Naughty 3:

Book 3: Naughty

by Brenda Hampton

Genres: African American Urban; African American Women's Fiction; African American Romance

Synopsis

Look up the word “playa” in a dictionary, and you’ll find a description of Jaylin “Naughty Boy” Rogers. He’s always lived up to his bad boy persona, and there doesn’t appear to be a woman in the world who can wash her hands of this addictive man. Now, the time has come for him to make some critical changes, or else his playing days are about to get him played.

Even after Jaylin fails to prove to Scorpio that he’s a one-woman man, she still can’t let him go. Their relationship revolves around lies and manipulation—and electrifying sex. Scorpio’s serving it up on demand, until she finds out that Jaylin’s lifetime love, Nokea, just might be serving it up again as well.

Just when Jaylin thinks he’s got the world in the palms of his hands, “Jaylin’s World” slips away. He’s not being too particular with his female companions, and settling for anything sends him plunging into a lonely life without anyone by his side. Can he wake up and smell the coffee before it’s too late, or will a change for this man just never come?

Release date: January 10, 2013

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

BUSTED was written all over my face. I stood between Scorpio, the woman I loved, and Daisha, the woman I desired for the moment. When Scorpio reached up and tried to punch me again, I quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her. I wanted to mess her up, but since I knew I was wrong, I pulled her inside of Daisha’s house and comforted her in my arms. Daisha walked by us, excusing herself. Scorpio didn’t say a word; she was numb. When I opened my mouth to apologize, she shoved me backward and abruptly walked off.

I had some explaining to do to Daisha, so I stood in the doorway and watched Scorpio leave. Her eyes met with mine, and even though she hadn’t said much, I could tell exactly what her thoughts were. Obviously, she was tired of my bullshit.

What in the fuck was I thinking, though? I tried to be the man Scorpio wanted me to be, but the news about Daisha being pregnant kind of messed up everything. I didn’t want to leave Daisha hanging, and as for my child, the thought of not having him or her in my life was bugging me.

Fucking her last night was wrong and I knew it, but I couldn’t help myself. I ain’t never been the type of brotha to turn down no good pussy. Thing is, I didn’t know what Daisha wanted from me. By the looks of things, she must have thought I was ending it with Scorpio to be with her. Scorpio, though, had something that no other woman had, other than Nokea once upon a time, and that was my heart.

Scorpio drove off in my Porsche and I closed the door, taking a deep breath. Daisha was sitting on the couch with her head on the armrest. I put on my clothes then sat next to her, holding her hand. Her eyes were watery, so I held her close to me for comfort. She laid her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

“You still love her, don’t you?” she whispered.

“I never stopped, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be a part of my child’s life.”

“But what about what you said last night? You told me you loved me and said—”

“Daisha, honestly, I can’t remember what I said. I was full of alcohol, stressed the hell out, and had no business coming here. Seeing you naked last night made me—”

“Freaky as hell.” She laughed.

“Okay, if you say I was, then I guess I was. I didn’t mean to mislead you in any way. I’m trying to deal with Scorpio and you being pregnant, and it ain’t easy.”

Daisha sat up and her eyebrows rose. “You’re kidding me, right? Is she really pregnant too?”

“Yep. I thought you knew, especially since y’all tried to set a brotha up this morning.”

She shook her head from side to side. “No, sorry, but, uh, that’s not how it happened. When I pulled up, she was already outside.”

“Really?”

“Yes. After I got out of my car, she came up and asked if you were here. Seeing how angry she was, I wasn’t about to lie to her.”

Thinking about Scorpio, I stood up and felt my pocket for my keys.

“I . . . I really need to go home and—”

“Go handle your business, Jaylin. Whenever you have time, you and I need to talk. Soon. I told you once before I didn’t want to interfere, but I’m not going to allow you to run to me when things aren’t going smoothly at home. It’s not fair to me, nor will it be fair to your son.”

I smiled at Daisha’s news. “So, it’s a boy, huh?”

“Yes. A wiggly one at that.” Daisha took my hand and placed it on her stomach. It excited me to feel him move, so I sat back down and pressed my ear against her stomach.

Daisha laughed. “What are you listening for?”

I rose up. “I was listening to my son telling me what a wonderful mother he’s got; how much I should appreciate her for understanding me, and for not being mad at me for saying and doing what I did last night.”

“Like I said before, we’ll talk later, okay? Besides, I kind of took advantage of the situation anyway.”

“You did, didn’t you? If I don’t remember much about last night, I do remember you unzipping my pants and riding my thang like you did.”

Daisha chuckled and held my hand as we walked to the door. Before I stepped outside, she rubbed her fingers in my curly hair and stared into my eyes. “I can’t wait to have our baby, Jaylin. I hope our son has your hair and beautiful gray eyes.”

“If he belongs to me he will. In the meantime, take care of yourself. I’ll be back to see you soon.”

I leaned forward to embrace Daisha, but she didn’t want to let go. She sniffled, and when I pulled away from her, I saw that her almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears.

“Damn, Daisha, you’re making me feel like shit. I said I was sorry, and—”

She touched my chest and motioned for me to leave. “Trust me, it’s okay. I’m just emotional right now, but I understand that you have a critical situation to work through.”

“Are you sure you understand? I mean, you have to know I never wanted to hurt—”

She nodded. “I know. Just call me later, all right?”

I gave her another hug and left.

On the drive home, I thought about LJ, the son I already had, and how delighted I was to be having another one. He and LJ would be good for each other, and I would give them every opportunity to grow up together.

I knew the whole situation wouldn’t sit right with Scorpio, and I pondered what I would say to her. I was sure she’d seen Daisha’s stomach, and my lie about Daisha being one of Stephon’s ladies wasn’t going to work. I figured she was probably already packed and on her way out with Mackenzie.

Thinking about Scorpio taking off with Mackenzie, even though she wasn’t my biological child, I hurried, not wanting her to leave. When I pulled up, I was surprised to see my Porsche in the driveway. I was even more surprised when I walked into the kitchen and saw Scorpio at the kitchen table reading the St. Louis Post Dispatch with Mackenzie’s dog, Barbie, in her arms. She ignored me, so I sat at the table to get her attention.

“Do you see the mark you put next to my eye?” I asked.

She continued to focus on the paper. “Good. I wish I would’ve done more than that.”

“Where’s Mackenzie and Nanny B?”

“Gone.”

“Do you know where?”

She looked up and snapped. “To the grocery store.”

“Cool, then we got time to talk, right?”

She huffed and slammed the paper on the table. “About what, Jaylin? How sorry you are? How this shit is never going to happen again? Or maybe about how much you love me?”

“Yeah, well, a li’l of that, but more so, you need to understand why I went to Daisha’s house last night.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, raising her voice. “I need to understand why you’re out there fucking other women when I have sex with you almost every single day? Whenever! However! And wherever you want it! You have got some nerve coming in here telling me what I need to understand!” She pointed her finger at me, continuing to yell. “You’re the one who needs to understand that the bullshit stops here and now. There was no reason for you to do what you did to me last night, and I will never ever forgive your ass.” Scorpio tossed the newspaper on the floor and scooted her chair back. I grabbed her hand so she wouldn’t walk away.

“Are you finished?” I asked casually.

She snatched away. “Hell no! As a matter of fact, I’m just getting started.”

“Well, let me know when you get finished so I can tell you what really happened. And if you leave before I can at least explain myself, then your loss, not mine.”

“Leave? Uh-uh. I ain’t going nowhere. You dragged my butt out of Denver, gave me this . . . this bullshit-ass ring!” She pulled the ring off her finger and threw it at me. “So now you’re stuck with me, bastard! Remember, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health . . . and nothing, Jaylin Jerome Rogers, will keep us apart. So use me whenever you want—that’s all I’m good for. Your doormat I will continue to be, so feel free to step all over the woman you claim to love.”

“Come on now, baby. I know you’re upset, but it ain’t even like that. If you would just listen, I’m sure you’d understand.” Scorpio folded her arms and tapped her foot on the floor. “Would you at least sit down?” I asked politely.

She rolled her eyes and plopped down in the chair. I shamefully lowered my head and then looked over at her pretty self sitting close to me. Her long hair was resting on her left shoulder, her light skin had a silky glow to it, but her seductive eyes were red and swollen from all the tears that had fallen. Never seeing her react so coldly toward me, I rubbed up and down her shapely legs and then placed my hand on the side of her face. She sat motionless, and when I leaned in to kiss her, she turned her head.

“Don’t try to manipulate me, nigga. Just get to the point,” she yelled.

I quickly backed up. “Nigga? You have got to be out of your motherfucking mind disrespecting me like that. Now, I’ve sat here and listened to you go on and on, but I will fuck you up, Scorpio, pregnant or not. I understand your pain, but I will not be called a nigga by my own woman, especially if she ain’t one hundred percent black her damn self. Either you’re gonna sit here like you got some sense and listen to what I have to say, or we can have this discussion some other time. The choice is always yours.”

She scooted the chair back and got up. Before she pushed the kitchen door open, she turned to me. “I’m in no mood for one of your pep talks. And how dare you talk about respect? What a joke.” She walked out.

“You’re damn right I want respect,” I yelled out. “As long as you’re in this—my damn house, you’d better remember what the definition is!”

I was pissed off, but at the same time, I tried to understand how hurt Scorpio was. Thing is, though, I wasn’t going to walk around my own house being miserable. As far as I was concerned, if she was that unhappy, then she could leave until things cooled off. I had much love for her, but if she didn’t want to listen to what I had to say, what else could I do?

I sat in the kitchen for a while and came to the conclusion that maybe I was wrong. Scorpio was dealing with a lot too, and it was time for me to put the shoe on the other foot. I went upstairs to my room and saw Scorpio lying across the bed, looking at the plasma TV on the wall. Barbie was in bed with her.

I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat. “Now, you know I don’t play that. Please get the dog off my bed.”

“You don’t say nothing to Mackenzie when she puts—”

“Scorpio! Put the damn dog on the floor before I—”

Scorpio put Barbie on the floor and she ran up to me. I picked her up and took her into Mackenzie’s room. I placed her on her doggy bed beside Mackenzie’s bed and rubbed her. I told her to stay, and then hurried back to my room. The shower was on, so I went into the bathroom and sat on top of the Jack and Jill sinks to watch Scorpio wash herself.

Moments later, she turned around and noticed how mesmerized I was by looking at her body and her barely poked-out belly that had my baby inside. It was evident that she tried to cover up her tears by allowing the water to fall on her face. I felt terrible. There was no justification for what I had done. I wanted—no, I needed her to understand how sorry I really was. I stared back at her, closing my eyes to fight back my own hurt. When she pushed the glass doors open, I hopped down from the counter. She didn’t come out, so I stepped inside of the shower with her, fully clothed.

“Why do you keep doing this to me?” she said while pounding her fist against my chest.

I held her in my arms and kissed her forehead. “I didn’t intentionally try to hurt you. I love you, baby, and you have got to believe me when I say that.”

As her body trembled, I squeezed tighter. I lifted her chin and placed my lips on hers. She accepted my kiss. Wanting to make love to her, I hurried out of my wet clothes. I backed her against the wall and she held on tightly around my neck. I lifted her, and when she straddled my hips, we stood full of emotions while looking into each other’s eyes.

“Baby, I don’t know what is wrong with me,” I admitted. “I . . . I need you. Please don’t think about leaving me. I promise you we’ll get through this, okay?”

“Whatever you say, Jaylin. It’s whatever you say.”

I slid myself inside of Scorpio and felt relieved. She closed her eyes, leaned her head to the side, and sucked in her lips. As I worked her insides so well, she lowered her legs and turned around so I could work her from behind. Trying to show her how much I wanted her, I massaged her butt cheeks apart, got on my knees, and licked her from front to back. She shook all over, and as I was all into it, it seemed as if she still couldn’t stop crying. I was hurt too, but damn. Her being so emotional kind of messed up my mood.

The sex was over before it got started. I turned off the water and sat on the seat inside of the shower. I held Scorpio’s hands as she stood in front of me.

“Are you going to forgive me?” I asked. “If not, let me know now. I still have something I need to tell you, and once I do, I hope like hell that we can move on.”

She loosened her hands from mine and left the shower. As she reached for a towel in the closet, I took it from her and wrapped both of us in it. Scorpio stood motionless with her head against my chest, not saying a word. Maybe reconciling with her was going to be more difficult than I thought, but there was no way in hell I would accept losing her.

Words couldn’t express how hurt I was. I’ll be the first to admit that Jaylin’s good loving, along with his smooth talking, had me all messed up. He had no idea how much he had broken me down, and I was doing everything in my power to stay strong.

After we had sex in the shower—and that’s all I seemed to be good for—I stayed the night in one of the guestrooms. The nanny who took care of all of us, Nanny B, came in to check on me, but I told her I needed some time alone. She told me that when I was ready to talk, she’d lend me an ear. Thing is, I was devasted about Jaylin going back to the playboy he was, and I didn’t quite know where to turn or what to do.

For months, I had a private detective keeping an eye on Jaylin. Before I decided to go through with our marriage, I wanted to be sure he was a changed man. So much for that. I was so glad that I hadn’t become his wife just yet. He was almost perfect—up until last night.

When I called the detective, he had given me Daisha’s address, told me where I could find Jaylin. I couldn’t resist going.

My heart ached when I saw his car parked outside of her house, but more so when I saw her get out of a car and noticed her swollen stomach. I knew he wanted to tell me the baby was his, but would he also be honest about what happened between them that night? Realistically, Jaylin spending the night with a woman and not having sex with her was impossible. I knew something had gone down, and frankly, I was too damn hurt to face the truth.

I lay in bed gazing out at the blue sky, thinking about the control Jaylin had over me. Lying around and feeling sorry for myself had to stop. I’d never let any man upset me like this, and I couldn’t believe I allowed him to keep on doing it.

By 9:30 A.M., I got out of bed and went into our bedroom to put on some clothes. Jaylin was still asleep, but when I opened the closet, he rolled over and looked at the alarm clock.

“Where are you getting ready to go?” he mumbled.

“Out.”

“Out where?”

“Somewhere. I don’t know.”

He pulled the covers over his head. “If you’re not back by midnight, just make sure you call.”

I ignored his comment, changed clothes, and headed downstairs to the kitchen, where Nanny B, Mackenzie, and Barbie were. Nanny B had breakfast on the table, while Mackenzie sat next to Barbie, rubbing her.

“Good morning,” I said to Nanny B, then bent down to give Mackenzie a kiss on the cheek.

Nanny B said good morning back, and so did Mackenzie. “Mommy, why did you sleep all day yesterday? Daddy said the baby needed some rest. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s right honey; it did.” I picked up a piece of toast. “I’m on my way to the doctor for a check up. Would you like to come with me?”

“No, that’s okay. Nanna’s taking me to the toy store today. I’ll go next time.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

“Scorpio, you need to eat a little bit more than toast, don’t you think?” Nanny B said.

“I’m not hungry. Besides, I’m trying to watch my weight as much as possible.”

“If you insist. Just make sure you eat something later. I know you’re trying to avoid looking like me with all this meat on my bones, but you have to eat for the baby.”

“I’ll eat something later, especially if you make a pot roast. I’ll be the first to dive into it.”

We laughed as Jaylin came into the kitchen. Nanny B handed him some orange juice and he took a seat at the table next to Mackenzie. He played with her and Barbie. After I excused myself from the table, he finally said something to me.

“Say, uh, I forgot where you said you were going,” he said.

“I didn’t say.”

Nanny B shifted her eyes from me to him. Obviously, she could cut the tension with a knife. “She’s going to the doctor, and she shouldn’t be going alone. I’m taking Mackenzie to get some toys, and before I come back, I’m stopping at Nokea’s house to get LJ. Jaylin, since that leaves you with nothing to do, why don’t you go to the doctor with Scorpio?”

“Uh-uh, Nanny B,” I declined. “That won’t be necessary. Besides, I’m going shopping after I leave the doctor’s office.”

Jaylin scooted the chair back. “Then that’s my cue. I don’t need you spending any more of my money, so let me go put on some clothes right now.”

I rolled my eyes as Jaylin hurried out of the kitchen to change clothes.

Nanny B glared at me. “What’s going on with the two of you now?”

“Trust me, you don’t even want to know. Besides, I’m sure Jaylin will tell you all about it. I really don’t have the energy to discuss it right now.”

“Well, whenever you feel like talking, just know I’m here.”

I kissed her and Mackenzie on their cheeks and told them I’d be home by the time they made it back.

As I was about to back out of the driveway, Jaylin ran outside, shirtless.

“Damn, can’t you wait? I said I was going,” he griped while pulling the shirt over his head.

“Well, hurry up.”

I unlocked the door so he could get in. “I’m a little nervous about you driving my car. Do you mind pulling over so I can drive?” he asked.

“I’ve driven your car before, so what’s the problem all of a sudden?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. You tell me. You’ve been on this . . . this emotional roller coaster, and I don’t want you messing up my Porsche ’cause you’re upset with me.”

I pulled over to the side of the road. “You don’t have any sympathy for me, do you? Not only that, but you haven’t a clue what I’m going through.”

“Yes, I really do. But how can I fix things if you won’t even listen or talk to me?”

I folded my arms. “So, okay, I guess you want to tell me Daisha is pregnant by you, right?”

“Yes, she is. If you hadn’t stayed in Denver fucking around for as long as you did, then maybe—”

“Maybe, my ass. If I were here in St. Louis at the time, she’d still be pregnant. Besides, I wasn’t in Denver last night when you took it upon yourself to go fuck her.”

“Why are you assuming that I slept with her last night?”

“Because you did! Don’t sit there and try to lie about it, Jaylin.”

“I should plead the fifth, but I was under the influence of alcohol. I had just found out yesterday that she was pregnant too, and I didn’t want anybody’s feelings to get hurt.”

“So screwing her was your way of making sure she didn’t get hurt?”

“No, I didn’t go there to fuck her. I went there to find out about my child. I passed out on the floor, and, uh, things kind of . . . you know.”

“No, I don’t know. Things kind of what?”

“I can’t remember. I told you I passed out.”

“So, she initiated sex, not you?”

“Yes, she did.”

I tooted my lips. “Are you trying to tell me this woman raped you?”

“No, but she was very persistent.”

“In other words, you knew that you were about to get some.”

“Sort of.”

“Don’t bullshit around with me, Jaylin. Did you want to have sex with her or not? Yes or no, and I’ll leave it at that.”

He smiled and winked at me. “You promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

“Then yes, Scorpio, I wanted to have sex with her.”

“Why?” I screamed and slammed my hand against the steering wheel. “Why, when I give you everything that you need?”

“I can’t answer that because you just made me a promise. You said that after I told you, you would leave the situation alone.”

“I know what I said, but I will never understand you. For the past few months, we’ve been so happy, and now you’ve messed up our relationship for one night in the sack with another woman. Accepting the baby is one thing, but allowing this relationship between you and her to continue is—”

He reached over and put his fingers on my lips. “Listen. All I can say is it won’t happen again. I tripped and I’m sorry.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out my engagement ring. “Now, would you please put this back on?” I snatched the ring from his hand and looked at it. “I’m entitled to a few mistakes, aren’t I?” he asked.

“Zero,” I said, giving it back to him. “That ring means nothing to me if you’re not going to be right.”

Jaylin put the ring back in his pocket and I got out of the car to let him drive.

When we got to the doctor’s office, he stayed in the waiting area to finish his phone conversation with Stephon. I was called to one of the examination rooms. When Doctor Birch came in, he patted my leg.

“How have you been feeling, Scorpio?”

“I’ve been okay. I haven’t been as hungry as I thought I would be. Sometimes I feel as if I have to force myself to eat.”

He gazed over my chart. “You haven’t picked up much weight, and for you to be . . . nearly five months.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. It couldn’t be, I thought. “Four. I thought it was four.”

“No, five. The ultrasound showed your conception date to be roughly in November.”

“No, I thought you said December.”

“I don’t think so, because according to this chart,”—he showed me the chart—“I wrote down November. I could be wrong, so we’ll set up another ultrasound today and go from there.”

“Thank you.”

When Dr. Birch walked out, I couldn’t help but think about my time in Denver.

Jaylin came in and interrupted my thoughts. Seeing that I was naked underneath the white gown, he got on the examination table and playfully kissed me.

“Come on,” he said, unzipping his pants. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten down on an examination table.”

“And you never will, so get up.”

“Damn, you ain’t no fun. All I need is five minutes.”

I thought he was playing, until I looked down and saw how hard he was. “You can get that thing up anywhere, can’t you? I can’t believe you’re serious about this.”

“Don’t I—I mean my dick look serious? Shit, I ain’t playing.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and when Jaylin walked over to the door and locked it, I knew just how serious he was. He aimed Monster Dick in my direction and stood at the end of the table. He noticed the stirrups and pulled them out.

“Damn,” he said, laughing. “I have always wanted to do this shit.”

I was kind of curious myself, but I was still upset with Jaylin for what he’d done. Deep down, I knew he loved me, but he sometimes had a funny way of showing it. Today, I wasn’t giving in to him. There was no way I could see myself opening my legs to him after what had happened between him and Daisha.

When Doctor Birch and his nurse came back in, Jaylin was on his phone and I was reading a magazine. Doctor Birch said he was ready to do my ultrasound, so I asked Jaylin if he wouldn’t mind leaving the room.

“Why? I wanna see the baby too.”

“I’ll show you the picture later. I don’t want you to know what sex it is. Please . . . let it be a surprise, okay?”

He pecked my lips. “You’re lucky I love you like that. I’ll be in the waiting area, and if not, look for me in the car.”

“Will do.”

Jaylin left, and Dr. Birch and his nurse continued with my ultrasound. After all was said and done, he confirmed the baby I carried was conceived nearly twenty weeks ago, which put me in Denver, Colorado at the time. In shock, I dropped my head and let the tears fall because I knew there was no way in hell this baby was Jaylin’s. It had to be Rick’s baby, the exterminator that I slept with twice because of the loneliness I felt from losing Jaylin.

I had gone to Denver just so I could get away from my Jaylin drama, but I wound up bringing more drama to myself. When the condom tore, I was deeply concerned. I hadn’t even enjoyed my time with Rick, and my feelings were not there. It was simply something to do to pass my time away, to minimize my hurt.

I couldn’t believe this saga for nothing in the world. Somebody or something didn’t want us happy together. The thought of being pregnant by Rick did cross my mind, but as much as Jaylin and I had sex, I was almost positive the baby was his.

Unable to come out of my trance, I sat in the room alone and tried to figure out my next move. Jaylin had come clean about his situation with Daisha, and as angry as I still was about what had happened, I now had an even bigger fish to fry. There was no way in hell he would understand my situation. I couldn’t let him go on thinking this child was his, but I didn’t know where to begin with telling him the truth.

After I put on my clothes, I went into the waiting area to find Jaylin. He wasn’t there, so I went outside. He was in his car, talking on his cell phone. He smiled as I walked toward him, and I knew he couldn’t wait to hear about the baby. When I entered the car, he ended his call and pecked my lips again.

“So, do we have ourselves a girl or a boy?” he asked.

I put on the fakest grin ever. “We have a healthy baby, and for now, that’s all I’m going to tell you.”

“I’m sure I’ll get it out of you. Did everything else check out okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Dr. Birch wants me to eat a little bit more, that’s all.”

“Well, I’m taking you to dinner tonight. Stop worrying so much about your weight, baby. You look spectacular.”

“Thanks.” I leaned over and kissed him again. “I needed to hear that.”

“Why? I always tell you how beautiful you are, don’t I?”

“Yeah, you do. I just don’t know if my being beautiful is going to . . . never mind.”

“Hey, what’s in the past, let it stay in the past. After today, I don’t want to talk about anything that’s happened before. You understand?”

I nodded.

The ride back to the house was quiet. I told Jaylin I wasn’t feeling up to dinner that night, and Nanny B, LJ, Mackenzie, Jaylin and I watched Madea’s Class Reunion in the theater room downstairs. I could barely concentrate on the movie because I knew time wasn’t on my side. Jaylin had to be told the truth, and delaying the news wasn’t going to help either of us one bit.

Things between my new man, Collins, and I were off the hook. I felt as if I were over Jaylin, after years and years of loving him more than life itself. Because of our son, LJ, our relationship had become one of the friendliest, respectful, and most considerate relationships. Had I known we could get along this well, I would’ve suggested us breaking up a long time ago.

Jaylin confided in me a lot, and I did the same with him. I’d finally met Collins’ ex-wife a few weeks ago, and nervous about meeting her, I called Jaylin to address my concerns. He told me I didn’t have anything to worry about, and gave me the confidence I sometimes didn’t have when it came to other women. Jaylin stressed how beautiful I was and talked about my inner beauty as well. We both laughed when he made me a bet that Collins’ ex was ugly, and when I saw her, I laughed because he was right. She wasn’t anywhere near as attractive as I was, but I knew Collins was attracted to her because of her intelligence and her body—for those were the only things she seemed to have going on.

As for Jaylin and Scorpio, I knew sooner or later something was bound to happen. He called the other day and told me things weren’t working out too well for them. When I asked what had happened, he insisted we’d discuss it when I picked up LJ from his house on Friday.

When Friday rolled around, I hurried to Jaylin’s house from work so I could make it to Collins’ place by seven. He promised LJ and me a home-cooked meal, so I didn’t want to miss out.

I was quite surprised to see Scorpio open the door, when Jaylin clearly said things weren’t working out between them. However, I knew she always had a way of smoothing him over, and he the same.

“Hi, Nokea.”

I stepped inside. “Hello, Scorp. . .