The Aftermath

by Anna J.

  THE AFTERMATH

  Anna J.

  www.urbanbooks.net

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Through Monica’s Eyes: Three Months Ago

  Jasmine D. Cinque

  James D. Cinque

  Monica L. Tyler

  Jasmine - Taking Baby Steps

  James - Confessions

  Monica - May, 1991

  Jasmine - Full Of Surprises

  Carlos - It’s A Small World: Today’s News

  Monica - One Down, More to Go—1991

  Carlos - Family Ties: Present Day

  Monica - Pandora’s Box

  Sheila S. Stone

  Carlos - The Scoop

  Monica - Speak of the Devil

  Jasmine - Truth Be Told

  Monica - Revenge Is Best Served Cold, August 1991

  Tanya C. Walker

  Jasmine - Curiosity Killed the Cat

  James - The Saga Continues

  Sheila - Old Flames

  Sheila - Stolen Secrets

  Tanya - Playing Catch Up: Through Tanya’s Eyes

  Carlos - Flash Forward

  Monica - Nobody Has to Know

  James - Here and Now

  Carlos - Breaking Even

  Sheneka - Payback Is a Mutha

  Monica - Home Sweet Home?

  James - The Aftermath

  Epilogue - Monica L. Tyler

  Jasmine D. Cinque

  James D. Cinque

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  In memory of those I hold close to my heart, I

  dedicate this book to:

  Juanita T. Pitts

  Sunrise October 15, 1923—Sunset April 8, 2004

  Nancy A. C. Rich

  Sunrise October 5, 1954—Sunset April 28, 2005

  Herbert S.S. Forrest, Sr.

  Sunrise April 3, 1936—Sunset August 3, 2005

  Harry E. Pitts

  Sunrise January 11, 1951—Sunset December 28,

  2005

  Thanks for looking out for me up there . . . I miss

  you.

  Acknowledgments

  First giving honor to God through whom all blessings flow, thank you for giving me the ability to complete yet another novel, and if it be your will, may I complete many more.

  Mom, Paul & Tiffany, thanks so much for all of your support. You guys helped me out so much with the promotion and tours for My Woman His Wife. Traye and Tiffany, thanks for passing out bookmarks at my signings. Paul, Thanks for all of the books you sold on the job, and for just spreading the word. Mom, thanks for all of the support and for all of the books you helped me sell.

  Aunt Karen, girl, what can I say? You have been my rock for so long. Thank you so much for the talks and for keeping my hair looking fly. No matter what time of day I called with concerns you always made time to hear me out and offer me good solutions. You have a way of letting me know that my “problems” aren’t as bad as I think they are. I love you so much for just being you, and I wish you all the best in everything you do.

  Aunt Sandy, thanks for everything. You held me down too, and it’s greatly appreciated.

  Tisha and Shar, y’all have been my girls and favorite cousins since day one. Thanks for loving me, y’all! Tisha, me and you grew up more like sisters, so you know how we roll. Shar, keep doing the dang thing, I’m proud of you. And if anyone doesn’t believe we related, tell them to call me. (LOL)

  Naquan Bryant, where would I be if I didn’t know you? Thanks for being there to help me when I didn’t think I had anybody to turn to. You’ve helped me so much in my quest to maintain my spirituality, and you’ve brought things to light that have been in the dark for way too long. I love you for that. Thanks for everything.

  Eugene Riley, how long has it been? Ten or twelve years now? True friends are hard to come by, and I’m glad you’re one of them. I wish I could give you the man of the decade award. Not too many men are willing to step up to the plate and take care of kids that don’t belong to him like you did. You will be blessed for that, and they’re coming soon. Trust me.

  Ken Divine, as always it is a pleasure. I wish you all of the luck in the world with your next book. August can’t get here fast enough. Thanks for always giving me a place to lay my head when I visit the Big Apple, and for just being a true friend to me.

  Mark Anthony, we did it again! Thank you for having faith in me and trusting that I can do this. You taught me so much about the industry and restored my faith in knowing that there are good people out there who are willing to blow me up and not put me down.

  To my QBB Family—Eric, and Kiniesha. What better place for talented writers to gather than Q-Boro Books? Mark knew he had a winning team when he signed us on. Thank y’all for so much love and support. I wish each of you all the success in the world with your novels. Let’s put QBB on the map! To everyone else who just signed on, welcome to the QBB family. And to all those haters out there who didn’t see us coming, we write those hot books. You didn’t know?

  Nakea Murray, girl, you had me getting my travel on for that first book! Thanks for your help in putting my book on the map, and showing me a side of the industry I never knew existed. Books don’t always sell themselves, so thanks for having my face in every place possible.

  T.L. Gardner, my biggest supporter. How I wish I had the imagination you possess. You are such a talented writer, and believe me when I tell you that when you finally show your face the world is going to love you. You’re going to be huge one day, and when you do make it to the top don’t forget about us little people. Welcome to the Q-Boro Family.

  Blair Poole, I am so proud of you!!! Breathe is gonna knock ’em dead. I hope you sell a million books and write a million more. You have truly been a good friend, and I’m so glad we met.

  Kimber Lee, thanks for everything. I can’t wait for your book to hit the scenes, girl. The world ain’t ready for you. You have been wonderful in holding down PWP, and as hectic as my life is sometimes, you have always been a reason for me to slow down and breathe a little bit. I wish you and Ray a lifetime of love and happiness, and hurry up and get that book finished!

  Angie, the hottest hairstylist on this side of West Philly. You’re doing big things at Primp & Pamper. Thank you for telling all of your clients about my book and for holding me down like you do. You’ve been styling my hair since I was in the 9th grade! Thanks for keeping me fly over the years, and I wish you much success in everything you do.

  Marlene Ricketts, Thanks for remembering me when you were trying to get your book right. I wish you continued success, and thanks for spreading the word about me in your area. Keep writing those hot books; you’re on your way to the top!

  Wendy Jenkins-Ross, we had an instant friendship from the first day we met. I see big things happening for you with your book and your restaurant business, and I wish you all the success your heart and hands can hold.

  To my girls at Captivating Styles, Dorthea, Jada, Dominique, and Kim. Keep doing y’all thing over there. Dorthea, thanks for letting me come up in there and get that paper. Dom, congrats on your new baby, and good luck with your schooling. Jada and Kim, much love to y’all and keep tossing them heads up.

  Diane Dancey of Sequins Fashions, what can I say? You gave me my first shot at modeling and a chance to show the world that being big can most certainly be beautiful. Keep doing what you do best: making America sexy one stitch at a time. When I get on Oprah you know I’ll need an outfit. Work your magic!

  As The Page Turns Book Club, thank y’all for everything. Pashen, I owe you the world for riding out
with me and taking me to book signings outside of Philly. You were always down for a road trip, no questions asked. As a whole, every last member has been there for me unconditionally. Trish, hurry up and get that book out!

  To every member of the Philadelphia Writers Partnership, all of you made writing this and every attempt at writing so much easier. A group of such talented writers of all genres deserves recognition. The world ain’t ready for y’all. I wish you speed and creativity in getting your books out, and an extra push in getting over any writers block that may be hindering you at the moment. I want to be able to walk into a bookstore and see your names on the shelves. Let’s make it happen!

  To all my people from BlackThoughtz.com, thank y’all so much for your support. Y’all made sure to get my book when it came out, and showed me so much love whenever I came to the MD area. Shawan aka Ms. Loochie For Sho’! Keep doing ya thing, ma. Your site is so on point.

  To my people from coast2coastreaders.com, thanks for all the love and support and I’ll be looking for y’all at the Harlem Book Fair!

  Last, but certainly not least, thank you to every one who purchased My Woman His Wife. Y’all showed me love at every book signing and event and by purchasing online. A writer is nothing without a reader, so I am nothing without you. Thanks for the love, enjoy your book, and be sure to spread the word!

  —Anna J.

  Previously on My Woman His Wife . . .

  Through Monica’s Eyes: Three Months Ago

  “I knew you when I had a friend. Very deeply love lived within, But somehow we got loose from what was oh so tight. Somewhere we went wrong when we were oh so right . . .”

  “Hello?”

  “Monica, it’s Sheila.”

  “Just the person I wanted to hear from. What’s good with you?”

  “I’ve been calling you all week. Why haven’t you returned my calls?”

  Sheila was getting on my last nerve with all the questions. Didn’t she know I was the one who asked the questions around here? My first instinct was to snap, but I finally had James where I wanted him and I needed her help.

  “I’ve been extra busy, sweetie. I’m sure you understand. I’m so glad you called.”

  “Why are you glad, Monica?”

  “James is coming here later. We can do what we talked about.”

  “Well, I have a better idea.”

  I held the phone back and looked at it for a second. Was she trying to tell me what to do, and since when did she get a damn backbone? I detected a little frustration in her voice, but I decided to ignore it. I had shit to do.

  “What could be better than what I came up with? We both know who the mastermind is on this team, Sheila.”

  “If it were you, you would have Jazz by now, right?” Sheila asked as though she was interrogating me.

  I have to admit I was speechless, but I heard her out. Apparently, the happy couple was now walking on a rocky road. This was perfect, because James couldn’t function under pressure and it would be that much easier to talk him into coming to my house.

  “He seemed frustrated at the gas station this morning. He also confirmed that he would definitely be over later. He is absolutely hating Jazz right now,” I said.

  “Monica, I’m telling you it would be better if we did it at their house. What woman wouldn’t freak out over that?”

  “Yeah, but what if she snaps on all of us? That would defeat the purpose.”

  The goal was to have Jasmine mad at James, not at me. If I walked into my house and saw my mate in that position everyone would be dead. No questions asked. But Sheila was making it sound like her idea was a good one, and maybe she was right. Jazz would hate James for sure, and I’d be there to comfort her. Yeah, that would be perfect.

  “How will I get him there? He doesn’t want his wife to know he’s cheating, idiot.”

  “It’s simple. All you have to do is . . .”

  I listened as she shared this entire story about having my house fumigated so we couldn’t use my spot. It sounded stupid enough to work. However, I wasn’t so sure. James wasn’t the brightest bulb on the tree, but he wasn’t the dimmest either. At the end of the day, his family mattered most.

  “And if he doesn’t go for it?” I asked Sheila. For the first time I was doubting myself.

  “It’ll work. You know how to get shit done.”

  “What time should we be at the house?”

  “We should be in the house getting it on by six. She’ll be there no later than six thirty. I’ll meet you there and . . .”

  Sheila told me to keep the door unlocked so she could walk right in without James actually having to answer the door. By then we should already be having sex. She would just join in. All I knew was if her ass didn’t show up, she’d have serious issues later; mark my words.

  “Sounds flawless. Talk to you later,” I said. I was hoping our plan would work, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have doubts.

  “Monica, one more thing. I need you to call your man at the ticket office. I need two courtside seats for the married couple for tomorrow night.”

  “Done. Anything else?”

  “What’s James’s favorite food?”

  “Caribbean. We always order from this place called A Taste of the Islands that’s near their house.” I wasn’t sure what Sheila had in mind, but I would help her with whatever she needed to pull this thing off.

  “OK, that sounds perfect.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Don’t be late,” Sheila commanded.

  After we hung up I went to soak in a nice, long bath, making sure to scrub my entire body until my skin glistened like warm cinnamon. I had recently made a trip to The Body Shop, so I opted to massage the mango body butter I just purchased into my already soft skin.

  I refreshed my toenail polish for good measure, then slipped into a pale pink dress that barely covered my ass. I put on James’s favorite pair of stiletto sandals that strapped up to mid-calf. Looking at the clock, I knew James would arrive soon, so I made my way downstairs and posted by the window until I saw his car pull up.

  I was already outside and moving toward his car before he turned the ignition off. His face looked sad as I attempted to hug him, but I acted like I didn’t notice. I needed to be at his house within a half hour, and I didn’t have time to play.

  “Hey, sweetie, I missed you,” I said while trying to wrap my arm around his neck. He stopped me and took a step back, then looked into his car. I glanced over to see his son sleeping and his daughter staring at me before putting her head back down.

  “I can’t stay. I forgot I had to pick up my kids from school. Can I make it up to you tomorrow?”

  “I’m leaving town tonight. Why can’t we do it tonight?” I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn’t take no for an answer. Too much was at stake.

  “I just told you why. Why can’t I see you when you get back?”

  “Because I want you now. I can follow you to the house and come in after you put the kids down for a nap. Come on, James, I need you today.”

  “What if Jazz comes home and catches us? Then what?”

  “Have we ever gotten caught before?” I was starting to get pissed. This dude had been hittin’ it all this time, and now he wanted to get a conscience? Give me a damn break.

  “No, but now could be the time.”

  “James, come on with the bullshit. Are we doing this or what?”

  “Look, just follow behind me and wait until I tell you to come in.”

  I didn’t say a word as I reached behind my door to grab my keys. I hurried to lock the door as James walked back to his car. I then hopped in my strawberry colored Expedition to follow him home. Instead of parking in front of the door when we got there, I parked a few houses down.

  I was getting anxious as time ticked on. I thought James was trying to play me, and just as I moved to go knock on the door, I saw him calling me into the house from the window. By then it was already six o’clock
and Sheila was pulling up as I was walking up the street. I glanced her way briefly before entering the house, leaving the door unlocked for her.

  I found James in the kitchen drinking a soda and looking scared as hell. I took the bottle out of his hand and placed it on the counter. I walked him around to the other side of the table and began undressing him, sitting him in the chair so his back was to the door. I took my dress off and draped it on the chair next to us.

  After taking his dick into my hands I felt it pulsate as I placed wet kisses up the underside of his long, chocolate stick before circling the head with my tongue and placing it in my mouth. I rotated between deep-throating him and going halfway down as if he were fucking my pussy instead of my mouth. One hand massaged his testicles while the other slipped up and down his shaft, causing his mouth to drop open and his eyes to roll to the back of his head. Just as he was about to cum, I stopped, telling him to hold it as I prepared myself to ride him.

  James melted instantly as I squeezed my walls around his length, almost causing him to ejaculate prematurely. I moved slowly up and down on him as his arms wrapped tightly around my back. I pushed my nipples together, placing them up to his lips. He didn’t hesitate to open his mouth and bless them with his tongue. I bounced harder and faster, only slowing down when he was about to cum.

  I saw Sheila enter the house and close the door behind her. To keep him distracted until she got closer, I tightened my walls around him. When he opened his eyes, Sheila was standing right next to us. She looked like she didn’t know whether she wanted to stay or leave, but she quickly made up her mind after seeing the look on my face. She knew if she even thought about leaving I would be on her ass, and the expression on my face said just that.

  She stripped naked and climbed up on the table. I turned around to face her, never getting off James’s dick. I continued to ride him as I began tasting Sheila. Spreading her lips apart with my thumb and forefinger, I took her clit into my mouth and stroked her with my tongue to the same rhythm James was stroking my clit with his finger. Periodically, I would stick my tongue inside of her before going back to teasing her clit. I didn’t hear when the door opened. The next thing I knew, I heard Jasmine’s voice.