Page 32 of A Matter of Fact

“How far in advance?” she asked.

“Ten minutes?” He shrugged. “From our work to there.”

“Beckett.” Audra whistled long and low.

Her tone and her face confirmed everything Beckett had known, all of the things he’d worried about. He and Rhys were in completely different orbits. His first impression had been spot on.

“So, you know your guy is loaded. Or famous. Or both.”

“I don’t think he’s famous.” Beckett put the cakes into the oven and set a timer on his phone. He took his drink and headed to the couch, beckoning Audra to follow him. He collapsed into the corner of his couch with a sigh. “But he’s really rich.”

“He’s influential, obviously. He’s important.”

He laughed. “And he knows it, too.”

“Sometimes it’s fun to play with kids who aren’t in our class.”

“What does that mean?”

Audra shrugged, her eyes turning a little hazy as she stared off toward his window. “It’s nice to play pretend, sometimes. Life is hard for most people, and if you get to pretend it’s not for a bit…that doesn’t suck.”

“So you’re saying it shouldn’t bother me that he’s loaded.”

“If it doesn’t bother him that you’renot, why should it?”

Audra was right, clearly. But that did nothing to erase how uncomfortable the concept of Rhys throwing money at him made him feel. At the end of the day, he wanted to be with a person, not a bank account, and he wanted to get to know Rhys as a person, not a paycheck.

“I’m seeing him again tomorrow, but I told him he could only spend a hundred dollars,” Beckett said.

Audra barked out a laugh and stretched her leg to kick him in the knee. “And he agreed?”

“Begrudgingly.” He blushed. “We bartered.”

“A negotiator.”

“I just worry that I’m in over my head with him,” he said.

“You probably are.” Her agreement was not what he wanted to hear, but also the very truth he needed. “Be careful.”

“It’s just our second date. I’ll be fine.” Beckett shrugged. “Believe me, I’m very well aware of our differences. They’re not subtle.”

“You’re more than your bank account, Bex. Whatever is in it. Just like he’s more than his.” Audra gave him another knowing look, and his phone vibrated across the counter in the kitchen.

“I think the cake is done. Hang on.”

He hopped up and went to the kitchen to check the cake. The toothpick came out clean, and he set the pans on cooling racks, then grabbed some of the snacks from the fridge. She really had gone above and beyond with the food selection, and he was grateful for it. Celery and Ramen had already gotten old. The cake would be a nice addition, just like Audra’s company.

Beckett returned to the couch and spread the snacks out on the coffee table. He passed Audra the remote for the TV and leaned back.

“Where’s my cake?” she asked with a pretend pout. “I was promised cake.”

“It has to cool.” He rolled his eyes. “Put on a show and then you’ll have cake before you know it.”

Audra flipped through the channels while he ate pretzels and spinach dip. It was the best thing he’d had in his mouth since Rhys’s tongue, and the conversation with Audra was exactly what he’d needed to get him through. It was nice to have her company, even as they sat in silence and watched TV together. It was easy. It was friendly. He understood how important it was.

Beckett passed Audra a pretzel and she took it without looking, her attention laser-focused on the show she’d put on. It looked like maybe she had needed a distraction and a change of scenery too, not just him.

Beckett relaxed and settled back into the couch beside her. He needed to learn to make more friends. He needed to find a way to trust that people would want to be there for him, even if his sister didn’t. He at least needed to try, and he promised himself to start by trying with Rhys.