J. L. Campbell
Spice of Life
Nyoka’s thoughts wandered to Anif as she chatted with the
celebrity chef who had the next guest slot on the morning show.
Days later, she was still thinking about that handsome Jamaican
author who had swept in and captured her with one simple look and
intriguing conversations.
As the filming progressed, she leaned against a wall watching,
but her mind drifted to Anif. She breathed in hard, remembering
the hint of cinnamon on his breath and the shape of his juicy lips
surrounded by the stubble on his face.
The segment ended and she roused herself. The last time she’d
been interested in someone, she’d gone overboard. Given her current
situation, who had time for that?
He’d be a nice diversion though, as long as he doesn’t get too close.
When she got to the lobby, Judith, the other makeup artist,
brushed shoulders with her on the way into the building. She smiled
wide, but the gleam in her eyes put Nyoka on alert. “Haven’t seen
you since you came back from the coffee shop the other day.”
“I’ve been around,” Nyoka said, but a boulder dropped in her
stomach.
The woman had seen her with Anif.
As her mother would say, Judith was dangerous, like a snake
under grass.
In the open air, Nyoka inhaled the summer. This was part of what
she liked about Miami, the weather was similar to home. Minutes
later, she skipped up the steps to her ground-level townhouse and
Story Note
Most of my stories are outlined in my head
before I sit at a keyboard. For The Spice
of Life, the plot evolved from a real-life
situation I came across while scrolling on
Instagram. A significant amount of re-
search ensured authenticity on the subject.
The unique quality in this romance is that
the main theme involves secrecy about an
uncommon, life-threatening illness that has
disastrous results.
instead of going next door to Aunt Gem’s house, she went home.
Her heart ached knowing Gabrielle was a few feet away, but it was
better to visit the clinic before collecting the baby. If she stopped in,
Gabrielle would fuss when she left again. The thought made her teary,
but Nyoka threw her bag on the bed, then stepped in the shower. She
had a thing about getting clean before going in for treatment.
While Nyoka was bathing, Sierra, her bestie, came into the
apartment using her key. Her job as a flight attendant meant she kept
odd hours, but she was dependable and supportive.
After her shower, Nyoka found Sierra sitting on the bed. She had
slicked her naturally wavy hair away from her face and her deep-
brown complexion and bright eyes glowed with health. Pointing to