio was good at keeping things bottled up inside.

  Since I took a long nap on the plane, the ride was short and sweet. By the time I opened my eyes, the plane was getting ready to land. Jaylin already had my flight information, so I expected him to be there and to be on time. However, as I made my way off the plane and through the gates, I looked around and didn’t see him. Soon after, I saw Nokea and LJ heading my way. He ran up to me, and the excitement on both of their faces made me smile. I picked up LJ and held him in my arms.

  “Hey, li’l man, I can’t believe how big you’re ge
tting.” He smiled while nodding his head. I tickled him, and with my fingers I teased his curly hair which was like Jaylin’s. Nokea soon walked up.

  “Hi, Shane,” she said, reaching out for a hug. “Jaylin sent me to get you because he and our neighbor were putting up the decorations for the Hawaiian luau on the beach tonight.”

  “Sounds like fun,” I said, handing LJ over to her. He stood up, and she took his left hand and I took his right hand.

  “Uncle Shane,” he said, looking up at me as we all walked together. “Are you going to live with us?”

  I chuckled and looked over at Nokea. “No, but I plan to stay the weekend with you all. Trust me, by Sunday, you’ll be so sick of me that you’ll be ready for me to go back home.”

  “I doubt it,” Nokea said. “He was so excited that you were coming, but not as excited as Jaylin. At times, I think he gets lonely, and I’m always glad when you come to visit us.”

  I grinned, and we made our way to the baggage claim area to get my luggage. I thought Nokea drove to the airport, but I forgot that Jaylin had a driver named Ebay, who drove them every place they wanted to go. He was waiting outside for us and loaded my bags up in his Jeep. Once everything was loaded, I opened the door for Nokea to get in the front seat, and LJ and I got in the back. I couldn’t help noticing how pretty and classy she looked, even in a pair of blue jean shorts. She reminded me so much of Nia Long, and Jaylin had to be one of the luckiest men in the world.

  On the way to Jaylin’s house, Ebay drove the shit out of his Jeep. He quickly swerved in and out of traffic, and the wind was tearing us up. LJ got a kick out of bouncing up and down, and even though I hated to admit it, I got a thrill out of watching Nokea’s perky breasts bounce up and down as well. Hell, even Ebay looked over at her several times. When he caught me taking a peek, he looked at me in the rearview mirror and winked. I turned my head and felt awfully guilty. It wasn’t that I had never admired Nokea’s beauty, but ever since she kissed me ... we kissed each other, she’d been on my mind.

  I could always tell when Jaylin and Nokea’s house was near. The road got rocky, all you could hear was the ocean, and the palm trees were gracefully blowing. No doubt, this was the life. As I was in deep thought, Nokea turned sideways and looked at me.

  “Why are you so quiet, Shane? You haven’t said much of nothing all the way here.”

  I shrugged. “No reason. I’m just enjoying this amazing scenery and thinking about my future, that’s all.”

  “It is beautiful, isn’t it? Sometimes, Jaylin and I get up in the middle of the night and just walk until we can’t walk anymore. It’s so relaxing, and the kids are so happy living here.”

  “I bet they are,” I said, placing my hands behind my head. “Who wouldn’t be happy living in paradise?”

  Within the next few minutes, Ebay parked in front of the Rogers’ house. The sight of it always blew me away, and Jaylin was standing out front, waiting to greet me. He walked up to the Jeep, dressed in a white wifebeater and blue jean shorts. Tinted glasses covered his eyes, and leather sandals were on his feet. Before he could even make it to the car, his twin, LJ, was all over him. Jaylin picked him up and carried him to the back of the Jeep to assist with my luggage.

  “LJ, hop down,” Jaylin said. “Let me help Shane with his bags.”

  LJ hopped down, and Nokea reached for his hand. They walked toward the house and left Jaylin, Ebay, and me outside.

  “How much do I owe you?” Jaylin said to Ebay while reaching in his pocket.

  “You owe me nutteen if I can partay with you guys tonight.”

  “Ebay, you know you can stop by anytime you’d like to. How many times I got to tell you that you’re like family to us around here?”

  Ebay smiled and showed his pearly white teeth. “Gud, gud,” he said, patting Jaylin on his back. “But you gotta stop being so nice to me, man.”

  “I’m not being nice,” Jaylin said, handing all my bags over to Ebay. “Please take those to our guest room, and I will pay you on the way out.”

  Ebay saluted Jaylin and took all my bags into the house. Jaylin then told me to follow him, and we made our way around to the back and onto the beach. There were several huge straw huts with bars inside. Palm trees and torches surrounded the huts, and grass skirts and flowers were all over the place. Bongos and guitars were set aside for entertainment, and I could already tell that tonight would be a night to remember. I stood and stared at how well everything was put together.

  “This ... this is the bomb. What’s the occasion?”

  “Occasion? My neighbors and I just get together sometimes and feel like celebrating our good fortune. Since there ain’t no nightclubs close by, we make up our own forms of entertainment. Come nighttime, the whole place will be lit up. Yachts will be sailing in the ocean, and people will be all over the beach.”

  “Then, I can’t wait for tonight. Y’all rich folks know how to do it, and do it right.”

  Jaylin grinned, and we headed back to his house. As soon as I entered, Nanny B was waiting to give me a hug. She wiped her wet hands on her apron and held her arms out to me.

  “Give me some sugar, baby,” she said.

  I kissed her soft, fat cheeks and squeezed her as tight as I could. “I came all the way here just to get a hug from you. And to get a taste of your good cooking. I haven’t had a good home-cooked meal in a long, long time.”

  “And you for damn sure won’t get one dealing with Scorpio,” Jaylin added.

  I ignored his comment, and so did Nanny B. She rolled her eyes and pulled me into her kitchen. “If you’re hungry, I got some leftover meat loaf in the refrigerator.” She opened the stainless steel double doors to the fridge, but I declined.

  “Nanny B, I’ll wait until later to eat. I don’t work out as much as Jaylin do, so I gotta take it easy.”

  “Chile, I would never know. To me, you look like you work out every hour on the hour, but what does a thick old woman like me know? Whatever you’re doing, keep on doing it. Someday, you’re going to make some woman very, very happy.”

  I smiled and looked at Jaylin, who was about to open his mouth again. Nanny B gave him a look that said, “Hush.” Always listening to her, he kept quiet.

  “Now, I’ve been here for almost fifteen minutes, and I haven’t seen Jaylene yet.”

  “That’s because she’s taking a nap,” Jaylin said. “And I’m not about to let you interrupt the queen while she sleeps.”

  Just then, Nokea came into the kitchen, sliding her feet on the hardwood floors in Jaylin’s house shoes. “Well, the queen is awake. She’s calling for her dada, so you know the routine.”

  I didn’t think I’d ever seen Jaylin move so quickly. He rushed out of the room and, within a few moments, came back with Jaylene. Her head was buried in his chest, and her fingers were in her mouth. Her curly hair was separated into two Afro balls, and her big gray eyes matched those of Jaylin and LJ. When I reached out to hold her, she turned her head and squeezed Jaylin tighter around his neck.

  “You can forget about holding her,” Nokea said. “She’s Daddy’s little girl and only Daddy’s little girl. Depending on what kind of mood she’s in, Nanny B and me might get a moment with her.”

  “That’s ’cause y’all done spoiled these kids rotten,” Nanny B said. “LJ clings to Nokea more, and Jaylene clings to Jaylin. I get my share of both of them, and if you’d really like to know who has the upper hand around here, you’re looking at her.”

  “Nanny B, please,” Jaylin said. “You or Nokea don’t have nothing coming when it comes to mine. All they know is me, and LJ will tell you that himself.”

  Without saying one word, Nanny B walked up to Jaylin and held out her arms for Jaylene. She hesitated for a moment, but then she jumped into Nanny B’s arms.

  “That’s my baby,” Nanny B said, rubbing noses with Jaylene. “That Daddy of yours don’t know any better, does he?”

  Jaylene giggled and continued to rub noses with Nanny B. She ki
ssed Nanny B’s cheeks and pulled on her gray hair.

  “Can you believe that?” Jaylin said. “I can’t believe that’s how I get played.”

  LJ came in, walked right past Jaylin and Nokea, and went straight up to Nanny B. It was obvious that since Jaylene had her attention, he wanted it, too.

  “Nanna, will you make me a sandwich?” he asked.

  “Baby, Mama will make you a sandwich,” Nokea said. “Go wash your hands, and I’ll put it together for you.”

  LJ dropped his head. “But ... but I want Nanna to make it for me.”

  “And your Nanna will make it for you,” Nanny B said, looking at Nokea.

  “So, Mommy’s not good enough to make a sandwich now, huh? I swear, Nanny B, it’s you who do all the spoiling around here. You know I have no problem making him a sandwich.”

  “Well, me and my kids do. So, why don’t you, Shane, and Jaylin go get things in order for tonight? We’re going to eat, play some games, and watch cartoons. And don’t interrupt us, Jaylin, because we don’t want to be bothered.”

  “You are lucky I got company.” Jaylin smiled and grabbed Nokea around her waist. “Come on, baby. We know when we’re not wanted.”

  “Tell me about it,” Nokea said, playfully rolling her eyes. She and Jaylin walked out of the kitchen, and I followed. We made our way to the guest room, and Nokea took a seat on the king-sized bed, while Jaylin stood next to her.

  “Nanny B already hung your things in the closet, Shane,” Nokea said. “If you’d like to take a shower, the bathroom has plenty of towels in it. And some extra pillows are in the closet. The party doesn’t get started until eight o’clock, so you still have a few hours to get some rest, if you need it. Normally, an event like the one planned will require you to be up all night. Any rest you can get will only benefit you.”