Naughty 2: My Way or the Highway (33 page)

We finished our business on the inside, and grabbed some blankets to go outside on the balcony. She leaned over it and I fucked her like fucking was going out of style. I'm sure the neighbors got sick of hearing my name being yelled, but it was the perfect time for them to take notes.

By morning, we had fallen asleep on the chaise while cuddled in the blankets. I woke up before Scorpio, and put on some clothes to go downstairs to my office.

Having everything already planned, I typed my resignation to Schmidt and thanked him for my thirteen years at his brokerage firm. I drew up the Amendments to my will, making Nanny B my sole beneficiary, and LJ and Mackenzie my contingents. I wasn't sure what to do about Jasmine yet, but I recently put another detective on the case to find her, since the one I'd hired before had given up so easily. And as much as I loved Scorpio, a prenuptial had to be prepared. She wasn't going to be happy about it, but I was sure that she'd understand.

After I finished my paperwork, as I'd always done in the past, I wrote a healthy check to the orphanage I'd been in. Then I called my attorney, Frick, and made an appointment with him on Monday. He had other suggestions about my assets and said he'd talk to me about them further.

The rest of my day went down as one of the most peaceful days of my life. We picked up Mackenzie's poodle, and the smile on her face made me want to cry. She, of course, named the poodle Barbie, but as long as Mackenzie was happy, I really didn't care. We spent the remainder of our day catering to the dog, watching movies, and eating up everything in the house.

Everything was relaxing and going smooth. When Nanny B came home on Saturday, we told her about the engagement. She was thrilled and cooked a huge dinner to celebrate. I had no plans on telling anyone who she really was, because it was our secret. However, she did ask me to tell Mackenzie and LJ the truth when they were old enough to understand.

New Year's came and we didn't do much at all. Scorpio and I took Stephon and Mona a bottle of wine, but we weren't ready to make our engagement known until a definite date was set. Stephon questioned me about the ring on Scorpio's finger, but I told him it was a well-overdue Christmas present. I could tell Mona was jealous because every time she looked at Scorpio, she couldn't keep her eyes off the ring.

During our visit, though, I pulled Mona aside and asked her how Daisha was doing. She kind of ignored me at first, but then said that Daisha was doing fine. I still thought about Daisha occasionally, so I asked Mona to tell her hello. After she said that she would, Scorpio and I left to enjoy our New Year and new life together.

Nokea and Collins finally made it back from Detroit with LJ. I asked Nokea to bring him over, but she explained how exhausted they were from the ride. I wanted to see him so badly, though, that Scorpio and I drove to Nokea's house to get him.

Nokea opened the door with LJ in her arms and invited us in. I reached for him and he damn near jumped out of her arms to get to me. I sat on the couch with him and gave him plenty of kisses. Scorpio and Nokea stood by the kitchen's doorway and talked.

When Collins came into the room he spoke to me, and Nokea introduced him to Scorpio. I noticed how he lustfully checked her out like every man does when she crosses his path, but I wasn't the least bit bothered. I went right back to playing with LJ, and Collins came over and sat in the chair beside me.

“Did you all have a good time?” I asked.

“Yes, we had a wonderful time,” he said. “How about you?”

“Best time of my life.”

“Good. Glad to hear that, but you almost didn't get your son back. My mother fell in love with him and we had to literally fight with her to get him out of her arms.”

“Yeah, he is quite charming, isn't he?”

“Yes, he is. But I didn't mention that once we got him away from her, we had to get him away from my sisters. Nokea barely got a chance to hold him the whole time we were there.”

“I sure didn't,” Nokea said. “And I was mad too. But they really showed both of us a lot of love, Jaylin.” She sat on Collins' lap, and Scorpio sat next to me, reaching for LJ. I gave him to her, but Nokea had a look like it still bothered her.

We all kept the conversation flowing, and Nokea asked if we wanted anything to eat or drink. I said yes, and she asked me to come into the kitchen. As soon as I walked in, she drilled me.

“So, what's up with the ring on Scorpio's finger? Are the two of you engaged or something? I don't mean to pry, but I couldn't help but notice.”

“Nokea, you know I've always been up-front with you, so yes, we are.”

“When is the wedding?” she snapped with a noticeable attitude.

“Don't know. We haven't set a date yet.”

“Soon? A year or two from now... when?”

“Nokea, when we decide, I'll tell you, okay? Are you upset with me?”

“No, I'm happy for you.”

“Well, why do you sound so harsh?”

“I'm not.”

I moved closer and stood in front of her. “Yes, you are.”

“Okay, I am. I guess I'm a tiny bit jealous, but that's to be expected.”

“You're right. But don't waste too much time on it. You have yourself a decent brotha. Don't blow it.”

She reached up and touched my eyebrows to straighten them, “If it doesn't work out, you know I'm always here, don't you?”

“I'll keep that in mind.” I embraced her, then kissed her cheek. “I love you Shor-tay,” I mocked.

She smiled. “Don't be calling me that. That name is only for Stephon to call me. And I love you too, Mr. Soon To Be Married Man.”

Nokea told me that she and Pat had mended their friendship. And when I broke the news about Stephon's engagement, she damn near threw me out of the house, saying we were both out of our minds.

Scorpio and I left with LJ and stopped at KFC to get some chicken so Nanny B didn't have to cook again. I was worried about her doing so much at her age, but she was claiming to be young in body, mind, and spirit. One of my main reasons for retiring was so I could help her out with Mackenzie and LJ. And since Scorpio was already planning on returning to school, I would be there to help Nanny B when Scorpio wasn't around. This was such a huge change for me, and only for the woman that I loved, I promised to take it one day at a time.

 

After several months of being a changed man, things couldn't have been better between Scorpio and me. We still hadn't decided on a wedding date, and the engagement was still on the down-low. I was ready to do the marriage thing and get it over with, but she wanted everything to be right. She said that she wanted to make sure my playing days were over before she gave me a date. I was cool with that and went with the flow of things.

Scorpio was already back in school and I was at home being the nanny for the kids. Instead of Nokea's mother watching LJ while Nokea was at work, she brought him over every day. If Nokea was too tired to pick him up, or wanted to spend time with Collins, she let him stay the night. I didn't care, and if I had it my way, LJ would be living with me on a regular basis like Mackenzie was.

As for Mackenzie, she was quite a character.

Scorpio and I knew we had our hands full, and no matter how much we pretended that it wasn't happening, she was way out of control. Every time I'd try to spank her, Nanny B would save her behind. If not that, she'd cry and make me feel sorry for her. I couldn't find it in my heart to hit her, but Scorpio could. She feared Scorpio more than she did me. And every time she did something wrong, all I had to do was say Scorpio's name and she'd straighten up. But it only lasted for a day or two, then she'd go right back to getting in trouble.

Every Saturday was Family Day, so we went to Plaza Frontenac to find a graduation present for Scorpio's cousin. As Scorpio pushed LJ around in his stroller, and I held Mackenzie's hand while looking through the store windows, I noticed Mona and Daisha going up the escalator. Scorpio had stopped to look at some shoes, so I watched them from behind the dark shades I wore. Daisha looked different somehow. When Mona stepped out from in front of her, I realized Daisha looked like she was pregnant. I hadn't talked to or heard from her, but I remembered how funny Mona had seemed on New Year's.

Anxious to find out what was up, I told Scorpio I'd seen an old friend of mine from college, and I was going to go catch up with him. She went into the shoe store and told me to meet her there when I was finished.

I rushed up the escalator and looked around. When I saw Mona and Daisha heading for the parking garage, I hurried to catch up with them. They got on the elevator and it closed before I could catch them. I watched the numbers to see if the elevator was going up or down, and when it showed down, I ran down the stairs. By the time I got to the first floor, they were walking to the car. Mona opened the door to Stephon's BMW, and when Daisha opened the passenger's door, I ran up to the car. I gasped to catch my breath, reaching for the door before she closed it.

My eyes dropped to her stomach. “Are you pregnant?” I asked. “Please don't lie to me because it's pretty obvious.”

She glanced at Mona, then looked back at me. “Yes, I am.”

“Is it my baby?”

“Jaylin, look, I'll call you later, all right?”

“No, Daisha, just tell me. I need to know, please.”

She fidgeted, and then lowered her head. “No, it's not your baby.”

I moved Daisha away from the car door and closed it. “You're lying. I know you're lying because I can tell by how nervous you are. Please, Daisha, tell me the truth. The truth is so important to me.”

“Yes. Yes, Jaylin, this is your baby. Our first time together I conceived a child. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to interfere with your life. I heard about how happy you were and I didn't want to interfere.”

“I am happy, Daisha, but you couldn't possibly think I wouldn't want anything to do with my child.”

“I just didn't want you trying to talk me into having an abortion. This is my first child and I want to have it. An abortion is not an option for me.”

“Who said anything about an abortion? We could have talked through this. I don't want you going through this alone.”

Mona cleared her throat. “Look, Jaylin, we gotta get Stephon his car back so he can get to the shop. Why don't you just call her later?”

“Is that okay? Can I call you later?” I asked.

“Yeah, I guess.” She opened the car door and got in.

I squatted beside her and placed my hand on her stomach. “We can work this out, okay?”

“That's what got us in trouble to begin with. Remember, all that
working out
?” she smiled.

“Having a child is never trouble, Daisha. It's all about how you handle the situation. I'll call you later.”

I stood and watched as Mona and Daisha pulled off.

Why now?
I thought. When everything in my life was going so perfect. I rushed back inside to find Scorpio. When I saw her and the kids standing in line for cookies, I slowly walked toward them, thinking how another woman being pregnant could crumble my relationship with Scorpio.

She saw me and waved for me to come in her direction. For the past several months, she had been on cloud nine. All the trouble we went through just to be together and now this. I really wasn't sure how I was going to tell her, but I knew I couldn't keep it a secret for long. If I did, that would be like denying my own child, and I had no intention of doing that.

Mackenzie ran up to me and took my hand. We walked up to Scorpio and LJ, and Scorpio opened a bag to show me the shoes she bought.

“Baby, did you see them?” she asked.

“Yeah, they're nice.” I was dazed and barely looked at them.

“Are you okay? Did you catch up with your friend?”

“Yeah, I did. That's what took so long.”

“Well, you don't look too good.” She felt my forehead. “You're not warm, but maybe we need to get you home into a nice comfortable bed and place a beautiful woman beside you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Jaylin!” she yelled. “What is wrong with you?”

I snapped out of it and kissed her cheek. “Nothing, baby, I'm just tired. Listen, can we go? I need to lie down for a while.”

After we got the kids some cookies, we headed home. I didn't say much in the car and I could tell Scorpio knew something was wrong. I went from being perky to being a complete slug.

At home, I asked Nanny B to take the kids because I needed some quiet time alone with Scorpio. I thought about what to say to her, and knew the faster I came out with it the better.

Scorpio was putting her bags in the closet, and I sat on the bed staring at her. Noticing my mood, she stopped in her tracks. “Jaylin, why don't you get some rest? You haven't been getting enough sleep, and I'm sure all this ripping and running you've been doing with me and the kids is taking a toll on you.”

“Yeah, it might be, but, uh, come here for a minute.” I scooted back on the bed and patted my hand on the spot in front of me. “Sit right here for me.”

She had a look of concern on her face and sat in front of me. “Jaylin, you're scaring me. I don't like it when you have that look. Are you sick or something? Please don't tell me . . .” Her eyes watered. I promised myself that I would never hurt her again, and placed my fingers on her lips.

“Don't say anything. I have something I need to ask you, okay?” I said, softly. She nodded. “How do you feel about having another baby around?”

Lines appeared on her forehead and she touched my hand. “You know about the baby? How did you find out about the baby?”

“What do you mean by how did I find out? I just found out today.”

“But I...I haven't told anyone about the baby yet. I wanted to surprise you and tell you over a nice quiet dinner tomorrow. So, how did you find out I was pregnant when I just found out a few days ago?”

My mouth hung wide open. I couldn't believe what she said. “Are you... Did you just tell me you're pregnant?”

“Jaylin, you just out of the clear blue sky asked me how I felt about having another baby. I assumed that you knew. But since you've blown my surprise, yes, I'm a little over four months pregnant. Can't you tell by how fat I'm getting? And not only that, sweetheart, I have a date for our wedding in mind.”

There was a blank expression on my face. “So, you're pregnant?”

“Would you snap out of it? Yes, you're going to be a daddy, again.”

“You're sure you're pregnant?”

“Yes! And I have the ultrasound picture to prove it.” She went to the closet and pulled a card from the top. She opened the card and took the picture out of it. “I was going to give this card to you tomorrow, along with the picture.” She gave the picture to me and I looked down at it.

“But, this is just a black-and-white sketchy picture.”

“And this is the baby,” she pointed to a figure on the picture. “Right there.”

“Right where?”

“Are you sure?”

She snatched the picture. “Jaylin! If you're not happy about the baby, then don't be. I'm sorry, I thought you truly would be.” She rolled her eyes and looked away. I pulled her close to me and laid her head on my chest.

“Baby, I'm sorry. I am very happy about the baby, but stunned more than anything. You . . . you caught me completely off guard. I didn't think you wanted any more children.”

“Excuse me, but all this fucking we be doing and you never thought about me getting pregnant? Especially lately. We've been having sex every single day, two and three times, and you didn't see this coming? Besides,” she said, twirling her fingers in my hair. “I always thought about having a blood child with you. And since you're such a wonderful father, and we're going to get married, I've thought about it even more. When the doctor confirmed it, I was shocked, but I immediately thought about that day we were in the kitchen making love and you asked me where I saw us five years from now. Do you remember?”

“Yep. I remember it like it was yesterday. I asked you that question, thinking it was over because I was in love with Nokea. In my mind, I was planning a future with her, but you still had hopes for us.”

“You're right, I did. And I knew how much you loved her. But at that moment, I said I saw us with some more children. I visualized what he or she would look like. And you know what else?” she smiled.

“What?”

“You'd better be careful because twins do run in my family.”

I shook my head. “No, not twins. Twins would send me over the edge.”

Scorpio laughed and asked me if it would be okay if she broke the news to Nanny B and Mackenzie. I told her it was fine and she ran downstairs to share the news with them.

Not being able to swallow the news about having two babies on the way, I took off my shirt and lay flat on my back. What in the hell was I thinking? Thirty-three, five children, and by four different women. I for damn sure was headed for a life full of chaos. I should have used condoms on every occasion, and if I had, there's no way I'd be in this situation right now. There was no way in hell Scorpio would marry me knowing that I had another baby on the way. And Daisha, she was too much of a good woman to be played off by anyone, especially at a time like this when she needed me the most. What in the fuck was I going to do? This was one time I had no solution.

Nanny B and Mackenzie were hyped about the news, and everyone had finally shut down for the night. Scorpio and I made love for hours, celebrating our new baby and our wedding date, which was scheduled one year from today. A whole lot of things could happen in a year's time, but one thing I was certain of, and that was I intended to do everything in my power not to hurt Scorpio again.

Unable to sleep, I stayed in the tub for a while then slipped into my khakis and put on my soft, baby blue polo shirt and cap. I quietly slid on my loafers, and, needing some fresh air, drove to AJ's liquor store on Union Boulevard to buy a bottle of Hpnotiq and a six-pack of Bud Light.

I drove to Forest Park, parked my car near the Art Museum, then climbed all the way to the top to sit. I took a few swigs of the Hpnotiq and popped open several cans of beer. Feeling the way I did, I dared anyone to come fuck with me right about now, including the police. I looked at the stars, and tried to find Mama so we could talk. I didn't hear her voice so I guessed she was busy. I felt sick to my stomach from drinking, and poured a little alcohol on the ground for my relatives who weren't there. If anything, I figured since I was pop'em out like crazy, I'd have this family back to its entirety in no time.

I got fucked up and stumbled back to my car. Missing Nokea's comfort at a time like this, I headed on my way to see her, but then I thought about Collins being there. So, instead, I found myself driving to Daisha's house.

I parked in her driveway for a while and tried to sober up. When I thought I had, I went to the door and rang the shit out of her doorbell. Barely being able to stand, I leaned against the screen door and waited for her to open it. When she finally did, she looked at me like I was out of my mind. She moved aside for me to come in and didn't say a word. My eyes watered and I fell to my knees. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my head against her stomach. Still in silence, she rubbed her fingers through my hair, and I knew she understood my pain.

I looked up and spoke softly. “Just hold me. Please, baby, just hold me.”

She kneeled to my level and looked me in the eyes. A tear rolled down her face. “I love you, Jaylin. From the first day I met you, I knew that I was going to fall in love with you.”

I released my arms from Daisha, and crawled to her living room. I didn't even deserve to have a woman like her love me. I turned onto my back and laid there, thinking about where in the hell I truly wanted to be.