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?”
A bit startled to hear her voice, Darren turned around and smiled. “Yeah, I have to get back to my hotel room so I can get ready to get to the airport.”
“Oh, okay,” Sherry said. She herself then climbed out of the bed. After a quick search for something to put on, she realized Darren was ready to go quicker than she thought, so she grabbed the white sheet off of the bed and wrapped it around her body. “Glad you woke up on time.”
“Yeah,” Darren said as he buttoned up his shirt.
A few silent moments passed before Darren headed out to the living room. Sherry followed, not really sure of what to say to this guy. Now that they’d both come down from the thrill of drinking, dancing, then good sex, they were left to reveal their true selves. They were two different people who happened to be in the same world. Last night was definitely fun for the both of them, but neither of them looked at the other as someone they’d mix well beyond a one-night-stand.
At Sherry’s apartment door, Darren paused for a moment and looked at the bartender. “Thanks for showing me that place last night.”
“Yeah, of course,” Sherry said, still holding the sheet up around her body.
Darren took note of how hot this woman’s body was. The sheet accentuated her curves. “Next time I’m in Fort Wayne, which should be soon, I guess, maybe we could connect again and you could show me around?”
“Yeah, I like the sound of that,” Sherry said. She smiled and giggled. “I had a nice time with you. Um, thanks for sitting at the bar.”
Sherry’s sense of humor made Darren smile.
Darren and Sherry said their last few goodbye words. He leaned in to hug her, kiss her on the cheek, then proceeded out into the hallway then toward the steps. Just as he’d gotten to the first landing, he glanced back up at Sherry’s door. She leaned her head out just far enough for Darren to make eye contact for the last few seconds before she closed the door and he walked out into the sunny parking lot. The 33-year-old’s mind was somewhat lost in a trance as he navigated the neighborhood until finding a street that led downtown.
Chapter 2: Three Months Later
“Okay, I think I get it now,” Darren said. In his MKZ he’d driven from Chicago, he’d taken the long way across Ft. Wayne from one of his properties on the far south side to a small office park on the far north side. A sense of accomplishment came over Darren as he learned his way around the city. Now, all he had left to do was to find out where all the best bars were, what restaurants had the hottest women, and if any of the strip clubs were even the kinds of places he would step foot into. He still couldn't believe he actually lived here. Never did he think he’d trade life in Chicago for a slower, sleepier place in Ft. Wayne. Then again, the real estate opportunity was too profitable here to ignore.
Darren parked then walked into the glass office building, which set at the side of a retention pond. He was greeted by Doug’s secretary – an attractive, older woman who still had a youthful spirit about her – then sat in the lobby while he waited. Only seconds after picking up a Sports Illustrated, Doug came. He shook Darren’s hand then walked him back to his office.
“Well, nice to see you back in the city,” Doug said, sitting down at his desk. He grabbed some information and pushed it across to Darren. “Like we talked about on the phone, you’ve come to Fort Wayne to live. You purchased a Victorian when you first got here, but now want some other houses to where maybe you could rent the rooms out. Is that right?”
“Yes,” Darren said. “And, like I said, I want homes closer to to downtown. I can tell that revitalization efforts are about to really be underway here. There’s this area I kind of like, I think I told you about it in our emails...a lot of Victorian homes, I think by a river. I’m interested in properties I already have.”
Doug explained he already had some options ready to show on this winter day. Snow had already started dusting the parking lot, but wasn’t supposed to be heavy until later in the evening. Doug pointed at various addressed in areas with what Darren, answering any questions Mr. McWaters had. By 1 o’clock, Doug found the keys to the company vehicle and escorted his client out the door.
The more properties Darren saw that afternoon around the city, the more confident he felt about this endeavor. In fact, in the back of his mind as Doug drove back to his office building around 3 o’clock, Darren realized coming to a place to like this might be just what he needed to build his own empire of sorts. He already had five rental properties in the area that were turning out to be extremely lucrative. And based on what he was seeing as he looked out of the window, there was only going to be more opportunity for him to plant his flag, so to speak.
Around 4 o’clock, Darren was finally back to his new home – a 1914, restored Victorian with a carriage house above the detached garage. With five bedrooms, the house was certainly more space than a single man like himself needed. Naturally, the front, side, and back yards was much more than he was used to having in Chicago. Nonetheless, as Darren opened his blinds, a strange comfort came over him. It was quiet, no gunshots, and the neighbors were friendly.
Darren had just lay down on his couch, pushing his head back into his pillow, when his phone vibrated. His initial reaction had been to groan a bit because he thought it could be a tenant calling with a problem. He then remembered, though, how just a week ago he finally found a property management company to take on the burden of dealing with tenants. Darren looked at his phone, seeing that it was his mother calling. Damn. I would rather it be one of my tenants calling than her. Let me see what she wants today.
“Darren, are you busy at the moment?” his mother Joan asked. “I called you earlier, but you never called me back.”
“No, Mom, I’m not busy,” Darren said. “And sorry, I was riding around with Doug, looking at properties and stuff when you called. I didn’t want to be rude to him.”
“I understand, Dear,” Joan said. “Well, that’s why I was actually calling. Wanted to know what your feelings were. Haven’t talked to you in a while and wondered what you were thinking about the city now that you’re actually living there rather than just visiting like you were before.”
Darren gave his mother a run-down. He started with the properties he already purchased and how they were doing. He worked his way down the list to the urban renewal projects popping up all over the city. He gave the pros, cons, and made sure to shut up any and every time his mother cut him off to speak. She talked on and on about how the family was looking to branch out and, after considering a few other small cities in the Midwest, they would settle on investing the most money into Ft. Wayne if Darren felt like it would be the right place for it.
“Oh, yeah, there is opportunity here, Mom,” Darren said. “That’s for sure. When I’m riding around, I can definitely see it.”
“Okay, that’s good,” Joan said. “Glad to hear it. I’ll talk to your father about it later on in the evening, when he gets home from his meeting with the mayor. So, son...” Darren’s mother put on her imitation sweet voice – a voice that sent slight chills down her son’s spine because he knew what she was about to start talking about. “You know you’re getting a little older now and whatnot, and your cousins all have their families and stuff. I’m not talking about right now, of course, because you still have goals and whatnot there, but have you thought anymore about what we were talking about the last time we talked?”
Darren rolled his eyes and shook his head. He mouthed the word ‘fuck’ then recalled so vividly the conversation he had with his mother nearly two weeks ago. She seemed to take great pleasure in harping on him being open to finally settling down. “Yeah, I’ve given it more thought, Mom. Still thinking, really.”
“Well, I was just asking,” Joan said. “No reason to get defensive or anything like that. A mother will only be concerned. Well, what do the women seem like there? I know I used to get on you about finding a wife here in Chicago, but now that I’ve gotten older and look around a bit, I could see how maybe these wouldn?
??t be the kind of wife you want. So?”
“Mom, they seem nice,” Darren said. The only women he’d really talked to this time around were those he met at bars, in meetings, or who worked at the property management company. They all seemed “nice.” Then again, many of them knew what Darren was about business-wise. For that reason, he wasn’t surprised how some of them acted as if they were oh so interested in him when if her were walking down the street, such probably wouldn’t be the case. “I just don’t know, yet, so sorry I don’t have anything else to tell you. I told you how I feel about marriage. I know what you said, but that’s just what I feel.”