Chap. 01 - The Meeting
It is a normal day in the precinct no cases, no victims, no theories, no suspects, no murders but at the very least they have coffee. For Ryan and Esposito this past week has been boring as hell. Sometimes they tried to play games tell some jokes but has the week came to an end more boring they had become.
Kate on the other hand thanked God for weeks like this, is not that she doesn't like of having cases quite the opposite actually, but some cases take so much of her that she just wants to have time to recuperate and be back on the field with all the energy the case needs. She wants to all the families of the victims to have justice and she can't make justice tired, so a week without people being kidnaped or murders was heaven.
It is Friday afternoon almost time to get up and go home but not for Kate. On the very last minutes Lanie appeared on the elevator with an exciting face.
"Hey guys! Wooo...what a faces, something die in here?" Lanie joked looking at them.
"Yes! Our job!" Espo said dramatically.
"Come on Espo is not that bad" Kate said.
"Not bad? Are you kidding! This has been the most boring week of my entire life." Espo said packing his stuff.
Ryan look at the clock and start to do the same.
"Espo is right Beckett this day and all week was like a funeral! No excitement, no jokes, no murders no nothing" Ryan said putting on is jacket.
"You guys could have been drama queens, and you didn't even have to pretend on the stage you have already natural talent!" Kate joked with a smirk on her face.
Espo and Ryan put their tongues off their mouth showing it to Kate like little kids.
"I'm going home, see you guys on Monday!" Ryan said with a smile on his face.
"Me too! I have a date. See ya chicas" Espo said making is way towards the elevator.
Meanwhile all this Lanie had pick a chair pull it closer to Kate desk and sat between their conversation.
"So Lanie what are you still doing here? More specifically here on this floor?" Beckett asked with her eyebrow raised to make her point more believable and strong.
"I'm here to make you a proposal!" Lanie said with a soft smile.
"Lanie I love you but just like a friend" Kate joked.
"Today you are turning for jokes, aren't you?! Well let me tell that this proposal is not a marriage one but a vacation one!" She told enthusiastically.
"Lanie I can't go on vacation. At least not now!"
"Is a mini vacation! Is just Saturday and Sunday!"
"To where?"
"Vegas!"
"No!"
"You are going to love it!"
"No!"
"Come on Kate, its Vegas !"
"Well... No!"
"Please ! What if I tell you that this best selling author whose the name I won't pronounce" — Lanie cough — "Richard Castle is going to be in Vegas to sign books?" Lanie said with a smirk.
"Really?! But what if we are not that close to the bookstore?" Kate asked making the smirk on Lanie face grow.
"This is what I was trying to say girl, the bookstore is one block away from the hotel where we are staying!" She said almost screaming.
"What?! Really ? God! But — wait you already bought it?" Kate asked with a serious tone.
"Yes. Because you need to live a little!" Lanie said proud of herself.
"What if I had said no?" Kate asked challenging Lanie.
"I would have drug you and putted you on the plane! " Lanie said completely serious.
"No you wouldn't"
"Try me!"
"Okay. Fine. Let's go I have to pack!"
*few hours later*
Finally after six hours they arrived at Las Vegas, well at the airport. Lanie had slept during the all flight and Kate watched some movies. Now Kate was tired and Lanie has a lot of energy to spend and what better than a Casino right?
They arrived at the hotel and as planned they had separate rooms' just in case ' Lanie had said.
Kate was not happy with that insinuation but let it go. She arrived at her room 1047 and started to unpack her bags. She didn't bring many of her clothes because it's just a weekend so she doesn't have a lot of things to unpack unlike Lanie that brought her closet!
She started to unpack her panties and bras and put them on the drawer. She putted her shoes in the closet as well as the other clothes. And that's it.
She walked out of her bedroom took her purse the keys and walked out of her room closing the door as she exit.
She walked towards the elevator and clicked on the button calling it to make her way towards Lanie room that is two floors below.
While she waited for the elevator two kids and a mother 'she at least think she was' walked, the kids ran, towards their door screaming and laughing. The old woman looked exhausted and Kate gave her a soft smile understanding the situation, even if she doesn't have kids she knows how energetic they can be.
The older woman appreciated the smile and smile back and when she was making her way behind the kids she passed by Kate and said " Never have kids. They are exhausting!" with a dramatic voice and Kate just laughed.
When the elevator finally 'ding' and opened the doors she walked in pushing the number eight button. Before the doors closed she waved at the kids with a wide smile across her face.
They waved back with wide smiles too.
The journey was short and she walked out of the elevator when the 'ding' of the elevator made itself hear and the doors opened.
She was stepping out but a black women who looked like Lanie stepped in. It is Lanie!
"Lanie" Kate said turning around.
"Hey girl I was just going to your floor but thank god you are here, I'm starving! Let's go eat." Lanie said dramatically and Kate laughed.
Kate stepped in and pushed the button L (Lobby) Lanie was already talking about a million things and the doors of the elevator weren't even closed yet!
She wasn't paying attention at what Lanie was saying, she just could thing about the famous author who is staying in Las Vegas like her and is going to be in the bookstore a block away from her hotel.
Lanie could see that her friend wasn't paying attention so she made a comment about a certain person that made Kate attention turn to her again.
"If you are picturing having sex with Richard Castle at least you could do that in your bedroom with you vibrator" Lanie says smirking.
"Lanie" Kate gasps, they were the only one in the elevator but even then Kate was afraid if someone had heard anything.
"Finally I have your attention?" She says smiling. "Apparently I just needed to say a name " As Lanie says that the elevator stops and the doors open, revealing the splendid and outstanding Lobby. After Lanie gets out and Kate catch a little of her breath the other guests who are coming in have the same reaction.
"Lanie this hotel is divine, completely gorgeous how are we here? How do you have money to pay this?" Kate asks very curious to know the answer of her friend who seems to surprise every time.
"I'm not paying it. Do you think I would have money for this?" She jokes.
"Then how?"
"Well I didn't tell you everything about this trip, and probably is the best if I tell you now before you kill me"
"Lanie" Kate warns her friend.
"Let me explain. So three weeks ago I saw on Tv that every Castle fan who wanted a little trip to Las Vegas to get his book sign just had do a little thing."
"What was the little thing Lanie?"
"Well remember that little story I asked you to write?"
"No. You wouldn't. LANIE WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS PRIVATE" Kate doesn't scream but talked so loud that every person who was in the lobby heard her.
"I'm sorry Kate but when I asked you to write a story that was stuck on your head I would never know that would be that good okay? So when I sent to Richard Castle contest I was so optimistic because the story is so good and now look at where we are! Just the best ten stories would come and we came Kate and you should be happy for that not angry that Richard Castle read your story, you didn't even put your name on it so I put mine because I know that you're a private person so you will not be mentioned at all, isn't that cool?"
"Never do that again Lanie and thank God you put your name instead of mine because if you hadn't I would kill you right now!"
Walking around some blocks from the hotel Kate finally asks the question which has been bothering all this time.
"When is the meeting?"
"Today" Lanie says completely calm waiting for her friend to react.
"Today? Lanie we have to get back to the hotel and see at what time we have to be on the bookshop, and we have to dress quite more nicely and put a little of makeup and—"
"I will not make you lose any more time talking honey. We are already here and just one more thing be ready to meet Richard Castle without scream"
"Lanie what are you doing?"
"Going to the bookshop"
"Don't you see the line?"
"I see but we wan the contest so we can get in because the guard has our names on it" Lanie says walking and pissing of all the women on the line.
Kate gives a apology smile to every one and goes towards the guard like her friend. Lanie says their name and like magic they got in without waiting and it is amazing because the other time Kate went to Richard Castle book signing she had to wait for 4 hours and now it was just so simple.
When they are in, they see the book store divided by a line, on the red side is for people who had won the contest and the white side is for the people who had come just to got a autograph.
"The best part of this is that we are going to meet him and talk to him more than the others" Lanie says excited.
With every passing minute Kate is becoming more nervous. There was not to many people on the line so this is going to be more fast then the other book signs that Rick Castle ever did.
A woman approaches and greets Kate and Lanie.
"Hello there, can I ask you your names please?" The woman asks nicely.
"Sure, I'm Lanie Parish and this is Kate Beckett"
"Oh you are one of the contestants winner, come follow me. So in this table as you can see are the drinks feel free to drink as much as you want, the other table we have food in case anyone gets hungry because this can take a while. Normally I would say that you have to wait 5 hours but today is special so you just have to wait 2 hours for him. Are you ready to meet you favorite author ?" The lady explains.
"Of course" Lanie says giving Kate a touch with her elbow.
Kate looks at her with a "don't do anything to embarrass me look" and Lanie gets the message but not how Kate's expect.
"I will be around here if you need any help" the woman says smiling.
Kate and Lanie look around and see that the other contestants are a little, and when they say a little they are being nice, older then them. There is just one woman sitting on the corner who is probably the same age as Kate and Lanie.
The woman is incredible beautiful and isn't just getting the attention from the two friends, no the other women in the line are looking at her repulsive eyes.
This people nowadays don't have limites. Kate sits on the other corner and beside her is a book shelf with the Richard Castle new book. She still hadn't had time to read the book she has in home but now is the perfect opportunity.
Kate takes the book in her hands and starts to read. Meanwhile Lanie is serving herself food and a couple of drinks.
Two hours and half later Kate is reading the final chapter of the book with a wide smile on her face and she doesn't even notice a person sitting by her side looking at her.
Richard Castle saw this woman on the corner reading his book, so before he came to her he went to greet everyone and then went towards her and sited by her side. He is amazed by the beauty of this woman and the expressions she makes when she is reading makes him more amazed every minute that pass by.
He waits for, about thirty minutes, for her to finish the book and ask her for feed back. She is shock by the final but she loved it.
When she looks around trying to catch the figure of her friend she instead feels a presence by her side, so when she turns around she sees no one but Richard Castle by her side with a huge smile on his face.
"Hi, sorry didn't mean to startle you" he says but she can't say anything because she doesn't know what to say to her favorite author. So he continues.
"I'm Rick Castle, you probably know that but whatever, it's nice to meet you call me just Rick" he says showing his hand.
She looks at his hand like and idiot and then looks back at him.
"I don't bite unless of course you want me to" he says with a smirk on his face.
Kate finally composed herself and, after what would seem hours but was just minutes, something came from her mouth.
"Hi ... hm ... I'm Beckett I mean Kate. Kate Beckett." Great job Kate she thought.
"Like I said before, nice to meet you. So did you like it?" He asks finally breaking the silence that was settled moments ago.
"What?" She asks dumbly.
"The book! Did you like it?" He asks again pointing to the book.
"Oh... hm ... yeah I did, but I wasn't expecting the final." She said blushing.
She wasn't paying attention to anything around them anymore, it was like everything didn't matter anymore, now it was just her and him. Glares from the women who wanted to be her in the moment where reflected to somewhere else. Even Lanie was watching them interact and if she was honest with herself she could see the chemistry between her friend and the writer.
Her job here was done. This was the plan after all, bringing Kate here so she could see the writer, talk with him and if she had luck and if her friend let it, get herself in the writers bed.
"Yeah nobody was" he said laughing.
"So do you want me to sign it?" He said after a pregnant pause.
"Oh no this book is from the bookstore not mine, mine is at home" she said blushing even more than before.
"Well I can sign it and you can have it anyway, I don't want my books to stay at the bookstore, I want them in people's houses." He took the book from her hand and started to write something on it.
She took the book after he sign it and opened on the first page.
You are the most beautiful girl I ever laid my eyes on, those hazel eyes look at me with distance but all I want to do is to solve the mystery contained in them.
Just one more thing, you smell like cherries!
Always
Richard Castle
Kate reads the message three times to be sure if she read it right. When she finally looks at him she doesn't see the playboy smile anymore, she sees an honest smile with a worried eyes.
Why are they worry?
Oh he is going to ask something and it's worry about her answer.
"So I was thinking, would you like to get a drink?" He says looking anywhere but her afraid of her answer.
She tries not to smile but doesn't succeed. The smile is there and he can see it if he wants, anybody can see it.
"I would love too" she surprises herself saying that.
He wasn't counting on it either because he turns really fast to look at her with wide eyes.
"Really?" He asks surprising himself by saying that and by the sharp of his voice.
"Yes" she says with more confidence.
"Goo..od, can we go now or...?"
"We can go now, I'm free" she looks around trying to see Lanie but once again doesn't succeed. Lanie went home one hour ago after seeing Kate so comfortable talking with the writer.
Neither of them knows that they have been talking for hours.
When the writer finally looks at his watch he sees that it's now midnight and that the bookstore is going to close. Nobody was there, well the owner is still there but he needs to close the store and probably has been waiting for him and her to look at the hours but none of them did.
"Do you know any places here?" He asks trying to keep a conversation while walking with her on the Vegas streets.
"Hm ... I'm sorry but no. I'm not from here." She says shivering because of the cold.
He notices and takes his jacket off to give it to her.
She notices but before she can decline the jacket is already around her. She looks at him and give him a polite smile mumbling a thank you.
"So you said you are not from here then from where you are?" He asks curious.
"I'm from New York"
"On my God are you serious? I'm from there too! What a coincidence!" He says animatedly.
"Yeah but I already knew you where from there!" She says.
"Oh so you read the websites then." She blushes again.
"Sometimes" she admits.
"Well that is true but don't believe everything that they publish" he says defending his image. "The guy you met today is the real Richard Castle"
She smiles and says "good "
To be continued...