All people and places are fictional. All characters are over eighteen.
———————
Race Relations
Tucker's old college roommate was in town. Charles came back to visit at least once a year. He grew up in the city, and went to the University on a partial scholarship, the only way his family could afford such an expensive school. His business degree served him well, taking him to London, New York City, and finally Miami, where he lived an upscale bachelor's life. Whenever he visited his family he always made time for dinner and drinks with Tucker.
Charles' sister Rhonda joined them at the restaurant, and Marsha did too. Marsha and Tucker where fast becoming an item. Her husband had already moved out of their house and moved in with the woman he had been having the long affair with, so Marsha had decided to give things a try with Tucker. It was casual, but fun. Neither of them wanted to rush anything.
Tucker had some history with Rhonda too. During the summer between sophomore and senior year at the University, Tucker and Rhonda had a fling. She was fresh out of high school and neither family liked the idea. Back in those days, the fact that Tucker was white and Rhonda was black was a big deal. Well, maybe not a
big
deal, but a bigger deal than it would be today, and neither family was terribly thrilled about what was happening. Charles was cool with it. He and Tucker had become fast friends, rooming together for three years. He even fixed up the first date. Rhonda often joined Tucker and Charles for their reunion dinners, whenever she could make it.
After introductions and pleasantries, the four of them settled into a booth at a boisterous barbecue joint for some good food and conversation.
"Why you gettin' into all this Big Black Cock shit?" Charles asked, his voice bristling with good-natured annoyment.
"Oh here we go!" Rhonda said with amusement.
"Charles man! Nothin' like gettin' right to the point!" Tucker laughed.
"Come on man," Charles said. "You gotta know it's just a stereotype, and one that's not helpful to anybody."
"Those guys are popular man. I'm just tryin' to make a living. And before you ask, no, I did not come up with those names for those guys. They named themselves, before they ever got to me."
"Hey, I think they're sexy, if my vote counts," Rhonda said. "Dante and Afreeka? Yeah baby! It's porn isn't it?" she asked her brother.
"I know that. But it's not healthy when every white woman thinks a black man has a big cock. It's bad for society. It bothers me, and I've been wanting to say somethin' for a while.
"Hey man, I've seen you in the shower, so I know where you're comin' from," Tucker said, teasing his old friend.
"Hoo Hooo!" Rhonda whooped. "Did you just say that? Score one for Tucker!"
"Hey man," Charles said to Tucker. "That's not cool."
"You kinda brought it up," Rhonda said, smiling at her big brother.
"Yeah, well I'd just like to see a little balance. Show some black women with your white guys. Show some black men off the street, guys who aren't born to be porn stars. Show some black folks
together
for goodness sake."
"All right, yeah, I can see your point," Tucker said. "So whaddya think Marsha? You see any attractive women of color here tonight we could give our card to?"
"I see one," Marsha said, smiling at Rhonda.
"Fuck you Tucker!" Charles said, with a big, friendly smile. "You remember that time we got in a fight and I backed off so I didn't hurt you?"
"I remember," Tucker smiled.
"You remember how much it would have hurt if I hadn't done that?"
"Hey, we're all adults here," Tucker smiled. "Rhonda doesn't get a say in this?"
"Aren't you glad you brought up big cocks, sweet brother?" Rhonda smiled. "Speakin' of that, I see that delicious cameraman of yours is still with you."
"Oh, Jamar?" Tucker said. "Yeah, I hope he's with me forever."
"Honey, you coulda knocked me over with a feather when I saw him on the website," Rhonda said, clearly affected by seeing Jamar's performance. "How'd you talk him into comin' out from behind those cameras?"
"You know, that was all Molly," Tucker said. "Did you see that first scene he did last year?"
"You mean the older woman?" Rhonda said. "What's her name...Donna somethin'? Oh honey, I saw it. And I saw it and I saw it!" she laughed. "Too hot. Just too hot. I love it when girls her age get after it like that."
"How about you Charles?" Tucker asked. "Any of my ladies catch your eye lately?"
"You mean other than that fiery little award winner of yours? I'll tell you what — her gettin' that trophy didn't surprise me one bit. She is somethin'
else!
"
"Yeah," Tucker said. "She's kinda..."
...magic," Marsha said, finishing Tucker's sentence with a faraway twinkle in her eye.
"Sounds like we've got the makings of exactly what you want right here at our table, my friend," Tucker said to Charles. "An average black man off the street — I'll pair you up with any of my girls, and Rhonda sounds like she wouldn't mind some big black cock. We can balance the racial scales, at least a little."
"Not exactly what I was gettin' at you asshole," Charles said. He shook his head and smiled. "I'm gonna have to give you that beatin, when we get done eatin'. Are the ribs as good as they used to be here?"
"The best," Tucker smiled.
He pulled out his phone while everyone looked at their menus, and texted Jamar and Kelsey...
— Private party at the studio at 10PM. Hope you can make it.
"You said you weren't gonna work tonight," Marsha said when she saw him texting.
"Just a couple loose ends," he said as he slipped the phone back in his pocket. "Hey Charles, I picked up some sweet bottles of Single Malt a few days ago. Let's stop by the studio after dinner and have a glass."
"Ooo! You don't have to twist my arm for that!" Charles said.
———————
The four of them walked through the dark studio toward the soundstage. Marsha wondered why Tucker was leading them to the big couch on the hotel room set instead of the couch in his office, but she didn't say anything. He stopped on the way and cranked the heat up.
"You know, I was thinking about Zuri the other day," he said as he poured a splash of Scotch in each person's glass. "Do you ever hear from her?"
Zuri was one of Charles' college girlfriends. A beautiful, exotic, brown skinned girl from Mozambique, working on her degree in sports communications.
"She was so nice," Rhonda said. "You shoulda married that girl."
"Yeah, you're right," Charles said. "Last I heard she was in France working for a soccer team. Damn she was fun, wasn't she?"
"She got us all started on drugs," Tucker said to Marsha.
"Drugs! Oh my God!" Marsha said, her eyes big with surprise.
"It wasn't bad or anything," Tucker said. "It was just college, you know? It was the summer Rhonda and I were together. We all had some free time, so we rented a cabin for a week, up in the Adirondacks. We couldn't afford one on the water, so we got one out in the woods, near Indian Lake. You want me to tell this?" he asked Charles and Rhonda.
"You're doin' fine," Rhonda smiled.
"So we all pile in my car — it was a big Lincoln Town Car that was a hand-me-down from my father, gettin' pretty rusty and ragged like they used to back then. Remember that maroon velour interior?"
"I remember," Charles said, sipping on his Scotch, clearly enjoying the trip down memory lane.
"So we drive to Indian Lake, ask around and get directions, rattle our way down a long dirt road and pull up in front of this tiny little cabin. The owner was there to take our money and show us around. So here's the thing," Tucker said to Marsha. "When I talked to the guy on the phone he said it slept four. I naturally assumed that meant in separate rooms..."
"Naturally," Charles said sarcastically.
"...but it was a tiny little one-room cabin," Tucker continued, "with two couches that opened up into double beds. They were on two walls of a corner, and when they were made up they were about two feet away from each other."
"Sounds cozy," Marsha smiled.
"We all assumed the week was gonna be romantic and sexy," Rhonda said, "but doing it all in front of each other was
not
what we had in mind!"
"I take it the drugs part of the story loosened your inhibitions?" Marsha said.
"Oh boy, did it ever!" Rhonda said.
"So we settled in..." Tucker said.
"Tell about the owner. When he saw us," Charles said.
"Oh yeah," Tucker laughed. "So we pull up in this huge Lincoln. It's like a pimp car. And out of it piles Charles and two gorgeous black girls in their skimpy summer clothes, and me, the white guy driving. The guy gave us a look that's still to this day the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life."
"Oh my god!" Marsha laughed. "I wish I could have seen that!"
"Hilarious!" Charles laughed.
"So we settled in, feeling uncomfortable about the night's sleeping arrangements," Tucker said. "With Charles and Rhonda being brother and sister, we all kind of figured sex was off the table. He and I were already quietly discussing taking turns going for hikes during the day, so we could all have some private time in the cabin. And then there was Zuri."
"And then there was Zuri..." Charles said wistfully.
"I don't remember exactly how it happened," Tucker said. "We all had our back to her for a few minutes..."
"The three of us were makin' margaritas at the little counter by the sink," Rhonda said.
"That right, yeah," Tucker remembered. "Anyway, we turned around, and she's slouched on the couch, reading a paperback book, naked as the day she was born. We were speechless!"
"Charles wasn't," Rhonda chuckled. What did you say?
Jesus baby!
or somethin' like that."
"She was like that when we were alone — never liked clothes much — but I never expected it in front of friends," Charles said. "It was one of those moments that hits you upside the head like a big ol' hammer."
"I guess I can say this now," Tucker said, "because enough time's gone past.
Damn
she was smokin' hot!
"If I didn't agree with you I'd be pissed that you said that," Rhonda said. "but you're right. I wonder if she knows what you're up to here Tucker. She'd fit right in with your girls."
"Yeah, she would, wouldn't she?" Tucker chuckled. "I don't know if I've ever seen an ass like that to this day."
"It was
fine!
