Naughty No More

by Brenda Hampton

  A chick close by cleared her throat. “I don’t know Scorpio too well, but I can vouch for Jaylin. During our college years, he was the daily talk on campus. Everybody was trying to get screwed by him, but he was real particular. I got lucky at a party and I haven’t forgotten about that brotha since. He was damn good and the size of that thing and what he can do with it . . . girl!”

  Bernie and Jamaica looked at each other, laughed and spoke in unison. “We know!”

  “Well, it was something else,” she continued. “When I heard he’d gotten married, I was disappointed. I was sure we’d someway or somehow hook up again. I had no idea that he’d been seeing you Scorpio.”

  “How couldn’t you know?” Bernie said. “We talk about him a lot around here, and if the name of this place isn’t a clue, I don’t know what is.”

  The chick covered her mouth. “I didn’t even think about that. What a small, small world. His wife, though, she’s real pretty. I heard about some chick named Nokea who he grew up with, but I never saw her. When I did, I expected her to be as pretty as she is.”

  “She cute,” Jamaica said. “But, Scorpio got her beat by a long shot.”

  “Thank you, Jamaica,” I said. “I think so too.”

  “She cute, I’m cute, we all cute, but she’s the one who’s married to him. Besides, does being beautiful even matter anymore?” the chick said.

  “Not at all,” Bernie said. “But, a man like Jaylin brings about too much heart and headache. From what little I do know, you gotta be a strong woman to put up with him. And let’s not talk about being married to him. I’m sure it’s not all peaches and cream.”

  “Girl, please,” Jamaica said. “The only aching and pain coming from my marriage to him would be from me lying on my back for so long. If I was married to him, as long as he satisfied me and dished out his money, he could do whatever he wanted to. What I can’t seem to figure out is,” Jamaica looked at me. “If you were gone for five days, how much screwing did y’all do? Y’all must have been at it while y’all were sleeping too. You can’t squeeze eleven times in five days, you just can’t do it!”

  “It averaged out to a little over twice a day, and the more I think about it, it might have been even more than that. If you don’t mind, we had some major catching up to do.”

  “Was it worth it,” Bernie asked. “What about your dignity and respect for another woman’s husband? Was running back to Jaylin worth losing Shane? Sorry, but you know I had to go there.”

  “I didn’t lose Shane because of Jaylin. It didn’t work out between us because he continuously lied to me.”

  “And, Jaylin has always been such a saint, right?” Bernie said. “You and I will talk later, but you know I’m highly upset with you.”

  “I know, and I should have known better. It doesn’t sting that much now, but it’s going to sting later.”

  Not wanting to discuss what had happened any longer, I walked off to my office. I closed the door and looked over at the couch where Jaylin and I were. Disgusted with him, but more so myself, I took a deep breath and bit the tip of my fingernail.

  Damn, I thought. How did I ever let this happen to me again?

  Chapter 20

  Nokea

  By the time I left Jay’s, I couldn’t even think straight. I wanted to go somewhere far, far away, but what was I running away from? Instead, I went back to my parents’ house, kissed my kids goodbye and told everyone I’d see them in two weeks. After that, I headed for the airport to go home. I had no clue where Jaylin was and I surely didn’t care. I wanted him to go away and leave me at peace.

  No doubt, I was devastated when I saw Scorpio on top of him. Just to know that he would have had sex with her again was shocking. What in the hell was he thinking? I knew Jaylin had some suspicions about Shane and me, because Shane told me about their conversation at CJ’s. Shane also told me that he and Jaylin wrapped up their meeting quickly. Since Jaylin was already in Clayton, I had a feeling he’d stop at Jay’s. My suspicions were correct, but I hadn’t anticipated walking in on what I did.

  As for Scorpio, why did I hate her so much? I wanted to hurt her so badly, but for now, my issues lay with Jaylin. The only thing that kept me a bit at ease was my thoughts of Shane. I got much pleasure out of what we’d done. My time with him was unforgettable. We agreed to never share our secret with anyone. I trusted him and he trusted me. I even thought about going back to his house for the night, but all I wanted to do was go home.

  As I sat at the airport waiting for my plane’s departure, I picked up my phone to tell Shane good-bye.

  “I just wanted to tell you that I’m on my way back home. I wanted to stop by, but I didn’t know how you’d feel about it,” I said.

  “Nokea, you’re always welcome here. But, I do want you to do your best and try to work things out with Jaylin. I know you’re angry about a lot of things, but be smart about your choices. Don’t let them hurt you in the long run.”

  “Are you saying what we did wasn’t a smart thing to do? I feel very good about what happened between us. I don’t regret it. Do you?”

  “Not at all. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t do it any differently.”

  I took a deep breath, as Shane’s response was good to know. “After I finished speaking to you earlier, you know I went to Jay’s don’t you?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I knew Jaylin would be there. I can’t even tell you what I walked in on.”

  “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know, but I would like to know what Jaylin’s response was.”

  “Shane, you know how arrogant and stubborn my husband is. He played it off like he was there to inform Scorpio that he wasn’t going to leave me. Even though he said it to her, it was one big act. I left. Have you ever been so deeply tired of a situation that your body felt numb and you couldn’t react?”

  “Naw, but I’m sorry you had to experience that. I don’t know what to say.”

  “No need for you to apologize. I’m a big girl and I’m going to handle this.”

  Shane laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I was just reminiscing about you. You go ahead and handle your business. I have faith that you will do it well. Have a safe trip home and don’t call me when you get there. I don’t want Jaylin throwing another phone at you. Call only if you need me.”

  I agreed to only call Shane if I needed him. After giving our goodbyes, we ended our call. Afterward, I looked up and saw Jaylin heading my way. I guess he managed to wrap up his visit with Scorpio and decided to make his departure. He held his cell phone to his ear and I turned my head to look away.

  He walked up to me, placing his cell phone on my ear. “It’s your mother,” he said.

  I held the phone and my mother asked if I was okay.

  “Mama, I’m fine. I told you I was. I don’t know why you keep asking.”

  “Because a mother knows her child, Nokea. I talked to Jaylin too. I hope the two of you aren’t being untruthful with me.”

  “If anything was going on that I couldn’t handle, I’d let you know. I’m okay, all right?”

  “Only if you say so. I love you, and your father and I are really enjoying our grandbabies. It’s nice not to have to travel to Florida and see them. You know, you can always come back home.”

  “Mama, I’m fine. I know where my home is and I love you too. Kiss my babies for me. I’ll call you when I get home.”

  My mother and I hung up and I gave the phone back to Jaylin.

  He held my hand. “Your mother is worried about us. I am too. Should I be?”

  I eased my hand away from his and walked away. I wasn’t up to speaking to him in the airport, so I stayed in a gift shop until they announced our plane’s departure. Once they did, I got on the plane. Ignoring Jaylin was difficult because I had to sit right next to him. I sat by the window, using every opportunity to look out and avoid him. He reached for my hand to hold it, then leaned his head
on my shoulder. I moved it away.

  “I’m tired,” he said. “Can I use your shoulder to rest my head?”

  “My shoulder hurts, just like the rest of my body.” I paused. “Eleven times, Jaylin? Did it take that many times?”

  I knew that would cause him to loosen his hand from mine and sit up straight. “She exaggerated, Nokea. You can’t believe everything you hear.”

  “But, surely, I can believe everything I see, right?”

  He had nothing to say and I turned to look out the window. Once the plane took off, I started thinking about my amazing day with Shane. I wasn’t sure how I was going to work through all of this, but I knew some changes had to be made. I couldn’t let Jaylin think it was okay for him to cheat on me. If I did nothing about it, I knew he was the kind of man who would take advantage. He’d shown me that today, by going to Jay’s, even after he told me he wanted to begin the healing process. Yeah, right. He was playing me for a fool and I didn’t like it. As I thought about all we’d been through, the thoughts of it brought tears to my eyes. I thought of Shane’s words, “be strong” but how could I be? How could I be strong after we’d both betrayed each other? Did I even have the right to be mad at Jaylin? Of course I did. He knew better hooking back up with Scorpio, but if it hadn’t been her, it would have been someone else. That’s just Jaylin’s style. Had I been a fool for thinking our marriage would change him? I knew he was going to do everything possible to make me stay with his program. Well, the program was about to change. I had so many things that I could do, but they could only be done over time. I’d definitely come out of this with some kind of victory and it was high time that I did.

  While in deep thought, a few tears rolled down my face as I stared out the window. I wiped them and Jaylin called my name.

  “What?” I said, continuing to look out the window.

  He reached for my face and tried to turn it. “Are you crying?” he asked.

  “No,” I said, still not turning my head.

  He let my face go and took my hand again. He kissed the back of it. “I know you don’t want to hear anything I have to say right now, and I know my words mean very little to you, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. I hate to see you cry. Haven’t I done my best to keep you happy? I made a mistake, baby, and I’m sorry.”

  I closed my eyes and the thought of Scorpio on top of him was in my head. The way he was comfortably lying back on the couch with her breasts staring him in the face was gut-wrenching. I thought about the many places sex between them could have taken place and it made me sick to my stomach. I felt myself getting ready to throw up, so I got up and stepped over Jaylin. I headed to the bathroom in first class. As soon as I got there, I vomited. I cleaned up and splashed water on my face. After patting it down with a napkin, I left the bathroom and returned to my seat.

  “Are you okay?” Jaylin said, moving out of my way.

  I took my seat. “I’m fine. This ride is just making me sick. I can’t wait to get home.”

  Almost three hours later, Jaylin and I returned home. Nanny B wasn’t there. When I asked Jaylin if he knew where she was, he told me that he’d arranged for us to be alone for the next two weeks. I got a glass of water from the fridge and made my way to our bedroom. Before going to bed, I gathered my things to take a shower. Jaylin stayed in the kitchen to call my parents and let them know we made it home. Once he finished, he stood in the bathroom with me.

  “Your mother wants you to call her,” he said.

  “For what?” I asked, and then turned on the shower.

  “She wants to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I told her I was fine.”

  “But, I understand her concern. You’ve been awfully quiet. I’m worried about you too.”

  “Jaylin, if you were so worried about me, you wouldn’t have done this to us. You knew what this would do to us, but this is the kind of marriage you wanted. If you’re expecting me to lose it over this, I’m numb right now. I haven’t accepted all that’s happened. Don’t expect much from me right now, please.”

  I stepped into the shower and Jaylin watched as I lathered myself. I didn’t even care that he watched, as long as he didn’t get in with me. Once I finished, he opened the shower’s door and handed me a towel. Normally, he’d dry me off, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. I dried myself and slid into my lime green lace nightgown. Jaylin could see all of my good parts and he couldn’t stop looking at me.

  “I’m going to take a shower too. When I get out, would you like to watch a movie?”

  “If I’m still awake. By the time you finish, I might be asleep.”

  “Then, I’ll hurry.”

  Jaylin went into the bathroom. I opened the doors to the balcony to let the soothing breezes and noise of the ocean come in. For a while, I stood on the balcony, looking at the amazing scenery. I saw a couple on the beach holding hands and thought about the many nights Jaylin and I had taken walks and wound up making love. I tried hard to think positive thoughts, but then, the thoughts of him making love to Scorpio crossed my mind again. Did he make love to her like he does to me? Did he tell her how much he loves her? Why her? Why did he always have to go back to her? What was it about me that wasn’t enough for him? I felt . . . terrible. I wanted to wake up from this bad dream, but couldn’t. As I stood on the balcony wiping my tears, Jaylin came up and turned me to him. He was naked and held my body against his. He then kissed my forehead.

  “I know this is easier said than done, but please don’t do this to yourself or to us. I assure you that we’ll get through this. I will never put us in a situation like this again.”

  I didn’t believe one word he said, but I wanted some answers. “What is it about her, Jaylin? Why can’t you let her go? If you can’t, leave me, please. I don’t want to be in this if you continue to love her.”

  “Nokea, I have never loved Scorpio. The only woman I’ve ever loved is you and nobody will ever take your place. I’m not going to leave you and you’re not going to leave me. If I have to spend the rest of my life making this up to you, I will. I’m sorry, baby. Don’t make me watch you hurt like this. It was a selfish thing I did. You know I’ve always had a tough time dealing with my pain.”

  Jaylin held me tighter. Once I calmed down, I broke away from our embrace. I went into our bedroom and lay sideways in our bed. Jaylin lay behind me, holding my hands together with his. I was worn from our discussion, but felt very comfortable.

  “I love you,” he said. He kissed the back of my head, and I guess, waited for me to return the love. I didn’t feel like responding, but I did pray for God to help me get through this.

  Chapter 21

  Jaylin

  What can I say, other than I fucked up! Even though a tiny part of me felt as if my actions were justified, I never thought I was capable of bringing so much turmoil to my marriage. I felt horrible inside and to see Nokea so torn really made me feel bad for what I’d done. My selfishness was a muthafucka, but at the time, I surely felt as if I was doing what was best for me.

  And Scorpio? She was just as pissed about the whole damn thing. I wasn’t trying to break it down to her like that, but when she started running off at the mouth to Nokea, that shit made me mad. She didn’t have to tell Nokea we’d had sex eleven times. She could have said one or two times and been done with it. I guess I can be a bit thankful that her numbers were way off. I knew damn well we’d done it more than eleven times and I had the after affects to prove it. I hadn’t really thought about any pussy since then, and when I stopped by Jay’s, I wasn’t intending to go there for sex. Truly, I wanted to share my decision with Scorpio and try to end things on a positive note. So much for that. When I saw Nokea, my heart jumped right into my stomach. I felt her pain. It really looked as if Scorpio and me were about to set some shit off. As always, Nokea handled her business well. No matter what the situation was, she never showed her ass. I knew she wanted to mess me up, and possibly Scorpio too, but being the woman she was, deep down, she
knew what belonged to her. That’s why I love my wife. She’s a classy lady. I have to give her credit for putting up with me.

  By morning, I hadn’t gotten much sleep. I lay in bed with my arms wrapped around Nokea while she lay on my shoulder. Looking at how pretty she was, I moved her bangs away from her forehead and kissed it several times. The television was on, so I flipped through the channels with the remote and stopped to watch the news. A few minutes later, Nokea slowly opened her puffy eyes and looked up at me.

  “What time is it?” she asked, noticing the bright sun cracking through the opened doors to the balcony.

  “Almost eight o’clock. Do you have something to do today?”

  “Nothing,” she said, laying her head back on my shoulder. Her eyes faded again. Once she went back to sleep, I eased out of bed without waking her. I went to the kitchen to make us breakfast. As soon as I got there, I noticed my cell phone on the kitchen’s island. The light was blinking so I knew I had a message waiting. I saw that Scorpio had called me at one fifteen in the morning. I checked my voice mail and heard her message.

  I just had to call and tell you what a cruel person I think you are. And as cruel as you may be, I could kick myself for loving you so much. You might not think that I got much out of the deal, but just being with you for those days was, I guess, more than I could ask for. I’m hoping there’s a possibility that I gain more from our time together, but only a few more weeks will tell. Yes, I’m speaking of having your child and I worked hard to make that happen. So did you, and even though you might be angry about this possibility, remember, it was a risk you were willing to take. Don’t expect to hear from me anytime soon, and eventually, you know I’ll be in touch.

  Scorpio ended her call and I deleted her message. I couldn’t tell if she was fucking with me or not, but I did take a big, big risk. I’d thought about using a condom, but I was so caught up and excited about being inside of her again that I decided against it. As I thought for a moment about all the juices I put inside of her, I picked up the phone to call Shane. I knew he had some of the answers to my questions.