Doubletalk (The Busy Bean)

by Teralyn Mitchell

  If I got some time with her this weekend, I would tell her. But I wasn’t sure if I would even get that time with her. Since my boneheaded cousin panicked and broke up with Stacey, Mallory had been trying to be there for her. She wanted to be a good friend. That was all a whole other issue. I knew Malik cared about Stacey, and if he’d let himself, he probably would have fallen in love with her. But he had this thing about marriage and kids since his mom dipped out on him and his dad when he was eleven. My uncle was blindsided and devastated by the break-up, and it had an impact on Malik, obviously. He didn’t have a relationship with his mother, not that she wanted to have one with him.

  “I have some shit weighing heavy on my mind,” I said as I dropped my bag by the door and walked to the stools at the breakfast bar.

  “Let me take a wild guess and say it has to do with Mallory,” he said.

  “We’ve been dating for over six weeks now, and I’m still masquerading as Coby online. Things are going well for us. She’s met my parents and my friends, and I’ve met hers. Everything is perfect except for that.”

  “Is it really considered meeting the parents when you both have known each other’s parents since you were toddlers?”

  “Not the point, Mal,” I said. “I’m an asshole for deceiving her when it comes to my online persona. I want to tell her. I need to tell her. But this shit has dragged on too long for me to expect her not to be pissed off when she finds out. I want her to hear me out, but I don’t know how to bring it up. I don’t want to lose her.”

  “You’ll lose her for sure if she finds out on her own what you’ve been doing,” Malik stated. “I can see that you like Rory a lot, and she feels the same about you. You two have a good thing going and mesh well. Don’t fuck this up as I’ve done with Stacey.”

  I didn’t state the obvious, that he could make up with Stacey, because I knew he wouldn’t. He was too scared of being hurt like his father had been when his mom left or doing to his child what his mother did to him. There was nothing I could say to get him to reconsider and take that chance with Stacey. I’d said my piece when he broke up with her.

  “You’re right. If I get some time with her this weekend, I’ll tell her and deal with the fallout. I have to be prepared to beg her to forgive me and take me back if she ends things.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Malik said. “I need to go. My plane leaves in a few hours and you know how I like to be there early. I’ll be back next week.”

  He rinsed out his bowl and left me sitting at the breakfast bar. He was taking a week off to clear his head and get away, which I thought was a good idea. I didn’t think he took enough vacation time anyway. Maybe a week in the Caribbean would help. It’d also give me some time alone with Mallory here to tell her everything. No matter what, I was telling her at some point during the week when I got a chance to see her.

  Because while basketball had been my number one love most of my life, Mallory was just as important to me. Losing her would be much worse than never playing another professional basketball game. I wanted her to hear it from me. I’d figure out the rest after I came clean.

  The doorbell chimed, causing me to turn my attention from the TV. I glanced at the time on my phone before getting up to see who was at the door. I pulled it open, and a big smile spread on my lips.

  “Hey,” Mallory said.

  I pulled her inside and claimed her mouth. Mallory wrapped one of her arms around my neck, kissing me back. Going a week without seeing her had been hell, and I'd missed her so damn much. She'd told me she would be spending the weekend with Stacey to keep her company.

  “Well, I guess you missed me just a little,” Mallory stated in a breathy tone once we separated.

  “More than a little,” I told her. “I thought you were going to be with Stacey all weekend.”

  “I did too, but she ditched me to tag along with Joc to Atlanta for a fashion show.”

  “And you didn't go?”

  “I'd rather spend some time with you, so they went without me. I brought dinner too,” she said, holding up the bags in her right hand.

  I kissed her again. “I'm so glad you like me enough to give up a trip to a fashion show.”

  She giggled, stepping out of my arms. I took the bags from her as she shrugged out of her jacket. “I've been to a few already, and they are kind of the same. They're mostly good for hooking up with models, so there was no point in me going.”

  “I didn't need to know that, Ace.”

  She shrugged and headed for the kitchen. I trailed behind her with the bags. She had me put them on the counter, and I watched as she unzipped the cooler.

  “I know you're trying to eat healthier lately since you're wanting to get back in shape,” Mallory said. “I hope what I made is okay. I called your mom and asked for this recipe. She said it's something you like to eat when you're on your 'basketball diet.' Her words, not mine.”

  “She calls it that to me too,” I told her with a chuckle. “What did you make? I'm sure anything would be fine, Ace.”

  “Pan-seared salmon, creamy lemon pasta, and sauteed asparagus.”

  My stomach grumbled as my mouth watered. Mallory laughed, amusement making her dark eyes sparkle. She grabbed plates and we worked together to put the food on them. Mallory poured some white wine into stemless wine glasses for us that she brought with her. Malik and I didn't have wine glasses, much less stemless ones. It didn't take long for us to sit down and start eating. We were quiet as we sampled everything on our plates.

  “Ace, this is perfect,” I told her. “And delicious.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, babe. It's some of the best pan-seared fish I've ever had, minus my mom’s, of course.”

  She smiled. “It is good. And totally going into the dinner rotation for me and Stace. I'm glad you like it.”

  Mallory cut off another piece of fish and speared a potato before putting it into her mouth. I did the same and asked her about Jocelyn's career.

  “She's a fashion designer. You remember how she was always drawing outfits in any journal my aunt and uncle gave us, and when they gave her a sewing machine, she started making stuff. By the time we were in high school, she made a lot of our clothes. She's pretty badass and known in her field. Her clothes are amazing. She's given me a lot of stuff that models wouldn't wear again, and she’s also made clothes specifically for me.”

  “That sounds interesting, and I'm happy for her,” I said, meaning it.

  “So am I. She's doing what she loves.”

  “What about Adam? What does he do?”

  We talked the rest of dinner about our families, our week, and anything else we could think of while we ate. When we finished eating, I sent Mallory into the living room with another glass of wine while I cleaned up. Nerves started to make me wish I hadn't eaten so much. Tonight was a perfect opportunity to tell Mallory everything. The sooner I did it the more time I'd have to fix this. I had to do it. I dried the last of the Tupperware she'd brought over before starting on the plates, utensils, and wine glasses from dinner.

  The TV was on the sports channel, but Mallory wasn't watching it. I sat down beside her, and she glanced at me.

  “Mallory,” I said at the same time that she said, “What do you want to do next?”

  Mallory laughed, and I did too. I was feeling too tense right now.

  “Go ahead,” I told her.

  “I just wanted to know what you want to do next. Watch a movie?”

  “Whatever you want to do, Ace. You know I don’t mind,” I told her.

  She gave me a sly smile before straddling my waist, the skirt of her dress rising to expose some of her smooth thighs. My cock was hard immediately, and all thoughts of me coming clean about my online persona fled my mind.

  “I was thinking something a little more fun than watching TV,” she said, her voice a little husky. I growled when she rolled her hips. “You know, if that’s okay with you.”

  “When have I ever turned
you down?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  “Never, but there is always a first time for anything.”

  “You’ll be the first to know if that ever happens.”

  I put my hand behind her neck, pulling her down so I could claim her lips as my other hand squeezed her ass. She moaned as she rocked her pussy on my erection, and I concentrated on not coming from dry humping like a teenage boy.

  Mallory climbed off my lap and reached under her skirt, hooking her fingers in the waistband of her panties. I gripped my hard dick through my sweats as she pulled them down.

  “Care to join me, Z?”

  “I’m going to need food if you’re thinking of going another round,” Mallory said.

  She took in a deep breath and let it out. I leaned over her, putting an arm over her stomach.

  “And when you say food, are you talking a sandwich or something?”

  “I’m talking sweets, Zeke, and coffee.”

  I chuckled. “You’d live off Gigi’s pastries and iced coffee if you could, wouldn’t you?”

  “You say that like it’s a problem,” she stated. “It’s a solid diet. If only it didn’t make my ass bigger, and the coffee didn’t keep me too wired to sleep.”

  “I like your ass. I have no problem with bigger, Ace.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t. Are you going to get me fuel so we can try that thing you’ve been wanting to try?”

  My body—and by that, I mean my dick—perked up at the sound of that. “Really, Ror?”

  She paused for a beat before saying, “Hell, no. My backdoor’s locked tight.”

  “You can be mean sometimes.”

  “So I’ve been told,” she said on a laugh. “But I can promise a blowjob if you go get me some treats.”

  I kissed the tip of her nose. “No blowjob needed as payment. I’m going just because I like doing stuff for you.”

  “And that’s why I like you so much.”

  I kissed her cheek again and climbed out of bed. I hurriedly got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved green t-shirt with a wolf on the front of it. I grabbed my phone, stuffing it into my pocket. As I walked to my truck, I let out a heavy breath. I let myself get distracted by having her warm, soft body on my lap.

  I couldn’t let that happen again. When I got back, I would tell her everything. Nothing else could happen between us until I finally cleared the air. The way my stomach twisted and my mouth went dry told me it wasn’t going to be easy. I was so damn scared of losing her, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I swore as I climbed into my truck. My stupid lie had made things way more complicated than they ever needed to be for us.

  29

  Mallory

  I chuckled as I heard the front door close behind Zeke. I liked messing with him sometimes. I didn’t know why he thought I was going to let him in my backdoor area. Maybe if we’d been together for ten years, it could be his anniversary gift. But that was a big if.

  I climbed out of bed and found one of Zeke’s shirts to pull over my head. I made a trip to the bathroom before getting back into bed. I grabbed my phone. I had messages from Coby. He sent them when I was getting ready to come see Zeke, so I’d left them unread. We were still chatting, not as much as we were in the beginning, but I still liked talking to him. I knew it was going to be sooner rather than later that I told him we had to stop talking. The guilt of it was eating at me. Zeke has been nothing short of perfect, and I shouldn’t have been going behind his back talking to another man. I wanted it to just be friendly, and it had been, but my feelings had changed. As great as Zeke was, I’d somehow developed feelings for Coby. I sucked.

  Coby: My mom has been asking when I’ll visit again, but I don’t know when I’ll have the time. Work has been crazy and busy lately.

  Coby: And I have this dilemma I have no clue how to get myself out of. Have you ever done something that backed you into a corner, and the only way to get out of it is to hurt someone you care for? One where you know there’s a real possibility of losing someone?

  Coby: Enough about me. Do you have plans this weekend?

  That was what made it so hard to cut ties with Coby. We both relied on each other and could talk about anything with the other. But Zeke and I could also talk about just about anything.

  Me: I’m sorry your mom is driving you crazy. I’m sure it’s because she wants to see you. It could be the other way around and she didn’t want to see you at all. I get being busy but make time for your mom.

  A light caught my eye, and I glanced at the other nightstand. It was Zeke’s tablet. I turned my attention back to my phone.

  Me: I don’t know what it’s like to back yourself in a corner like that. It sounds like you’re really struggling. If you can give me more information, I may be able to offer better advice. As it is, just talk to the person. Maybe you will lose them, but you can always work overtime to win them back.

  Zeke’s tablet lit up again. I guessed it was getting notifications from apps. Or I guessed it could’ve been messages. I ignored it.

  Me: I don’t mind if we keep talking about your dilemma. Maybe we can figure this out together.

  Again, Zeke’s damn tablet went off. I stared at it. It seemed like every time I sent a message to Coby, his tablet lit up. But that had to be a coincidence, right? I ignored the sinking feeling in my stomach and swallowed hard. Shaking my head, I looked down at my phone again.

  Me: Stace is in Georgia this weekend with my cousin, so I’m spending it with Zeke. I made dinner for us and surprised him since he thought I was going to be hanging out with Stacey. I haven’t seen him all week, and I can admit that I missed him.

  That pit in my stomach grew as Zeke’s tablet lit up again when I pressed enter. I typed something else into the chat but watched Zeke’s tablet as I pressed send. My heart was beating hard as I threw my legs over the edge of the bed. I walked around it to Zeke’s side. With my phone still in hand, I sent another message. His tablet lit up again. Blush was on his tablet, which was kind of concerning in and of itself, but when I saw that it read, “Tasha sent you a message,” I sank onto the edge of the bed. I gripped my phone tight so that I didn’t drop it. What the hell was going on. What the hell was going on?

  I didn’t move as I heard the front door open and close. I heard his footsteps go in the opposite direction, but still, I didn’t move from my spot. I didn’t turn when I heard him come back down the hall.

  “What are you doing in here, Ace?” Zeke asked, but I didn’t respond.

  He walked around the couch and into my line of view. His dark brows furrowed, which I expected since I’d changed back into my clothes. His tablet sat on the cushion next to me, and I was still clutching my phone. Zeke set the bags he held on the counter and joined me in the living room.

  “Rory, what’s wrong?”

  “When you were gone, I responded to some messages from Coby. Your tablet was going crazy, and at some point, I realized that every time I sent Coby a message, your tablet would light up. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but instinct told me to check that shit out. I saw a notification from the dating app and the name ‘Tasha’ was on your screen. I don’t want to jump to conclusions. I know Tasha is a common name. I mean, maybe not, but other people have that name. The only reason I’m still here, Zeke, is to hear you say that you’re not Coby.”

  The way he seemed to deflate made that stupid pit in my stomach grow bigger, and the cracks that’d started on my heart threatened to shatter. I swallowed past the lump in my throat. That should have been enough for me to storm out of here, but I still needed to hear him say the words. I didn’t want to leave.

  “I’m so sorry, Ace,” he said, his voice gritty. “I wanted to tell you so many times. I tried. I was going to tell you tonight.”

  “How long have you known that I was Tasha?”

  He let out a harsh breath. “Pretty early on,” he admitted. “I saw you through the window at the Bean, and I knew I couldn’t walk in there and tel
l you I was Coby. You wouldn’t have given me the time of day, so I left. I stood you up. I kept talking to you through the app once you gave me a second chance to get to know you better. I knew you wouldn’t be receptive to me in person.”

  It felt like he’d sucker punched me. “This entire time you’ve known?”

  “Yes.”

  My throat was getting tighter, my eyes prickled, and my heart was hurting. I was so close to losing my shit, and I didn’t want to do it in front of him. I couldn’t take this right now. I… I stood up and so did Zeke. He grabbed my hand when I turned to walk away. I kept my face turned from him because I’d lost my battle with my tears. I just wanted to go, I wanted to climb into my bed and maybe fall into a black hole where feelings didn’t exist. And to a place where I didn’t have to face the fact that I was losing Zeke again.

  “Ace, Ror, please look at me,” he begged.

  The way his voice cracked on “please” nearly broke me. I swiped at the tears as I turned back to face him. His light eyes were pleading with me to stay, but that wasn’t possible.

  “You lied to me for months, Zeke.” My words were quiet as I tried to control my breathing. I didn’t want to break down right now.

  “It wasn’t malicious, Ror. I promise I can explain all this,” he said.

  “I trusted you again not to hurt me, and that’s just what you did. I was ready to go all in with you. I don’t ever want to see or talk to you again.”