After being robbed by a black assailant, white Chicago dentist Mark Cross is hesitant to go out at night, let alone get involved in an interracial relationship, but that’s exactly what happens after he meets Darren Nichols, a black high school teacher and basketball coach. When Mark and Darren are introduced at a party, their attraction to each other is immediate and intense, and they soon begin dating. As their relationship progresses, Mark realizes he loves Darren. But he’s hesitant to ask Darren to move in with him because Darren’s last relationship ended poorly and Darren is scared to get involved with another man so quickly after that experience. Mark also worries he doesn’t live up to Darren’s expectations and fears Darren ultimately longs for a man who isn’t white. And Mark is still haunted by the man who mugged him and harbors fears about black men in general. Despite his worries and insecurities, Mark asks Darren to move in with him and Darren agrees. Though they both bring baggage to their bond, Mark and Darren work hard to build a life together. But when Darren invites over some of the guys he plays basketball with, Mark suspects one of the players, Terrance, is the same man who assaulted him. Mark shares his suspicions with Darren, but Darren isn’t convinced his friend could do something so terrible. Mark is determined to uncover the truth, but will he jeopardize his relationship with Darren in the process?

Pivot

Cohabitation forced me and Darren to work out a plan to split our joined expenses. I knew he didn’t make as much money as I did, so I didn’t want him to feel obligated to pay half of my mortgage on top of everything else. We agreed that he’d give me a set amount of money each month that I’d use to pay utilities, condo association fees, or whatever. Since Darren claimed he couldn’t live without an expanded cable package that included more sports channels than any sane person needed, he footed the bill for that. When he wasn’t watching sports, he watched telenovelas on the Spanish channels, claiming they helped him keep his language skills up to snuff. However, I suspected he really watched them because he enjoyed the campy storylines, hot Latin guys, and over-the-top acting.


Chapter 14