I shrugged my shoulder. “I guess, but what is this about Jaylin? Why are you here?”
“Truthfully, I came here to curse you the fuck out for what you did to me at Davenports. You knew that I was a married man, Scorpio, but you continue to play your games and fuck with my head. Once again, your games have not only cost me a bunch of hurt, but you've hurt my wife, too. Don't you have any regrets? And when you get around to it, I need an apology.”
“No, I don't have any regrets, and you won't get an apology from me. As a matter of fact, you're the one who should have regrets. You walked out on me, remember? Yes, I made some mistakes, but you made plenty of them. Don't be upset with me for pursuing what was initially mine. You made me many promises, and since
you
broke them, you can't blame me for what I did.”
“Uh, maybe we should go,” Bernie suggested. “I think Jaylin and Scorpio need some privacy.” She looked over at Jamaica.
“And, I think I'd like to stay and listen. Besides, Jaylin don't want me to go anywhere, do you?” Jamaica asked.
“Please, feel free to stay,” he said.
Doing the appropriate thing, Bernie got out of the hot tub. Jaylin checked out her well-fitted body, and she covered herself with a towel. On her way out, Jaylin asked her to cut off the lights. She put us in the dark and left.
I was getting irritated with Jamaica. Now wasn't the time for her to be bullshitting. “Jamaica, again, would you mind leaving me and Jaylin alone? Please.”
“Yes, I do mind. Jaylin hasn't asked meâ”
“That's right, baby,” he teased. “Stay right here. And, while you're at it, why don't you move a little closer to me.”
I felt the water shift around. Soon after, Jamaica laughed and Jaylin snickered. There was silence, and since I couldn't really see what was going on in the water, I quickly sat up.
“Since she won't leave, whatever else you came to say to me, say it to her. I'm out of here.” I stood up.
“Girl, sit down. Even though I don't want to leave, I'm not about to hook myself like you've apparently done.”
I felt the water move around and could hear Jamaica whisper. When I heard lips smack, I got upset. “I know you didn't just kiss him, did you?”
Jamaica stepped out of the hot tub. “Calm down, would you? If you must know, I kissed his cheek. He ain't your man, so why are you so worried about it?”
Jaylin agreed, and soon after, there was a loud thud in the room. By her loud voice, I knew that Jamaica had slipped on the wet floor.
“Ohhh,” she whined loudly. “I've fallen and I can't get up! I think I hurt myself.”
I rushed out of the hot tub and turned on the lights. Jamaica was already in Jaylin's care. He picked her up, holding her in his arms.
“Ohhh, I think it's my back. Would you mind carrying me to Scorpio's sofa so I can lie down?”
By the smirk on Jamaica's face, I could tell she was full of shit. I could have killed her, but I let her continue on with her charade. I opened the door, and Jaylin carried her over to the sofa. I couldn't help but take a look at his naked, all-so-beautiful, muscular ass. He laid Jamaica on the couch, and as he leaned over her, she touched his chest.
“Thanks, sweetie. My ankle feels a whole lot better.”
I couldn't help but to bust her out. “You mean your back, right? I thought it was your back, or is your ankle hurting, too?”
“Bâboth,” she said, reaching for her ankle and rubbing it.
I took a deep breath and could have choked Jamaica. She was taking all of the attention away from me, and I truly wanted to know what else Jaylin had to say. I pranced back into the Jacuzzi room, and just as much as I admired Jaylin's body, mad at me or not, I was sure he got pleasure out of looking at mine. After all, it was and would forever be his weakness.
I bent over to let the water out of the hot tub. As the water slowly went down, I removed my bikini and reached for my cotton robe. Before I could cover myself, Jaylin came in and closed the door behind him. His eyes searched my naked body, and my eyes returned the favor. Once I allowed him to get a good look, I put on the robe but left the front of it open.
“You see, this is what I'm talking about,” he said. “You put forth every effort to tempt me, and you just don't give up, do you?”
I pulled my head back in disbelief. “Excuse me, but you're the one who came in here and got naked. And, for what? I didn't quite understand your purpose, and the only person who seemed enthused by your presence was Jamaica.”
“Oh, I doubt that. You are one fake-ass individual, Scorpio. I was about to play your game with you tonight and run back and tell Shane the details. However, I changed my mind. For the record, yes, your body is all that. Your pussy is spectacular, and I do occasionally think about all the fucking we've done in the past. But, the past is the past. Let it rest, and stop trying to get me to betray my wife. It ain't happening, baby, and the sooner you realize it, the better off you'll be.”
I crossed my arms in front of me. “Are you finished?”
“Yes,” he said and then reached for his clothes on the floor. As he was bent over, I took a few steps forward and put my pussy directly in front of him.
“Since you're down that low, stay there. You can call me fake all you want to, but you're a fake-ass individual, too.” I slid my index finger between my coochie lips and separated them. I was sure he got a good look at my hardened and juicy wet clit. “If what you see didn't belong to Shane, I'd surely give you a taste. And, you can say that you don't want me anymore all you want to, but I ... we know better. Now, I'm sorry that you and your wife are going through troubled times, but placing the blame on other people isn't going to solve your problems. Admit that you fucked up, and why? Because you couldn't control your feelings for me.” I removed my finger from inside of me and placed it on Jaylin's lip. He quickly stood up and snatched my finger. He tightly squeezed it, and while adding pressure, he stared me in the eyes.
“I really despise you, Scorpio. Just stay the hell away from me, all right?” He let go of my finger and slightly shoved me backward. He hurried into his pants, tossed his jacket and shirt over his shoulder, and reached for the knob on the door.
“You despise me because you can't stand the way I make you feel. If it doesn't work out between Shane and me, you can always have me again.”
Jaylin turned and gave me a serious and stern look. “Don't make me disrespect you. All I ever wanted from you was your pussy. Our past so-called love for each other was based on a fantasy. So you'd better hope that shit works out between you and Shane, because there's no way in hell I'd allow you to come back to me. I'm already accounted for and forever will be.”
“What a joke. And, are you saying you never loved me? Is that what you're saying?”
“What I'm saying is ... I don't love you now, and I will never love you in the future.”
On that note, he walked out. He said good-bye to Jamaica, and she hated to see him go.
“Bye, sweetie. You come back real soon and see me, okay?”
Jaylin nodded, and once I heard the front door close, I turned to her and snapped.
“What in the hell is your problem? It was the wrong time and place for you to be acting a fool,” I said.
She hopped up from the sofa, waving me off. “Girl, shut up. You need to thank me for saving your behind tonight. If I wasn't here, you would have eaten that man alive. You were hungry for him, and I don't think he would have let you starve, either.”
“Hungry my butt. Jamaica, you really showed your ass. The falling incident was downright stupid. You looked like a fool.”
“Fool or not, Miss Thang, my foolishness put me into the arms of your so desperately wanted lover. I got a chance to feel his goods. I kissed his lips and touched his nicely cut chest. I got further than you did, and it seems to me that you're just jealous.”
“Jealous, no. But, you better not have put your lips on him or touched his dick. I hope you didn't go that far, Jamaica. If anything, you know how I feelâhow I've felt about him.”
“Feel, felt, whatever.” She laughed. “He's gone, and I, indeed, had myself a darn good time.”
I threw my hand back and turned off the lights, leaving Jamaica laughing with herself in the dark. I wanted to call Shane to tell him Jaylin had stopped by, but I decided against it. Instead, I put on my clothes and headed to Shane's place to tell him.
SHANE
4
Yesterday, when Jaylin called and said he was already in St. Louis, I knew something bad was going to happen. By the time I got dressed and made it to Davenports, I saw Felicia being taken away in an ambulance. If you asked me, she looked pretty darn beat up. And, even though I hated to admit it, she got exactly what she deserved. I stayed around for a while and talked to one of the officers who had been on the scene. He told me about Jaylin being arrested and advised me to go home and wait for his call. That was exactly what I did, but a whole day had gone by and I still hadn't heard from him. I was more than worried, but I didn't want to call his home and alarm Nokea. I wasn't sure if she knew what had gone down or not, so I stayed by the phone and waited for anybodyâsomebodyâto call.
As I lay in bed gazing at the television, Scorpio was in bed with me. Her head rested on my chest, and she massaged it with her hand.
“I know you're concerned about Jaylin, but would you like to go and get something to eat? You haven't eaten anything all day, and starving yourself ain't helping this growling stomach of yours one bit. Besides, you promised me that we'd go somewhere tonight.”
“We'll go get something in a li'l while. I know I promised you earlier that we would go to the Jazz Corner, but, baby, I'm really worried about my friend.”
“I'm worried too, but Jaylin should have never come back to St. Louis and jumped on Felicia. I guarantee you that crazy skeeza is probably playing an innocent victim's role. I'm afraid he might have gotten himself into some trouble he might not be able to get out of.”
“And I'm afraid to say I might have to agree with you.” I kissed Scorpio's forehead, and she snuggled up closer to me.
We held each other for at least a half an hour, and then the doorbell rang. I looked at my watch, and it was almost 11:00
P.M.
Scorpio quickly sat up, and I hopped out of bed. I hurried down the hallway, with a bare chest and a pair of faded jeans that were unzipped. When I reached the door, I looked through the peephole and saw Jaylin outside. I pulled the door open, and he stepped inside.
“Are you busy?” he asked.
“Naw, man. I've been waiting to hear from you. Why didn't you call me?” I asked, closing the door behind him. We stepped down into the sunken living room, and Jaylin took a seat on the couch. I sat on the arm of a chair that was across from him.
“I didn't call, because they only allowed me one phone call. Of course, I had to call Frick.”
“What took so damn long? Normally, Frick have a brotha in and out.”
“Yeah, well, he did get me the fuck out of there. I've been drinking and sleeping in my car and shit. This mess got me all fucked up, and I don't know if I'm coming or going. I also think Frick is tripping because he's Felicia's attorney, too. I'm not sure how all of this shit gon' work out, but if need be, I might have to call another attorney, Jonathan, to take care of this mess for me.”
“I don't think you'll have to do that. Frick has been your attorney for a very long time, and I'm positive he'll dump Felicia and her case in a heartbeat. Besides, when it comes to him, money talks and bullshit walks.”
“Yeah, we'll see. I'm supposed to meet with him sometime tomorrow. For now, though, I need a couple shots of Rémy, some pain relievers, a phone, and a bed. Do you think you can help a brotha out?”
I stood up and slammed my hand against Jaylin's. “Consider it done. The Rémy and phone can be found at the wet bar to your left, I'll go get your aspirin, and the bed in my guest room awaits you.”
Jaylin nodded and scooted back on the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. I walked back to my bedroom and saw that Scorpio had gotten out of bed. When I looked in my bathroom, she stood naked by the Jack-and-Jill sinks, splashing water on her face. I opened the closet next to her and reached for the aspirin.
“Are you all right?” I asked as I watched her dab her face with a towel.
She combed her long hair back with her fingers and smiled. “I'm fine. Why did you ask?”
“Because you look a little flushed, that's all.”
She sighed. “Honestly, I'm not too thrilled about seeing Jaylin. I know that a part of him is upset with me for what happened at Davenports, and if I wouldn't have ever put you and him into such a compromising position, then maybe none of this would be going on.”
I moved Scorpio between my legs and wrapped my arms around her. “The last thing I need is for you to blame yourself for this mess. All of us could have done things differently, and there's no one in particular to blame. Okay?”
She nodded, and I lifted her lowered chin. I gave her a peck on the lips and told her to get dressed so we could go.
“Oh, so I see those hunger pains are calling.”
“No doubt. Music, food, and something to drink sounds awfully good right about now.”
“I concur,” she said and then headed over to the shower.
When I got back into the living room, Jaylin had dozed off. I tapped his shoulder, and he slowly sat up.
“Man, if you're that tired, why don't you get comfortable and go lay down in the guest room?”
He held out his hand for the aspirin, and I gave them to him. “Thanks,” he said as he shot the aspirin to the back of his throat. Seeing that he hadn't made himself a drink, I walked over to the wet bar and poured it for him. I handed the glass to him, and the Rémy was gone within seconds. Jaylin cleared his throat. “Please break me off another shot. I feel as if I need to be completely put out of my misery.”
I poured him another drink. “Have you called Nokea yet?”
“No. I don't know what to say to her. She's already upset with me, and once she finds out how much more trouble I've gotten myself into, I really don't know how she's going to respond.”
“Jay, you know better than anybody that Nokea is the most kindhearted, understanding, and forgiving person that we know. She ain't going to trip as much as you think she is. If anything, she gon' trip because you haven't called her. I suggest that you call her, soon.”
“I will,” Jaylin said, reaching for the glass. “First, I need a nap. Then I'll call to see if she'll come to St. Louis until I get this shit resolved.”
I agreed that she should be here, and allowing him to get some rest, I went back to my room to change. Keeping it simple, I kept on my faded jeans and put on an iceblue-button down shirt that clung to my muscles. I thinly trimmed my beard and gave my twists a shine. When Scorpio came out of the bathroom, she approved my look.
“Don't you look handsome. I'm not in the mood to be fighting any women off of you tonight.”
“And if you plan on wearing this tiny skirt,” I said, holding her silk peach skirt in my hand, “and this shirt to go with it, we both gon' be in jail tonight.”
She snatched her outfit from my hand. “We got boundaries, baby. You got my back, and I got yours.”
Scorpio dropped the towel from around her and rubbed herself with some glittery lotion. Afterward, she slid into her skirt. It hung low on her hips, showing off her curves and sexy-ass midriff. When she put on the fitted silk shirt, it barely made it over her breasts and showed the thickness of her nipples.
“What do you think?” she said, turning around so I could get a good look at her.
Before giving my approval, I studied her entire body. “And here I thought Beyoncé had it going on. All I can say is don't bend over too far. You might cause me to slip something into you.”
While I sat on the edge of the bed, Scorpio placed her arms on my shoulders. “Beyoncé? You know I'm jealous that you think she's got it going on, especially when you have all this to look forward to.”
“Trust me, I'm grateful for what I have,” I confessed while rubbing my hands up and down her smooth legs. I reached up her skirt, and she moved back. “Why don't you have on any panties? Girl, that coochie gone get cold.”
“Who needs panties when I got a strong and warm set of hands like yours to keep me warm? The Jazz Corner is always dark, and after a few drinks, who knows what will happen?”
Since Scorpio and I seemed to be on the same page, she swooped her hair in a ponytail and we headed for the door. By the time we made it to the living room, Jaylin was knocked out. I could hear him snoring, but I surely didn't bother to wake him.
The Jazz Corner was packed. Scorpio and I stood for a while, and when we saw a couple leaving, we held our drinks and made our way to a tiny two-seat table that sat in the far corner of the room. The table was covered with a red velvet tablecloth and had a lit round scented candle in the middle. And even though the place was smoky, it remained one of our favorite places to chill. The soothing jazz music was spectacular, and Freddy and his band certainly knew how to set the mood.
From across the table, I looked at Scorpio, and she seemed to be engrossed in the sounds of Wallace Roney. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she noticed my stares.
“Why do I always catch you looking at me like that?”
“Because you're looking into the eyes of a man who loves you very much.”
“I'm blessed. But, I hope that my man knows how much he's loved, too.”
I placed my index finger on the side of my face, as if I were in deep thought. “Sometimes. I often wonder if this relationship between us seems a bit rushed.”
“Are you doubting my love for you? Is that what you're saying?”
“No. I just feel as if, at times, you're not ready for such a commitment.”
“Shane, I have no idea where that came from. I thought we were over this. For months, I've been with no one but you. If this has anything to do with Jaylin being at your house, you need to get over it. Trust me, I've moved on and so has he. Now, can we not have this conversation anymore? This drink is making me tipsy, and I'm in the mood to let my hair down and dance with you.”
I shot the Grey Goose down my throat, stood up, and took Scorpio by her hand. She escorted me to the crowded dance floor, and we wrapped our arms around each other.
She laid her head against my chest and whispered, “I feel so safe and secure whenever I'm with you. How could you ever doubt my love for you?”
I didn't say one word. Time would surely tell me everything I wanted to know. Of course, I'd thought about asking Jaylin to catch a room at a hotel, but I wanted to see for myself if Scorpio could handle being in the presence of a man she'd once loved more than life itself.
The music, along with the drinks, had both of us feeling loose. Scorpio turned around and had her back to me. I held her waist and pecked my lips down the side of her neck. Since the lighting on the dance floor was dim, my hands started to roam. I touched the silkiness of her skirt and then made my way around to her inner thighs. When my hand touched her hot spot, she moved it away and turned to face me.
“Not on the dance floor,” she whispered. “Do you have any idea how many people are looking at us?”
“Who cares? I'm not paying attention to anybody in here but you.”
“Same here, but I don't want you to start nothing you can't finish.”
Before I could respond, a voice interrupted.
“What's up, Scorpio Valentino?” the brotha said.
Scorpio smiled, “Marcus? Is that you?” She paused and gave him a hug. He held her tightly.
“Yeah, baby girl, it's me. Long time no see.”
“I know,” she responded and then looked at me. “Marcus, this is Shane. My significant other.”
Marcus looked stunned by her words and checked me out tough before extending his hand. “You're a lucky man,” he declared. “I hope you don't mind if I step in for a li'l ... for old-times'-sake dance, do you?”
“Not at all,” I said, shaking his hand. I looked at Scorpio and then walked away.
Since I'd never been a man to feel insecure about my relationships, I had no problem with Scorpio dancing with Marcus. I went to the bar and ordered us another drink. Lexi, the bartender, knew us from coming in all the time. She was an older, ghettofied woman with a light complexion. Her lips hung low, her tinted blond braids looked as if they needed shampooing, and her fingernails were about four or five inches long. I hated for her to wait on me, because she was always up in somebody's business, including mine.
“Hey, caramel delight. What can I get you?” she asked, smacking on some gum. She placed a napkin in front of me.
“Another Grey Goose for me, Lexi. And you can put together a Long Island Iced Tea for Scorpio.”
For whatever reason, Lexi didn't like Scorpio. Jealousy got the best of her, as it did so many other females who had no reason to dislike her.
“Are you sure she can handle something else to drink? The way y'all were feeling all over each other on the dance floor, I would assume that she's already had too much.”