Come on over, Mallory

The last remnants of summer sunshine fell on us as we sat on the rooftop bar with a view of the city skyline. The Bridge Tavern was a trendy place that was always busy despite not having much going for it, aside from the view. We were 4 floors up and the only bar was on the ground floor. Beers were carried up by tired punters in carry trays with space for 6 glasses. Just an example of the things people do to enjoy some autumn sun.

It was late September and t-shirt weather, so the vibe was good, and the flights of stairs were therefore more manageable. Austin's birthday drinks were well attended with the group taking up a couple of long tables and the standing space around it. Everyone was mixing together, getting to know one another. Austin had different groups of friends - work, school, university and as someone had put it earlier: friends of friends who he collected along the way. Those same friends often became closer to him than the person connecting them. Austin, by all accounts, was a top guy. Good-natured, reasonable, funny and sociable. You couldn't help but love him.

But I'm not Austin, I'm a friend of the friend. One of the people that spent more time with Austin than the person we had met through just a few years earlier - Mallory.

"Joe, listen to this."

Turning towards the source of the voice and away from the conversation to my right, which I had barely been participating in, I saw that Mallory held the group around her to attention. She had that about her - a magnetism of sorts, that drew attention to her. She was sociable, and she was charming too. Her hair was clipped up and the sun was shining onto the back of her tanned neck. When her hair was down, it fell to the middle of her back. It was completely straight, and it was a dark shade of brunette that brought out her tanned skin and brown eyes. She was fit and slim, with a couple of rings on her fingers, a scattering of tattoos and a perfect smile. I always thought she was on the line between traditionally good looking, and somewhat alternative. As such, you could probably get away with describing her as both stunning, and striking. I described her as neither; she was just Mal. Bright, funny and platonic.

"Is this about Billie again, Mal?" I grinned.

Her pretty face fell a little at me spoiling it. She'd been drip-feeding bits of the break-up to us across the last couple of hours. Each nugget released after that bit more alcohol. "No come on, you'll laugh at this."

While I spent more time now with Austin, I was still closer to Mallory and always would be. Some friendships are forged too strong to be usurped. "You've been drawing this out all afternoon, I'll tan quicker than you tell us about her calling it quits with you. I seem to remember my last break-up story took just a few minutes to tell." I struggled to hide my grin as my words antagonised her and she pointedly nodded towards my paler arms with a 'yeah right' kind of look.

"Firstly," she turned to me in seriousness while her friend Danielle hid her laugh. "It was a mutual break-up, and she was a lot younger than me anyway, so it was never going anywhere."

"Seem to remember us all saying that to you," I deadpanned. She was getting frustrated in a cute way, and I enjoyed prodding her. She could handle it, from me.

Billie, it turned out, hadn't been as honest as she might have been about her inexperience with women at 22 years old. She had decided that she was definitely straight, now that she'd been with her second woman. Mallory was not used to being so firmly rejected ("I literally put her off women!") and wouldn't hear any reminders that she had seduced her share of bi-curious women and put them off men.

"To karma!" we cheered hours later with shot glasses in hand, when she finally conceded it.

A pretty blonde and her friend had joined our group at some point. Afterwards, nobody could confirm who spoke to them first, but they were there with the 8 of us that remained after midnight.

I found myself talking to Bethany, the pretty blonde, and then after a couple of drinks and many laughs, there wasn't need to say much more at all. We danced, we went to the bar for another couple of shots, we danced some more. Then we kissed, hard. I knew from dancing with her that she had a hell of a body but exploring it as we kissed was making me want to get out of there.

She had similar thoughts. "Where do you live?"

"WHAT?" I half-bellowed over the music.

"Do you want to get out of here?" she said with a nod towards the door, kissing my neck this time so that even I couldn't miss the implication.

Mal was going to stay at mine that night, so I told Bethany I needed to check on a friend and went looking for her. I was hoping it wasn't going to be controversial - she'd ditched me many times when she'd scored - though this time it was a rare reversal. Mal had seen Bethany & I earlier on, so me asking if she could crash at Danielle's wouldn't be a shock.

I was feeling a little bit guilty though. Mal regularly stayed over at my one-bed apartment on nights like these and I always made sure she had a place to crash. Eventually she stayed so often that swapping for the sofa became pointless, so we both stayed in my bed. She even bought a spare toothbrush around once my ex Sarah and I went our separate ways.

In my search for Mal, I found her outside the bathrooms, locked in an embrace with Danielle of all people. Surprise was an understatement.

She's finally talked her into it, huh? I thought in shock. Mal saw me as I was walking in their general direction and pulled away, looking guilty. Danielle blushed, looking pleased. She'd been dropping heavy hints for years, but Mal had firmly kept her in the friend-zone, saying they were better there. Danielle was far from Mal's usual type. A bit too heavyset and not naturally pretty & slim; the way Mal liked her women. Billie was on the netball team with her and was a total stunner, so of course Mal had to try it on with her.

I nodded a greeting and acted as though I hadn't seen it, not wanting to make it awkward. Maybe getting with someone who liked her for her would be good for Mal. A lack of commitment and superficiality were just two well-documented flaws Mal admitted to having.

"Hey guys, I'm er, going to head home." I leaned into Mal under the pretence of hugging her goodbye. "Are you gonna be good for a place to stay?" I pointedly asked. Danielle looked equal parts hopeful and forced-casual about the whole situation.

"Yeah, go and enjoy yourself Stud," Mal replied enthusiastically, but her face showed no such emotion. "I'm happy you're moving on from Sarah." She said something else, but I couldn't hear it and indicated I needed the bathroom.

When I left the bathroom, they were gone, and I saw nobody else that I knew aside from Bethany who was waiting by the door with her jacket and a big smile when I returned. I always thought I was hit & miss with women and it was a rare occasion that I pulled this well on a night out. Maybe the start of my 30's would be when I'd peak.

"So this was unexpected," laughed Bethany underneath me, an hour later.

"For me more than you," I smirked, driving into her in a deliberate rhythm.

She kissed me and then shrugged. "I dunno, newly-single, I kind of wanted to fuck around a little bit."

I shrugged; not exactly what I wanted to hear so I got to fucking her properly, holding her arms above her as I took her.

Her eyes rolled back as I got into it, enjoying it for what it was. "You like that?" I teased.

"Say it," she dared. "Say what you're thinking," eyes shining with excitement.

I didn't say what she so clearly wanted me to say. The sex was good, our bodies meshed well together. She was deceptively thick and big-breasted, which I liked. But we lacked the passion and when I finished into the condom, I'd suspect both of us were a little pleased.

_

I'd seen Bethany out the next morning and gone back to bed with a hangover. We'd exchanged numbers, she'd very deliberately said she'd had a good time, and I was feeling confident we'd see each other again. We met up twice more that week and I got back into the experience of going on dates. After the third date, she went off cold and that was that. But hey, it was a good week and I got plenty of complimentary messages about my newly-found dating game. Even if it was short lived.

But I digress, this isn't about Bethany - even though she was more important than I realised at the time.

It was well after Midday when I was alive enough to check my phone courtesy of a strong coffee and a shower. There were follow up texts on the group chat and a few from Austin asking how it went with Bethany. Mallory had messaged too.

Mal: How was last night? Were you better with her than I'd have been? ;)

Joe: She wants to see me again, which makes me as shocked as you are lol. How was your night with Danielle after I caught you kissing? Did she get lucky?

Mal: Oh shit, you did notice that? I wasn't sure, as you didn't give me any shit for it. Nothing else happened, I came to my senses and couldn't fuck with her like that. Just felt a bit.... reckless, but I've woken up feeling positive. Like, the way forward is clear.

I put my phone down in some surprise. Maybe Mal was maturing too. At 29, she probably needed to if she wanted the life she claimed to want. Kids, a big house, a life partner. Yeah, that sounded harsh and judgey, but it wasn't meant to be.

She'd spent a lot of her savings a few years ago freezing her eggs, so she was serious in that regard. But she'd never found anyone that really got her. Someone that wanted to live life as she did, in her words. I always felt she lacked security and needed that in a partner, but I let her find her own way. It was one of the reasons we stayed so close - I never tried to change her; tried to lecture her. I let her be, being there for her when she needed it and supporting her however she asked for it. With everything she had gone through in life and to get to where she was, she'd earned trust in her decisions, from everyone.

I remember meeting her at university and feeling like we came from different worlds. I had and still have a very stable family. On the other hand, Mallory's Dad had died when she was eight, after a long battle with cancer. Her Mum had taken to alcohol to cope, and then to drugs... and then the court got involved.

Mallory had no aunts, no uncles and only one living grandparent, who wanted nothing to do with raising a 10-year-old. Mal ended up in care, raised by foster families until she was 16. Wracked by guilt, I'd guess, her Grandad who'd refused to raise her, left all his money to her in death and allowed her to start a life. It paid for university, where I met her, paid for the support she needed and through her own grit and determination, she got to where she was. Mallory was the best of all of us. So, you see, I was never keen to change her, or question her decisions. No matter how questionable they became soon after that declaration.

***

I got on with the grind of being in my early 30's and trying to climb the corporate ladder. I managed accounts for a financial software company, and it involved frequent travel across the country for sales meetings as well as implementation visits if I was really unlucky, and there was nobody else to do it. I was one of the only people in the team that wasn't in a long-term relationship or married with kids. Sarah & I had been solid during our year or so together, but it hadn't got to 'that' stage. It meant I took more than one hit, but it also meant I left at a reasonable time most days as the rest of the team picked up the slack for me in return.

In terms of my career, life was good. The last few years and the associated bonuses had landed me a modern studio with a good view into the city and a park nearby - something I'd grown new appreciation for since the pandemic and those damn lockdowns. The job and the travelling though, meant that more often than I'd like, I found myself getting in late at night and having a solitary takeaway with beer.

It also meant I'd missed the following couple of group gatherings as winter set in. The big news was that Austin had a girlfriend - someone he met through work and had been brave enough to join him at one of the big night's out he often organised, where he'd invite 30+ of his friends into a WhatsApp group, book a few tables and whoever showed up, showed up. I couldn't make it, so I sent him a message and promised to catch up soon.

Austin: No worries dude, I'm not letting Cath go anywhere if, by some miracle, she survives this lol. Heard from Mal? She's been more MIA than usual...

I hadn't, so I checked in with no reply. We lived about 10 minutes apart, so I promised Austin I'd drive over if she didn't make an appearance at his Winter Drinks Event (very creatively named as always).

I got a message from him that evening - a picture of him, Mal, Tom and a couple of our other friends. Danielle was conspicuously absent.

Mal looked so different I'd barely recognised her. She'd cut her hair down to just below her shoulders and dyed it, so it was slightly lighter. Her makeup had changed too. It was less stark without her usual black eyeliner and her face looked, ironically, more striking for it. Her natural beauty was coming through a lot more, with her full lips drawing out her smile and framing her face well. I hearted the picture and shot Mal a text as the train slowly made its way back to the city.

Joe: Have you had a personality transplant? Where's Mallory?

Mal: I'm still me, dipshit, just wanted a change.

I scrolled all the way back to the messages we exchanged the last time we'd been together - some weeks prior, I realised with surprise. She'd mentioned seeing things clearer and I could only presume her new look was an outcome of that.

Mal: Just in case you were worried...

She followed up her message with a selfie where I was able to get a proper look at the more professional, less rebellious-looking marketing expert, who played semi-professional netball on the side. But there was now an addition to her look.

Joe: A tongue piercing?! Are you a teenager?

Mal: I happen to like it, Old Man. Plus I cut a lot of weight with my liquid diet and protein shakes. Feeling seriously good right now.

Joe: Aww I'm pleased for you Mal, really am. Just give the next woman a heads up, I've seen your tongue kissing remember ;) That's a trip to the hospital if you're not careful lol

Mal: People have been assholes, but none have been an asshole like you ;)

I shook my head at another seemingly random decision and left it at that. We exchanged a few more messages, mostly about what was happening that evening and her views on Catherine, and she seemed impressed. Mal didn't seem herself, but she also didn't seem to be in one of her depressive episodes. It was a strange feeling that I couldn't put my finger on.

By the time I got home, ordered a delivery and unpacked, Mal had told me she'd left the drinks and wished me goodnight. It was well before midnight.

_

In the run-up to Christmas, I had more time on my hands. Sales targets for the year had been met, we weren't crunching for new business. I didn't have one cross-country trip planned until the end of January.

But as luck and life would have it, there was very little overlap with my friends. Small groups of us went for drinks and to watch football games but there were never enough of us to organise a big pre-Christmas event. We all kept each other updated on Christmas plans but half the month seemed to pass in a blur of failed plans, work parties and first dates.

It was the final week or so before I was going to go back to the coast to spend Christmas with my family when something unusual happened. Something that would change the course of the new year.

As a single man with a bachelor pad in a decent part of the city, you might have guessed I was a regular user of dating apps, and you'd be right. I was getting pretty good at spotting who I might click with and what kind of attributes in a partner might work with me. The harder part was finding the right person to match with.

I'd done different types of apps. I'd done my share of the dating apps with algorithms at the end of a stream of questions, intending to show you who you were best matched with. I'd also done the more straightforward 'swipe if you like' apps. I generally stuck with the latter when I was bored and didn't want to go through the effort of coming up with an inspiring opener for my 'most compatible' match. I was reasonably successful with it.

I was digesting a pasta dish with the TV on quietly in the background and my thumb being put to work swiping, when a profile caught my eye. I was so close to automatically swiping 'yes' on looks alone but something screamed *wait* in my mind and I was glad I had.

It was someone I recognised immediately. Or at least, pictures of someone pretending to be her.

Mallory.

I spotted the profile wasn't verified as the real person, so I smirked and clicked one of those 'super' like buttons that would put me at the top of fake-Mallory's list.

I took a screenshot of the profile intending to send it to Mallory but wanted to wait until I caught fake-Mallory out in a chat. Having a screenshot of that too would be something Mal & I would laugh about for a while. I could only assume the catfish knew her in some way and would know she'd never be swiping on men, so was less likely to be caught out. Smart, really.

Feeling mischievous, I carried on swiping for a bit then after messaging one or two matches, clearing away the plates and getting hold of ice cream, I'd almost forgotten about fake-Mallory.

Until I matched with her.

Mal10ry: Well, I debated not swiping you back but you seemed keen lol.

"Uh huh," I declared aloud. "Got you!"

Joe-(not)-lean: Super keen, even spent my daily swipe boost on you, but how could I not ;)

Mal10ry: Okay easy bud, we're friends first, don't make it creepy.

Huh? That threw me.

Joe-(not)-lean: What do you mean by "we're friends first"?

Mal10ry: Are we not, all of a sudden? This is weird enough, don't make it weirder.

This cannot be.

Joe-(not)-lean: Okay how do you know me and more importantly, how do you know Mallory?

Mal10ry: What are you talking about, dipshit? It's a-me, Mallory!

I could hear Mallory's imitation of Mario in my head and for the first time, I thought it might actually be her. She messaged again before I could.

Mal10ry: How did I even come up in your search? I changed the setting so that any number on my contact list couldn't see me.

I couldn't even think of an answer to: "what the fuck is Mallory doing on a dating app, swiping men?"

But my brain could at least answer her question, even though I only thought it to myself. 'I signed up to the app with my email address a few years ago before signing up with your phone number was mandatory.'

Joe-(not)-lean: Bullshit this is Mal. Verify your profile and prove it's you.

Mal10ry: Sigh. Guess now someone knows I'm on here, I can't say it was a fake profile if questioned, can I?

I assumed fake-Mallory (as I was determined to still call her) was attempting to be verified so I followed up with another question.

Joe-(not)-lean: How long have you been on here then?