Naughty 3: It's Juicy, No Matter How You Slice It

by Brenda Hampton

  “Now, you know I can’t make it through the weekend without seeing him in action.”

  “Girl, forget you. The rental store was out of every movie he’s in. It’s evident that you ain’t the only one who got the hots for him.”

  “So, you’re telling me they didn’t have no John Q, Training Day, Antwone Fisher, Out of Time, Hurricane, Malcolm X, Pelican Brief, Devil in a Blue Dress, Mississippi Masala, Remember the Titans, Courage Under Fire, Crimson Tide, Philadelphia, The Debaters, Mo’ Better Blues, Inside Man, or American Gangster on the shelves? I would go on, but . . . ”

  Pat looked at me like I was crazy. “But you need some help. That man is married, Nokea. He ain’t thinking about your butt.”

  “That’s okay; however, I do enjoy watching him in action. That’s enough for me.”

  “And so do I,” Pat said, shaking her body as if the thought of him gave her chills.

  After we fixed our plates, we stretched out on the living room floor, eating and watching a movie. Our conversations turned to the men in our lives, so we didn’t even pay attention to the movie. When I told her what Collins had done to me the other night, she was tuned in.

  “Now, that’s nasty,” she said. “He do look like a freak, though.”

  “He doesn’t look any freakier than Chad. And from what you told me he be doing, it doesn’t get any nastier than that.”

  “I guess you’re right.” She laughed. “But, girl, Collins looks like he can tear a sista up! You know them quiet kind always come out in the bedroom. Besides, who needs Denzel when you got him?”

  “I do!”

  We both laughed.

  “If anything, it’s the ones like Jaylin I be worried about. I don’t believe for one minute he be setting it out there like you say he do.”

  I pointed to my chest. “Would I lie to you? Just the other day—I mean, the other . . . a while back . . .”

  Pat’s mouth hung wide open as she looked at me with a stone face. She moved her plate aside and stared into my eyes. “You hoochie-ass skeeza.” She laughed. “You are still fucking him, aren’t you?”

  “No, I’m not. You know better than to assume something like that. Besides, who needs Jaylin when I got Collins?”

  She tooted her lips. “Uh-huh. Go ahead and lie to your best friend, but I know better. I knew you and him would get back together! I knew it!”

  I felt defeated; my best friend knew me all too well. “Pat, please don’t go rushing to judgment just yet. It was one time and that’s it.”

  “One time, huh? Well, get ready to break Collins’ heart because that one time is going to turn into two, three, four plus five more times real soon. I can’t believe you are hooked again.”

  I stood up and held my plate in my hands. “See, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”

  Pat picked up her plate and followed me into the kitchen. “Tell me what? That you still love him?”

  “No. That him and I got caught up in the moment, we screwed, LJ woke up, and that was it.”

  “And let me guess; you were so glad that LJ stopped you?”

  “Actually, no, I wasn’t. I know you don’t want to hear this, but girl!” I yelled and dropped my plate in the sink. “His penis inside of me damn near made me want to cry.”

  “Dick, Nokea. It’s okay to say dick.”

  “Okay, then not just dick, but Monster Dick. That’s what Scorpio calls it anyway.”

  “Y’all a mess, but Monster Dick got you doomed again. His dick is just a powerful thing and has you and these other women out here doing whatever it wants you to do. You got yourself a good, fine-ass man that treats you like a queen and you cheating on him?”

  “Since I’ve been with Collins, sex between Jaylin and me has only happened one time, Pat. It’s never going to happen again, and I can promise you that.”

  She shrugged, reaching forward to give me a hug. “If you say so. Just remember I love you, and I support your decisions, but I don’t want you to allow him to hurt you again, okay?”

  “Never again,” I said, returning to our movie in the living room.

  The movies were over and Pat headed for home around twelve o’clock that night. Unable to sleep, I lay in bed looking around my room, thinking. When the phone rang, my heart raced because I thought it was Jaylin calling. Instead, it was Collins. He never called in the middle of the night, so I was shocked to hear his voice.

  “Are you asleep?” he asked.

  “I was on my way. Pat left not too long ago and I just got in bed.”

  “Well, I won’t be leaving out until Friday morning. It’s a mess down here and I need to stay and straighten out some things.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but I understand. In the meantime, I miss you.”

  “Same here. I can’t wait to get home and hold you in my arms again.”

  “Don’t even make me think about it.”

  Collins laughed. “Why should you not think about it? I can’t seem to get you off my mind. Are you naked?”

  “Partially. Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then hold on.” I pulled my navy blue silk nightgown over my head and lay back on my bed. When I picked up the phone, I laughed. “Okay, now I’m feeling you.”

  “Um, um, um . . . all I can do is let my imagination run wild. Why’d you do that to me?”

  “Because I want you to hurry home so you can make love to me. I’m so lonely without you.”

  “I’ll be home soon. Until I get there, take my picture off your nightstand and put it in bed with you. Then hang on tight, and sweet dreams.”

  “I will.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I reached for Collins’ picture and held it close to my chest. I truly wished he were here with me, and maybe, just maybe, my thoughts of Jaylin would go away.

  11

  SCORPIO

  Jaylin picked me up from school and we took a long, romantic walk in Forest Park. He was extremely playful with me, but still feeling very uneasy about the baby, I was a little moody. He suggested we stop at Talayna’s to get something to eat, and after we ate, we headed for home.

  Nanny B had been giving me funny looks all week long, and I honestly feared she would tell Jaylin the truth before I did. She was so overprotective of him that it sometimes drove me crazy.

  I was kind of glad she had this new man in her life. Hopefully he’d keep her occupied and out of my business. She told Jaylin and me that we’d meet him soon, and when we got home, his car was in the driveway. I’d seen it at the house before, but I never got a chance to meet him. When I told Jaylin he was there before, he laughed and said Nanny B was trying to keep him a secret because he was probably very old and unattractive.

  We walked into the house and could hear a conversation going on in the kitchen. Jaylin stood in the foyer, flipping through the mail. Feeling a little tired, I headed upstairs. Before I reached the middle stair, Nanny B came out of the kitchen and called my name. She asked Jaylin and me to take a seat in the living room. I felt as if she was getting ready to bust me out, so I walked nervously to the couch and sat down. Jaylin sat next to me and asked Nanny B where Mackenzie was.

  “She’s still at school. I’m going to pick her up after I talk to the two of you.”

  I touched my chest. “You’re scaring me. Is everything okay?” I asked.

  Jaylin looked flushed. “Please don’t give me any bad news. I—”

  “No,” she interrupted, “it’s nothing like that.”

  We were relieved, and when Jaylin sat back on the couch, so did I.

  “Jaylin,” she said, “there’s someone here I want you to talk to. I was skeptical about you seeing him, but it’s not my place to interfere anymore. Please listen to what he has to say, okay?”

  Jaylin’s eyebrows raised and he leaned forward, gripping his hands together. When this light-skinned, slim but well-built man came from the kitchen, the curious look on Jaylin’s face had v
anished and turned to anger. Obviously, he knew who the man was.

  Jaylin jumped up and yelled loudly, “Get him the fuck out of my house, NOW!” Nanny B grabbed him by the hand and he snatched away from her. For the first time, he gave her a look that could kill. “How you gon’ let him come in my home after what he did to me?”

  “Jaylin,” the man said in a deep, strong voice, “just calm down. I know you’re not happy to see me, but—”

  “Man, get the fuck out of my house! I don’t want to hear shit you got to say.” Jaylin rushed over to the front door and opened it.

  The man looked over at Nanny B. “Hey, I tried.” He headed for the door.

  “Stanley, don’t leave this house until you make some kind of peace with your son,” she said. “You haven’t seen him in years, and Jaylin needs to understand why you walked away after his mother’s funeral and he had to live in an orphanage. You need to explain that to him, not me.” She pointed her finger at Jaylin. “Your father is sick, and you—”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass about him being sick. Sick or not, he needs to get out of my motherfucking house. And if you don’t like it, then I suggest you get the fuck out too.”

  Nanny B took a few steps back, stunned by his reaction. So was I. Never in a million years would I expect him to disrespect her.

  His father walked toward the door, and after he walked out, Jaylin slammed the door so hard that it shook the whole house. He rolled his eyes at Nanny B and hurried upstairs. I heard his bedroom door slam, and we both jumped in our shoes. Nanny B pulled her apron over her head and reached for her car keys on the table.

  “I’m going to get Mackenzie. I’ll be back.” She looked hurt.

  “I’ll go get her. Please, go sit down and just talk to him after he calms down.”

  “No, that’s all right. You go upstairs and talk some sense into him. If I have to go, I’m afraid I’ll say something that I might regret later.”

  I nodded and gave her a hug. After she left, I went upstairs to talk to Jaylin. He was already on the telephone, and as he cursed out loudly, I heard what he was talking about. I couldn’t believe he’d gone upstairs to call Nokea. What in the hell was that all about? How dare he call her before even speaking to me? I figured she must have known more about the situation between him and his father, since I’d only known Jaylin for a couple of years and she’s known him since they were children. I tried not to trip.

  “I swear, if he ever come up in here again, Nokea, I’m gonna kill his ass.” He paused. “Yeah . . . that’s what I’m saying. Nanny B knew better, didn’t she?” He looked up at me. “Let me hit you back in a li’l bit.”

  Jaylin slammed down the phone and picked up the remote to turn on the TV. Before I could say anything, he tore into me like I had something to do with it.

  “I don’t want to hear it, Scorpio. I can already tell you got something to say.”

  “Pertaining to how you disrespected Nanny B, yes I do. As for your father, I’m staying out of it.”

  Jaylin looked at me as if I’d told him to go eat dirt. “Father? Please. That cocksucker ain’t been no father to me not one day in my life. I don’t give a shit if he lie down and die tomorrow. He knew better than to show his face around here.”

  “I haven’t a clue why you hate him so much, but those words are really cold. Again, I’m staying out of it, but please talk to Nanny B when she comes back. I’m sure her intentions were not to hurt you, and you know they weren’t.”

  “She needs to stay the hell out of my business. If it wasn’t for him, my mother would probably still be alive. Fuck that! I have no love for his ass.”

  Jaylin wasn’t trying to hear me, and I didn’t want him to. It was evident he was standing his ground, and when he acted this way, I got as far away from him as possible.

  By the time Nanny B got back with Mackenzie, Jaylin had already left. He didn’t tell me where he was going, just simply said he would be back. I was slightly bothered by his reaction. What little information I knew about his father, Jaylin felt that if his father had been around, then his mother wouldn’t have had to work as hard as she did. He insisted that if she didn’t have to walk home late from work that night, she never would have gotten killed. I didn’t know everything that happened, but after Nanny B got settled and started on dinner, I went into the kitchen to speak with her.

  “Can I help you with anything?” I asked.

  “No. Just have a seat and listen. I feel like venting right about now.”

  I smiled and took a seat at the kitchen table. “Go ahead; I’m listening.”

  She sat at the table with me while cutting up vegetables for a salad. “Several weeks ago, Stanley stopped by, but you and Jaylin were gone. I was shocked to see him, and after he told me his purpose, I didn’t have it in my heart to turn him away.”

  “What did he tell you his purpose was?”

  “He has cancer. The doctors say he don’t have much time to live because they detected it too late. All the man wants to do is make peace with his son before he leaves this earth, and I didn’t want to deny Stanley that opportunity.”

  “I understand, but you of all people know how Jaylin can be. He has a hard time letting things go, and considering what he’s been through, I don’t think he’ll ever forgive his father.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Nanny B said, placing her hand on top of mine. “So, have you decided when you’re going to tell Jaylin about the baby?”

  “I . . . I was going to tell him soon, but now, I don’t know. All of this might be too much for him to swallow.”

  She gave me a stern look and her voice rose to a higher pitch. “Tell him, Scorpio! If you don’t, I will. G’on ahead and get it out of the way so this mess can be over. I know the timing might not be right, but you can not keep putting this off.”

  “I promise you I’ll tell him soon.” I stood up. “Do you mind if I go out for a while? I need some time alone to think.”

  “Go ahead. I’m going to finish up dinner, and if you’re not back in time, I’ll put your plate aside.”

  “Thanks. I love you.” I leaned down and gave her a hug.

  I told Mackenzie I’d be back. Curious to find out where Jaylin was, I left to go find him. Since he’d talked to Nokea earlier, I went to her house first. When I didn’t see his car, I headed for Stephon’s barbershop in the Central West End.

  Jaylin’s car was parked behind Stephon’s, so I pulled over behind it. When I walked inside, he was in a chair talking to Stephon, who was cutting a customer’s hair. Jaylin ignored my presence and continued his conversation with Stephon.

  “Anyway, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I can’t believe she had you tied up for two damn days.”

  Stephon nodded. “Ya damn right she did. Fucked my brains out, and I am not lying when I tell you Mona had her shit packed and was gone by the time I made it home.”

  “That’s messed up. But that’s how wishy-washy females are. They be pretending like everything cool and saying how much they understand a brotha, but—”

  “Well, no woman understands a man who doesn’t come home,” I said, interrupting. I walked over by Jaylin. “Can we go somewhere and talk? Just you and me, please?”

  “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”

  “Yes, but we really need to talk.”

  He stood up and stretched his arms. “Man, I’ll give you a holla tomorrow. When that fool Shane come out of the bathroom, tell him I’ll catch up with him later.”

  Just then, Shane came out of the bathroom shaking the water off his hands. Stephon quickly tossed him a towel.

  “Jay, you gone already?” Shane asked.

  “Yeah.” Jaylin looked at me. “My woman keeping tabs on me and shit, so you know how that is.”

  “Hello, Shane,” I said. “And I’m not keeping tabs on him. He left without telling anybody where he was going and I got worried.”

  Jaylin looked at Shane and Stephon. “Now, do
esn’t that sound like she’s trying to keep a brotha on lockdown?”

  All the fellas in the shop nodded their heads.

  “Whatever,” I said. “Let’s just go.”

  Jaylin took my hand and walked me outside. When he asked where I wanted to go, I told him to follow me to Forest Park so we could be alone.

  I parked his Porsche, got inside of his Mercedes with him, and in no time, he was all over me. I didn’t intend to go to the park and have sex, so I slightly shoved him backward.

  “Baby, please, not right now. Later, okay?”

  “Here we go with this shit again. I’m telling you now that this rejection bullshit with you ain’t going to work for me. There are certain things I expect from my woman, and you know better than anybody that when I want to make love, I expect to make love.”

  “I don’t have a problem with that, but I need to talk to you about something first.”

  “If it’s about my father, I don’t want to hear it, Scorpio. You know nothing about my situation with him, so it would be wrong of you to voice your opinion about it.”

  “Look, I told you once before I’m staying out of it. That’s your choice; however, I do want you to apologize to Nanny B. She has been nothing but good to us, and you were wrong for going off like you did.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . I know. Anyway,” he said, looking over at me, “what’s on your mind?”

  I rubbed my hands together. My eyes watered and I lowered my head. “First, I want to tell you how much I love you. You mean everything in the world to me, but I can’t go another day with living this lie.”

  He touched my hands to stop them from trembling. “What lie?” he said. “And don’t start all this emotional shit today, please. I’m really not in the mood for it.”

  “You never are, but that’s because you will never understand what I’ve been going through. I know I’m about to lose you, but try hard to understand that I . . . I had to do what was best for me.”

  His eyebrows rose. “What are you talking about?”