For the Sake of Love

by Dwan Abrams

  Drinking an Uptown—a combination of freshly brewed ice tea and lemonade—Bria wiped the condensation from the side of the glass and took a swig.

  “How was your date with Kerryngton?” Nya asked.

  She closed her eyes and sniffed one of the long-stemmed roses—light pink with hot pink trim—Kerryngton had delivered to her doorstep that morning. He wanted to surprise her by having the flowers delivered to her place of business, but when she told him she would be working from home he asked for her address so that he could have something sent to her. Ordinarily, she would not have given her address to someone she didn’t really know. However, she felt comfortable enough with Kerryngton to trust him with that information.

  She opened her eyes, marveling at the sweet fragrance. The image of Kerryngton’s smile flashed on the screen of her mind, leaving her with a warm feeling. “Our date went very well.” She filled Nya in on all of the details of their dinner date, including his ex-wife, daughter, and oh, yes, criminal record. “And you better not tell Chance about Kerryngton’s record,” Bria warned.

  “I’m not going to tell Chance, but I want to know, have you lost your mind?” Nya raised her voice.

  “Am I detecting some attitude? What’s up with that?” She cut her eyes at Nya.

  “Yes, you’re detecting plenty of attitude!” With a smirk, Nya said, “I don’t know why you’re gushing over this ex-con. I’m not feeling that.”

  Bria held up her finger. “Hold up, Nya; you’re out of line.”

  “Humph!” Nya ate some of her fruit salad.

  “I’m not gushing,” Bria lied.

  Nya pointed her fork at her. “I can’t—and won’t—sup-port this. Besides, you’re weaving a dangerous web. What happens when Spade comes back?”

  She sighed. Why did Nya have to mention him? “I love Spade. Losing him took a chunk out of my heart. I felt like dying. I didn’t think I’d ever smile again, let alone be happy. I understand how the original Sparkle felt after Stix left and she told him she was so miserable she didn’t think she could get through another second.”

  Nya said, “I get it. That’s some serious misery. But Kerryngton has got way too much going on.” She popped a grape in her mouth. “It’s bad enough you’re acting like his criminal record isn’t a big deal, but I can’t believe you’re okay with Kerryngton having a child. Thought you didn’t want to date a guy who has kids.”

  “I know, right?” She grabbed one of the hot and spicy wings sitting on a plate in front of her and took a bite. “I used to feel like that. I didn’t want to deal with anybody’s baby momma. But he’s such a great guy it doesn’t even matter.” Bria was taken aback by how much she was gushing over Kerryngton.

  “I’m going on record saying that I think you’re doing the most. He’s not right for you.” She looked up at the ceiling, then sighed. “You’re going to do what you want to do anyway, but be careful. Rebound relationships can be a mess. They don’t usually last.”

  “I’d hardly call what we have a relationship. We’re just getting to know each other. That’s it.”

  Nya grunted again. “When can I meet him?” She raised a brow.

  Bria licked sauce from her fingers. “You can meet him tomorrow when he comes to pick me up for lunch.”

  “Have you told him that you’re still a virgin?”

  Where’d that come from? Bria eyed her like she had an extra head resting on her shoulders. “No, I have not. That’s not the type of thing you just spring on somebody. I’ll tell him when the time is right.” She lowered her voice. “Who knows? The time may never be right.”

  Nya paused for a moment. She seemed reflective. “I never told you this before, so I’ll tell you now.” She looked Bria in the eyes. “When I found out about the covenant that you made as a little girl, I had never heard of anybody having a ceremony vowing to remain a virgin until marriage.”

  Bria held the purity ring hanging from a necklace around her neck that served as a reminder of her commitment to sexual purity and gave a faint smile. On her wedding night she was supposed to give the ring to Spade as a celebration of promises given and promises kept.

  Nya continued, “Then I saw how serious and committed you were, and I wished I had done the same thing. I respect you for staying true to yourself and what you believe in regardless of what anyone else might say. That’s why I think you deserve better than this guy.”

  Bria sighed. She wished Nya would stop with all the Kerryngton bashing. “I’ll admit that it’s not always easy. I’ve been curious, but it’s like the Apostle Paul said, ‘For it is better to marry than to burn.’”

  Nya nodded. “Let’s get back to work.”

  Bria reviewed the numbers from the business. She studied the sales from body massages, body treatments, skin treatments, nail treatments, hair removal, airbrush tanning, injectables such as Botox, and gentleman’s services. She would use this data to determine what services she needed to promote more, what services generated the most revenue, and what needed to be changed, if anything. She noticed that spa packages and gift certificates had done very well. She looked at Nya and saw her staring at her.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Bria rubbed her nose, wondering if she had a bat in the cave.

  “Nothing.”

  She put down her ink pen. “I don’t want to fight with you. I don’t like it.”

  “I know. I don’t like it either,” Nya admitted. “Look at us handling professional business.” She shuffled some papers. “You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.” She laughed. “I remember when we were in high school and you were our class valedictorian I envied you, because I had to study hard just to get Bs and Cs. Same thing in college, you were cum laude, and I was praying, ‘O Lord, just let me graduate.’ Eventually, I finished on the five-year plan while you went on to graduate school.”

  “You’re a mess!” Bria chortled. “So, if you’re cracking jokes, does this mean we’re good?”

  “For now. I meant what I said, though.”

  Bria wasn’t going to press the issue. She knew that Nya needed to process the information and work through it in her own time.

  Nya checked her watch. “It’s four o’clock.” She shut down her laptop. “I’m going home to start dinner before Chance gets home.”

  “Look at how domesticated you’ve become,” Bria teased. “I remember a time when you could barely warm up a microwave dinner. I guess being married to a chef has its perks.”

  Nya smirked and put her computer in the carrying case. “Don’t work all night. Office tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Bria felt as though she had put in a full day’s work and decided to call it a day. She prepared a relaxing bath. Lighting white candles around the edge of the tub, she put on Tamar Braxton’s Love and War CD and filled up the Jacuzzi tub with warm water and Tahitian milk bath.

  While the water was running she went into the kitchen, poured herself a nonalcoholic strawberry daiquiri into a large cocktail glass, and topped it with whipped cream. Then she grabbed her cell phone just in case anyone, namely Kerryngton, called.

  Stepping into the tub, she turned on the jets, which heated up the water just the way she liked it.

  She found her mind staying on Spade, how much she loved him and wanted to marry him. The moment she laid eyes on him in her freshman year she was attracted to him. He was popular in college, and so many girls wanted him. She remembered playing it cool whenever they attended study group sessions together. It was not until their senior year when he invited her to a movie, without their friends, that she realized he was interested in her personally. She went, and he took her to Piedmont Park afterward where they talked for hours. That night he asked her to be his girl, and she gladly accepted.

  She had plans, and her plans included graduating from college, then grad school, marriage, and children. In that order. Spade knew that and said he was cool with it. It wasn’t easy for them to abstain, because their flesh would
often rise up. They were sexually attracted to each other, but they countered it by going on group dates and staying out of intimate settings, staying busy, and working out at the gym. They wouldn’t watch movies containing nudity or sexual scenes. They even joined a “support group” with like-minded Christians to help keep them on their path. That’s why they set their wedding date within three months of her finishing up grad school. She never envisioned being twenty-four, thriving . . . and alone.

  Then, there was Kerryngton. She couldn’t say enough positive things about him. He had the intellect, business acumen, maturity, and humor she liked. The fact that he was easy on the eyes didn’t hurt either.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her heart still ached for Spade. As much as she tried to fight it, she was slowly coming to accept that she and Spade might not get back together.

  An hour later her fingers and toes were wrinkled like newly born Shar-Pei pups, a sign that she had been in the water too long. She did not mind because she preferred taking lengthy baths.

  Before drying off, she splashed baby oil all over her body. Slipping into a yellow satin nightgown that complemented her cinnamon skin, she began reading the book When the Fairytale Ends. She felt as though her fairy tale with Spade had ended, but Kerryngton definitely seemed to be a knight riding in on a white horse.

  Then the phone rang, interrupting her. Remembering that she left it on the side of the tub, she ran into the bathroom to get it. Picking it up, she checked the caller ID and was glad to see that it was Kerryngton. He must’ve been feeling my vibes, she thought.

  Fourteen

  Every morning Spade started his day reading healing scriptures and praying. His favorite was Psalm 103:1–5 which read: “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

  He believed that God was going to perform a miracle and give him a new testimony. He had finally gotten a referral for a different oncologist and felt as though things were starting to look up. As soon as he got an appointment scheduled, he contacted his original oncologist for copies of his medical records to take with him.

  Before his appointment, records in hand, Spade began to search the Internet for explanations of every word in his medical records that he didn’t understand to see if he could learn more about his condition. To his surprise, after carefully examining his records, Spade noticed a word that he had a difficult time making out. The writing was so bad it was nearly impossible to figure out what it said.

  “Well, I’ll be . . .” he said in a barely audible tone. All sorts of bells were going off in his head.

  To top it off, the lab report stated that the lump biopsy was being sent for another test called “clonality”—yet no results of that test had been included in the records Spade had received. He wondered what clonality was and why those results hadn’t been included in his records.

  He double-checked the records thoroughly to be certain. Sure enough, no clonality test was there. He immediately contacted his former oncologist’s office to find out what was up.

  “Sorry, Mr. Spencer, but we have no record of the clonality test,” the physician’s assistant told him.

  “It’s in my records,” Spade said.

  “Let us check into it and get back with you.” He verified Spade’s contact number and ended the call.

  So, while he waited for them to frantically search for the results, Spade looked up exactly what that test was. It turns out clonality determines if all abnormal cells are coming from a single clone. In other words, if the results are positive, the test is strongly suggestive of cancer, such as lymphoma.

  He threw up a quick prayer and called Bria’s dad to give him an update, which he did after every doctor’s appointment and test. Since Mr. Murray was the only person who knew about his condition, he became Spade’s confidant by default. Who else could he tell?

  “How’s it going, son?” Mr. Murray said, sounding as encouraging as he usually did.

  “I believe God is getting ready to work something out.”

  “What’s going on?” He sounded curious.

  “I got copies of my medical records and stuff looks real shady.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My oncologist was all convinced that my lab test was the end-all be-all, but no test says outright that I have cancer.”

  “Son, that’s great news.”

  “I think it is.” He thought about Bria and how much he missed her. He studied the framed 5x7 photo of her on the nightstand next to his bed and stretched out on his bed. Putting his phone on speaker, he asked, “How’s Bria?”

  “She’s making it. Even though she doesn’t say so, I know she’s throwing herself into her work to cope with the breakup.” He coughed. “My wife mentioned that Bria went out on a date.”

  Spade rolled his head on a pillow so soft he thought it could’ve been a cloud. That was the last thing he wanted to hear, especially since his manager told him he had to take a trip to Europe in just one week and that he’d be gone for fourteen days. Between his health and career obligations he wouldn’t have time to get with Bria until he got back.

  “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, son, but as soon as you get your results one way or the other, you need to call her.”

  That’s exactly what he planned to do. He hadn’t spoken to Bria in several weeks and missed hearing her voice. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t want to call her, but he didn’t want to complicate the situation. He needed to get a clean bill of health from his doctor before dragging Bria back into his world. The fact that their wedding date had come and gone didn’t make things any easier.

  “I will; I’ll call her.”

  They disconnected the call. Spade figured that even if she was seeing somebody else he refused to believe some random guy could be a serious threat to what he and Bria share. He knew Bria better than anybody, and she would not get over him that quickly. He had let her go for the sake of love, and he held on to the belief that same love would bring them back together again. They belonged together and as soon as he was able, he’d tell her.

  Fifteen

  Kerryngton arrived at The Spa Factory looking casket sharp. From her office window Bria saw him pull up in yet a different Mercedes than the other three he had driven on their previous dates. They had gone to the movies, enjoyed expensive dinners, had a private art showing, went to a movie premiere, and he had even taught Bria how to play golf at the exclusive country club to which he belonged. Bria could tell Kerryngton lived the life of a sybarite, driving his expensive fleet of cars and traveling the world.

  The women at the spa, including Dani, came out of their various rooms to the front waiting area just to get a look at him. Bria could hear women making comments like, “I’d like to take a bite out of that piece of chocolate” and “Mmmm, dark chocolate really is good for the body.” She just laughed to herself.

  Bria and Nya emerged from their offices in the back. Nya’s eyes grew wide when she saw him. Bria made the introductions, and Nya extended her hand to him. A true gentleman, he kissed the back of her hand and Nya burst into giggles. She took her hand back and smoothed her relaxed hair behind her ear.

  Kerryngton handed Nya a box of Godiva chocolates, her favorite! “Bria told me you like milk chocolate.”

  Nya took the gold box. “Yes, I do. Thanks so much. That was very sweet of you.”

  He kissed Bria on the cheek and his gentle, unobtrusive fragrance wafted in the air. “This is for you.” He handed her a cube-sized box.

  “For me?” She opened the box and pulled out a rhinestone monogram personalized red mug. “Fancy. I like it.” She held up the cup for Nya to see.

  “Glad you like it.
I know you drink coffee or tea almost every day, so . . .”

  “That’s so thoughtful!” the dark haired front-desk receptionist interrupted as she held her hand over her heart.

  Bria had no idea the young lady had been so engrossed in their conversation. “Thanks, Meagan.”

  Kerryngton simply smiled at Meagan before turning his attention back to Bria. “Ready to go?” He looked Bria up and down in an admiring sort of way.

  “I’m ready.” She adjusted her purse strap.

  “It was nice meeting you,” Nya told him.

  “Don’t go. Please join us,” he offered.

  Her grin widening, Nya said, “I don’t want to intrude.”

  Bria knew she was only trying to be nice and would not pass up an opportunity to get a free lunch. Not to mention the fact that she could interrogate Kerryngton, which she fully expected Nya to do.

  “Nonsense. I insist,” he said.

  Nya looked at Bria for approval, and Bria shrugged. “If you want to go, come on.”

  She held up her index finger. “Just a second. Let me get my purse.” Quickly, she turned on the balls of her feet.

  “Wait,” Bria said. “Please take my mug with you and set it on my desk.”

  “Sure.” Nya grabbed the box containing the mug and went to get her purse.

  When she returned, Kerryngton escorted the women to his shiny S-Class and personally opened the doors for them. The interior was immaculate without so much as a gum wrapper out of place and smelled like baby powder. A stark contrast to Bria’s ride. She used her car as a mobile office.

  They made small talk as they drove the short ride to the CNN Center to dine at McCormick & Schmick’s. Kerryngton parked in the parking garage across the street. They waited for several cars to pass before Kerryngton grabbed Bria’s hand and led them to the other side of the street.

  Once inside the stone-walled restaurant, they were taken to their table. Kerryngton pulled out Bria’s chair, and the waiter did the same for Nya. After scanning their menus, the waiter took their orders. Bria ordered the lobster Cobb salad, Kerryngton selected salmon rigatoni, and Nya blackened chicken linguine.