Back in New York

Chapter 2

Non-Date Interrupted

. . . . .

As she climbed in the cab that would take her to the restaurant for dinner four days later, Lanie couldn't help but be thankful that she'd remembered to text Javier that she'd meet them at the restaurant. Her last autopsy had run later than she'd anticipated thanks to some rush lab work that needed to go through and she'd had to change at the lab rather than at home. But, being used to the constant unpredictability of her job, she'd prepared by bringing everything with her. She'd chosen a simple black dress, both a date favourite and just shy of formal. She'd curled her hair that morning and she'd only had to touch it up in the bathroom.

Now, she was virtually bouncing in the seat of the cab as it drove through the New York traffic. Honestly, Lanie wasn't one hundred percent sure of how she felt about the night ahead of her. In the week since Javier had asked her to come along, she'd talked to him every day, both case and non-case related. That was how he'd passed on the information that dinner was included in their foray into the New York nightlife. During those days she'd managed to convince herself that the night was truly a date and tell herself that it was utterly ridiculous to consider it as such a thing.

They were coworkers, friends at best, but even she wasn't stupid or blind. She recognized the changes and shifts that had been happening. Kate had started sending the boys down for their information more and more – something Lanie kind of attributed to Castle and his unique ability to get the woman to go home and lighten her load every once in a while – and so coworkers had turned to friends. Friends that teased and poked fun. But Lanie had noticed that even the tone of their teasing had changed over time. And she wasn't blind to the man's physique. Their teasing had long been playful before they were informed they would be going to Miami and Lanie had been more than pleased to see the double-take he'd done when she'd joined their little party before the premiere.

Then Kate had been shot. Her entire focus had been on her friend at the time, focused on ensuring the detective was as stable as they could make her before the paramedics came with actual equipment, but after that… After her part had been finished she'd deflated a little. But when Javier had made it to the hospital on the heels of Castle, he'd reached out and squeezed her shoulder and her insides had settled enough for her to keep a cool head about her. He'd been sweet, sincere and caring while Kate was in the hospital, stoic even though she knew that the possibility of Kate dying made him just as uncomfortable as it made her. And he hadn't said anything when she'd broken down at the Miami Dade police station.

And now he brought her coffee. They texted too, both about the cases and about nothing at all. Just the other day she'd shot him a message complaining about Perlmutter's latest and greatest quirk, just because. She'd asked herself what it meant from time to time, but never had the answer been quite as important as it was now. Now, she was presented with a different situation. Ryan was bringing his girlfriend, so what did that mean for her? Was this a date or had Javier really just asked because they were both friends that disliked Broadway enough to laugh at mocking comments along the way?

Lanie shook her head savagely. Why was she analyzing it? He was a good friend, or at least someone who was turning into a good friend. She was getting ahead of herself in worrying about whether or nor Javier had meant this to be a date and she was going to analyze herself into a nervous tizzy if she kept it up.

But when she saw him waiting outside the restaurant in a suit with no tie, her stomach jumped traitorously.

"Detective," she greeted with a slightly tired smile after paying the cabbie. Her stomach flopped again when he offered a hand to help her out of the cab.

"Doc," he responded. "Glad to see you made it."

"I'd've been here earlier but-"

"Work," Javier finished, his mouth twitch up. She'd sent him a text that she was going to be running behind.

She smiled. "Exactly." It had been a long time since her company understood that some things just got in the way. "Ryan?"

"He and his girl are already inside. I told them I'd wait for you."

Lanie hoped she wasn't blushing as he used the hand he still held to tug her along behind him. She followed, a grin spreading quickly over her face when they reached the table and Ryan stood to greet her with a kiss on the cheek as Javier pulled out her chair. She shot them both approving looks as she settled in.

"Look at you two," she teased. "All gentlemanly off duty." She smiled at the blond already seated. "Lanie Parish."

"Jenny Knight," she responded with a bright, ready smile. Lanie could see why Ryan liked her and smiled as said detective's hand came to rest on the woman's on the table. Jenny cocked her head to the side. "You work with the NYPD, right?"

"Something like that," Lanie replied. Her job wasn't usually a hot topic of conversation and she'd become terribly used to playing it down and avoiding talk about it.

Thankfully, Javier seemed to pick up on it and changed the topic quickly. Conversation flowed light and easy over dinner between all four of them. Even discovering Javier had paid for her dinner while she and Jenny had gone to the bathroom couldn't really ruin her night. In fact, it made her heart beat just a little bit faster and had her mind spinning, despite her self-promise to avoid analyzing what was going on.

He told you he'd say thank you by buying dinner, she reminded herself as she took her seat again, forcing herself away from any other reason for paying. It was so much safer.

When they stepped out into the warm New York air, Javier offered her his arm for the walk to the theatre. She took it with a pleased smile.

"I'm impressed, Detective," she said with a little laugh. "Though I still don't know how you talked me into this."

He laughed with her. "I can't believe Ryan got me to agree," he admitted ruefully.

"How did he do that?" Lanie asked with a mischievous grin. "Just so I know how best to get you to agree to my every whim."

"You know, I'm not quite sure myself," Javier lied. He knew exactly what had drawn him to Ryan's offer and it was the easy-going atmosphere it presented. He'd been angling for a way to ask Lanie out for a while and Broadway offered the perfect buffer to see if dating could actually work without the pressure. They both hated Broadway and he hadn't been lying to Ryan when he'd said that he wanted to invite Lanie along because he already knew he enjoyed her company.

But it was more than that. He'd noticed Lanie from the beginning. It was hard not to. If you didn't notice her by looks, her attitude came across loud and clear within the first moment of meeting her. Javier appreciated that attitude and her sharp intellect. Working with her was always a pleasure and it had become more so since they'd become friends. He liked seeing her smile when he brought her coffee, liked seeing her ID pop up on his phone. But Lanie was intimidating and he didn't want to go on an honest to goodness date with her and screw up their friendship. Ryan's offer had been the perfect cover.

And so far, he liked to think it was working. Joking and laughing at dinner had been second nature and if he'd touched her more often than usual, she didn't seem to mind. And she hadn't commented when she'd returned from the bathroom to find he'd paid for her dinner, just arched an eyebrow with a small smile playing about her lips. He was already having fun and he attributed a lot of that to the ME's presence.

"The things we do for partners, I guess," Lanie said with a grin, bringing his attention back to their walk. And just in the nick of time as she stumbled over an uneven sidewalk block. He had quick reflexes though and he stepped in front of her smoothly, catching her as she caught herself against him.

"First day on the new feet there, Doc?" he teased, righting her again, his hand sliding down to cup her hip.

Her laughter was just dying on her lips as she looked up at him and he cursed himself. This was supposed to be a trial date. Heck, Lanie didn't even know it was a trial date and looking at her now, he wanted to kiss her. He was leaning in, he knew he was leaning in, when Ryan's voice broke over the hustle and bustle of the street.

"You guys coming? We're going to be late!"

Javier just barely managed to refrain from clearing his throat as he offered her a smile and his arm again. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable if charged silence and settled into their seats for the first act. If his stomach jumped a little every time she murmured a sarcastic comment in his ear, he ignored it.

It wasn't until the intermission that fate threw a wrench in her good night.

Javier's phone went off first, and he apologized as he stepped away to take the call, taking the warmth of the arm he'd wrapped around Lanie's waist with him. He sighed when he returned and he knew Lanie could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn't good. He felt her purse vibrate and though they now had work to do, he couldn't help but feel a little lighter knowing she was going to be working the case with them.

"West 129th and Amsterdam," she murmured.

"Same."

"I have to go by the lab," she said, looking down at herself. "Damn. I was having a good time too."

Yeah, he knew that feeling. It was the only thing he hadn't wanted to deal with, the one thing he'd hoped above all else wouldn't ruin his night.

They had a body.

Much to my surprise, I don't have much to say. Except to say I've appreciated the feedback so far. Really and truly. They made me smile.