“I ... I understand, but—”
Scorpio gagged and placed her hand over her mouth. I thought she had the hiccups, but when she puked right in my face, it was too late for me to step away.
“I’m sorry,” she said while holding her stomach. I wiped as much of her vomit off my face as I could and hurried her to the bathroom. She threw up some more, and afterward, we cleaned up in the bathroom. She complained about being tired, so we left Jay’s and headed back to my place.
When we got there, we lay in my bed, embracing each other. For a long time, we talked about the baby and about all that we had to look forward to. Scorpio seemed happy, and so was I. In such a short period of time, we’d been through a lot and our relationship had definitely encountered its ups and downs. Eventually, I knew it would all work out for the best, and even though she shared with me her feelings for Jaylin, she knew that she’d someday have to put her feelings for him to rest.
Once Scorpio fell asleep, I eased out of bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead. I pulled the sheets over her and smiled. Feeling more than excited, I opened my drawer and pulled out the necklace I was supposed to give her. Now seemed like the perfect time, but first, I wanted her to get some sleep. I laid the necklace on the dresser, closed the bedroom door, and went into the kitchen. Before I made another move, I called my mother and thanked her. She couldn’t stop telling me how blessed we were, and deep down in my heart, I truly knew it.
I also knew that I’d be an even better man to Scorpio, especially since she’d be the mother of my child. I hadn’t been perfect, and allowing Felicia to stay with me, and letting females continue to call my house, was wrong. I kept holding back on my relationship with Scorpio because I expected her to be the woman that she was with Jaylin. I was worried about hurting Jaylin’s feelings, while depriving myself and Scorpio of the happiness we both deserved. Until now, I hadn’t realized that she’d grown into a better woman ... one that I knew she could always be.
After I ended the call with my mother, I thumbed through my mail and decided to call Jaylin. He answered the phone and sounded upbeat.
“What you so excited for?” I asked.
“Shit, I just got my money from Felicia! She broke it up in installments, but the final cashier’s check just came today.”
“So, I guess you’re a rich man again, huh?”
“I’m a richer man, Shane. I keep on climbing up the ladder, not down it.”
“Well, I’m afraid, through your eyes, I might be climbing down it. I’ve decided not to make a move to Florida, and Scorpio and me gon’ chill right here.”
Jaylin was quiet. “So, when did all this come about? I just spoke to you this morning, and you were on your way tomorrow. I made arrangements for you to have a nice place, and I found an office for Alexander & Company. What ... what’s going on, Shane?”
“Man, I don’t know any better way to say it, other than I’m in love. I know you have never seen it that way, but I can’t just drop everything and leave Scorpio like that. I appreciate your friendship and all that you’ve done for me. It will never, ever be forgotten. I wish you wouldn’t have asked me to choose, but I understand not only your reason but your purpose as well. My decision is to stay with my woman and my baby that’s on the way. I hope you’ll be happy for me, as much as I’ve always been happy for you and Nokea.”
He hesitated and let out a deep sigh. “A baby, huh? Are you sure it’s yours?”
“I expected you to ask that, but I’m one hundred percent positive that it’s mine. Scorpio gives me what I give to her. That’s peace, understanding, and respect. It’s all she’s ever asked for.”
“Well, Shane, congrats to you, and I do wish you well. I won’t lie to you and say that we can all sit around and be one big, happy family, because you know that’s not possible. I’m not happy about your decision, but I’m proud of you for making the right one for you. If any woman makes you feel how Nokea makes me feel, then don’t lose out. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll get over my selfishness and be able to cope with the situation. That goes for Nokea, too, but for right now, you’ll have to give us some time.”
“I will,” I said, while reading over a mailed letter from Felicia in which she apologized for her ignorance but informed me that she’d “missed a few periods.” She said that if she was pregnant, the child was most likely Stephon’s, but there was a small possibility that it could be mine. She assured me that she’d keep in touch.
“Shane,” Jaylin said, responding to my quietness.
“Yeah, I hear you,” I said, balling up the letter and tossing it in the trash. “I was just reading a letter from ole girl, informing me of a possible pregnancy.”
“Who?”
“Felicia”
“I told you that shit was coming, didn’t I? She amazes the fuck out of me, and her bullshit is ongoing. All I can say, Shane, is welcome to my world. Been there, done that shit before. Handle your business, though, dog. One of my threats to her was to not interfere with you anymore. If you need for me to make her disappear, I will.”
“Man, I ain’t worried about Felicia. I got too much to be thankful for, and I’m looking forward to my baby coming into this world. I hate to bring this up, but are there any changes with Nokea’s situation? Since the accident, have the doctors said anything about her being able to conceive another child?”
“They say it’s not possible. I, on the other hand, see it another way. As long as I keep spreading and giving my love to her, anything’s possible.”
“I agree, and please keep the faith. In the meantime, take care of your family and give them plenty of kisses and hugs for me.”
“No kisses for my wife,” he joked. “Only for the kids and Nanny B. During our downtime, you take care of your family, too. I know you’ll be a good damn daddy, and be extra good to Mackenzie. She deserves extra special treatment, because she still belongs to me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I’ve seen your best. Your best ain’t good enough, so do better.”
“I bet I will be better at fatherhood than you. As a matter of fact, I’m a better man, a better worker, a better lover—”
“Shane, don’t get carried away. The proof has been in the pudding, and you can’t touch nothing I do with a ten-foot pole.”
We laughed, and for the next hour or so, we continued to have our disagreements, debates, and disputes over the phone. Sometimes, I might have misjudged Jaylin a lot, but the one thing I knew was he needed my friendship and I needed his. Out of respect, I intended to give him all the space he needed, but I was positive that time without our friendship would give him time to heal. I didn’t expect for our time away to be long, and I looked forward to the day we all could get along and accept each other for who we were—down-to-earth, entertaining, and real people with a whole lot of everlasting drama.
Urban Books, LLC
78 East Industry Court
Deer Park, NY 11729
Naughty 5: Too Naughty Copyright © 2011 Brenda Hampton
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, except brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-5998-3241-8
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
Distributed by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Submit Wholesale Orders to:
Kensington Publishing Corp.
C/O Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Attention: Order Processing
405 Murray Hill Parkway
East Rutherford, NJ 07073-2316
Phone: 1-800-526-0275
Fax: 1-800-227-9604
Too Naughty Page 26