If Only for Another Night

by Jaylin Rogers

  “I don’t like him,” Marisha said as we walked up to the check-out desk. I had to use the restroom so I gave Marisha my card and key, and then walked off to the ladies room. While washing my hands, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my late night and early morning with Jaylin Rogers. Although we didn’t get a chance to talk a lot, I felt like I knew Jaylin on a deeper level. It made me regret passing judgment on his life. He was a good man with a good heart. People just mistook him as an asshole, when actually, he was just a man who knew what he wanted and he was honest about it. Can’t be mad at that, and kudos to him because so many men were confused and downright liars.

  I left the bathroom and headed to the exit where Marisha was standing. “Thanks for grabbing my bag by the way. You call a cab?” I asked her while taking my bag from her hand.

  “Yup. Sure did,” she answered. “Your card is in the bag. I didn’t need it anyways.”

  I hadn’t realized the wide grin on her face. “See, I told you they wouldn’t trip about us being late.”

  “Girl, bye. They charged us for an extra day.” She waved her hand back at the desk.

  “What? What do you mean you didn’t need the card? You paid for it?” A puzzled expression was on my face.

  Marisha shook her head. “Nope. It was already paid for. Paid for in full by Mr. Rogers.”

  My face split into a stupid Kool-Aid smile. “Quit lying.”

  She shrugged and laughed. “I’m not lying. I knew there was something that I liked about his ass, but I just couldn’t figure it out. Guess he wasn’t so bad after all.”

  I shook my head. “So, I guess he isn’t AA anymore?”

  “Oh, no. I didn’t say all of that. His ass is still arrogant. But he’s cool and fine as fuck too.” She nudged me and we started laughing again.

  The cab we called pulled in front of the hotel. We walked on the sidewalk, carrying several bags in our hands. The driver helped us put our things in the trunk and we climbed into the backseat.

  “So, what exactly did you two do last night?” Marisha questioned.

  I knew she had been waiting for me to tell her what happened. I smiled at the thought of last night’s festivities. Modestly I told her, “Not much. I showed him some things . . . he showed me some things. Just a night of show me what you got.”

  I didn’t say much else, but the day I met Jaylin Rogers would be etched in my mind forever. Sex with him was so intense and mind-blowing! The more I gave to him, the more I received. He pleased my body in ways I could have never fantasized myself. It was tantalizing to say the least. Years of reading about him and trying to understand him, I thought I had him down pat. Little did I know, I knew just the bare minimum. He may not have realized it, but he gave me a lot in just those few moments of conversation we’d had. For a moment, he let me into his world, instead of shutting me down. He was honest to a fault and made no apologies for it. Others would take him as rude. But he was truly just real. I can appreciate that in anyone. His honesty was what really got me. The amazing sex just sealed the deal.

  OUR LITTLE SECRET

  Giana Monroe

  They say lightning never strikes twice, but in my case, that phrase couldn’t have been further from the truth. My Friday started out just like any other Friday, with me having the day off. I was still working with my best friend, Dr. Lamar Turner, at Turner Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy. It had been about four years, and I had finally worked my way up to having Fridays, and most weekends, off.

  I hadn’t planned to do much of anything, but the clinic closed early on Fridays, and Lamar wanted to get together for lunch. We decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, located on West Main Street in downtown Durham, North Carolina. From the first time I visited the restaurant, at Lamar’s request, I fell in love with the comfortable, yet classy, atmosphere. The building boasted beautiful white pillars that extended from floor to ceiling, while the walls were tastefully decorated with paintings of jazz greats, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis. Smooth jazz played throughout the restaurant.

  The food was outstanding. The main dish was, of course, chicken and waffles, served with homemade butter in varieties such as maple-pecan, peach-apricot, and vanilla-almond; but they also served seafood, salads, collard greens, mac & cheese, and tasty desserts, such as red velvet cupcakes. And the drinks . . . there was nothing like a plate of chicken and waffles served with a chilled ‘pink love’ strawberry mimosa.

  All types of people, black, white, young, old, the wealthy, and not-so-wealthy, patronized the establishment. Lamar was a huge supporter because it was owned by several of his college buddies and fellow Omega Psi Phi fraternity brothers.

  Lamar and I planned to meet around 2:00 PM, because it was after the primetime lunch rush, and before the evening dinner crowd. I reached the downtown area a few minutes before two, parked my 2014 iridescent silver blue pearl Hyundai Sonata in the small municipal parking lot, and walked the short distance to Dame’s. As I entered the restaurant, I saw Lamar sitting at our usual table closest to the window. I also saw someone else, a man whom I thought I would never see again, sitting with Lamar . . . one Jaylin Jerome Rogers.

  Jaylin and I met some three years and seven months ago when Lamar invited him up for North Carolina Central University’s Homecoming football game. Lamar and Jaylin were old friends, and since, according to Lamar, Jaylin was the consummate host when he visited him in Miami, Lamar wanted to return the favor. As it turned out, on Jaylin’s last night in town, Lamar had to work, and I was the one who ended up entertaining Jaylin. I guess I should say we ended up entertaining each other . . . with a night of hot, steamy, passionate sex that carried over into the next morning and afternoon. It was the best, and only, one-night stand I ever had.

  Watching the two men, my mind quickly reflected on the fact that I never told Lamar what happened between Jaylin and me. Lamar was my best friend, and we talked about more or less of everything, but I just didn’t feel right discussing my encounter with his friend, especially since Jaylin was known to be a player. From time to time, he would question me, asking, “Giana, what really happened between you and Jaylin?”

  “Like I told you a million times before, nothing happened,” I’d say. “We went out, had a few drinks, talked, danced, and basically had a great time. Then I went home. That was it.”

  “Yeah, that’s more or less what he said,” Lamar would reply, with an all-too-familiar skeptical look. “I might actually believe you two if I didn’t know Jaylin so well, but I’ll leave it alone. One day either you or Jaylin will slip up, and the truth will come out.” So far, it hadn’t come out, and I was hoping to keep it that way.

  Jaylin was still as handsome as ever with his curly back hair, moustache and goatee that were flawlessly trimmed, and those hypnotic gray eyes. And by the way his Brooks Brothers Regent Fix Saxxon Wool Bead Stripe 1818 suit fit, I could tell he still worked out frequently. When I last saw Jaylin, he had the body of a chiseled Zulu warrior, except his complexion was quite a few shades lighter, like that of light maple dipped in honey.

  “Damn,” he said. “Dr. Monroe. Long time no see.” He got up from his seat and leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. “Lookin’ good, baby,” he whispered in my ear. I wasn’t much into makeup, and today was no exception, but I was still looking cute. My locks were curled in ringlets and hung down to my shoulders. I was glad I decided to wear my tiny bling light colored denim jeans, light blue off-the-shoulder top, and flats, instead of my usual Nike gear and high-top sneakers. The outfit accentuated my petite, yet shapely frame.

  I returned his kiss on the cheek. “You’re looking pretty good yourself, Jaylin. I am happy to see you, but I’m surprised to see you here.”

  As I took my seat at the table, Lamar chimed in. “Jaylin’s in town on business. He’s looking to invest in the 21c Museum Hotel project down the block.” The 21c Museum Hotel project was going to be huge. Devel
opers planned to convert the old 17-story Hill Bank Building into a 125-room boutique hotel, with a restaurant/bar, and a museum that would show contemporary art. The model was to be based off the other 21c hotel museums in Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Bentonville, Arkansas. Not only would the project open up more jobs in Durham, it would also attract more locals and tourists to the area. I could see why Jaylin wanted to be a part of such a major undertaking. It would add very nicely to his already extensive portfolio.

  We were about to continue our conversation when our waiter, Marcus, came over. “Hey everybody. What can I get for you today?” Once pleasantries were exchanged, we all placed our food orders. I chose Dame’s Daily Deal with fried chicken legs, a classic waffle, and maple-pecan butter, while the guys both selected the blacken salmon with a side salad. For our drinks, Jaylin asked for a glass of Remy, his usual drink of choice. Lamar picked a Triangle White Ale for himself, and for me, a strawberry mimosa.

  Once our orders were in, Jaylin continued where Lamar left off. “I just came from a big meeting with some other investors, and I hit up Lamar. I wanted to see if he was interested in investing too. He told me you two were meeting for lunch, so I figured I’d join you. I hope you don’t mind,” he said, flashing me a dazzling smile in that flirtatious way of his.

  “Now, Jaylin, why in the world would I mind?” I asked, giving him my best flirtatious smile in return.

  “Oh boy, here we go again.” Lamar sighed.

  “Man, come on. You know the good doc and I are cool like that. This is just how we do,” Jaylin remarked. “So, Giana, what have you been up to?”

  I usually don’t mind when people ask that question, but for some reason it bothered me when Jaylin did it. “Nothing much. Work mostly. And you?”

  And then I saw it; that look that said Jaylin was about to get all up in my business. The last time that happened, he found out way too much about my personal life, and he used it against me. That wasn’t going to happen this time, or so I hoped. “What, no boyfriend?”

  Yep, I called that one. “No, Jaylin, I’m currently single.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Just busy I guess.” I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.

  Lamar snickered. “She’s not that busy. She’s just avoiding men.”

  I shot Lamar a steely glance. “Lamar . . .”

  “What? I thought you and Jaylin were cool.”

  “We are, but—”

  He quickly cut me off. “But what? We’re all friends, right? So what’s the harm in telling one friend why another friend is scared to date, hmmmm?”

  I found Lamar’s ribbing at my expense less than amusing. I sucked my teeth, and gave him a serious side eye. “Whatever, Lamar.”

  Jaylin noticed how irritated I was and interjected. “Lamar cut her some slack. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, she doesn’t have to.” In that moment, I really appreciated Jaylin for having my back. “Besides, it can’t be any worse than that damn thirty-second lover she dated for five long years. That mutha fucka was just lame.” And just that quickly, the moment was gone. He and Lamar laughed so loudly people turned to look.

  “I hate you two so much right now, really I do,” I snarled, crossing my arms in front of me.

  Lamar got up and hugged me, despite the fact that I sat there stiff as a board. “Aww come on now, G, you know we’re just messing with you.”

  “Lamar, you don’t see me bringing up your last relationship fiasco. You remember the crazy chick who was trying to have your baby by putting holes in her diaphragm?”

  He quickly released me from his grip. “Ouch! See, why you have to go there, Giana?”

  “Doesn’t feel so good when you’re in the hot seat, does it, Lamar?” I didn’t give him time to respond. Instead, I turned to Jaylin. “Mr. Rogers, if you must know, I’m single because my last boyfriend ended up being a big time stalker.”

  Jaylin raised an eyebrow. “Stalker? What kind of stalker?”

  “Phone stalker, cyber stalker, in-person stalker, take your pick.”

  “Damn, what did you do to make him stalk you?”

  I stared at Jaylin for a few long seconds before responding. “I didn’t do anything to make him stalk me. Long story short, he couldn’t deal with me and Lamar being friends, even though I never gave him a reason to think we were anything but. One time, he even showed up at the job and started some mess with Lamar.”

  Jaylin looked at Lamar. “And you didn’t beat that son-of-a-bitch’s ass?”

  “Nah, man, as much as I would have liked to, I didn’t. Not a good look for the practice. Besides, I don’t have Jaylin Jerome Roger’s money to hire a high-powered lawyer to get me off from an assault charge,” Lamar said, shaking his head. “Plus, this one here begged me not to,” he said, thumbing in my direction.

  Jaylin scowled. “Fuck that. I would have beaten the shit out of that mutha fucka, and then I would have dared his ass to call the cops. I’m just sayin’.”

  I continued with my story. “Anyway, because he showed out, that was the last straw. I kicked his sorry behind to the curb. Needless to say, he was pissed. That’s when the blocked phone calls started. Then I started getting emails from a strange email address. I traced all of them back to my nutty ex. That’s when I got the order of protection.”

  “Hell, those things don’t work. It’s just a piece a paper,” Jaylin noted as our food arrived.

  “You ain’t lyin’ bro,” Lamar added. “That fool started following her. We called the cops on him a few times, but since he left before they got there, they couldn’t do much.”

  Jaylin took a sip of his Remy. “I’m telling you, one good ass whoopin’ would have shut ole boy down."

  “Or it could have made him act out even more,” I retorted.

  “The way I would have kicked his happy ass, he wouldn’t have been in any condition to retaliate.” He finished off his first glass and signaled for Marcus to bring him another.

  I ran my palms down the front of my face, placing my chin on my thumbs. “Well, since I couldn’t beat him up, I got him locked up instead. It won’t be for much longer, but, at least, it’s something.”

  “You better hope he doesn’t start again, once he’s out.” Jaylin stopped eating just long enough to comment.

  “Are you speaking from experience, Jaylin?” I inquired.

  “Hell, yeah, I am. Some of you women are insane.” He and Lamar gave each other a pound.

  “What did you do to make a woman stalk you?” I asked with a smile on my face.

  “Giana, what makes you think I did anything to get stalked?” He had a mischievous glint in his eyes. I didn’t respond. Instead, I tilted my head to the side and gave him a look that said, ‘Come on, Jaylin, really?’ That caused him to smile and reply, “All I’ll say is that once a woman gets a taste of Jay Baby, she’s gonna want more. If she can’t get it, she may lose her mind.” He sat back smugly.

  “I ain’t mad atcha, bro, I ain’t mad,” Lamar said admiringly.

  I had another eye roll moment. “If you say so.” I can admit to myself that the sex with Jaylin was phenomenal, but I definitely had not lost my mind. Must be something in the Miami air, or the water, that made women go all Snapped over Jaylin Jerome Rogers.

  Just as Jaylin was about to say something, Lamar’s phone rang. It was the office. He rose from the table. “Excuse me you two. I have to take this. Talk amongst yourselves until I get back,” he said with a grin.

  I waited until he stepped outside before turning my attention to Jaylin. “How have you been?”

  “I’m good, baby, but I’m always good.” He winked as he said that.

  “Did you ever get back together with that special lady of yours?” Now it was my turn to be nosy.

  “No, not yet. I’m still giving her some space. In the meantime, I’m just doin’ me right now.” He took a sip of his second glass of Remy. “Although I’d rather do you.”

  I laughed; it was more o
ut of nervousness than anything. For some reason, Jaylin had that effect on me. Of course, I’d never let him know that. “Been there, done that. I’m good,” I remarked, trying to sound nonchalant.

  “But we had such a good time, didn’t we?”

  I couldn’t argue with that. Being with Jaylin was one of the best nights of my life, a night I would never forget, but there was more to life than great sex, for me anyway. “Yes, Jaylin, it was amazingly incredible, but I’m just not up for another casual fling.” I broke my own rules by not only having casual sex, but a one-night stand on top of it. While I didn’t regret it, I wasn’t sure how I felt about going there again.

  Jaylin moved a bit closer to me. I looked out the window to make sure Lamar wasn’t watching us. “Why not, Giana? Oh wait, I know. You’re still looking for Mr. Right. Well, baby, he ain’t here, I am. So until your Mr. Right comes along, why not go for Mr. Right Now? At least you know with me what you see is what you get.” I had to give it to Jaylin. While I hated his psychobabble assessment of me, he was right. Mr. Rogers was one of the rudest, most arrogant, and at times extremely irritating and overwhelmingly infuriating men to ever cross my path. At the same time, he was also very insightful, incredibly honest, and definitely one of the realest people I had ever met. “How long has it been, Giana?”

  “Well, it’s May, so the last time we saw each other was three years and seven months ago, give or take.”

  Jaylin gave me a slick smile. “Funny how you remember almost exactly how long it’s been since we’d last seen each other, but that’s not what I was asking. I mean, how long has it been since you got some?”

  I sat there, deciding whether or not to answer him. I tried to deflect instead. “I would have to say much longer than it’s been for you,” I remarked, trying not to show how uncomfortable I was, knowing where the conversation was headed.