In a few short weeks, Yancey Braxton had become not only Nicole Springer’s devoted understudy but her shadow as well. One of the male dancers in the show commented that Yancey stuck to Nicole like lint on a cheap suit.
Whenever they took a break from rehearsals or Nicole indicated she might have a few minutes to spare while waiting for Jared to pick her up, Yancey would leap at the chance to spend time with her mentor and new friend.
Over a three-week period, Nicole had learned a lot about Yancey and often smiled to herself at their similarities. Besides the beauty pageants, they both knew that one day they would star on Broadway and move on to the big screen. They both grew up in small Southern towns, near big cities. Nicole was from Sweet Home, Arkansas, right outside of Little Rock, and it turned out that Yancey wasn’t actually from Memphis, but had grown up in Jackson, Tennessee, a town just east of Memphis. Both women had strained relationships with their mothers, because they didn’t understand what performing meant to their daughters. And both had lost their fathers, whom they had adored from birth. Yancey told Nicole her mother had further complicated things by marrying her father’s best friend a year after her beloved father’s death.
One day, while they were sharing a large plate of shrimp fried rice in a small Chinese restaurant, Nicole asked Yancey if she had anyone special in her life. A gentle look of amusement crept over Yancey’s face as she answered very softly, “I think I’ve met the man I’m going to marry. He’s a doctor right here in Manhattan. A pediatrician.”
“You’re not going to get married right now, are you?” Nicole asked. She assumed Yancey’s career was very important to her, or so she thought.
“Oh, no, I’m not even trying to get married no time soon. But he’s the one, and I know I can string him along until I’m ready,” Yancey said confidently.
“Sounds like you got everything under control,” Nicole said.
“I think so,” Yancey replied. She paused for a moment to sip some of the tea from the tiny white cup in front of her, and then her voice turned semiserious.
“Nicole, could I tell you something and you not get upset with me?”
“Sure, why would I be upset with you?”
“Well, this doctor, my future husband, well, you know. Well, he’s white,” Yancey said with a touch of embarrassment in her voice.
“You think I would get mad at you for that?” Nicole asked.
“I didn’t know how you felt about that kind of thing.”
“Listen, love is love and I know it doesn’t have a color. In fact, I was engaged to a white man once upon a time.”
“You were? I had no idea! And here I was thinking I knew everything there was to know about you. What happened to him? Did you meet Jared and then fall madly in love with him?”
“Actually, I did fall in love with Jared rather quickly, but I was long over Pierce. We just grew apart. I had some happy times with him, but in the end it just didn’t feel right.”
“What did Pierce do for a living?”
“Funny you should ask. He was a doctor also. Made a lot of money and became a Broadway producer almost like a hobby, because he kept his practice open. I guess he’s still doing both, although I haven’t heard his name associated with any shows.”
“See how much we have in common? But how could you leave a Broadway producer? Girl, that’s a ticket I would like to get punched.”
“It just wasn’t right,” Nicole said.
“Didn’t you tell me you met Jared through a former boyfriend?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Was it Pierce?”
“No, I met Jared through Raymond, who I dated before Pierce. Raymond and Jared are best friends. Once I got over my anger with Raymond and we became friends, then I met Jared,” Nicole explained.
“Was Raymond black?”
“Yes.”
“Then I bet I can guess why you were angry,” Yancey said.
“You think so?”
“Yes, honey, I bet he was a stone-cold dog. I bet you caught him with another woman. Am I right?”
Nicole sipped some of her tea and began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Yancey asked.
“Well, it wasn’t another woman. Let’s just say I lost Raymond to nature,” Nicole said.
“Nature. What do you mean?”
“Raymond was gay,” Nicole said in a matter-of-fact tone. She was surprised how easy that rolled off her tongue, but was proud also. Nicole knew that time heals all wounds and tears are temporary.
“What!!” Yancey squealed. “Girl, naw, see that’s why I don’t date men in the theater and why black men are only good for one thing,” she added.
“But Raymond wasn’t in the theater. He’s a lawyer, who just got nominated for a judgeship. And what do you mean black men are only good for one thing?”
“Wait, before I answer that … are Raymond and Jared still good friends?”
“Yep. Even though Raymond lives with his lover in Seattle, they still talk at least once a week,” Nicole said.
“And you don’t have a problem with that?”
“No, not at all. They were never that type of friends, and besides, I trust them both without reservation,” Nicole said while Yancey eyed her with a don’t-be-no-fool look. She heard a little voice inside her head say, “Damn, this is one real naïve sister. What I’m planning will be a cakewalk.”
“I’ve got a little secret. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there are some fine, fine brothers out there. I mean just look at the men in our cast. I ain’t gonna get my heart broken, though a woman has her needs,” Yancey smiled.
“Right, but what does that have to do with black men being good for only one thing?”
Yancey explained to Nicole how her first boyfriend, Albert, had broken her heart in high school. Right after she gave her virginity to him, he left her for a white girl. But he continued to have sex with Yancey. Told her she was the best ever. Yancey thought she loved Albert and could win him back with great sex, but her plan didn’t work.
Yancey was crushed, because on their prom night, even though Yancey had a great-looking date, she ended up dumping him and sleeping with Albert. On that night Albert had promised to dump his girlfriend and marry Yancey. Truth be told, Albert married the white girl right after their graduation.
“So every brother I meet is paying for what Albert did. I’ll give them a little action, because, and I know this is a stereotype, because most of them are great in bed. This way I can hold out on Peter—that’s my doctor friend—which makes him want me all the more. But I’ve told him, he ain’t even getting close to sniffing distance until I have a ring on my finger.”
“He doesn’t think you’re a virgin, does he?”
“No, I didn’t go that far. But I told him I’m not that experienced. And he doesn’t know about the brothers on the side.”
“Do you think that’s wise? I mean, what about these so-called brothers on the side? What happens if one of them wants to get serious with you?”
“Then it’s their fault, because I tell them right up front what my deal is. I tell them I’m into my career and I don’t have time for love. Now, if they just want a little sumthing-sumthing and I do too, then we can deal. Otherwise, it’s no play,” Yancey said.
“I hope you’re careful,” Nicole said.
“Trust me, Nicole. I’m always careful,” Yancey said with a smile and quick wink.