She reached for a broom in the closet and started calling their names out loudly.
“Don’t hurt ’em,” I said, laughing. I struggled to walk back to my room. I dropped back on the bed and reached for the phone to call Nokea. Like always, I got voice mail.
“Day one ninety-six. Please, please come get your kids. They are over here trying to kill me, and Nanny B is about to whip their asses.” I hung up; then I called right back. “Oh, by the way... I love you.”
I lay across the bed for a while, feeling as if I was unable to move. I wanted to help Nanny B with the kitchen, so I tried to gather myself to go do it. I also knew I’d better go to the doctor to see what was up, but I hated that shit. After lying in bed for a few more minutes, I got up to take a shower. I sat on the seat, allowing the soothing water to pour all over me. I hadn’t even lathered myself yet, but that was fine by me. The water felt good enough. As I sat for at least thirty or forty minutes, I finally stood to wash myself. A few seconds later, I turned and saw Nokea standing in the doorway to the bathroom. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I squeezed them together; then I wiped them with my fingertips.
“Just wanted you to know that your kids are in big trouble,” she said. “I can’t believe they did that.”
I smiled, just from seeing her. “Be easy on them,” I said.
“That’s the problem.” She glanced at me; then she walked away from the door.
I hurried to wrap up my shower. Once I was done, I put on my robe and went into the kitchen, where Nanny B and Nokea were. They were finishing up, and I could hear Jaylene sniffling loudly from her room.
“What happened?” I asked.
Nanny B didn’t look too happy. “What happened was, I made them help me clean up. LJ was fine, but Jaylene didn’t want to do nothing. She wanted to stand there and pout. She got a spanking, and that’s all there is to it.”
I opened the fridge, looking for something to drink so I could clear the bad taste in my mouth. “Y’all need to stop being mean to my baby, and you better not have hit her with that broom. She just wanted to do something special for her daddy, that’s all.”
“True to the fact or not,” Nanny B said, looking at Nokea and me, “y‘all need to start putting y’all’s foot down with these kids, especially you, Jaylin. You’re the man of the house, and you need to take action. If you don’t, in a few years, you’re going to regret it. They’re going to be so out of control, and then what you gon’ do? As for the broom, who needs a broom when these hands I got can do a much better job?”
Nokea spoke up. “Are you suggesting that we spank them? I’m not for spankings, Nanny B. Even though you had to do what you felt was necessary tonight, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I don’t care what the two of you decide to do, but it’s a discussion that y‘all need to have. Time-outs and punishments don’t work. Every time y’all do that mess, nobody sticks to it. I’m not Super Nanny, but maybe she should come here and show y’all how to be better parents.”
Nanny B left the kitchen, but not before advising us not to go to Jaylene’s room to baby her. “Let the sniffles flow, and eventually she’ll get tired.”
I took my glass of V8 juice to the bedroom and Nokea followed. She sprayed the room with Lysol; then she sat far away from me on the bed.
“You look awful. Have you been to the doctor?”
“I’ll go tomorrow. I didn’t expect for you to come over here, and I was just teasing you when I called. I’m glad you came, though. While you here, why don’t you spend the night?”
“I have to work in the morning. I’ll come pick up the kids after work tomorrow, just to give you a break.”
I rubbed my nose with a tissue. “Work? I don’t understand why you’re working. It doesn’t make sense for you to be doing that.”
“It makes sense to me. I want my own money. Besides, working keeps me busy. I enjoy it.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said. I was upset that she was working, but I didn’t want to get into it with her over—what I considered—a dumb move.
“Sorry you see it that way.” She stood to go. I was disappointed that she was leaving. “I’m going to go say good night to the kids and see if they’d like to come home with me so you can rest. I hope you feel better, and whatever you do, get some rest.”
“Would you mind resting with me? I would sleep so much better and—”
Right then, vomit rushed to my mouth. I hurried out of bed and went into the bathroom. My lunch from earlier, the spicy spoonful of soup, as well as the juice, had all come up. Nokea came into the bathroom as I bent over the toilet.
“I’m taking you to the emergency room. Tonight.”
I was feeling so terrible that I didn’t hesitate.
The visit didn’t take long, and when all was said and done, I had a severe case of the flu. The doctor prescribed some medicine, gave me a shot and said what had already been told to me: “Get some rest.” It was after one in the morning when we got back home and I really put on my sickness mode for Nokea. Shit, I wanted her to stay with me, so I lay in bed, making myself look extremely needy so she would stay.
“What if I die or something tonight? You gon’ miss me when I’m gone,” I stated with a pout.
Nokea rested her finger on the side of her face. “I can only wonder where Jaylene gets her actions from. Hmm, I really wonder.”
“Jaylene be playing. I’m really feeling awful. I’m already having a hard time sleeping. If you were next to me, I would feel so much better.”
Nokea stood for a moment, in thought. “I’ll stay for one night, Jaylin. Do not try anything with me, or else I’m getting out of bed to go home.”
I smiled. “I won’t. I promise.”
She hadn’t removed all of her belongings from her closet, and there were still a few things in there. Not much to brag about, but some things that she had asked Nanny B to get rid of. Of course, I wouldn’t let her. She came out of the closet with a long white oversized T-shirt on that had a sports team logo on the front. Maybe it was just me, but, I swear, I had never seen her look so sexy.
“I’m going to go kiss the kids good night. Do you want anything?”
I stroked my goatee as a quick thought came to mind. “Well, since you asked, I’m always feeling up to some of that action you gave me the last time you came over here. This time, I got something real special for you, and it is going to blow you away.”
Nokea had no response; she left the room. Ten minutes later, she came back and got into bed with me. There was a huge gap between us.
“I thought you were supposed to be cuddling with me so I could feel better,” I said, moving over to her side of the bed. I laid my head on her chest, throwing my leg over hers.
“Your body is really warm,” she said. “Did you take your medicine yet?”
I nodded, and Nokea touched the top of my head. “Yes,” I answered. “It may take a minute to kick in, though. If I’m making you hot, sorry, I just hope it’s in a good way.”
Nokea got out of bed and opened the doors to the balcony so the cool breeze could come in. We could hear the ocean waves. When she got back in bed, I got comfortable next to her again.
“Now, this is what I’m talking about,” I said, squeezing my arm around her waist and rubbing my head on her chest. Her breasts were right there; I would have given anything in the world to suck them. She held me, and as her hands rubbed up and down my back, my eyes were starting to fade. Seconds later, I was out. I was sure so was she.
By early morning, I heard Nokea call in to work. She got back underneath the covers and I cuddled behind her. With my eyes closed, I rubbed her thighs and scooted myself closer to her. She felt my hardness pressing into her backside and used her elbow to move me back.
“Don’t do that,” she whispered. “You’re too close, and definitely too hard.”
“I can’t help it,” I said, easing my arm around her waist. “Can I please make love to you? It’s been so
long, Nokea, and I want to get inside you so badly.”
She turned on her back. “I’m not ready to go there again, and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be. Don’t force me, okay?”
I knew how Nokea felt about us, so I honored her wishes. I did, however, go to the bathroom to take a cold-ass shower. My dick wouldn’t go down for nothing. After I worked it down myself, I was temporarily satisfied.
Rest was on my agenda for all day. Nokea left the room to go take care of the kids and she ordered them to leave me at peace. I was supposed to go pick up Justin and Mackenzie, but I called Scorpio to tell her I couldn’t make it.
“That’s fine,” she replied, sneezing. “All of us messed up over here too. I don’t know what’s going around, but it’s definitely something.”
“I went to the emergency room last night. They said it was the flu. You and the kids should go get some antibiotics or something, and I hope my babies ain’t too sick.”
“Mackenzie not so much, but Justin’s sneezing more than me. He’s irritable, but he’ll be okay. If I notice any changes, you can be sure that I’ll take them to the doctor.”
“Okay, baby. Take care of yourself too, and I’ll see y’all. Hopefully, it will be by the weekend.”
“Aw,” Scorpio said, “I was hoping it would be before then. You haven’t been to see me in a while. I’m starting to think you’ve forgotten about me.”
“Never. You stay on my mind a lot. Just trying to figure out what I need to do with your pretty-ass self, that’s all.”
“You know better than anybody what to do with me. Whenever you’re ready to do it, I’m here.”
“I appreciate it. Stay sweet and I’ll holla back.”
Scorpio hung up and I pulled the covers over my head to go back to sleep. The day had come and gone. By nighttime, Nokea still hadn’t gone home. She stayed another day with the kids and me. When she came to bed that night, she let out a loud sneeze.
“Oh shit!” I said, moving over next to her. “Looks like I’m going to be taking care of you for the next few days. You know how good I am at it, and you can definitely count on me.”
“I knew it!” she shouted, and plopped back on the pillow. “I knew this was going to happen.” She sneezed again.
For the next couple of days, I took care of Nokea, as she had taken care of me. I left for another day the conversation about us moving back in together, and I allowed her nothing but peace. I wanted her to feel comfortable at home again, and even though she was sick, I could tell she was happy. I was as well. I had spoken to Mackenzie and Scorpio, but I hadn’t gone to her penthouse to see them personally. So, while Nokea was resting that day, I left.
When I got to Scorpio’s place, it was real quiet, but I could hear soft music playing on the intercom. I also heard the shower running in the bathroom, so I walked up to the door to push it open. Steam poured out from inside and Scorpio was in the shower, facing the wall. Behind the glass, her soapy backside was a beautiful sight. I stood for a moment and watched her. About two minutes later, she turned. Startled, she dropped her body wash on the floor. She looked shocked to see me. She kept blinking the water from her eyelids.
“How long have you been standing there?” she asked, wiping back her long, wet hair.
“Not long. How much longer are you going to be, and where my babies at?”
“Loretta took them to get ice cream and to the park. I’m almost finished with my shower. If you want to join me, Jay Baby, you can.”
She moved the glass door aside, allowing me to scan her naked body again. What man wouldn’t want to join her? Surprisingly, though, my dick wasn’t even hard. Without saying a word, I walked away from the door. I went into the living room and stretched my arms on top of the sofa as I took a seat. Ten minutes later, Scorpio came into the living room with no clothes on. She laid a pillow on the floor in front of me, dropping to her knees. With a slight smile on her face, she reached for the zipper on my tan cargo shorts. I touched her hand.
“Not right now, baby. I’m not in the mood.”
Her face fell flat and her brows rose. “And why aren’t you in the mood?”
“Do I really need a reason? I’m just not.”
Scorpio stared at me for a moment; then she stood up. Like always, my eyes dropped between her legs. I observed her recently shaved slit. Having my attention, she took my hand, placing it between her legs. “Get in the mood,” she said. “I would really like to feel you right now. It’s so unfair that we always do it on your time, not mine.”
I pulled my hand away, again. This time, feeling frustrated. “If I wanted to touch that pussy, I would. And the way you sometimes seduce me, I wouldn’t necessarily say we always do it on my time, not yours. That’s a lie. Now back the hell up. You’re in my space.”
She stood silently for a moment; then she straddled my lap. Her arms rested on my shoulders. “Okay, so what’s the new plan? You’re not going to fuck me anymore. Is that what you’re trying to say?”
I in no way liked her tone; and for me, a woman acting desperate was a turnoff. Not only that, I also hated to be tempted and manipulated. “Get off my gotdamn lap, or else you will be on the floor. I told you I wasn’t in the mood, Scorpio, and where you land from here depends on you.”
She could see in my eyes that I wasn’t playing with her, so she backed up. “Let me take a guess,” she said. “You and Nokea must be getting things back on track, right?”
I stood up, moving her out of my way. “I’m not going to say all of that, but I think we’re making progress. But if all you want to do is talk about Nokea and me, I’m not in the mood for that either. I came to get my kids. I see they’re not here.”
I started toward the door. Scorpio reached for my arm, scratching it. I quickly turned. “I’m talking to you, Jaylin, so stop being so arrogant and full of yourself. Are we off again, or what? If so, please let me know so I can call up some of these men who’ve been chasing after me since I’ve been here in Miami.”
I shrugged. “You go ahead and do whatever it is that you have to do. Meanwhile, I’m not going to stay here and argue with you about my muthafucking dick!”
Her face looked flushed and she was speechless. Hurting her again was something I in no way wanted to do, especially since she had had my back. I calmed myself, looking into her eyes. “Look, didn’t I tell you that I planned to work this shit out with Nokea? Our divorce doesn’t mean anything to me. My love for her has not wavered one bit.”
“For the one thousandth time, it’s good to know how much you love Nokea. Honestly, I get tired of hearing it. And since you’re committing yourself, once again, all I want to know is if you are done using me for sex or not?”
I sighed. “I haven’t been using you for sex, and you know it.”
Scorpio cut her eyes and turned her head to the side. Simply put, based on all that had happened, there were some losses we all had to accept. I moved forward, turning her head and stroking back her wet hair. I placed a tender kiss on her forehead.
“Baby, please calm down. I do not like arguing with you, and this has been about so much more than just sex. As I stand here today, I am a lost and torn man. I—I do love you, but I love another woman so much more. I can’t help the way I feel. All I can do is be honest with you about what it is that I’m feeling inside. Bottom line, this situation is what it is, and what it has always been for a very long time. I can assure you that my feelings for Nokea will never change. If she decides to come back to me, I can’t ...I just can’t do this with you anymore.”
Scorpio stepped away from me. She walked over to the huge picture window, gazing outside. “I’m not going to be upset with you for being honest, but I sometimes regret falling so deeply in love with you. Then there are times that I’m grateful for what we share, and I could see my life no other way. I’m prepared to approach this, one day at a time. If you need me, I’m here. But don’t in no way flatter yourself, because Miami is a very big city. I intend to start dati
ng again. If you come in here with a bunch of bullshit about who I can and cannot see, we are going to have some serious problems. You know me well, Jaylin, and I can in no way sit around for the rest of my life being your house mistress. That doesn’t work for me. As much as I love you, I love me more.”
I walked up to Scorpio, taking her hand to ease the situation. “I never asked you to be my house mistress, and you’d better love yourself more than you love me. I can’t even respond about the dating thing right now, but I guess I have to let you do you.”
“Yeah, right, I’d like to see that.” She laughed out loud. “You want it all, Jaylin, but like you said yourself, we will all have to accept some losses.”
“I know. And even so, you know I’m going to set some rules about your dates, my kids, and this penthouse. Some things you’ll have to be willing to abide by.”
She folded her arms and smirked. “Like what? Don’t bring my dates here, and don’t have the kids around my men, right?”
“Exactly. I in no way want to walk up in here and catch you with your ass up in the air. Those are simple rules to abide by, and we won’t have any problems if you agree to those things.”
“Oh, I doubt that, but this is Jaylin’s World, and you’re the one running this show.”
I kissed the back of Scorpio’s hand and she hugged my waist. We stood, looking out at the ocean, enjoying the scenery, as well as our embrace.
“The—the kids won’t be back until later,” she said. “Are you sure you’re not up to popping a quick cherry before they get here?”
I laughed. “I see I’m gonna have to buy you a vibrator. Scrap the dating bullshit and use a vibrator. I’ll get you one of the best ones on the market and you can go that route instead.”
“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you? But I don’t want a vibrator. It can’t perform like you. I don’t want to date either, but you leave me no choice.”
“I know, and don’t be mad at me for saying this, but I’ve been miserable without Nokea. You know I have, and my dick been acting kind of funny, anyway. I don’t want it to disappoint you.”
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