JAYLIN
I was on a serious high after Nokea's phone call. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went for an early-morning jog to calm myself. Later that day, I met up with Shane at the office. We both had been real busy with trying to sell some of the property we'd purchased. Luckily for us, we were about to close on another deal. Shane sat in my office, listening in as I spoke with the man who wanted to purchase the property. He said he could meet us around two in the afternoon to possibly close on the deal. I hung up the phone and rubbed my hands together.
“If I had known I could have made this much money, I would have asked you to move to Miami sooner.”
“You're the one who retired early,” Shane said. “If it wasn't for your retirement, you could have way more money than you do now.”
“I agree, but my babies got me back in action. I gotta make as much money as I can for them.”
“I'm glad to hear that, Jay. You seem to be feeling much better, and I haven't seen you this energetic in quite some time. What's up with the new attitude?”
I smiled and leaned back in my chair. “Nokea called me last night. I had been up, watching TV. When the phone rang, I thought it was you. I peeped the number and saw that it was her. I couldn't wait to push the talk button. She called to tell me about them badass kids of mine. You know she had all of them this past weekend. I never thought I'd see the day that Mackenzie and Nokea would be hanging out together again.”
“Now, that's all right. Did she say anything about y'all getting back together?”
“Nah, she didn't go that far. But it was something in her voice that gave me hope.”
“Well, keep hope alive. Tiffanie told me that they were together yesterday. She said that Nokea was real good with Justin. I think Nokea and Tiffanie are going to meet the wedding planner later today. That will be the fourth or fifth time. I'm supposed to meet up with them too. Tiffanie said Nokea seems a little uneasy at times. Do you think her helping Tiffanie with the wedding may be too much for her?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. And if she couldn't handle it, I know she'd back away from it. I've been meaning to ask you too, are you really ready to do this? I mean, you only shut it down with Joy since this mess happened with Nokea and me. I hope I don't have you rushing into something you're not ready for.”
Shane crossed his leg on top of the other. “I'm more than ready. I love Tiffanie, man. The only reason I was tripping was because I'd been hurt before. I don't have to tell you by whom, but, uh, I like Tiffanie's style. I love how she's got my back. She's always concerned about my happiness, and she was patient with our relationship. She turned up the pressure a little bit, but after a while, that's what a woman is supposed to do. When I showed that I wasn't ready, she backed off. When that shit happened with you and Nokea, I realized then that I didn't want to lose a good woman like Tiffanie. She and Nokea got a lot in common, and I didn't want to move forward with my life having regrets.”
“I feel you on that. I can't keep saying how much I messed up, but this was a true lesson for me. If I could get my wife back, I would never do what I did again.”
Shane hesitated; then he spoke out. “Never say ânever,' Jay. You don't know what the future holds. If somebody would have asked you or Nokea if yâall ever thought you'd be here, y'all would have said ânever.' Life is full of unexpected twists, and we just don't know what it really has in store for us.”
“I agree,” I said, standing up from my chair and stretching. “But life is about learning lessons too. Once you burn yourself badly, you never want to burn yourself again. If my wife returned to me, I would never again do what I did to her. Before you dispute that, let's go discuss it over lunch. We also need to discuss your bachelor party. Are you going all out or what?”
Shane stood and laughed. He gripped my shoulder. “You know what I want to do. The day before I get married, I want to share a wonderful evening on your yacht with family, friends and Tiffanie. I want you to call my mother and invite her, and please do your best to talk her into moving here with me. That would truly mean the world to me. Since you're my best friend, I am counting on you. You think you can handle that for me?”
“Are you doubting me? Man, I could do all of that, and then some. But you'd better have a place for your mama to stay, because she ain't staying with me. She and Nanny B would drive me crazy. I hope like hell that you are packed up and gone, soon!”
“In a month and one week, I'm out. I'll be a married man, and you are going to miss me when I'm gone. Don't be begging me to come back. Even though I'll be right down the street, please call before you come. My wife and me gon' spend a lot of time making some of those babies like yours.”
We started toward the elevators. “Nah, you don't want no babies like mine. They would drive you crazy.”
Shane pointed his finger at me. “You got a point. I love the hell out of your kids, but, man, they fuck me up. LJ and Jaylene done stepped up their game since Mackenzie and Justin showed up. When I dropped off LJ at soccer practice last week for you, I took the others with me too. They were fussing at each other one minute, then laughing the next. And that Jayâ”
“Jaylene,” I said before Shane could even get her name out of his mouth. “I know, she's something else, ain't she?”
“Yes. She was telling LJ, âI'm gon' tell my daddy if you don't give me a piece of bubble gum.' LJ brushed her off and threw his hand back at her. She tried to take his cell phone so she could call you about a piece of gum. I was like, âCome on, Jaylene.' I wanted to stop and get that girl a piece of gum myself. LJ was glad to get out of the car and go to soccer practice. I couldn't blame him.”
I was shaking my head. “That's my fault, man. I'm gon' get her straightened out, but you should have stopped to get my baby some gum. I'm going to holla at LJ about not sharing too. And yes, she did call me on his cell phone that day. I bought her a big bubble gum machine for her room. When you get a chance, go check it out. It's nice, and she got all of the gum she needs.”
“Terrible,” Shane said. “I never thought I'd say this, but you are a true sucker.”
We both laughed. When the elevator started going down, I defended my actions. “I can't wait for you to have kids. You gon' be the same damn way, and there is something about Jaylene that just...” I paused and patted my chest. “It's just all in here, Shane. More so since Nokea ain't around. I get to see Nokea every day, just by looking at Jaylene.”
The elevator opened and a very attractive black woman in spandex workout pants and a half top got on. She spoke to both of us. Shane and I both leaned back a bit, checking out her curves and very shapely plump ass. I observed her while rubbing my goatee and nudging Shane. All he was doing was grinning and keeping his arms folded. As the woman moved her tense neck from side to side, her ponytail swung from behind. She wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead with her hand and sighed. Her breasts rose from the sigh, causing me to bite my bottom lip. Going down on the elevator was pretty quiet. When we all exited to the lobby, she told us to have a good day.
“You too,” I said, but Shane didn't respond. As soon as we were about to spark up a conversation about her, she jogged up from behind us.
“Excuse me,” she said, handing me a card and smiling. “I struggled just a tad bit with my decision, but you're more of my type than your friend is. Besides, I didn't want to let this opportunity pass. Call me.”
She jogged off; Shane and I watched until she was out of sight. I looked at her card and she was a workout instructor, who worked in our building. Her name was Chase Jenkins and a picture of her was on the card.
“See,” Shane said, patting my back. “What did I just say? You never know what your future holds.”
I held the card out for Shane. “If not me, it would have been you. I'm not gonna use it. If you want it, it's yours.”
“I'm good,” Shane answered, laughing. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
As we walked by a trash can, I tossed the card inside. “Like I said, never again. I know what my future holds. I'm sure you know her name by now.”
We walked off and I let out the biggest sneeze ever.
“Damn, bro, what you got? Swine flu or something?”
I sneezed again. “Hell nah. It's just that cheap-ass cologne you got on that's irritating.”
We laughed out loud. Shane and I then walked down the street, debating the kind of cologne he insisted he didn't have on versus the expensive cologne he wore. We always made any simple issue debatable.
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The next day, my cold had gotten worse. I was sneezing all over the place, but I wasn't going to the doctor. My head was starting to hurt and my body seemed to be achy all over. When I got home, Nanny B said that she'd had the same thing, but it was winding itself down. LJ and Jaylene were with their homeschool teacher. When they got finished, Nanny B said, she'd start on dinner. She took my temperature, and it was 101. Always seeing about me, she gave me some Theraflu and told me she'd make me some chicken noodle soup as well. Rest is what I needed, she said, and she ordered me out of the kitchen and into my bedroom.
As soon as my body hit the bed, I felt relieved. My mattress was so comfortable that I quickly got down to my jockey shorts and pulled the comforter over my head. Seeing nothing but darkness, I was out like a light.
What had to be hours later, I felt someone shaking my shoulders. When I quickly jumped up from underneath the covers, my body was sweating all over. It was dark outside, and the lamp next to my bed was on, giving the room a sliver of light. LJ stood with a tray in his hand, and Jaylene had a tall glass of frozen orange juice in hers. A napkin, a spoon and a smoldering bowl of chicken noodle soup were on the tray. I quickly sat up, smiling from the nice gesture.
“Here, Daddy,” LJ said. “Nanny B made this for you. We already had dinner. Sorry you couldn't join us, since you are sick.”
Jaylene was showing her pearly whites too. After I took the glass of frozen orange juice from her, I set the tray on my lap.
“Thank you,” I said, tapping my cheek so they could kiss it. They did; then they sat on the bed to watch me eat. I sat up, closing my eyes and turning my achy neck in circles. I picked up the spoon, putting some of the soup in my mouth. Almost immediately my mouth started to burn. The spices in the soup were so strong that I started to cough. LJ and Jaylene sat with their hands pressed against their cheeks, looking at me with bugged-out eyes.
“Whaâwhat?” I asked, gagging. “What in the hell is in this soup?”
“Spices and herbs,” LJ said. “Don't you like it?”
“And hot sauce too. Nanna include hot sauce in all of her food,” Jaylene added.
I could barely catch my breath. I hurried to set the tray on the nightstand, and rushed to drink some of the frozen orange juice. It was almost too thick to swallow, but the coldness of it cooled my mouth down.
“Nanny B didn't make that soup,” I said, with watery eyes. My throat was burning now. “Who made it?”
“She made it. But we added a little something extra to it,” LJ admitted.
I stared at them with a blank expression. “Where is Nanny B?”
“She's sleeping,” Jaylene said. “We didn't want to wake her.”
I threw the covers off me and slowly staggered toward the door. My legs felt as if they were about to buckle. Because of that spicy-ass soup, I was sweating even more. I hit the intercom button by the door, yelling for Nanny B.
“Please come here!” I said, woozy and about to lose my balance. “These kids are trying to kill me!”
Jaylene tapped my side. “You didn't like the soup, Daddy? We'll go make you some more.”
LJ had sense enough to exit. He eased by me, covering his mouth and then taking off. Nanny B didn't answer me, so I slowly walked to the kitchen. It was not only a mess, but it was a doggone mess. Spices, empty bottles of hot sauce, the blender, ice cube trays, eggsâall of that was on the kitchen table and some on the counters. Orange juice and the big pot with chicken noodle soup in it were sitting in the middle of the floor. Nanny B came into the kitchen, tying her robe and scratching her head.
She squinted, calling for LJ and Jaylene. Of course, now they were nowhere in sight. “What is going on in here?” Nanny B asked. “I thought I put them rascals to sleep.”
“Well, they had other plans.”
Nanny B saw how achy I was and told me she and the kids would take care of the kitchen. “I'm going to go get them right now. I know they're hiding somewhere, but they are going to clean up every bit of this mess. Don't worry and go lie back down.”
She reached for a broom in the closet and started calling their names out loudly.