by Dwan Abrams
“Everything looks so good,” Bria said, her mouth watering.
They each ate a side salad before filling up on thick pieces of lasagna and warm garlic bread, fresh from the oven.
“I’m so glad we finally found the perfect dress for me to wear to the wedding,” Mrs. Murray said to Bria. “I was starting to get worried.”
Nya choked on her sweet tea, and Bria’s eyes got bigger than the gold hoop earrings dangling from her ears.
Swallowing hard, Bria admitted to her parents, “Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you.” They stared at her, making her feel uncomfortable. “There isn’t going to be a wedding . . . at least not right now.”
Mrs. Murray covered her mouth as if someone had smacked her there, and Mr. Murray dropped his fork.
Removing her hand, Mrs. Murray could only mouth, “What?”
“Spade broke it off a couple of days ago.”
As soon as Bria said that it happened a couple of days ago, she wanted to recant that statement. The surprised look on her mother’s face said it all. Bria could tell that her mom was hurt and disappointed she had not told her about this as soon as it happened.
“Are you all right?” Mr. Murray asked.
Bria nodded her head in the affirmative.
Mrs. Murray got up and gave her a hug. “I don’t understand,” she said. “What happened? Were you having problems?”
Truth be told Bria didn’t understand either. She had spent countless hours trying to figure out what went wrong and came up with nothing every time. “He really didn’t say. Just that he wasn’t ready to get married.”
“Is he seeing somebody else?” Lines formed on Mrs. Murray’s forehead.
“He told me he wasn’t.”
Mrs. Murray took a seat and continued. “Honey, I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. Sometimes men get cold feet.” She looked at her husband. “Your dad and I went through a bump in the road before we got married.”
“Really?” That was the first time Bria had heard that.
She chuckled. “Oh yes. Your daddy was quite the ladies’ man. I went through a lot waiting for him to get his act together.”
Bria had always thought her dad was the perfect guy. Hearing this was surprising, and if she was being honest, a bit disappointing.
Mr. Murray stood up from the table. “I’m going to talk to him.”
Bria assured her parents that she was fine and they did not need to talk to Spade on her behalf. Mr. Murray wasn’t hearing it. He excused himself and said he was going for a drive. Bria knew what that meant. A drive straight to Spade’s condo. She hoped he wasn’t at home. The last thing she wanted was to see her father on the news for jacking up her ex-fiancé. Not that her father was physically stronger than Spade. Just that Spade had so much respect for her dad that he wouldn’t dare lift a finger to harm him.
Apparently everyone sitting at the table thought the same thing, because they finished their meal in silence.
Nine
Spade was headed to the studio, but Mr. Murray had thrown a monkey wrench in his plans. He had rededicated himself to his music. What choice did he have? He needed to take more tests to determine what stage his cancer was in. He couldn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself anymore. In the meantime, he couldn’t let his career suffer.
A conversation with his sound engineer reeled him back in and helped him remember why he needed to work around the clock writing and recording.
The engineer had told him, “A lot of artists work really hard recording music when they know they’re going away for a while. Imagine what would happen if they had that same discipline day-to-day. Tomorrow isn’t promised. If people treated every day like it could be their last, people would stop procrastinating. When you think about it, what are you waiting on anyway?”
That was all he needed to get back on track. He hoped and prayed that he would beat his condition, but just in case, he wanted his music to live on.
Judging by the sound of Mr. Murray’s voice over the phone and the fact that he insisted on meeting, Spade figured he must have finally wanted to talk to him about his calling off the wedding. He suspected it was coming. He had the utmost respect for Mr. Murray and felt he owed him an explanation for breaking his only daughter’s heart. That’s why he adjusted his schedule and agreed to meet up. After all, getting Mr. Murray to trust him enough to give his blessing for Spade to marry his daughter was not an easy feat. By the time Mr. Murray finished grilling Spade about his relationship with his family, his upbringing, his spiritual beliefs, his career goals, fiscal responsibility, and credit score, Spade felt like he should’ve been awarded a Top Secret government clearance and hired by the CIA. Later, Bria revealed to him that her dad had run a criminal background check and pulled a credit report on him. Spade wasn’t upset about that. If he had a daughter, he felt certain he’d be just as protective, if not more.
He looked around his living room and picked up the clothes strewn on the couch and sneakers on the floor. Keeping a clean place hadn’t been on his list of priorities lately. He threw the clothes in the dirty clothes hamper and lined his shoes up in his walk-in closet. He didn’t want Mr. Murray to think he was a total slob. Then he sprayed the air with freshener to get rid of the musty tennis shoe smell.
Looking in his refrigerator he noticed that the only things inside were bottled water and cans of Red Bull, which he kept stocked to help keep his energy level up. He wasn’t big on grocery shopping, so there was no surprise that he didn’t have any food. Most of the time he either ate out or stopped by the grocery store to pick up what he wanted when he wanted. Shopping in advance didn’t appeal to him, because he didn’t know what he’d be in the mood to eat from day to day. He hoped that Mr. Murray had eaten, because he didn’t have so much as a cube of cheese to offer him.
The doorbell rang, and Spade suddenly felt anxious. His palms turned blotchy with red spots. He took a moment to get his mind right before letting Mr. Murray in.
“Hey, Mr. Murray, how are you doing?” Spade shook his hand.
“I’ve been better, son.” He made his way to the couch and sat down.
Spade was glad he had gone to church that morning and got prayed up. He didn’t know what was about to jump off, but he could tell that Mr. Murray was about the business. He offered him some bottled water, but Mr. Murray declined. Spade sat down too, but he didn’t get too comfortable.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a thin layer of dust on his wooden coffee table. On a regular day he couldn’t have cared less. But the way Mr. Murray came across like he wanted to grind him in a meat grinder made him conscientious of minor details.
“I’m going to get straight to the point,” Mr. Murray said in a serious tone. “What’s this I hear about you calling off the wedding?”
His right leg started shaking, something that happened whenever he felt nervous. For a brief moment he considered telling Mr. Murray, in a respectable manner, to mind his own business, but he knew that wouldn’t go over well. Knowing how close Bria was to her father, he knew that if he stood any chance of getting back with Bria in the future he couldn’t alienate Mr. Murray. He needed him to be on his team, so he decided to confide in him.
He leaned forward and pressed his hands together in the praying position. “Mr. Murray, I love your daughter.”
Mr. Murray cleared his throat as if to say, “That remains to be seen.”
“I didn’t used to believe in love at first sight, but I can honestly tell you that I felt something for your daughter the first time I laid eyes on her. Then after I got to know her, I knew in my heart that one day she’d be my wife.” He put his hand over his heart, then placed it on his lap. “That was almost seven years ago and nothing has changed.” He shook his head. “I love that girl so much that I’d willingly give up my life if it meant saving hers. If she needed a kidney, I’d be the first person in line volunteering to donate mine. That’s how much she means to me.”
Mr. Murray propped his
elbow on the arm of the couch and used his index finger to prop up his head. “If what you’re telling me is true, son, then I don’t understand what could’ve happened between you and my daughter that the two of you can’t work out.”
Spade sighed. “What I’m about to tell you I need you to promise me you won’t tell Bria or Mrs. Murray.”
“Well,” he hesitated, “I don’t feel comfortable making a promise like that without knowing what I’m agreeing to.”
“I understand that, but I need your word.” Spade looked him in the eyes.
He clasped his hands together. “Just tell me this. Did you cheat on my daughter?”
He shook his head. “No, sir,” Spade assured him.
“Did you break the law? Are you going to jail?”
“No.” He shook his head.
Mr. Murray pressed his back against a sofa cushion. “I can’t imagine what it could be, but in that case, you have my word. Now, lay it on me.”
Spade told him about his prognosis.
Mr. Murray stood up and paced the stain-free beige carpet. He exhaled. “I’m sorry to hear that, son. Do you know what stage you’re in?”
“No, they have to run more tests.” He smoothed his fingers over his lips.
Raising a brow, Mr. Murray said, “Did you get a second opinion?”
“Not yet.”
“I see.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “If something happened to you, Bria would be devastated.”
“I know.”
He stopped pacing and sat back down in his previous spot. “Have you been feeling sick?”
“No. That’s the tripped out part. I feel fine. None of this is making any sense to me.”
He continued, “I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling fine, and I’ll be praying for you. Son, this is serious, but you’re not giving Bria enough credit. I happen to know she adores you. She’s in love with you. She would want to be there for you.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but I’m a man.” He patted his chest. “It’s my job to be strong. What if I have to get chemo, and I’m all broke down sick and stuff?” He shook his head. “I can’t have Bria seeing me like that throwing up and poopin’ on myself. She shouldn’t have to be my nurse.” That visual popped into his mind, and he shook his head again trying to shoo it away. “No.” He sounded firm in his decision. “I’m going to wait it out.”
“You’re making decisions not just about your future but Bria’s future too. I know my daughter, and she’s not the type of person to leave you while you’re down. You shouldn’t deny yourself and her the chance to be together. Life is fleeting and isn’t guaranteed to anyone. The fact that you have someone willing to go through the tough times with you is a blessing.”
Spade scratched his head. “This isn’t just a rough patch in my life. According to the doctor, I could be dead in five years.”
“Don’t talk like that. God has the final say-so. And even if God calls you home, you shouldn’t rob Bria of precious time and memories with you. She would never get over it.”
Spade held his head down.
“No matter what happens, you need to trust in the love you and Bria share. She’s a lot stronger than you think.” He chuckled. “I should know; I raised her.”
Spade lowered his voice. “I miss her, but I have to focus on getting better and creating music. I can’t give Bria what she needs right now.”
Mr. Murray got up and patted him on the back. “I can tell she misses you too. Why don’t you consider postponing the wedding but staying in a relationship with her?”
“Mr. Murray, I hear what you’re saying, and I respect it. Just let me handle this my way. I’m praying to God that everything works out so that Bria and I can get back together. If I beat this, I’ll pursue her with a vengeance.” He looked away. “And if I don’t, well, it won’t really matter because I’ll be dead anyway.”
“Let me be blunt, you have a distorted view of reality. You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. If you survive, you’ll still have to tell Bria eventually. Especially if you plan on getting back with her. On the other hand, if you don’t beat this, Bria’s heart would be forever broken. You would’ve robbed her of precious time that she can never get back. And what about the position you’re putting me in? Because of a promise I made to you I have to stand by and watch my little girl suffer. And when she finds out that I knew she’ll hate me. You may be willing to live with that, but I can’t.”
Spade rubbed his eyes. “Sorry.”
“And here’s some food for thought. What if while you’re going through this you wait too long and she meets someone else?”
Spade stroked the lower half of his face. He knew that any man would be lucky to have Bria. Convinced that it was just a matter of time before the sharks smelled blood in the water and circled in for the kill, he became angry at the thought of Bria being with another man. Why did Mr. Murray have to bring that up? He hadn’t even considered the possibility of Bria getting with someone else, and the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. What would he do if he lost Bria to some other joker?
Mr. Murray seemed reflective for a moment. “I’ll give you six months to tell her.”
“Huh?”
“That should be enough time for you to know exactly what’s going on with your condition.” He paused. “Son, I know you said a test confirmed your results, but don’t take that as the gospel. Doctors and all the people working in their offices and labs are human beings. That means there’s always room for error. Don’t just take what they’re telling you at face value. Do your due diligence and get a second or even a third opinion.”
Mr. Murray saw himself out and left Spade to his private thoughts. And think he did. What if he had acted prematurely? What if his cancer wasn’t in the advanced stages? Or what if the doctor had been wrong and he didn’t have cancer at all? Spade owed it to himself and Bria to find out.
Ten
Bria and Nya met at The Spa Factory early Monday morning. They were still on an emotional high that the doors were officially open to the public. Nya loved herself some Bruno Mars and had turned Bria on to the artist. They popped his CD in the player. Nya fixed a fresh pot of chai tea and displayed the fruit trays and Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
In Bria’s office, she noticed the business card Kerryngton had given her sitting on her desk. She picked it up and read aloud, “CEO/President, Up and Up Records.” According to his card, he worked as a record label executive. Great! she thought. Another person in the music industry. That was the last thing she wanted or needed. She was tempted to toss his card in the trash, but the image of his radiant smile popped in her head.
She hadn’t heard a word from Spade, and her heart broke a little more every day. She wanted to believe in Spade and wasn’t ready to move on. She wasn’t sure she could ever really move on. She wondered if Spade was even thinking about her.
Nya entered and startled her. Bria stuffed the card inside her desk drawer. She didn’t want Nya to see the card and start making a bigger deal out of it than it really was. She knew Nya well enough to know that she’d want every detail of her brief encounter with Kerryngton.
Nya told her that the tea was ready, so they each poured themselves a cup and grabbed one glazed doughnut apiece.
“How’re you feeling?” Nya said.
“I’ve been trying to stay busy and keep my mind off Spade, but it’s hard. It’s especially frustrating, knowing that he’s going through something, and he doesn’t feel he can share it with me.”
“This is one of those ‘Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus’ situations. Spade has a problem, and rather than talk about it, he goes into a cave, figuratively speaking, of course.”
“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” She licked glaze off her lips.
“Wait and not pressure him. When he’s ready to talk, he will. If you try to force it out of him, he’ll just go deeper into the cave and take longer to come out.”
“When did you be
come a relationship expert?”
“Girl, marriage is a full-time job. According to the books I’ve read, you should treat your relationship like a plant. Don’t wait until it’s withered and dying before watering it.”
They laughed. Members of the staff started coming in and interrupting them. Bria told them to help themselves to the refreshments.
For the next few hours, Bria worked nonstop. She and Nya took an hour and a half lunch break and came right back to work. Bria was typing on her laptop when the intercom sounded. It was Dani, asking if she could speak with her. Dani entered the office and stood in front of Bria’s desk.
Pushing her glasses farther back on her nose, Dani said, “A guy named Kerryngton Kruse called. He wants you to call him.” Dani handed her a pink slip of paper. “I asked if anyone else could help him, and he said it was personal.”
“Oh. How did I miss his call?” she wondered out loud.
“He called when you and Nya went out to lunch.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Bria looked at the paper, then back at Dani wondering why Dani was still standing there. “Please be sure to patch him through the next time he calls.”
Dani agreed.
Bria could tell that Dani really wanted to probe deeper and find out what was going on, but when Bria refused to come up off any information, she went back to her workstation.
Bria was curious why Kerryngton had called her and a faint smile appeared across her face. She removed his card from the drawer and studied it again. She considered calling him back but changed her mind. What would she say? Then she placed it in her purse and decided to wait until he called back before speaking with him. If it’s important, he’ll call again, she thought.
A few hours later, Dani’s voice flowed through the intercom speaker on Bria’s desk. “Kerryngton Kruse is on the line.”
“Patch him through please.”
Bria took a swig from the bottled water on her desk before answering Kerryngton’s waiting call.
“The grand opening was really nice,” he said. “Congratulations.” His voice sounded nice with just the right amount of bass. She could listen to him all day.
