Chapter 29 iCall Foul

A powerful stench hit Keeley the minute she opened the doors of The Shack. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. It smelled like a fast food garbage can. She almost expected Oscar the Grouch to pop out and order a meal— one thick slab of moldy cardboard with heap of rotten seaweed and a big side of stale alcohol. Not exactly what she was expecting at six-thirty in the morning. She turned on the lights and opened all the windows hoping the morning breeze would air out the store.

As she walked around she noticed the place looked how it smelled—a pigsty. Sand and debris coated the floor, boxes were scattered about and a pile of beer cans were haphazardly stacked on the counter. Keeley gritted her teeth. She only needed one guess to know who was responsible. With measured movements, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number. She was intent on giving Van a piece of her mind. She'd managed to endure a load of crap from him, but this was one crap too far. 

A faint sound came from the back room. Startled, she walked towards it. As she moved closer, she recognized the noise. It was a ringtone to a phone. That no-good jerk was here! Rushing to the back, she threw the door open with one angry shove. Her upper lip curled as she marched through the doorway, ready to rip him a new one.

"You lazy, no good, piece of—" The words died in her throat as she took in the scene before her.

Huddled in the corner of the room sat a sleeping Van. He was pressed against the wall with his legs curled to one side. His arms were sprawled in front of him, one hand clutching a beer, the other a piece of paper. A grey beanie hid most of his hair but a few wisps escaped. Dark stubble covered the lower half of his face, framing the wide-open mouth that had a string of drool hanging down. He looked like the poster boy for the homeless.

Looking around the room she noticed a stack of letters on the table. She knew it was wrong to read his personal mail, but curiosity got the best of her. After sending Van a quick glance to make sure he was sleeping, she picked one up. It was from the Fillstrum Surfing Company. They made top of the line surfboards.

Dear Mr. Donovan Hastings,

We regret to inform you that we must decline your request to join the Fillstrum Surf Team. At this point in time we feel you would not be a suitable candidate. We are very sorry and wish you the best of luck on future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Ryan Fillstrum, CEO of Fillstrum Inc.

She opened a second letter. Then another. And another. All from surf companies. All saying the exact same thing.

We regret to inform you that we must decline...

The irritation and anger she felt suddenly dissipated. This had to be heartbreaking for him. From what she gathered, surfing was everything to Van. He lived for it. What could have happened to make him so undesirable? The constant ticking of the clock on the wall reminded Keeley of the time. She had to stop dilly-dallying and wake him up.

Like a hunter sneaking up on a feral bear, she carefully approached. She pinched her nose when she got a good whiff of him. He smelled like a can of overripe beans that'd been sitting out in the sun too long.

"Van?" she whispered, not wanting to startle him.

He moaned but didn't move.

"Van?" she whispered again, this time a little louder.

Hesitantly, she poked his arm and then quickly recoiled. When he still didn't move, she began to worry. She needed to clean up and open the store for business. She looked at the huge mess and then at the slob. Knowing what she needed to do, she took a deep breath in through her nostrils and—

Choking. She was choking. Good God. She'd forgotten about the smell. Coughing, she covered her nose and mouth, trying to breath in clean air.

"Would you shut up?" a hoarse voice grumbled. "Some people are trying to sleep."

"And some of us are trying to work," she bellowed though it came out muffled because of her hand. She glared when he yawned and settled back in. Taking one last breath of fresh air, she dropped her hand and yelled, "Van!"

He shot up into a sitting position. "What? What?" he hollered looking wildly about. His eyes were unfocused but that quickly changed when he saw her standing in front of him. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice dripping with accusation.

"I'm working. The better question is why are you here?"

He opened his mouth, but then quickly shut it. For a second he seemed lost, unsure of where he was, but then he blinked and recognition flashed across his face. "What time is it?" he growled, rubbing a hand over his heavy stubble.

She bent down to pick up an empty beer can. "It's almost seven. Care to explain why you slept here instead of your own place?" She tossed it in the garbage and picked up another one. "Van!" she shrieked and jumped back as a stream of beer poured out onto her shoes.

He let out a long, guttural groan. "Can you stop yelling like a banshee? My head is killing me."

Keeley's anger was quickly returning. "What did you expect after a night of heavy drinking? And what the hell were you thinking doing that in here? This is Shawn's place of business. Not some frat house at the local college."

Van blew out a breath and massaged his neck. "Who lit a fuse under your tampon?"

Her fingers crushed the beer can in her hand. Exactly how illegal was murder? Because at the rate this guy was talking, she was going to end up in jail very, very soon. "I'm calling Shawn."

"Wait." Van struggled to his feet, swaying back and forth. For a few scary moments, Keeley thought he was going to topple over, but then he steadied himself using the wall. "Don't call him. I'll clean everything up."

The fact that he couldn't even stand without help indicated that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Plus, Shawn had a right to know what was happening in his own store. What if a customer had walked in when Van was drunk? It was a huge liability.

Her face must have given away her thoughts because Van said, "I didn't start drinking till I closed the store down."

She bit her lip. Still...this type of behavior was unacceptable. If she owned The Shack, she would want to know.

"Keeley."

She looked up into Van's unkempt face. His green eyes were glistening as they silently beseeched her. Then he said the one word she thought him incapable of.

"Please."

His eyelids lowered in shame as desperation fell out of his mouth. Shoulders hunched, he looked like a wounded animal headed for the slaughter. Her gaze fell onto the piece of paper still clasped in his hand. It was wrinkled and slightly torn, but she could make out the faint logo of the Wavelength Surf Company.

Another rejection, she thought to herself. She looked over at the large pile on the table and then back to him. The least she could do was give him a break. Hadn't he had enough knocks to his ego? She was about to tell him she wouldn't call Shawn when his face suddenly darkened.

Scowling, he hurried past her to the table. His movements were short and jerky as he gathered the letters. "Never mind. Tell Shawn whatever you want," he growled.

"Van—"

"I don't need your pity," he spat. He threw the letters into the garbage can and began collecting trash around the room. "There are other teams out there. Plenty of companies want me. In fact, the other day one in Australia contacted me. Maybe I'll just move there. I don't need these people." He kicked the trashcan and almost fell over. Thankfully, his hands grabbed hold of the nearby table. "I'm not washed up. I can surf with the best of them."

Keeley was starting to become worried as he continued to rant. With each sentence his voice increased in volume. "Van," she started.

"I can make it on my own. I'm doing just fine." He wasn't talked to her anymore. He was talking to himself. "I'm fine. Fine." His fingers turned white as he held onto the table and hung his head. "I'm doing just...just...fine." The last word was whispered so low she barely heard it. He stood transfixed in his spot, not moving, not talking.

Keeley didn't know what a mental breakdown looked like, but she had a feeling he was nearing the edge. He needed a sliver of hope to keep him from falling off the cliff.  

"I won't tell Shawn," she said softly, her voice floating through the silence, "but if this happens again..."

"It won't," he immediately promised, grasping onto the offer. "I'll take care of the mess. You open the store."

She agreed, but not before privately wondering if she was doing the right thing. Van had issues. That much was obvious. But at what point did she interfere? Or was it even her place to interfere?

The rest of the morning passed by without incident. Van fulfilled his promise and cleaned the entire store. He left shortly thereafter, but not before giving her a head nod before departing. That small gesture touched her. It was the first time he'd acknowledged her in the months they'd been working together. Maybe, just maybe, they would start to get along.   

****

"If this is what busy looks like then I hate to see it empty."

Keeley turned from the rack she was to see Talon, Finn and Mitch walking into the store. "Hello to you too, Finn," she said instinctively knowing who made that remark.

He saluted her with a fake smile plastered on his face. "At your beck and call, Princess." He held up a white paper bag and jiggled it. Talon snatched it out of his hands and bent down to kiss her.

"The food smells amazing."

All day the store had been packed with tourists. She barely had time to breath, much less close the shop, and get a bite to eat. During a quick break, she called Talon and he offered to bring her lunch. However since then, the flow of customers had ebbed and it was almost vacant.

"It shouldn't be that surprising. I excel in all aspects of life," Talon boasted.

Keeley rolled her eyes. "Yes, you're the God of drive through cuisine. I bow down to your culinary greatness, oh holy one."

Talon held up a hand. "I know I incite reverence and awe, but let's not get carried away. The lowly commoners might become jealous and throw a fit." His eyes flickered to his friends then back to her. "'My Lord and Master' or 'My Liege' shall be sufficient."

"This lowly commoner might throw something all right," Finn warned with narrow eyes.

"See what I mean?" Talon sighed. "It's so sad. Some people can't handle the magnitude of my power."

"I'll show you magnitude," Finn mumbled under his breath as he rolled up his sleeves.

Not wanting a fight to break out in the store, Keeley quickly said, "Thank you for getting me lunch. I really appreciate you doing this."

Talon rewarded her with a smile. "No problem, baby doll."

"Yeah," Finn interjected, glowering at Keeley. "It wasn't like we were in the middle of playing a worldwide video game tournament or anything."

"Bitter much?" Mitch muttered.

"We were at the semi-finals," Finn groused. "Then pretty boy over there gets a phone call and suddenly we're losing and being ushered into the car so we can act as some type of personal delivery service."

Talon didn't even glance at Finn as his elbow shot out and hit him square in the stomach. "Ignore him. He hasn't taken his medication today." He handed her the bag and a large drink. "Where's the crazy girl? I thought she was going to be here to help you?"  

Keeley sent him a warning look. "Nicky should be here soon. Her college class ends in a couple of minutes." She looked over his shoulder to see Finn sniffing his armpit. He prodded Mitch and they walked down an aisle.

"And for the record, I wouldn't be one to judge," she said, motioning over to his friends who were now smelling various blocks of surfboard wax. They must have found one they liked because they lifted their shirt and started applying it like deodorant. "I may have one crazy best friend, but you have two. What's your excuse?"

"There was a two-for-one deal that day." He looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "Who can resist a great bargain?"

"Why am I not surprised? Well, I would get a refund if I were you. Your purchase seems defective."

Talon's phone started buzzing before he could respond. His profile tensed as he reached into his back pocket. Keeley watched with avid interest as his expression quickly turned into a frown as he read whatever was on the screen.

"Everything okay?" she inquired, keeping her tone light and airy.

"Uh...yeah," he answered offhandedly as he typed something.

"Do you have somewhere to be? Or something to do?" Keeley asked, hoping he'd open up to her.

"No. Nothing like that." Talon hit one more button before slipping it back into his jeans. He sent her a wide smile, but it didn't have the usual effect. No butterflies, no heat. Instead, it roused her curiousity. Who was he texting all the time? And why wouldn't he tell her?

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" he asked, taking her hand and pulling her over to a stool. After nudging her to sit, he pulled out the contents of the bag. "I was thinking we could go geo-caching again after my football practice. There's a new cache I've been wanting to try."

"Zach and I are going shopping for our dad's birthday gift. What about tonight?"

"I can't. I made plans to hang out with my family."

She grinned and squeezed his hand. "So you finally broke down and promised to spend some quality time with your mom?" Apparently she was constantly bugging him to spend time with her. He always complained about it, but Keeley secretly thought he liked the attention.

"Speaking of mothers..." A twinkle entered his eye as he cocked his head. "Why didn't you tell me you met mine?"

Her body froze. How did he find out about that? She had no intention of ever telling him about that mortifying encounter. "W-What are you talking about? I've never met your mother."

"Nice try, baby doll, but you're a horrible liar. My mom saw a picture of you on my phone yesterday. She said you two met at the football game."

"What else did she tell you?" Silently, she prayed Darlene hadn't mentioned what happened in the bathroom. It was one thing for his mom to think she had constipation, but her boyfriend? The thought was enough to make her cheeks flame.

"That you seemed nice, but a little shy." He shook his head and snorted. "She obviously didn't spend much time with you."

Thank God for small favors. It seemed his mother hadn't ousted her. The female bonds of solidarity remained strong and true. "You do realize that I can change my mind about liking you, right?"

He responded to her threat with an easy going smile. "Your feelings aren't so easily swayed. Besides, who can resist me?" He pushed the plate of food toward her. "Eat. I'm going to make sure Finn and Mitch aren't scaring away any customers."

"What customers? Your ego takes up the whole space," she mumbled as he walked away. Her stomach let out a huge growl and she took a bite. Before she could finish eating, Nicky ran into the store.

Out of breath, she leaned against the counter. "Sorry it took so long for me to get here. There was an accident on the freeway. I was going to stop and bring you some food but..." She trailed off when she noticed Keeley eating.

"Talon brought it to me," she said holding up the drink.

"I guess he's good for one thing," Nicky grudgingly admitted. "Is he still here?"

"He's around," Keeley confirmed and waved a hand in his direction. "Just follow the smell of arrogance."

"Trouble in paradise?" Nicky looked a little too eager at the thought. "Because I have some great break-up lines I downloaded on my phone."

"Maybe you should download a new personality," Finn said, coming into view.

Nicky's lips thinned when she saw the three of them. "Oh goody. The whole peanut gallery is here."

"And we saved a spot just for you," Talon shot back.

"Behave," Keeley said, feeling like a referee in a boxing match. They were constantly sniping at each other. For the most part she kept out of their arguments. However, when things started to become too heated she stepped in.

A group of tourists walked through the door and both girls went to assist them. By the time they finished, the boys had wandered off. After searching all over the store, she finally found them in the wetsuit section. Mitch and Finn were looking through the racks as Talon stood off to the side, typing on his phone.

"Dude, why don't you just tell her to stop texting you?" Finn asked when Talon's phone vibrated again.

Keeley stopped dead in her tracks. She? The sender was a girl? Without thinking, she ducked behind a tall stack of boxes. Peering around, she saw Talon grimace and rub the back of his neck.

"I wish it was that easy," he said ruefully. "But she's relentless when she wants something. It's only by luck that I've managed to avoid her so far."

"Why does she care anyway? It's not any of her business."

"You know how she is. She's protective of someone she considers 'hers.'"

The palm of Keeley's hands started to become clammy as her heart raced. Were they talking about Claire? Was she the mysterious texter? Did she want Talon back?

"It doesn't matter anyhow," Talon continued. "What's done is done. There's nothing she can do."

"Oh I wouldn't say that," Finn said, cracking up. "Remember that time she walked into the locker room after football practice and started scolding you like a two year old? I thought your balls were going to shrivel up and die."

Talon shuddered at the memory. "She's scary when she's mad."

"But so hot," Finn added.

"When are you meeting her?" Mitch asked, joining the conversation. He held several wetsuits in his hand.

Talon glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Tonight at eight."

Gasping, Keeley stumbled back. He lied to her! He wasn't hanging out with his mom. He was meeting this girl. She couldn't stay and listen to more. It made her physically ill. Her mind raced as she walked to the back room. Was Talon cheating on her? Did he still have feelings for Claire? Before she got too worked up, she remembered what he said.

What's done is done.

That meant he was over her...right? She felt a rush of relief. But...then why meet her? Why indulge her incessant texting? Her heart called foul on the whole situation. Nothing made sense. An unwelcomed thought crossed her mind. Maybe it wasn't Claire at all. Maybe he had a whole harem sitting on the sidelines, waiting at his beck and call.

Nicky rushed over to her, lines creasing her forehead. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Determination swept over her as she looked her best friend in the eye. Come hell or high water, she was going to find out who this girl was and what she meant to Talon. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing," Nicky said uneasily. "Why?"

She grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. Whispering, she asked, "Do you still have the spy gear you bought when you went through that Bond phase?"

Nicky scoffed. "Of course. I would never sell that."

"Good. It's time to don our black, Double O7. We have a mission tonight."

****

A/N Thanks for reading this chapter of The Cell Phone Swap! I pretty much wrote the whole thing today in between visits from the electrical and plumming guys who are helping me renovate my bathroom. So please don't judge it too harshly. And don't forget to vote and comment if you liked it! :)

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