For the Sake of Love (13 page)

He bent down, grabbed the back of her head, and kissed her. “I love you so much.” As he talked, his lips brushed against hers.

Bria had never been more conflicted in her life. When she kissed Kerryngton, she felt guilty, as if she were betraying Spade. And now she felt guilty kissing him, like she was betraying Kerryngton. But she couldn't deny that kissing Spade felt so right! She wanted to break away, but she found herself being drawn to him like a rock star to a supermodel.

“Don't give up on us,” he pleaded. Spade kissed her again before saying something else that tugged, more like yanked, on all of Bria's heartstrings. “I remember you telling me that you prayed about me . . . us. And that I'm your kindred spirit.” He held her oval-shaped face in his hands. “If you believe you've already found The One, why are you wasting time with another man?”

Bria turned her face away, not wanting him to see the guilt that panged her. She didn't know the answer to that question. All she knew was that now she found herself caught up in the middle of a love triangle. She wished she could talk to her dad. He was always so good at offering her advice and helping her straighten out her problems. But he wasn't there now, and even if he were, the ultimate decision rested solely on her shoulders. What was she going to do?

Bria went back to the hotel and pounded on Nya's door.

“Why are you pounding on the door like a madwoman?” Chance asked when he opened the door to let her in. He rubbed his eyes. “Oh, you
are
a madwoman.”

She cut her eyes at him and headed straight to the bed where she joined Nya who was underneath the black-and-white covers. She kicked off her sneakers and settled on the bed.

“What's the matter with you?” Nya asked as Bria lay next to her.

“I met with Spade, and we finally talked.” She wrestled with a plush pillow until she found a comfortable position.

Nya propped herself up on her elbow. “What did he say? Tell me everything.”

And that's exactly what Bria did. She told her everything. Bria talked for ten minutes straight without taking a break and without Nya or Chance interrupting her. When she finally did stop talking, she showed them the check. Nya and Chance just stared at her and the check.

“Say something,” Bria insisted.

“I wanted to make sure you were done,” Nya told her. She sat up on the bed. “I can't believe Spade was diagnosed with cancer.” She had a sorrowful look on her face. “And that he paid you back. Are you sure he's all right now?”

“That's what he says.” She lowered her eyes. “His doctor believes he was misdiagnosed; he's waiting for some test to confirm it.”

“I'm sad this happened to him . . . and to you. I always thought the two of you were made for each other.” She gave Bria a sympathetic look. “Spade is my boy. I love him like a brother, and it would break my heart if anything ever happened to him. I pray that he gets the clean bill of health he's hoping for.” She sighed. “I just wish he would've told you what was going on with him.”

“Me too.” Bria felt tormented inside. A part of her wanted to tell Spade yes, they could try again. She wanted to announce that the wedding was back on and live happily ever after with the love of her life. But she knew she couldn't do that. Kerryngton was the type of guy any woman would be lucky to have, she thought. He could have any woman he wanted, and he wanted her. He made her feel special. Not that Spade didn't make her feel special too, because he definitely did—this was different.

Chance ran his hand over his bald head. Then he surprised both Bria and Nya when he broke out singing his own off-key version of the old-school song “Him or Me” by the group Today. “Tell me, Bria, what are you gon-na do? Do you really want Kerryngton, or do you really want Spade?”

Bria tossed a pillow at his head. “Zip it.”

He started laughing. “I'm just playing. But for real, who's it going to be?”

In exasperation, Bria admitted, “I don't know.”

“Well, let's see,” Chance said. “You and Spade have history, and the love is deep. He hurt you, but there was a reason . . . a very good reason.”

“That's just it,” Bria interrupted. “He didn't
have
to hurt me. All he had to do was tell me.” Anger festered from deep within and boiled to the top. “I shed so many tears over that man.” She felt herself getting choked up. “Why did he have to wait so long? It's not fair.”

Chance came over and gave her a hug. “No, it's not fair. You just need to pray about it. But if I had to give my two cents, I vote for love. You and Spade are like peanut butter and jelly; you just go together.”

Bria sniffled and used his white T-shirt to wipe the snot from her nose.

Chance patted her hard on the back. “Thanks a lot.” He eased his way up, pulling the shirt away from his body.

“Don't mention it,” she said as she smiled sweetly at him.

Nya added, “You already prayed about Spade a long time ago. You know he's the guy for you. Don't play yourself. Kerryngton is all glitz and glamour, but everything that glitters isn't gold. Remember when actress LisaRaye went through a very public divorce from Turks and Caicos Prime Minister Michael Misick? Well, when she was planning their wedding she talked about him being platinum, baby. And that he was the real deal. She had women all over the world hating on her. He was supposed to be some great catch. See how
that
turned out.” She cleared her throat. “I'm just sayin'.”

Sulking, Bria said, “Why didn't Spade just tell me the truth?” She didn't really expect anyone to answer her.

“Pride,” Chance said.

Bria and Nya both looked at him.

“A man doesn't want his woman to ever think he's weak or not in control,” Chance continued. “He'd rather risk losing you than to have you look at him with pity or stay with him out of obligation.”

“But he didn't give me a choice,” Bria explained.

“I'm not saying he was right,” Chance clarified. “I'm just saying that's how some men are.”

“As long as I've known Spade, and as well as he knows me, he should've known I wouldn't have left him.”

“That's the problem,” Chance said. “He does know you. He knows you're loyal to a fault. You would've stood by him no matter what. Knowing Spade like I do, he didn't want you to do that. He was probably thinking about every scenario. He was diagnosed with a terminal condition. He had to worry about how that would affect you. He's young, and he had probably never thought about his mortality until he got that death sentence. That's a lot to deal with. And even if he could fight the disease, going through chemo would make him sick and weak. Can't you see why he made the decision he made, even if you don't agree with it?”

Bria nodded her head. She hadn't previously considered any of what Chance said. He helped her to stop focusing on herself and understand what Spade must've gone through.

Chance continued, “Li'l sis, I know you're caught up in this whirlwind romance with Kerryngton right now, but I'm going to keep it one hundred with you. Just a few months ago you were ready and willing to commit your life to Spade. I agree with my wife. Nobody could've told you he wasn't The One. I don't think you're really torn at all.”

His words stunned Bria. Nya and Bria stared at him with baffled expressions and said in unison, “What?”

“No, I think you're in love with Spade, but I think the diamonds-and-platinum lifestyle that come along with Kerryngton excite you. It's new, different, and fun. Once that wears off you'll find your way back to Spade. Just don't wait too long,” he warned.

She knew her friends made great points. What was she going to do?

A private internal lift led Bria to Kerryngton's penthouse retreat. Bria looked around the penthouse in amazement. She thought the dark limed oak paneling and red-leather-paneled bookshelves gave the lounge and study the genteel elegance of a refined gentlemen's club, albeit with light contemporary touches. Her mouth opened in awe.

“Do you like it?” Kerryngton asked.

“It's all that
and
a bag of Doritos.”

On the upper turreted floor, as soon as Bria saw the king-sized bed she thought the place was fit for a king. The huge bed stood on a sumptuous rug surrounded by a dark stained oak floor, tinted with a light lime wash. The luxurious bathroom featured a walk-in shower encased in Nero Marquina stone and a bespoke Apaiser stone bathtub. She had no idea what type of stones Kerryngton was talking about but judging by the look and feel of the stones she knew it had to be top of the line. Kerryngton pointed out that the flooring had been formed from three varieties of marble.

“Very nice,” she said.

Outside, on the private terrace with breathtaking views toward Whitehall and Big Ben, there was a giant chess set. Bria had never seen a chess set so large. The pieces stood as tall as a one-year-old child. She touched one of the pieces and felt the smoothness.

“Do you play chess?”

She shook her head. “Not really. My mom tried to teach me, but I just never took to it.”

Bria could've easily lived in that penthouse. She thought about an article she had read about smart women marrying for money instead of love. According to the article, heart-stopping, knee-weakening, “when-is-he-going-to-call” kind of love wanes in about eighteen to twenty-four months, but the kind that comes in dollars and cents lasts a lifetime. She had heard all of the catchy phrases: “It's just as easy to love a rich man as a poor man.” Or, “No Romance without Finance.” And, “Marry the one you can live with, not the one you can't live without.”

Far from being a gold digger, Bria wondered if she was naïve in her thinking. She had never considered marrying for anything other than true love. Then she thought about something she heard Dr. Phil say on his show. He told one of the guests, “If you marry for money, you'll earn every penny.”

A faint smile appeared on her face. She knew that by worldly standards everything boiled down to money. However, she knew in her heart that the world's way wasn't necessarily God's way. She believed what the Word said about love covering a multitude of sins. She also believed that love could motivate people to succeed and become their best selves. No matter what that article stated, Bria knew herself well enough to know that she'd choose love over money any day of the week. She decided to stay prayerful about what she should do and let God show her the way instead of leaning on her own understanding.

After the tour, they enjoyed a lavish breakfast of freshly squeezed fruit juices, coffees, teas, fresh seasonal fruits, eggs cooked to their preference, streaky bacon, honey roasted ham, grilled mushrooms, vine tomatoes, cereals, and yogurts with granola. Although tempting, Bria passed on the freshly baked croissants and home-baked bread with English honey, strawberry jam, and thick cut marmalade.

Over breakfast they talked about their plans for the day.

“I'm superexcited about the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, taking a tour of the State Rooms, and a guided tour of the garden,” she said. She was so glad Kerryngton had already purchased their tickets online in advance.

When they finished eating, they relaxed for a few before heading over to Buckingham Palace at 9:00 a.m. to meet up with Nya and Chance. When they got there a small crowd had already gathered, but at least there weren't so many people they'd have to stare at the back of people's heads.

“This is exciting!” Nya said, sounding like a young child.

“Yeah, it is,” Bria agreed.

Kerryngton mentioned the two of them taking future trips together, and Bria's stomach flopped. She and Spade used to talk about all the places they wanted to go together: Dubai, Paris, France, Italy, Sweden. Even though their plans weren't etched in stone, the fact that they entertained the possibility gave them something to look forward to and strive for. She felt herself become a bit misty-eyed because London, England, was also on their list. The thought that she and Spade were both in London, but not together, caused a tinge of sadness for her. Bria turned her attention to the guards. She liked the red and black uniforms with bearskin hats that the soldiers wore.

Promptly at 11:30 a.m., the Changing of the Guard took place. Bria took out her phone to record the memorable event. The handover was accompanied by a Guards band. The music played ranged from traditional military marches to songs from films and musicals, and to Bria's surprise, even familiar pop songs. Forty-five minutes later the ceremony ended.

“That was incredible,” Bria said as she stopped recording and put her phone away.

Kerryngton grabbed her hand. “Let's head over to our tours.”

“I can't wait!” Nya said, schmoozing up to Chance.

Their first stop was The Queen's Gallery. On arrival, the group and their belongings went through an airport-style security check. Bria was disappointed to learn that photography, video recording, and filming were not permitted inside of the palace. She'd just have to pay particular attention and create some good memories in her mind, she figured.

Once at The Queen's Gallery, they stood in the entrance hall along with the other visitors. They had to go through security yet again before making their way to the galleries and activity areas on the upper level. Bria found herself paying acute attention to the details of her surroundings. Gold lettering that read: “THE QUEEN'S GALLERY” was prominently displayed above the entrance. Above that sat a red lion. The monumental entrance doors were made of oak. Framing the stone-arched entrance to the exhibition areas were two free-standing winged figures. Bria noticed that the entrance hall's robust rusticated style contrasted with the interior of the stair hall beyond, which was polychromatic and ornate. She looked up and observed that the ceiling was painted in fascinating red and green anthemion patterns above Ionic columns and pilasters in green scagliola.

Inside, both couples walked hand-in-hand. Bria saw the most unique reception desk made from curved pieces of Scottish elm with kilned glass and patinated copper. Dividing the reception from the main Gallery area was a patterned glass screen. The dramatic central stair of native timber led to the Gallery spaces above.

Bria thought the Leonardo da Vinci anatomist exhibit was fantastic! Very well organized, the staff was particularly friendly and happy to impart their knowledge.

To their dismay, they had to go through security again before going to the next exhibit. When they finished going through a full TSA scan of their bags, they proceeded to a forty-five-minute guided tour of the Royal Mews.

A warden, dressed in his striking red and navy livery, guided them on their tour. The tour itself introduced the work of the Royal Mews, whose staff was responsible for all the road travel by the queen and members of the royal family. Bria admired the coaches and carriages on display.

The guide talked about how the Mews serve the queen in the performance of her official duties and prepares for major State and ceremonial occasions.
Interesting,
Bria thought.

During their visit, they got to see some of the queen's horses that draw the coaches and carriages in the Mews. Even the horses looked regal—white, spectacularly large, and adorned in red, black, and gold.

They saw the bridle room, which displayed the gift from President Barack Obama to the queen—a set of horseshoes from a race horse and some bridle pieces. Bria felt proud to be an American. However, she did find it humorous that she had to go halfway across the world to occupy the same space her president once had.

In the stable area, they saw the carriage used in the recent royal wedding. They also got to see some of the fine livery worn by the queen's coachmen. Bria liked all the fine details. At the end of the informative tour, they purchased a few souvenirs and went to their last tour of the day.

Finally, an audio tour of the nineteen lavishly furnished State Rooms.
They saved the best for last,
Bria thought. The tour started out with an introduction by the Prince of Wales, chairman of the Royal Collection Trust, and took them through all the State Rooms and the special exhibition.

Bria pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The sting of the pinch let her know she was very much awake and walking around an actual palace lived in by the royal family. The rooms were furnished with many of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto, sculpture by Canova, exquisite pieces of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Bria really liked the White Room with the ebony-veneered cabinets that held a concealed door!

The commentary provided a lively guide to royal history and the works of art from the Royal Collection. They heard about the palace's transformation over the last 300 years, from its early beginnings as Buckingham House to the world-famous palace. Along the route, staff of the Royal Household explained the role of the palace as an official residence of the queen and talked about their work, from arranging State Banquets and Garden Parties to cleaning the sparkling chandeliers.

Next, Bria got a better understanding of why diamonds are a girl's best friend. Her eyes grew huge as they witnessed the spectacular exhibition Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration. The exhibition showed the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years, including a number of the queen's personal jewels. They started out standing in line until Nya suggested they go around the back of the cases and peek over people's heads. They tried it, and Nya was right. They could see just as much and spent far less time waiting that way.

“Impressive,” Bria said of a jeweled crown. The queen sure had it going on in the jewelry department, Bria thought.

When they finished, they took a guided tour of the most remarkable features of the famous garden.

The gray-haired tour guide told them, “The thirty-nine-acre garden is the setting for the queen's Garden Parties.”

Hearing that sparked Bria's imagination. She imagined having tea with the queen in the garden.

She heard the guide say, “Described as ‘a walled oasis in the middle of London,' the garden boasts more than 350 types of wildflowers, over 200 trees, and a three-acre lake.”

The tour included the beautiful Herbaceous Border, the wisteria-clad summer house and Rose Garden, the enormous Waterloo Vase and the palace tennis court, where King George VI and Fred Perry played in the 1930s.

At the end of their tour they enjoyed a moment of downtime in the Garden Café on the palace's West Terrace while they took in the panoramic view of the lawn. They drank tea and ate sandwiches and delicious pastries specially created for Buckingham Palace. Bria felt like a princess.

Chance nibbled on a sandwich. “Man, I can't even imagine what it would be like to be a part of the royal family and live in a palace.”

“I know, right?” Nya's eyes lit up like she was trying to imagine what being royalty must feel like.

Bria shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know, but I feel like royalty right now,” she admitted with a huge smile on her face.

“Well, you're a queen to me, baby.” Kerryngton took a napkin and dabbed a little shine off Bria's nose.

“Awww, how sweet was that?” Nya poked Chance in the rib with her elbow.

Chance shook his head. “See what you started?” He playfully directed his comment to Kerryngton and finished his sandwich. He licked his lips.

They finished eating their refreshments and Bria and Nya stuffed their empty pale blue cups with Garden Café Buckingham Palace scribbled on them into their purses. The guys just looked at them.

“What?” Nya said. “It's a souvenir.”

“You know they have a gift shop, right?” Chance said. “We
can
get some souvenirs.”

They made their way to the gift shop and had a hard time deciding on what to get because they wanted everything.

“How about this?” Kerryngton suggested. “Let's just get it all and have it shipped home.”

Never in her life had Bria gone into a store and purchased absolutely everything that she wanted. She quickly tallied the numbers in her brain and determined that was way out of her price range. She had a budget for souvenirs, but she was thinking along the lines of postcards and maybe a piece of china.

“That's too rich for my blood,” Chance said.

“Dude, I got you,” Kerryngton assured him. “When you all are out with me you don't have to reach for your wallet.”

“That's real generous of you,” Chance acknowledged, “but I can't let you do that.”

“Don't mention it. I want to. It's not every day you get to come to London,” he insisted.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Chance agreed to let Kerryngton buy the souvenirs. Kerryngton spoke to the salesclerk and asked her to give them three—one for Bria, another for Nya and Chance, and a third for Kerryngton—of everything in the store. The clerk's eyes lit up like a Las Vegas slot machine. The clerk went around the shop gathering the merchandise. She rang up the items and Kerryngton paid with his black card. He then provided the clerk with a shipping address. He took his receipt, and they left the store.

“I'm exhausted,” Nya said, trying to stifle a yawn.

“I'm with you, babe,” Chance added. “It's been a long day.”

“What about you?” Kerryngton asked Bria.

“I'm good.”

“In that case, we can drop them off at the hotel and find something else for us to do,” he suggested. “That is, if you're up for it.”