Chapter 11
Nokea
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When I woke up, Jaylin was still sleeping. I had dozed off between his legs, and he'd held me tightly in his arms all night long. I rose up a bit and glanced at the clock: one-fifteen in the afternoon. Waking up this late hadn't been in the plans, but we couldn't help ourselves. We hadn't been this connected in a very long time. I was so glad to have my man back in my possession.
I lay there for a while staring at Jaylin snoring, one hand resting behind his head, turned and sunken into the plush pillow. His hair had curled up even more from all of the sweating last night. Even resting peacefully, he was one handsome man. I took my fingers and rubbed them through his hair. I gently placed my lips on his to wake him, but he didn't budge. I straightened his thick eyebrows and rolled my fingertips across his long lashes. He still didn't move, but when I rubbed myself against his goods, then backed up like I was getting out of bed, he squeezed me around my waist and smiled.
“Where do you think you're going?” he whispered.
“You can stay here and sleep the day away if you'd like. I'm getting ready to go get our son.”
“And how do you think you're going to get there without a car?”
“My dress is dry. I was planning on hitching a ride from someone. I'm sure somebody would be happy to pick me up.”
“Well, let me get up. I sure in the hell don't want nobody picking my woman up from the street.” He removed his hand from behind his head. “What time is it?”
“Almost one-thirty in the afternoon.”
He put his hand back behind his head. “Shit, it's still early. I thought it was at least four or five.”
“Jaylin, get up so we can go get LJ. He's been with Nanny B all night and I miss my baby.”
“He's all right. I already called to check on him and Mackenzie this morning. Nanny B said she was cooking breakfast and the kids were still asleep. She said when they wake up, she's taking them to the mall, then to see her sister.”
“Quit lying. You've been laying your butt in this bed knocked out since last night, snoring.”
“Naw, that would be you snoring, not me. I dropped the phone when I finished talking to Nanny B and you still didn't wake up.”
“Whatever, Jaylin. I do not snore,” I said pointedly.
“Besides, I would have felt you move and heard you talking on the phone. And I've been messing around with you all morning.”
“Incorrect. You haven't been messing with me all morning. You just woke up less than thirty minutes ago. You looked at the clock, stared at me for a while, played around with my hair, straightened my eyebrows, poked me in the eyes, kissed me, and now you're hoping that I'll get your juices flowing again.”
“That's not fair. Were you pretending to be asleep? You couldn't have been awake because your eyes were closed and you were snoring. As for making love to me, trust me, I've had enough for at least . . . two weeks.”
He laughed and wrapped his legs around my body. “So what, I was pretending. But I'm not pretending when I tell you I want some more juicy-juice before we go.”
“So, I see you're rejuvenated again, are you?”
He smiled. “Naw, baby. I'm just excited to have my pussy back, that's all.”
Jaylin and I made up for lost time, and didn't leave the Ritz Carlton until six o'clock. I stood out front and waited for him to get his car. Like a true gentleman, he opened the door for me and shook his head when he closed it. He smirked when he got in.
“What's on your mind?”
“Nothing.”
“Why do you keep smiling then?”
“Because I'm a happy-ass man, Nokea. That's why.”
“No, I think it's more to it than that. It's the dress, isn't it? Please don't start with me today, okay?”
“I haven't said a word about it. However, I do want you to do me a favor when we get to my house.”
“And what might that be?”
“Please, take that son of a bitch off and cut it up. I don't ever want to see you in it again. That damn thing had my ass hard as a rock. The last thing I want is another brotha to get the same ideas I have.”
“No way. I paid $350 for this dress, and I'm not going home to cut it up because you can't handle it.”
At the stoplight, Jaylin pulled his wallet from his pocket. He took four one-hundred-dollar bills out and laid them on my lap. “When we get to my house, I'll give you something to change into, since I just bought that dress from you.”
I threw the money at him and rolled my eyes. By the time we pulled into his driveway, we were still debating the dress. Surprisingly, Scorpio was standing outside leaning against her car while talking to Nanny B. Mackenzie was inside the car, and LJ was clinging to Nanny B's leg.
Jaylin looked uncomfortable, and when I leaned over to kiss him, he gave me a quick peck on the lips. He at least opened the door for me, but before I had one foot on the ground, he rushed over to pick up LJ. Mackenzie got out of the car, and Jaylin took her hand. He didn't say one word to Nanny B or Scorpio and went inside. I stayed outside to talk to Nanny B and Scorpio, who looked very upset.
“Was LJ on good behavior last night Nanny B?” I asked.
“Yes, he was Nokea. He wasn't no problem at all. He was tired from all that company yesterday.”
“Well, thanks for watching him. I told Jaylin how much I miss him when he's away from me.”
“I know how you feel. That's my baby too, you know. I enjoy having him and Mackenzie around. I took them to see my sister today and she fell in love. You two really have some beautiful children. I was just telling Scorpio that before you and Jaylin came.”
“Thank you. I don't know what we would do without you.” I kissed Nanny B on the cheek and gave her a hug.
The whole time I stood talking to Nanny B, I could see the fury in Scorpio's eyes as she checked me out. She'd never given me a second look before because she'd always felt as if she was more attractive than I. True to the fact or not, I definitely had her attention today.
“Nokea, that's a beautiful dress you're wearing,” Scorpio said, staring.
“It is pretty, and sexy too. I noticed it when you got out of the car. And that color really looks good on you,” Nanny B added.
“Thanks,” I said. “Jaylin hated it, though. He complained about how revealing it is. We argued about it last night and this morning.”
“Well, I like it,” Nanny B insisted. “Turn around. Let me see how the back is made.”
“It's nothing spectacular.” I turned around. “The color is what makes it.”
“No,” Scorpio said. “I think it's your thin waistline and your petite body that makes it. And since it's one of those dresses you can't wear any panties with, I don't quite understand why Jaylin wouldn't like it. Any woman with that kind of dress on would be right up his alley. Since it was on you, I'm sure he was pleased.”
Nanny B pulled out a cigarette from her pocket. “On that note, I'm going to take a smoke break. Don't y'all tell Jaylin I'm out here smoking because he will have a fit.” She laughed and walked off.
“Listen,” Scorpio said. “I didn't mean to be so bold, but it is a nice dress. If I had it, I would definitely wear it whether Jaylin likes it or not.”
I smiled, thanked Scorpio for the so-called compliment, and went inside the house to get LJ. She followed. We walked upstairs to Jaylin's bedroom, and heard him loudly talking on the phone, laughing. He was lying across the bed talking to Stephon with LJ sitting on his stomach, and Mackenzie laying her head on his chest.
“Man, you are a fool,” he paused. “Let me hit you back in a lil' bit, though, all right?” He sat up.
“Come on, Mackenzie. Let's go,” Scorpio said, holding out her hand for Mackenzie to take it. Mackenzie rolled her eyes and got off the bed.
“Why she gotta go? I'll bring her home later,” Jaylin said, pulling Mackenzie toward him.
I picked up LJ because I didn't want him in the middle of an argument I truly felt was about to go down.
“Jaylin, she needs to spend some time at home too. She's over here more than she is at her own damn house.” Scorpio looked at Mackenzie. “Now, go get your things and let's go.”
“Just in case you didn't notice, Scorpio, this is her house too. I said I'll bring her home later.”
Scorpio gave him a hard stare. “Playboy, don't argue with me right now, okay? I'm bound to say something I might regret, so it's best that you let us leave quietly.”
Jaylin laid back on the bed, put his hands behind his head, and looked up. “Well, the Playboy says she stays and if you got a fucking problem with that, too bad.” Before Scorpio could say anything, I turned toward the door with LJ. “Nokea!” he yelled. “Put my son back down. I was playing with him, if you don't mind.”
“Mackenzie, go downstairs with Nanny B,” Scorpio insisted, and pushed Mackenzie toward the door. I moved and let Mackenzie pass.
“Jaylin, look, I'm just taking LJ downstairs out of the way,” I said.
“Put him on the damn bed like I told you to!” he yelled. I ignored him and turned back to the door. He hurried off the bed, but Scorpio stood in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks. Nanny B came up the steps, her forehead lined with wrinkles. She took LJ from me.
“What in the hell is going on up in here?” she asked.
“Jaylin, I know I don't hear you yelling at these women like that.”
“Hey, I was in here minding my own damn business, and they're the ones strolling in here, taking my kids like I'm not even here. What kind of shit is that? So, now, fuck it! Everybody can get the hell out.” He went over to his nightstand and grabbed his keys. He tossed them to Nanny B and she caught them. “Please take Nokea and LJ home for me. I don't want you burning all the gas out of your car.”
“Jaylin, I'll take them home, but when I come back we need to talk. This type of behavior doesn't make any sense and you know it,” Nanny B said, jiggling his keys.
Scorpio was so frustrated that she grabbed Mackenzie and left. I waited in the hallway with LJ while Nanny B went to get her purse. Jaylin yelled down the hallway from his room, “Nokea!”
“What?” I yelled back and went into his room.
He came out of his closet with a long white Ralph Lauren shirt and some jogging pants in his hand. “Take off that dress and put this on.”
I put my hand on my hip and shot him down with fury in my eyes. “I will never understand how you can make love to me like you did today, tell me you love me, and then come home and act like a complete idiot.”
Nanny B came into the room and took LJ from me. “We'll be in the car waiting.” She walked out.
“Nokea, just take off the damn dress and put this on, would you?” He reached out to give the clothes to me. I snatched them from his hands and threw them on the floor.
“I will do no such thing. I'm one minute from losing my religion on you. Please don't make me go there, okay?”
He bent down and picked up the clothes. He held them out to me again. “You're one minute from losing your religion and I'm five seconds from snatching that motherfucker off you. So, take the damn dress off like I asked you to.”
“No!” I screamed. “For the last time, Jaylin, I said no! This is my dress, I like it, and it stays on me. If you don't like it, fuck you!” I turned to walk away. When I reached the top of the stairs, he grabbed me from behind and pulled on the dress, ripping the back of it. He stood holding part of it in his hands. I seethed with anger, and smacked him as hard as I could on his face. He rubbed it and grinned.
“So, you got your lil' smack, and I got what I wanted. Just don't touch me like that again or I'll hurt you.”
Standing there half-naked, I snatched the clothes from Jaylin's hand and put them on.
“You are one sexy-ass woman when you're mad,” he said, reaching for my waist.
I pulled away from him. “If you want to bring out this
sexy
woman you think I seem to be by cursing at you, and by putting my hands on you, please just leave me alone. My parents didn't raise me to disrespect the ones I love. How about yours?”
“Ouch. Now, you really didn't have to go there. But if you must know, nobody taught me shit. If anything, you should know by now that when I say something, I mean it. Next time I tell you to do something, just do it. Then, all this kind of tedious bullshit can be avoided.”
“Thanks but I already have a father, Jaylin. I'm not in the market for a new one. And if I were,” I said, walking down the steps, “it wouldn't be you.” He stood at the top of the staircase, smiling at me like he truly got a kick out of the entire situation.
After Nanny B dropped us off, I gave LJ a bath and laid him down for the night. I checked my messages. Everybody had called. Mama and Daddy were upset with me for not bringing LJ over yesterday, Pat was cursing me out for not calling her back, and Jaylin called about ten times apologizing. I called Mama and Daddy back and explained why I didn't come over yesterday, and then I called Pat and apologized to her.
When I told her I spent the night with Jaylin, she hung up on me. She called back two minutes later and apologized and we made plans to get together for dinner the following Friday. As for Jaylin, I deleted his messages. His mind needed some serious rest and I was in no mood to argue with him again.