Doubletalk (The Busy Bean)

by Teralyn Mitchell

  I faced my cousin before placing another piece of toast on the pan. “I don’t think so.”

  “You’re in love.” It was a statement, not a question.

  I nodded. I didn’t want Mallory overhearing something like that.

  “So, what are you going to do about you know what?”

  “I have no fucking clue.” I blew out a harsh breath. “At this point, how do I come clean? I can’t see a way out of this. I wish I’d just told her in the beginning.”

  “This kind of thing has a way of taking on a life of its own, and the longer it drags on, the worst it is,” Malik said.

  “I could say I just found out when I tell her.”

  “So, another lie to cover up the first one?” Malik said quietly after making sure Mallory hadn’t come down the hall. “Do you think that’s wise?”

  I ran a hand down the back of my neck, gripping it. This was a mess. There was no easy way of breaking it to Mallory that I was Coby. She may be able to understand why I did it, but she wouldn’t be able to accept the fact that I let it drag on for so long after we started talking. I should just face the situation head-on and tell her and then work damn hard to get her to forgive me. To get her to take me back if she ended things. But today wasn’t that day.

  “How are things with you and Stacey?” I asked Malik, turning back to the stove.

  It wasn’t the smoothest subject change, but he didn’t call me out on it.

  “I’ve liked her for a while now,” he said. “But the fact that we worked together kept me from going there.”

  “Okay, now you went there, so what?” I asked. “I know how you feel about relationships and all that, so what’s the end game with Stacey? Has your stance changed?”

  It was his turn to blow out a hard breath and take a moment to think. I hoped they could make it work. I didn’t know what Stacey wanted when it came to relationships, but most twenty-eight-year-old women weren’t looking to date casually.

  “I don’t know. We’re taking it one step at a time for now,” he finally answered.

  Malik helped me finish breakfast and get everything set up on the table. I headed to my bedroom to get Mallory. I found her snuggled under two blankets—she must have added one from the linen closet—in the middle of my bed watching what looked like a horror movie.

  “Ror,” I said softly, but I still startled her.

  “Announce yourself next time,” she exclaimed.

  “I would think the light from the hall would have done that,” I said with a chuckle. She huffed and paused the TV.

  “Breakfast's done. Are you ready to eat?”

  “Yep,” she said, throwing the covers off her and jumping out of bed.

  She shimmied past me, and I followed her back into the front of the house. Mallory and I sat at the table where Malik was waiting but had already started eating. We talked about nothing important as we ate, and it made me happy to see Mallory and Malik getting along. That was important to me since I didn’t think I could date someone who didn’t get along with my family. I already knew Mallory felt the same.

  Once breakfast was over, Malik told us he had to get to the office and that Stacey was meeting him there, so we’d have the house to ourselves. He had plans to hang out with Stacey once they finished whatever they were doing at the office.

  Mallory insisted on cleaning up after and refused to let me help. I knew when to let a woman win because I sure as hell wasn’t going to. When she finished with the kitchen, we went back to my room where the TV was still paused.

  “What movie are you watching anyway?” I asked her.

  “The Ring. Only the greatest horror movie of all time.”

  “And why is it the greatest?” I’d seen it, and while it was creepy as fuck, I wouldn’t classify it as the “greatest horror movie.”

  “Because it’s the only one that’s ever actually scared the crap out of me,” she answered as if that should have been obvious.

  I should’ve known that. When we were kids, I knew she hated most horror movies since they were either lame or funny when they weren’t meant to be. I stepped closer to her, wrapping her in my arms, and leaned down for a kiss. I didn’t think I could ever get tired of holding her or being able to kiss her.

  “Let’s watch your creepy movie, but I get to choose the next one.”

  “No. After The Ring, we have to finish the rom com we started last night. Then you can choose the next movie after that.”

  “Is this the way it’s going to be with us?”

  “Whatever do you mean, Ezekiel?” she said innocently, making me grin because she’d used my given name.

  “You always getting your way and me going along with it because I like to see you happy?”

  “Of course not. Sometimes I’ll do stuff that makes you happy,” she said with a wink.

  “I’ll hold you to that promise, Ace.”

  She shrugged as if it was no big deal. We separated, but Mallory laced her fingers with mine, pulling me towards my bed.

  20

  Mallory

  “I slept with Zeke last night.”

  “OMG! We're soul sisters!”

  “Where do you come up with those made-up terms?”

  “It's a real thing,” Stacey said, just a tiny bit exasperated. “I slept with Malik last night. It's crazy that we both slept with our boyfriends after only a second solo date and on the same night.”

  “I think that just means we're easy, Stace.”

  “Why are you like this?” she groaned.

  She knew me and knew I didn’t believe that statement at all. I liked pushing her buttons. She made it easy, really.

  “Fine. We're soul sisters. Do you want to swap blood, share the same jeans, and dance by a bonfire to make it official?”

  “I despise you sometimes.”

  I gave her a cheeky grin. “And Zeke isn't my boyfriend.”

  “He’s the one you’re going to have all your babies with.”

  I grabbed a pillow and hit her upside the head. Even though it was more like a tap, my dramatic friend let out a pained cry and fell back. Stacey started laughing and that set me off too. It took us a few minutes to calm down and get back to our conversation.

  “Do you truly believe Zeke isn’t your boyfriend?” Stacey asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m not even sure how all that works.”

  “You say he’s your boyfriend and he says you’re his girlfriend. Voila, you’re a couple.”

  “You make it sound so simple.”

  “It is that simple, babe,” Stacey said. “Does this mean you’ve forgiven him for the shit that went down when you were teens?”

  I thought about that for a moment. “I guess so. He’s apologized and answered all my questions about what happened back then. I like him, and I have to let go of the past if I want to have anything with him.”

  She squealed and hugged me. “I’m so happy for you, Ror. You deserve this so much.”

  I hugged her back. She had wanted this for me for years. Stacey let me go after holding me a little too long. She had a big smile on her face.

  “I’m happy for both of us,” she said. “We’ve never been in a relationship at the same time.”

  “So, things are going well for you and Malik? He seemed happy when I saw him this morning.”

  “So far, yes. We keep things professional in the office, although we may have kind of sort of fucked on his desk. No one else was there and it’s always been a fantasy of mine to get boned on a desk.”

  “That’s an oddly specific fantasy. Is it new? You know, since you met Malik?”

  “So what if it is, Rory? Don’t judge me.”

  “I would never do such a thing.”

  “Your tone says otherwise,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You’ll ask it even if I say no, so go ahead.”

  She ignored that quip and asked, “What about Coby?”

  “What about him?”

&
nbsp; “You’ve been talking to him for weeks. I’ve seen how you are when you get a message from him. There’s more there for you, Ror.”

  My stomach clenched at her statement. I had no reason to feel guilty, so why did I? The two of us were friends. I’d talked about Zeke with Coby. He’d given me advice about him and let me vent when I needed to. But since Zeke and I started hanging out, I hadn’t told him about Coby. I didn’t know why I felt any kind of way about my relationship with him, but as Zeke and I got closer, it felt… I don’t know. Sometimes I felt like I was doing something wrong.

  “I haven’t heard from Coby in days,” I finally said. “I think that’s over after I ghosted him, and now he’s returning the favor.”

  “I’m sorry, babe,” she said. “I guess that answers that question, huh?”

  “I guess so. But even if we were still talking, the two of us are just friends. I don’t want more with him. He’s easy to talk to, and we get along.”

  She gave me a look as if she thought I was bullshitting her, but she let the subject drop. Stacey demanded more details about my date with Zeke instead.

  “Hold up,” I said, and she waited for me to continue. “Let me make us some spiked hot chocolate.”

  “And some mint Milano cookies? Yeah, let’s do that.”

  About ten minutes later, we were settling on our couch again. Each of us had an oversized mug filled with hot chocolate that was spiked with Baileys Irish Cream and topped with way too much whipped cream and chocolate shavings. A plate of cookies sat on the cushion between us.

  Last night between me and Zeke had been out-of-this-world amazing. When I decided to climb into his bed, I’d known I was ready to take that step with him. Although we’d only hung out twice, I felt like I knew him because of our shared past. While everything felt new with him, it also felt familiar in a way that made me feel safe and like I wasn’t rushing when I slept with him last night. I was still apprehensive about starting something with Zeke. He was still leaving Vermont in a few months, and I didn’t know what that meant for us or a new relationship.

  Stacey got my attention, bringing me back to the present. We stayed up half the night, talking about our new budding relationships with Zeke and Malik.

  I looked over at Zeke working with his new trainer, Cedric Gross. Zeke told me his agent took care of hiring Cedric since Zeke had been the one to hire Daniel. I’d found out more about Daniel by finally searching his name online. He had been fired three times by other athletes he was working for. There were rumors that he had anger issues, and they didn’t like how familiar he got with some of the females in their lives. He was a bully who couldn’t handle not getting his way. I learned that when we were in high school. There was nothing yet about this latest firing, but I was still apprehensive and worried about his retaliation. It wasn’t like him not to do so.

  “You need to be stronger on the block, Zeke,” the assistant coach, Breonna Boseman, said, drawing my attention back to the court.

  Zeke had invited me to tag along to his physical therapy and training session, and I’d agreed. As long as I had my phone or tablet, a charging cable, and a battery pack, I could work from anywhere. It was cool to get to see him train. Zeke and I had texted or chatted on the phone every day. A couple of times he showed up at the Bean and did his best to distract me from my work, and somehow, we ended up back at my place and in bed.

  It still amazed me that I was spending so much time with Zeke. If someone had told me a few years ago that this would be my reality, I would have cussed them out and asked them why they would say something so outrageous. But here I was letting him back into my life and possibly my heart. I was terrified of how this would all go, but I also wanted to be around him.

  The sound of the basketball on the floor echoed in the empty gym. I watched as Zeke backed Breonna down into the paint before turning and shooting a baby hook shot. It went in. Cedric grabbed the rebound for them, and they were at it again. I could admire Zeke’s skills on the court. He had a smooth shot that was pretty to watch. His jump shot seemed to be suffering from his knee and ankle injuries, but he still made more baskets than he missed. I’d watched him play before, and even though he was a big player, he was skilled enough to play a shooting or point guard if he needed to. His passing ability was strong, and his footwork was exceptional.

  I found myself watching him train more than I was working. He was so good, despite not playing for over a year, and basketball was my favorite sport. I closed the cover of my tablet, stuffing it back into my bag, and decided to admire Zeke on the court.

  “Okay, that’s good for today,” Cedric said, half an hour later. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

  Zeke, Cedric, and Breonna talked for a few more minutes before the trainer and coach left us alone on the court. Zeke came over to where I’d been sitting and leaned in for a kiss.

  “Don’t touch me,” I said, holding my hand up to stop him.

  “Why not? You never mind how sweaty I am when we’re in the bed together.”

  “That’s totally different.”

  “How?”

  “Because then I’m sweaty too. Right now, I’m fresh and smell great, while you kind of stink and need a shower.”

  He chuckled, his whiskey eyes dancing with delight. “Fine. I’ll go hit the showers, but don’t leave without me.”

  “And how will I do that when you drove us here?”

  He stole his kiss and left me sitting on the sidelines of the court, heading for the locker rooms. I could focus now, so I opened the email app on my phone and started going through them.

  “How about a game of H-O-R-S-E?” Zeke asked as he came back onto the court.

  He was wearing a pair of black joggers and a t-shirt that clung to his muscular chest and forearms. He dropped his bag on the floor by my feet.

  “What’re the stakes?” I asked.

  He thought about it for a moment, tapping his chin. “Loser has to do whatever the other wants… in the bedroom.”

  “Like…”

  “Like anything the other wants. Anything is on the table.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. I felt like this was a trap. “Everything except for one thing is a go,” I told him.

  “Seriously? Come on, Ror.”

  “Yeah! I’m not doing that even for you. It’s a totally off-limits area for everyone.”

  “Why do you say it like that? It could feel good.”

  “And it could hurt, so no. Those are my terms. What’s it going to be?”

  He let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. Everything but that. Ready? Or do you need some warm-up shots?”

  “Seeing as I haven’t shot a basketball in a few weeks, some warm-up shots are a must.”

  Good thing I’d worn sneakers and leggings today. Zeke grabbed me around my waist as soon as I was standing, and I slid my arms around his neck. The way my body reacted to his touch was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. All he had to do was brush against my leg under the table or my arm while he was walking by and I lit up like a Christmas tree. My core ached, and I was ready to jump him most of the time.

  “I wasn’t trying to be a smartass,” he said. “I didn’t know if you still shot around or not.”

  “I do when I go see AD. That’s Adam’s oldest son,” I told him. “When the weather is nice, we shoot around on the goal in his driveway, and when it’s not, we go to the gym down the street. The one me and you used to go to all the time.”

  “It’s nice that you spend time with him.”

  “I missed out on a lot of his life when Adam and I weren’t speaking, so I guess I overcompensate now with him and his siblings.”

  “Can I ask what happened between you two? You and Adam were always close.”

  “Let’s talk about it another time. Right now, I want to beat your butt in H-O-R-S-E.”

  Zeke grinned and let it go. It was too complicated to talk about while we were in a gym.

  I grabbed a basketball off the rack by the
wall. After a few shots to warm up, Zeke told me I could shoot first. I decided on an underhanded shot from the free-throw line. It hit the front of the rim before rolling in. I did a little dance as I moved so Zeke could try. He missed, and it was my turn again.

  The game ended up being a lot of fun with many flirty touches and kisses. I won, but I suspected Zeke let me do so. We decided to grab some lunch while we were in Burlington.

  Our waiter—he looked to be eighteen or nineteen—came to the table, and when Zeke looked up, his eyes widened.

  “Holy shit,” he said. “You’re Zeke Armstrong!”

  Zeke gave him a closed-mouth smile and his eyes cut to me. “That’s what it says on my license.”

  “Do you think I could get your autograph and a picture? My dad is going to flip when I tell him. Do you think a team will sign you this summer? Do you have a preference on where you go? How’s your knee and ankle?”

  The kid was clearly a huge fan of Zeke’s, and I thought it was cute. Zeke was polite and patient, answering the young man’s questions and signing a napkin for him and his dad. He also posed for a selfie. I watched in amazement. Until this moment, I never attributed Zeke’s basketball career to fame. His ultimate goal was to get back to the pros. What would that mean for us? There was no pro team in Vermont, so his time here had an expiration date. I was rooting for him to make it back to the league and have a chance to prove himself. He was only twenty-eight years old which was enough time to have some good years if he could stay healthy. But I also worried that maybe we shouldn’t be starting something when his life was far from stable. When he had no clue where he’d end up by fall.

  “I’m so sorry,” our waiter, John, said. “What drinks can I start you off with?”

  We put in our food order with our drink order and John skipped off as if he’d won the lottery. I smiled.

  “Sorry about that, Ace. Sometimes it just happens,” Zeke said.

  “No need to apologize. It was fascinating to watch. I’m glad someone recognizes you and is such an enthusiastic fan of yours.”