Falling For Mr. Greenfield

§ 7 § (BWWM)

SORROW
Everyone has a moment when they realized they walked into a gunfight with a rock. That's what Sorrow came to understand as she and Asher moved beyond their platonic friendship to a deeper more intimate relationship.

Before wrapping herself around him, Sorrow never imagined she would be in the position she found herself in with a man like Asher.

Sorrow Shay could recall a time when she was innocent in many ways, but after her 19th birthday, she said goodbye to the "good girl" persona insisting, "what my mama don't know won't hurt her or me."

While in college, Sorrow did a bit of partying like other girls. She had fun like everybody else. The only thing she didn't do was forget to study or allow her college crushes to get the nookie without protection.

Bringing home a failing grade or a baby would yield the same result. Her mother would promptly kick her ass and throw her out in the streets.

Binnie Shay was not the woman to play with. She reminded Sorrow every day of the sacrifices she had made so that her daughter could enjoy a good decent life. Her mother's main goal was to make sure Sorrow grew up to become a respected professional woman.

Mrs. Shay didn't have the luxury of going to college. She got married a few years after high school and moved away from her family to live with her husband.

Her main concerns in life were to work and care for her only child.

Since Binnie came from a small town in Southwest Arkansas, she had been raised in the church and was taught the right way to conduct herself regardless of her position in life.

When she began working as a housekeeper, she utilized her mother's teaching about caring for a home to dazzle her employer. Once Binnie learned the requirements of professional cleaning, she took a few business courses and set out to build her own company.

With a small pickup truck and a janitorial supply kit she had customized for work, Binnie Shay became a successful businesswoman through tears, sweat, and a few more tears.

Sorrow knew every detail of how her mother struggled to build up their company. She also understood that her mother respected everyone, but she had moments when she was leery of white folks and "white folk's mess".

Because of old prejudices she had witnessed back home, Ms. Shay worked for them, but she wasn't necessarily a fan.

Even in college, Sorrow warded off those white boys who were "black curious" because she kept in mind her mother's warning about staying away from them.

She had no desire to play games with some guy who was rebelling against his family by enjoying that sweet "blackberry cobbler" like some crackhead looking for a rock.

Like many others, she had heard the saying, "Once you go black, you never go back," but she was pretty sure black folks who allowed their white counterparts to test the theory didn't have Mrs. Binnie Shay as a mother.

Even though so many years had passed since her college days, Sorrow still recalled her mother's warnings so she knew better than to walk down the path she had chosen as of late.

As easy as it was to remind herself about the potential consequences of entering into a relationship with Eli Asher Greenfield, Sorrow came to the realization that she was addicted to being next to him.

The strength in his presence...
The smile on his face...
The way he always treated her like a lady...
The moments he would wrap his arms around her and hug her just to show support...

All of the attention Asher lavished on Sorrow made her crave his presence when work kept them apart.

Even though they hadn't previously shifted directions and incorporated sex during time spent together, he never tried to force the issue. Asher was such a gentleman that he never even brought it up.