by Kitty Berry
“Hey, man,” a deep male voice says. “Your girl and friend are really worried about you. They’ve been calling and texting you nonstop.”
I thought I’d turned off my phone, so I just shrug. Maybe I’d turned it back on. Who knows, don’t care, and Jordan and Elliot can go suck some dicks.
Then the shrill of my phone sends a splitting ache through my skull and I cringe. “Make it stop,” I beg.
But the way Teyler does that is to accept the call and tell Jordan that I’m alive and safe on my couch. Knowing I need to leave before she can get here, I try to stand up and fail miserably. Teyler’s strong hand, the one that spent his career palming a basketball, pushes me back down with a command to relax.
“I don’t want to see her,” I state in a whisper, but even my own voice is too loud. “Shh,” I order myself.
Teyler chuckles at my circumstances then shoves my legs to the floor so he’ll have room for his oversized body to sit.
“Why’d I allow you to stay here?”
“Because I’m growing on you and you love Colleen.”
I growl. “I have a feeling once I know the whole story about the two of you, I’m not going to like you very much.”
Teyler sighs but doesn’t deny the probability of my statement. Instead, he tells me that I’m “rank” and need a fucking shower and a toothbrush.
Again, I shrug. “No need,” I state. “Because I don’t plan on having company. You don’t like the way I smell, move out.”
Tey laughs. “You’re all right, man. I can’t remember a time anyone spoke to me like I was a real person and told me to fuck myself. Honestly, it was probably Coll.”
“I didn’t tell you to fuck yourself.”
“You thought it.”
I shrug for the millionth time because he might be right. I say might because I think I’m still drunk and my brain is not processing things like the genius I am.
I hold my hand out for my phone. Tey hands it to me and I see that I have numerous missed calls from Jordan and her sisters, Elliot and Ace too. Those I ignore, but I listen to the voicemail about the appointment I apparently have in, I look at the clock on my phone and groan, two hours, with Maxwell James, the new mayor of Falls Village. “Fuck.”
“You heading into the shower?” Teyler asks to my retreating back. “Should I let your girl in? She might want to soap your back.”
I send him the finger over my head then can’t help the smile that pulls at the corner of my lips when I hear him chuckle again.
When I reenter the living space, I’m prepared to tell Jordan and Elliot, possibly Courtney, Jenny, Ace and Bridget too, to all go fuck themselves, but Tey must have headed them off at the pass because I’m alone in the apartment. I look out the window to see if anyone is waiting for me outside, but the coast is clear.
Sure, Elliot and Ace are trained to not be seen if they don’t want to be. But with the Adams/Collins sisters with them, there isn’t any amount of training that would make that possible. Those girls couldn’t hide and be quiet if their lives depended on it. Not to mention that Jenny can’t leave Beast for a hot second, so…
Even still, I cautiously open my door and I pull back when I hear a familiar female voice crying. “I can’t believe you came back here after all this time, Tey,” Colleen says. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
I slide as silent as a snake in the grass around the side of the building so Colleen and Tey won’t know that I’ve heard their conversation.
“I can’t believe we have a daughter and you thought it was a good idea to keep her from me.”
“Tey.” Colleen’s cries turn into a fierce warning. “Don’t!”
“Don’t? Me? Coll, how could you keep…fuck…”
By the silence, I can only assume their mouths are now otherwise occupied so I take it as my signal to flee the area and call for my Uber to grab me and take me to my car so I can make my meeting downtown.
Maxwell James’ new office is located in the heart of Falls Village in a building that looks like it’s about to fall down. Lucky for him, he’s approved every and all renovations in the small town so it shouldn’t be long before his building has new life breathed into it.
The housing complex next door is in even worse disrepair than the building I’m about to enter. I smile to myself when I see some of the inhabitants of Anchor Ridge, and I picture the characters from the popular 1990s series that Jordan and her sisters watch on Netflix. The girl yelling about her pipes would fit in perfectly with that crazy character that had the red hair before she was blown up in an explosion. I hope Anchor Ridge doesn’t explode while I’m in with Maxwell James.
When I pull open the heavy oak door, I find an adorable woman sitting behind a desk typing away like a chipmunk on her keyboard. “You must be Mr. Black,” she says, looking up at my face. I avert my gaze to slightly above her hairline. “Beckett is your realtor, right? We’re longtime friends, he and I. I’m Devon Travens.” She stands and extends her hand, and I gently take it in mine and shake. “Beckett told me about the castle,” she says and covers her heart with her hands. “That’s so romantic. Jordan is so lucky.”
I scoff. “Yeah. Make sure you tell her that when you see her.”
Devon laughs nervously and eyes me suspiciously. I’m sure word has gotten around over the last year about my quirky behavior. I know Jordan and I were the talk of the town this summer while she pulled me around by my dick and led me to believe that she was dating the montage of men that had been staying at the B and B, so I’m sure this girl is confused why I would be buying Jordan a castle of all things. Honestly, I’m just as confused, but here we are. The things we do for love do not make sense, but I do love her. I’m as pissed as a hornet right now and I’m not sure what I want to happen between us anymore, but I’m still planning on buying that house. Maybe because deep down, I’m hoping that Jordan and I will have a future together in it.
“Um,” Devon clears her throat. “Max should be ready in a minute. He’s on a call with someone from DC, then I’ll send you in.”
I nod and shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans.
“You want anything?” she asks.
“I’d love for Jordan to apologize and for Elliot to admit he knew what she was up to.”
“I’m sorry, um…what? I was kind of talking about a drink or something. We have bottles of water in that minifridge.”
Maybe I deserve to be a case study because I’m pretty certain no other guy my age would have answered her that way, and honestly meant it, at least no one with my IQ I sigh, I can’t even play my social awkwardness off as stupidity. It’s times like this that I envy Tony from Disco Sticks.
I sit and think about how easy it would be to be an idiot with no concerns other than swinging my dick around to the beat of the music.
“Mr. Black,” I suddenly hear and rise to my feet with my hand extended. “Maxwell James, friends call me Max, feel free to as well. Hey, you’re the guy from the diner.”
“Oh,” I say as I pull my eyebrows together remembering him at the same time. “Yeah, that was me. I was with my best friend. Well, I thought he was my best friend at the time but…”
“That’s right. I know Elliot Montgomery. I love At the Tip. I can’t wait until it starts serving the rich and famous.”
“So,” I clear my throat, “that castle for sale or…”
“Right, right to the point it is. Why waste time with small talk, right? Yeah, so the Charleston home is owned by Falls Village, Mr. Black.”
“How is that exactly?”
“Well, I wasn’t aware of this before Beckett called, but after some research, I’ve learned that the Charleston family deeded the home to Falls Village a lifetime ago. After a little more research, I’ve come to a decision that I think you might like.”
I shoot my eyebrows up. “Yeah?”
“Well, there’s no mortgage left, and I went up there. It’s falling apart, not livable. With my sister’s hard work
here in town, I’d hate to see it remain as such. And I have a brother, Mr. Black, two actually, but I’m talking about the younger one. Mason, the oldest is still a fucking mess. Anyway, my little brother, Matty, he’s an actor, and he mentioned that the long-forgotten drama of the Charleston and Ingram families might make for the perfect story to pull people into the town. I got to thinking that maybe you and I could help each other out.”
“How’s that, Mayor?”
“Max, please, no formalities.”
I nod. “Fine. Max.”
“The castle is all yours, Mr. Black. Just sign on the line and it’s yours.”
“But…”
“Well, I’ll need you to remove the foliage that’s hiding it from the town and,” Max clears his throat as he thumbs through the deed, “well, there are a few more things in this contract that you can see for yourself later.”
I reach out my hand for the document and smile when I feel it’s weight. “A few things?”
“Oh, most of that is legal mumbo-jumbo. You’re welcome to take it to your lawyer.”
“I’ve studied the law enough to understand it. I’ll take it home and look it over. When do you need this back?”
“Um…end of the week and I’ll need you to keep everything in there between us.”
“I don’t have anyone to tell anything to, Mr.,” I correct myself, “Max.”
Max and I shake hands, and I make to leave. I stop and turn back. “Thanks. I should have said that sooner. I’ll read this over and think about it. You’ve piqued my interest, Max.”
I slump down onto my sofa where I found Teyler moping upon my return. He growls as I push him over and he curls his huge body into the corner of the couch while I shamelessly take up most of the space with my legs spread wide.
“Whatcha got there?” he asks, his chin nodding at the contract in my lap.
“I’m buying a house. It won’t be inhabitable for an eternity so don’t get excited about getting rid of me yet.”
“Yeah, I had kind of hoped to be out of here sooner than it’s looking like that is going to be possible.”
“You could always move into the Anchor Ridge housing place.”
Teyler laughs. “I’m a multi-millionaire. I’m not moving to a rundown housing project.”
“That sounds racist, man.”
Teyler laughs from the pit of his belly. “I can’t imagine what group of people I could be accused of being racist against.”
I shrug just to be an asshole. I know he’s not racist against anyone. If anything, Teyler Walker is one of the best men I’ve ever met. Now, if anyone asked Colleen about that, she might disagree.
I sigh when I think about the other good men in my circle, my two best friends who appear to have betrayed me.
“What’s that about right there?” Teyler asks with his finger pointing at my scowl.
“I don’t know. I found that notebook I told you Jordan’s been keeping.”
“Oh.” Teyler laughs with the back of his hand covering his mouth. “Fuck, man. She says you have a little dick in there, doesn’t she?”
“No. And I don’t have a little dick.”
“Yeah, that’s what everyone with a little dick says.”
I stand and drop trou, my dick, my long and thick dick, flaps free and I palm it with a smile. “See, not small.”
“Wow, well good for you there, white boy.”
I laugh. “Not racist, huh?”
“No, so what was in the notebook?”
“It wasn’t about sex,” I say as I tuck my dick away and sit back down. I turn to face Tey and admit my troubles. “She’s a psych major and the notebook has notes for her case study. About me. I’m her experiment.”
“What? No. That can’t be right. I mean, I get why she’d do her study on you, but I don’t believe she’s using you for the study, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking, and Elliot and Ace probably knew too, her sisters, for sure.”
“They’re your friends, right?”
I nod.
“Then call and ask them. Call them out on that shit, man.”
I like the way he thinks so I punch in a text to Elliot and Ace.
Callan: Did you know about the case study? Don’t lie to me.
Ace: Yes. But…
Then I see Elliot is typing and he beats Ace in his response.
Elliot: We thought it was Tony she was studying, but…ha-ha! This makes more sense.
Elliot: Too soon?
Ace: Don’t listen to him, he’s an asshole. I have assholes for friends. It’s sad. And yes, we knew. I wanted to tell you, but we didn’t know how. You got kind of weird when you were working that last job and we thought it would set you back again.
Callan: I’m not trying to be an asshole, but this was a douche move on both your parts. Why didn’t either of you tell me before I made a fool out of myself?
Elliot: Let’s be honest. You’re an asshole a lot of the times and we just thought…
Callan: What?
Elliot: That it would teach you a lesson.
Callan: Are you ever going to forgive me for the Courtney thing?
Elliot: Yes, I’m sorry. I’m feeling like a dick right now. Can we get together to work this out? Let us help you.
I tell them to give me time and to keep their distance until I tell them otherwise. They agree and say that they’ll keep Jordan at bay but watch out for her in my absence. I turn my phone off again and tell Teyler that I’m going down to Colleen’s shop for a cup of tea.
He smiles and asks me to put in a good word for him.
“I’ll try, but I think she needs time too.”
Tey nods as I close the door.
I find Colleen behind the counter of Spill the Tea, and before my ass even hits the stool, she has my steaming cup of tea in front of me. “I feel like a fucking tea bag,” I state as I wait for my cup to steep.
“Oh, Cal, your feelings are hurt. Tey told me what happened. I’m guessing you’ve never felt this way before.”
I shrug. I felt like shit when Elliot left and none of us knew where he went or could find him. I felt even worse when he returned and blamed me for his and Courtney’s breakup. I didn’t love the way it felt to have him mad at me for months, and it still feels shitty now when I think back on it. I hated when Jordan was mad at me, our breakup was the lowest point of my life. But this somehow feels worse, or maybe just different. Whatever. I don’t like it.
“Kids hurt my feelings all the time growing up.”
Colleen’s face turns sad. “Kids can be mean. Taylor was made fun of because of her darker skin and wild hair. It took me years to figure out how to tame her mane. Thank God for those curly hair products I found.”
“Yeah, well, this is different. I’m not a kid on the playground who wasn’t invited to the bounce house that weekend.”
“It’s different because I’m guessing you didn’t really care about those kids or being left out from their fun. But Elliot, Ace, and the girls, especially Jordan, you do care about. A lot.”
I feel something wet slide down my face, and I’m momentarily confused. I reach a finger up to swipe at it, then stare down at my wet digit and wait for Colleen to explain to me, a genius except socially, what the hell was happening.
“It’s a tear, Callan. You’re crying.”
“Crying? I don’t cry,” I say as more begin to fall and I wipe at them, now with my whole hands.
Colleen comes around the counter and wraps me up in her comforting arms the way I imagine a mother would a small child, the way I knew my mom always wanted to hug me, but I wouldn’t let her. I sob into her shoulder as I inhale the scent of coffee and fudge from her clothes and hair.
“I think it’s time you told someone what it felt like.”
“What what felt like?” I ask through a muffled sob.
“The loneliness and inferiority.”
“Infer…I’m not inferior to anyone. I�
��m a genius.”
“I know you are. When it comes to anything other than friends, love, and social situations.”
I sigh because she’s right, and looking back on my childhood, maybe I had felt alone and inferior. I’m guessing that Colleen is correct, and that’s what I’m feeling now.
“The kids knew there was something wrong with me even in preschool,” I begin. “I needed an adult with me, so I think they saw me as different even at that young of an age. Because I was, I am. I’ve always been different.”
“How old were you when you knew you weren’t like the other kids?”
“The first time my mother made me go to one of her mommy and me lunches at another military wife’s house. I bit one of the kids because he came at me quick and I didn’t want him to touch me.”
“What happened?”
“We left, her crying and me counting my steps to our door. She told my father when he got home, and he was mad and embarrassed. I overheard him telling her there was something not right with me and that she shouldn’t take me out with the other mothers anymore.”
“How did that make you feel?”
“Happy, relieved. I didn’t want to be with other kids. I liked being alone.”
When I was growing up and alone, I taught myself everything there was to know about computers and the Internet. I took computers apart and rebuilt them; I learned how to code by watching YouTube videos and entering chat rooms I should have been an adult to access. I obsessed over the train schedule and trains themselves for a bit too back then. But once I found pussy and sex, I dropped them for the most part and started watching porn to learn and refine my new skills.
Porn had been my basis for sexual relationships and ones of a romantic nature too. If my parents had ever shown each other affection, I’d never noticed and the people having gangbangs, leaving creampies, and tying each other up, certainly never did, so I didn’t question my one-night stand reference until I met Courtney Adams. Something about her made me feel different. It might have been because she got me, understood what it was like to not feel like everyone else. But I wasn’t in love with her, and I definitely wasn’t the right man for her. She and Elliot are perfect together and her sister is the girl made for me.