III
Waiting was never one of Kate Beckett's shining qualities. She knew Lanie was right in telling her that it was crucial to wait the week for him to cool down a little before she made any type of confession. They were partners, platonic partners, but partners just the same. It had been five days since he left for the Hamptons. She was really hoping that he could find time for a break from his writing to give her a call, but her phone never rang. She really made a mess of this situation and she wanted to fix it. Looking back now that she actually left the precinct on Friday and went with Tom to Asbury had been the wrong thing to do. She knew that he noticed she was basically lost it thought the whole weekend. Sure they did the things that any new couple would on a holiday weekend dinner at a nice eatery, walks on the beach and playing a round of mini golf on the boardwalk. However, things had changed once they returned back to work the following Tuesday. She was keeping their contact on more of a professional level. He noticed this. He tried to get her to tell him what was wrong but she kept her thoughts hidden from him.
Since there were no open cases the team was trying to close cold cases and get caught up on outstanding paperwork from two previous recently closed cases. Ryan rolled his chair over to her desk and asked
"Hey, Beckett, any word from our resident writer?"
Kate looked up from her paperwork and gave him a sullen look and he quickly rolled back to his desk now knowing that the topic of Castle was off limits.
Kate looked at him for a second as he buried his head back into the cold case he was looking into. Honestly, she really knew that he was only trying to cheer her up, but it only made her realize that she missed him that much more. Deciding it was time for a break, she pushed her chair away from her desk and gathered her weapon and headed out to see Lanie. Being that it was slow she hoped Lanie could spare a few minutes to talk.
As she walked out of the bullpen she told Kevin where she would be if something came up. Getting into her car she started the engine and left the 12th. As she drove down East 26th Street towards Lanie's office she noticed him everywhere. On the city bus that passed her there was an advertisement for his new upcoming book Naked Heat. A red Ferrari was parked on the side of the street, it was the wrong model but it was a Ferrari. And the sign that shook her the most was the coffee shop that he frequented when he stopped to pick up her cup. She was close to tears when she parked the car. She composed herself and checked her makeup in the rearview mirror. Satisfied with how she looked she went to see Lanie.
/
What was he thinking? Nothing good EVER comes from inviting your ex-wife with you to the Hamptons. He should have known from the first night that he was in way too deep. Sure they talked on the phone, but he realized now that this was her way of sweet talking him into taking her with him. She was relentless. She got up at the crack of dawn and made breakfast for the both of them,but that's where the kindness ended. When he wanted to take his time and relax after breakfast, she cracked the whip. No this was his publisher talking now all hints of the woman he once loved were gone.
"Richard, where are you?"
Damn it he can't even go to the bathroom in peace. Deciding not to give himself away he kept quiet. She would get discouraged and move to another part of the house to find him. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He wondered what Kate was doing. How her weekend with Schlemming went. Man, he hated that guy. He decided that Gina had to go. He could not stand her looking over his shoulder demanding that he be writing for a second longer. That's the thing. Gina could never understand his creative process. Sure he would keep putting things off until the last minute but he still made his deadlines. She thought writing was more like a business. Sit at the desk, type a chapter or two break for lunch come back and maybe crank out one more chapter before quitting time. If it were that easy everyone would be doing it.
Rick washes his hands and heads back out to the ruthless slave driver.
"Oh, Richard there you are! I know that we have been cooped up here for the last five days and you have made a feeble attempt at writing, but I have decided that we need a break."
Well, this could be good he thought to himself. A real break, maybe out to a nice place to eat?
"Okay, Gina what did you have in mind for us?"
"US! Richard whatever on earth are you talking about? When I meant "we" needed a break I was referring to me. You lover, are going to stay here and give me some more chapters. I called the car service to pick me up, I hope that's okay?"
Rick's hands curled into fists at the sides of his thighs. This was it, the proverbial straw that broke the camels back. His face was turning red and his knuckles were turning white with the pressure he was using squeezing them into fists.
"Gina!" Rick said bitterly. She never heard him.
"The driver will be here soon and I think the shops are better in Manhattan. They have the best shops there, nothing like here! So I'll hea..."
"GINA!" He repeated louder this time stopping her in mid sentence.
"Richard, what is it? Now finally seeing his face a deep shade of red.
"When you get to Manhattan, don't bother coming back out here! This right here (he spreads his arms wide encompassing the whole house) is not working! I'm done with this arrangement."
His words had stung her. She thought that they were doing fine...well fine in her eyes. She takes a hesitant step towards him but just as she did so did he, only away from her.
"Rick..."
A car horn sounds outside and he tells her that he will tell the driver that she will be a little delayed while she packs her clothes.
He raises his hand to stop her from saying anything else because he knows that she will turn this all around on him and then she'll never leave. He turns towards the front door and walks away. It takes her less than five minutes to pack. Before long she is walking out the front door of the house. He does the gentlemanly gesture and opens the door for her.
"Rick, please?"
"Gina this is for the best. I'll have the chapter I'm working on in your inbox by Friday. There are only two or three chapters left to write. Then we can meet at Black Pawn to go over the release dates and the book launch."
She rolls down the window of the black Lincoln and he thinks that she will say something to him, but she just gives him a sad look and raises the window as the car pulls away.
He needs a drink. Not to get hammered but just one or two to take the edge off. Finally finished, he is in his study looking at the last page of the last chapter for Naked Heat. He saves and closes the document and attaches it to the email to Gina. Taking the last sip of the scotch he hits the send button. Heading to bed he falls into a dreamless sleep. Hours later he wakes to his cell phone ringing. No one would be calling him because anyone he cares about knows where he is so he lets it go unanswered. Not less than 15 seconds later it rings once again. Raising up to a sitting position he finds his phone and looks at the caller ID. It reads Ryan, K.
He is fingers are shaking as he swipes the lock bar to the right fearing the worst...
