Kate was currently standing by herself, looking out the window at the New York city skyline. It was actually beautiful to see, with all the lights on and the silhouettes showing against the evening sky. She hadn't seen Rick in over an hour. They had arrived together about two hours previously, but after general introductions to various important people, he had been pulled off to another room by his publisher. Since then, he had been talking to this author, and that author and this celebrity, and that. He didn't really seem to have time for her. His job seemed to be all-encompassing. Finally, she thought she was surprised when she saw a familiar pair of faces in the reflection of the window. She turned around to meet them.

"Katie," Jim said, walking over to his daughter.
"Both of you came!" Kate said shocked.
"Of course sweetie. You look lovely!" Johanna kissed her daughter's cheek. Kate did look very nice. Her dress was a svelte, blue cocktail dress that came to mid-thigh and showed off her trim figure exquisitely.
"Oh, Katie, is that the Hervé Léger dress we got you last month? You look beautiful!" Joanna gushed over the way Kate looked. It made Kate blush furiously.
"Yeah, I decided to wear it today, to look nice for Rick. We I even got a number of compliments from the ladies here. It felt nice to hear them. But as far as Rick goes, we were together at the start of the party, until his publicist, Paula, dragged him away for a private conversation with some other writer named Peterson… No, sorry, it's Patterson."
"So, where's the man of the hour?" Jim asked trying to cut out his frustration that Rick had been socializing with other party guests while Kate stood in the corner, sipping champagne.
"He's just introducing himself to some other writers and owners of publishing company's, I was actually thinking of leaving early to save Joe from the twins, I bet you he gave them junk food I told him not to."
"We could go and check on them, you should enjoy yourself," Johanna said to her daughter.
"It's fine, it's getting late anyway, and I'm on call tomorrow," Kate said excusing herself and going home.

Meanwhile, Rick was in the middle of a conversation.
"Mr. Patterson, I really want to thank you for talking with me. I know I've got a long way to go, but I really appreciate your insight."
"That's okay, Rick. You really should call me Jim. We're in the same business, after all. As for my own guidance, I find that focusing on how real of the characters are, and how close to reality I can make the situation. These are what gets me the best reader response… and the best book sales, too!"
Rick smiled. "I'll remember that. I really think that hands-on research will probably be my best friend." Rick paused and looked around the large room for someone. "Mr., uh, Jim, I would've liked to introduce you to my wife, but I can see she's busy talking to her parents." At that point, Rick brought a book out that he'd been holding behind himself. "Would you mind signing this for me, Mr. Patterson?"
"Sure, Rick. What's your wife's name? I can make it out to the both of you."
"Her name is Kate, and she's the love of my life!"

Patterson smiled broadly, and signed the book and held it out to Rick.
"I hope I see you at more of these events Rick. It's a tough road, but it can pay off as long as you work at it."
"Thanks again, Jim. I'm sorry I took up so much of your time. Have a great night. I guess I need to talk to my publisher. I can see them waving at me."
"Take care, Rick." Patterson turned to walk away but then turned back. "Hey, do you play poker?"
"Well, I haven't had much practice, so I'm not too good yet, but I do like to play."
"That's not a problem. When you'd like to try it out, give me a call. I put my number in the book for you. Maybe you might like to sit in on some poker games with me. I usually have Cannell, Lehane, myself, and whomever else that we can find. Some new blood would be great. We only play one's five's ten's, so it shouldn't break the bank." Patterson mentioned as he walked off to get a refill.

Kate unlocked the wooden door to the loft to see Joe watching the sports channel on the widescreen tv. She also noticed the mess of Barbie dolls and accessories.
"Hey, Joe," Kate said making Joe jump while hanging up her coat.
"I swear I was going to clean up the Barbies," Joe said making Kate make her eyes roll. "Sure you were Joe, so how much sugar did you pump into my kids?" Kate asked sitting on the couch with Joe.
"McDonald s happy meal and ice cream sundaes," Joe said quickly and with his eyes glued to the basketball game.
"Joe," Kate growled in her Cop voice.
"Coca Cola, too?" Joe mumbled.
"Lemonade," Kate said hitting his shoulder with a pillow
"It was only a small one, The smallest they had!" Joe flinched, as he waited to be hit by a pillow again. Or something worse.
Fortunately, moments later, Rick walked in to see Kate bashing Joe with a pillow. "Help! Your wife is killing me!" Joe whined to Rick.
"How much junk food, Joe?" Rick asked also hanging up his jacket, as Kate moved away, still holding the pillow.
"Coca Cola," Joe said.
"You were just asking for that pillow-bashing, weren't you?"
"She used her scary Cop voice, I had to tell."
"Alright, Kate, I think he gets it," Rick said, grabbing the pillow that was in mid-air, and heading right for Joe's head.
"I think I'm too scared to drink Coca-Cola again," Joe said fixing his hair. "I should be heading home, anyway," Joe said getting off the couch.

"Why did you leave early?" Rick asked Kate from the bedroom.
"It was getting late and Joe needed to get home and plus I'm on call tomorrow so I need to get some sleep."
"So it had nothing to do with the leaving you all yourself, I didn't realize I would be away that long and I would have brought you over but you know writers. We seem to like to talk more then we write."
"It's fine. I talked to my mom and dad when they showed up, so I wasn't alone," Kate said turning off the lights in the bathroom and getting under the covers. She cuddled up to her husbands bicep and kissed his cheek. "Rick, can we talk?" Kate whispered in his ear.
"Sure."
"The twins are two and I was thinking maybe it might be time to have another baby," Kate asked hopefully.
"You know how much I would love to Kate, but Gina said we are still focusing on my image and promoting myself and heaps of book tours and I won't want to leave you raising toddlers and being pregnant all by yourself."
"Yeah, you're right." Kate replied, as she weakly smiled, but Rick could hear the disappointment in her voice.
"Look, Kate?" Rick tried to explain.
"No, you're right, goodnight," Kate said turning off her light and going to sleep.

Authors note.

may hate me half way through the story

will be a happy ending, all my stories end with a happy ending.

the end chapter three, I think you will get what the storyline is.

don't hate me.