Moss, my church’s sexy organist, walked into my house. There was no question in my mind that Jackie was intoxicated, but even drunk, Jackie’s presence had a way of warming my heart and chilling my soul. It had been obvious from the first time we met that there was a mutual attraction between us. I’ve got this thing for green eyes, and Jackie’s were the greenest I’d ever seen.
“Jackie, what are you doing here?” I couldn’t help but stare.
Ignoring my question, Jackie strolled over to my living room bar, taking out two glasses and filling them with Hennessy, then offering me one. It almost fell to the floor in our exchange.
“You’re drunk?”
“Uh-huh. I wouldn’t be here unless I was.”
“So, why are you here?” I asked again.
Jackie gulped down the entire glass of Hennessy, giving me a look that told me everything I needed to know and more. “I came here to get you to cancel this ridiculous wedding. You can’t marry fat-ass Alison Hendy.”
“Why?” I snapped, not happy about the insult to Alison, “because you’re jealous?”
Jackie laughed. “Whether I’m jealous or not doesn’t matter. The whole congregation is laughing at you, Brent.”
“So, let them laugh. What are they going to say when Alison and I are still together forty years from now?”
Jackie frowned. “Brent, you’re the most handsome man in the church. People like you and I aren’t supposed to get married.”
“How can you say that? You’re married.”
Jackie placed the glass back on the bar and approached me. “That’s exactly why I’m telling you that you shouldn’t. You don’t really love her.”
“I do love her, Jackie. She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman.”
“Please. Then why are you looking at me that way? You can’t even take your eyes off me. You know it’s me you really want.”
I tried to look away, but the truth is the truth. I did want Jackie. I’d never met anyone so attractive, so perfect, but my mother always warned me that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. In Jackie’s case, Momma’s words rang truer than ever, because my true soul mate was already married—to a prominent member of our church. In another place and another time, our fates probably would have been different. I’m sure it was the Lord who intervened and forced First Lady Wilson into introducing me to my bride-to-be, Alison. If she hadn’t, Jackie and I would have probably started an affair that would have rocked the church. And that was something I would never do.
“Sometimes what you want isn’t necessarily what you need,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I will not give in to lust. I love Alison, and I’m going to marry her.”
“You don’t love her. Not the way you could love me.” Jackie stepped up and kissed me like I’d never been kissed before. My entire body began to tingle and blood was rushing to places it shouldn’t have been. I was so turned on it took everything I had to pull myself away.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Jackie. I do love her. Maybe not in the physical sense like you’re offering, but in an emotional and spiritual sense that will last a lifetime. Now, I think you should leave.”
Jackie grinned at me wickedly. “Do you really want me to leave, Brent?”
I was hesitant, but I nodded.
“Okay, I’ll leave. But not before I give you your wedding present.”
“What wedding present?”
“This one.”
Before I could respond, Jackie’s lips were pressed against mine and a warm, Hennessy-flavored tongue parted my lips and began to explore my mouth. The alcohol taste didn’t bother me at all, and we kissed passionately for a good ten seconds. This time, I couldn’t hold myself back. Believe it or not, it was Jackie who ended our kiss abruptly with a grin. “Now, that’s a present I’m sure you’ll carry with you throughout your marriage. Feel free to share it with your new wife anytime you like. I’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding.”
And on that note, Jackie strode toward the door and walked out.
9
James
It was late and I was watching Ving Rhames play the new Kojak when my cell phone rang. The caller ID had my home phone number on it, and I immediately turned the sound up and switched the TV from Kojak to BET, where music videos were playing. I was hoping to give my wife the impression I was at a strip club. I know what you’re thinking. Why the hell would I want my wife to think I was in a strip club? Well, it’s a hell of a lot better than telling her that I was at my former mistress’s house babysitting the son she said was mine.
“Hello?” I raised my voice, trying to speak louder than the 50 Cent video on the TV.
“James, honey, it’s me!” she yelled back to make sure I heard her.
“Hun, you’re gonna have to speak up. I can barely hear you with this loud-ass music.”
“What time are you coming home?”
“Three, four, depending on if we decide to go to a diner. We just got to the club about an hour ago. We’re not doing anything, Cathy, just looking, honest.”
“I know. I’m not tryin’ to bitch. I just wanted you to wake me up when you come home.”
“Wake you up for what?” I didn’t like the sound of that. Cathy tried to act like she wasn’t, but my wife was a jealous woman…a very jealous woman. She was always snooping around my shit, checking my phone, my pockets, and my car. She never found anything because I wasn’t doing anything, but you’d be surprised by the coincidental shit that got me in trouble.
“You’ll see.”
“Come on, Cathy. What you gonna do, give me the sniff test again?” I laughed, but I was only half-joking.
“No, baby, I’m gonna give you the hardness test, so be prepared to stick your plug in my socket. You got a problem with that?”
A smile crept up on my face. No, I definitely didn’t have a problem with that. We hadn’t had sex since the night Michelle sprang the news on me about Marcus being my son, and I was in definite need of some stress relief.
“No, ma’am. I don’t have a problem with that at all. Matter of fact, I’m about ready to blow a fuse right now.”
“Well then, I’ll see you when you get home. Don’t forget to wake me up.” Now that’s what I was talking about. I couldn’t wait to get home.
I hung up the phone and turned the TV down just as Marcus walked into the room, wearing a Pull-Up and dragging a blue stuffed bunny behind him. Believe it or not, this was the first time I’d seen him, other than a picture or the quick peek in his room when I arrived.
On my way in, Michelle had rushed out the door to a waiting cab. “He’s asleep and he shouldn’t wake up before I get home around four, but if he does, take him to the bathroom then give him some juice in his Lion King sippy cup. He’ll go right back to sleep after that,” she said over her shoulder. “Oh, and the dog’s in the laundry room. Let him out in the backyard to do his business if he starts to whine.” Ain’t that a bitch? Not only was I babysitting, but she had me dogsitting too.
“Mommy! Where’s my mommy?” Marcus was on the verge of tears.
Suddenly, as I stared at him, a chill ran through my body. This had all just seemed like a bad dream, but now here was this kid, in the flesh, needing, wanting, and crying. Up until now, I’d pretty much convinced myself that there was the possibility that I was Marcus’s father, since I was at the scene of the crime, but not the probability, since I wasn’t the only one she was having sex with. I mean,