Fifty Shades Of Black: An Erotic Romance

by Darcey, Sierra

  “I’m just going to come out with it,” Marcus said, “My mother wants me for Sunday dinner tomorrow and the whole family is going to be there,” his entire body sagged as he exhaled, “there I said it.”

  Cherilyn just looked confused, “Your mother?” She wanted to laugh. “Where does she live?” This was the secret phone calls, his mother?

  “She lives in Summerville. It’s about an hour and a half west of here.”

  He paused when she didn’t respond. “Do you hate me?”

  “Of course not, you go ahead. I’ll find something else to do.”

  “No, you don’t understand. They want to meet you.”

  “They know about me?”

  “Of course. I speak to my Mom every week. So, you’ll go? I know it’s a pain.”

  Cherilyn was impressed that he wanted her to go and that he eagerly awaited her response, “Should we bring something?” She smiled at him.

  “Lord knows there’ll be enough food there to feed a small army.”

  “What should I wear?”

  “Were it up to me I’d say nothing - but given the circumstances I’d say something appropriate for church.”

  “What!?”

  “Don’t think you’re getting out of it.” Marcus said, wagging a finger at her. “If I have to go, you have to go.”

  “Church,” Cherry muttered as her phone rang. “Hi, what? What? No.” She gave a look of desperation to Marcus. “Okay, well, I guess so. Yes, I am happy. Yes, excited too. I’m just surprised.”

  Now it was Marcus’ turn to wonder who she was talking to and what were they saying?

  “All right then, twenty minutes, right, I’m on my way.” Cherry hung up her phone and did not appear at all happy.

  Marcus raised his palms in question.

  “It’s Tashida, she’s here.”

  “Here?”

  “In Myrtle Beach,” Cherilyn nodded. “She got an early flight and wanted to surprise me. She just came in for the weekend.”

  Marcus was looking down not saying anything.

  Cherry shrugged, “maybe I should hang out with her and you go with your family.”

  “I don’t want to do that, there has to be another option.”

  “Then, we’re going to have to trust her.” The look she saw on Marcus’ face showed he doubted the wisdom of this. “There’s no other choice - she’s already here, if she had asked I could have told her not to come, but now? She’s my friend and she’s been feeling lonely, I haven’t seen her in two months. I can’t send her to a hotel.”

  “Can she keep quiet?” Marcus sat next to Cherilyn on the bed.

  “I think she will for me. If she ever did say anything it would be by accident. She wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose, she’s just not like that. She’s a good person.”

  “If she’s your friend I have no doubt she is,” Marcus stood and pulled Cherilyn up out of the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I don’t want to stop spending time with you. Or have to stop showing my affection for you, not for a few days, not even a few hours.”

  “Me either, that’s why we should tell her, be open about it. The good thing is other than me, she’s not really close with anyone at work, she’d have no reason to discuss it there.”

  Cherilyn and Marcus went to the airport. Tash hesitated when she saw them together and glanced from Cherry to Marcus curiosity evident in her eyes.

  “I’m going to call my Mom,” Marcus said, “and tell her there will be three for dinner tomorrow.” He walked a few feet away from them.

  Cherry hugged Tash. “Do you have luggage?”

  “Nope,” Tash said, “Just this,” gesturing to the bag in her hand.

  Marcus walked back towards them, his voice loud. “Ma, Ma! I don’t know really - Ma. Oh, MA!” Marcus pushed the button to hang up. “Never argue with a Southern woman when she’s cooking up ideas.”

  Tash looked to Cherry, “what’s his problem?”

  Cherilyn laughed, “We’ve had a few surprises this morning. What is it Marcus?”

  “Plans have changed. Barbeque this afternoon, all three of us have to drive to Summerville.” Marcus took Tash’s bag and they walked to the car.

  Tash asked, “Summerville?”

  “Yeah, it’s not too far.’ Marcus looked down as he spoke. “It’s a small town, I mean small, maybe two thousand people, all of them my relatives.”

  “Is that where you grew up?” Cherry asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Cherilyn looked out the window as Marcus drove them back to the condo, wishing he would be more forthcoming instead of making her feel like she was being invasive just asking a few simple questions. “What’s it like there?”

  “Hot.”

  Once again it was like pulling teeth to get anything out of him, she wasn’t overly fond of his cryptic answers but didn’t want to pry. Cherry looked back at her friend, “And tomorrow we get to go to church.”

  Tashida bolted upright. “Oh, Hell to the no.”

  Marcus shook his head, “Yeah, can’t talk like that in church.”

  Tash huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. Looking very unhappy she stared out the window. When they arrived back at the condo complex, Marcus headed for his own condo but looked to Cherry and Tash, “We have about two hours until we have to leave. You gals have time to talk and redd up and I’ll be back to pick y’all up later.”

  Cherry nodded and opened the door to her place having decided she would let Tash stay here and she’d continue sleeping at Marc’s. Cherilyn showed her the kitchen, living room and bathroom.

  When they got to the bedroom, Tash glanced around, “doesn’t even look like you live here. Where’s your stuff?”

  Cherry gestured, “Next door, in Marcus’ condo.”

  “It’s like that then?”

  Cherilyn gave a shy smile, “yeah.”

  “And you didn’t let me in on it?” Tash paused, “How long have you two …?”

  “Since Las Vegas.”

  A stunned look covered Tash’s face. “This is the guy you’ve been seeing? The one I thought was married? Or maybe a lesbian?”

  “Yeah, I just couldn’t have it get out at work.”

  Tash put a hand on her hip, “And you don’t trust me?”

  “It’s not that. Marcus and I both agreed not to speak about it, if I had told you he’d find out and know I broke my word.”

  “Still, I’m your best friend.” Tash looked down and appeared hurt.

  Cherilyn took her hand. “That’s why I’m telling you now, including you, trusting you with this, Marcus too, we’re both trusting you with our secret.”

  “I thought you said you were going to break it off before you left for Myrtle Beach.”

  “You’re right, I did think it would be best to break up being we worked at the same place, it was so difficult, but here,” she smiled, “we’re able to go out, be ourselves in public, things are great.”

  “But what happens when you both go back to Pittsburgh?”

  A cloud came over Cherilyn’s face as she realized she had just been enjoying things and hadn’t thought that far ahead.

  “How serious are you two?” Tash asked.

  Cherilyn shrugged and glanced down, she was too embarrassed to admit that she didn’t know how to answer that. “We haven’t really talked about it.” She looked up and smiled, “But I am glad to see you.”

  “I’m happy to see you, too.” Tash said, but still looked sad. “I thought we’d do something together just the two of us.”

  “Maybe tonight we can after we get back from the barbeque.”

  A couple of hours later the three were on their way to Summerville. When Tash had stepped out of the condo Cherry was shocked to see her wearing a skimpy tank top with a push up bra underneath showing a lot of cleavage and extremely short cut off denims. Cherry wanted to say something to question this fashion choice but she didn’t dare since Tash was still in a surly mood finding out about her relat
ionship with Marcus.

  Marcus drove and Tash, sitting in the back seat, began grumbling, “Another chance for a wild weekend down the drain.”

  Cherilyn was dressed a bit more conservatively, a simple, yellow cotton dress, sleeveless, but no cleavage and well below the knee, knowing she would be meeting Marcus’ mother. “Will both your parents be there?”

  “Just my Mom. My Dad’s passed.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks. He’s been gone awhile now, still you never forget. You don’t talk about your family.”

  Cherilyn shrugged looking out the window. “I’m an only child, I never knew my Dad, Mom raised me on her own. She died when I was in college. I wasn’t close with any relatives, so Tash’s family took me in then.” Cherry smiled back at her friend.

  Tash crossed her arms and nodded, “Damn straight.”

  “There’s no cussing allowed at my mom’s house, Miss Jones.”

  “Listen Mr. Black,” Tash’s voice got loud, “you’re not my boss right here and now, okay? So you can’t tell me how to talk.”

  Cherry exchanged a glance with Marcus. She felt trapped between the two of them and not wanting to show favoritism for either side.

  “Mother,” Marcus greeted his mom with a warm smile, a strong hug and a kiss, while Cherry hung back, not wanting to intrude. Tash with her arms crossed and angry look on her face appeared totally uninterested in meeting anyone.

  “My baby!” Camille Black grabbed her son’s face smacking him with kisses. Several nieces and nephews rushed over and began hanging on Marcus with obvious love and delight on their faces hollering, “Uncle Marcus! Uncle Marcus!” Once they settled down, he introduced Cherilyn and Tashida to his mom, three sisters, brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews. After the introductions, the children took off playing, the men went back to the grill, and the woman headed to the kitchen to begin bringing out the food.

  A tall, good looking man walked up to Tash, “Well, who is this pretty lady?”

  “Is he for real?” Tash wouldn’t even look at him.

  “Tad, you smooth talker.” Marcus grinned. “This is Tashida, best friend of my girlfriend Cherry. Ladies, this is my cousin Thaddeus.”

  Both Cherry and Tash looked at each other. “Girlfriend?” mouthed Tashida. Cherry shrugged, but smiled to herself and in her own mind she said DTR, he did it, he defined the relationship.

  Tad took Tashida’s hand and kissed it, “she puts the she in Tashida.”

  “Oh, brother,” Tash said, but Cherilyn could tell she liked him. Marcus and Cherry walked over to the food table. She found herself always naturally gravitating to Marcus, they seemed to be drawn to each together, neither of them wanting to be far apart from the other.

  Marcus spoke in a lowered tone, “Is it okay that I introduced you as my girlfriend?”

  “Yes, of course.” she poured herself a glass of sweet tea.

  Marcus surveyed the table. “We kind of slipped into this relationship and never really had that talk.”

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see anyone else.”

  “I don’t either. Hell, I can’t. You tire me out, woman, working me over in the bedroom night and day.” Marcus put both hands on his back feigning pain.

  “Marcus! Shhhh!”

  Marcus bent over pretending to be an old man using a cane. “This woman has tired me out. Someone give me a Vitamin B shot. I need to be resuscitated.”

  “Stop!” Cherry said giggling and hitting his shoulder.

  “Is he bothering you?” Marcus’ mother came over to them.

  “No,” Cherilyn said, “he’s just teasing me.”

  “Well, let us tell you something about him.” Marc’s sister, Janelle joined them.

  “No, no, no.” Marcus was laughing, and waving his hands like this wasn’t going to happen. If Cherry had to wager she’d put her money on his mother and sister.

  “Get the book.” Camille said to Janelle.

  “Not the photo album.” Marcus cringed. “Please, Mama, no!”

  His sister returned laughing excitedly, “We can give you plenty to tease him about.”

  Sitting down at the picnic table, Camille took the photo album and patted the area next to her for Cherilyn to sit. Opening the book, she pointed at the first page, “Here he is at one year old, nekid as a jaybird.”

  “At least jaybirds have feathers,” Marcus grumbled.

  Cherry nudged him, “Cute butt.”

  Marcus shifted restlessly. “Mother- do we really need to do this?”

  “I don’t know about you,” she said, “but I need to.”

  “Me too,” his sister chimed in.

  “Me three,” Cherry added, devilish grin on her face.

  “Out maneuvered by women.” Marcus shook his head, feigning disgust.

  “The way things should be.” Camille declared and pointed to another photo, “Now here Marcus is three, this is his cowboy outfit. A holster and a hat.”

  “And nothing else,” giggled Janelle.

  “Nice gun,” Cherry whispered.

  “Mother, can’t we put an end to this nightmare?” Marcus tried to take the photo album from her.

  “No whining.” Camille yanked the book back. “He never liked clothes. His father always said, ‘That boy is a born nudist.’”

  Cherilyn pushed in closer, “I can’t wait to see his college photos.”

  Marcus slumped forward with his hands covering his face.

  On the drive home Tashida regaled them for forty-five minutes about how cute she thought Tad was. But once she drifted off and fell asleep in the back seat, it was like Cherilyn and Marcus were alone in the car.

  “Well, she’s looking a might happier.” Marcus glanced back at Tash.

  “Your southern drawl is coming out.”

  “Has a tendency to do that when I get around family.”

  “You’re lucky, you have a great family.”

  “Hang around with them for a while you won’t be saying that.”

  Cherry laughed, “I like your family.”

  “Naw, I’m kidding, they’re cool.” Marcus gave a reflective pause “You miss having family.” He said more as statement then a question.

  Marcus glanced at her when he got no response. He was certain what he said was true, but it obviously made her uncomfortable and she squirmed in her seat. He was sorry for causing that after the day had gone so well.

  Marcus quickly changed the subject for the rest of the ride home.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The next day Cherry and Tash sat with Marcus and his family in church. Between all of them they took up two entire rows. The church was hot and filled to capacity, which had more than one woman waving a fan at her face.

  “Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for our enemies.” The voice of Pastor James rang out loud and firm. He was a short and round short of man and seemed to sway back and forth a bit when he spoke, going up on his toes and up in volume when making key points.

  “Amen,” was heard from many members of the congregation.

  “Pray for them that aims to hurt us in anyway.”

  “Yes, sir.” Someone called out.

  Cherilyn found herself liking the pastor. The congregation became more animated as he continued.

  “Pray that the Good Lord heaps blessings upon them. Blessings, I say. Heap them, Lord upon our enemies.” His voice grew louder. “Heaping piles, heaping loads, heaping truckloads of blessings,” Pastor James was making scooping gestures with his arms, “Heap those blessings upon the heads of our enemies, them that means to do us wrong and may they be smothered in the Good Lord’s blessings.”

  “Smother them with blessings!”

  “Amen!”

  Marcus whispered to Cherry, “That’s how we deal with our enemies in the south.”

  Cherry stifled a giggle, and as Mrs. Black frowned at both of them, she wondered why things are always so much funnier when you’re in church.

&nbs
p; The service seemed to run very long, but no one seemed to mind or in any hurry to go. Cherry was relieved that Tashida had dressed more conservatively today and seemed in a better mood since meeting Tad.

  When they arrived back at Marcus’ mother’s house, his sisters and his Mom headed into the kitchen and started preparing food. Cherry stayed to help set the table. Tashida and Tad sat together in a corner quietly talking, actually flirting would be the more appropriate word to describe what they were doing. Marcus took his nieces and nephews outside to play. Cherilyn felt her stomach rumbling as she watched Marcus chasing the kids and smiled when he caught them, because they all piled on top of him.

  After about half an hour Marcus came in and looked around appearing confused and angry. Cherry was surprised to see him upset, realizing she had never seen him like that before. She laid a hand on his forearm, “What’s wrong?”

  Marcus pulled back sharply as if repulsed by her touch, “Dinner ready yet? What’s taking so long?”

  “I’m sure it will be out soon, you want me to get you something?”

  “I’m not a child,” his voice grew loud, “I know how to get food, you act like I’m helpless.”

  “Marcus, I - ”

  “Save it.” His hands were trembling and he was sweating profusely. Camille walked into the room just as Marcus crumbled onto the floor.

  “My sweet baby.” Camille rushed to his side kneeling next to him, to Tad she said, “Get orange juice and sugar.”

  “What’s happening to him?” Cherry hovered, unsure what to do.

  His mother shot her a surprised glance. Camille took the juice, put a teaspoon of sugar into it, stirred briefly then started pouring it into her son’s mouth as he sputtered and coughed. “He’s a diabetic, didn’t you know?”

  Cherilyn felt stupid. “No.”

  “He’s having an insulin reaction. His blood sugar has dropped, we need to get it back up.” Camille held his face firmly forcing the juice into him as he weakly struggled against her.

  Cherry couldn’t help the tears that rolled down her face, finding it hard to see him, a big, strong man, looking so helpless.