Double Dippin' (36 page)

“So, why ain’t you tell the dude at the desk?” Shane asked, his face contorted in annoyance. He couldn’t stand Tariq’s wife, there was no getting around it.

“Thought you might want to see your nephew; guess I was wrong.”

Shane’s face softened. “Lil’ Man’s still up?”

“He’s about to fall asleep, but he’s fighting it.” Janelle drifted toward her son’s bedroom. Shane followed.

“Look who’s here, Lil’ Man.”

“Unc Shane,” the toddler said, reaching for Shane.

Shane threw his nephew in the air and caught him, causing the little guy to erupt into squeals of laughter. “Man, you look so much like your pop, it’s scary,” Shane said, observing his nephew with wonder.

Janelle took her son from Shane’s arms. “All right, tell Uncle Shane goodnight. It’s time to turn your light out.”

Lil’ Man said goodnight by opening and closing both fists. Janelle smiled; Shane laughed. He and Janelle had something in common after all. They both thought Lil’ Man was adorable and they didn’t compete for his affection they way they vied for Tariq’s.

“So where’s Tariq? What time’s he coming home?”

“He’s on a job out of town. You two work together, didn’t you know that?”

“We had a little problem in the locker room,” Shane admitted. “I came over to see if everything was cool.”

“He sounded all right when I spoke to him. He didn’t even mention it,” she said, wearing a puzzled expression. “It’s not like Tariq to keep secrets from me. What happened at work?” she asked, her brow arched.

“Something stupid.”

Janelle looked at Shane with penetrating eyes. “Why don’t you like me, Shane?” Her question came completely out of the blue.

Taken off guard, Shane’s gaze dropped to the floor. “You aiight,” he said and then looked up. “But for real though, I don’t like the way you treat my brother.

You treat him like he’s your son—like he’s Lil’ Man or somebody. Tariq’s a grown-ass man; he don’t need you to lead him around by the nose,” Shane said, relieved to release the angry words.

“And what do you really know about Tariq? I’m his wife and I know exactly what he needs and when he needs it. All you can do for Tariq is get him in trouble; break up his happy home life the way you’ve broken up your own. You’re nothing but trouble, Shane,” Janelle said with a sneer. “I saw it the first time I laid eyes on you. If I really led Tariq by the nose, as you say, he wouldn’t even be in the same room with you. I wouldn’t allow it. But having a relationship with you is one of the few things Tariq gets away with.” Her eyes gleamed as she challenged the great Shane—Tariq’s hero. “If I didn’t run a tight ship, who knows…Tariq might have ended up being a no-good husband and a terrible father just like you.”

“Who da fuck you think you talking to? You don’t even deserve to be with Tariq and you know it. It’s a miracle Lil’ Man came out aiight. He coulda caught that shit you got on your face.”

“A birthmark isn’t contagious, you idiot,” Janelle said with a sneer.

“Whatever. But you should be ashamed to be walking around in public with that green shit splattered all over the side of your mug.”

Janelle glared at Shane, but didn’t say a word.

“You only got your hands on Tariq because I was locked up. He must have been crazy. He couldn’t have been thinking straight, fucking around with a ugly-ass bitch like you!”

Janelle didn’t flinch. She smiled. She’d been working out, her body was back in shape. She stood in a sexy stance. “Oh, so you think I’m ugly, Shane?”

After an awkward silence, Shane nodded his head. He turned up the corner of his lip for emphasis.

“Tariq says I’m beautiful. And sexy…so it must be true,” she taunted. She glided toward him. She smiled provocatively as she approached.

“You ain’t shit,” Shane said. He backed up uneasily. “Now you tryin’ to fuck around on my brother.”

“You’re scared of me, Shane, that’s the problem. That’s always been the problem.”

“Why the fuck would I be scared of your
scuggly
ass?” He spat out the words.

“Because I’m too much woman for you. I’m a strong woman. I’m not one of those weak chicks you can treat any way you want. You know I got something that none of your weak chicks have. But most of all, you’re mad because this
ugly
chick took your brother from you.”

Without realizing it, Shane backed into the sofa and fell into a seat. Janelle’s words were like a windstorm, throwing him off balance, knocking him down.

Janelle sat next to him. “You can’t forgive me for taking Tariq, can you?”

“Man, you ain’t take Tariq from me. We’re twins. Can’t nobody come between us.”

“I did and you know it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t all be a happy family.” Janelle’s vocal quality had turned sultry. “Kiss me and tell me if you still think I’m ugly.”

“Get the fuck outta here.”

“Scared?”

“I wouldn’t do that to Tariq and I’m definitely not feelin’ you.”

“I think you are,” she insisted. Janelle pressed her lips against Shane’s mouth.

He felt such hatred for her, he kissed her back hard, trying to hurt her lips. He tried to strangle her with his tongue. He felt like raping her, just to hurt her.

She forced herself into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. She pressed her chest against his, enticing him to help himself to what he wanted.

But he didn’t want her to give it to him. Shane wanted to hurt her, shame her. Show her
he
was a man and not someone to toy with the way she did Tariq.

But before he could turn the tables on her, Janelle softly cupped his face and kissed him again. Her tongue slid into his mouth in a way that aroused him against his will. Janelle took control of the situation and pulled him closer to her.

Her top was damp, which confused Shane. Then he recalled what Tariq had told him…Janelle was still breastfeeding Lil’ Man.

Shane could feel the damp stickiness through his shirt. And then he caught a whiff so powerfully familiar, it sent a flood of images across his mind. He saw his birth mother breastfeeding Tariq while he waited his turn. He felt the sorrow as he tearfully waited.

He felt the disappointment when his mother roughly plopped him on her lap and impatiently stuck her breast in his mouth. He remembered the desperation with which he latched onto her nipple, how hard he had to suck to get just a few drops. There was never enough for him because Tariq had depleted the supply. Unable to draw milk from his mother’s breast, Shane would frantically switch to her other breast. He’d suck hard and urgently.

“Ow!” his mother would say and smack the back of Shane’s head. “Get up; you have to wait until the milk builds back up,” she’d say as she pushed the young Shane off her lap.

The visit to the past sent Shane into a state of profound sorrow. Once again, he felt like a neglected child. An unloved child. Now he remembered clearly. He’d loved his mother with a passion, he’d always tried to please her, tried to make her love him. But she wouldn’t. Everything about him made her mad and caused her to draw back her hand, making him cower as he dodged blows. His mother had loved Tariq but she’d hated him; Shane remembered everything now.

The sweet smell coming from Janelle reminded him of what he’d never had enough of. And like a savage, like a starving man, Shane started whimpering as he ripped the buttons off Janelle’s blouse, moaning and speaking gibberish as he unhooked her bra.

Janelle wore a shocked expression; she didn’t understand what was happening. But when Shane clamped hungry lips onto her nipple, she felt a rush of power and felt instantly victorious. Shane sucked hard as if expecting to be disappointed, but when the sweet elixir touched his tongue and filled his mouth, he moaned in ecstasy as if he’d experienced a lifetime of thirst.

Greedily, he went from one breast to the other, sucking, swallowing, moaning, calling out Janelle’s name. Shane emitted sounds of raw ecstasy that would have frightened an ordinary woman.

But Janelle was no ordinary woman. She withstood the stares of people who deemed her too unattractive and unworthy to be Tariq’s wife. No, there was nothing ordinary about Janelle. And now that she knew Shane’s weakness, she was ready to have something no ordinary woman had. Two men.

It wouldn’t be hard to convince Tariq that the three of them should be together. After all, Tariq had always told her that he and Shane shared everything. Once Tariq was convinced, they’d all move into a larger place.

Janelle looked forward to the day when people would stare, with their big mouths wide open, when she, Tariq, and Shane went out in public. Yes, she’d be adoringly flanked by two handsome brothers. And eventually she’d give birth to a tribe of beautiful children fathered by both men. She’d show the world that she was special enough to have the love and devotion of a set of gorgeous twins.

As she smoothed Shane’s curly hair and caressed his hair on his face, Janelle couldn’t help imagining what a child by Shane would look like. After he finished breastfeeding, she’d consummate the union.

It would be wonderful, she thought wistfully, if she were ovulating; it would be absolutely fabulous if she and Shane were able to conceive a beautiful daughter that very night.

T
hree hundred dollars richer after a sordid tryst with a Caucasian tourist they’d was picked up at a little pub in the Old City section of downtown Philly, Misty felt emboldened by the cash and decided she wanted to look for Shane.

“Let’s take a cab to his brother’s apartment in G-Town,” she suggested.

“You wanna go all the way to Germantown! Damn. Why can’t we get a hotel room on Delaware Avenue and get lit. I’m tired; I don’t feel like running all over the city looking for Shane.”

“I know you’re tired, baby. But just do this for me. Let’s just drop by Tariq’s crib; he’ll give us Shane’s current address or phone number. Then, after we get the info, we’ll go get a room. Okay?” she asked sweetly.

“Aiight,” Brick reluctantly agreed.

The clerk at the front desk in the lobby of Tariq’s apartment building told Misty and Brick that he hadn’t seen Tariq and didn’t think he was home. “But I’ll check,” he volunteered. He called Tariq and Janelle’s apartment. Janelle answered the phone.

“Your husband has two visitors,” the clerk told Janelle.

“Two visitors? Who? My husband isn’t expecting any guests,” she said, angrily.

“Hold up,” the desk clerk said. “What’s your name, Miss?”

He came back on the line. “The young lady says her name is Misty and she’s with her friend…um…Brick.”

“Misty and Brick!” Janelle blurted in shock.

Shane’s dick slipped out of her pussy; he sat up in bed. Janelle covered the phone. “Why would your criminal friends follow you here?”

“I don’t fuck with them no more.” Shane was as shocked as Janelle. Misty and Brick in the building was not a good sign. “Tell ’em I’m not here.”

“Put her on the phone,” Janelle said.

“Hey, Janelle,” Misty said, using a pleasant vocal tone. “Me and Brick was just wondering if you and Tariq have Shane’s address. Or phone number. We been trying to hook up with him.”

“Look, I don’t give out other people’s personal information. So, let’s get something straight. I don’t like you or your man. My advice to both of you is to fuck off and don’t come around here looking for Shane anymore.”

“Dayum. Why you gotta come off like that? I just asked you a simple question, bitch—”

Janelle slammed down the phone.

“That bitch banged on me; she better be glad they got guards and shit up in here or I’d be up there scratching that green birthmark off her ugly grille.” Misty no longer used her childlike voice.

The desk clerk, however, seemed to like Misty’s rough edges. She could see the beginning of an erection bulging in his pants.

Apparently wanting to keep her around a little longer, the clerk volunteered, “You looking for Tariq’s brother? The real tall dude—curly hair?”

“Yeah,” Misty and Brick said simultaneously.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken, he’s up there.” He pointed toward the elevator.

Misty and Brick exchanged knowing looks. She thanked the man.

“Is she your girl?” the horny clerk asked Brick.

Misty gave Brick the evil eye.

“Naw, we just friends.”

The clerk practically rubbed his hands together. “Can I get your number?” he asked Misty while giving her a leering look.

Misty realized the clerk could keep her abreast of Shane’s comings and goings, and therefore didn’t hesitate to give him her number. “Here’s the number to my cell. Call me the minute he leaves.”

The clerk gave Misty a look that asked,
what’s in it for me?

“What time do you get off?” she said sexily

“Midnight,” the clerk readily responded.

“Check this. The right information can get you the best sex in the world—that is, if you like your pussy tight.”

“Aw, you killin’ me, ma,” the clerk said.

“Yeah, well, don’t try to kill me. My coochie tight as a virgin’s. So be gentle with me. Aiight, big boy?” she said and winked. “Hit me up the minute Shane leaves.”

“I gotchu, Little Misty. Damn, you fine.” The clerk looked at Brick, now curious as to what his connection was with Misty. “Y’all related, man?”