Doubletalk (The Busy Bean)

by Teralyn Mitchell

  “And my father, Todd, and Dana should be here soon,” the woman added on to what the host had said. “I’m Kelley Carter, daughter of Darnell Carter. I’m working as his assistant. Though is it really working when I’m not getting paid? It’s just his way of keeping track of me since I’ve been ‘wild’ lately.”

  I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. Kelley was pretty with tawny brown skin, light brown eyes, high cheekbones, a slim nose that sloped up at the end, and full lips. I was sure the clothes she wore cost more than my rent. Her lips were painted a bold red, and she had thick eyeliner and a lot of eyeshadow on as well.

  “Nice to meet you,” Zeke said. “I’m—”

  “Zeke Armstrong,” Kelley said, interrupting Zeke. “I used to have the biggest crush on you. I still use you for inspiration sometimes. Sorry, hon.”

  I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. “I’m sure many women and some men do the same. I know I do. I’m Mallory.”

  “My girlfriend,” Zeke added.

  “I figured. Why would a fine man like you be single?” Kelley said on a sigh. “You’re too old for me anyway.”

  “Right,” Zeke said, as if he didn’t have a better response to that tidbit of information.

  “I’m nineteen.”

  Well, oops. It was the makeup that made her look way older than her real age. I could see why her father was trying to rein her in. She had a big personality, and in the few minutes I’d known her, I could tell she didn’t like being told what to do, which was what parents were good at doing.

  The host came back with three older people in tow. They took their seats around the table. One of the men—who I assumed was Kelley’s father—sat on her right and leaned in immediately to say something to her. The other man introduced himself and the woman.

  “Todd Walsh, and this is my wife, Dana,” he said.

  Zeke and I greeted the older couple. Mr. Carter introduced himself once he finished speaking to his daughter. The waiter finally came over to get our order. Kelley tried to order a beer, but her father nixed that right away and told the waiter to bring her some apple juice.

  “I’m not a kid, Dad,” Kelley protested.

  “You’re also not old enough to drink,” he countered. “Please behave like an adult tonight.”

  “I don’t know why you didn’t leave her at the hotel,” Mrs. Walsh stated.

  “And have to worry about what she was doing?” Mr. Carter shot back.

  I glanced at Zeke who shrugged. This was just a preliminary meeting. It wasn’t anything official, and he didn’t have to play for them unless they ended up being the only team to offer him a deal. Even then, he still had a choice to turn it down if he felt they weren’t the right fit.

  The rest of us ordered our drinks and the waiter left us to converse while we decided what we wanted to eat.

  “Can I have a sip of your wine when it comes?” Kelley asked me quietly.

  “How do you propose I do that without your father and the others seeing?” I whispered back.

  She pursed her lips. “Good point.”

  I liked Kelley. She seemed like a fun girl that didn’t take life too seriously. She marched to the beat of her own drum. She was going to be a handful for her father—well, more than a handful—until she settled down, if that ever happened.

  “We saw that video uploaded on YouTube of one of your workouts,” Mr. Carter said to Zeke. “Your shot is still smooth as ever, and with more time and getting back into shape, I believe your dribbling skills will be up to par.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’ve been working hard to get healthy. It’s been a long time since I could say that.”

  “And are you healthy?” Mr. Walsh asked.

  “Yes, sir, I am. My doctor says there isn’t any more scar tissue to deal with in my ankle, and my knee has healed well. It’s more about getting my mobility back, as well as getting into the best shape as I can until I am playing an actual game.”

  I tuned them out to decide what I wanted to eat. Kelley leaned closer to me, asking what I wanted. I was trying to decide between two dishes, and they were the same she was trying to pick from too, so we decided to each get one and share. Once that was decided, I tuned back into the conversation.

  They seemed to have a lot of questions for Zeke and provided information about their team and what they were looking for. They had a good team that was missing a few pieces to make a solid championship run. Zeke could be one of those pieces.

  “What do you think, Ace?” Zeke asked me quietly after the waiter had taken our order and menus.

  “You couldn’t go wrong with signing with them if they were to offer you a deal. You know it’s a good franchise that will take care of you. You’ll get playing time and not have to worry about being stuck on the bench or too many DNPs.”

  “That’s true, depending on who else they pick up,” he said.

  “Mallory is right,” Mr. Carter chimed in. Since he was sitting the closest to us, he’d heard what I’d said to Zeke. “We’re looking for someone who we will be able insert into our rotation and give us ten, fifteen points a night and five to ten rebounds. Averaging a double-double, even if it’s a low one—ten points and ten rebounds—would help us tremendously.”

  “Zeke is capable of that,” I responded. “I mean before he got hurt in Albuquerque, he was doing just that.”

  “We’re aware,” Mr. Walsh said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re interested.”

  Most of the dinner was focused on basketball talk, which was fine with me, but Kelley wasn’t that big of a fan of it. I made sure to talk to her about topics she was interested in, dividing my attention between her and the others.

  “You were amazing tonight,” Zeke said once we were in the cab heading back to our hotel.

  “Thanks,” I said with a big grin. “I could talk basketball and stats all day. My love for the game didn’t go away because our friendship dissolved.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. But you were also great with Kelley. Mr. Carter told me that was the calmest she’d been in a long time. She usually does her best to cause as much disruption as she can.”

  “When did he tell you that?” I asked.

  “When you two went to the restroom.”

  “She’s hilarious and fun. I enjoyed her, and she kept the dinner from being too boring. Since they aren’t leaving until Wednesday, I made plans to go shopping with her tomorrow.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Carter will appreciate that. He won’t have to worry about what she’s doing,” Zeke said. “But I want to talk about how you knew I averaged a double-double in Albuquerque.”

  “I’ve followed your career this whole time, Z. I told you that. I knew your stats when we were in high school. I became a Spartan fan for the two years you were there and caught as many of your games as I could on TV. I’ve always felt compelled to see how you were doing and looking up your stats.”

  Zeke pulled me closer. “That’s cool, Ace. And I like that you did. I’ve read all your books. I checked out how you were doing too.”

  I kissed his scruffy cheek. I liked the fact that we kept track of each other’s careers. As well as tonight had gone, and as happy as I was for Zeke that there was interest, it also had me thinking more about his eventual departure. I tried to keep telling myself that Zeke’s time in Colebury was temporary. But seeing the interest from a team on the other side of the country hammered that point home. He was leaving. I could admit that my feelings for him grew every day, and the thought of him leaving made my heart do funny things.

  “Are you okay, baby?” Zeke asked, pulling me back to the present.

  I looked into his light brown eyes. “Yeah. So, what do you think about playing for the Stars? Are they a team you’ve ever thought about playing for?”

  We spent the rest of the ride back to the hotel discussing the pros and cons of signing with Los Angeles.

  I smiled at the antics of Valerie’s sons, Elvin and Lloyd, who were sitting across from me. The
y both were trying to show me who was the funniest. I glanced at Valerie, who had a smile on her face. Her husband sat at the other end of the table. They’d welcomed me into their home, and I’d been here for a few hours.

  Valerie and I met online when I messaged her about one of her books that I’d read. I wanted an advance reader copy, and she’d been nice enough to send me the link to download it. From there, our friendship grew. I talked to her about her books at first, and then we started talking about writing in general. When I was ready to publish my first book three years ago, I asked if she’d be willing to beta read it. She did and gave me some insightful and helpful feedback. She became my mentor as well as my friend. She was always willing to answer any questions I had about publishing, or anything. I paid it forward by doing the same with aspiring authors. I also beta read, and ARC read for Valerie no matter what and promoted her books as much as she promoted mine.

  “Okay, guys, finish up. It’s a school night, and you two still need to get a bath,” Valerie said to her sons.

  “I’ll take care of that and clean the kitchen,” Irvin said. “Why don’t you and Mallory go talk like I know you want to do?”

  “This is why I married him,” Valerie quipped, and her husband grinned.

  She pushed her chair back and stood. I did the same, thanking Irvin and the boys for their company. Valerie dropped a kiss on her husband’s lips before leading me down a hall to her office. We sat on the couch facing each other.

  “I want to say I’m sorry for being a little distant lately,” I said. She nodded, and I took that as a sign to keep going. “I told you that I changed projects. I tried with that other one, Val. I really did. Every day I opened that document and stared at the blinking cursor that mocked me mercilessly. Nothing I could do would jump-start my motivation or creativity when it came to that story. But I got a new idea that switches genres. I’ve already written over twenty thousand words so far, and I started it two weeks ago. I’m sorry I gave up on the other story.”

  “First, I want to say congratulations for finding your muse and writing so much in a couple of weeks,” Valerie said, and I braced myself for the rest. “Second, I only pushed you so hard for that project because you basically told me to. You talked about how hard it’s been to move past a certain point, and I thought I needed to motivate you, be tough and help you get over that hump. Sometimes the story just isn’t there no matter how hard you try to tell it. I think this time has shown you that, and you can finally move on knowing you gave it your best shot.”

  “You’re not disappointed with me?” I asked.

  “Never, lady,” she said. “I adore you, and I only want you to succeed. You don’t have to avoid me, thinking I’m going to be angry because you decided to scrap a project. It’s your career, and I want you to do what’s best for you.”

  “Thank you, Val. I was worried you’d think I was a quitter and be upset that I didn’t finish that story.”

  She rolled her eyes, and I laughed. “Now, tell me about this new idea. You didn’t give me anything when you messaged me.”

  I relaxed against the back of the couch, feeling relieved. This had weighed on me since I decided to change projects. I’d been worried about how our visit would go. I started telling her how I got the idea and where I thought the story and series could go. We ended up working through plot issues and fleshing out the entire series while sitting in her office and drinking coffee.

  “Did you have a good time?” Zeke asked sleepily when I climbed into bed beside him.

  “Yeah,” I told him. “We had a great talk, and she helped me with all the parts of my series I was struggling with.”

  “That’s good, Ror.”

  “How was dinner with your friends?” I asked with a laugh.

  Zeke flipped onto his back, and I moved closer to rest my head on his bare chest. He wrapped an arm around my waist while I draped one of my legs over his.

  “It was good to see them. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any of them in person,” he answered. “I told them about you, and they can’t wait to meet you on Friday.”

  “I’m excited but nervous to meet them too,” I said.

  “No need to be nervous, Ace,” Zeke said, hugging me.

  “Easy for you to say. You’re used to hobnobbing with athletes and celebrities. I am not even a little bit used to it.”

  “‘Hobnobbing’? Is that even a word?”

  “Of course it’s a word. It means to socialize with someone or a group or whatever. That’s totally not the point, Zeke.”

  He laughed. “Sorry. I’ve never heard anyone use that word. It was a fair question. And I’m impressed you know the definition off the top of your head.”

  “Says you,” I huffed, but I wasn’t really irritated. Zeke held me tighter.

  We were quiet for a while. I traced the letters tattooed over his heart, which had become an obsession of mine if I was lying on him. It was a good thing he wasn’t ticklish. They were the initials of all the people who were important to him, such as his parents, sisters, cousins, grandparents, uncle, and aunt. He even had mine.

  “Can I ask you something?” Zeke asked, breaking our peaceful silence.

  “You can ask me anything you want to, Z. Doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” he quipped. “This is hypothetical.”

  “Okay.”

  “If I were signed by a team that would take me across the country, do you think you’d consider relocating with me?”

  I felt when he tensed up and how rigid he was holding himself. I’d been thinking about that so much this week. It was hard not to when we were in New York so he could meet with teams from all over the country and even one in Canada.

  “Hypothetically, right?” I asked, and I felt him nod. “Yeah. I would consider it, and it’d be hard for me not to be where you are. Hypothetically, of course.”

  Zeke relaxed, tightening his grip on my arm. “That makes me happy, Ace.”

  I resisted the urge to say “Hypothetically happy” and hugged him tighter. I felt the pressure of his lips on my head. I settled more into his body as sleep started to move in. My eyes drooped, and Zeke whispered goodnight as I drifted off to sleep.

  27

  Mallory

  “I want you to meet Cisco and the others before we get pulled into a conversation with other people,” Zeke said to me. “He's over there.”

  We were standing by the front doors of the lavish apartment, but there weren't as many people as I thought there’d be. Zeke tugged on my hand, pulling me through the cluster of people mingling. He greeted some of them but didn't give them enough time to pull him into a lengthy conversation. We finally made it to where Francisco Vega was standing with his arm around the waist of a stunning woman.

  “It's about time you got your ass here,” Francisco said, clasping hands with Zeke and pulling him in for a one-arm hug. “Is this the woman who has you wrapped around her finger?”

  Zeke rolled his eyes. “I wouldn't say it like that.”

  “You wouldn't?” I teased. “So how would you put it exactly?”

  “I like her,” Francisco said. “I'm Cisco.”

  “Mallory.”

  “I thought your name was Rory,” one of the women said. She stood beside Bradley Fleming and I knew she was his wife.

  “I go by Mallory or Rory. Zeke never called me Mallory when we were growing up.”

  Zeke took the time to introduce me to each one of his friends. To say I was nervous, excited, and awed was an understatement. These were all basketball players I'd watched since they came into the league, and now, I was meeting them. I was surrounded by actors, musicians, and athletes that I'd heard of before, and some I even listened to their music or watched their movies. As I watched Zeke talk with his friends, I was struck by how different our lives were. He was in his element in this room with famous people because he was one of them. I'd lived in Vermont all my life. I went to college the
re and stayed after I graduated. All I knew was small-town living, while Zeke has traveled the globe. He'd lived in so many places I'd only dreamed about visiting. He had money to pick up and leave anytime he wanted.

  So why did he want to be with me? He could have any woman he wanted, and he was trying so hard to make things work with his ex-best friend from his childhood. And then there was the question that was swirling in my head right now: would I even fit into his world if I decided to pick up my life and move wherever he ended up? I wasn't worldly or sophisticated like Bradley's wife, Daisy, or Kenneth's wife, Cara.

  The pounding of my heart drowned out what the others were saying and the chatter in the room. I needed some fresh air. I searched for an escape and spotted French doors to my left that seemed to lead out to a balcony. I’d find out if that assumption was right in a minute. I mumbled something to Zeke before heading in that direction.

  As soon as I stepped into the cool air that washed over me, I took in a deep breath before letting it out. I leaned against the railing. Shit. It'd been a long time since I panicked like that. What was it with parties with people I felt were out of my league that made me panicky?

  “Are you okay?” a feminine voice asked.

  I glanced back at the woman stepping onto the balcony with me. It was Trista, Francisco's girlfriend. She came to stand at the railing with me.

  “Where's Zeke?”

  “I told him to let me talk to you first.”

  I turned my attention back to the view off the balcony. The street was so far below that I could barely make out what was going on down there. But it helped steady me in a way.

  “When I met Cisco, I was a waitress at a diner not far from here. I'd just moved to the city a few months earlier and didn't know anyone. I wasn't a big sports person, so I didn't even realize he was famous. I thought he was cute, so when he asked me out, I said yes.”

  “When did you find out who he was?”

  “On our first date. He's been in New York since he left Chicago four years ago and they love him here. Someone, many someones, came to our table asking for an autograph or to take a selfie. But it still didn't sink in who he was until I was around his friends. He knows a lot of people, as you can see. His friends are famous. It's hard to accurately explain.”