Two's Enough Three's a Crowd

by Brenda Hampton

  “Man, what you looking all uptight for? I was just thanking her for coming,” he said.

  “Hey, that’s cool. I ain’t tripping. If you want my leftovers, that’s all on you,” I said, getting into Scorpio’s Corvette.

  I drove off, and then saw that sweet li’l tender that had her eyes on me all day. She flagged me down and I stopped the car.

  “Hey, sexy. Can a sista get your phone number to call you sometime?” she asked. I looked at her shiny, thick thighs that begged me to open them.

  “Let me get yours and I’ll call you when I get time.”

  She wrote down her number as I watched for Scorpio. I quickly took her number, put it in my pocket, and then drove around the corner to pick up Scorpio. I didn’t know if I would ever call the girl, but it was always good to keep my options open in case things changed between me and Scorpio.

  25

  JAYLIN

  The stock market was a serious blood bath. Everybody was calling like crazy trying to sell out. I’d even sold a few of my own stocks since they’d done so badly. If anything, losing money wasn’t the name of my game.

  A little after noon, Mr. Schmidt stepped in my office to talk. I thought it was about how badly the market was doing, but when he talked about my performance, he quickly got my attention.

  “Jaylin, you’re still my number-one producer, but lately you haven’t been as dedicated to this company as you were before. And since you haven’t, I’ve been losing money. If we could bring in some more business, it would make up for some of the losses when the market drops like it has today. So, I’m bringing in Roy to help you. I want you to train him to be like you, and then we can go from there.”

  “What!” I said angrily. “Train him to be like me? Mr. Schmidt, there’s nobody on this planet like me. And there never will be. I don’t care how well I train him, he’s not going to be as productive as I am and you know it.” It seriously sounded like this sucker was trying to replace me.

  “You’re right, Jaylin. That’s why I need a second man. When you don’t feel like giving one hundred percent of yourself, he can step in and fill the gap. Trust me; it’ll all work out for the best. You’ll see.”

  “Look, Mr. Schmidt, you’re running the show around here. And whatever you say goes, so let’s roll with it. But I hope you understand, if the situation gets sticky, I’m packing up and going elsewhere. Remember, I really don’t have to be here,” I said as matter-of-factly.

  “I understand that, Jaylin, but at least give it a try. Will you do that for me?”

  “It’s whatever, Schmidt. Again, let’s just roll with it.”

  For the rest of the day, I was in a shitty mood. I asked Angela to hold all my personal calls so I could finally get some things done. Besides, Roy watched my every move. He listened in on my conversations with my clients and followed me around, trying to learn “how to be like me.”

  I took a break and went downstairs to Barb’s Coffee Shop to get a cherry Danish. Something about eating the filling out of the middle excited me. Roy came with me and tried to make conversation, but when I found myself thinking about how good Nokea looked at the funeral, I ignored him. I thought about calling to take her up on the offer she made: if you need anything, call me. But I didn’t want to start complicating shit between Scorpio and me.

  I was proud of myself for being with only one woman, and as much as I’d been thinking about Nokea, I knew I’d made the right decision. The only problem I had lately was that things between me and Scorpio had been a little less perfect than they were in the beginning.

  Many nights, by the time she got home, Mackenzie and I would already be asleep. Sometimes I was so tired, I didn’t even hear her come in. If I rolled over and tried to get some sex, sometimes she would and sometimes she wouldn’t.

  Mackenzie kept me busy, though. She had me running around the house like a slave: “Jaylin, cook me this, read me this, write me this, comb my doll’s hair, and play hide-and-go-seek with me.” I did everything for her and I wasn’t even her daddy! I had no clue where her biological father was, but he was a fool for not being a part of her life. Not only was she a beautiful little girl, but she was smart and funny as hell. The best thing about her was that she filled the void in me from when my own daughter was taken away from me.

  As I sat in the coffee shop thinking about Mackenzie, I took my cell phone out and called to check on her. When Mackenzie answered, I pretended to be somebody else.

  “Jaylin, I know it’s you. When are you coming home?”

  “Mackenzie, I’m going to be late tonight. It’s kind of busy today, so I’ll see you when I get home.”

  “Well, what if I fall asleep? When you come home, will you wake me up and read a story to me?”

  “Yes, I will. And I have a surprise for you too.”

  “What! What! Tell me what it is.”

  “Now, it wouldn’t be no surprise if I told you, would it?”

  “No, so I’ll see you later. Nanny B wants to talk to you.”

  Mackenzie put the nanny on the phone, and I told her I would be late, but she could leave if Scorpio came home. She was cool because we paid her a fortune to watch Mackenzie, and I kicked her out extra because she kept the place spotless, since it had gotten to be such a mess when Scorpio moved in.

  I finished my Danish and my half-ass conversation with Roy. When we got back to my office, there were a dozen yellow roses on my desk.

  “These came in for you while you were out,” Angela said, standing with her hands on her hips. “So, who are they from?”

  “None of your business, Miss Secretary. Roy you have to excuse my secretary; she tries to be my mother sometimes.” I had to clear things up because Angela was tripping like we still had something going on. And since Roy was tight with her husband, I’d have to really watch it.

  I opened the card. It read: I know you thought these were from one of your li’l breezies, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry for reacting the way I did at the funeral. Love always, your only true brotha, Stephon.

  I chuckled. I figured Stephon had sent the flowers as a joke. Angela rolled her eyes and walked out the door. I wanted to call Stephon to thank him for trying to clear up our differences, but I didn’t want Boy Roy all up in my business, so I decided to wait until later.

  Roy and I didn’t shut down until eleven o’clock. My eyelids were heavy and my bed was calling my name. Roy looked tired too. From what I could see, he seemed like a pretty cool person. Seemed to really know the business, and could possibly be what I needed to get things flowing again.

  After he left, I called Stephon to thank him for the flowers. I had never gotten roses from anyone, and if I ever did, I was sure they’d come from one of my ladies. When Stephon answered the phone, he sounded like he was asleep. But when I heard a moan, I knew he was fucking.

  “Damn, dog, if you were in it, why did you pick up the phone?” I said, wishing I was doing the same.

  “Because I saw your number on the caller ID.”

  “I’ll let you get back to business, but I wanted to say thanks for the bitch-ass flowers you sent today. I always knew you had a feminine side to you.”

  “Yeah, that feminine side of me working it right now. So, you’re welcome, and I’ll holla at you tomorrow.” He rushed me off the phone.

  “Hey, man?” I whispered.

  “What?”

  “That ain’t Nokea over there, is it?” I said jokingly.

  “I wish. Damn, I straight up wish.”

  He hung up on me.

  I smiled, though I knew Stephon wasn’t playing. We pretty much had the same taste in women, so I know if I was thinking about tagging that ass, he was too. As a matter of fact, when we were growing up, he was crazy about her. Since she always had her eyes on me, she never gave him a chance. But who was I to tell her who she could or couldn’t date? I was doing my thing with Scorpio and doing it well.

  I stopped at a twenty-four hour superstore and bought Mackenzie a Ba
rbie that was bigger than her. My purpose was so she could have a friend to play and sleep with when I had to work late nights. I’d even thrown in a small CD player so they could listen to music together and Mackenzie could show her how to dance. And Scorpio, she liked books. I went through the book section and tried to find her one she didn’t already have. I picked up Carl Weber’s latest book and tossed it in the cart, planning to read it as well.

  By the time I put the bags in the car and drove home, it was one o’clock in the morning. I didn’t see Scorpio’s car in the driveway, so I was a bit worried. She’d been spending a lot of time working at Jackson’s place on her scripts, but her late nights were starting to bug me. According to her, either she was at her sister’s house, or she was at Jackson’s place. Still, one and two o’clock in the morning required me to start paying more attention.

  Nanny B had fallen asleep on the couch in the bonus room while watching TV. I didn’t even wake her. I went to the closet, got a blanket, and covered her. I took Mackenzie’s doll and put it in my room. Since the house was freezing, I turned up the heat, and then I went to Mackenzie’s room to check on her. When I opened the door, I found her sitting up in bed, crying.

  I rushed in. “Mackenzie, are you okay?” I sat on the bed next to her. She continued to cry. I held her in my arms and moved her long, wavy hair away from her eyes. “Tell me, what’s wrong?” I asked again.

  “I didn’t think you were going to be this late. I got up three times and went in your room to look for you.” She hugged me back as the tears rolled over her cute little cheeks. I wiped them away.

  “I’m sorry. I told you I had to work late. I promise you if I work this late again, I’ll call and talk to you until I get home, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said, wiping her face. “Now, where’s my surprise?”

  “It’s in my room. Come on.” I took her hand.

  We walked into my room. When I opened the door, she had a fit. She saw the big Barbie box, but when she looked at the doll, her smile vanished.

  “What’s wrong, Mackenzie? Don’t you like her?”

  She scratched her head and looked at me curiously. “She’s too big, Jaylin. I wanted smaller ones. Lots of them.”

  “Oh, I see. But... but do you think you can give her a chance to be your friend? And if you don’t like her, I’ll take her back to the store in a couple of days.”

  “Okay.” She frowned.

  She didn’t even play with the damn thing. For the rest of the night, it sat on the floor while she lay in bed next to me, sound asleep. I put my reading glasses on and started reading Carl Weber’s book. I’d gotten so into it that I didn’t even notice the time. When I heard the front door shut, I looked at my alarm clock on the nightstand. It was four-fifteen in the morning.

  When Scorpio walked in, she looked surprised to see me up in bed. I tilted my reading glasses down and gave her a hard stare.

  “So, you’re reading now,” she said, taking off her coat and laying it across the chaise.

  “Hang it up!” I yelled and then calmed myself. “I mean, would you please hang it up instead of laying it there?”

  “Excuse the heck out of me.” She walked over to the closet to get a hanger.

  “What’s up with you strolling your ass in here at this time of the morning, Scorpio? You haven’t called or anything. How’s a brotha supposed to know where his woman at if you don’t call?”

  “Jaylin, you don’t call me when you stay out late. Besides, I thought this was supposed to be an open relationship. You do your thing and I do mine. Right?”

  “I can’t recall saying all that, but if you’re doing your thing with somebody else, why don’t you pack your shit and go live with him?”

  Her eyes shot daggers at me. “Are you putting me out?”

  “No, I’m not putting you out. All I’m saying is show a brotha a little respect. Don’t be strolling up in here at four in the morning like you don’t owe me an explanation.”

  “Listen, I’m sorry. It’s been a long and trying day. I had tests today in all of my classes, and from there I went straight to Jackson’s place.”

  “Tell me more about Jackson?”

  “You know, the one who reviews my scripts for me.”

  “Aw, that’s right. So, what did he say?”

  “Honestly, he said he didn’t think I had what it took to be a full-time playwright. He went over my script several times and made a lot of changes to it. Finally, he gave up. Said he’d call me when he had some new ideas.” She sounded disappointed.

  “Sorry to hear that. Don’t give up, though. Why don’t you take your work to somebody else to look at? Sort of like get a second opinion?”

  “I don’t know, Jaylin. I think it’s time to give up on writing and focus on my education. I’m spending too much time away from Mackenzie and you. The last thing I want is to come in here every night arguing with you.”

  “That’s the last thing I want too. And since it’s our first real disagreement, let’s make it our last,” I said, getting out of bed. I wrapped my arms around her. “So, uh, are you tired?”

  “Oh, I’m tired. But never too tired to make love to my man, especially since I’ve been thinking about his sexy ass all day. Let me take Mackenzie to her room, hop in the shower, and then give you this loving you’ve been waiting on.”

  “Now, you’ve been waiting just as much as I have.”

  “I concur. So, I’ll hurry.”

  She kissed Mackenzie and carried her into her room. Then she took off her clothes and stepped into the shower.

  My dick was so hard that I couldn’t wait to feel her. I slid off my silk pajama pants and opened the shower door. We stood face-to-face, and I expressed once again how upset I was with her about her late nights.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “It won’t happen again. I never intended to upset you.”

  I pulled her hair back tightly and spoke with authority. “Don’t make me be concerned about you again. If you’re going to be late, you need to call and state your exact reason why. Better yet, coming in here after midnight might bring about confusion. Try your best to avoid it.”

  Scorpio nodded.

  I grabbed her wet body from the shower and we made our way to the floor. I massaged her soaking wet breasts and held them together as I licked her nipples one by one. Then I positioned my curled tongue inside her pussy and rubbed her clitoris with the tip of my finger. When she seemed ready, I took my goodness and rubbed it up against her walls. She begged me to give it to her.

  “Jaylin!” she said, grabbing my hand. “Stop teasing me, baby. Don’t make me wait when I’ve waited all day to feel you.”

  I ignored her and continued my foreplay. And when I did give it to her, I waited until her body responded then I pulled out. She squeezed her fingernails in my ass and tried to force me back in, but I wouldn’t let her.

  “Why are you teasing me like this tonight?” she asked

  With my hands holding me up on the floor, I lay over her. My eyes stared deeply into hers. “Because I don’t want you to forget how good I am to you. And if you ever think about fucking this up, you’d better correct yourself.”

  She moved her head from side to side. “Never. Not in a million years.”

  I carried her to the edge of my bed, and when she bent over on her stomach, I separated her round, juicy ass and straddled it from behind. I stroked her insides so good, I could hear major juices flowing. The sound of her pussy excited me, but she was the one who hollered my name.

  “Jaylin what, baby?” I said, continuing with my strokes. “What do you want from Jaylin? Whatever you want, Jaylin got it right here for you.”

  “I...I want you to love me,” she strained as I kept the fast-paced rhythm going. “I want you to fuck me all day and all night, but I want you to love me too.”

  It wasn’t that simple, I thought. I wanted to love her, but there was something about Scorpio I just didn’t trust. I couldn’t love a woman I didn’t
trust, and I couldn’t stop thinking that our relationship was based purely on sex. No doubt, she had won my dick over, but my heart still wasn’t in it like I expected it to be.

  As we continued our sex session, I felt her body getting tired. I didn’t care. I turned her on her back, rested one of her legs on my shoulder, and pounded her insides with nine-plus hard inches of my loving. She couldn’t hang as I rubbed, licked, and teased many of her hot spots all at once. She screamed as if she’d lost her mind, and professed that she’d never been to that level before.

  I didn’t finish my business with Scorpio until damn near eight o’clock in the morning. She lightly kissed the ridges of my six-pack and then rolled her pretty self over and went to sleep. I knew she was probably upset with me for sexing her up all night, but when I have to wait two days for some sex, it’s a fucking crime and she knows it. I was glad it was Saturday because if I had to go to work, there was no way I would’ve made it.

  At 11:00, I woke and paid Nanny B extra for staying overnight. She offered to cook us some breakfast before she left.

  After Nanny B was gone, I sat on the kitchen stool with a piece of toast and read the St. Louis American newspaper. There was a picture of Felicia shaking the CEO’s hand at her architectural firm as he handed her an award. It was probably for fucking him, knowing her, but the article said it was for the best creative design.

  I wanted to call and congratulate her, but I didn’t want to start up the bullshit with her again, especially since she’d chilled out. She still called every once in a while, but I hadn’t returned any of her phone calls. When I say I’m done, I’m done—until I get ready to come back.

  Scorpio slept most of the day. Mackenzie and I went back to the store and exchanged her big Barbie doll for fifteen small ones. She had the nerve to throw in outfits and shoes for each one of them. Damn dolls were dressed better than I was. I couldn’t believe I spent my money on this bullshit, but seeing the smile on her face made my day.