Too Naughty

by Brenda Hampton

  Nokea snatched her wrist away from me. “Let go of my wrist, Jaylin! After all of the crap you’ve put me through over the last month, I should have fucked him and fucked him good!”

  My hand went up, and before it landed on Nokea’s face, Pat grabbed it.

  “No, no, no. We’re not going out like that,” Pat said.

  Nokea snatched up her purse and ran off. I dropped into the chair behind me, and Pat ran after Nokea. Feeling terrible, I covered my face with my hands. Within seconds, somebody walked over to me and asked me to leave. I removed my hands from my face and saw that it was the waiter who had approached me when I walked in. More than angry, I picked up the chair, glanced at the huge picture window and at several people sitting by it. I guess they knew what I was about to do, and many of them had already ducked out of the way. As hard as I could, I threw the chair, and it crashed through the window. After that, I straightened my suit jacket and walked the hell out.

  SHANE

  15

  It was rather late when I heard the doorbell ring. I looked over Scorpio, at the alarm clock, and it showed 12:45 A.M. I reached for my robe and stood up to put it on.

  “Who could that be?” she mumbled.

  “I don’t know.” I yawned. I made my way to the door and looked out the peephole. It was Jaylin. Since I’d been calling him all day and got no answer, I hurried to open the door.

  “Man, what’s up with you not answering your phone?” I asked.

  Jaylin stepped inside. His forehead was wrinkled, and no smile was on his face. “Is Scorpio here? If she is, I’d like to speak to her.”

  “Yeah, she’s here. Have a seat and let me go get her. But is ... is everything all right?”

  Jaylin stroked his goatee. “No, it’s not all right. But I’m here to make it right.”

  I didn’t like the tone of his voice, so I invited him into the living room to sit.

  “Shane, I don’t want to talk to you right now. Would you please go and get Scorpio, before I go get her myself?”

  “Jay, I can tell that something—”

  Scorpio walked up from behind me and interrupted. “It’s okay, Shane. If Jaylin wants to talk to me, I’m fine with it.”

  We all stepped into the living room and took a seat. Scorpio sat next to me on the couch, and Jaylin sat in the chair beside us.

  “All I’d like to know is, when Nokea came to see you, what did you tell her?” said Jaylin.

  I looked over at Scorpio. “When did Nokea come to see you? She didn’t pay you a visit, did she?”

  “When I was at Jay’s yesterday, she did. She inquired about that day at Davenports and accused me of interfering with her marriage. I told her that I had a hard time letting go, and once I found a way to move on, I did.”

  “And that’s it?” Jaylin asked.

  “Yeah, pretty much.”

  “Then why is it that she now believes you and I had sex?”

  “I never told her we had sex. I told her that the day after the incident at Davenports, we almost did. But I also told her you had a change of heart that day and left. I didn’t want to lie to her, because she deserved to know the truth.”

  “Under the circumstances, I think you were wrong for sharing as much information with her as you did. And I know for a fact that given the opportunity, you said more to her than just that. But since everybody deserves to know the truth, did you just happen to tell Shane about our close encounter the other day?”

  I sat back on the couch and placed my hands behind my head. Scorpio caught a quick attitude with Jaylin. “There was nothing to tell. How dare you come over here and try to mess up—”

  “Jay, why don’t you be a bit more specific?” I suggested. “If you got something to say, just go ahead and say it.”

  “Let’s just say that not once did Nokea save me, but twice. When she called your house and Scorpio answered the phone, if Scorpio would’ve had it her way, shit would’ve been on and popping. I was between her legs, dog, and she had spread them this far apart for me.” Jaylin opened his hands and gave me an example. “Basically, all one of us had to do was make the first move. But you see, that never happened. Nokea called, and the pursuit was over.”

  “You’re damn right it was over,” Scorpio fired back. “Like I told you that day, Jaylin, I don’t want you anymore. You act as if you’re some kind of prize or something and no woman can resist you. The only thing I did to you that day was prove you wrong. Now, you can see it however you want to, but that’s your imagination playing tricks on you.”

  Jaylin stood up. “Shane, my friend, there’s always two sides to every story. I told you my side, and I’m gon’ finish it off by saying that she came to my room, where I was chilling back and minding my own business. Whether you continue your relationship with Scorpio or not, you still gon’ be my nigga. As for you, Ms. Valentino, please do not converse with my wife again. If she ever questions you about us, just refer her to me. It’s as simple as that. That’s the least you can do, especially after putting me in a messed-up position that day at Davenports. I hadn’t considered you as being the sole person responsible, but not once have you apologized for the damage your actions caused me. Maybe it was your intention to hurt me, and if it was, I applaud your efforts. They were good, and you won.”

  I’d never seen Jaylin look so hurt as he spoke.

  He went on. “I don’t know where my wife is, I don’t know what our future holds, and I don’t even know if she loves me anymore—”

  I had to interrupt. “Man, you know damn well you and Nokea will work this shit out. Married couples have ups and downs, and it is not the end of the world. Stop ...”

  I’m not sure if Jaylin listened to me or not. By the time I finished speaking, he’d already made it out the door.

  Scorpio looked at me, and I looked at her. Saying nothing to her, I left the living room and hit the lights. Maybe being in the dark would give her a little more time to think about her actions.

  NOKEA

  16

  No doubt, it was simply time for me to go. After I left the restaurant, I said good-bye to Pat and went back to the hotel to gather my things. I didn’t even bother to check out, because that would have taken more time. Instead, I drove the rental car back to the airport and waited for my plane’s departure.

  It wasn’t long before I sat on the plane and had time to think about all that had happened. My only question was, where did Jaylin and I go so wrong? For almost two years, things had been good. Good until he’d gone back to St. Louis and connected with Scorpio again. I never thought he’d allow her to come between us like he did. And to treat me like I had no say-so about the matter was what hurt more than anything. Then, to top it off, he had the nerve to be upset with me because I paid her a visit? What was wrong with him? Was he still in love with her and didn’t know how to tell me? I was so confused, and when I thought about him raising his hand at me, that truly brought tears to my eyes. I was starting to wonder if he’d even changed. It had just been a matter of time before the old Jaylin returned; and at this point, I had to decide what was best for my children and me.

  I turned my head, gazing out of the plane’s window. I thought about Felicia and her one-million-dollar payoff. She had surely been the victorious one here, and I knew something had to be seriously wrong with Jaylin to make that kind of deal. I knew if I had been there, that surely wouldn’t have ever happened. Maybe it was a good thing I didn’t go; then again, maybe it wasn’t. Either way, whether he was willing to admit it or not, a million dollars put a dent in our financial situation. Not only that, but Frick had to be paid, Jaylin’s bond had to be paid, and Lord knows how much more money Jaylin had to put out in order to clear up this mess. None of it was worth it, and there was no way he would ever convince me differently.

  I looked at my watch and saw that in less than an hour my plane would arrive in Florida. I couldn’t wait to hold my babies in my arms, and poor Nanny B had to be exhausted. The thought of seeing them a
ll made me smile, so I reached for my purse to look for our family picture in my wallet. I flipped right to it and placed it on my lips. A few tears fell, and I turned to both Jaylene’s and LJ’s baby pictures. We had a lot to be thankful for, and even at a rough time like this, all I could do was look up to the Lord and thank him for my many blessings.

  I flipped through a few more pictures and came to a picture of Collins and me that was hidden away in my wallet. I pulled it out, holding it in my hands. My visit with him was rather interesting. Of course, I had a purpose. I had often heard that when you loved someone, the memory of them always stayed in your heart. And since Jaylin seemed to have such difficulty being around Scorpio, I wanted to see for myself if being around Collins again made me feel something ... anything for him. Maybe I’d feel the need to make love to him, or want to be with him again. Maybe even have a queasy feeling inside because he was in my presence. But, for me, none of that happened. Yes, I was happy to see Collins. I was even more delighted that he was doing well. However, there was nothing inside of me that wanted to love him again. I had no desire for his touch, and when he placed his lips on my neck, my first thought was of Jaylin.

  The funny thing was, even though we shared a different kind of love, I felt secure when Shane held me in his arms at the courthouse. I felt even more secure when we made it back to his house and talked that day. And upon my departure, our tender, juicy kiss went a bit too far. It was I who leaned into it, and I hoped he accepted my apology for being the aggressor. I guess I felt the need to get my many frustrations off my chest, but when I thought more about it, I realized that I could never love another man like I loved Jaylin. However, since the kiss between Shane and me happened, it was easier for me to understand Jaylin’s thoughts of another woman. Shane had been on my mind, and I was so disappointed about his relationship with Scorpio.

  Just as I placed the picture back into my wallet, turbulence on the plane caused my body to shake. A few moments later, it shook again. The third time it shook, things started to get a bit frightening. The passengers around me had worried looks on their faces, and the stewardesses asked for everyone to remain calm. The pilot made an announcement that there was a small problem and it would hopefully soon be fixed. He ordered everyone to stay in their seats and reminded us where to locate the safety equipment. That, in itself, was not good news to me, especially since the plane seemed to be flying a bit out of control.

  Soon, things got more intense. Two passengers started yelling and screaming, and as one stewardess tried to calm them, I saw the frightened look of another, who quickly sat behind me and dropped her head to pray.

  I did the same, and the white lady who sat next to me placed her hand over mine. I glanced over at her, noticing she had tears in her eyes as well.

  “I saw you looking at those pictures. Was that your family?” she asked.

  “Yes. How about you? Do you have a family?”

  “An awesome husband, two boys, and two girls. Let’s just pray that we make it to see them.”

  She squeezed my hand tighter, and we both dropped our heads and prayed some more. When the pilot mentioned an emergency landing, I panicked. At this point, I begged the Lord to allow me to see Jaylin again. The way we departed should have never been. I needed to tell him so much, and I didn’t want our life together to end on this note. I was so sorry for not being there with him at that meeting. I was sorry that my anger had gotten the best of me. More than anything, I was sorry for allowing others to destroy what God had put together. We’d come too far for it to be over with so soon. My children, Lord, what about my children, my parents, Nanny B, Pat? I thought. Not now, no! Especially when I had so much more to live for.

  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?”

  “Yes—and 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 weapo
n, 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 but—”

  “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.”