Page 61 of Technical Advances

“Dinner?” I said distractedly, collecting my clothes. “Dinner was interesting. Ben is very protective of Benji. It was sweet.”

“Protective? Why did he need to be protective, Anson? Anson?”

“I’m going to get ready now, Beck. I’ll talk to you later. If you need something, text me.”

“Anson! Why does the dad need to be protective? And where the hell are you, exactly?”

“Goodbye, Beck.”

I placed my phone on the dresser, which made it much easier to get dressed. I scurried to the bathroom with my jeans undone and washed up quickly, returning to the room and calling my driver. Fully dressed, I sat on the edge of Benji’s bed, admiring the solid wood furniture throughout the small room.

I stood and reached for my phone, running my hand along the smooth surface of the desk. It was shined to a polish but showed all the beautiful markings of the natural wood underneath.

I snapped a picture of the desk and the headboard and sent them to Ross.

Anson: Found this amazing furniture. I think the wood might be aspen? Do you think you can find out where it comes from?

Ross: On it, boss.

CHAPTER 19

ANSON

“I’m not sure about parking, Dr. Day, but I can get you to the …”

“Just head for the Day Research Lab. It’ll be closed for graduation.” I didn’t often throw my weight around, but my driver heeded the suggestion and was able to convince a security guard that it would be okay for Anson Day to park at MIT’s Day Research facility for the graduation ceremony.

I wasn’t surprised at this outcome; what was surprising was finding another vehicle there, a familiar vehicle.

Beck stepped out of his sports car and opened my door before my driver could get to it.

“You’re wearing a suit!” he shouted. Luckily, the building was closed, and we were alone in the small parking lot that was tucked behind it.

“That’s what you’re angry about? What are you doing here, Beck?”

“I … What the hell is going on, Anson. Where were you last night?”

“I’m a grown man, Beck. It’s not any of your business where I was last night.”

“Dr. Day? Mr. Beckett? Everything okay?” my driver asked. He’d been with me a long time and may have been as surprised as I was that I was being yelled at by my best friend.

Beck spat out an unconvincing, “Fine,” as I nodded.

“All good, Danny.” Danny’s hovering had me believing he was skeptical of that answer. Maybe I should have been too.

“Jesus, Anson. Just tell me. Please tell me you weren’t with … Were you with the …”

“Don’t say it, Beck! Don’t call him a kid. Benji Warren is not a kid. In the next few hours, he will be a PhD whom New Day Technologies is privileged to have on staff. And yes …” I began calmly. I had thought I’d have time to formulate how to present our dilemma to Erin in HR before sharing it with anyone else, but here was an opportunity to test it out with my best friend. I could picture our scribbled notes from the night before in my mind’s eye but wasn’t sure our not-very-mathematical equation would be a convincing-enough argument.

Especially not with the way Beck’s face looked like heat made visible. He interrupted me, but I knew he was fuming even before I could measure his tone.

“Are you crazy, Anson? He’s practically still a child.” He spat the word out. “And an employee. And I know you. This isn't your usual one-and-done, is it? If it was, you’d have called me or Ross for a fucking NDA.”

Beck’s voice got tighter, calmer. More calculated.

“I see the way you are with him, the way you look at him. I don’t like it, Ani. I don’t trust it.”

“You don’t trust my feelings, Beck? Because I can assure you, my feelings are true. I’m not stupid, Beck. You know that. Just because I’ve never felt this way doesn’t mean I don’t understand it. I care about him.”