~o~
When Kevin arrived at the corner where they'd literally run into each other the day before, he found Alexis already waiting for him, leaning against the nearest building sipping coffee. She looked just as fabulous in her Saturday casual clothes as she'd looked in her work attire, and Kevin had to check the flush of excitement that coursed through him.
She spotted him easily, and pushed off the wall to saunter—and that was really the only word for it—to him. Her jeans fit her as if they'd been made for her, and the intense green of her blouse set her eyes and hair off to perfection. He admired the sight before him, letting her see it in his expression as she approached. Suddenly, he was glad he'd grabbed a suit coat to go with his jeans and button down shirt.
"Good morning, Detective," she said sweetly, a smile tipping her lips.
"Good morning, Ms. Castle," he returned, his own smile blooming to life.
She stepped in close, running her fingers under the lapel of his coat as she tugged him a bit closer, tossing her empty coffee cup into the nearby garbage can as she did. It was an unexpected turn of events, her being so forward, and his nerves chose that moment to assert themselves. He hadn't seen her in years, not since her high school graduation, and while he knew she was an adult, it was only just coming to him that not too long ago she'd been just a kid. And she was still his friend's daughter.
"So," she said, "I was thinking Gemelli's, in the Village. We have the time, and it's not far. If that's alright with you?"
"Gemelli's?" he asked nervously. "Sure. That's good."
"Good," she said, beaming at him.
She turned, slipping her arm into the crook of his elbow as she tugged him down the street to the nearest subway station. He followed, unable to do much else at the moment.
"So, did you ever talk to that witness?" she asked as they made their way along the street.
"The what?"
"The witness?" she asked again. "I talked to my dad yesterday. He said you and Detective Esposito were supposed to interview a witness."
"Oh, yeah," he said, feeling more comfortable now that they were on more familiar territory. "Didn't get much we didn't already know. Still, it'll help shore up the case once it goes to trial."
"Do you have any suspects?"
"A couple, but nobody we really like yet." He paused, glancing at her. "You do know that anything I say to you can't be printed, right?"
"Of course, Kevin," she said, patting his arm. "That's not why I said yes to the invitation."
"Why did you?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Because I like you," she said simply. "Isn't that a good enough reason?"
Kevin's smile nearly stretched off his face. "I'm glad."
~o~
Two hours later, they were still sitting at the table, their meals long since finished as they continued to talk about everything and nothing.
"So what made you settle on Syracuse?" Kevin asked when talk had turned to her college experiences.
Alexis shrugged. "After that whole thing with Ashley and Stanford, I decided to take a step back and reevaluate what I really wanted to do with myself. Syracuse seemed like such a good fit."
"I'd have expected you to go to an Ivy League school," he said. "You had the grades, or so your father said."
"Yeah, I had the grades," she said, rolling her eyes. "But I didn't really want that kind of pressure anymore. I'd put so much of it on myself trying to get into Stanford that I forgot I was actually supposed to be enjoying the experience."
"And why journalism?"
"I guess writing runs in the family," she said. "I started working on the school paper, just for something to do right away, and found out I not only liked it but was actually good at it."
"And I bet you didn't tell them your father is the famous Richard Castle, either," he said with a wink.
"What do you think?" she said, smiling. "They figured it out, eventually, but by then I'd already proved I could do the job."
"Good for you," he said, lifting his glass in a Coca-Cola salute. "Working in the family business isn't always easy, but being respected for what you do—apart from who your family is—is worth the effort."
"Said by the man who knows whereof he speaks."
Kevin gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, being a cop runs in my family. But when it came time for me to choose, I did it because I wanted to make a difference, not because my father used to be a cop."
"Still, I bet your family was pleased that you'd chosen to become a cop," she said.
"Yeah," he said, smiling wistfully. "The first time they saw me in my uniform, I thought my mother was going to cry she was so proud."
"Did you know Jenny back then?" she asked, gently.
"No," he said, shaking his head, a bit of sadness creeping into his tone. "We didn't meet until after I made Detective."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have asked.
"It's okay," he rushed to say. "It's been almost five years."
"Do you mind if I ask what happened?"
Kevin took a deep breath. He hadn't told the story in a long time, but he decided then and there that he wanted to be completely honest with Alexis.
"We'd separated just before the accident," he said quietly, drawing a surprised gasp from her. "She just couldn't take it anymore, and frankly neither could I. She had trust issues. I should have known when I proposed to her that it wouldn't work."
"Why is that?"
"Because she accused me of cheating on her," he said with a rueful chuckle. "I'd told her I was going to hang out with Javi, but I went to see her parents instead. You know, to ask their permission and all. When she asked Javi where I was, he told her he had no idea."
"Ouch," she said, shaking her head. "Some friend he is."
"Yeah, that's what I told him," he said, a mock frown on his face. "Still, I explained everything to her, right there in the squad room, and asked her to marry me in front of everyone. I thought that when she said yes that it meant she trusted me and understood that I hadn't cheated."
"But you were wrong," Alexis said. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently while he gathered himself.
"It happened a couple more times," he said, looking up into understanding eyes. "I had an undercover op that I couldn't tell her about. And of course there was that case with your Dad and Javi in Atlantic City. She jumped to the wrong conclusion both times. I explained everything to her the best I could, but each time I could see her trust in me take a hit. Finally, she just couldn't take anymore. We agreed to separate, both of us knowing there wouldn't be reconciliation. She'd already looked into an annulment, so…"
"I'm sorry, Kev," she said, squeezing his hand again.
"Not long after we separated, she was out with some friends of hers when they were hit by a drunk driver," he said, continuing while he still felt he could. He took a deep breath. "He broadsided their car. Jenny was in the front passenger's seat. She took the brunt of the hit; died instantly."
"Well, at least she didn't suffer," Alexis offered quietly.
"Yeah," Kevin said, shaking his head. "Since nobody but Javi knew what was really going on, I had to play the grieving widower."
"But you were," she said forcefully. "You may have separated, but you were still married, and after all that time together, you can't expect to just shut off how you felt about her. Nobody's that cold, especially you."
Kevin chuckled mirthlessly. "I almost wished I was. It would have been so much easier."
"Not you," she said, shaking her head. "Not the Kevin Ryan I know."
"And who is the Kevin Ryan you know?" he asked, half joking, half curious.
"I always remembered you being so dedicated," she said, smiling. "My dad's told me a lot about your cases, about some of the things you've been through. I remember thinking that, if I was ever in need of a cop, I'd want it to be you answering the call. You're so focused and the victims really matter to you."
"I'm not perfect, Alexis," he reminded her, thinking of the one time when his gun was stolen and he was helpless to stop people being killed with it.
"No, nobody is," she said. "But you're honorable. You're a good friend and a loyal partner. No one can ask for more than that."
"Thanks," he said, squeezing her hand.
He glanced around, noticing for the first time that the restaurant had mostly cleared out. He checked his watch and was stunned to find that three hours had passed without him realizing it.
"I hope that doesn't mean you have someplace else to be," she said, her voice turning playful.
"There is nowhere else I'd rather be right now," he told her honestly. "But what do you say we relocate this to the coffee shop down the street?"
"I'm okay with that," she said, grinning. "And maybe, if you're not too busy, we could do this again sometime?"
Kevin fished his wallet out of his pocket, waving it at the waiter to let him know they were ready for the check. He turned back to her and gave her his most winning smile. "I thought you'd never ask."
"Funny," she said.
He pulled out his cell phone to check his messages, but before he could she'd plucked it out of his hand.
"Hey, what—"
"Relax, Kev," she said with a wink. "I'll give it back when I'm done."
"And just what is it you're doing, if I may ask?" He propped his chin in his hand as he watched her tap furiously at his phone.
"Giving you my number, of course," she said. She handed his phone back to him. "There. Now you can call me for our second date."
Kevin grinned like an idiot, and right about that moment, he didn't care who saw. "I'll definitely do that." He rose and took her hand, pulling her up and out the door to the coffee shop down street. "Just as soon as our first date's over."
Her laughter followed them down the street.
~o~
