Jaylin

by Brenda Hampton

  “It’s such a coincidence, and I noticed your scarred knuckles,” she said. “If you did it, it’s not like I’m going to say anything to anyone. I’m just worried because I regret putting you in a situation where you felt as if you needed to go that far. You didn’t have to go to that hospital, Jaylin. The last time you did something like this, the outcome was not in your favor.”

  “In reality, yes it was, but that’s my opinion, and I disagree with yours. It was necessary for me to go to the hospital and do what I did. I’m glad that muthafucka is dead, and a big shout out to the person who got to him before I did.”

  Nokea shook her head, as if I’d said something wrong. Her actions angered me, so I backed away from her and stood up.

  “Do you have sympathy for his ass, especially after what he did to you?”

  “No, I don’t. But I don’t condone anyone taking matters into their own hands and murdering people. Vengeance is not yours, and sometimes, you just have to be still.”

  “No, sometimes, you just have to beat a muthafucka’s ass and leave it at that. I’m not going to argue with you about this. I told you what I did. Fuck his ass, and I hope that son of a bitch rot in hell.”

  I was so pissed that I had to leave the bedroom. I hated to go there with Nokea, but she was always trying to do and say the right thing. At a time like this, she should’ve been happy that I beat his ass. She should’ve given me a pat on the back for looking out for her, yet all I got was head shaking and a ‘shame on me’ for going there. I said it once and I’ll say it again. May that son of a bitch rot his woman-beating ass in hell!

  While waiting for Dr. Birch to get there, I had planned to go to Nanny B’s bedroom and tell her what had happened. I didn’t because I was positive that I would hear more preaching from her. I wasn’t in the mood for it, so I reached out to Shane to see if he’d got in touch with Frick. I also inquired about what the police had said earlier.

  “Well, thanks for calling me back,” he said. “I’ve been trying to reach you all evening. The cops said they needed to speak to you in regards to the fight at the hospital. The officer’s contact information is on your desk, and you already know where the police station is. I also called Frick. He wasn’t happy, but said he could be here around two o’clock tomorrow afternoon. So, get your story straight and be prepared to let the chips fall where they may.”

  I told Shane about the breaking news with Travis. He couldn’t believe it. “Jay, you know you knocked that fool off. I mean, how coincidental is that?”

  “If I killed his ass, I would tell you. I don’t know why you think I would lie to you about something like that. It would have been my pleasure to witness him take his last breath.”

  “Not sure if I believe you or not, but what I think doesn’t matter. If you didn’t do it, be sure to get things straight so you don’t get accused and find yourself locked up.”

  I agreed with Shane. My story had to be straight, and by the time I got finished talking to Frick and the police tomorrow, I expected this bullshit with Dr. Travis L. Cooper to be behind me.

  SCORPIO

  It was interesting how the tables had turned. Now, Mario was around here kissing my ass and telling me how sorry he was about everything that had happened. He admitted to his little rendezvous the night before our wedding, and confirmed that one of the chicks told him she was pregnant. I wasn’t sure if I believed that or not, but one thing I was sure of was this: There were times when I felt like I’d been to hell and back in my relationship with Jaylin. We’d been through a lot. I learned a tremendous amount of things from that relationship, and I had no intentions, none whatsoever, to put up with a bunch of shit from another rich man who couldn’t control his dick.

  Mario had used my defense. That was, this had occurred before we were married. Yes, it certainly did, but he was fully aware of the consequences, if I ever became so unhappy that I didn’t want to be married anymore. I wasn’t quite there yet, but if this thing between him and the chick who was supposed to be pregnant by him started to shake things up, I had no intentions of being one of those stand-by-your-man bitches who often looked like puppets. I would happily seek a divorce, and unfortunately, give Jaylin the half he would probably take me to court to get.

  Speaking of Jay Baby, I hadn’t heard from him since our encounter at the restaurant. What he’d said to me tugged at my heart. He could have me so angry at him one minute; the next minute I’d be like putty in his hands. I loved him so much for his honesty. Like he’d said . . . he could never give me what I truly wanted. If he couldn’t, Mario needed to get it right or else.

  Whenever I was upset, I went on shopping sprees to help calm my nerves. I’d picked up the kids from Jaylin’s house earlier, and we all went to the mall. I spent a fortune on them, as well as on myself. And when I returned home, I made sure that Mario saw the numerous bags in my hands, along with the ones I had to travel back and forth to the car and get. He stood in the workout room with his shirt off, pounding away at a punching bag. I had several bags in my hand, causing him to look at me like I was crazy. I smiled as I placed some of the bags on a weight bench, opening a few to show him what I’d purchased.

  “Do you like these?” I displayed a pair of shoes that cost $2,250. I’d already had the same shoe in another color. “They’re cute, aren’t they?”

  He nodded and flicked his brows. “Real nice, babe, but I already know what you’re doing. You’re trying to upset me. I don’t get upset when you’re spending money because that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

  “Then, you won’t be upset when I show you the other house I purchased, will you? I got it, just in case things don’t work out between us.”

  That made him punch the bag to release some steam. He then came up to me while cocking his neck from side-to-side. “You can buy whatever you’d like. But you don’t need another house because everything is going to work out between us. You’re going to stay right here, with me. So chill, sweetheart, and be happy.”

  I cut my eyes at him and dropped the shoes back in the bag. “I’m trying, but what’s the deal with you and this baby? I want to meet the chick who’s supposed to be pregnant by you. When is the last time you’ve seen her?”

  He shrugged and punched his gloves together. “I’ve only seen her twice, since we hooked up. The first time she told me she was pregnant, the second time she demanded money. There is no reason for you to meet her. She’s a liar and her cockamamie plan isn’t going to work.”

  “I still want to meet her. Do what you can to make that happen, because there are always two sides to every story, sometimes three—as in the number of women you had sex with that night. Without a condom, may I add. Just nasty.”

  This time, he cut his eyes at me and reached for my bags. “Let me help you put all of your things in the closet upstairs. I’m sure you have more bags on the bed too, but you may want to clear it so we can get ready to do other things.”

  I pursed my lips. “Yes, help me clear the bed, and then you can help me order a new car. I’m really feeling that Bugatti your father has. A white one would help alleviate some of the stress I’m feeling.”

  Mario laughed. “I don’t mind buying you a Bugatti, but you have to do something big for me. I mean, so big that I just explode all over the place.”

  “You mean, like you exploded in the woman you have pregnant?”

  “No,” Mario said, grabbing my waist and pulling me close to him. “Like I want to explode in you as we’re making love. Let’s clear our minds and make love. It’s been a long time. We have to put this petty stuff behind us.”

  “I agree, but getting another woman pregnant isn’t petty. Cutting my hair off wasn’t either, and the way you’ve been treating me must not ever happen again. Got it?”

  “Never again, Mrs. Pezzano.” He led the way as he carried my bags upstairs. When we got to the bedroom and he saw our bed covered with more packages, all he did was shake his head again.

  “You’re go
ing to exhaust all of our funds. Then I’m going to make you take every bit of this back for a refund.”

  “Hey, if you can refund my pussy, then we have a deal. If not, just accept the fact that you have a very high maintenance wife who knows for a fact that broke will never define you.”

  Mario laughed, and after he helped me put away the items I’d purchased, we took a shower together. We hit the bed around eleven, but around two in the morning, I was awakened by the news. I heard the reporter mention Travis’ name. I abruptly sat up, and when I saw Travis’ picture on TV, I clamped my hand over my mouth. I couldn’t believe he’d been killed. Talk about being shocked, I was. I shoved Mario’s shoulder to wake him.

  “Baby, wake up,” I said. “Look. Do you see this?”

  “See what,” he replied in a groggy tone. He squinted while trying to focus on the TV. “Who . . . What is it?”

  “Nokea’s boyfriend, Travis, the doctor. Somebody went into the hospital and killed him. This is horrible. I know she’s probably devastated right now.”

  Mario acted as if he didn’t even care. He tossed the sheet over his head and lay back down. “I assume so, but who cares?” he mumbled. “Your body is so soft and warm—I want to feel it next to me. Turn off the TV, sweetheart, and let’s go back to sleep.”

  I kept my eyes focused on the TV, listening to the details. “I can’t believe you’re not watching this. Travis was shot multiple times. Two other doctors were shot too. One in the foot, the other in the hand. They survived. This is terrible. I can’t wait to call Nokea in the morning.”

  “Fine,” Mario mumbled again. “Call her in the morning. Call Jaylin, too, because he’s probably the one who killed him.”

  Mario’s words caused me to pause for a minute, giving what he’d said much thought. That could have been a possibility, especially since there had always been friction between the two of them. I started to worry. If Jaylin had done it, he would surely go to jail. Lord knows I didn’t want anything like that to happen, and I prayed that he wasn’t responsible for this. I kept watching the TV, and when they showed a fuzzy photo of the possible killer, I squinted to see if I could recognize the person. He or she was covered in all black. Had a mask over their face and gloves on their hands. All I could say was the person had a muscular build and was tall. I didn’t know if they were black, white, Asian . . . what race? I couldn’t even see the person’s eyes. Nothing else jumped out at me. Nonetheless, the person on camera was wanted for questioning.

  The following morning, I was up early. Mario had already gotten up and left. I showered, ate a quick breakfast, and then drove to Jaylin’s house to see what I could find out. On the drive there, I called Nokea but she didn’t answer her phone. I left a message, telling her how sorry I was about Travis. She had really been going through it. For this to happen right after losing her father, I knew she was probably losing it. It seemed like things always went from bad to worse. I said a prayer for her, right after I parked my car in Jaylin’s driveway.

  With it being so early, I was surprised to see Shane’s truck. Maybe he stayed the night, but when I went to the door, Nanny B let me in. I immediately asked her about Travis. She was just as clueless as I was.

  “Chile, I honestly do not know what is going on. Jaylin acts as if he don’t have five minutes to talk. He’s in his office with Shane. I think they’re getting ready to go somewhere.”

  “Okay. I’ll make it quick, and I’ll let you know what I find out,” I whispered.

  I headed to Jaylin’s office. The door was open so I didn’t have to knock. He was sitting at his desk, wearing a tan suit and white shirt. Shane was suited up, too. His shirt was burgundy, suit was black. Apparently, they had an important meeting today. The office was lit up with the scent of masculine cologne and much seriousness was on their faces. Their heads snapped up as they saw me come through the door.

  “Not today, Scorpio,” Jaylin said. “Please call later or come back tomorrow.”

  I got straight to the reason why I was there. “I’m glad to see you too, but what happened to Travis? I saw the news last night. Is he really dead? More so, are you the one responsible?”

  Jaylin opened his drawer to remove something. “Why are you over here asking questions? How many times do I have to tell you you’re dead to me?”

  I snapped my fingers. “That’s right. I keep forgetting.” I walked over to the sofa and lay on my back. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “Okay, now you can pretend that I’m speaking to you from the dead. Booooo, Jaylin. What happened to Travis and did you have anything to doooooo with what happened to him and those other doctors?”

  My eyes popped open when Jaylin came over to the sofa, leaning over me. “You play too damn much, and I assure you that this is no laughing matter. No, I did not kill him, but I damn sure wanted to.”

  I sat up, causing him to back away from me. “You are so handsome when you’re angry, but you’re right. It isn’t a laughing matter. I know Nokea is taking this real hard. I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer her phone. You’re not happy about that man being dead, are you? That’s kind of cold, unless you’re lying about killing him or you know who the suspect in all black was on TV.”

  “I saw the image too,” Shane said. “Couldn’t make it out, though.”

  Jaylin shrugged. “Neither could I, but if he’s ever caught, I’ll be sure to hire a lawyer for him and take care of his legal fees.”

  I shook my head at Jaylin’s coldness. “You need to stop. That’s a shame, and I’m going to pray extra hard for you. Now, all jokes aside—where is Nokea? I want to tell her how sorry I am. You may not have liked Travis, but I’m sure it hurts to lose someone you love.”

  “Losing somebody you love ain’t always a bad thing.” Jaylin winked at me. “Now, Shane and I have a few things to discuss. We’d really like some privacy.”

  “Fine then.” I stood to leave. “Before I go, I wanted to let you know that Mario and I will be taking the kids to Belize on a family vacation. We need some bonding time, if you don’t mind.”

  “Before my kids go anywhere with Mario, him and I need to talk and, possibly, reconcile our differences. I’m feeling real salty about some shit right now, but I do feel as if he and I need to work some things out, pertaining to the kids. I also suggest you ask the kids if they want to go. I can tell you right now that LJ ain’t going.”

  “That’s because he’s so funny acting like you are. Plus, all he wants to do is send text messages to that girl he has a crush on at his school. I saw some of those text messages, Dad. It appears that your son is heading down the same path as you. As for Mario, call and talk to him. He’s been in a good mood lately, and I guess I don’t have to tell another cheating man why. Right about now, diamonds are, indeed, a girl’s best friend, and I can have anything . . . anything I want.”

  Jaylin and Shane looked at each other. Shane spoke up before he did.

  “I’ve always liked your style, Scorpio. And if the man wants to pay for his mistakes, let him.”

  I reached out to give Shane dap. “See, that’s what I’m talking about, Shane. I knew there was a reason why I almost fell in love with you. You’re a very smart man, and you’re way smarter than your friend over there.”

  “Well,” Jaylin said bluntly. “I always surround myself with people who are much smarter than I am. That’s why I’m so successful. You may need to start doing the same. And at least I’m not as dumb as Mario’s ass, because cheater or not, those diamonds need to stay at the store. It’s going to take more than a trip to Belize to save your marriage, but I’m sure Mario will appreciate your efforts. The kids may have a good time too, but keep in mind that they won’t be going anywhere until I speak to Mario.”

  “Like I said—call him. If you don’t get a chance to speak to him in a few days, we’re out of here. All of us, Mr. Control.”

  My business was done, so I left Jaylin’s office on a high note. I spoke to Nanny B about Travis being
killed, and I also mentioned taking the kids to Belize. I told her it would be an opportunity for her to get a break. She wasn’t having that and insisted she wanted to go. I managed to talk her out of going. And by the end of the week, I looked forward to spending time alone with the kids and Mario. Hopefully, his conversation with Jaylin would go over well this time.

  JAYLIN

  After Scorpio left, I closed the door behind her. The only reason I didn’t put up too much of a fuss about the kids going to Belize was because it allowed Nokea to have the space and privacy she needed. I don’t think she’d gotten any sleep last night, but this morning, she’d been resting peacefully. In the meantime, in addition to calling Mario, I had to take care of this mess with the police. Shane and I were trying to piece together the story I would say, just to clear my name. Basically, Travis attempted to kill Nokea, I took her to the hospital, went to his job and we argued. After that, he punched me, first, and we started fighting. I left and the rest was history. I didn’t know who had killed him, nor did I know why he was killed. That was as close to the truth as it could get, with the exception of Travis putting his hands on me first. There were plenty of witnesses who would say I was at the hospital to accomplish one mission. That was to beat his ass, and I was the aggressor, not him. It would be my word against theirs. And with Travis being a dead man, he definitely couldn’t tell his side.

  I glanced at my watch. “What time is Frick supposed to be here again? I hope his ass don’t be late.”

  “He said two,” Shane said. “You want to go grab something to eat real quick and tell him to meet us at the police station?”