If Only for Another Night

by Jaylin Rogers

  “You know you’re late, don’t you?” he said.

  I looked at my watch, not realizing that time had gotten away from me. It was only fifteen minutes past our meeting time. “For some reason, the limo driver went out of the way. But the good thing is that I’m here.”

  I guess he didn’t like my answer because there was no reply. He placed the glass on the table and walked up to me. I got a whiff of his strong cologne. What it told me was to keep my panties on! That shit stunk.

  “Why don’t you take a load off and have a seat,” he said. “Or if you’d like, I can get you something to drink.”

  I had high hopes about seeing Jaylin, but things were going downhill. Fast. During our Facebook conversations, he seemed like he had his shit together. I kicked my girlfriends to the curb this weekend, just to be here with him. Thus far, I wasn’t sure if I’d made the right move, and I started planning for an escape.

  For now, though, I took his advice and sat on the L-shaped sofa. Told him that gin and a little juice would suit me fine. He went over to the tiny bar to make my drink. Once he was done, he brought the drink over to me, but tripped over a shaggy rug that lay on the hardwood floor. He stumbled, but managed not to spill my drink.

  “Damn rug,” he said, kicking it, as if the rug was the clumsy one.

  “Be careful,” I said, reaching for my drink. “You don’t want to spill it, nor do you want to fall and injure your handsome face.”

  He rubbed the hair on his face and smiled. “You’re right. I definitely don’t want to mess up my face.”

  Maybe a fall would help it, I thought. I tried to be nice, and kept smiling, even though I was annoyed. Jaylin sat in a chair next to the couch. He kicked off his shoes that looked overly worn and had scuff marks all over them. Whatever happened to the black, square-toed leather shoes he often sported? In addition to that, the odor coming from his feet damn near knocked me out. I fanned the space in front of me and scooted down several inches on the couch.

  “So,” he said, adjusting his plastic watch that damn sure was no Rolex. He looked at the time again, and then lifted his head to look at me. “What are the plans for today? I’m the one visiting your city, and I assume we’re not going to stay cooped up in this penthouse all weekend, are we?”

  Truthfully, I was too embarrassed to go anywhere with him. I didn’t want to be seen with him, especially since I’d bragged to all of my girlfriends about finally meeting the man of so many women’s dreams. Chile, if they only knew.

  “You know what, Jaylin. I don’t want to go out and paint the town. What I’d rather do is just chill with you, talk and listen to some music. That’s unless you’re hungry. If you are, we can go downstairs to get a bite to eat, or feel free to order something through room service.”

  “I may have to do that later, but I don’t want to break you, since you’re paying for this room and everything. I must say that it’s real nice. You definitely have good taste.”

  “I sure do, but I don’t recall offering to pay for your room and meals. With all of the money that you have, why would you expect for me to?”

  He leaned forward and rubbed his ashy hands together. “Well, you see, money is a little tight these days. Child support be kicking my ass and pussy don’t always come free. I can pay you back, once this deal I’ve been working on comes through.”

  “Sorry, but you may as well check out of here right now, if you can’t afford this room. How in the heck did you get in this penthouse anyway, without paying for it upfront?”

  Just then, I heard his cellphone ring. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Jitterbug flip-phone that looked like it had been dropped a million times. I sat quietly and shook my head.

  “Yeah, nigga, I’m glad you called,” he shouted into the phone. As he smiled, I got a glimpse of his stained teeth. Pearly whites my ass. Then, he had the nerve to pick at his nose. I held my breath, hoping that he wouldn’t find a booger. Thankfully he didn’t, but he kept wiggling his nose in search of one. “I’m entertaining this li’l shorty right now, so I’ll hit you back in about an hour.” His eyes zoned in on my cleavage and he licked across his dry lips. “Nah, maybe two hours for sure. I may be busy.”

  Within the hour, there was no question that I’d be gone. Jaylin finished his conversation and propped his feet on the glass table. He lifted the glass he sipped from and swirled around the brown liquid inside.

  “As I was saying, I got the room covered if you don’t, so don’t worry about it. And before I forget,” he said. “It’s good to finally meet you. I didn’t think you’d look this damn sexy, especially from looking at your pictures on Facebook that weren’t so attractive. For a minute, you had me worried. I saw that picture with you in sandals and a purple dress. I was like . . . where in the fuck did she get that dress from? Dollar General?”

  Really? I wanted to go off on this fool, but decided not to. If anything, seeing him was such a letdown. I had concocted a plan in my head to use the bathroom and call one of my friends. She’d say it was an emergency, and then I could get the hell out of here. Since I hadn’t said much, Jaylin came over to the couch and sat next to me. He was pretty close, making me real uncomfortable. I had a chance to see him close up. The holes in his skin, and the heavy makeup that covered them, made this fool look casket ready. Blackheads could be seen for days, and that awful smell on him was burning my nostrils. I couldn’t help but to inquire.

  “I don’t mean no harm, but what is that smell? Is that your breath, Jaylin? Please tell me it isn’t.”

  He blew his breath at his hand and sniffed it. “I don’t know. It ain’t me, but I smell something too. Kind of smell like a woman on her rag or something.”

  He slapped his leg and laughed. Okay. This was it for me. I moved away from him again and released a deep sigh.

  “Look, Mr. Rogers. I must be honest and tell you how disappointed I am in seeing you like this. Those pictures you sent me, and the way you’re described in those books, it— you look nothing like that.”

  He cocked his head back and frowned. “So, what you trying to say? That I’m ugly or something?”

  “What I’m saying is you look nothing like I thought you would look.”

  “Well, that’s too bad, because you look exactly how I thought you would look. I can’t wait to eat you, and you should have left the panties at home. Maybe when I toss this nine-plus inches your way, you’ll see that I’m the real deal.”

  He shot up from his seat, trying to prove his point. The first thing I saw was a big-ass hole in the center of his dingy drawers and his sacks hanging. I thought I saw an itsy-bitsy dingaling, but with an embarrassed look on his face, he pulled his pants back up.

  “Wait until it gets hard,” he said, pointing to his stuff. “When it does, this a bad boy right here.”

  I hopped up and was so done with this. I had truly had enough. I should’ve left when I saw that his shoes had holes on the bottom. But I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  “I think I’d better go,” I said with a fake smile. “Don’t let me waste anymore of your time or mine.”

  I tucked my purse underneath my arm and moved toward the door. Jaylin reached out to grab my arm and he yanked it so hard that I stumbled.

  “Bitch, you don’t walk until I say walk! You don’t move unless I tell you to move. You don’t speak unless I want you to and you don’t complain when I’m in the process of trying to give you something.”

  Now, that sounded a little like Jaylin, but it was still a bit much. I tried to snatch away from him, but before I knew it, he let go of my arm and backslapped me so hard that I hit the floor. I now regretted putting myself in this situation. If I made it out of this, I would never, ever meet up with anyone I’d met on Facebook.

  I crawled on the floor and he squeezed me by the back of my neck to pull me up. He forced me against the couch and tried to pry my legs open with his.

  “You strong, but damn sure not as strong as me,” he shouted
.

  He ripped off his jacket and wife beater, exposing his chest. Nappy beads of hair covered it, and his potbelly poured over his belt. At that moment, I started to cry. What in the hell happened to his chiseled chest and solid abs?

  Trying to fight back, I reached out to grab his hair. My fingers got tangled in that mess and thick grease covered them. Since I couldn’t get my fingers out of his hair, he bit my wrist and slapped me one more time. I tumbled over the couch, and he came after me, roaring like a tiger. I kicked and screamed as he raised my skirt and yanked down my panties. After removing them, he plopped on top of me and threw my legs over his shoulders. He plunged his dick inside of me and my eyes shot wide open. Sadly, I didn’t feel a thing but his razor-sharp hairs, grinding against me. I covered my face and screamed at the top of my lungs.

  “Nooooooooo . . . !”

  I jumped from my sleep with my heart racing. Beads of sweat covered my whole face and my body trembled. Even though it was a dream, I was scheduled to meet Jaylin tomorrow afternoon. I had a change of heart, so I tossed my covers aside and damn near slipped on the floor as I ran to my computer to reach out to him on Facebook. I figured he was on there being naughty, and sure enough he was. I sent a quick message to his inbox, telling him that something had come up and there was no need for him to travel to NYC tomorrow, unless he still had plans to visit a friend and handle some business. He responded with:

  JAYLIN: WHY THE CHANGE OF PLANS?

  ME: SORRY. THIS WAS UNEXPECTED.

  JAYLIN: I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU.

  ME: I KNOW. ME TOO.

  JAYLIN: IF YOU WERE, THEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.

  ME: I CAN’T GET AWAY. MAYBE NEXT TIME.

  JAYLIN: SURE. IF ANYTHING CHANGES, LET ME KNOW. I STILL HAVE TO TRAVEL TO NYC FOR A MEETING, AND MY FRIEND, JAMES, IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MY VISIT. MY PLANE ARRIVES AT NOON.

  ME: I’LL LET YOU KNOW IF ANYTHING CHANGES, BUT I’M ALMOST POSITIVE THAT I WON’T BE ABLE TO GET AWAY.

  JAYLIN: CAN’T SAY I DIDN’T TRY. STAY SWEET, BABY. ALL LOVE.

  I sighed from relief and shut down my computer. Throughout the night, I tossed and turned, thinking about that horrible dream. And for whatever reason, I remained curious about how Jaylin really looked. By morning, I decided to make my way to the airport, just so I could see if he was more like the man in my dreams or like the man I’d seen in pictures. I changed into a simple sundress and covered my eyes with dark sunglasses. Just so Jaylin wouldn’t notice my short hair, I put on a straw hat. I was clearly in disguise, as I waited in the baggage claim area. His plane had just landed, and I expected for him to come for his luggage soon.

  Almost twenty minutes later, I sat in a chair and got the shock of my life. It was him, and I knew so because several women were snapping their heads to the side and whispers were in full effect. One woman actually fell because she wasn’t watching where she was going. No man on earth could strut through the airport like that but Jaylin. It was as if he was moving in slow motion, and the closer he got, everything about him was confirmed. I saw the curls, I witnessed the goatee and the signature diamond watch was surely glistening. There were no holes in those shoes, and many muscles ripped through his 6’2 frame. I was mad at myself for cancelling on him, but trying to correct myself, I tossed the hat aside and hurried to make my presence known. I rushed through the crowd, bumping a few shoulders and almost tripping my damn self. But before I reached Jaylin, I saw another woman walk up to him. Seeing her halted my steps, especially when I saw that she was all smiles and so was he. He kissed her cheek, and after he grabbed his luggage, they walked side-by-side together. Wondering who she was, I quickly reached for my phone and sent him a text message.

  ME: HEY YOU. IT’S ME. CHANGE IN PLANS AGAIN. I’M ABLE TO PICK YOU UP FROM THE AIRPORT IN ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES. ARE YOU THERE? WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU.

  I followed closely behind him and his female companion. He halted his steps and removed his phone from his pocket. I could see him reply to my text, and when he proceeded to walk again, I assumed a reply message had been sent. My phone vibrated and I read the text.

  JAYLIN: I’LL BE BUSY ALL DAY AND TOMORROW. NOT SURE IF I’LL HAVE TIME TO HOOK UP THIS TIME AROUND. MAYBE NEXT TIME.

  I figured he was giving me a dose of my own medicine, but that was on me for letting this opportunity pass me by. He wasted no time hooking up with someone else, but too bad because I wasn’t willing to give up so soon.

  ME: FUNNY. I’M ALREADY AT THE AIRPORT AND I SAW THIS EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE MAN THAT I WOULD LOVE TO DO SOME OF THE CREATIVE AND NAUGHTY THINGS WITH THAT WE DISCUSSED ON FACEBOOK. IF YOU TURN AROUND, YOU’LL SEE ME. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SMILE.

  I hit the send button. A few minutes later, Jaylin stopped again to read my text. He put his luggage on the floor and slowly turned around. He narrowed his eyes to look at me, and then turned right back around. No smile, no nothing. My heart fell to my stomach. My feelings were a little bruised too, until my phone vibrated again, alerting me that I had a text message. I hurried to read it.

  JAYLIN: SEXY, JUST AS I HAD PREDICTED. BUT NO GAMES, BABY. IF I TELL YOU WHO I AM, YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE ME. LET ME SAY GOODBYE TO MY FRIEND AND I’LL HIT YOU UP IN ABOUT AN HOUR. TELL ME WHERE TO MEET YOU AND BE SURE TO LEAVE THE PANTIES AT HOME.

  There was no need for him to demand it, especially when I had planned to do just that. Leave my panties at home—for sure.

  To be continued . . .

  Back Down Memory Lane Continued

  Author Unknown

  I was lying across my bed writing. My mind was consumed with material for my next novel and my pen was moving so fast that I thought I’d break it. I smiled at what I’d written. Laughed a little and also shook my head. These characters were a mess, and all of them had a serious place in my heart. As I paused to massage my hands, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. I figured it was Jaylin, even though I hadn’t seen him for the past several days. I hoped he wasn’t coming back for a piece of his birthday cake, because I’d put a serious dent in it. The rest, I threw in the trash, just so I could avoid eating the whole thing by myself.

  With a yellow, thigh-high shirt on, I turned to my side to look toward the doorway. Seconds passed before Jaylin appeared dressed to kill in rich black. The satin-like vest, and crisp, straight-collared shirt he rocked underneath, fit his frame like it was tailored to put his toned biceps on display. A thin black tie was around his neck and his black, shiny shoes were without one scuff. His diamond watch had a black-face too, and the leather belt around his pants fit his waistline to a capital T. With a fresh haircut, his lining was sharp as ever. Tinted shades shielded his eyes, but he removed them as he came further into the room.

  “What you writing?” he asked then sat on the bed.

  Instantly, I got a whiff of his cologne and was forced to keep my Naughty thoughts to myself. Knowing that lying on the bed with my ass in his view would get me in trouble, I quickly sat up and closed my spiral notebook.

  “Nothing interesting,” I said. “Just writing.”

  “Well, hurry up and get finished. Throw on some clothes and go with me. Also,” he said, reaching into his vest. He pulled out the contract we had previously discussed and laid it on the bed in front of me. “I added a few clauses that may be beneficial to the both of us, but the contract is signed. So get busy on the next phase, Miss Author. I, as well as many others, have been waiting patiently for something else to pop off.”

  “I understand, but you already know how difficult it is for African American authors to get in with the folks in Hollywood. Trust me, I’m trying.”

  “Try harder.”

  I thanked Jaylin for signing the contract, but also inquired about where he wanted me to go with him.

  “Time to go handle some business. I want you to holler at some potential investors, and it’s important that you get to know as many as possible. I also need to seal the deal on a few things, and it�
�s always a pleasure for me to have you around when I’m trying to get things done. You have a way with men, and your friendly smile, along with your personality, tends to warm their hearts. I just got off the phone with an investor in Jamaica, Mr. Tiles. He couldn’t stop talking about you, and he expressed how much the others connected with you during your visit. That’s a good thing, and it’s time to roll internationally.”

  I smiled and thought about how well things had gone in Jamaica too. Jaylin had always put forth every effort to align me with the right people who could elevate me to the next level. He seriously didn’t know how much I appreciated him. “Thank you” just didn’t seem like it was enough.

  I got off the bed and went into the walk-in closet. “I know we’re going to handle some business, but exactly where will that be? I don’t know what I should wear.”

  “We’re going to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Don’t go putting on shorts and a T-shirt, because we’ll be in the Premier Owner’s Suite with some important people. Dress accordingly.”

  Jaylin left the room, and I remained in the closet, looking for something to wear. Truthfully, I was kind of laidback when it came to clothes. I didn’t have a lot of brand-named items, as that kind of stuff didn’t move me. Most of my clothes were pretty simple, like me. I figured I could jazz up any outfit with accessories, so I opted for a white linen fitted dress that cut above my knees and gripped my curves. Since it was sleeveless, I grabbed a short black jacket and accessorized the entire outfit with red, black and white accessories. I fluffed the curls in my long hair and put on my makeup like a work of art. Since I was going to a Cardinals game, I stepped into a pair of custom glittery pumps that had the Cardinals logo on it. They gave me much height, and I was quite pleased with my whole attire. Jaylin was too, and he complimented me as we headed for his car.