The One who got Away_A Second Chance Romance

by Mia Ford

  “Darren,” he answered. “And I’m heading back to Chicago tomorrow morning. Gotta be at the airport probably around nine.”

  “Airport?” Sherry asked, almost as if she’d never heard of such.

  “Yeah.” Darren’s confused facial expression showed on his face. “You know? Fort Wayne International?”

  “Yeah, I know,” Sherry said. She quickly finished up a couple beers for some biker guys as their waitress waited anxiously on the other side of the bar with their tray of food. “I’ve driven by it, but I didn’t know people actually flew into it.”

  Darren laughed. The airport definitely came across to him as small “homey.” In a lot of ways, it seemed more like a gigantic bus station rather than an airport. “Yeah, I see what you mean.”

  The bar swelled with even more people shortly after Sherry commented about how she’d be getting off around 11 that night because she’d come in much earlier to help with the crowd. Sitting at the bar had become a bit annoying for Darren as well as uncomfortable with so many people stepping up to his side and ordering drinks so frequently. He went ahead and paid for his three beers then stood up. Sherry looked over at him, smiling. To the other it was obvious they each wanted to say something.

  “Look, if you’re up for hanging out a bit when you get off, I’ll still be up,” Darren said. “I don’t know anybody in Fort Wayne, so...”

  “Hmm,” Sherry said then pausing. “I just might be. I’m not doing anything tonight, anyway. I’m not going to the festival or anything like that. Been a hundred times already.”

  Darren chuckled. “A hundred times?” he said, thinking about how the festival was a yearly thing. He pulled one of his cards up out of his pocket. “Okay, well, here’s my card. My cell number is on there. You can just text me if you want. If you’re too tired or whatever, then no pressure.”

  Sherry grabbed the card and looked it over, taking in the quality. Darren McWaters. Real Estate Investor. What followed was the address to his Chicago office as well as his phone number. This guy certainly takes good pictures. “Yeah, I’ll text you,” she said. “Only got a little while left in here. Are you staying out by the airport?”

  “No, right downtown,” Darren said, gesturing toward to the north. “I’m staying at the Hilton. You know?”

  “Yeah,” Sherry said. “I worked for a catering company once upon a time.”

  Several people approached the bar and all crowded up against the railing order drinks. Darren backed away as Sherry assured she would call him as soon as she got off. Darren smiled, the two of them looking into the others eyes while he made his way out to the sidewalk. He smirked as he glanced back inside.

  Darren, carrying his business folder at his side, walked down Calhoun Street and into the small courtyard adjacent to the Hilton building. The night air was perfect – not too humid, but certainly not the least bit chilly. Instead of going inside and sitting in the cold, stale lobby, Darren plopped down on a bench and simply observed. Sherry had been on his mind for a few minutes at this point. The Chicago-native then shrugged it off.

  “Darren, forget it,” he said to himself, coming down and thinking realistically. “She’s probably used to guys hitting on her at the bar all the time and is just nice to them for the sake of being nice.”

  Darren realized what the situation with a woman like Sherry probably was then figured he might as well start figuring out what else he would do for the night. The last few times he’d come to Ft. Wayne, he’d been so busy with researching the market that by the time he’d gotten back to his hotel room at night, he didn’t feel like having any company. This time was different, though. The longer Darren sat on the bench, the more antsy he became. Certain woman passing by – those with long hair, pretty faces, and smooth, toned legs on display – brought about even more thoughts.

  Darren had been reading about different bars as well as a few nightclubs in the area when a text popped up from a 260 area code: I’m off. A smiley face emoji set at the end of the text. Darren’s expressionless face changed instantly; his lips curled into a smile.

  After a few minutes of texting back and forth, Darren and Sherry finally agreed on Sherry coming down the street and joining him in the courtyard for a little while. Darren had insisted on coming back to the bar so he could walk with her, even heading out to the sidewalk so he could do so, but Sherry texted that she wanted to get some fresh air. Within minutes, she was in eyesight. Darren noticed the way she walked – so much confidence, so sexy. A strong wind whipped down the store-front-lined street, lifting Sherry’s blonde hair up off of her shoulders. The view was picturesque for Darren in many ways, as he was an art lover – the lit high-rises in the background, a tree-lined street, a clear, starry sky with a bright, glowing moon resting over top.. All with Sherry the center of the picture.

  Darren and Sherry hugged one another. Darren tapped her cheek with a light kiss. They then sat down on the bench for a moment, in silence. “Were people still coming in there when you were getting out?” he asked, finally breaking the ice.

  “Oh, yeah,” Sherry said, nodding her head. “And probably will be for the night. Local team won, so, you know.” She looked at Denny nod his head. “So, you stayin’ in this Hilton, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Darren answered. “I think next time, I’m going to get something a little more personal. Maybe like a small house or rent some apartment in some old building. I like stuff like that more. Just something about these hotel rooms that are so cold. I hate sitting in them… Then again, maybe I’m just tired of them.”

  “I see, I see” Sherry said. Badly, she wanted to ask the guy about what being a real estate investor really meant, but she worried about how she might come across. “Yeah, I could see what you mean. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to spend a night in a 5-star hotel every once in a while, but I guess if you stay in them a lot...”

  “Yeah,” Darren said. “So, I was thinking about some small place that might have a little music...some dancing. You know of anywhere like that? I wouldn’t want to be there long, but it’s only eleven o’clock. And the night’s still young, as they say. The city is alive and stuff.”

  Sherry snickered. “Yeah, okay. Fort Wayne is alive. Okay, well, seriously, I know a place. Down the block from where I live. If you want, you can follow me back to my apartment building and park in the lot then we can walk down the street. It’s like a little bar with music, usually karaoke, and sometimes you’ll get somebody in there who’s good enough to get people up and dancing.”

  Darren’s eyebrows raised. Being from out of town, he wasn’t exactly in a position to turn down such an offer. He and Sherry wound up getting up and chatting a bit more before they went their separate ways to get to their cars. Daren crossed through the hotel lobby to access the parking garage. By the time he got down to The Blue Ivy in his rented golden sedan, Sherry was waiting at the parking lot exit to the street in her beat-up Toyota. She pulled out then Darren followed her, crossing the river then zigzagging through a compact neighborhood riddled with older corner-store buildings every few blocks. Within fifteen minutes, Sherry turned into the parking lot behind a brown brick, two-story building with a couple of small stores and a restaurant on the ground level and apartments on the second floor. They parked then met one another out on the sidewalk.

  “I live up there,” Sherry said. She looked at the way Darren looked around and figured the guy probably wasn’t used to being in this kind of neighborhood – not the worst, but certainly not the best.

  Darren nodded, having left his suit jacket in the car. “Okay, I see, I see,” he said.

  Sherry playfully pushed Darren and told him to loosen up a bit.

  “I am, I am,” Darren said.

  Following Sherry’s lead, they walked down to the bar – Buren’s – at the corner. They enjoyed a few beers while a woman serenaded the crowd from the bar’s small stage at the front. A mini biker club congregated at the back, telling jokes and talking about women while they
sipped beer and smoked cigarettes. It wasn’t long before Darren rose up out of his seat pulled Sherry’s hand. “Come on, let’s get up and dance.”

  Before Sherry could even say yes, she’d already been on her feet. Darren looked into her eyes and got a good feeling this was about to be fun. They danced in a small crowd of 10 or so couples as time slipped away.

  ***

  Walking with Sherry’s arm locked around his, Darren nearly slipped off of the curb. They’d been right in front of Sherry’s apartment building about to turn the corner and head toward the parking lot. Laughter between the two had yet to cease since leaving the bar. Drinks loosened up their spirits; they felt like they knew one another more personally once they finally left the dance floor.

  Sherry looked up into Darren’s eyes when there was a long moment of silence. “You wanna come up for a minute?” she asked. “We had a few beers down there, so it might be better for you to calm down a little bit before you head back downtown.”

  Darren looked at Sherry – her eyes were so intriguing. Hair stuck to her slightly-damp forehead. Hanging out with her was somewhat of a new experience for a guy like Darren. Back in Chicago, his entire life had been in somewhat of a bubble where every person around was connected in some way, either for money or political reasons. Darren shrugged and smiled. “Sure, yeah, you’re probably right.”

  They came to Sherry’s apartment door then she let them inside. She showed Darren around. He looked out the window, complimenting the architecture of the building as well as the view. No sooner than the 33-year-old turned around, Sherry pressed up against him. His instincts kicked in. This chick is fucking hot, he thought. Darren leaned over and kissed Sherry. They relished in an intense embrace then practically fell into Sherry’s beige couch. The lamp at the side of the couch provided the only light in the room.

  “You are so handsome,” Sherry said, pulling her face away from Darren after a long, passionate kiss. She smiled and touched the side of his face.

  Darren watched Sherry climb up onto her knees on top of him. Her chest hung over him, swaying anytime she moved. He grabbed a handful of her blonde hair. She smiled as he already felt him getting hard under his pants.

  “I was looking at you as soon as I got up to the bar,” Darren said, wanting to get it off his chest.

  They pressed their lips together for another deep, passionate kiss. Sherry then stood up and walked toward the small hallway that led to her bedroom and bathroom. Darren never broke eye contact with her; neither of them said a word. Darren stood up and rushed over to the hallway, as Sherry’s eye contact was beckoning him to follow. Sherry walked seductively; her beautiful, exposed legs guided Darren all the way down the hall and into her bedroom.

  The air in Sherry’s bedroom was masked by their heavy breathing. Sherry gently pushed Darren back onto the bed, both of them smiling ear to ear, then lifted her legs up to where her knees pressed into the comforter on either side of Darren’s waist. She leaned over and kissed the guy then looked down at him for a moment. He really is a handsome guy...something different for me, for sure. She glanced at the growing bulge in Darren’s pants and rubbed it. A chuckle slipped out of Darren’s mouth as he thought about how smoking hot this Sherry was. Thank God Doug you brought me into that bar tonight.

  There, in Sherry’s dimly-lit bedroom with only the streetlight seeping in through the blinds, Darren gripped Sherry’s mid-back and slowly pulled her down toward him. Her chest pressed into his face. He enjoyed the experience for a few seconds then Sherry, biting her bottom lip ever so seductively, scooted down the bed and started unbuckling Darren’s belt. Jolts of excitement rushed through the out-of-towner’s bones. Only seconds passed until he felt his manhood being taken into Sherry’s mouth. He closed his eyes and sighed from the pleasure.

  Sherry’s head bobbed up and down for several minutes as she enjoyed the taste of Darren’s cock. His bulky hands gripping her hair and tugging slightly only turned her on even more. When she had enough of orally pleasing him, she stood up and pulled her shorts off then lifted her shirt up over her head. Darren smiled as he watched, looked at her with bedroom eyes and anxious to feel her body against his, then slid his own pants completely off. He then undid his blue button-up and tossed it to the side. Just as he was getting to his undershirt, Sherry climbed back up on top of him and started kissing him. She was wild and passionate; sensual, but seductive. The way her long, blonde hair whipped around her back and brushed across Darren’s face drove the guy crazy. This chick is so hot, he thought.

  Darren was ready to take the lead and bang this chick like no other. Aggressively, he wrapped his arms around her back then moved her over onto the other side of the queen-size bed. Sherry erupted with laughter, a bit surprised this business-like guy could get a little frisky like this. Before she knew it, her legs were being pushed apart and Darren lay between them, his own legs hanging off the front of the bed. He kissed each of her breasts, cupping the sides of them and moving them around.

  Sherry placed a hand on either side of Darren’s head. They looked into one another eyes intensely then kissed once again. Their eyes locked, Darren reached down between them and positioned the head of his cock toward the lips of Sherry’s inside. Sherry barely blinked before she felt Darren pushing his way inside. She bit her bottom lip – closed her eyes.

  “Uh,” Darren groaned. He pressed his eyelids closed so hard as he enjoyed the tightness of Sherry’s insides around his shaft. Once he’d gotten all the way in, he thrust slowly then got into rhythm. Normally he liked a little music when he had sex, but tonight was different. His buzz as well as his high from dancing had set the mood just right.

  Sherry moaned loudly as Darren thrust. It didn’t take long for things to get even hotter. Sherry wrapped her legs around his back as the bed rocked. Curse words slipped out of their lips; they rubbed one another in appreciative ways. Whatever thoughts Sherry had about her neighbors hearing had long been set on the back burner. This guy Darren was turning her on a different way than she was used to – ways she didn’t really expect from a guy like him. His body was sure nice and well-maintained for a business guy– well-defined legs, a muscular back, nice arms, and a pronounced chest. When he stroked as fast as he could into her, she pulled her legs from around his back so she could reach down and playfully smack his ass cheek.

  Darren slowed down, wiping his forehead with his forearm. He chuckled. “You are so hot.”

  Sherry giggled, pulling clumps of her hair away from her forehead. Then, she gently pushed Darren up and back. His cock slid out of her pussy as he looked on, wondering what was about to happen. Darren watched as Sherry got up on her knees and bent over in front of him. His cock throbbed with excitement and anticipation when Sherry looked back, over her shoulder. Quickly, Darren scooted up closer to her body then carefully wrapped his hands around her waist before he started stroking again.

  The headboard thumped against her bedroom wall like music. Sherry’s rosy behind slammed against Darren’s pelvis in perfect rhythm. When he really got into it, his reaching up and pulling her hair so her neck jerked back and made her look up at the ceiling drove her crazy.

  “Fuck me, Darren!” Sherry yelled. “Damn!”

  Veins popped out of Darren’s forehead. He couldn’t pull an arm away from holding Sherry in her place long enough to wipe away any swear. His breathing was heavy; his chest pumped up and down as he stroked. He felt like his soul was experiencing a weird kind of high. Sherry’s hair felt like silk locked in his grip.

  The lovers grunted and moaned back and forth. Darren banged Sherry in the doggy style position for as long as he could before she was ready for him to lie on his back so she could hop on top. And this was the position that took them to new heights. Sherry was wildly turned on by Darren’s sexiness while deep in the throws of passion. Darren looked up at Sherry’s bouncing chest. Jackpot.

  When they both orgasmed, Sherry leaned over and practically collapsed into Darren’s body. They b
oth breathed heavily, Sherry joking about being sore and Darren talking about how good it was for him. Sherry eventually climbed off then lay next to Darren with her head on his chest. With both of their eyes fixed toward the window, they fell into a deep slumber from a night neither one of them had ever expected when Darren sat down at the bar. Sherry was indeed happy, though, that she approached him to take his drink order.

  ***

  The bright rays of the morning sun finally reached around the roofs of houses across the street from Sherry’s apartment building. It penetrated the window and forced its way into the bedroom, hitting Darren in the eye and waking him up. He quickly turned his head, but the half-way hung over feeling from last night was too much to ignore. When he finally opened his eyes and became oriented, he realized he was still at the chick’s place from the bar last night. Darren reached for his phone, getting a sense that it was still early by the sun’s position in the sky. Birds chirped and there was what sounded like a school bus rolling down the street and stopping at the corner.

  “Shit,” Darren groaned, wiping his face. He yawned as he processed the time. 8 o’clock was quickly approaching. He needed to get back downtown to his hotel room so he could pack. The last thing he wanted to do was a miss his flight, as he was supposed to be meeting with an attorney later in the afternoon in Chicago.

  Darren looked over and down at Sherry. He smiled as he reminisced about last night – the way her breasts bounced up and down when she was on top, how her butt jiggled when he pounded her. Darren’s ego and pride swelled. Not only did he get a chick into bed from just meeting her at a bar, but she was also hot and a fun lay.

  Darren slid out of the bed and started pulling his pants on. The clacking of his belt buckle pulled Sherry out of her sleep. She curled up with a pillow against her mid-body and her legs twisted around it so she could watch Darren get ready. “You gettin’ ready to get outta here?”