Chapter 9

In the days following their wild, spontaneous lovemaking on the terrace during the storm, things got a bit hectic for Darren. For that reason he’d been home much less for at least three or fours days afterward. When he did interact with Sherry, the lust was definitely there; however, the both of them were deep in their own thought processes as they adjusted to how their boss-nanny relationship had changed. After all, this situation was strange for all parties involved – not typical at all. Conversation had been tense, but in a good way; their stares were a little too long, but never felt uncomfortable. Neither knew what to really say. Whatever little flame went on between the two of them would be pushed to the back burner the following week. Darren’s mother Joan and her sister, his Aunt Carol, were coming to Fort Wayne to visit Darren and see the baby.

“Gabriel is finished with his bath!” Sherry yelled down from the top of the steps. “And this soap works a lot better.”

“Good deal!” Darren responded. He then turned his attention back to Rosa. It was 9:30 in the morning and she’d just arrived, ready to work extra hours to get Mr. McWaters house ready for his mother’s arrival. Thirty minutes had passed since Darren received a call with her ETA. The plan was he would meet his mother downtown and they would probably start off with a walk in the park with Gabriel. The spring weather was still unbelievably warm. From there, they would just see how the day wound up. When he finished giving Rosa her list of duties, Darren climbed the steps so he could see how getting Gabriel ready was going.

Sherry was a bit startled by Darren’s sudden tap at the door. “Oh, I thought you were downstairs.”

Darren nodded as he looked Sherry up and down. He couldn’t help but to admire her shape as she nurtured Gabriel. A few seconds lapsed before he finally spoke. “How close is he to being ready? Looks like my mom will be showing up at the restaurant maybe in a half-hour… and I wanna be there first so I can be sure we got the table I specifically requested, you know...with the view.”

“Yeah, he’s almost ready,” Sherry said.

Badly, Darren wanted to wrap his arms around Sherry’s waist. For the first time in a week, they had a rather long chat down in the kitchen. Darren had been looking over some papers on the dining room table with the french doors open. He wondered what had been on Sherry’s mind. Sometimes he found himself avoiding eye contact. Even though John’s advice rang through his head every so often, but he couldn’t regret that night. The sex was too good; he clicked with Sherry in a way he hadn’t clicked with a woman in so long.

Sherry finished up with getting Gabriel ready then handed him to Darren. She then followed him downstairs where he grabbed the baby bag, his wallet, and opened the door. Sherry grabbed the handle, saying she would close it. Just then, Darren, without even realizing it, turned around with an expecting face and leaned down toward Sherry’s. It took Sherry a second too long to realize he’d turned around for a kiss. By the time she processed it, he snapped out of it and went on down the walkway. She stood in the doorway and watched the single father load his child into his MKZ. Her heart throbbed for this guy in ways she wondered if he picked up on. Still, she couldn’t deny that she was dying to know why a guy like him would adopt a child rather than get married first then start a family.

Sherry closed the door then climbed the steps, returning to her own room. There, she sat on the edge of her bed in thought. Did I make a mistake? This is a job, Sherry. Why did you do that? Mental images of their teenage-like lovemaking on the terrace flashed in her mind. Even it was wrong, and of course inappropriate from a job standpoint, it felt so right. She looked up and out of her window, at the Watson Residence across the street. Her eyes closed as she bit her bottom lip and reminisced on it all.

***

Sherry went on with her day eventually. It took her a while to figure out what to do with herself, but she wound up running some errands then simply enjoyed being back at Darren’s house alone. The deal had been once Rosa left, she would have the day to herself. No sooner than the woman pulled off, Sherry came out and jumped into her own car then zipped off. Now, as she lay in her bed, she vividly remembered the way she was frozen in time at a rose bush she passed on a trail when she stopped by the park before coming back to the house. If you would’ve said I would be having this kind of live five years ago, I wouldn't have never believed it.

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 lovemaking 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?”

Darren shook his head. “No. She watched her nieces and nephews when they were babies. You should’ve seen the first time she took Gabriel from me and fastened him into the car seat. It was snowing, windy and she just did it so naturally. That was the same day as the interview.”
“Oh, she doesn’t have any children?” Joan said, clearly processing the information. “Well, that’s interesting.”

“She seems like a nice girl,” Carol said, butting in. She’d been admiring the neighborhood’s architecture. “And in a lot of ways, as crazy as it sounds, but it’s a coincidence too, but Gabriel looks a lot like her to me. When I saw her then looked at your mother holding the boy, I thought they really looked like. You know, we didn’t have a nanny when we had Harrison and Kenner. We went ahead and did it ourselves, but you know, I’ve never really thought about what it must be like to be virtually raising someone else’s child.”

Joan nodded. They hadn’t used a nanny either, but rather her mother filled in the gap. A resemblance between John and Gabriel and herself was to be expected. She then nodded, recalling Sherry’s face as Gabriel was handed over to her in the foyer. “Yeah, I see that too. Really, he definitely looks like another of you when you were a baby.”

“Hmph,” Darren said, nodding his head. “I guess I never noticed it.”

“Yeah, well,” Joan said. She looked at her time. “We better get back on the road. I wanted to stay longer, but you know the prosecutor’s daughter has a drunk driving case coming up. If I get her off, that would certainly make it easier for your father to pull off a couple things we’d been thinking about doing.”

Darren’s eyebrows furled as he shook his head disappointingly and hugged his aunt Carol. Joan stepped up to take her hug then headed out into the street. “Oh, Darren...Would you calm down? You act like we have dead bodies buried under the house or something.”
“You could, Mom,” Darren said. “You very well could.”

Joan lowered Carol’s window and talked across her. “Darren, you should know me better than that. You know me and your father wouldn’t have them buried under the house.” She smiled. “That would be too obvious.”

Darren turned away, playfully, heading back up the walkway to his porch. He waved at his mother, she honked, then he stepped back into the house. He paused in the doorway, looking up toward the top of the staircase. The light from either Sherry’s room or Gabriel’s nursery shined toward the landing. His mother’s words simmered in his mind as he climbed the stairs, his destination already in mind.

Darren stepped up to Gabriel’s bedroom doorway and peeked inside. Sherry sat in the wooden chair on the other side with Gabriel in her lap. Ever so affectionately, she looked down into the beautiful baby’s eyes and calmed him by singing a soft melody. Whatever song it was, Darren didn’t know; however, after the tune looped around, he too found it a bit entrancing. Sherry’s low, singing voice was so lulling Darren himself could very well drift to sleep thinking about it. The light whining Gabriel had been doing faded into soft giggles with his tiny hands reaching up for Sherry’s necklace.

With a slight grin on his face, he stepped away from the door and headed down the hall to his bedroom. He pushed the door closed softly then crossed the room and through the french doors of his tiny sitting room. There, he approached his bookcase and pulled a couple of family albums he’d held on to since leaving Chicago. Sitting down in front of the window, he looked through them. The man gazed at photos of himself as a baby. Certain poses were funny while others were too embarrassing at this point to show people. He couldn’t help but to take in how youthful and almost nurturing his mother looked with him in her arms. And to no surprise, the woman wore pants in every single picture.

“Hmph,” Darren said. Gabriel really does look like me. He then envisioned Sherry’s face, thinking of his mother’s and aunt’s comments. I see Sherry in him too. That’s crazy...really crazy.

Shortly after closing the albums then placing them back on a lower shelf, he stopped in the doorway. He vividly replayed his mother’s reaction to Sherry not having any children. Oh, she’s never had a child? That’s interesting. Darren wondered what she meant by that.

Darren leaned out into the hallway and looked down toward Gabriel’s room. He still hadn’t had his question answered about Sherry. He badly wanted to know what it was that she’d been through because whatever it was had obviously changed her since that night at her apartment.