“Is there anything yo ass can’t cook?” I asked. “Damn, that’s good.”
A grin was locked on Jada’s face. “I know, right? The only thing that I can’t cook is Hamburger Helper. It doesn’t help me at all, and I can never get my noodles to cook right. Other than that, I’m good. After I win this money, I may even open up a restaurant. Help me think of a name, okay?”
“Dream on, ma. Those restaurant doors won’t open if you’re expectin’ to win this challenge.”
Jada winked at me. “Oh, we shall see.”
She walked away and came back with a piece of paper in her hand. She put it on the table in front of me and gave me a pen. “Here. Sign this before I forget.”
I removed my feet from the table and sat up straight. “What is it?”
“It’s a waiver. A waiver sayin’ that you relinquish all rights to Chase’s pussy and you don’t want no more of it. I think this may come in handy for the future.” She turned to look at Jaylin in the kitchen. “Jaylin, you may need to come sign this waiver too. If not, y’all may be indebted to that pussy forever. I’d hate to see that happen.”
Jaylin ignored Jada. I balled up the paper and got up to throw it in the trashcan. “Please don’t discuss that bitch with me. And joke or no joke, the shit ain’t funny.”
“Ohhh, so now she’s a bitch? Did you call her that when y’all were fuckin’ yesterday? I bet her name was Cinderella then.”
Jada had no idea how much she was irritating me. The look on my face said it all, but she kept at it.
“Man, pay her no mind,” Jaylin said, as I stood in the kitchen drinking water. “You know she ain’t got it all.”
Jada’s attention went right back to Jaylin. He, however, picked up his plate and carried it over to the table. After cutting into his steak, minimal red juices flowed.
“Ugh, that’s nasty,” Jada said, hovering over him with a frown on her face. “That steak looks undone to me. How can you eat somethin’ like that?”
“Let me give you a lesson about food that you may not know. When you don’t cook your steak all the way through, it can help fight heart disease. You have much more taste and the juices stay locked inside. Nutrition wise, a steak like this is good for you.”
Jada threw her hand back. “I appreciate the info, but I could care less about that nutrition stuff. Whoever be makin’ up that stuff be lyin’, and the next thing you know we’ll be all dyin’ from drinkin’ water. Now, about those juices. If you want somethin’ juicy, all you gotta do is say so. I can offer you somethin’ way better than a bloody steak.”
Jaylin forked up some lettuce from his salad and held it toward Jada’s mouth. That was surely a good way to get her to walk away because she did.
After dinner, I had to keep myself busy or else I’d lose it. I played a lengthy game of basketball with Jaylin and shot pool with Jada. I tossed back a couple of drinks before swimming several laps in the pool. I even went to the workout room to clear my thoughts, but nothing seemed to help. By night time, I was still swoll and couldn’t even go to sleep. Jada and Jaylin were knocked out, but I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Desa Rae. Had I fucked up? I wasn’t so sure. I was starting to regret that I had asked her to marry me. What I had done with Chase was a hint that maybe I wasn’t ready. But I felt ready. I wanted her to be my wife, but there was no doubt that I had to get my shit together.
Since I couldn’t sleep, I got up to watch TV. I quickly got bored with that, so I sat on the couch thinking. Someway or somehow, without jeopardizing my chances of winning this challenge, I had to see Desa Rae. I had to know that everything was good, and it didn’t feel right knowing that Chase was no longer here. I hated to be paranoid, but I was. I also wasn’t sure how I could get out of here without anybody knowing it. There had to be a way. Yeah, there were cameras, but Jeff had to sleep. And at one o’clock in the morning, I suspected that he was knocked out.
With that in mind, I crept into the closet to change clothes. I put on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Jaylin was always up late reading something, but I was glad to see that he was down for the count. Jada was hugged up with a body pillow, and her snores implied that she wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon. I closed the door to the bedroom, and just in case someone was watching me on the cameras, I played it off and went to the workout room. I stayed in there pumping iron for a while, and several minutes later, I exited from the side door. That door led me close to a fenced-in area of the yard that was secluded. I knew I could hop the tall fence, but the question was if I could manage to get to Desa Rae’s house before anyone noticed that I was gone. The plan was for me to find a payphone, call my boy Craig to pick me up and take me to Desa Rae’s crib. All I wanted to do was see her. I needed for her to tell me that everything was good. I also wanted to make sure Reggie wasn’t creeping while I was away, so my plan was in motion. That was until I grabbed the fence. As I started to climb it, an alarm sounded off. It was so loud that it rang my eardrums. I hurried to hop down from the fence, and quickly made my way back inside. I plopped down on the couch, and minutes later, Jada and Jaylin came from the bedroom.
“What’s up with that alarm?” Jaylin said, squinting as he looked outside.
Jada covered her ears. “I know. That thing is loud. Shouldn’t we be callin’ the cops?”
I got up and looked outside with Jaylin. “Somethin’ must have triggered it. Maybe an animal or somethin’. I wonder how we can make it go off.”
Jaylin shrugged, then walked outside. I did too, but Jada stayed inside. “Y’all be careful,” she said as we made our way out of the door. “If somebody starts shootin,’ run.”
I had seriously fucked up. When Jeff showed up almost ten minutes later, he questioned us. Jada and Jaylin admitted to being asleep, but I had to come up with something, in case he’d seen me on the cameras.
“I was up late workin’ out,” I said. “While I was in there, I had to drain the vein, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the bathroom, so I stepped outside to take a leak. I stood by that fence over there. Maybe I triggered the alarm by accident.”
“Probably so,” Jeff said. “I turned off the alarm, but stay away from there because this house is highly secured. I immediately contacted the police to let them know everything was okay, so no worries on that end.”
We all nodded. After Jeff left, we returned to bed. I guess I wouldn’t get a chance to see Desa Rae until this was over. That day couldn’t come soon enough. Damn!
It was truly one crazy mess going on up in here. These fools had me smoking Newport cigarettes again, and I had not had one cigarette since I’ve been here. Chase was already packed and gone. Jaylin and Roc hadn’t said much else about her. They spent most of the day watching TV, playing video games, and eating.
I seriously wanted to know how both of them felt, because Chase did not get up out of here like Sylvia did—as a sucker. Going out like a true ho or not, Chase worked what her mama had blessed her with, like I had never seen it done before.
The looks on Jaylin’s and Roc’s faces were priceless. They were definitely caught off guard. Chase did the right thing by leaving. Being here would have been hell for her. Yep, they were mad because she screwed both of them in the same day. But why be upset with her? Men do it all the time. I was sure that both of them had been there and done that before. They were surprised that a female had done it and had gotten away with it. Chase made no excuses, and she damn sure didn’t have to explain her actions to anyone, even though they were trifling.
I couldn’t figure out why she threw Jaylin into the mix on the same day. But then again, she had been trying to get at him since day one. Maybe that opportunity became available. She told me what her intentions were with Roc, but damn. I couldn’t even imagine going at it with both of them. She didn’t appear worn or nothing. I’d still be somewhere sleeping and sucking my thumb.
Like I said, Roc and Jaylin hadn’t said much else to me, and the games kept them oc
cupied. The following day, however, Jeff came to the house early in the morning to deliver a package from Chase. He was in and out, so no one saw him. I hurried into the bathroom to see what was inside of the envelope.
There was a letter from Chase that advised me how to follow through with the rest of our plan. Her plan, as written, would guarantee us all of the money. I didn’t realize how or why it would until I got to the end of her letter. My mouth dropped wide open. Roc and Jaylin were both cooked. I had the power in my hands, and the truth behind everything shocked me.
First of all, Roc should’ve known better. The moment he looked into Chase’s eyes, didn’t he see Desa Rae? Hell, both of their last names were Jenkins so he should have made the connection. Chase said that she and Desa Rae had the same father. It was so obvious to see that they were related, especially when I held Desa Rae’s picture in my hand. I shook my head because men were always known for thinking with the wrong doggone head.
As for Jaylin, Chase said she had sex with him, simply because she wanted to. She joked about how many orgasms she had and said that if she didn’t know any better, she would have fallen in love. According to her, blackmailing him was hopeless because his tricks already knew what to expect. But either way, he was a goner too. I definitely had my work cut out for me. Chase had gotten us this far, but I had to get us over the finish line.
“I’m counting on you,” Chase said in the letter. “And to keep you entertained, feel free to put this flash drive into the computer to see your girl in action.”
I wasn’t sure where Jaylin or Roc was, but I tiptoed to the computer and stuck the flash drive in a slot. Almost immediately, I covered my mouth and rocked in my seat, as I watched Chase and Roc go at it. He was wearing her ass out! There were times that Chase looked helpless. If I was Desa Rae, I’d be mad as the devil. This wasn’t a good look, it was a damn good look from my point of view. Roc was a bad mutha…yes he was. I was craving for him, along with the aggressiveness he brought with him. I couldn’t pull myself away, and when he started smoking a blunt, I was hooked. My pussy throbbed as if he had blown smoke into me.
I kept fanning myself, unable to take much more. As I fast forwarded, the video switched to Chase and Jaylin. Oh. My. God. I stood and started jogging in place. I was too excited. I quickly peeked around the living room area, and seeing no one in sight, I rushed back to my chair. My eyes were glued to the monitor again. This shit was too sexy to watch. Jaylin didn’t even have to go out like that. He was so passionate. The forehead kisses and body rubbing had me squirming in my seat. I felt what Chase had felt. She looked good too—firm breasts, and why didn’t my ass look like hers? As a woman, a straight woman, she could get it. No she couldn’t. Instead, I wished it were me in the shower with Jaylin. I wondered if he could lift me and hold me like he did her. Hell f-ing no, so I quickly washed the thoughts from my head, continuing to watch. After several marriages, not one of my husbands lasted more than ten minutes. Kiley was the only man I dated who could do it like Jaylin. I mean, Chase and Jaylin went at it for quite some time. In the shower, on the counter…hell, she even bent over the toilet. I was outdone as I focused my eyes like a laser on Jaylin’s pretty dick. Chase couldn’t get enough of it. The fluttering of her eyes and constant lip biting said so. I couldn’t get enough either, but I fast forwarded the video, shaking my head. My insides were sticky and I needed an ice-cold shower. I removed the flash drive and stuck it into my pocket. Afterward, I went to the bathroom and snatched off my clothes. The thought of cameras in the bathroom alarmed me, but then I remembered something Chase wrote in her letter. She mentioned that she put the camera in the bathroom before she woke up Jaylin, and removed it in the morning. I hoped so, but it really didn’t matter. The only thing people would see was a horny-ass woman, playing with herself. As for the video of Chase, Roc, and Jaylin, I thought about putting that sucker on the internet or selling it to the tabloids to make money. Probably more money than I’d make by staying in this house. Nothing was set in stone yet, but it was surely an option.
Once my shower was over, I used the cell phone that Chase had provided and called her. She answered right away, but her voice was soft.
“Who is this?” she asked.
“Jada,” I whispered into the phone. “I wanted to let you know that I got your package. I can’t believe what you said in your letter. Is all of it really true?”
“Every bit of it. Roc is going down for this, and can you believe it? I had no idea, and I couldn’t say anything until I got the facts. Now, I have all of the ammunition I need to win this challenge. In the process, I can seek a little revenge pertaining to my long, lost sister.”
“I feel you on all of that, but you can’t win this challenge without me. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“I’m not. I do understand how much I need you. You will benefit from this too, so let’s not argue about things that in no way matter right now. I need to go take care of a few things, so we’ll talk soon. Keep the phone on you at all times, but make sure the ringer is off. Did you get the flash drive?”
“Yes, I did. I looked at some of the video. Seeing y’all get down like that had me runnin’ to the bathroom to cool down. I’m still in here, tryin’ to regroup.”
Chase laughed. “I’m still trying to recuperate myself, but it was fun. We’ll talk more later, but for now, I must go.”
We ended the call on that note. I sat for a moment, thinking if all of this would really work out. Then, I called my girl Portia to see what she’d been up to.
“What’s up?” she yelled into the phone. “Where is the letter you were supposed to write me? Trice said you called her, and I feel real dissed.”
My friends were so damn silly. I ignored Portia’s comment about Trice. “I haven’t had time to write, but it has been so wild and crazy up in here. I can’t wait to tell you what’s been goin’ on, but you must tell me what’s been happenin’ over there first. Did Shay get that job at the bus station? And I know you got into Montel’s shit for havin’ that chick’s phone number in his pocket.”
“Girl, I beat that mofo’s ass and tossed him out of here. He had the odyssey to tell me the number wasn’t my bitness. Ain’t that nothin’?”
“He should’ve known better to say that to you, especially since he ain’t payin’ no kinds of bills there. But I believe the word you were lookin’ for was audacity, not odyssey. That didn’t make no sense, and even I know that.”
Portia ignored me. I rolled my eyes because she sounded like a damn fool. It made me think about my mispronunciation of words. I had to get better. That shit was embarrassing.
She went on and on about what had been going on while I was away. I barely got in one word, and every time I opened my mouth, she cut me off. I kept rolling my eyes and sighing. But after a while, I told her the battery was low and hung up. I then called the nappy-head li’l dude I considered my man. Kenny answered on the third ring.
“Where the fuck have you been? You must be hemmed up with another nigga somewhere. If you have been, you can stay with that muthafucka.”
Maybe I was wrong for not telling Kenny where I was going, but he didn’t seem to care anyway. And then for me to call and for him to diss me was totally uncalled for. I wasn’t feeling his tone.
“Calm down, fool. All you know is I could’ve been locked up or adducted, I mean abducted, and you over there actin’ a doggone fool. Tone yo voice down, Kenny, or else this conversation will be over.”
“Bitch, I don’t—”
I ended the call. I needed to rethink the folks I had in my circle. They were a hot-ass mess. It might take longer for me to disassociate myself from my troublesome girlfriends, but as for Kenny, I suspected that our relationship would soon be a wrap. With fine-ass men in the world like Jaylin and Roc, I was tripping by staying with Kenny. Then, the more I thought about it, Kenny had paid my rent for the last two months. Maybe, he was a keeper.
I had been in the bathroom for too long, so I hurried t
o leave. Making sure the coast was clear, I stuck my head out the door and looked from left to right. No one was there. I tiptoed back to the computer. I searched for media outlets that would be interested in buying the flash drive, hoping like hell that I had some luck.
When all was said and done, talked about and discussed over and over again, there was only one overall real winner in here. That was still me.
What Chase had done was, nonetheless, foul. But I wasn’t the least bit tripping. There were doggy-dog men as well as women. She damn sure fit the bill, but many could say the same about me.
I kind of admired a woman who could be that cold. The problem with Chase was she still carried too much bitterness inside of her, resulting from the past. She was out for revenge, and whoever stood in her way to getting some kind of payback, they had to pay.
In no way did I lie to Roc when I told him Chase could be trouble. To be honest, I couldn’t figure out anything that I’d said or done inside of this house that would knock anybody off their feet. I was just being me. All anybody in my circle had to do was ask me what went down in here and I would tell them the truth.
With that being said, it wasn’t that easy for Roc. He seemed on edge since Chase had left, but we hadn’t talked much about our time with her. I think Roc was worried about Desa Rae finding out some things. He was engaged to be married, but admitted that she hadn’t set a wedding date. The whole situation seemed sticky. With Chase being out of the house, there was no telling what she was doing. Roc had some major concerns and he talked about them as we sat in the bedroom. We had just walked inside from playing a game of tennis.
The Roof is on Fire Page 16
