Doubletalk (The Busy Bean)

by Teralyn Mitchell

  “If you say so,” he said, threading our fingers together on the table.

  “You looked good out there today,” I said, and we started talking about basketball and his career so far.

  21

  Zeke

  I stared at the last text message I got from Mallory. Four days ago.

  Rory: I’m going to stay overnight at my parents’ house. Night!

  She hadn’t responded to my message that I sent as a follow-up or any of the others I’d sent over the last few days. She wasn’t answering my calls and she hadn’t been home since last Thursday it seemed.

  I looked up from my phone when Seth Rodgers, my agent, cleared his throat. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket, feeling a heavy weight on my shoulders.

  “I’ve gotten a few calls from team reps who’re interested to see what you can do,” Seth said. “How’s your PT and training progressing?”

  “Good. I’m on track to start non-contact next month and contact the month after. My father is arranging for some of his players to work out with me so I can get somewhat in shape. The doctors like my progress with my ankle and my knee. There’s no lingering scar tissue in my ankle, and it finally feels right after all these years. The knee needs a little more time, but I’m on the right path.”

  “That’s good news,” Seth said. “Let’s go over the teams that have shown interest and see what you think. Do you have a preferred destination or team? I may not be able to get you there, but maybe close, so that a year later, you can go to a team of your choice if you prove yourself on the court.”

  He started naming the teams and cities and going over what they may have to offer when free agency started. All the teams he was naming right now were located on the other side of the country. I didn’t know what that meant for me and Mallory. Would it be a good idea to ask her to move across the country with me? Or would she be okay with trying a long-distance relationship? Would I be okay with that? I pursued Mallory because I saw it as my second chance. I didn’t know if I’d get another one. But I failed to factor in some of the other obstacles that would pop up since I had no plans on staying in Colebury.

  Mallory and I should've probably discussed this, but first, I had to get her to stop ignoring me. Even though I knew being with Mallory wouldn’t be easy, I still wanted her. I still wanted a relationship with her. I’d rather take all the obstacles I must deal with and the hard work I had to put in to be with Mallory, than having it easy to be with someone else.

  I slammed the door of my truck and cranked it up. It was a five-hour drive back to Vermont, but it’d give me time to think. It was clear Mallory was avoiding me for some reason. Things had been going better than I could have expected. When I left her place last Thursday morning, I couldn’t have guessed she’d start pulling away and completely refuse to talk to or see me. I didn’t know what was going on in her head, but I had to figure out how to get her to talk to me.

  My phone rang before I pulled out of the parking space and my heart lifted for a moment, hoping it was Mallory. It wasn’t. My mood sank a little. My mom’s picture with my two sisters popped up on my screen. I answered, the phone connecting automatically to the Bluetooth system.

  “Hey, Ma,” I said.

  “Hey, my favorite son.”

  I let out a sigh. “I’m your only son, so that statement holds no weight.”

  “I fail to see why you feel the need to point that out every time,” my mom said as I backed out of the parking space. “Just because you’re my only doesn’t make my statement less true.”

  “If you say so.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  I didn’t get how she did that. I hadn’t even said more than a handful of words and I knew my tone wasn’t dejected or hinted at my swirling thoughts.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Something is bothering you. Tell me what it is.”

  “Every time, Ma,” I said. “I don’t even know how you know.”

  “Just call it a ‘mother’s intuition.’ Hit me with whatever it is and maybe I can help you through it.”

  As I pulled into traffic, I told my mom about Mallory. How she lived in Colebury now and what had been going on for the past few months. She listened, only interrupting for clarification if I wasn’t clear enough. I made my way to the interstate that’d start my drive back home.

  “First, I want to say I’m glad you and Rory have been able to finally make up and hash things out,” my mom said once I finished speaking. “And I love that you two are starting a romantic relationship. I always hoped Rory would be my daughter-in-law.”

  I chuckled. “That’s a little premature, Ma. I can’t even get her to talk to me right now.”

  “Can you tell me what happened the last time you saw Rory in person? Everything that happened.”

  I merged onto the highway. I put on my signal, looking in my blind spot, before switching lanes until I was in the far left one. Once I was in my desired lane, I told my mom about Mallory accompanying me to Burlington for rehab and training and everything else we did that day.

  “Did you notice anything different about her after the waiter fanboyed over you?” she asked.

  I laughed. “How do you even know that word?”

  “I have eleven- and twelve-year-old daughters. Your sisters make sure I’m up to date on all the correct terms,” Ma told me.

  “I guess I noticed a little shift in her when he was talking. I assumed it was a little annoyance at the waiter's interruption.”

  “Was that the first time she’d experienced that with you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It could be that she’s worried about your eventual departure,” she said. “It’s one thing to know someone is famous or known versus seeing it for yourself in real life. I remember how it was when someone first came up to your father when we were out shopping. Until that moment, I didn’t equate his playing career to fame or recognition. It’s hard to explain since it doesn’t quite make sense, but that may be what Rory is dealing with.”

  I didn’t respond right away, turning over my mom’s words. She could have a point. But it was something Mallory and I could work out if she gave me a chance to talk to her.

  “I have to go, baby,” Ma said, interrupting my thoughts. “Faith and Felicity have a dance class to get to and they’re standing here rushing me.”

  “Tell them I said hi and I miss them,” I told her. “And I’ll call them this weekend.”

  “I will. Love you, baby. I hope you and Rory can figure everything out.”

  “Me too. And thank you for your help. Love you too.”

  She disconnected the call and my music started playing in its place. My mind worked over ideas to get Mallory to see and talk to me.

  It was after nine when I pulled into the driveway of my cousin’s house. I parked beside his car, shutting off my engine and opening the driver’s door. When I got inside, I found Malik and Stacey cuddled on the couch watching a murder mystery documentary. They were made for each other.

  “Hey, cuz,” Malik said, and Stacey waved.

  “Hey,” I said to both. “I’ll be in my room, so you don’t have to worry about me crashing your date.”

  “That’s his way of saying he doesn’t want to watch what we’re watching,” Malik told Stacey who laughed.

  “Rory is the same, but she would have said she didn’t want to watch. Sometimes I torture her and follow her to her room, forcing her to watch what I’m watching,” Stacey said.

  The corner of my mouth lifted, but I was sure the smile didn’t reach my eyes or change my face much. It was bittersweet hearing Mallory’s name knowing that she was pulling away. Stacey’s smile fell once she realized.

  “I’m sorry, Zeke. I’m sure she’ll be home eventually.”

  “She’s still in Burlington?” Malik asked.

  “Yeah. I haven’t seen her in days, but we’ve talked nonstop since she’s been gone. If she doesn’t get her ass back here by tomorrow nig
ht, I’ll go drag her home.”

  “Have fun,” I said and headed towards my room before they could say anything else.

  After putting my stuff away and kicking off my shoes, I laid on top of my messy covers. I opened my messages, reading through the ones Mallory and I had sent to each other. A notification from Blush caught my attention at the top of my screen. Since I was still on the app, I got messages from women who were looking to hook up. I didn’t entertain any of them. The only reason I still had the app was because of Mallory.

  I stilled as a thought popped into my head. Mallory wasn’t responding to me, but maybe she’d respond to Coby through the dating app. We hadn’t talked there for almost two weeks. I hadn’t figured out how to tell her that I was Coby, but I thought if I let the relationship fizzle that would work too. I could tell her the truth one day.

  But now, I was considering starting up that online relationship with her again. I was desperate, and I needed to talk to her. There was a chance she’d open up to “Coby.” If she did, I could gain some insight that could help me bridge the growing gap between us right now.

  Me: Hey.

  I closed out of the app and turned on my TV. I found an old show I liked, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and settled in. I hoped I heard from her tonight, but it may not be until tomorrow. I opened a game on my phone to keep from obsessing about getting a reply from Mallory through the app. It wasn’t until an hour later that she finally responded.

  Tasha: Hey, stranger.

  Me: Things have been crazy at work. I’ve been meaning to message. Sorry.

  Tasha: No need to apologize. It’s not like I’ve been messaging you either.

  Me: True. So, what’s new with you? How are things on the writing front?

  Tasha: Not great. I’m still struggling, and I haven’t written anything in two weeks. I’ve tried doing some exercises to help me get to know my characters better, but it hasn’t helped. Val keeps asking about it. My cousins keep asking about it and so does my bestie. They want to know my progress, and I feel like a failure.

  Me: I’m sorry you’re still struggling, Tasha. I can’t imagine how frustrating that must be.

  Tasha: It sucks and is nothing new, so let’s talk about something else.

  Me: Okay. How are things with Zeke? The last time we talked, you were going to spend another day at his place watching basketball.

  Tasha: Has it been that long since we talked? So much has happened, but right now Zeke and I aren’t talking.

  Here we go. This was what I was hoping for. Mallory was adamant about putting Coby in the friend zone. I’d stayed there since standing her up, so that meant she didn’t mind talking to me about… well, me. It was underhanded to use my online relationship with her as a way to gather intel, but I needed the help. Mallory wasn’t willing to talk to me about any of this right now.

  Me: Is there a reason why? Did he do something at that party?

  Tasha: It’s… just all complicated. I need to fill you in on the status of my relationship with him now. It’s changed a lot since we last talked.

  She went on to tell me all about what happened, which I already knew. I waited until I saw that she’d stopped typing and wasn’t going to send anything else before finally responding.

  Me: Then what’s the problem? It sounds like you have feelings for Zeke and things were going well.

  Tasha: Relationships are hard for me. I’ve been disappointed a few times in my life by men, so you can guess what that does to my trust.

  And I knew I was a part of that. I hated that I was one of the reasons for her not being able to trust men.

  Me: I can understand that.

  Tasha: And with Zeke leaving at some point, I guess I didn’t think about what that meant. I’ve never wanted to do long-distance. I can say now that it’d be hard for me. I don’t know.

  So long-distance was out. That didn’t surprise me, and I wasn’t particularly interested in long-distance either. I’d do it if it were the only option, but it sounded like Mallory wasn’t interested at all.

  Me: So, the fact that he’s leaving is what’s holding you back? Maybe you should just talk to him. The two of you may be able to work through whatever is in your way.

  Tasha: You’re probably right. It’s late, and I’m going to sign off. Talk to you tomorrow?

  Me: Sure. Night, Tasha.

  Tasha: Night, Coby.

  I closed the app, not feeling any more settled about Mallory than I had before. I didn’t know what she was going to do. Encouraging her to talk to me was sneaky, but it was my only in with her right now. Mallory could decide that being with me was too much of a risk and shut me out of her life. I didn’t want that. I couldn’t lose her when I was so close to making her mine.

  I walked into the Busy Bean, feeling anxious and excited at the same time. When I woke up this morning, I had a text from Mallory asking if we could talk. It was a couple of days after her conversation with me on the app, but I’d take it. She told me any time would work and to come to the Busy Bean when I had time. I’d been able to wait only twenty minutes before I hopped into the shower to get ready.

  I spotted Mallory at her usual table at the back of the Bean. She sat with her back to the door because she said being able to see who was coming and going was a distraction. Her head was bent, and she was working on her laptop. I hadn’t texted to let her know I was on my way just in case she felt compelled to leave before I arrived to avoid having this discussion with me.

  It was a little after ten in the morning, so I decided to get her favorite coffee and cupcake before joining her. Once I had both in hand, I made my way over to where she was sitting. It took a moment before she realized I was standing there. She brought her eyes up to meet mine. The apprehension and uncertainty in her mahogany eyes made my stomach clench. I took a seat across from her without waiting for an invitation. Mallory closed her laptop, and I handed her the Dark Horse mochaccino cupcake and iced cold-brewed coffee I’d gotten for her.

  “Hi,” Mallory said. “And thank you.”

  “Hi.”

  Mallory pinched a chunk off the cupcake, popping it into her mouth. I could see that she was nervous, so I didn’t rush her. I wanted to ask her flat-out what the hell was going on. Why did she start pulling away when we were getting closer? Hanging out with her last week had been fun, and we had amazing chemistry in the bedroom. We already knew so much about each other, even though a few years were missing that we needed to fill in.

  I’d gotten Mallory to message me, now I needed to get her to talk to me. I didn’t want to play games when it came to Mallory. Communication was the best in these situations, and I didn’t want our relationship to fall apart because we didn’t talk things out.

  “What’s wrong, Ace?” I asked. “Why did you stop returning my calls and stay in Burlington the rest of last week and the weekend?”

  Mallory took a sip of her coffee before eating some more of her cupcake. I didn’t know if she was going to tell me exactly what was going on in that head of hers. She’d touched on it a couple of nights ago with Coby, but even then, she hadn’t gone into details about it.

  “I’m having second thoughts about everything with us,” she answered.

  “What’s giving you second thoughts? What’s changed?”

  “You’re trying to get back to the pros. You want to play on a team, so that means your time here is temporary. You’re going to leave, and I wonder if it’s wise to get involved with someone who’s leaving in a few months. And I don’t know if I could do long-distance,” she said. “After seeing how that waiter was with you, it seemed to click that you’re a professional athlete who isn’t staying. Your life isn’t here.”

  My mom had been right about what had caused the shift in Mallory. I understood what she was saying, and I thought that may be a problem for her. But when it didn’t come up, I kind of let it go. I wished she’d talk to me about this instead of pushing me away, though.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?�
��

  “I don’t want you to think I’m telling you to choose between me and your dreams, Zeke. Because I’m not. I don’t want you to give up on it in any way. I’m not telling you that you need to stay here. But with your time here in Colebury temporary, I’m not sure it makes sense to start a relationship with you.”

  22

  Mallory

  Talking to Coby a couple of days ago had me considering just talking to Zeke and telling him what was bothering me. Eventually, I got up the nerve to text him to meet me at the Bean. Now here he was sitting across from me. Once I messaged him, I’d decided to tell him the truth. I didn’t want to be vague or not own up to my feelings.

  I’d been trying to figure out how to word things so that Zeke didn’t think I was giving him an ultimatum. Now that I’d given him some insight into what I was feeling and thinking, I waited for his response.

  “You’re right,” Zeke said, and my heart sank. “My time in Colebury is temporary. I have no clue where I’ll end up in the fall. The interest I’ve generated so far has been all over the country. With that said, I like you, Rory. A lot. I want to continue to explore what we have while I’m in town. I know it would be easier and wiser for both of us to go our separate ways and end this now, but I don’t want that. July is months from now. We can figure out everything as it comes up. Are you okay with that? Is that enough for you to keep dating me?”