JAYLIN
17
I lay in bed at another hotel in downtown St. Louis, staring at the striped wallpaper. I waited for Nokea to come back to the Marriott, and when she didn't show up, I walked out without checking out. I couldn't stand to be in a room that carried her scent, and the thought of making love to her the other night cluttered my mind. Not only that, but the thought of Collins making love to what belonged to me frightened the hell out of me. I wasn't sure if she'd gone to see him last night or not, but I had a damn good feeling that she had.
So, yes, it was already Thursday. The big day, the decision day, and I couldn't even get out of bed to go handle my business. At this point, I didn't give a fuck what happened. When I talked to Frick this morning, I instructed him to go to court on my behalf and informed him of my little incident at Café Lapadero yesterday. He was pissed off, but I asked him to work both situations out as best as he could. He assured me that, most likely, I had a warrant out for my arrest. I agreed, but as much as I'd paid him, a little more effort on his part shouldn't be a problem. I told him just that and decided to wait around for his phone call. No matter what the outcome, after today, I was going home.
Near one o'clock in the afternoon, the hotel's phone rang. The only person who had this number was Frick, so I knew it was him. I almost hated to answer, but I knew that my future was at stake.
“Hello,” I said, slumped down in the bed.
“Jaylin, this is Frick. Why haven't you been answering your cell phone?”
“Because I threw it and it broke. I gave you this number to reach me at, so why would you call my cell phone?”
“Don't know ... but now that I have you on the phone, I need you to cooperate and be patient with me. When I ask you these questions, I need you to be as accurate and honest as possible. Do not answer my questions with questions, and once I place you on the intercom, you need to speak loud and clear. All right?”
“Yeah.”
“State your full name.”
“Jaylin Jerome Rogers.”
“How old are you, Jaylin?”
“Thirty-five.”
“Married or single?”
“Married.”
“Occupation?”
“Retired millionaire.”
“Children?”
“Yes.”
“Parents?”
“Deceased.”
“Siblings?”
“Stepbrother and sister.”
“Ever been convicted of a misdemeanor?”
“No.”
“Felony?”
“No.”
“Ever been arrested?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“Being an asshole.” Frick was quiet and waited for another response. “For assault and carrying a loaded weapon.”
“Is that the only time?”
“Yes.”
“Wrong answer ... Think hard.”
I was in deep thought. “Uh, I ... I can't recall. Oh, the other day, for not listening to the judge.”
“Are you sorry?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Is that an apology?”
“Yesâand a very sincere one.”
“Good. Right answer. Three combined questions. Are you still in St. Louis? If so, where are you? And why were you unable to make it to court today?”
“Yes, I'm still in St. Louis, I'm at the Four Seasons in downtown St. Louis, and I did not come to court today, because I paid my attorney very well to go there on my behalf.”
“At least he's honest,” I heard a female voice say.
“Jaylin,” Frick said. “Will the Four Seasons be able to verify your stay?”
“Absolutely.”
“I'll call you back in ten minutes.”
Frick hung up, and I really wasn't sure what that was all about. I waited and waited for him to call and didn't hear from him until almost forty-five minutes later.
“Okay, J.R.,” Frick said. “I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”
“You might as well hit me with the bad news.”
“Because of the vital and honest information you provided, the judge found you to be credible. She issued a ten-thousand-dollar fine for carrying a loaded weapon, community service in your hometown, and you must attend anger management classes for six weeks. If you fail to complete the classes and the community service, the judge promised to hit you with ninety days or more in the slammer. For the window incident, all the owner wants is to have the window fixed. He's willing to drop the charges, but a lady who was sitting by the window claims to have been injured. He can't guarantee that she won't sue, but I told him to take it up with his insurance. I don't know the outcome, but I promise to keep you posted.”
“Seems to me that my credibility wasn't worth a damn. Now, what's the good news?”
“You can go home ... tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? What about tonight? I was hoping to leave soon.”
“There's too much paperwork involved, and the judge and prosecutor won't be able to get to it until then. I need your original signature on everything, and it has to be returned to them no later than tomorrow evening.”
“Frick, listen, I gotta go. Another day I do not have. My marriage is at stake, and I haven't seen my kids in days. Forge my signature, FedEx the shit, or whatever. Do what you gotta do, but when I check out of here today, I'm checking out of St. Louis for good.”
“You drive a hard fucking bargain, Jaylin. Besides, I wanted to see you before you go.”
“Shit, haven't you seen me enough? What's the purpose for seeing me again?”
“I ... I wanted to personally apologize to you for declining to take your case. It was a stupid move, and I do not feel pleasant about the outcome with Felicia. I wish like hell that would have never happened butâ”
“But it is what it is, Mr. Frick. And if you're feeling so unpleasant, then a generous thing to do would be to return some of the money I paid you.”
Frick laughed out loud.
“Yeah, that's what I thought,” I said. “Money talks and bullshit walks, doesn't it? Until next time, holla.”
“Holla back,” he said, and we both laughed.
My shit was already packed because I knew that after I spoke to Frick, I was taking my butt home. I wanted to stop and say good-bye to Shane, but I said fuck it. I called for a bellhop to assist me with my things and jetted. By the time I made it to the airport, I was moving so quickly that if you blinked, you missed out. I went to pick up my ticket, but they informed me there was a short delay. I was cool, and since I knew I was on my way home, I sat down in a chair and chilled.
Within the next hour or so, my plane was ready to depart. I took a seat, closing my eyes, in deep thought. I hoped and prayed that Nokea would be home so that we could talk. The last time I spoke to Nanny B, she said she hadn't heard from Nokea. A part of me didn't think she'd be stupid enough to go back to Collins, but I knew if she wasn't at home, then that was exactly where she was. Bottom line, she had some serious explaining to do. She might have run out on me at the restaurant and hotel, but when I got her in my territory, there would be nowhere for her to run.
As soon as the plane touched down, I was already out of my seat belt. Slowpokes were getting cursed out again, but this time it was underneath my breath. The moment I grabbed my luggage, I thought about using the pay phone to see if Nokea had made it home. Instead, I grabbed the nearest taxi and asked the driver to hurry and get me home.
Seeing my house felt like standing at the gates of heaven. I paid the driver and hurried out of the taxi. I walked to the front door and took a deep breath before opening it. I kept thinking,
God help Nokea if she isn't home, and God help her even if she is.
When I pushed the door open, the first person I saw was Nanny B. She was on the couch, soaking up air from the fans that hung from the cathedral ceilings. When she saw me, she gave a half grin and stood up to greet me.
“I'm so glad you're home,” she said, hugging me tightly. I dropped my luggage and held her back.
“Where's Nokea and the kids?” I quickly asked.
“The kids are resting, and Nokea is in the bedroom. Please go see about her, Jaylin. I'm reallyâ”
I didn't give Nanny B time to finish. I tossed my jacket on the leather chair and made my way to our bedroom. When I opened the double French doors, I saw Nokea standing by the doorway to the balcony, looking out. She wore one of my white, crisp button-down shirts and quickly turned to me.
I defensively held my arms apart. “Why in the hell did you leave me like that? You just gon' walk out on meâthis marriageâjust like that?”
Nokea rushed over to me with red and puffy eyes. She reached around my waist, placed her head on my chest, and held me tight.
“I've never been so happy to see you in my entire life,” she admitted. She then reached up and grabbed my face with her hands. She covered my lips with hers and aggressively stuck her tongue in my mouth. “Make love to me,” she demanded. “I want to ... need to feel you now!”
I broke our kiss and held her shoulders with my hands. “Sex is not the answer to this problem, Nokea. Do you think that just because you get all emotional and shit, I'm supposed to forget about your visit with Collins? And then not trip off of you saying you should have fuckâ”
She moved her head from side to side and spoke in a teary voice. “I don't care about Collins. To hell with him and Scorpio. It's over, baby. It's all over. I ... I'm sorry for leaving you. Please forgive me. I should have been there for you, no matter what.”
“Why are you saying all of this to me now? Are you feeling guilty or something!” I pulled away from her and took a few steps forward. My heart raced. “Baby, if you slept with Collins, this marriage is over! There is nothing that you can say orâ”
Nokea reached for the sleeve to my shirt and pulled me to her. She grabbed the back of my curly hair and squeezed it tightly. Her lips found mine, and again, she insisted that we make love. “This marriage is not over,” she said, aggressively moving me back toward the bed. “I did not have sex with Collins, and I would never betray you.”
I fell backward on the bed, and Nokea rushed on top of me. She ripped my shirt open and reached for my belt buckle. Once she had it undone, she began to unzip my pants. I held my hand over hers to stop her. We looked deep into each other's eyes.
“Swear to me you didn't sleep with him, Nokea. Tell me that I am all you willâ”
“I swear to God I didn't sleep with him, and you have my word that I will never, ever allow another man to have me. You are all I want, need, and desire. All I want is the same in return. Can you promise me the same in return?”
I reached up and moved Nokea's sweaty bangs from her forehead. “Yes, baby, yes. You are my everything. Since we've been married, I have never had sex with another woman.”
“Please don't lie, Jaylin. Now is the time to tell me. Please be honest with me about Scorpio.”
I held Nokea's face and spoke sternly. “It never happened. I swear on everything I love that sex between us never happened.”
She leaned forward and wet my lips with hers. I started to feel excited, and Nokea could feel my dick on the rise. She eased her way down and pulled the zipper over the hump in my pants. She then reached for what she wanted and gulped it far down in her mouth.
What a good-ass feeling,
I thought while removing my pants. But before I even had a chance to enjoy the feeling, my toes curled and I let loose. I grabbed Nokea, flipping her upside down. Her legs straddled my face, and I stood up. She knew the routine. I made my way over to the wall and laid her back against it. Her legs tightened around my neck, and it was time that I returned the favor.
For a long while, Nokea's juices quenched my thirst. I had her pussy on fire, and when she came, I damn near dropped her on the floor. Instead, I gently laid her down. She got on her knees, and I kneeled behind her. I reached my hands around to her perky, tight breasts, massaging them together. And as my hands were in motion, she turned her head to the side, pleasing me with long and wet kisses. Kisses that made me reach my hand down to her clit. I stroked it a few good times and then used my middle finger to moisten her hole. It was more than ready for me, so after a little more finger action, Nokea bent down and separated her knees. I wiped my goods along her wet slit before searching inside. She gasped from the feeling and leaned forward. Realizing that I'd most likely hit bottom, I put my hands on her hips and pulled her back to me.
“Is that better?” I said, giving it to her Jaylin's way. Only those who'd had it knew what it felt like. And for those who'd missed out, they obviously had to use their imagination.