Slick 2

by Brenda Hampton

  “To say I wasn’t disturbed by Sylvia’s actions would be incorrect. I was. But I realized a long time ago that I can’t control what people do. All I can do is control me, myself, and I. My relationship with Sylvia was over during that time. If she felt a need to hook up with him, so be it.”

  I left it right there and quickly changed the subject. The subject was her upcoming fashion show and her trip to New York. That conversation took up much time, and we didn’t leave Morton’s until almost midnight.

  I was tired as hell the next morning, but since I told Jaylin to meet me at the office, I got up around nine and went to work. By eleven, he was at my door, ready to provide his thoughts about Lesa.

  He held out his hand and started to count down on his fingers. “Slick, sneaky, cheating, psycho, evil, and pretty.”

  “What?” I shouted.

  “You asked my opinion and I told you. That is not the sweet, charming woman you’ve been speaking to me about. I hope you’re not planning to marry her anytime soon. I am highly disappointed in you, John-John, for not being able to figure out the good ones from the bad ones.”

  “I think you’re wrong about her, man. She had a long day yesterday, and she wasn’t prepared to meet you. With that being said, I’m not saying she’s perfect. I have a few concerns too, but for the most part, she’s as good as it gets.”

  “It’s a bad sign when you have to start making excuses for someone.” He took a seat then leaned in to my desk. “First of all, her appearance, meaning her choice of clothes, didn’t bother me one bit. She didn’t have to get all dolled up to meet me. The fact that she was late pissed me off, and I didn’t buy her excuse. Her hair was flat in the back, meaning that she had been somewhere lying on it. Her dress was wrinkled, and she was not wearing a bra or panties. I could smell sex from across the table, and when a person starts talking about who or what they hate, I have a problem with that. Hate is a strong word. It represents evilness, and that’s what I took from our conversation.”

  “This makes no—”

  Jaylin lifted his hand. “Hold up a minute. I’m not done. You asked for my opinion, so hear me out. You have the law thing on lock, and I have the relationship thing going for me. She took issue with me not wearing a ring. As a matter of fact, she noticed. And when I suggested that she reach out to Nokea, she wanted to discuss things with me. I’m the one with the business card, and I would put some money on it that if I called her right now, she’d make herself available. By the end of the day, she wouldn’t even remember your name.”

  “Jaylin, come on, man. Don’t be so full of yourself. Not every woman desires to be with you.”

  “You’re absolutely correct. They don’t, but I know for a fact that she would go there in a heartbeat. I know her kind, John-John. Seen it too many times before. You’d better be careful with her. If she finds out about this thing you got going on with Sylvia, she’s going to lose it!”

  I immediately thought about the note, and about what had happened at Sylvia’s place. I hadn’t told Jaylin about those incidents, but when I did, he jumped up from the chair.

  “I told you!” he shouted and darted his finger at me. “Man, you are going to wake up with a knife in your back. Maybe yo’ ass may not wake up at all. I did not get good vibes from her, as I never did with Dana. Sylvia . . . I got my problems with her, too, but she gives good head, so I’ma be nice. She ain’t psycho either.”

  “You didn’t have to go there, you know? And please eliminate all that talk about you and Sylvia. Let’s get back to Lesa.”

  “Don’t take it personal. We both were drunk. Lesa, however, is psycho. Did you or did you not hear how many times her phone went off last night? We are both businesspeople, and we know that business calls start to subside after eight. Sex calls start rolling in after that. Her phone kept ringing like a lover was trying to reach her. Her eyes got real shifty when she looked at her cell phone, and she kept looking out of the corner of her eye to see if you were watching. I’m shocked that you haven’t been on to her.”

  “I’m still not convinced that she knows what’s been going on with me and Sylvia. If she did, I know she would confront me. Wouldn’t a so-called psychotic woman confront me? You know damn well she would, and she wouldn’t be able to contain herself.”

  “Like hell. She’s plotting and planning, man. Waiting for the right time to take you down. You gotta beat her to it. Start paying attention and stop working so damn much. That’s your problem. You work too much and you never have time to really evaluate and observe the women in your life. You’re so damn eager to get married again, and I don’t understand why.”

  “Family values. My parents are representing, and I want to follow suit. I want what they have, but I have to admit that time is running out for me. I’m getting old. Also, I’ve been going about things the wrong way. My career is, indeed, everything. Most women aren’t down with that.”

  “Some are, some not. And I’m not one to preach to you about marriage; after all, it is a beautiful thing. But with it or without it, you should first make sure that the woman in your life is in your corner and that she’s not up to no good.”

  I got up to go pour me a shot of Hennessy. Offered Jaylin some, but he rejected it. “Rémy only. Thanks, but no thanks.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Jaylin, I get what you’re saying, but I can’t expect to have a woman fully in my corner if I’m not completely in hers. Thing is, I can’t be upset with Lesa for creeping if I’ve been doing the same thing too.”

  “But what if she was creeping before you? What if she has a dark side that you don’t know about? All I want you to do is your homework. If it all checks out, and I’m completely wrong about this, I will shave all of my hair off and go bald for the next two years. I’m that confident that Lesa has skeletons.”

  I stood in deep thought while gazing out of the window. Yes, I had some homework to do. It was time for Lesa and me to have a conversation I didn’t want to have. I had to come clean about my interaction with Sylvia. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, and if Lesa was as off as Jaylin claimed she was, I had to do something now. I turned my head to look at him, but wound up looking past him at Sylvia, who opened the door and stood in my doorway. She didn’t look too happy. I guessed she was upset because I hadn’t spoken to her since her apartment had been trashed. And with Jaylin in my office, it seemed as if the day was about to take a turn for the worse.

  CHAPTER 11

  SYLVIA

  I was sickened about Jonathan not reaching out to me after the incident at my apartment. It was on my agenda to let him have it, but then apologize and ask him to clear up this little mess with me being arrested. But when I rushed into his office, I got the shock of my life. My number one enemy was there, leaving me speechless.

  After our Hell House experience, I was sure Jaylin wasn’t happy to see me either. The blank expression on his face said so, and the way he looked at me with those steel gray eyes let me know that all was not forgiven. Regardless, the sight of him always did something unusual to my body. My pussy was trying to travel back down memory lane, as if it wanted to feel him again. I hurried to shut down that feeling by looking past him and at Jonathan who didn’t appear happy to see me either. The two of them must’ve been arguing or something, because no smiles were coming from either one.

  Jonathan spoke up first. “I guess I don’t have to introduce you to Jaylin, Sylvia,” he said. “It’s obvious that you already know him well, as he does you.”

  Talk about disrespect. Really? I couldn’t believe he had gone there, and I didn’t care what was troubling him. He had no right to put it out there like that, as if I didn’t mean shit to him.

  “Yeah, we do know each other,” Jaylin said with his hands in his pockets. “How are you doing these days, Sylvia? Good, I hope.”

  “Shut the hell up talking to me, Jaylin.” I was blunt and wasn’t about to pretend that I liked him. “You know darn well that you couldn’t care less about how I�
�m doing. Don’t stand your egotistical tail there and pretend like you do.”

  Jonathan’s eyes grew wide. Even he was shocked by my words. He wasn’t aware that the only other man who could set me off like this was Jaylin Rogers. I never told Jonathan about the ugly way Hell House ended. It wasn’t good.

  Jaylin replied with a smirk on his face. “I’m surprised by your nasty words, Sylvia. I seriously thought that you would take a little time out to reflect and take in all of the advice that was given to you, but I guess that some people never really grow up. Some people stay in the same fucked-up situations and keep on making the same damn mistakes. It’s sad to know that you haven’t made much progress. I can only hope that Jonathan wakes up and rids himself of ignorant women like you. You’re a waste of time, and I refuse to waste another breath schooling you.” He swung around and looked at Jonathan. “Remember what I said. See you again in a few months. Let me know how the case goes with Taye.”

  We evil-eyed each other as he walked past me and out the door. If I had a bat, I would have used it to whack his ass a few times. Instead, I walked farther into the office. Jonathan spoke up before I did.

  “What was that all about?” he asked.

  “I don’t even want to talk about it. What I would like to discuss is you. Why haven’t you called to check on me? You know what happened, and I can’t believe you haven’t even called. You act as if you really don’t care about me anymore. I’m starting to feel as if this has all been a waste of time. Then, you stand there and allow Jaylin to speak to me as he wishes. Your so-called introduction was insulting and totally unnecessary.”

  Jonathan sat on the corner of his desk, wringing his hands. “Okay,” he said. “You deserve to know the truth, so here it is. I’m not in love with you anymore, Sylvia. I enjoy our time together, but I have no plans to take things to the next level. I don’t call because I don’t feel like talking or hearing you gripe all the time. I don’t stop by because I don’t want to see you. And while I’m deeply concerned about what happened to your apartment, you were the one who decided to take matters into your own hands. I hope that worked out for you. As for my introduction to Jaylin, what else was I supposed to say? You fucked my friend, and I can’t forgive you for that. I will never forgive you, and I just can’t see myself being married to a woman who had his dick in her mouth.”

  Well, damn! My face had fallen to the floor and cracked into a thousand and one tiny pieces. My heart sank to my stomach. My body felt as if it had melted and my feet were like stones. I couldn’t move; didn’t want to breathe. His words hurt. Truthful or not, they hurt. Hurt so bad that I had no response. Regrettably, he kept going.

  “It’s time to grow up, Sylvia. We’re getting too old for this shit, and these petty arguments should be behind us. We’ve done it all from A to Z. Had ups and downs and all arounds. From boardroom arguments to courtroom arguments, I’ve had enough. I’m starting to feel as if you like this kind of shit, but, just so you know, I’m done.”

  What, a fucking break-up? I mean, he was really going all out to get me where it hurt. I couldn’t let him get away with this; and, childish or not, a response was needed.

  I answered when I walked up to him and slapped the shit out of him. His head jerked to the side, and when I attempted to slap him again, he grabbed my wrist and squeezed it. I snatched it away from him and spoke through gritted teeth. Tears were trapped in my eyes. I did my best to force them back.

  “I don’t even know where to start, but I guess right here. Your ass wants me to grow up, but you’re the one still running around here playing games with two women and lying about your feelings. You, Jonathan Tyrese Taylor, talk a good damn game, but the truth is your game has been played before. I figured you were using me, and it is my wish that Lesa finds out about us and hangs you out to dry. I can’t wait for that day to come. When it does, don’t you dare crawl back to me for forgiveness. Good luck to you and your future bride. Go live happily ever after and tell her I said she’s got herself a real fucking winner.”

  Jonathan sat with his arms folded, eyes narrowed, and a blank expression on his face. Just for showing that he didn’t give a damn, I smacked his ass one last good time. I then marched out of his office with tears still trapped in my eyes. I kept blinking fast to clear them. By the time I reached the staircase, I let it all come out. I cried uncontrollably. Clenched my chest because it hurt. Pounded my fists against my legs because I was mad. Mad at myself for falling back into this trap again. Disgusted that I had allowed him to treat me this way. Frustrated that I couldn’t get it right and was highly disappointed by my choices. I broke down like I had never done before. Hung on to the rail so I wouldn’t fall, but wound up falling to my knees. Prayed for God to give me strength, but was so sure that He wouldn’t come through for someone like me. Maybe it was time for me to face reality. A while back, I thought I did. My reality was that I was still in love with Jonathan, but now I knew that he didn’t love me. He never really did, even while he was going through ups and downs with Dana. I was convenient. All I’d ever been to him was convenient. Damn. Damn. Damn. Realizing the truth made this hurt even more.

  CHAPTER 12

  JONATHAN

  One woman down, another one to go. It was never my intention to hurt Sylvia, but the truth was what she needed to hear. The sexual encounter between her and Jaylin affected me more than I was willing to admit. I couldn’t handle it, and every time I saw him, it made me think about how badly Sylvia had dissed me. Therefore, it was time for us to move on. I felt relieved in a sense, but not fully relieved because I had to confess to my wrongdoings and hope that Lesa would do some confessing too.

  Instead of going home, I drove to a studio that Lesa and some of the other designers rented. I could hear talking and laughter inside. The door was open, so I went inside and saw numerous models standing around and several people who appeared to be there to assist. I spotted Lesa in the far back of the room. A tall female model was standing in front of her while getting fitted for a dress. Lesa had a pen in her mouth and her legs were crossed. Her hair was in a rough-looking ponytail, and she was dressed in a balloon-like jumper with large pockets on it. I didn’t want to interrupt her, but if I didn’t, I was sure she would be here all night.

  I headed her way, saying hello to several individuals who had spoken to me. Lesa looked up and seemed surprised to see me. She removed the pen from her mouth then displayed a smile. We embraced, and as I held her tightly, she sucked in a heap of air.

  “You smell so good,” she said, complimenting me. “Did I buy that cologne for you?”

  “I’m not sure. You probably did, especially since you’re always taking care of me.”

  “Yes, always. What brings you here?”

  “I thought we could go somewhere in private and talk. Saw my doctor again today, and I wanted to tell you what he said.” I had to say that, just so she would be willing to stop what she was doing and find a private place for us to talk.

  “Jonathan, is everything okay? By looking in your eyes, I’m worried.”

  I nudged my head toward the exit door. “Let’s go talk.”

  “There aren’t many private places around here. Why don’t I gather my things and meet you at home in about thirty minutes. That would be better.”

  “Sounds good.” I kissed her cheek. “See you at home.”

  After saying good-bye to the others, I went home and waited patiently for her to come.

  I sat in my office, thinking about how I was going to break the news to Lesa. I felt terrible for creeping behind her back, and I wondered how she was going to react to all of this. I kept thinking that my timing was off, that maybe I should wait, but as I pondered more about it, I came to the conclusion that she needed to know the truth. She didn’t deserve this, and it was up to me to tell her what was really going on, before she heard it from someone else.

  I lifted my head and watched the clock on the wall tick away. I could have prevented all of this had I k
ept my eyes on the prize and told Sylvia that we couldn’t undo the past. I didn’t know why I just didn’t say that to her, especially since I had a woman like Lesa in my life. No matter what happened tonight, my intentions were to still be with her. I just needed to get this out in the open, and I wanted to give her an opportunity to express herself as well. I was optimistic that once we both put our cards on the table, everything would be okay.

  While examining how the night would unfold, I went to the kitchen to get a shot of vodka. I tilted the glass to my lips then opened my mouth wide to toss the shot down my throat. It burned, so I pounded my chest then cleared my throat. I reached for a cigar then made my way into the great room to wait for Lesa.

  She arrived almost thirty minutes later. I was still sitting in the great room, puffing on a cigar. I had changed into casual clothing and comfortable house shoes. Lesa gave me a hug then slowly sat back on the couch to join me.

  “Wha . . . what did the doctor say?” she said with fear in her eyes.

  I got straight to the point. “I haven’t seen the doctor, but I knew that if I didn’t tell you that, you wouldn’t have felt the urgency for us to have this conversation. All I know is this: things are changing between us. I will own up to my reason for causing this change, but I want you to fess up too. There is nothing more pitiful than being in a relationship where you know you’ve been lied to. Where you feel uncomfortable, and feel as if there is no trust. I know you feel that way. Rightfully so.”