"I have box seats to the Dodgers game tonight." Beck's manager, Keith, says as he joins the video call "Let's get through whatever this is as quickly as possible, please."
As soon as he left Jade's office, Beck texted his manager, publicist, and lawyer to set up a call in order to discuss his next steps as soon as possible. In the twenty minutes it took him to return to his hotel in downtown Charleston, they were all ready and waiting for him. They were also worried about the subject of the call...with Beck, it really could be just about anything.
"There's no sensitive way to present this information so I'm just going to come right out with it..." Beck sighs "I just found out I have a kid...a daughter."
"You cheated on Ericka?" His publicist, Amy, sighs "Beck-"
"I didn't cheat on anyone!" Beck insists "I...it's a small fucking world, apparently. I ran into my high school girlfriend out here, she owns the diner we've been filming in. Her daughter is fifteen and...all signs point to me being the father, I guess. The baby was born nine months after the last time we slept together."
"She told you this directly?"
"Yes."
"We'll need a paternity test before we can move forward with anything." Beck's lawyer, Tammy, informs them "She could have cheated on you right before or right after."
"I doubt that she would have."
"I know it's not something that you want to think about, but we need to do it just to be safe." Tammy insists "Then we can figure out where to go from there."
"That's assuming that he wants to move forward with any of this." Keith interjects "Beck, do you want anything to do with this kid? Or is this a situation where we pay them to go away and move on?"
"I'm...still trying to figure that out." Beck admits "I've always wanted to have a kid...possibly even a few of them...but I thought that I would get the opportunity to raise them, you know? Not come into their life when they're only a few years away from adulthood."
"No decisions need to be made right this second." Amy assures everyone on the call "Let's work on confirming paternity first and go from there. There's a chance we might not even have anything to worry about."
"I agree." Tammy nods "Beck? What's the mom's name? I'll need to get in contact with her to get the test worked out."
"Jade West."
"Jade West, the author?" Tammy gasps "Like, thee Jade West?"
"I guess so." Beck shrugs "I dunno, I didn't really keep track of her after we broke up."
If he had, he most likely wouldn't be in the situation that he is now.
"She's one of the hottest authors in her genre right now, but okay..."
"We'll need to keep this as private as we possibly can in the meantime." Amy keeps the conversation moving "Keep an eye on the tabloids, gossip sites, and social media. We don't want this getting out yet...or possibly even at all. We'll use Beck's pseudonym for the test, that way no one suspects anything. Tam, make sure whatever doctor does the test signs an NDA regardless."
"Got it."
"And Tam?" Beck cuts in "The girl...her name is Avery...she has no idea that I'm her dad, or at least that's what her mom told me. So...be careful with how it's all handled, okay? I want to make sure she's protected in all of this...and I don't want her hating me before she even gets the chance to know me."
It's no secret that Beck lives his life in the public eye. That's a lot for anyone to take in when they're suddenly thrust into it, and Beck wants to make sure that Avery is safe and her privacy is respected.
"Well, if she's ever used the internet or read a magazine, she might already." Keith scoffs
"Of course." Tammy nods, ignoring Keith's comment "That's why we're taking all of these precautions."
"We're taking the precautions to protect what's left of my reputation." Beck points out "I want to protect her privacy too."
"We'll do everything that we can."
Although none of them will admit it out loud in the moment, Beck's team is all rather impressed with him. He's known to be self-centered and narcissistic, and it's refreshing to see him showing concern and empathy for another person. Especially a person that he's known for less than a day. Keith and Amy are both secretly hoping that this mystery child does turn out to be Beck's. This new caring and fatherly side of him would really do great things to repair his reputation in the eyes of the general public and the industry.
"What does Ericka think of all of this, Beck?" Keith asks him
"I..." Beck hesitates "I haven't told her yet."
"Are you joking?"
"No..." He tells them honestly "I just found out, I haven't gotten the chance to talk to her yet."
"Alright..." Amy sighs "We all know what are jobs are, we can reconvene tomorrow at some point. Beck, go call your wife."
A chorus of agreement echoes through the call and when it ends, Beck is left sitting on the edge of his bed with his phone in his hand. He's not sure what he'll say to Ericka, or if she'll even answer his call...but he knows he has to try.
His first call goes to voicemail, which doesn't surprise him. It's only six on the west coast, so there's no possible way his wife is already asleep. He tries her again and the second call goes to voicemail as well. It's not productive to be playing phone tag back and forth like this...so he decides to leave a message.
"Hey babe...it's me..." He says "I know I didn't really leave on the best of terms, but this isn't something I want to tell you over a text message. Long story short, I ran into my high school girlfriend out here. There's a very good chance that I have a fifteen year old daughter. I want to talk about this with you...please call me when you can. I love you."
Beck ends the call and slips his phone into his pocket before wandering into the bathroom. With a sigh he turns on the faucet and splashes cold water on his face, then stares at his reflection as he dries himself with a towel.
He's someone's father.
Or at least he most likely is, the verdict is still out...but he has a strong feeling that he is.
Beck has wanted to have children for a majority of his adult life. Even in high school, he and Jade had talked about the possibility of having two or three one day...which makes this whole situation even more ironic. He decides that if the test comes back a match and he really is Avery's dad, he wants to get to know her...and to be as involved in her life as she's willing to let him be. Fifteen is old enough to make that decision, hopefully Jade won't try to influence her too much when she makes it.
Jade.
He's so fucking angry with her right now. The idea that he's had a child living and breathing out in the world for over fifteen years without his knowledge is basically unfathomable. How could she keep something like that from him? Regardless of how she thought he was acting and regardless of his career, didn't he have the right to know that he had fathered a child?
His phone starts buzzing in his pocket and he pulls it out to see Ericka's contact lighting up the screen.
"Hey." He answers quickly "I'm sorry, that's not how I wanted to tell you-"
"This had better not be a desperate ploy to get me on the phone." Ericka cuts him off "That would be a new level of low, even for you."
"S'not a ploy, it's true..." Beck assures her "Her name is Avery, she's fifteen."
"And you had no idea?"
"Not a one."
"Jesus, Beck..." Ericka sighs "This has the potential to get really messy. You know that, don't you?"
"I do." Beck agrees "But I also think it has the potential to be really wonderful, don't you?"
"I don't really know what I think right now."
"I know it's not ideal." Beck admits "But-"
"You don't think the mom is trying to use you for money, do you?" Ericka asks him "Like, lying and saying the kid is yours when it isn't because she knows she can shake you down?"
"Does the name Jade West mean anything to you?"
"The author?" Ericka is confused by the change of subject "Yes, I've read all three of her books. Why?"
"She's the mom."
"Oh..." Is all Ericka can say "So she doesn't need your money then..."
"No, apparently she has plenty of her own."
Maybe he should have found the time to read more books. If he had, he might not be in this situation...or at least he would have gotten himself into it a lot sooner.
"Alright...so the kid might really be yours then..." Ericka sighs "Okay..."
"I just found out today..." Beck admits "I know it's a lot to take in, but I wanted to be completely transparent and honest with you..."
"I appreciate that, I really do." Ericka assures him "I...I dunno I think you should get a paternity test before anything else."
"Tammy is already working on that."
"Good, good..."
"This won't change anything, E." Beck tells her "I still want to have babies of our own with you one day."
"This isn't the time to have that conversation."
"Okay..."
"Thank you for being open with me about what's going on..." Ericka sighs "Like I said, let's not worry about it too much until we know for sure."
"Right."
"Beck..."
"Hm?"
"I..." Beck can hear the strained hesitation in his wife's voice "Never mind, I guess."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Alright..." Beck says "I love you, E. I'll keep you updated."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Beck."