He's Fine... But is He SAVED?

Chapter 1 - Flirting

"He fiiiiiiine," Sandy sang across the restaurant table and ran her tiny,
cream-colored hand through her short black tresses. She was referring to some
stranger seated at the bar.

Sandy, Liz, and I were enjoying Sunday brunch on a chilly afternoon in April
at one of Detroit's finest restaurants downtown. The soothing jazz sounds coming
from the black baby grand increased my enjoyment as I swayed with the music.

We single ladies are celebrating the fact that we're "big girls now." We're all in
our early-to-late twenties, graduated from different colleges, and have fairly
decent jobs. We can afford to splurge once in a while. I snapped back into the
reality of Sandy's comment and looked around to make sure no one else heard her remark.

"Who fine?" I asked and then looked back down at my jambalaya.

I tell you. Sandy can be so obvious at times. One day I'm going to teach her
young, twenty-three-year-old self how to do things with class, or at least learn
how to use codes so that the whole restaurant doesn't know we're checking a
brotha out.

"What man are you talking about now?" retorted Liz. Liz is twenty-seven, two
years older than I am. She has never approved of Sandy's flirtatious ways. I
watched Liz play with her house salad. Her meal selection is a result of her
trying to lose weight. In the past three months, Liz went from a size ten to a
size sixteen. I believe a lot of her weight gain has to do with having to put up
with her single mother's wild antics at home. Next to praying, Liz's favorite
thing to do when something is bothering her is eat. However, she still looks
good with her flawless caramel-colored skin and shoulder length, black
micro-zillions that are half braided, half loose.

Liz and I have always had lunch together after church. Then four months ago, the Lord reunited Sandy and me, former high school classmates, one day at the grocery store. We exchanged numbers, and I invited her to church.

That following Sunday, dressed in four inch heels and a short and tight jean dress with rhinestones, Sandy responded to the altar call. I walked down the aisle with her and she, in tears, got saved.

I haven't been able to get rid of Sandy since that day. Now the Lord has given me
a spiritual assignment to be her spiritual guide and friend. I don't mind too
much, I guess, even though sometimes I do have to remind Liz, my best friend of
five years now, that Sandy is still young in the Lord. Sandy's behavior can be
quite unpredictable at times, especially when it comes to her interactions with
the opposite sex.

"Him, at the bar," Sandy whispered loudly while pointing
toward the bar with her fork.

I peeked at the bar section and saw an older white
gentleman wearing a hideous toupee, an older black woman wearing a tight red
dress holding a glass of mimosa, and a black man who looked to be in his late
twenties.

He was dark-skinned with a bald head, had thick juicy lips, and enough
muscles to make Tyrese look bad. The black muscle shirt he wore proved he was
built, and his tan pants hugged his thighs. I must admit, the brotha was fine.

As Sandy kept flirting with him with her dark brown eyes, the man responded by
looking over at her with hungry eyes of his own and a sexy smile.

"Give me a break," Liz said after sneaking a glance at the man and then
snapping her neck. "You just got out of church not even an hour ago, and here
you are flirting with some man. Ghetto."

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What Others Say About the Book:

"Kimberley Brooks debuts on the inspirational scene with a well developed plot
and believable characters in her heartwarming and engrossing novel. He's Fine .
. . But is He Saved? engages you from the first page to the last."
Jacquelin Thomas, author of The Prodigal Husband and Soul
Journey

"Author, Kimberley Brooks skillfully weaves a tale that will make you laugh,
cry, and say amen! This book is a breath of fresh air that intertwines biblical
truths into real life situations. The characters are identifiable and
real!"
Image Magazine