Ex-Player: Jaylen and Jessica, #5

By Shaquanda Dalton

For ex-player, Malcolm, trying to become a good, one-woman man for his beautiful girlfriend Kayla is turning out to be harder than he ever expected. The thing is, the hoes keep coming whether he's single or not. The past is not easily forgotten and old habits are hard to break. When old flings come knocking at his door and new women introduce themselves, will he have enough willpower to resist temptation or will his player instincts kick in and end up turning his life back to where he started, alone and single?

One thing's for sure. It's easy to say you're good, but it's hard as hell to stay that way.

Ex-Player is a stunning novella based off the Jaylen and Jessica series that will take you through every emotion and leave you feeling excited, warm, and thankful for the people in your life. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shaquanda Dalton
• Release date: Mar 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781386243236

Shaquanda Dalton

Shaquanda Dalton currently lives in Milwaukee, WI where she continues to fufill her passion of writing until it turns into a full time career. She also enjoys reading teen fiction and will  be working on a YA book in the future.  Please connect with her through Facebook, Shaquanda Dalton, or through email [e-mail]

Book preview

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my fans because without the high demand this book wouldn’t be possible. Enjoy your read.

Chapter One

I pull my car in front of my apartment building, ready to go inside and relax after working at the bar since ten a.m. this morning. My neighborhood, which is normally loud and obnoxious this time in August, is peaceful right now. It probably has a lot to do with the storm clouds above looking like it‘s about to pour a flood. But there‘s still old folks sitting on their porches with no roof covering. They’re smiling, talking, and people-watching like they’re undercover cops.

Before I can even step a foot out of my car, my phone rings. Yes, Mom? I ask in the voice you make when someone calls right before you’re about to do something.

Hey, Malcolm, sweetie. I can’t figure out where Jaylen put them diapers for Jamie. Do you know?

I sigh. No, I don’t.

Well, I can’t find them anywhere, and I already looked all over the place. I just can’t remember where he put them. Unless maybe I took them out the bag and forgot—

Mom, I say, because I know that if I don’t interrupt her she’ll talk my ear off all night. I think maybe Jess put some extra diapers in the car seat.

Ohhh. Okay. I’ll check there. Love you, baby.

Love you too, Mom.

I hop out of the car to head inside. Calvin, who lives in the apartment building next door, comes outside holding his pants up in one hand and trying to walk cool. Eh, what’s good, my man? he says. He’s forty-two, still staying with his momma, no job, and two kids. He makes his money doing odd jobs around the neighborhood: shoveling snow in the winter, raking leaves in the fall, mowing grass in the summer, and I don’t know what the hell he does in the spring. Maybe help old ladies clean or something.

Nothing much. What’s good with you? I say, locking my car and walking toward my building. He follows me.

Chillen, chillen. Eh, where yo’ bro Jaylen at? I haven’t seen him at his bar all day, Calvin asks in his usual hype voice.

He out of town. Why, what’s up?

I was just checking. I was gonna ask him if he could help a brother out with a job. You know I’m good for it. His gold-plated teeth are showing.

Yeah, naw. We ain’t even hiring right now though.

He frowns, then quickly perks up. Alright, I’ll catch you around. He jogs up to his house again and doesn’t stop until he’s inside. I’m starting to think that nigga might be on drugs.

Either way, I shake my head and go inside my building before it starts raining.

Hey, Kayla says looking beautiful as usual, smiling up from her position on the living room floor. She’s not alone. My one-year-old niece Jaslene is playing with toys between her legs. How was work?

It was straight. Kind of getting a feel of how my brother runs both of his bars every day.

I see—’cause you look tired, she says, playing with the thick patch of hair on Jaslene’s head. Her afro looks about three inches thick right now. Why don’t you stay home tomorrow and I go to work?

I chuckle a bit, then lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek. I can honestly say I’ve never thought I’d find myself in a committed relationship with a woman. Naw, I never saw that shit coming, but it did. And she’s fine too. Not that the other girls I messed around with in Chicago wasn’t fine, because believe me, they are. I dated women with double-D breasts, twenty-four-inch waists, five-foot-eight-inch-long legs, and smooth caramel faces that would make any man fall to his knees.

But see, my woman Kayla’s all that plus more. She has the most angelic brown eyes I’ve ever seen, with breasts and ass big enough to cause car accidents. But she’s more than that too. She’s the only woman I wanted that didn’t give a fuck if she didn’t have me. She’s the only woman that’s truly been independent of men and does things her way. And she definitely don’t put up with none of my shit. So you know she doesn’t put up with anyone else’s.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m six foot three, with long braids, and I’m devilishly handsome myself, but me and Kayla reached an understanding. She don’t like me seeing other women, and I don’t like her seeing other men, so to prevent that from happening, she moved in about a month ago, and we’ve been official ever since.

You’re good. I got you, I say. It’s only for the rest of the week. I’ll be good.

No, I’m telling you I want to go back to work. I’ve got clients calling, asking where I’m at, and these women don’t play when it comes to getting their hair done, she says, her eyes locked hard on mine.

Can’t someone else do their hair? One of the other worker women or something? I ask, tickling Jaslene under her chin. I try my best to avoid eye contact with Kayla ’cause I know her ass gon’ fight me about her work.

No, she says, then smiles. I’m the best one there.

I laugh. Okay, well, um. I’m not changing no diapers, so I think the best decision for the baby’s sake is for you to stay here. Look, I’ll give you a break right now. I scoop Jaslene into my arms and swing her around. I know my sister-in-law, Jess, would probably say I’m gonna get her dizzy or sick, but I keep on spinning, then toss her in the air, and Jaslene just laughs and laughs, bringing an air of innocent fun into this place I’ve never heard before.

You better not drop her, Kayla warns, standing up and heading toward the bathroom, or Jaylen and Jess gone kill yo’ ass—

They on their honeymoon—what they can’t see can’t hurt them, I say jokingly. Then I press my niece’s face against my cheek. I ain’t gon’ let nothing happen to my little angel!

Kayla comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later when I’m sitting on the couch with Jaslene in my lap. Comfy, are you? she asks, giving me a coy smile.

Wait, wait, wait, I say right before her butt hits the couch. Before you sit down, can you do me a favor?

What?

Can you make dinner?

She hits my shoulder. Nigga, I’m thinking you wanted something I could hand you.

I shrug, trying to keep from laughing at her. I never said that.

She rolls her eyes and is about to head to the kitchen, when the doorbell rings. You expecting somebody?

I think about Calvin from next door and wonder if he’s asking for money. No, but I’ll find out who it is.

I set Jaslene on her blanket on the floor. It’s most likely Calvin again since the only other person I can think of would be my mom, but she lives an hour and a half away in Aurora, and she’s babysitting my other niece, Jamie. I look through the peephole, and my heart rate increases. Shit, it’s Chanel, one of my old lovers.

Well, who is it? Kayla asks, standing next to the couch with Jaslene by her feet.

Uh . . . The doorbell rings again. Nobody. Probably wrong address.

It’s not nobody. Just open the door.

After a few seconds I still can’t think of a single thing to say. I haven’t seen Chanel in over a year, but the last time I saw her, me and her were inseparable for a while. Just nonstop, no sense, commitment-free sex, and I loved every minute of it. Then she got clingy, so I cut her off. She was cool about it at the time. But I have no idea what she’s doing here now. I mean, the bitch didn’t even call first.

Malcolm! Chanel screams through the door. It’s me—Chanel. I know you’re in there. I can hear you talking.

I peek back at Kayla and gulp. Her eyes feel like they’re piercing into my soul.  And I didn’t even do nothing. I swallow hard and lean my chest against the door. Go away, Chanel, I call out.

I knew it. I knew you were here! Come on, let me in. I’m just standing out here. I got this little dress on, and I don’t want the neighbors to think—

Go away! I’m not uh interested anymore. Damn, it was hard to tell that lie. Chanel has one of the finest bodies I ever banged. She was a little bit of an airhead, but that ass was rockin’.

There’s silence for a while, and I keep my eyes on the door as much as possible, but I still see Kayla’s death stare out of my peripheral