{Girl's Night Out}

"Details, Kate. I need details." Lanie pleaded before taking a sip of her virgin margarita. (She wasn't going to let Kate know that there was no alcohol in her drink as she had big plans tonight… Big plans to get her drunk and have her dish all the juicy details about Castle and his hidden talents)

"Do I ask you about Javi?"

"No, you don't, but that's because you view him as a brother." She grinned outrageously. "I'm happy to let you know though that Detective Hispanic Hottie enjoys listening to Latin music while doing the deed, preferably something with a Samba beat."

Kate's melodious laughter surrounded them. "TMI, Lanie. Although, I may be able to use that little bit of information to my advantage."

"You know, you could never give me too much information about you and Writer-boy, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, Castle, Hmm…" She took a large gulp of her Sex on the Beach drink. "He's a gentleman in every sense of the word."

"Ha Ha, Kate Beckett. No way are you getting off that easy. I have to know." She looked around the bar to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Do the tabloids have it right about his umm - " Lanie lowered her voice and whispered reverently, "assets?"

Her face blushed bright scarlet and Lanie's face lit up with glee.

"I thought Detectives were supposed to have professional poker faces." She chuckled. "So, can I guess from the, 'he's-certainly-got-the-goods' blush on your face that he's well-endowed?"

"Lane – eee," Kate drawled. "I'm not one to kiss and tell." She began frantically swirling the straw in her drink.

"Good God, woman. You're nailing the White Whale of NYC. Practically every girl's dream. You've got to give me something… So are the rumors true about his stamina?"

Kate couldn't help the flirty grin that graced her lips.

Yeah, Rick Castle is definitely the White Whale, and has unsurpassed stamina, but there's no way I'm confessing that.

Kate could tell from Lanie's demeanor that she wasn't going to let up until she at least gave her something to satisfy her nympho curiosity. At the very least, she had to throw her a bone.

Kate sighed and a dreamy look filled her eyes. "Well, - he's very attentive."

It was Lanie's turn to roll her eyes. "That's all you've got? Attentive? That's a given due to his writer's talent… And ?" Lanie prompted, raising her voice a little, "He's also ? "

She stayed perfectly still, looking intently at Kate, waiting for an answer. Kate quickly swigged the rest of her drink down.

"Mmm, he's also meticulous."

"Oh, really?" Lanie sounded intrigued. "How so?" She motioned the bar tender over to refill Kate's drink.

Kate was beginning to feel like she was under interrogation with Lanie's intrusive stare and probing questions.

"Let's just say that he's a very unselfish lover."

Lanie's eyebrows rose. "Castle? Unselfish? The man known for his womanizing ways?"

"Yes," Kate gulped more of her drink and looked directly into Lanie's disbelieving gaze.

"This stays between the two of us, right?"

"Of course. You can trust me, Kate. Mums the word. Javi and I don't really speak to one another anyway. We just get together weekly for a smokin' HOT booty call."

Kate grinned knowingly. She knew exactly when the booty call happened because Espo always came in the next morning extremely upbeat and speaking more Spanish than usual. She figured it must be a Latin-lover trait.

Lanie sighed as she felt like she was having to pull teeth to get any information out of her.

"Kate, if you can't tell your best friend about your lover then who can you tell?"

"Ugggh, it's not something I'm used to talking about and well, … I'd shoot him if he ever talked to the boys about us."

"Well that's definitely one thing you'll never have to worry about because he cares about you too much to ever put your relationship in jeopardy."

"Yeah, I know." She took the cherry out of her Sex on the Beach drink and popped it into her mouth. "I feel very lucky to have him."

"Damn right girl! You're lucky! That man is one fine piece of ass. Plus it doesn't hurt that he's rich and famous and as sickly devoted to you as Romeo was to Juliette."

She smirked and looked away from Lanie, staring intensely at the bars neon sign. "He's different than I imagined he'd be in bed."

"Different?" She teased. "Well that certainly doesn't sound good. You're not giving me much faith here in NYC's Most Eligible Bachelor #9."

Kate elbowed her in the ribs. "He's intense, Lanie. Not his usual talkative self."

Oh, that intense huh? Shit, this is going to be good. Lanie sat up straighter in the bar stool, slowly sipping her drink.

At Kate's hesitation, she couldn't help saying, "Does that mean he's using his mouth in other ways?"

She chuckled and felt the heat rise up her neck and flush across her face.

"Yeah, he's certainly an expert with his mouth."

Lanie's smile widened. "It's about time you admitted that… Does he have any other expert abilities?"

"Yes, but none I'm willing to discuss with you."

Lanie harrumphed and sat back in her chair with a sulky expression.

She was pleasantly surprised when Kate continued softly, "It's like we're the only two people who exist." She swirled the liquid in her glass and then hastily downed the rest of her drink. "It's actually a little overwhelming at times, because he's just so - - focused on me and my needs and my pleasure."

"Just as it should be."

"But it's more than that, Lanie… It's like each and every time is our very first time." Kate shivered as she got lost in the moment. "He's an incredible lover. His hands, Oh God, his hands are beautiful and sensual and – " she bit down nervously on her lower lip, "and daring… His hands take their own sweet time mapping out my body. He instinctively knows just how much pressure to apply, when to be forceful and when to hold back. He can sense exactly what I need." She took a deep breath before continuing. "The connection that we share is utterly unbelievable. It frightens me a little at times." She wrung her hands around the glass and gazed at Lanie with expressive eyes. "It's the most amazing, thrilling, erotic sex I've ever experienced in my life."

"OH My GOD!" Lanie hissed loudly. "Katherine Beckett, you are in love with Richard freakin Castle."

Unfortunately, Kate had chosen just that moment to finish off her drink. She choked and sputtered, spewing the alcohol all over Lanie and the counter top.

Lanie patted her back sympathetically. The cute bar tender in his late twenties came over and started wiping up the droplets while handing Lanie some napkins to clean herself off.

"Wow. Sure wish I had been privy to that conversation." He said charmingly with a killer smile. "It must have been a doozy for this beautiful lady to lose her drink."

Lanie couldn't help teasing Kate a little. "Yep. It sure was – extremely revealing." She glanced at the bar tender's name tag. "Can I tell you a secret, Adam?" She leaned in conspiratorially to his ear. "This beautiful lady just realized that she is madly, deeply, hopelessly in love."

Adam's eyes gleamed as he looked between the two of them, taking in Kate's flushed face and Lanie's glow… He grinned churlishly, making it obvious that he thought the two of them were a lesbian couple.

"Congratulations are in order then. Next drink is on the house. Might I say that you two make the sexiest couple I've ever seen."

Lanie outrageously winked at him and thanked him for his generosity. Kate couldn't quiet her bubbling laughter.

"Seriously Lanie? What have you done?"

"Well, since you won't give me any spicy Castle details, I thought it would be fun to give the bartender something spicy to think about."

"Spicy? You want spicy huh?" Kate felt the alcohol thrumming through her bloodstream, loosening her tongue. "Castle daydreams about christening every room in his house, and when I say every room in his house, I mean EVERY room in his house, … from the attic, to the laundry room, to the pantry, to his mother's room, (Ewww!) the coat closet, to the restrooms, - that is every shower stall or bathtub in the restrooms." She licked her lower lip suggestively as she became lost in a delicious memory. "And just between the two of us, the man is a divine artist when it comes to body wash… His hands, Lanie, - Ohhh." And the moan that ripped from Kate's mouth had the bartender looking at her like he was going to explode any second.

Lanie absolutely loved where this was headed. "And I take it, Kate, that you've made some progress into that dream of his?"

"Uh-Huh." She nodded her head up and down; her eyes hooded.

"We've pretty much done it on every surface in the loft."

Lanie's mouth dropped open as Kate continued breathily, "From the kitchen island, to his desk, the stairs, the top of the washer, the piano." She paused dramatically. "The piano. Christ, that was fantastic. Who knew that if the keys are strummed just right that it can heighten your - ?"

Kate suddenly felt constricted and unbuttoned the top button of her blouse. "Is it hot in here?" She picked up a fabric napkin from off the bar and started fanning herself, caught up in a sultry memory.

Okay, that's certainly a new one for me. Javi and I will have to find access to a grand piano, and sooon.

By this time, the bartender was only half-heartedly trying to hide that he wasn't listening in on their conversation. He was sweeping the broom in long, slow strokes but stopping every now and then to make sure he didn't miss a single word of the conversation.

Lanie decided to have a little fun and popped the first button of her own blouse before putting her hand on Kate's knee. "Yes, I feel it too, sweetie. It's hot in here. Hey Adam?"

"Yes?" He was in front of them as fast as a trained Labrador when called by his Master, only minus the wagging tail; he was definitely drooling.

"Could you turn up the air conditioner in here? My girl friend is feeling a little warm."

"Yeah sure. Immediately." His chesire grin was contagious. "Anything for you two lovely ladies." He pulled a business card out of his left front pocket and slid it across the bar. "If you two ever need anything, I'm happy to oblige. Just call me anytime, day or night." And by the tone of his throaty voice, it left them in no doubt as to his meaning. Adam turned to head to the back of the room.

"You're unbelievable, Lanie." Kate laughed.

"Come on, Kate." She grabbed her hand and drew her from the stool. "We're leaving. Adam's got enough fuel for his three-some fantasy to last a week."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Mine, and it's good to know this alluring-African-American-woman still has the total package."

When they hopped into the back of the cab together, Lanie gave an address to the driver that was very familiar.

"We're headed to the Old Haunt?"

"Yes… I'm not finished with you yet, Kate Beckett, so don't think you're getting away any time soon… I need to hear about all these places you and Writer-Boy have done it."

"I'm done spilling. No more revelations from me. You've got enough to blackmail me for the next year."

Lanie chuckled. "I do, don't I? But the one I'll treasure most is knowing, even before your cocky partner, that you're over the moon in love with him."

"Lan – eee, I never said that."

"Oh, yes you did girl, and don't try to deny it… I'm so happy for you both."

Kate gloriously smiled and thanked her best friend for her support.

When they pulled up to the Old Haunt, Lanie gave the cabbie a twenty and proceeded to give him directions to her apartment. She practically shoved Kate out of the back seat of the cab and said, "Go find Castle. Make his whole night by telling him how you feel."

She chuckled, "Well that would certainly make his whole night and probably his whole year." And just before she slammed the cab door, she said naughtily, "Add 'on the bar' to our list."