King's Pleasure (11 page)

D
r. Turner set her pen down. “So let me get this straight. Jeremy’s Baby Girl was actually his best friend Roy’s fiancée?” she asked.

“Yep.” Quentin shook his head. “What are the chances, right?”

“And they had never met each other—even though Jeremy and Roy had been best friends most of their lives?”

“Apparently. As I understand it, Roy met his girl in college when he went to Ohio State. Jeremy went to college in-state at Georgia. He only heard about her around the way—and since Roy is a playa after my own heart, he followed the golden rule of never
ever
carrying your girl’s picture in your wallet. Women love to go through a man’s stuff when they think you’re not looking.” Quentin glanced over his shoulder. “Except for you. I’m sure that you completely trust Reliable Reggie.”

Dr. Turner’s back stiffened. “As a matter of fact, I do. A relationship is doomed if it’s not built on a foundation of trust.”

He rolled onto his side and propped his head onto his hand. “And how long have you and Reggie been laying this foundation?”

She opened her mouth and then caught herself. “Nice try, Quentin. These sessions aren’t about me. And I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable about your interest in my private life. It’s not healthy.”

“What? We’re just two friends talking. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Except for the fact that we’re not friends,” she said gently. “We have a doctor-patient relationship, nothing more.”

Quentin’s sly smile vanished as he plopped back onto his back and rolled over. “All things being equal, Doc, that whole doctor-patient thing sort of makes me uncomfortable too.”

“But it is the truth.”

“You know, Doc, the one thing that I do know is that everyone has their own perspective on what the truth is. It’s all just a fragile belief system. Your truth today may not be true tomorrow. That’s why who you are today is not who you were ten years ago—or who you’ll be ten years from now. So why do we cling to something so malleable, so short-lived?”

“That’s actually very profound,” Julianne Turner said, cocking her head to the side and reassessing him.

“Don’t look so surprised, Julianne. I’m smarter than I look.” He glanced across the room where Alyssa sat, staring out of the window. “It’s just that sometimes I do stupid things.”

“If that’s the case, then you do them intentionally.”

He found his smile again but didn’t respond.

“All right. So what did Jeremy do when he found out that he was dating his best friend’s girl?”

“Whoa, slow down. There were a few things that happened before that blockbuster went down…”

“H
eads up!”

Jeremy belatedly emerged from his reverie and turned toward his right instead of his left, and was popped in the mouth by a basketball. “Damn!”

Roy laughed. “Why don’t you pull your head out of your ass and get in the game?” He pulled up the bottom of his wife beater and wiped the waterfall of sweat off his face. “What is it with you anyway, man? You’re out here half-ass paying attention and we’re losing.”

The Hoopstar laughed. “Not paying attention? Hell, I haven’t noticed. His game has always been suspect to me.”

“Ha. Ha.” Jeremy flashed him the bird. “Sit and rotate, my man.”

The boys cracked up as Jeremy rushed to the sidelines to grab the ball that had just assaulted him. It was one of those rare times that he and his boys got together for a game, since Roy, The Hoopstar and Drake Jennings were usually on the road playing professionally.

“Yo, time,” Roy shouted.

“Time?” The Hoopstar barked. “What, you girls need to powder your faces or something? What’s with this ‘time’ crap? We’re winning.”

“I know such a thing is rare for you two, but I need to check on my man here. Clearly, his mind ain’t in the game.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Drake waved Roy off. “The only reason you two want a time-out is so that you both can come up with a lie for why you had to take this beating we’re putting on you.”

“You know what?” Roy said, turning and flashing them two middle fingers. “My boy was right. Sit and spin, baby.”

Their two opponents cracked a smile but waved him off.

Roy turned his attention back to his boy. “Seriously man, whassup? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your game this
weak
before. You got to tell me something or I’m going to seriously consider getting my ass a new partner. What gives?”

Jeremy tossed him the ball. “Ah, man. It’s nothing. I just got a few things on my mind.”

“A few things like what? How much baby oil to stock down at the club or how much more you’re going to jack the price of those watered-down drinks y’all serve?”

“Ah, man. Get the hell off that.”

Roy laughed. “I’m just saying. It’s not like you have to make too many hard decisions at that place you call a job.”

“Oh, you want to talk about real jobs? I hardly think playing basketball qualifies as a job. It’s just a hobby that pays well.”

“Hey, don’t hate on me,” Roy said. “You should’ve stuck with it in college. Lord knows you had as good a shot if not better than me of getting in the NBA. You have skills—though you can’t tell by the way you’re playing out here today. So why don’t you break it down for me? What’s on your mind so we can get back in this game and shut these fake-ass ballers down?”

“I got your fake-ass baller right here,” Drake said, grabbing and shaking his crotch.

Roy shook his head. “I swear, some of these young-bloods’ mommas ain’t raised them right.”

Jeremy’s lips hitched in a smile. “Nah, man. I’m good. I’m good.”

“Boy, you’re far from good. You just got popped in the mouth with a basketball and you haven’t even checked to see whether you were bleeding yet.”

“Uh? Oh.” Jeremy reached up and touched his lip. He was bleeding. “Damn.”

“Uh-huh. So now will you cut the crap and spit out what’s bothering you?” Jeremy hesitated.

“C’mon. It’s me, your boy.”

He had a point. Jeremy sucked in a deep breath. “Well it’s this one girl.”

“What?” The Hoopstar barked. “Female troubles? I guess that means unlike Jay-Z, your ass got a hundred problems.”

“Do you mind?” Roy barked. “I’m trying to have a private conversation with my man here.”

The Hoopstar’s hands shot up. “All right, Dear Abby. We’ll let you two have your
Cosmo
moment.”

“Chill out with all those chick references,” Roy warned. “You know me and my boy have wiped your rusty butt all up and down this court plenty of times. The mere fact that you two are up a couple points proves something is up. Now fall back before you get knocked back. Besides, it not like you and yours aren’t already having problems.”

Jeremy’s head popped up. “What? You and wife number three on the rocks already?”

Now that his business was on Front Street, The Hoopstar quickly backed down. “Whatever, man. Shoot me the ball. We’ll just play some one-on-one until y’all ready.”

“We appreciate that,” Roy said sarcastically, and then threw the ball over in his direction. “Here. Now take your freakishly tall ass on somewhere.”

The Hoopstar and Drake peeled off, laughing while Roy turned his attention back to Jeremy. “A’ight. Now you have my full attention. What’s up, Dr. J?”

“I think it’s time to retire that nickname.”

“Nah. You earned it. You must’ve played doctor with every girl in a ten-mile radius of our neighborhood when we were young.”

“Man, you’re still hating on that?”

“No hate. I was just happy to be around to pick up your leftovers.”

“Yeah, I think they like to call boys like you
scrubs.
”

“Please don’t. Those days are long gone. Now I’m pulling my weight with the ladies.”

“Now it’s
lady
—one.”

“A’ight. You ought to know better than that.”

Jeremy shook his head again. “Haven’t you ever heard that anything worth doing is worth doing right?”

“C’mon, Jeremy. You’re not new to the game. You know it’s impossible for brothers like us to be tied down to just one woman. One? For forever?
Forever ever?
” he said in his best Outkast remix. “It’s not going to happen—and it certainly ain’t going to happen with me. Don’t get me wrong, I love Leigh. That’s my heart. But a leopard can’t change its spots.”

“Sooo. You guys are just going to have an open marriage?”

“
I’m
going to have an open marriage. She is going to lock those knees together.” Jeremy laughed.

“Look. Leigh isn’t new to the game. After college, we somehow managed to stay together even with my butt being traded to three different teams. She knows the life. Every pro athlete’s wife does. Hell, I’ve even been caught a few times. A couple of kisses, some flowers, and—you know—the apology tour. And everything is good to go. We’ll just play the game. Hopefully I’ll be better than my boy Tiger, and everything is gonna be all good. You feel me?”

Jeremy tossed up his hands. “My name is Les and I ain’t in that mess. You do you.”

“Always.” Roy smiled. “Now we’re supposed to be talking about you. And frankly, I don’t think that I’ve
ever
heard you say that you were having problems with the opposite sex. Has the world been turned upside down or something?”

“It feels that way,” Jeremy said. “The baby girl that got my mind spinning, I met at Freedman’s bachelor party.”

“Freedman—Dylan Freedman? Hell, I didn’t know he was getting married. How come I didn’t get an invitation?”

“Probably because he doesn’t like you.”

“Not like me? What’s there not to like?” Roy said, trying and failing to sound hurt.

“I don’t know. It might have had something to do with you always beating him up back in junior high.”

“Oh, please. Talk about carrying a grudge. Anyway, you met ol’ girl at the party, and…?”

“No, no. Not just any girl. I’m telling you that this chick really had it going on. She had the face of an angel and her body was just sick.”

“Let me guess, you recruited her to be a Dollhouse Doll and now she’s at the club driving you crazy?”

“Nah. Nah. It’s nothing like that. Though if Baby Girl was ever looking for a job she definitely wouldn’t have to audition. I mean, she had a lot of dudes up in there stuck on stupid—tongues rolling out on to the floor. Brothers were getting checked and dismissed on the dance floor.”

“Damn. Shawty sounds hot.”

“Trust me. You would’ve liked this girl. We probably would’ve fought to the death over her.”

“Aw. Damn. Now I really hate that I didn’t get an invitation to that nerd’s party.” Roy’s lips stretched. “So I know you stepped up and showed the fellas how a real playa put it down.”

“Well, I don’t want to brag.” Jeremy pretended to pop his collar. “But I tell you, man, I don’t know what the hell she did to me, but I can’t get Baby Girl off my mind. I mean it’s all the time. When I wake up in the morning, when I’m at work—” he gestured to the basketball court “—or even when I’m playing.”

“Did she cook for you? She might’ve put some roots on you,” Roy said, suspiciously.

Jeremy laughed. “Maaaan.”

“Nah. Check it. You’d be surprised what some of these females out here will do to land a successful brother—and you definitely have a big target painted on your forehead, baller.”

“Boy, squash that. Everything was all good and then the next morning Baby Girl was gone.”

“Did she leave money on the dresser?”

“What? No. What’s with you and Q with that?”

Roy shrugged. “I’m just saying that would’ve been really jacked up.”

“No money on the dresser.”

“A’ight. So y’all hit it and quit it. What’s the problem? Your butt is surely familiar with the term
one-night stand.
”

“I told you. I can’t get the girl off my mind,” Jeremy said, frustrated. “Twenty-four-seven—and I don’t know her real name. Then, check this, out of the blue she pops up at The Dollhouse with her girl—”

“Ahh. She swings both ways.” Roy bobbed his head. “I get you. You want advice on how to steal her from her lesbian girlfriend.”

“What? No. Damn, man. Will you stop interrupting and let me finish?”

Roy shot his hands up in the air. “My bad, my bad. Continue.”

“Baby Girl and her friend showed up wanting to hire the Bachelor Adventures to do
her
bachelorette party.”

He frowned. “I didn’t know you guys did bachelorette parties.”

“What am I, talking to an idiot? We don’t. That’s not the point. The point is that she’s
engaged
—about to marry some clown out here.”

“Ahh.” A light finally shone in Roy’s eyes. “I see. Daaammmn. So what are you going to do?”

“Normally?” Jeremy shook his head. “I’d fall back and play my position. I try not to play ball in another brother’s court, you know what I mean?”

“True dat. True dat.”

“But I don’t know, bruh. I got the girl alone in my office…and she’s definitely still feeling me…and I’m sure as hell feeling her.” Almost ashamed for even contemplating trying to steal another brother’s girl, Jeremy dropped his head. “Baby Girl got me twisted. And what’s crazy, I
still
don’t know her name. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Now that you mention it, you kind of look fevered around the eyes.”

“Can you be serious?”

“Aw, man. Don’t let it get you down,” Roy said, slapping him on the back. “These things happen.”

“That’s the best you got?”

Roy shrugged. “‘This too shall pass’?”

“Gee, thanks. I’m starting to remember why I don’t come to you for advice.”

“A’ight. How about this, ‘all in love is fair’?” he said, and laughed. He sobered looking at Jeremy’s expression. “You like this girl, go get her. Engaged isn’t the same as being married—right? Engagements fall apart all the time. Why the hell you think I’m trying to get my girl down the aisle as soon as possible?”

Jeremy reflected on the advice and liked what he heard. “You’re right.” He bobbed his head. “Thanks, man.”

“Heeey. That’s what I’m here for. Now that we got your bottom lip up, let’s go mop the floor with these clowns.”

“You got it.”