Page 30 of A Matter of Fact

“I like cake.” She bounced on the balls of her feet. “Aaaand I’m very distracting.”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. “You can come over if you want, but my place is a dump.”

“Cake makes everything better.”

“Alright.” A sense of relief flooded over him at the idea of company.

“Text me your address. I’ll swing by in a couple hours?” she asked.

“Sure. I’ll text it as soon as I’m out of here.”

“Do you want me to bring anything?”

Beckett winced, but tried to hide it. “I don’t really have any food for snacks. And just tap water. So, anything you want to eat or drink besides cake, probably.”

Audra gave him a fleeting, worried look, but nodded. “Sounds good, Bex. I’ll see you later.”

She knocked her cart into his basket and returned her attention to the rows of pens in front of her. Beckett gathered the rest of his supplies and checked out, coming in at under six bucks. By the time he got home, his arms ached from carrying the sugar and flour. He tossed the bags onto the counter and quickly showered to rinse away his sweat. Beckett tidied up his apartment as much as he could manage, even fluffing the pillows on his couch. The place looked passable, and he watered his plants, then returned to the kitchen, ready to work.

Audra showed up with armfuls of groceries, and Beckett gave her a doubtful expression when he closed the door behind her.

“What?” She shrugged. “I like to eat and I never know what I want.”

She carried the bags into his kitchen, making herself at home, and stocked his fridge with half a dozen containers of prepackaged fruits, spreads, and cheeses. She shoved a six pack of bubbly, flavored water onto the bottom shelf while he pulled out boxes of crackers and a bag of chips.

“You didn’t need to do all this,” he mumbled, throwing the grocery bags into the trash.

“I’m a picky eater,” she said, giving him a gentle smile. “So, show me your apartment. Oh my God, Bex. Look at all these plants.”

He followed Audra into his living room and watched her survey his space, dragging her fingers over the ornate wooden arms of his couch before heading into the corner with all of his plants.

“Do they have names?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Just the succulent in the pink container,” he answered. “I felt like he was a Frank.”

“Cute.” Audra turned around and chuckled. “This is a cute place you’ve got here. Not a dump at all.”

“Not literally.”

“Not figuratively, either. I can tell you take care of it.”

He sighed. “Do you want to sit down while I start on this cake?”

“I can help,” she offered.

He quickly held his hands up in front of him, making an X with his forearms. “Absolutely not. Help in the kitchen is not a sexy thing.”

“I don’t even like men, Bex.”

“Well, I do, and I cook alone,” he said.

She laughed. “Just wait until you meet someone worth giving in for.”

“Never happening.” He thought about Rhys. “You can lean on this side of the counter if you want to keep me company, but you stay off the linoleum until the cake is in the oven.”

Audra mock-saluted him. “Yes, boss. Whatever you say.”

She leaned against the open side of the counter while he walked into the kitchen and lined up all of his ingredients and measuring cups. He preheated the oven and got to work.