For the Sake of Love (15 page)

Bria appreciated the fact that Spade had respected her wishes and kept his distance. Translation: he wasn't calling her or demanding to see her. She attributed part of his ability to stay away to his demanding schedule. He had photo shoots and interviews. She knew this because he'd text her just to say hello or let her know what he was doing. Additionally, she had plenty of work of her own. She had to play catch-up at the spa. Neither of them had leisure time to spare, and that suited Bria just fine while she sorted out her feelings.

Bria was at the spa when Dani called her to the front asking her to bring her driver's license so that she could sign for a special delivery. Bria felt annoyed because anyone at the spa could sign for a delivery. Since when did she need to show her license to get a delivery? She didn't appreciate the interruption. She huffed to the front.

“Are you Bria Murray?” a well-dressed guy asked her.

“Yes.”

He handed her a pen. “May I please see your driver's license?”

She gave it to him.

He verified her ID and wrote down her license number on an official-looking document. “Would you please sign here and here?” He pointed to two signature lines.

Bria scribbled her signature.

“Thanks.” The guy handed Bria a set of keys and a keyless remote. “Congratulations on your new Mercedes-Benz.”

“Wait. I didn't purchase a new car.”

He scanned the papers. “No, you didn't. A Mr. Kerryngton Kruse purchased the car for you.”

Bria's jaw dropped, and gasps could be heard throughout the spa.

“Have a nice day, ma'am.”

Every spa employee that wasn't with a customer came out to see Bria's new ride. The shiny red convertible with gray interior stood out from every other car in the lot. People were ooh-ing and ahh-ing left and right.

Nya pulled Bria to the side and said, “He just upped the ante. Are you going to keep that car?”

Bria felt like her head was spinning. “I don't know.”

“If you don't want it, can I have it?”

Bria smirked. “I'm about to call him.” She went to her office to get her cell phone and call Kerryngton. She scrolled through her list of favorites and placed the call. When he answered, she could tell he had been expecting her call.

“Like your gift?” he asked.

“It's the most lavish gift I've ever received. It's too much. I can't accept it.”

“Nonsense, baby. I want you to have it. Consider it my gift to you for opening up your own business.”

“But it's so expensive. I don't feel right—”

“I know where you're going with this,” he cut her off. “You don't have to worry. I'm not trying to make you feel indebted to me. I don't have to buy the snatch from any woman. It's a gift. No strings attached.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” he repeated.

Bria mulled over what he said and came to the conclusion that she would accept the gift. “In that case, thank you.”

“You're welcome. I'm back in the States, and I do want to see you, though.”

“When?” She whipped out her iPad.

“I have my daughter this weekend. I'd like for you to meet her.”

Bria's heart sank as if she was plunging down the dark freight elevator shaft of the once-glamorous Hollywood Tower Hotel in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a thrill ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. “I-I wasn't expecting that. Are you sure you're ready for me to meet Alexis?” She really meant she wasn't sure she was ready to meet his child. She bit her lower lip as she pondered what this could mean for their relationship. If she and the little girl didn't click, that could be the end of them.

“I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. Nothing too formal. You could come over to my house and meet her. Bring a swimsuit.”

Bria swallowed the lump forming in her throat and reluctantly agreed. They settled on a date and time, and Bria added it to her electronic appointment calendar.

They ended the call, and Bria immediately summoned Nya into her office.

“So what's the verdict?” Nya asked as she closed the door behind her to give them some privacy.

“Oh.” Bria had forgotten about the car just that quickly. “I'm keeping it.”

“Yes!” Nya pumped her fist in the air like she had won a prize. “Why the long face then?”

“He wants me to meet his daughter.”

“Oh.” Nya slumped down in a chair, her facial expression matching Bria's. “Are you ready for that?”

“Honestly, I hadn't given it much thought.”

“That's a big deal, girlie. He's probably introducing you to his daughter to see if there's potential for a future. If his daughter likes you, he can keep seeing you. If she doesn't, you're outta there.”

Bria had never been a nail biter, but her thumb nail was looking mighty tempting right about now. She bit just a small piece off the tip.

“This is a good thing,” Nya assured her. “This could either swing the pendulum in Spade's favor or bring you closer to Kerryngton. Either way, it'll help knock you off the fence. You know you've been straddling.”

Now Bria chewed on her nail.

“I'm amazed at how fast you and Kerryngton are moving. You haven't even known each other that long, and you've already taken a vacation together, gotten a brand-new whip, and now he wants to introduce you to his daughter.” She propped her elbows on Bria's desk and held her face in her hands. “You know what's next, right?”

Bria gave her a perplexed look. “No, what's next?”

“He's going to expect you to take him home and meet your parents.”

Bria hadn't thought that far in advance. She hadn't given any consideration to letting Kerryngton meet her parents in spite of her mother's pleas to meet the guy who had taken her daughter out of the country. To Bria, taking a guy home meant the relationship was serious. Right now, she was having fun . . . or was she? He was supposed to be a distraction to help her get her mind off Spade. Instead, he had become her boyfriend. Nya was right about their relationship moving at lightning speed. Maybe she needed to pump the brakes.

Bria drove her new Benz to Kerryngton's mansion. His estate looked like the houses people rented to use in music videos and movies. His property was gated with two huge lion statues at the entrance, so he had to buzz her in. Behind the gates was a European-inspired mansion complete with a circular driveway and an enormous fountain in the center. She could tell a professional landscaper was responsible for maintaining the upkeep of the pristine green lawn.

She parked her car and grabbed the gift she had gotten for Alexis off the seat and stuffed it in her Michael Kors bag. Kerryngton had previously told her that Alexis liked playing a handheld electronic video game, so she brought her two games. She took a quick second to mentally prepare herself for the encounter.

As soon as she got out of the car the front door opened up. She put on a smile and greeted Kerryngton's butler. She knew he had to be the butler because of his uniform.

When she saw the foyer, she took her heels off at the door and immediately felt like a midget. The butler handed her a pair of slippers, and she put them on. Kerryngton appeared from somewhere in the back and hugged her.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” he said.

“This place is anything but humble,” Bria said. She smiled at him.

“Please let me know if I can get you anything,” the butler said as he excused himself.

“Alexis isn't here yet,” Kerryngton told her. Since it was her first time at his house, he gave her the grand tour.

The home consisted of seven bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a grand double marble staircase, formal dining room, oval-shaped wood-paneled study, a two-story great room, gourmet kitchen, octagonal breakfast room, a two-story family room with a wet bar, a second-floor loft, billiards room with another wet bar, gym, home theater, patio with a swimming pool, and a six-car garage filled with expensive cars.

Kerryngton's home was a lot for Bria to take in. It was massive. “I can't believe you live here all by yourself,” she told him.

“When we get married we can fill it up with babies.”

Shut the front door!
Did he really say what Bria thought she heard? Married? Babies? Was he serious? She had to know. “Are you serious?” she asked.

He eased his large hand around her trim waist. “I'm a businessman. There are two things I know: people and to trust my instincts. It doesn't take me long to make a decision. When I see something I want, I go after it.”

“But we haven't known each other that long.”

“Baby, let me tell you something.” He scooted onto a bar stool, and Bria leaned against his thigh. “My parents knew each other for three months before they got married. And that was forty years ago. I know people who were together for years before they got married and couldn't make it to their first wedding anniversary. It's not about how long you've known someone; it's about the compatibility and your willingness to work on the relationship.”

“I understand but—”

He placed a finger to her lips and shushed her. “You're overthinking this. We feel right together. There's no denying that.” He removed his finger from her lips. “There aren't many people that I trust, but I trust you.”

She could tell that he meant that, and she felt endeared to him. Knowing how torn she felt inside, though, she hoped she was worthy of all that trust he had bestowed upon her.

“I meet a lot of women, and most of them make it obvious that they want to give me the skins. I don't want a woman who comes to me too easy, because if she comes to me easy, then she comes to other men easily too. Not to mention Atlanta has got a high HIV/AIDS and herpes population. I'm disease-free with the paperwork to prove it, and I plan to stay that way. I need more than sex from my partner.” He got up from his seat and rustled through some papers in a drawer. Then he sat back down and handed the paper to her.

“What's this?” She studied the paper but couldn't figure out what it was for.

“My paperwork showing I don't have any STDs.”

Since he had brought up the subject of sex, she thought now would be the perfect time to tell him she was still a virgin. She turned to face him and looked him in the eyes. Placing the paper on the counter she didn't want to make her announcement seem dramatic, so she blurted out, “I'm still a virgin.”

He raised a brow and started touching her.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you're not a figment of my imagination.”

She started laughing. “Stop.”

He stopped groping her. “I didn't know virgins existed in this day and age, especially after high school. I thought they were as extinct as dinosaurs. You mean you and your fiancé never . . .”

“No.” She then told him about her purity pledge.

“I can respect that.” He wiped the corners of his mouth with his thumb and index finger. “I believe what you're telling me. It's just that . . .” he shook his head “. . . as fine as you are I know it had to be extra hard not to give it up. Pretty girls usually start having sex early because everybody wants them.”

Bria appreciated the compliment. “When I was younger my parents kept me busy. I did a lot of after-school activities. Plus, my parents expected me to get good grades, so I really didn't have time to focus on boys. And when I did start dating, I was only allowed to go on chaperoned group dates.”

“What about when you went off to college? Why didn't you go buck wild then?”

“I didn't because of the way my parents raised me. They taught me to respect myself. My dad also had a long talk with me before I left home. He told me that my parents may not know everything I do out in the streets, but God does. And I'd have to account for that. Then he reminded me that no matter where I was I still represented my family. I never wanted to do anything to embarrass my family, so I behaved myself.” She laughed as she thought about her mom. “And my mom didn't play. She told me I better not even think about coming home with a baby out of wedlock. She told me abortion and adoption weren't options for me. Basically, she said I'd be stuck with whoever got me pregnant forever.”

“I see.” He had a seriously big grin on his face.

“Why are you cheesin' so hard?” She tried to soothe his cheeks.

“I'm just trippin' because you don't fit the typical church girl stereotype.”

“I'm not a church girl,” Bria clarified. “I went to church regularly and actively participated, yes, but my parents weren't ministers. We weren't in church 24/7. Although my parents raised me with biblical principles, they did not shelter me from life. I watched TV and movies according to my ages and stages in life. I listen to all types of music, but my dad told me to listen to the words and not just the beat. They taught me what I needed to know to be able to deal with all kinds of people and not just saved folks.”

“I can't wait to meet your parents.” He peck kissed her on the lips.

Ding, ding, ding,
Nya was right! Was all of this just a setup so that he could meet her family? The more she thought about it, the more she realized Kerryngton probably should meet her parents. After all, she was about to meet his daughter, and they had already discussed marriage. What could it hurt?

“I'd like that.”

His expression turned serious. “I believe people know not long after meeting someone if they could see themselves with that person. I knew after our first date that we had potential. I liked your personality. I could tell that you were easy to love.” He held her hand. “I think about you all the time.”

His words rang true to Bria. She did believe that people knew right away whether they were interested in someone. She didn't tell him this, but she had been raised to believe that the purpose of dating was to land a spouse. She didn't believe in wasting time on someone she knew didn't have the qualities she wanted in a mate.

“How do you feel about me?” He licked his lips.

Her heartbeat sped up. He was easy to love too, and she knew deep down inside that if she would only allow herself to let go, she could fall head over heels in love with him.

He blinked, and she noticed he had some long lashes fringing his bedroom eyes. This time when he looked at her she could see a softness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He seemed vulnerable, and she liked it.

She exhaled and said, “I feel like I'm falling for you.”

He closed his eyes again and opened them slowly. “You know I'ma marry you, right?” His words were deliberate, and he sounded absolute.

She paused to give herself a moment to process what he had said. She held his face in her hands. “I would like that.” Her mind was all rainbows and butterflies at that moment.

“In that case, call your parents and see if they can come over for dinner tonight around six. I can send my driver to pick them up.”

“Tonight?” What the what? Open mouth, insert foot.

“No point in delaying. Just let me know what they like to eat and my chef can prepare it.”

He leaned in and kissed Bria with so much intensity she felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach. She imagined them in the throes of passion and quickly pulled away. She looked at him, and her lip gloss was all over his mouth. She grabbed a paper towel off the counter and wiped his mouth and hers. She then retrieved her lip gloss from her purse and reapplied it.

She felt like she was stuck between a wall and a car bumper. If she refused to call her parents, he'd most likely think she wasn't serious about him. If she called her parents, they'd probably think she had lost her ever-loving mind.

She sighed, silently praying that her mother wouldn't answer as she pulled out her cell phone and called her. She hadn't seen her parents since she'd gotten back from London and knew they'd jump at the chance to spend time with her.

Dang it! Her mom answered sounding like she had been sleeping.

“Did I wake you?” Bria asked.

“I was just taking a nap. How are you doing?”

“I'm at Kerryngton's house, and he wanted to know if you and Daddy would like to come over for dinner tonight.”

“Such short notice.”

“I know, but what do you and Daddy have planned?” She knew her parents were homebodies. Although her mom was only forty-eight and her dad fifty-two they liked staying in the house. They would go out to dinner or catch a movie, maybe twice a month. They took mini vacations every now and again as well, but she knew they didn't have any plans.

“
Excuse
me? What if me and my husband want to handle grown folks' business?”

“Oh my goodness, Mom! Don't nobody want to hear all that.” She scrunched up her face.

She could hear her mom laughing. “I'm kidding. We'd love to attend. What time?”

Bria told her mom what time to be ready and informed her that Kerryngton's driver would be picking them up.

“A driver? We don't need a driver. We have a car.”

“You can save on gas. Just go with it, Mom.”

“Fine.”

Sometimes her mom could be so feisty, she thought.

The intercom buzzed, and Bria hurried her mom off the phone.

“Dinner's a go. They'll be here,” she said.

He had a pleasant expression on his face. “Terrific.” He seemed genuinely glad. Kerryngton answered the intercom. Alexis and her mother were at the gate.

Showtime,
Bria thought. She silently prayed
. Lord, please let this visit go well. If Kerryngton truly is the man for me, then let me and Alexis hit it off. And please, Lord, no baby momma drama. Amen.

He opened the door and stepped outside while Bria stood in the middle of the enormous foyer feeling awkward and hoping she didn't look stupid. When he returned, Alexis and her mom accompanied him. Bria gave them her most gracious smile. She extended her hand to Alexis's mom.

“You must be Bria.” She had the most pleasant-sounding voice with a slight Spanish accent. She shook Bria's hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Kerryngton then introduced her to Alexis.

“Hi, Alexis. You're even prettier than your pictures.”

Alexis blushed. “Thank you.”

Bria handed her the gift she had gotten for her. The little girl opened it up and her face lit up. “Thanks. How did you know I wanted these games?”

“Your dad told me the games you already had. I figured if I was your age I'd want these games in my collection too.”

“Can I go play these? Please, Daddy?” she begged.

He tousled her hair. “Go for it.”

“Yay!” She ran up the left staircase to her room.

“Have fun!” her mom called behind her. She directed her next comment to Kerryngton. “Call if you need to, but I know you won't need to.” She lightly kissed Kerryngton on his lips before lifting her right hand and wiggling her fingers. “Tootles.”

Bria couldn't believe she had been bold enough to kiss Kerryngton right in front of her face. What kind of mess? She didn't care how amicable their relationship was; that right there was not cool.

Kerryngton locked the door behind her. He acted like that wasn't awkward.

Bria wanted to say something, but she didn't want to come across as an angry black woman. And now wasn't the time. His daughter was in the house. Instead, she said, “Your daughter seems really sweet.”

“That's my baby. She's a good kid.”

They went into the family room where one of Kerryngton's housekeepers served them cold drinks and refreshments. Bria settled into the comfortable sofa. She plucked a grape from the vine and stuffed it in her mouth.

“Don't eat too much.” He squeezed her slender thigh. “You've got to save some room for dinner. Speaking of dinner, do your parents eat seafood?”

“They're from Florida. Of course they eat seafood.” She sounded so matter-of-fact.