Naughty No More

by Brenda Hampton

  I jumped up and quickly put the phone to my ear. I also looked at Scorpio, but she turned her head.

  “Jay, what did you say? I couldn’t hear you?”

  “I said . . . I am tired. Man, I must be getting old because, believe it or not, after two or three consecutive days of sex, I need a day to rest. Nokea is over here like the energizer bunny.”

  I laughed and so did Jaylin. “Well, maybe you are getting old. Going at it for two or three consecutive days doesn’t seem like a problem.”

  “I mean, all day, and every day. For me not to handle Nokea, it says I’m slacking.”

  I looked at Scorpio again and decided to end my call. “Hey, Jay, let me get at you a li’l later. I got company right now.”

  “Is it Scorpio?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you find that out for me?”

  “I’m getting ready to. Like I said, I’ll hit you up later.”

  “Cool,” Jaylin said and hung up.

  I put the phone down and headed back to my stool. “Sorry about that,” I said. “I didn’t expect for him to say that, but Jaylin is full of surprises.”

  “You got that right,” she said, clearing her throat. “So, I guess him and Nokea worked things out? I don’t understand how, but Jaylin has a way with her, me, and everybody else.”

  “You know better than anybody, don’t you? But, I’m sure that Jaylin turning all of his finances over to Nokea might have helped speed along the forgiveness process.”

  “He did what?” Scorpio yelled. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I’m serious. He gave her everything, including the house. She requested that everything be in her name, and because he loves her, he did as she asked.”

  “Bullshit, Shane. If Jaylin turned everything over to Nokea, it was because of guilt. I doubt that he gave her everything. That doesn’t sound like the Jaylin I know.”

  “Well, I’m not going to argue with you about it. I’m just telling you what he told me. Besides, a man doesn’t turn over forty plus million dollars to a woman he doesn’t truly love, especially without a court order. Maybe you need to face the facts about them and realize that nothing you can do will separate them.”

  Scorpio tooted her lips, still in denial.

  “I don’t care what you say. Jaylin would never share forty million dollars with anyone. Now, he might have given Nokea a little security to keep her mouth shut, but I can’t see anything more than that. If he loves her so much, then he wouldn’t have shared his bed with me.”

  “I would share with you my theory about that, but I don’t want to hurt your feelings. I will, however, say one word to you, and I hope you figure out the rest—convenience. The bottom line is, they experienced a very difficult time in their marriage. Because of the love and history they share, they prevailed. You, I or nobody will ever come between them and that’s a fact. Now, I suggest that you wake up from this imaginary dream you’re having, and have had for a very long time. You’ll never have Jaylin, Scorpio. You finalized our relationship for what you thought could have been, and you fucked up. I’m damn mad about it. You allowed Jaylin to step into this and break us apart. Now, he’s living happily ever after, and look at us. Our so called love damn sure didn’t hold up. I could kick myself for loving you. Thank you for opening my eyes.”

  She folded her arms and tried to defend what she’d done. “I’m upset too, Shane, but I never would have turned to Jaylin had you not lied to me.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it. At least woman up and fess up to your mess. I have serious problems with a woman who doesn’t admit when she’s wrong. If I can admit to being wrong for lying, so can you.”

  She sat with a frustrated look on her face and didn’t say a word. The doorbell rang. I dropped my paint brush on the easel.

  “Stay right here,” I said. “I’ll be back.”

  Amber was at the door. She came inside with the muffins covered in a basket. I hadn’t seen her in a while and her long hair made her look different. It was parted through the middle and flowed down the sides of her face. Her trench coat was opened and showed her frame that looked as if it had thickened up a bit. She removed her glasses and stood tall in the foyer with me.

  “My, don’t you look sexy,” she said, observing my cut six pack. “Were you working out?” she asked.

  “I was earlier, but I’m finished.”

  She handed the basket to me and moved in close. She placed her hand on my chest, rubbing my solid abs. “If you’d like to catch up, the home décor show can wait. I can give you one of those amazing back rubs I always give you and—”

  “And, he’s busy right now,” Scorpio interrupted. “Can you and your basket of whatever that is come back once we’re finished?”

  I turned my attention to Scorpio. “Hold up,” I said. “Please don’t come out here giving my guest any orders. I got this, all right?”

  Amber took a quick glance at Scorpio and quickly addressed me. “I thought you said you didn’t have company. Had I known, Shane, I never would have come here.”

  “I didn’t know she was coming over here. She’ll be leaving shortly. Still, is it necessary for me to explain?”

  Amber shrugged her shoulders. “I . . . I guess not. Surely by now, I should know the rules, right?”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more. But, uh, listen . . . I appreciate you bringing the muffins by. I’m sure I’ll like them. Have fun at the décor show and call me when you get home. We’ll talk then.”

  Amber looked over my shoulder at Scorpio, put her glasses back on and pecked my lips.

  “Be good,” she said, and opened the door. She winked at me and closed the door behind her.

  “Just like your friend, neither one of you waste much time on going after the next best thing. How long has this been going on?” Scorpio asked.

  I ignored Scorpio and walked by her. She grabbed my arm and squeezed it.

  “So that’s how it is, huh?” she asked. “You and I break up and you immediately run to another woman? I can’t believe you, Shane. Even though I’ve made some mistakes, you’ve made plenty of them too. I forgave you on numerous occasions. Have you even thought about forgiving me?”

  “Forgive you? Oh, I forgive you, but if you think that you and I are going to patch things up, you are out of your mind. I care deeply for you, Scorpio, but I will not be your fool. You made your choice. Unfortunately, your choice didn’t work out for you. Don’t think you can run back to me and I’m supposed to rescue you again from your let down from Jaylin. I did it once and it backfired. There’s no way in hell I’m doing it again.”

  I pulled away from her and went back into my office. Getting back to my picture, I picked up my brush, and did my best to ignore Scorpio. She stood beside me and touched the side of my face.

  “I’m not going to say I’m sorry because I know how you feel about those words. What can I say, other than I lost out on a good thing. You knew how I felt about Jaylin and so did I. I should have never gone back to him, but a part of me felt the need. You know that I never meant to disappoint you, don’t you?”

  I moved her hand away from my face. “I never meant to disappoint you either, but I want out of this Scorpio. This thing between all of us is driving me fucking crazy. I need closure, and you and Nokea need to stop using me to get at Jaylin. It’s ridiculous and I’m tired of it.”

  “What does Nokea have to do with this? How do you feel as if she’s used you?” I ignored Scorpio and continued to paint. “Shane, be honest. Did you and Nokea . . .”

  “No,” I said, sternly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish my picture. I didn’t make plans for this conversation today, and I’m really not feeling up to it.”

  Scorpio stared at me. From the corner of my eye, I could see her suspicions growing. “Every time I mention Nokea, you get real defensive. You can ignore me, but I can tell that something is up with you. Jaylin and I weren’t the only two who had sex. You and Nokea did
too, didn’t you?”

  I ignored Scorpio and when she continued to press for answers, I asked her to leave.

  “I’m not going to discuss anything with you,” I said. “Like I said, it never happened and you can believe whatever you’d like to.”

  “You are not good at lying and you need to stop it. You can protect her all you want, but I plan to make sure Jaylin knows about his precious wife. The both of you put Nokea up so high on a pedestal, and she’s no damn better than me. She manipulates the both of you. If she convinced you to have sex with her, and not tell Jaylin, then you are a fool. A big fool.”

  “Scorpio, again, I’m going to ask you to leave. I don’t have time for this, baby. Whatever has happened, I’m done with it. I’m out of this, and I don’t know what else you want from me.”

  She continued to press and would not leave. “Just so I can sleep at night for what I’ve done, I want nothing but the truth from you. I need to hear you tell me that you and Nokea were intimate without being forced.”

  “I’m not telling you shit. You go ahead and take that mess to Jaylin. I assure you he’s going to laugh behind your back. You need to face it, no matter what you say or try to do, it’s over Scorpio. Find a fresh new start elsewhere. You blew it with me, but maybe you’ll have success with someone else.”

  Scorpio leaned down and whispered in my ear. “We’ll just see about all of this. When the truth comes out, you’ll have to look me in my face and admit that you fucked up, too. I’ll be waiting, Shane. Maybe, once you face reality, you and I can begin to work this out. You let me know, okay?”

  Scorpio walked out. When I heard the door slam, I got back to painting. I forgot to ask about her period, so I hurried to call her. She answered her phone in a sharp voice.

  “What?” she said.

  “I didn’t want us to end our conversation on a bitter note. I hope we can still be friends. I think maybe your anger stirred from you having a bad day, or you’re just suffering from PMS or something.”

  “My day was going along just fine, until I came over there. I already had my period this month, so you can’t go blaming PMS for something you brought on yourself. We’ll always be good friends, but at this time, distant friends work better for me.”

  She hung up and I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure if I should call Jaylin to confirm Scorpio’s period, or if I should call Nokea to warn her.

  “Damn!” I yelled. I wanted out of this mess so badly, but shit just kept on happening.

  Chapter 24

  Scorpio

  I didn’t expect for anyone to feel sorry for me because I brought this situation on myself. My love for Jaylin was something I couldn’t control. If I had to do it all over again, I’d go see him again. Hell, if I can’t be with the man I want, then so be it. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for the marriage thing. I guess it’s time I started to accept that.

  After I left Shane’s place, I quickly had a change of heart. I wasn’t telling Jaylin anything. If Nokea had screwed Shane, then more power to her. The way Jaylin had played me was downright uncalled for, and for him to call Shane and brag about all the sex he and Nokea had been having, that was gut wrenching. Thing is, Shane was wrong by saying I hadn’t faced reality. I had a feeling that Jaylin and Nokea would stay together, but why cry about it when I know that Jaylin will never be happy with just one woman. No doubt, he will come back to me again, and how can a man like him forget what I’m capable of putting on him? Like he said, we have a sexual connection, and that connection will drive him back to me each and every time Nokea can’t get her shit together. I’ve prepared myself to cope with the situation. Until I meet a man who can shake me from feeling any differently, my attitude will stay the same. Unfortunately, Shane being so close to Jaylin kept him in my thoughts. Under the circumstances, there was no way for me to get over him. I had fooled myself, and just like Shane, I felt like fuck it!

  As for his trick, Amber, I was mad that Shane seems to have moved on. Amber had nothing on me and he knew it. No curves, no nothing. She was a plain Jane and I knew she couldn’t give Shane what he really wanted. Eventually, he’d come running back to me too. Whether I decided to ever deal with him again depended on my status. Yes, I intended to take a break from men. I’d had enough. Relationships brought about too many headaches and heartbreaks. Being with Shane taught me a lot, but nobody taught me more than Jaylin. He was unbelievable, and talk about game . . . the brotha had it! He had a lot more to add with his game, and the total package he continues to deliver will forever be my weakness. It was kind of funny, though, that he couldn’t find it in his heart to give up his precious wife. For me, I promised myself there would be no more tears. There would be no more losing my mind. There would be no more Jaylin or Shane, until I say so, especially if Jaylin had put Nokea in charge of his money. I still didn’t believe it. I didn’t know he even had that much money. If Nokea had been smart enough to get that much money into her possession, then I had to give credit where credit was due. Definitely, she got his ass exactly where she wants him, but it wasn’t as if she ever hadn’t.

  Chapter 25

  Shane

  Whichever one of them answered the phone, that’s who I was going to speak to. I dialed the Rogers’ place, and after four rings Nokea answered.

  “What’s up?” I said, always happy to hear her voice.

  “Hi, Shane. Long time no hear from. I know you’ve been talking to Jaylin, but I don’t get a chance to talk to you anymore.”

  “That might be for the best,” I laughed. “But, uh, is Jaylin around? If not, I need to talk to you about something.”

  “I think he’s outside somewhere with the kids. What’s up? Is everything okay?”

  “So-so. Today, I spoke to Scorpio and some things I said led her to believe that you and I had sex. I didn’t confirm anything, but she is determined to call Jaylin and make him aware of her thoughts. I just wanted to warn you, and make it clear to you that I will not tell anyone what happened between us, unless you ask me to. I might not say anything if you ask me to because there’s a lot of damage that can occur. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. I appreciate you calling me. Jaylin and I are managing to work things out. I’d hate for something like this to surface and put us back where we started. A part of me wants to tell him the truth. I know if Scorpio speaks to him, he’s going to question me about it again. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to say. I love my husband, but I do not regret giving myself to you before court that day. It was a beautiful time, but I know we’re past that now. These last several weeks have been wonderful for Jaylin and me. My wish is that you someday find true love as I have. You really deserve it.”

  “I know. When the time is right, my time will come. I’m in no rush, you know?”

  Nokea laughed. Before we ended our call, I told her to tell Jaylin to call me.

  Chapter 26

  Jaylin

  I was shocked as hell, as I held the phone in my hand and listened to the entire conversation. I knew Nokea had given herself to him, damn, I knew it! Never in my life had I felt like such a fool. For the both of them to lie to me about the shit was unforgivable.

  Why didn’t I just listen to my gut? What made me trust Nokea and Shane more than I trusted myself? I couldn’t believe that she made me out to be the villain, when all along, she had fucked my friend. And, Shane, his words were so convincing. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Jay. I’ve had my way with Scorpio, but I know Nokea is off limits.”

  Bullshit! Was all I could say. No word in the English dictionary explained how I felt.

  I put the phone down, took several deep breaths to calm myself and made my way into the bedroom where Nokea was. I couldn’t even think straight. There was so much anger inside of me. Before somebody got hurt, I needed to get out of the house—fast!

  I entered our bedroom. Nokea was sitting in the chair, while paging through an Ebony magazine. She looked up at me. By the look on my face, she kn
ew something was wrong.

  “Who was that on the phone?” I asked.

  “Nobody, the caller had the wrong number. Where . . . where are the kids?” she asked.

  “They’re outside with Nanny B.” I sat on the bed, roughly massaging my hands together. “I need to go, uh, take care of something for a couple of days.”

  She closed the magazine, giving me her attention. “What . . . Where and what for?”

  “Frick said there were some issues with the paperwork. He’s not coming here, so I have to go there.”

  “Would you like for me to go with you?”

  “No, I need . . . I’m going alone. The kids need you and I don’t want to leave them with Nanny B.”

  Not saying another word, I got up and went into my closet. I put a few things in my suitcase and removed my keys from the nightstand.

  Nokea stopped me. “Why are you rushing out of here Jaylin? Tell me, is something wrong?”

  I shook my head and stepped up to her. I touched the side of her face and kissed her cheek. “I’m cool. This is so important to me. I gotta go now so I can take care of this. I’ll call you as soon as I get there.”

  Nokea nodded and I left the room. Hurrying, I said good-bye to Nanny B and the kids, then left.

  Going to see Frick in St. Louis was not on my agenda. I got a room at a nearby hotel and checked in. I was so numb. I didn’t know where to begin. I wanted to fuck Shane up, and Nokea too, I hated the thoughts of what I wanted to do to her. Before I did anything, I needed time to think. My mind was saying . . . kick her ass to the curb, but my heart was trying to understand.

  Yes, I’d cheated on Nokea, but she was supposed to be better than me. That’s what I loved so much about her. If I wanted a woman like me, then I would have married Scorpio. I knew Nokea could tell something was up, but I was drained from arguing with her. Looking at her made me want to snap, but something was holding me back.