28

David had a forty-five-point game in Denver, followed by a fifty-two-point night in Houston two days later. When his mom texted me to see if I could meet her for coffee when I came down to Boston once he was back, I knew something was up. She would have usually flown straight home to Atlanta.

“I think I might be getting fired today,” I told Kyle as I packed up David’s enchiladas, cookies, and smoothie ingredients.

“I doubt it,” he said, handing me the most beautiful peppermint mocha. His Nespresso machine had made its way from his apartment to mine, and it felt like the slow migration of many things like that. I wasn’t complaining; it was freezing out, and not having to make my own less-than-inspiring coffee or venture to the student-run coffee shop was lovely. Plus, Kyle’s handcrafted mochas almost evoked ice cream feelings in me, so I was happy. “She may just want you to be present more since it had such a positive effect on David. Which, of course, may be tricky for you to figure out. But I’m sure Andrea will be flexible. She loves you. Look what you’ve done to this place. Cookies,” he said, grabbing one out of the food storage container just before I was going to shut it.

“Someone else is paying for those cookies,” I said. “But yeah, I guess I need to hear what she has to say. There’s nothing else I can do right now.”

There was a knock at my door, and Kyle and I looked at each other. Being alone on the fourth floor, students and the other staff who lived in the rest of the building rarely came up to my apartment.

“Do you want me to go out the fire escape?” he asked.

“No, no, I’m sick of all that. Everyone needs to get used to us. It’ll be fine,” I said, walking over to the door and opening it.

It was Marnie. “Hi. I hope it’s okay that I’m here.” It was the first time she had ever visited my apartment. She was in her usual attire of stretchy black pants and a tunic, and she was still wearing her apron from the breakfast shift, which seemed strange, but it was Marnie. Not much surprised me about her anymore; I was used to all her quirks.

“Sure,” I said, opening the door and gesturing for her to come in. “You obviously know Kyle.”

Marnie stared at him and didn’t say anything. Kyle slung his backpack over his shoulder and took another cookie. And then he grabbed me by the waist and planted a dramatic smooch on my lips, likely to shock the hell out of Marnie. “See you later,” he said to me and then waved at her. “Bye, Marnie.”

I closed the door behind him and decided not to attempt any explanation of what just happened; it was easier that way. “Why don’t we sit on the couch?” I asked her. Once we were seated, I knew I would have to break the ice because she wasn’t likely to. “Is everything all right with you?”

She nodded. “I know there’s a lot going on right now, and I’m not sure what I’m allowed to talk about and what I can’t. First, I want to thank you for letting me continue to work right now. I know you could have kept me out of the kitchen. I like cooking, and things would be more stressful for me if I couldn’t.”

“Oh, well, that’s good, Marnie. I’m glad I could help. I just don’t understand why—”

“I’m giving Andrea my resignation this afternoon,” she blurted out.

“You’re what?” Of all the things I was preparing to hear that day, those words certainly were not it.

She looked down and shook her head. “This is tough to explain, but maybe you’ll understand. I know you’ve had some relationship struggles in your past.”

That was the understatement of the year. “Yes, I have. Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Oh, yes, I’m really good. I just know it sounds strange. I’m in love with Ward Connelly.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It was one of the oddest pairings, and he probably had around twenty-five years on her, but love was love. “That’s great, Marnie. Is he nice to you? Because that’s really the most important thing.”

“So nice. He’s teaching me to paint. He likes the food I cook for him. We have a good time together. Which is why I’m going to Arizona with him.”

“What’s in Arizona?” I had been once—with David for a matchup against the Suns—and loved it. I tried to imagine Marnie in the desert surrounded by cacti while Ward made some sort of sculpture out of red clay.

“He was asked to teach a one-year course in Sedona to a group of artists with different specialties. Some are visual, so they paint, sculpt, that sort of thing. Others are writers. A few are musicians. One is an actor. So, he’ll be one of the instructors, but there are others. And they need some kitchen help. I love southwestern food, so I figured this was a good chance to learn more. The pictures look beautiful, and I haven’t traveled much. The students explore the world around them as they create their art, and we send food along with them on their day trips.”

“Marnie, this sounds like a great opportunity for you.” I couldn’t help but think of Marnie getting to serve boxed lunches and things like that to the students. It was a perfect match. I did feel a little wistful that Adrienne wouldn’t see much of Ward for a while, but it was all so new and sporadic, even with him living down the street. Hopefully, they would keep in touch. In the big picture, this seemed like a good thing. “I’m really happy for you.”

“Me too. Thanks for understanding. Sorry to leave you, but I’m sure you’ll find someone else. A few of the staff might be interested in the job. You’re a good person to work for.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “I’ll deal with it after the break. We’ve got some time to figure it all out.” I glanced at my watch, realizing I needed to stop by the dining hall on my way to Boston to make sure everything was okay, especially if Marnie wasn’t likely to be working. “Just one more question while you’re here. Why The Underground Stallion ? And getting wrapped up in things with Ryland. I don’t understand it.”

She squirmed a bit and crackled her knuckles, causing me to shudder at the sound. “I don’t know. He convinced me that there were power shifts happening on campus and that something was needed to keep people in check. He was worried about your arrival here and insisted that you were jockeying for Andrea’s job and that some pictures and articles would keep you in your place, as he always said. And you know he hates Kyle.”

“The feeling is mutual,” I muttered. “He thought I wanted to be Head of School? Ha! That’s ridiculous. I barely know how to do this.”

“The stuff with the paramedic and you,” she continued. “That was to get Kyle upset—to get under his skin. It seemed to work. I felt bad about that. He was a mess at Midsy with the karaoke.”

I nodded. “Yes, it was a rough night. You all weren’t involved with the Midsy pranks?” I had visions of Ryland creeping into Andrea’s shower to implant the bouillon cubes.

She shook her head furiously. “Absolutely not. That was all Ashlyn and her friends. They bribed the security guards with a new poker set, too. Well, those guys didn’t know they were being bribed, but I saw it that way.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Who knows? Ryland was the one who told me about that, so maybe he was involved. I didn’t put two and two together until now.” She cracked her knuckles again, and I tried not to wince. “You know Ashlyn was sent home, right?”

“Andrea finally did it.”

“Which makes me nervous she’ll do the same thing to me, so it’s time for me to resign.”

“But you should anyway,” I insisted. “Arizona will be great.” I stood up, and Marnie did the same. “All right, my friend, I need to make sure lunch is ready to go before I head to a meeting in Boston. Are you coming, or are you going to try to catch Andrea now?”

“It’s grilled cheese and tomato soup day,” she said.

“It is. I’m going to ask the team to stuff bacon in some of them,” I replied, thinking of Kyle.

“I’ll try to see her after that. Let’s go cook.” And for one last time, we did.

...

I felt a pit in my stomach as I pulled up to David’s building, even though I had been there countless times. The valet took my car, and I brought the usual bags up the elevator to the penthouse. When I walked into David’s condo, Dr. Anders was sitting on the couch, typing on her laptop.

“Devon,” she said, not looking up. “Just give me a moment more, and then I’m all yours.”

“It’s no problem,” I said. “There’s plenty to put away. Is David here? I can make him a smoothie.”

“He had practice,” she said. “Just leave everything in the fridge. I can make him one later.” Her nails clicked against the keys while I unloaded and stored everything I brought. “Okay, that’s done. Want to walk over to Caffé Nero? We don’t have it in Atlanta yet. I could go for that caramel latté they have.”

We braced for the cold December weather and plodded across the street to the coffee shop. Once we had our hot drinks and were seated, I decided that this would be a very different approach from sitting with Marnie earlier. I waited for Dr. Anders to speak, and she eventually did.

“Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me, Devon. I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for David.”

She’s definitely firing me. Kyle wasn’t right this time. “I’ve loved working with him,” I said, swallowing hard and trying to keep my composure. “And I’m so excited about how things are going for him right now. It’s good to see his hard work paying off.”

She nodded. “Hopefully, it continues. I know he’s happy about it. Did you see his press conference after Houston? The reporters can’t believe he’s actually engaging now. As you know, this is a big change. You deserve a lot of the credit for this. You’ve been a constant in his life, and you’ve also been able to gently build his confidence. We’ve all known he was capable of greatness this whole time. He just needed to believe in himself. I think he does now.”

“Well, thank you. It’s an amazing thing to witness. I’m very proud of him.” I sipped my latté, trying to channel my focus to the sweetness of the caramel and the smoothness of the milk as it blended with the espresso in my cup. It was better than thinking of where this conversation was inevitably going.

“Devon, I know this isn’t easy. You’re working full time at Rockwood, plus cooking for David and coming down here every week. And I’m sure going to LA was a challenge for you.”

“A lot of good came out of that trip, though,” I interjected. “Thanks for the extra ticket, by the way. My friend was very grateful.”

“You are very welcome. I’ll always help with that when I can. Anyway, as I was saying, I know working for us hasn’t been without its difficulties. It’s emotional to deal with David, as I know all too well. But now that he’s reaching the kind of success he has been striving for, we need more consistent assistance here in Boston.”

There it is. “Thanks for everything these last few years,” I said, keeping my voice as even as possible. “It’s been an honor. I’m happy to help train whoever you decide to hire. Just let me know what you need.”

Dr. Anders shook her head. “I think you’ve read me all wrong, Devon. I’d like to make you an offer.”

...

The Jeep drove back to Rockwood as if it was on autopilot. I mulled over every single word Dr. Anders and I discussed, all the possibilities, all the angles, all the praise she gave me for everything I had done for David. I thought of my sweet little condo in Beacon Hill, waiting for me, now sitting empty since Tam had moved in with Professor Plum in Cambridge. I thought of the things that Dr. Anders offered me, opportunities I had always wanted but never quite knew how I would make happen. I also racked my brain going through the possibilities of David being traded to various teams in cities across the country, which could ultimately happen at any time and which would upend the whole plan. It was so much to consider.

Andrea was sitting on the front steps of Wentworth when I walked up to my dorm. She was dunking a triangle of grilled cheese sandwich into a paper cup of tomato soup. “Marnie brought me this,” she said. “And then she quit.”

“What are your thoughts on that?” I asked, sitting next to her. “It’s cold out here. You can come inside if you want.”

“But there will be kids around listening to our conversation if we sit in the lounge,” she said. “And I’m not hauling my ass up to the fourth floor, even if your apartment is nicer than my house.” She took the last bite of her sandwich. “I don’t know what to think of it. I know this sandwich is good, even though the soup is cold now. She brought the one with bacon in it.”

“That’s how I like it,” I said. “You don’t have to investigate her or hold a hearing for her now. That’s something.”

“True,” she said. “I just know it’s a major pain in the ass for you now to reshuffle your staff and find someone who you can leave in charge so you can have a day off or something.”

“Look, Andrea, I need to be transparent with you,” I began. “I just came from Boston. David Anders’ mother made me an incredible offer so I can be more available to him. She wants to buy me a restaurant. I’d hire the staff and get the whole thing off the ground, with the idea that eventually, it would pretty much run itself. And then I could be there to support David and probably travel with him more.”

She frowned. “That sounds like a dream come true for someone like you,” she said. “I’ve loved having you here, Devon. Really, I have. I don’t want you to leave. But I understand it.” She slurped the rest of the soup down. “You’re probably going to take Kyle with you, too, aren’t you? It’s a good thing all the chaos over that stupid sculpture has calmed down. Now kids just decorate the damn thing, and Ward’s gotten over it. Well, sort of. He still has those cameras, but he’ll be in Arizona soon and likely will stop obsessing over it. Anyway, I can hire people. They won’t be you and Kyle, but I’ll learn to live with them.” She sighed and lobbed the soup cup into a nearby trash can.

“I told her no, Andrea.”

“What? Why? Are you crazy?”

“Maybe. But it’s not so cut and dry. David will likely get traded at some point. Then what? I’m not moving to Oregon or something. Or I could, and then he gets traded again a year later. That’s not the life I’m looking for right now.”

Andrea looked relieved. “What kind of life are you looking for?”

“Something like this,” I said. “At least for now. And I’ll still keep working for David, and I promised to train someone else so we can tag team a bit. It’ll be fine, maybe for a little while. I’ll figure it out.” I looked at my watch. “Sorry, Andrea, I need to go see someone. I’ll see you later.” I stood up and started walking before I stopped and turned back. “There will be sliders at dinner tonight. I’ve come up with an incredible caramelized onion bacon jam for them, based on something I just had in LA.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

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