Three weeks later, Kate found herself in a coffeeshop near the school, stirring her coffee as she told Lanie, "I'm working for Rick Castle."

Lanie stared at her. "Wait. Shirtless Rick Castle? Barihunk Rick Castle?"

"That's him."

"Girl." Lanie set her Popper etudes aside and folded her hands. "Girl. How?"

"His daughter." Kate sighed. "I played for her competition last-minute, and he - was impressed."

"Of course he was."

"Lanie - "

"I don't mean like that. Well. Not just like that." Lanie laughed. "I just mean you're good. He recognized it. I'm not shocked, here."

"Thanks," Kate told her wryly. "Besides. I'm not his type."

"A little lipstick wouldn't hurt."

"Lanie."

"I'm just saying. Anyway," Lanie chirped, smiling beautifically and setting her cello case a little further into the corner. "Go on. Tell me more about how you dazzled him with your wit and talent and absolutely not the fact that you're hot."


"How do you feel about Songs of Travel?"

Kate shrugged. "I like them."

He shot her a disbelieving look, leaning on the piano as he flipped through the book. "You like 'The Vagabond?'"

"It's fine." Kate tapped the right pedal absently with her toe, leaning over the keyboard from her seat.

"It's the baritone national anthem of boring."

"It's - " She shook her head, frustrated. Trying to pin down repertoire with Richard Castle was a study in attention deficit. They had to have gone through hundreds of songs at this point.

"What?"

She looked back up at him. He looked - curious. The petulant little-boy look was gone.

"It's the rest of the cycle." She shrugged. "It's beautiful. So I don't mind that one."

He opened his mouth, and she braced herself for whatever torrent of witty comments he was about to let loose.

But -

He just smiled, a new smile. One she hadn't seen before. It was quiet. Easy. Not his teeth-flashing, public smile. This was just warmth.

"You're right. It is beautiful."

She caught her breath, because the way he was looking at her -

"- even if it does start with the classical equivalent of the Lumberjack Song."

His eyes were sparkling, and she couldn't help the grin tugging at her mouth. She masked it with an eyeroll. Asshole.