For the Sake of Love (18 page)

Bria couldn't contain her excitement. She needed to talk to her best friend right away. She checked her watch, and it was close to eleven. She called Nya to let her know she needed to speak with her, and Nya told her to come on over.
Thank God for sisterhood,
Bria thought.

Bria parked her car in Nya's driveway; the porch light was on. She knocked on the door. She didn't want to ring the doorbell and wake Chance up. Chance tended to go to bed early and wake up extra early, whereas Bria and Nya preferred to stay up late and sleep late. Nya immediately let her in.

“Girl, what's up?” Nya asked. “I got the ice cream ready.” She studied Bria's tearstained face. “You been crying?”

Bria flopped down on the couch like a rag doll. “Sister, you aren't going to believe what happened after I left the spa. I'm exhausted.”

Nya sat next to her with a concerned look on her face. “Talk to me.”

Bria started out by giving her a blow by blow of her evening with Spade. She told her about his misdiagnosis, the skywriting marriage proposal, and their subsequent engagement. She held up her finger to show Nya her gigantic rock.

Nya reached out to hug her. Bria could feel wetness on her face. Then Nya sniffled. Bria looked at her and asked, “Why are you crying?”

“Because I'm so happy for you. You deserve this. Spade is a terrific guy, but you know that already. Not only will he give you the world, but you
are
his world. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he's in love with you and always has been.” She wiped her face. “I was praying you'd come around and see how right he is for you. Congratulations.”

Bria could feel the sincerity in Nya's words. “I love you, sister.”

“I love you too. Everything you've told me so far has been good news. I could understand how that could make you cry.”

Bria's cell phone rang, and she checked her caller ID. “Spade's Mom” popped up. She showed Nya the phone. “I have to take this.”

“Yes, girl. Talk to your mommy-in-law,” she giggled.

Bria answered.

Spade's mom skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. “Bria, I just got off the phone with my son, and he told me the great news. I'm so happy the two of you are back together. I just wanted to tell you that. Congratulations.”

Bria loved Spade's mom. “Thank you. I'm happy and excited.”

“Me too. You know I always considered you to be my daughter.”

That had always meant something to Bria. “Thanks. I'm at Nya's house now, so I'll talk to you some other time.” They said their good-byes and got off the phone.

“Anyway,” Nya said, “have you thought about a wedding date? Are you going to re-create the wedding you were supposed to have the first time around?”

“That's a good question. I already have everything. Might as well. One less thing to worry about. We haven't had a chance to set a date just yet, but we both agree we don't want a long engagement. We've waited long enough.”

“Whew! Thank goodness.” She touched her forehead. “I
know
that's right.”

And Bria thought
she
was the dramatic one.

Nya made a face.

“What's that about?” Bria asked.

“Girl, I'm ready for you to get married so we can talk about sex.”

Was Nya losing her mind? “We already talk about sex.”

“No.” She rested her hand on her chest. “
I
talk about sex. You just listen. You have no personal knowledge of it, so you have no idea all the feelings that come along with it.”

That got a laugh out of Bria. “I wouldn't mind having an intimate destination wedding. Somewhere on a beach.”

“A beach is good. When Chance and I were planning to get married we researched some beach locations. St. Kitts in the Caribbean stood out to me. Their beaches had turquoise water and weren't crowded.” She placed her index finger on her cheek and tapped it. “Better yet, have the wedding on Tybee Island. You want to be considerate of people who don't like to fly. And it'll be easier to plan since you want to get married right away.”

“The more I think about it, the more I want to be married in three to four weeks.”

“Okay, Khloé.”

Bria gave her a curious look. “Why did you call me Khloé?”

“If Khloé Kardashian can pull off a wedding in three weeks, why can't you?”

Bria pushed her, and Nya rocked to the side. They both laughed. “I forgot to call Spade.” She grabbed her phone and called him. “Hey, handsome.”

“You made it home, love?” That was the first time he had ever called her “love” and she liked it.

“No, I'm at Nya's.”

“Okay. Tell her I said hello.”

She conveyed the message to Nya, and Nya said, “Hi, Spade.”

She could hear him laugh into the phone. “Are you spending the night there, or you going home?”

She yawned. “I'm getting tired. I'll probably just crash here for the night.” She kept a few outfits and an overnight bag in Nya's guest bedroom. “We were just talking about our wedding.”

“I like that.”

“She's excited for us. Check your schedule and let me know your first available open weekend.”

“I'll let you know something tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. By the way, I spoke to your mom.”

“I knew she was going to call you. She couldn't help it.”

“You know she's my girl. Love her.” She chuckled. “Do you want to invite the same people we invited before?”

“That's fine. If we don't, people might get offended.”

“Would you mind if we got married on the beach?”

“Not at all. This is your day. Do it up however you want. Everyone knows weddings are all about the bride.”

What a sweetheart!
she thought, remembering why she chose him again and would choose him every time.

Bria and Nya didn't get to bed until almost two o'clock in the morning, staying up talking about men. They had to wake up at seven-thirty to get ready for nine-thirty church service, and Bria felt exhausted. She thought about foregoing church in favor of more sleep, but forced herself to get up and get ready.

She met up with Chance at the breakfast nook since Nya was still getting dressed. He had already put on a pot of freshly brewed coffee, cooked scrambled eggs with cheese, chopped red and green bell peppers, and onions along with turkey sausage links.

When he saw Bria he said, “Look what the cat dragged in. Good morning, li'l sis.” He saw her bloodshot eyes. “Doesn't look like you got any sleep last night.”

“Not really.” She poured a cup of coffee and added a couple of teaspoons of sugar before taking a sip. She needed something strong to help her wake up and give her some energy.

“I didn't even hear you come in last night,” he told her.

“Of course you didn't. You can't wake up a log.” She drank some more.

“Everything okay?” His concern evident.

“Uh-huh. It is now. Spade doesn't have cancer.”

“Thank God!” he shouted. “I'm glad to hear that.”

She put down her cup and fixed herself a plate of food. She held up her hand and showed him her new engagement ring. “Oh yeah, Spade and I got engaged—reengaged—last night.”

He placed her smaller hand in his larger one and studied the ring. “Homeboy wasn't playing. He came with it. Now
that's
a ring for ya. I don't know how you're able to keep your hand up carrying all that weight around.”

Bria laughed at his silliness and took her hand away so that she could eat.

“Spade, huh?”

“That's right.”

“You know Spade's my boy, and I was rooting for him.”

Bria ate her eggs and cut a piece of sausage.

“Glad to hear you finally came to your senses.”

“I love Spade with my whole heart. I can't wait to become his wife,” she smiled. “Wife . . . has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Mrs. Bria Spencer.”

He nodded. “I'm just curious. What made you give up Mr. Moneybags? A lot of women would've married money no matter what it looked like, smelled like, or acted like.”

“Did you just meet me?” She raised a brow. “Money doesn't impress me.”

“Very good.” He pinched her cheek.

Nya joined them. “Good morning, peeps.”

Chance checked his watch. “You only have ten minutes to get something on your stomach before we have to leave.”

She fixed a plate and scarfed it down.

“We need to take separate vehicles,” Nya told her husband, “because Bria and I are going to the spa right after church.” On Sundays, the spa was open for appointments only.

“That's fine.”

 

 

Bria and Nya arrived at the spa at a quarter to one. When Meagan saw Bria's ring, she let out a scream loud enough for Dani to hurry to the receptionist area.

“Is everything all right?” Dani asked, trying to catch her breath.

Bria laughed and held up her hand.

“Oh my goodness! You're getting married!” Dani yelled. She scurried across the floor and hugged Bria's neck. “Congratulations! Who are you marrying?”

Nya smirked. “Aren't you bold? That's like her saying she's pregnant and you asking, ‘By who?'” She shook her head.

A wave of chuckles and girlish giggles filled the room.

“I'm marrying Spade. We worked it out.” She came across like a blushing bride.

“How exciting!” Dani exhaled. She complimented Bria on her ring. “Good-looking artist with a recording deal and wants to get married. Lucky you! My faith in black men has been restored. Does he have a brother?”

Some of the ladies laughed.

“He's an only child. Sorry.” Bria pretended to pout.

“Have you set a date yet?” Dani asked.

Meagan and Nya quieted the laughter.

“We're working on it,” Bria said. “We're trying to get it done in less than a month.”

“Wow! I think that's great!” Dani said in her usual upbeat tone. “Let me know if you need help with anything. I'm at your disposal.” And with the blink of an eye Dani went back to work.

“Let me see that ring again,” Meagan said as she grabbed Bria's hand and put it near her face. “I have to give Spade props. He has good taste.”

“I think so.” Bria took her hand back and studied her ring for the umpteenth time. She never got tired of looking at it and marveling at the beauty.

Just then Spade walked through the door and became the center of attention.

Meagan said, “Welcome to The Spa Factory. I hear congratulations are in order, sir.”

He grinned, unable to contain his enthusiasm. “Yes, indeed. My girl has made me the happiest man in the world by agreeing to become my wife.” He gave his fiancée a squeeze and kissed her on the cheek.

The ladies at the spa extended their congratulatory wishes before dispersing. Then Bria and Spade went into her office so that they could be away from everyone else.

“I still can't believe we're getting married,” she said. “It feels like a dream.”

“For me too. If I had it my way, we'd go to the courthouse tomorrow and get it over with. We could have the big celebration for everybody else later. I want you as my wife now. I want to come home to you every day and have you in my bed every night.”

His suggestion sounded good and enticing to her. She liked the thought of coming home to him, and she couldn't wait to make love to Spade for the very first time. His touches were so hard to resist. He sent stimulating impulses through her body every time they got near each other. But she knew her parents would have a fit if they eloped. She didn't want to deny them of a wedding for their only child. So, she'd have to wait a little while longer she resigned.

“Your offer is tempting, but I can't do that to my parents. They'd be so hurt and disappointed.”

He stood in front of her and held her hands. “I wrestled with this all night. We've been through so much. We should already be married. I'm tired of waiting.” He looked deep into her eyes. He got close to her, and then backed away. “I know what you said about disappointing your parents, but this is torture for me. Not because I can't handle abstaining; that's not the problem.

“My reasons for wanting to marry you are many. You're a part of me. You make me want to be a better man. You're insightful, opinionated, and honest.”

Bria laughed. “You think
I'm
opinionated?”

“That's a good thing. You bring out the best in me by challenging me to be the best version of myself. I know I want to spend my life with you. I want to involve you in every aspect of my life.” He looked her in the eyes. “When that doctor told me I didn't have long to live, everything changed for me. It taught me not to take anything for granted. Life is meant to be lived every single day. Tomorrow may not come. All we have is now.”

Bria felt herself melting like ice cream in sweltering heat.

“By the grace of God I don't have cancer. I have a lipoma, and I can live with that.”

She had a concerned look on her face. “Is that serious?”

“No. Lipomas don't generally require treatment. Because they aren't cancerous growths and can't become cancerous, they don't need to be removed. My doctor removed mine because it had grown; that's all. I'm fine. Just a reminder for me to take care of myself. Nothing for either of us to worry about.”

“Okay.” She touched his cheek.

“Baby, my career is on the rise. I have to travel, and I want my wife to accompany me.”

She could understand that. “But I'm a businesswoman. I'm not always going to be able to travel with you. I have to run my company.”

“I get it.” He held her chin with his thumb and point finger. “And yes, I want to make love to you, but that's only a small part of it. That's definitely not the driving force for wanting to marry you. I'm attracted to you, and it's getting harder and harder to deny my desires. If you make me wait much longer, I'll be all right as long as I'm not close to you. No kissing, no hugging, no touching, no nothing. And when I do see you I want you wearing loose-fitting clothes.”

“What? You can't be serious.” She hoped he was joking.

“As a heart attack.”

She thought about everything he had just said. She could admit that she loved this man, and she believed with every fiber of her being that he loved her too. He gave compelling reasons for why they should get married now, and they all made sense to her. “Okay, let's say we did go down to the courthouse and get married. Can we still have the big wedding anyway?”

“I never said we couldn't.”

She mulled it over. “But we'd have to tell people that we're already married. Otherwise, that would be deceptive.”

He tilted her face toward him and planted a soft kiss on her lips. “I'm fine with that.”

For Bria, Spade brought out a more “throw caution to the wind” type of attitude. He made her feel as though she needed to stop playing life so safe and live a little. She knew that Spade viewed life as an adventure, and she wanted to experience it with him.

She thought about Spade's cancer scare. Even a young and seemingly healthy person couldn't be sure he'd be around the next day, week, or month. She didn't want to live a life of “what-ifs” or regrets. She searched herself and realized she had always lived a life of delayed gratification. It wasn't enough for her to postpone getting married until after she graduated from college, but she had to wait until she finished graduate school. Thinking back, she could've married Spade when they graduated, got a job, and went to grad school part-time. That mind-set spilled over into other aspects of her life as well. Even when she ate she saved the best for last. Nya often teased her that she ate like a little kid, and it was true. She remembered her parents taught her to eat her vegetables first and eat the meat last. She continued to do that to this very day.

Completely out of her character, Bria couldn't believe what she was about to say next. “Okay, let's do it. Let's go down to the courthouse and get married.” She had never felt more liberated in her life than she did right now.

“You mean it?” His grin spread across his face.

She nodded her head. “Yes, I do.”

“Save that for tomorrow.” He picked her up and spun her around.

She laughed as she held on tight. She had come to realize that even the most well thought out plans weren't guaranteed. Look at how her relationship with Spade took unexpected twists and turns, she mused. There was nothing wrong with playing it safe and being cautious, but with Spade, she was able to be spontaneous, which proved to be more fun. She liked the fact that he brought out that side of her. For once, she was doing what she wanted to do and not what everyone else expected her to do.