“Then again, you can still give it your all, and if it’s not meant to be, you move on. Move on to bigger and better things that bring you the happiness your heart has always desired.”
Jaylin wanted me to respond, but I didn’t. Especially since the wedding had started. I was eager to see our kids, as well as Scorpio, make their appearance.
Jaylin was to my left, so I had a chance to examine his reaction to everything. When Mario and his groomsmen entered, looking handsome as ever, Jaylin was texting. As the bridesmaids entered, he glanced at each one of them, then turned his head in another direction. His first smile came when he saw Mackenzie come in. She waved at us, and when Jaylin took a picture of her with his phone, she kept it moving down the aisle. Jaylene and Justin were next. They were too cute. Many of the guests, including us, stood to take pictures. When they reached the row where we sat, Jaylene blew us kisses. Justin, however, was done. He walked up to Jaylin, sitting on his lap. Everyone laughed.
“Man, you have to finish what you started,” Jaylin said, trying to put him down. “Go take Mario the ring. He needs the ring that’s on your pillow.”
Justin slid off Jaylin’s lap, but before he walked away, Jaylin straightened his black suit jacket and bowtie. Justin put the pillow on top of his head, messing up the lovely curls in his hair. He put on quite a show, causing everybody to laugh and focus their attention on him. When he reached the front, Mario reached down and picked him up. Surprisingly, Jaylin still had a smile.
“Here Comes the Bride” played on a piano, and a few minutes later, Scorpio appeared in front of the double doors. Her uncle was there to walk her down the aisle. I had to admit that everything about her look was breathtaking. The top part of the dress was lace, and with a plunging V-neck and a bottom half made of silk, sexy was written all over it. There was a flowing train that connected to the back of the dress, and her wedding veil was attached to the beautiful bun on top of her head. Tiny diamonds were attached to the veil, and with a few strands of hair dangling along the sides of her face, I had to give her props. Jaylin looked at her for what may have been a split second. Then his eyes shifted to LJ who was one of the ushers. Even when Scorpio promenaded down the aisle, Jaylin looked, but not for long. I would have given anything to know what he was thinking. When she walked by us, his glance was brief and her focus was straight ahead. Obviously, there were no plans for her to drop the bouquet on the ground, as I had done years ago because of my feelings for Jaylin. Just thinking about my mistakes with his cousin, Stephon, made me reflect more on my past with Jaylin. More so, on our marriage and divorce that I wanted to erase from my memory.
As Scorpio proceeded down the aisle, many cameras and phones flashed. The back of her dress was as gorgeous as the front. Her hourglass figure is what made the dress a perfect ten. This was the best I had ever seen her look.
As she stood up front with Mario, everyone took a seat. That was with the exception of Justin who was now next to Scorpio, wrapping himself with her train.
“Maybe I should go up front to get him,” Jaylin whispered while leaning in close to me.
“No, he’ll be okay. He’s going to steal the show. Just wait and see.”
As the ceremony got underway, I started feeling slightly better. It was too touching for me to be upset right now, and as Scorpio and Mario expressed their love for one another, my thoughts reverted to Travis. I loved him so much, but I would never want a wedding this big. To be honest, I really wasn’t interested in having a wedding at all. I loved the way Jaylin and I had tied the knot, which was on the beach with very little friends and family. This, however, was too much. Mario and Scorpio had gone all out. He certainly had the money for this; Scorpio had hit the jackpot. Apparently, his money wasn’t good enough for her, especially if Jaylin was still in the picture.
I listened to the words she spoke to Mario, somewhat unmoved because of what I’d seen this morning. And when Jaylin stood and straightened his suit jacket, I damn near fell out of my seat. He wasn’t going to make an attempt to stop the wedding, was he? I wasn’t sure, but when he stepped in the aisle, I quickly reached for his arm.
“What?” he whispered while leaning in closer to me.
“Please don’t,” I said. “Let it go, Jaylin, and—”
His face twisted, he quickly cut me off. “Don’t what? I’m going to the restroom. Need to take a leak. Would you like to come watch?”
I sighed from relief, and rolled my eyes at him again. “No. Not interested.”
He shrugged and walked away.
Jaylin returned a few minutes later. By this time, Justin was laying his head on the silk pillow and pretending to be asleep. Everyone laughed, and Scorpio told him to go play with Jaylin. He sprinted down the aisle, sitting with us for a while. In the meantime, Scorpio and Mario stood holding hands. They were done expressing kind words to each other and were ready to recite their vows. Jaylin seemed tuned in for a minute, and as Scorpio started to speak again, he released a soft snicker, rubbed the hair on his chin and shook his head. A smirk was on his face, and it wasn’t long before he started texting again. His thoughts stayed on my mind. I intended to ask him, sooner or later, how he really felt in this moment. It was strange seeing the two of them in bed, and now, during the wedding, pretending as if they hadn’t had sex. All night at that, because Nanny B said Scorpio had come over that night. I tried not to think about it, but Jaylin’s actions were killing me. He was now playing with Justin, basically ignoring the ceremony completely.
I looked up front again. Scorpio was in tears; Mario reached out to wipe them. They both appeared a bit nervous, but when all was said and done, Mario was told to kiss his new bride. Everyone started to clap, even Jaylin and Justin who clapped together.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you for the first time, Mr. & Mrs. Mario S. Pezzano.”
Cheers and applauses followed. Scorpio and Mario looked extremely happy as they made their way down the center aisle, smiling and waving at guests. Yet again, when they passed by us, Scorpio and Jaylin barely looked at each other. She barely looked at me. The only time I got up close and personal with her was at the reception, where people stood in line to greet the bride and groom. Just like the wedding, the reception was off the chain. Turquoise and white drapes surrounded the spacious room, and the white canopy above was filled with bright white lights that looked like stars in the sky. The wedding cake towered eight tiers, and hundreds of silk-like flowers covered the whole thing. So much food was being served. From lobster to mini-hamburgers for the kids, they had it all. I stood in front of Mario, first, congratulating him and wishing them well. He reached out to hug me.
“Thank you, Nokea,” he said. He was gorgeous, and every time I saw him, I couldn’t help but to think about Halle Berry’s ex-husband, Olivier Martinez. Sexiness was in the eyes for sure. “Thank you very much. When you get time, you and Travis should come by to see the house.”
“You know we will,” I said. “The kids can’t stop talking about it.”
Jaylin was behind me. He shook Mario’s hand, while I reached out to give Scorpio a hug.
“Outstanding,” I said. “You really outdid yourself with this one and your dress is killing it.”
“Thank you. I tried,” she said, laughing. “Thanks for coming and please do come by the house soon. We’re not going on a honeymoon yet, so we’ll be at the house all weekend.”
“Okay. I’ll see what Travis is up to tomorrow and let you know.”
Scorpio nodded. Her eyes shifted to Jaylin. He leaned in to give her a hug, before kissing her cheek.
“I must say, you look beautiful. Congrats and stay sweet.”
“You know I will.”
She winked at Jaylin and that was it. We took plenty of pictures, danced with the kids and ate our hearts out. Jaylin and I sat at a table, not really saying much to each other.
“Why are you so quiet?” he asked.
I shrugged and fidgeted with a napkin in front of m
e. “No reason. Just getting a little tired, that’s all.”
“Would you like to dance?”
“Not really.”
He placed his hand on top of mine, lightly squeezing it. “I’m getting ready to go. Stop by my house tomorrow morning, if you get a chance. We need to talk.”
He stood, and not even waiting for a response, he left.
JAYLIN
Nokea didn’t have to say one word. I knew she was upset with me about Scorpio. It was obvious that she’d seen us in bed together, and that was confirmed when I saw her on the cameras I viewed, after Nanny B said she was here. The truth was, I didn’t owe Nokea or anyone else an explanation. Scorpio wanted to have sex, so we had sex. I, too, was in the mood to have sex, and even though we hadn’t gone there in a long time, I was glad we did. I enjoyed my time with her. She made me feel relaxed. She always made me feel appreciated; that’s what I loved about her. She cared about my feelings, and she didn’t mind telling me how she truly felt. I was well aware that she still loved me, but we both knew that it was time for her to pivot from all of this. The wedding was beautiful, so was she and there you have it. There wasn’t really much else I wanted to say, except for men like Mario didn’t come around every day. What I meant by that was, obscenely wealthy men who didn’t even push for a prenuptial agreement. If things didn’t work out, he was fucked. I knew the kind of woman Scorpio was. She would milk him for every dime. She would demand more than he was willing to give, and she would walk away from that marriage being even wealthier than me. I had to give her credit—she was a master at getting what she wanted.
On the other hand, Nokea was getting what she wanted, too. That was Travis. Even though I didn’t owe her an explanation, I at least wanted to talk to her about the situation, just so she would understand where I was coming from. She seemed real angry with me about something. I wanted to give her an opportunity to get whatever was troubling her, off her chest.
At seven o’clock in the morning, Shane and I sat in my office discussing a few things. I was leaned back in my chair; he was sitting on the sofa. His hands were behind his head, he was casually dressed in dark jeans and a Plan of Action T-shirt. His locs had grown to dreads that were in a ponytail, and according to many women, his physique was much tighter than mine. I guess it was a matter of opinion. I told him how wrong he’d been for ignoring Tiffanie when she’d called him. He refused to see things my way.
“All I’m saying is, as my wife, Tiffanie harasses me. I can’t go anywhere without her calling and bugging. If I go sit in another room, it has to be a reason for that. If I go for a walk, I’m walking to get away from her. The only time she doesn’t bug me is when I’m sleeping. Then again, I take that back because she’s always waking me up, asking me dumb shit about where I put this or that.”
Shane was clearly frustrated. “Look, it’s called being married. Maybe you just weren’t ready. I’ve spoken to Tiffanie and she says the problem is you don’t feel obligated to answer her questions or answer your phone. You are obligated, whether you like it or not. I thought the trip to Paris would help. I guess not.”
“I said it helped, but we’ll be good for a few weeks or so, and then she’ll be back at it again. I just need my space sometimes. When I’m not allowed my space, that’s a big problem.”
“I feel you, but try to shake some of that shit off and show me some of these properties you think we should look into.”
Shane came over to my desk, handing me a thick stack of papers with property listings. As we started to inspect them, there was a knock at my door. We looked up, Nokea came in. She looked tired; puffiness was visible underneath her eyes. The ripped jeans and off-the-shoulder shirt she had on was simple, but her high heels added much sexiness.
“What’s up, Nokea?” Shane asked.
“Hi, Shane.” She walked in and laid her purse on the sofa. “Am I interrupting you two?”
“Not really,” I replied then looked at Shane. “Let’s continue this later. Meanwhile, please return Tiffanie’s call or go home to see what she wants. You know I don’t beg that often.”
He walked away from my desk without a response. Said goodbye to Nokea, before he left my office. She sat on the sofa, crossing her legs and yawning.
“Wha . . . What did you want to talk to me about?”
Her little attitude was still on full display.
“I’m sensing something with you. I’m quite surprised because I thought we cleared the air a long time ago and put certain things behind us. Now, I’m not so sure.”
“I thought we put certain things behind us, too. Obviously not.”
“You must be talking about me and Scorpio having sex. Yes, we did, but—”
She raised her hand to cut me off. “Save it. I don’t care about you and Scorpio anymore. Who you screw is none of my business.”
“No, it’s not, but for the record, I’ve only been with three women since our divorce. That includes Scorpio, who I haven’t had sex with in a long time.”
Nokea sighed. “Who cares, Jaylin? Do you want a medal or something? I guess three women may not seem like a lot to you, especially since it used to be what . . . three hundred? As for Scorpio, please. All she has to do is cock her legs open and you’ll be there to dive right in. Head first, I assume.”
I nodded, trying to bite my tongue while listening to her insults.
“Three hundred, five hundred or maybe a thousand. Who knows? Don’t hate because I’m an irresistible, handsome muthafucka with stellar credentials that are required by the majority of brilliant women. Expect that number to keep growing, as long as I don’t have a wife. After you get done acting ugly, and you’re ready to face reality, there was only one woman who caused me to make some serious mistakes during our marriage. But please don’t forget that I had been faithful to you for years. Our marriage was good, and you can’t deny that. As for your little funky attitude, it started way before you saw Scorpio and me in bed. It’s been going on for the past few months or so.”
She winced and kept repeating herself. “Again, I really don’t care who you have sex with. For you to sit there and talk about my attitude, please. You’re the one with an attitude. You’re always moody. The only time you’re happy is if it revolves around money or the kids. I can’t get no love, Nanny B can’t, Scorpio can’t get—well, actually, she did get it. A whole lot, I assume.”
I fired back by standing up and touching my manhood. “Hell, you can get some, too, if you ask for it. Is that why you’re mad? Cause it was her, instead of you?”
If she wasn’t mad before, she definitely was now. The frown on her face deepened. She darted her finger at me. “She can have all of you, Jaylin, I do not care. Besides, I wouldn’t dare allow you to stick that infested penis of yours in me ever again.”
I cocked my head back, kind of surprised by where she was going with this. For the time being, my voice calmed because I didn’t want to argue with her.
“If all you came over here to do is insult me, you can get your ass up and leave. I don’t know what kind of love you’re interested in getting from me; all of this is coming from out of nowhere. But since you’re trying to call me out on some things, I need to call you out too. When did you think it was okay not to thank me for all the help I put forth pertaining to your show? That shit was personal.”
“I did thank you. I thanked you several times.”
“That thanks was too late. I preferred a special thanks.”
“I don’t care what you preferred. I preferred to have a husband who was faithful, who put me first, who understood my needs and who respected me to the fullest. I didn’t get that, did I?”
Her ongoing attacks about our marriage were starting to make my blood boil. I walked around my desk, sitting against it. “Women. I tell you y’all are something else. I can’t believe you’re still hanging on to that shit. I guess you want me to spend the rest of my life apologizing to you. Is that it?”
“I don’t need an apology. W
hat I wanted was for you to take your vows seriously. It was as simple as that. Hebrews, Chapter 13: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.”
Now, she really had my attention. My face was tight, brows shot up. “Let me go get you a choir robe, just in case you want to start singing hallelujah. What nerve do you have coming in here, quoting the Bible, especially with a track record like yours? I’ve always taken responsibility for what I did, and you damn sure wasn’t no saint. If you must take me to Sunday school, you need to get it right because that same verse says, ‘God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous,’ not you.” I walked over to my bookshelf, removing my Bible. Laid it on the table in front of her. “It also says, in Psalms 118, to trust in the Lord, not put confidence in man. Since you’re living by the Word these days, show me where it says put all of your trust in Jaylin Rogers. That I’m perfect and I will not make any mistakes. Come on, baby. Get the fuck out of here with that shit you talking.”
Nokea took a hard swallow. “So, are you saying that I was wrong for trusting you? That as your wife, I shouldn’t have trusted you?”
“What I’m saying is this. Nobody should be trusted; however, many of us do trust people. Promises get made, vows are taken, people fall deeply in love, but we are all human, and, unfortunately, shit happens. I asked for your forgiveness, I thought you gave it. So if you want to keep being bitter about the shit, fine. But I will not ever say I’m sorry to you again for my past indiscretions. I have other things to do, other than spend my life, begging for your fucking forgiveness.”
Now, I was mad. I waited for her to respond, but she sat silent while gazing at the floor. There was more to her attitude—I could sense it.
“I have forgiven you, but I . . . I’m just going through something right now. Something that I wasn’t prepared for, and I don’t know what to do.”
Jaylin Page 6