Sherry called Chrissy and they chatted for a while. As to be expected, Chrissy was eager to hear about how it was going. Sherry spilled on the experience of taking care of another person's child...especially when that somebody comes from a wealthy background. Chrissy had already heard about Darren being a one-night stand from a couple of years ago. This fact made her all the more anxious to hear what was going on between him and Sherry. Early on, Chrissy had been the one to label such an interview “freaky” because it was just that unbelievable.
As Sherry approached the final part of the story about she and Darren’s lov
emaking session out on the terrace that stormy night, she heard the front door opened. She jumped up off of her bed and peered through the curtains, down toward the street. There in front of the house, she saw Darren’s MKZ. Parked behind it was a Rolls Royce. Everything about the vehicle dripped with money. Sherry then turned toward her bedroom door. Talking in the foyer drifted up into the rest of the house.
“Chrissy, I’ll have to call you back,” Sherry said, quickly.
“Huh?” Chrissy said. Sherry’s long pause had been enough suspense. Her friend had just gotten to the part where Darren was looking at her with eyes that made her melt. “You didn’t with him, did you Sherry?”
Sherry giggled. A brief wave of guilt came over her, but she too was anxious to share the details with Chrissy. “Really, Chrissy… I gotta go.”
“Just say yes before you hang up,” Chrissy said. “Sherry, tell me you didn’t sleep with the guy...the guy whose child you’re taking care of. Sherry?”
Sherry stared down at the floor for a moment, in thought. At times, the connection she had with Gabriel seemed so natural that she forgot to look at this like a job. It certainly didn’t feel that way. “Chrissy, I’ll call you later and finish.”
Sherry hung up as Chrissy was pleading for more details. She looked over her makeup – teased her hair a bit – then stepped out into the hallway. Feeling invisible, she stood at the top of the steps and listened to Darren interact with his mother and aunt. A grin formed on her face when Gabriel started crying out just after Darren said something about him waking up in a roar any given moment. Based on what Sherry heard, it sounded like Darren handed baby Gabriel to his mother. The woman who Sherry heard talking after Darren saying ‘Mom’ then changed her voice to that of baby talk. She shook her head as she thought back to Darren’s description of his mother. Even though the woman was clearly trying to be affectionate, she sounded so stiff—so corporate. “I see what he’s talking about,” Sherry mumbled to herself.
Sherry listened to their discussion for a few minutes more. It amazed her how much someone can read a person just by listening to them talk. She reflected back to working at The Blue Ivy… a thought which then turned the corner and circled the block to somehow wind up back at Darren.
Just as she built up the courage to head downstairs, a broad-shouldered shadow suddenly reached out over the staircase. Sherry stepped back, startled at first. She then realized it was Darren, only moments before he shouted up, “Sherry! You here? Sherry?”
Sherry glanced away for a moment, trying to think about whether or not she wanted to be here. Darren had said she would be free of her duties until 8:30ish – a little less than an hour from now. Glancing back down the hallway, her bedroom door represented her opportunity to be invisible. Feelings for Darren were becoming so strong she knew guilt would eat her up if she were to reject coming down. Does he want me to meet his family?
Darren started climbing the steps before Sherry could decide her response. She spoke up quickly. “Yeah, I’m coming.” She headed down, meeting Darren on the half-way landing. He looked her up and down and smiled. She looked flustered, maybe even a bit anxious. Darren chuckled, said hello, then explained, “I was thinking maybe you could come down and meet my mom and aunt. They were asking about you, since...you know...you’re Gabriel’s nanny. If you don’t want to, I understand. It’s not that big’a deal. They’ll be leaving soon so you could just come down then and get Gabriel.”
Sherry nodded quickly. “No, no, that’s okay, Darren. I can come down and meet your mother and aunt.” She smiled then added, “Mister McWaters.”
Darren chuckled then grabbed Sherry’s hand. He lifted it up, held it for a moment as he looked into her eyes, then turned around. Sherry looked at the back of his head as she followed him out to the terrace. “They went out back.”
Sherry giggled as she wondered if the two women were going to sit in the same place where she’d been riding Darren’s cock. Only seconds before Darren approached the french doors, he looked back over his shoulder. He looked into Sherry’s eyes – a look which said so much while never opening his mouth.
“Mom,” Darren said, walking out to the table next to the rose bushes. “This is Gabriel’s nanny, Sherry. Sherry, this is my mom, Joan, and my aunt, Carol.”
Sherry took a deep breath then stepped forward. She shook each woman’s hand, her own trembling slightly. Quickly, Sherry discovered the thought of a moment like this was much more than the reality. Darren’s mother Joan, who was just as Darren described her – tall, hair cut short, and definitely a pantsuit kind of lady – greeted Sherry graciously. However, Sherry could feel her eyes judging her. Her sister Carol was a bit more down-to-earth, but clearly came from a life of money and privilege. A strange feeling brewed in Sherry’s stomach during the long pause after their introduction. Darren came from these kinds of people… They’re so stuck up.
“Have a seat, Sherry...Have a seat,” Joan insisted.
Darren pulled the fourth chair out and allowed Sherry to sit down. When Darren sat down next to her – the way he sat down next to her – things seemed to get even more awkward. Sherry went along with it, though, and only speaking when spoken to.
Darren led the conversation then filled Sherry in on what they’d done for the day. First, was the tiny water park in Headwaters Park downtown. They then had a picnic in another section of the park. Darren willingly showed the photos they took on his phone. She smiled, of course, as they were beautiful in their own right and certainly something the single father would cherish. However, as the conversation had moved on, Sherry’s mind dwell on this strange feeling she’d gotten from looking at the photo. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what she was feeling, but a strong feeling that she was missing from the picture came over her.
Sherry followed Darren and his family back into the house then into to the foyer. After saying her goodbyes to his mother and aunt, they said their farewells to Gabriel then the baby was handed to Sherry. She stood in the foyer in such a way where she stood in a shadow, looking out the window once again as if she were invisible. Sleeping baby Gabriel purred in her arms as she watched Darren’s mother talk his ear off from the door to the sidewalk. She couldn’t help but to giggle at how the stiff woman would say Darren’s name if she wanted to make sure she got a point across. Bet she has her impression about me.
Darren stepped out onto the sidewalk next to his mother while he did everything he could to keep from rolling his eyes and sighing the way he did when he was a teenager. His mother had been going on and on about a judge’s event she was trying to make it to because she thought the man would be a good connection. “Oh, Mom,” he said, shaking his head.
“What, Darren?” Joan asked, shrugging it off. “I’m only trying to tell you how to play the game. Are you doing it here? Seriously, Darren? I hope you’re making good connections here. I think you could definitely shine in a city like this. Meet some judges, some other investors. Bank Presidents are good to know if you’ll be needing help with financing. Look at some of the more prominent, older churches. You remember what I used to always tell you when you were kids and you wouldn’t listen then you wonder why your brother gets opportunities in life you let pass by.”
“Yeah, yeah, Mom,” Darren said. “I know. Churches are where the old money is.”
“Absolutely,” Joan said. She nodded her head confidently. “I’m glad you were listening.”
Darren sped up the conversation to the point where both his mother and aunt Carol felt they were being rushed off.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Joan said, pushing her son’s chest. “How have things been going with her...the nanny, Sherry...so far?” She nodded toward the house. “I just wanted to ask. You know, I’m a grandmother, so I need to know these things.”
Darren snickered then nodded his head. “She’s doing good, Mom.” Their stormy night came to mind. “Really good, actually. She’s good with Gabriel and is even easy to work with and responsible. It’s like she’s naturally good at it.”
Joan nodded, looking back up toward the house while she recalled her first impression of the young woman. “Oh, how many children does she have?”