“I’m afraid she’s right, man. If you haven’t had any sleep, now is the time.”
“I’m cool. I slept all the way here on the plane, so I feel well rested. I will, however, take a shower in that bad-ass shower y’all got and make a few phone calls, if y’all don’t mind.”
Nokea stood up. “Make yourself at home,” she said. “If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”
“Thanks, and I will,” I said.
She left the room, but Jaylin stayed behind.
“Do you have something to wear for tonight?” he asked.
“I got some red swimming trunks. Do I need something else?”
“Naw. It’s hot as hell, so I just wanted to make sure you didn’t bust out in no hot-ass jeans or nothing.”
“I got plenty of those, but I knew I’d better pack some swimming trunks, being this close to the beach.”
“Good thinking,” Jaylin said, heading toward the door. “Again, if you need anything, I’ll be in my room.”
I nodded, and he closed the door behind him.
Since I told Scorpio I’d call her the moment I arrived, I looked in my bag for my cell phone. The battery was low, so I plugged the charger into a socket to let it charge. I then sat on the bed and reached for the phone on the nightstand. I called Scorpio’s home phone number but got no answer. I then called her at the shop, but Jamaica said she’d gone to the bank. I left a message for her to call me back.
Afterward, I stripped naked and went into the bathroom to take a shower. When I stepped inside the shower, with its oval-shaped walls made of marble, I felt like royalty. The cushioned seat inside helped me relax, but not as much as the soothing water that poured from two waterfall faucets above. All I could do was sit back with my eyes closed and enjoy the feeling. I started wondering about Scorpio’s and my relationship. About Alexander & Company ... getting married ... having kids. I wanted a better life, and by all means, I deserved it. It wasn’t that I was unhappy, but seeing what Jaylin and Nokea had made me feel as if I was missing out on something. As I was in deep thought, I heard Jaylin yell my name. I stood up and reached for the faucets to turn off the water. I grabbed a towel from the rail and wrapped it around my waist. As I stepped out of the shower, Jaylin stood in the doorway with a cordless phone in his hand.
“We need to talk about this,” he said sternly. “I did not want her to have my phone number.”
I held out my hand, but he dropped the phone to the floor and left the room. I picked up the phone, placing it on my ear.
“Hello,” I said.
“You asked me to call you back but didn’t answer your cell phone. Since Jaylin’s number came up on the caller ID, I thought you intended for me to call you back at his number.”
“No, I didn’t. But you should have known better calling his house, Scorpio. It’s disrespectful not only to him but to his wife as well. Now I have to go out here and apologize for—”
“Then, you do what you gotta do. I am so sick and tired of you catering to Jaylin and Nokea. All I wanted to do was speak to my man. I kind of missed him, you know, and I surely didn’t think that calling Jaylin’s house to speak to you would cause any trouble. But I guess, I fucked up again, right, Shane? Just add another tick mark to my list, and be sure to make me pay for it later.”
She hung up. I laid the phone on the bathroom counter and snatched the towel from around me. I dried myself off and bent over to dab my ankles. When I heard Nokea’s voice, I quickly stood up.
“Shane, have ...” She paused in the doorway, took a quick glance at my goods, and quickly turned around. “Sorry, but have you seen Jaylin? I thought he was in here with you.”
“He was, but not while I was taking a shower,” I said, laughing and wrapping the towel around me again.
She chuckled and started to walk away. I reached for her arm to stop her, and she flinched.
“Are you all right?” I asked. “I just wanted to apologize for the phone call.”
She turned but looked to make sure I was covered up. This time, she seemed a bit at ease. “What phone call?” she asked.
“I called to let Scorpio know I made it, and your number came up on her caller ID. She called back, but Jaylin answered the phone. He was a bit upset, and I think I owe both of you an apology.”
Nokea swallowed. “I didn’t want her to have this number, Shane. I know she’s supposed to be your woman, but I can’t forget the hurt that she’s caused me and my family. You know that I care for you a lot, but I will never agree to her coming to my home or freely calling here. I’m sorry if you don’t understand—”
“I do. And I will never make you or Jaylin uncomfortable in your own home.”
“Thank you,” she said. She grinned at me and left the room. I was hoping to continue our conversation because I wanted to find out if she’d told Jaylin about our kiss. I figured if she had, he would have brought it to my attention. Then again, they didn’t keep too many secrets from each other. Maybe he was waiting on me to tell him about it. Up until now, Nokea appeared as if she’d forgotten all about it. By the way she flinched, I could tell that something was on her mind.
The Hawaiian luau turned out to be a real bash. There was food for days: shrimp, crab legs, chicken, fruits, vegetables, and desserts lined up on tables around the beach. Throughout the night, loud bongo drums and music played. The barefoot Hawaiian dancers with grass skirts on had everybody on their feet, including me. I danced around tipsy in my red swim trunks, which went well with my caramel-colored skin. The single ladies seemed to give me much approval, as well as a few married ones who couldn’t keep their eyes off me.
As for Jaylin and Nokea, they seemed to be in their own little world. While others danced around them, they stood close in their swim gear, smiling and looking into each other’s eyes. They exchanged a few pecks on the lips from time to time, and I could surely tell they knew the meaning of true love.
Having my own fun, I stepped away and joined a group of Jaylin’s neighbors as they sat near two lit torches and ate pineapples. One of the ladies patted her lap, asking me to lay on her lap so she could feed me. Since she was a beautiful brunette with dark brown eyes, I couldn’t resist. I lay my headon my back and dropped my head right into her lap. Another lady, Sara, got up and said she was going to get us some drinks.
Sara came back with our drinks, and I spent the next hour or so getting to know her and Christina. When Sara’s husband came over and grabbed her to dance, that gave me a better opportunity to get to know Christina.
“Open your mouth,” she said and dropped another juicy pineapple, in my mouth. The juices squirted out and dripped on her shapely tanned legs.
“See,” she said. “Now, you’re going to have to lick those juices off my legs.”
I sat up and looked into Christina’s seductive eyes. They said that I could have her if I wanted to, but I really wasn’t sure. I reached for her hand.
“Let’s go for a walk,” I suggested.
Christina stood up and wiped the sand from her legs and backside. Of course, I helped, but only to check out the goods. She was slim, had a little curve action going on with her hips, and her ass was pretty decent for a white chick. Her bikini was turquoise and white and gave her breasts an extra boost. Before walking off, she signaled to Sara and told her we were leaving. I looked around for Jaylin and Nokea, and from a distance, I could see them lip locked on their balcony. It looked as if they were naked, but since it was so dark, I wasn’t sure.
Christina and I walked hand in hand along the beach. The wind blew her long hair all over, covering her eyes. She reminded me of Kim Kardashian, and I had to admit how pleased I was to be in her presence.
“So, Shane, are you going to tell me about yourself, or do you intend to leave me guessing?”
“It depends on what you’d like to know and how important it is to you.”
“For starters, what do you do for a living, and where do you live? Without being too nosy, I’d lik
e to know if you’re married.”
“I live in St. Louis, I manage my own architectural firm, and I’m not married.”
She smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. “St. Louis, huh? I have family in St. Louis, but I haven’t been there since I was a kid. Years ago, I moved here from New York to live with my father. Once he passed away, he left everything to me. So, I’m in the winery business. My brothers and I make wine and deliver it to many places throughout the United States.”
“Wow. Sounds interesting. But if you don’t mind me asking, are you married or single?”
“I’m thirty-six, and I’ve been married twice. Marriage isn’t cut out for me, and I’m really enjoying the single life right now.”
“I feel you,” I said. “Marriage just ain’t for everybody.”
Christina and I walked for a while longer, until she realized how quiet I’d gotten. She loosened her hand from mine and stood in front of me. She teased her hair with her fingers and gazed at me with her seductive, pretty eyes.
“My house is the big one on top of the hill behind me. Won’t you come inside, taste a few bottles of wine with me, and allow me to finish feeding you?”
I looked at the beautiful mansion behind Christina and was well aware of what kind of situation I’d get myself into if I went into her house. Instead, I held her hands with mine and kissed them.
“Christina, I think you may turn out to be an amazing woman. One who deserves more than a man who agrees to come into her house, have sex with her, leave, and probably never see her again. I can’t do that to you, nor can I do it to the amazing woman that I have back at home, waiting for me.”
Christina removed her hands from mine. She leaned forward and gave me a peck on my lips.
“Whoever she is, she’s a lucky woman. And if things don’t work out, you know where I live.”
“Yes, I do.”
She said good-bye, turned, and made her way home. I watched her until I heard laughter behind me. When I looked to see who it was, I saw Jaylin jogging down the beach with Nokea thrown over his shoulder. She was laughing her butt off, and when they reached me, he lowered her to her feet.
“What you doing way down here?” he said, out of breath.
“I was walking a nice young lady home.”
“Who? Christina?” Nokea asked.
“Yes. Do you know her?”
“Yep. She is a very nice person. You can invite her to our house, if you’d like.”
“Naw, that’s okay. Besides, I’m quite happy with who I’m with.”
Nokea and Jaylin looked at each other. Jaylin then cleared his throat.
“Say, baby. Why don’t you meet me back at the house? I need to chat with Shane about some things, all right?” said Jaylin.
“All right, but it’s getting awfully late. Don’t come in waking me and your babies up, because we’re getting some sleep tonight.”
“I won’t be long,” he said and then gave her a kiss before she walked away.
We stood silently for a moment, but I already knew what was on Jaylin’s mind. He sat down close to the sudsy water, and so did I.
“I ... I apologize for responding the way I did when Scorpio called my house,” he said. “It’s just that for over two years straight, Nokea’s and my marriage had been drama free. She’s my wife, Shane, and it’s my duty to protect her and my kids. I know Scorpio’s your woman, but I can’t allow her to call my house whenever she wants to. I can’t allow her to tease me and play with my mind like she did in the past, just to get back at my wife. I don’t care what you say, but she knows that calling my house would upset me. Not only that, but she knows that calling my house for you would irritate me. Honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can put up with this. You’re my best friend, but I’m about to make you choose between her or our friendship.”
I cocked my head back, looking at Jaylin in disbelief. “I can’t believe you just said that. Scorpio’s and my relationship is no distraction to you, because we’re all the way in St. Louis. I do not discuss, nor have I ever discussed, with you my true thoughts about her. You’re supposed to be my friend, but you act as if you don’t want to hear me out or understand what I’ve been going through with all of this. I can’t control my feelings, and if I just happened to fall in love with your ex, then I’m sorry. Why would you be so bitter about it if you have all the love and happiness that you have with Nokea?”
“Because I once had the same thing with Scorpio. I might not have loved her as much as I do Nokea, but I loved her as best as I could. You have to know that even though I don’t share how I feel with anyone, I’ll admit, you being with her breaks my heart. It hurts because, as much as I try to forget about her and Mackenzie, the thoughts of them remain fresh in my mind, especially since I have this friendship with you. I call your house. She answers. I visit you. She’s there. You visit me. She calls here. Man, I’ve already faced reality. And the reality of the situation is, I’m never going to accept you being with her. Since I can’t, then I’m leaving the choice up to you. I’ve been thinking about breaking this down to you for some time now, and just by how upset I got from her call today, I know something has to be done.”
“So, you’re asking me to make a decision on our friendship and the woman I love?”
“Yes. But that’s only if you love her. I think you’re infatuated, and when I make you this offer, only time will tell.”
“What offer?”
“I want you to move Alexander & Company here. You and I can quickly turn it into a profitable business and start investing in some real estate property down here. I’m already invested in some property with my neighbors, and my bank account is getting fatter and fatter by the day. I want you to share the wealth, my brotha, but that would mean giving up some things.”
“Some thing like Scorpio, right?”
“You decide.”
I stood up, and so did Jaylin. “The business deal sounds like a good one, and I know you ain’t trying to hear me, but I can’t leave my woman hanging like that.”
Jaylin grabbed my shoulder. “Shane, do you trust me?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Then you know I trust you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Then, I trust that you’ll make the right decision.”
“I need time to think about it. When I get back to the Lou, give me at least a month. I’ll call and let you know what’s up.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jaylin said, walking off. He took a few more steps and turned to walk backward. “And, oh, by the way ... you did say that I could trust you, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but I also asked why you’re asking.”
He stopped in his tracks, and so did I. “Because I trusted you would have told me about Nokea’s advances toward you.”
I cleared my throat. “What advances?”
“The kiss, Negro. She told me about the kiss.”
I smirked and walked past Jaylin. I knew he wanted to hear my side of the story, but I took off running to his house. I didn’t know if he was trying to catch up to me or not, until I reached the steps that led to his balcony. That was when he darted past me and quickly made his way up the steps. Out of breath, we both stretched out on the bottom deck to catch our breaths.
“I was a track star, fool,” he said, breathing heavily.
“Was is the key word. If you were a track star, you should have passed me up way back there.”
“I wanted to give you time to get your lie together about why you tongued my wife.”
I took a few more deep breaths, until my breathing finally slowed. I looked over at Jaylin, still lying flat on his back.
“I don’t know what Nokea told you, but your best friend or not, it wasn’t my place to tell you about our kiss. If she didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t have ever heard it from me, because I don’t believe in interfering with people who are married. On that day, that time, and for that moment, I’m sure Nokea had her reason for approaching me like she di
d. I might have had mine, too, but it’s over and done with. I can’t take it back, and neither can she. I’m just surprised that you’ve kept it under wraps for this long.”
Jaylin rose up on his elbows. “Man, as much shit as I did to Nokea in the past, I’m surprised she didn’t jump your bones and try to fuck you. Hell yeah, I was mad. I didn’t speak to her for a couple of days. But then she told me about her almost losing her life in an airplane crash. Shane, we got too damn much to be thankful for. If I had lost her over my bullshit, I never would’ve been able to forgive myself. If anything, her kissing you was a wake-up call for me. It let me know that if I don’t keep my shit in order, my wife don’t have no problem being with another man. As easy as she went to you, she would for damn sure find someone who will open his arms up to her as you did.”
“No doubt,” I agreed. “As beautiful as she is, inside and out, she will never have a problem—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just make sure you don’t make yourself available to her again. If so, I might have to bust you upside that big-ass head of yours.”
“Your head ain’t all that small, nigga. I know you ain’t—”
“You damn right my head ain’t small,” Jaylin said, grabbing himself. “Motherfucka so thick, it has a hard time prying its way into the pussy.”
“Jaylin!” Nokea yelled. She stepped outside and must have heard our conversation. “And whose vagina are you out here discussing with your friend?”
“Not you, baby. I was talking about some shit that happened a long time ago.”
“Don’t make me hurt your feelings. And not that Shane really cares, but it isn’t as big as his ex-women make it out to be.”
“Damn,” I said, laughing.
“Come on now, baby. It might not be big to you now, because you’ve been getting tapped quite often. We won’t talk about back in the day, when you—”
Nokea placed her hand over Jaylin’s mouth. “That was then, and this is now. I’ve reached a new level, and you don’t have to pry into anything.”
Jaylin placed his hand over her mouth. He moved his mouth away from Nokea’s hand. “We going to bed. If you hear her screaming, don’t think I’m killing her. But I’ll be for damn sure plugging her.”
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