Page 54 of A Matter of Fact

“That wasn’t the deal for this date, it doesn’t sound like. But you can set that requirement for the next one.” She rolled her eyes and took a huge swallow of her drink. “At least, if that’s how you two want to run things.”

“I don’t know, Audra.” Beckett scrubbed his hands down his face in frustration.

“What if you tell him what you want to do and let him plan the rest?” she proposed.

“That could work.”

“Perfect.” She clapped her hands together. “Go call him and tell him and then come back and tell me how it went.”

“Right now?”

“I want to hear all about it.”

“You’re horrible.” But even as he grumbled at her, he climbed out of the booth.

“You like that about me, I think.”

He shoved her shoulder and made his way out of the club, waiting for the doors to close and the beats of the music to lapse into a steady thump that vibrated the sidewalk. He walked half a block down and pulled his phone out of his pocket before he could talk himself out of it.

“Hello?” Rhys answered on the first ring.

“Hey. It’s Beckett.”

“I know it’s you.” Rhys’s voice immediately dipped down, turning lower and a little rougher. Beckett shivered and leaned against the wall of the building. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you about our next date.”

“Oh,” Rhys’s voice fell.

“Why do you say it like that?”

“Nothing. I don’t know. Tell me what you wanted to say about it first.” He laughed, but it didn’t sound totally sincere.

“I don’t think it’s any surprise to you that I’ve been struggling to pick out what I want to do.”

“Not really.”

“I’m hoping you can give me a bit of an assist,” Beckett said, clearing his throat.

“Elaborate.”

“I want to go to a really nice dinner. Like Michelin starred with a wine tasting menu kind of nice.” Beckett’s heart slammed against his ribs and he could hear his pulse in his ears.

“So, a Thursday,” Rhys chuckled.

“Not for me.”

“No,” Rhys said quickly, sobering. “I know it’s not.”

“But I don’t know where,” he added. “I don’t know which one.”

“Did you want me to handle the details then, Beckett?” Rhys asked.

He closed his eyes. “Yes, please.”

“This weekend?”

“Can you even get a reser…no. You know what. I don’t want to know.” He’d seen Audra’s reaction to hearing about Rhys’s call ahead at L’Ultima Cena, and he knew in his gut that Rhys could get into any restaurant he wanted with little to no notice at all.