They arrived at the hotel before the buses returned and Castle said goodbye to Anderson who was going to go make sure the room was being prepared for the cocktail party. He sat down on one of the before he had a chance to decide whether he wanted to go up and shower before dinner or go get a drink in the bar while he waited for Beckett to return, someone put their hands over his eyes from behind. Someone female considering how soft those hands were.
"Guess who…"
Decidedly female, and a voice he recognized.
"Must be a certain pretty sheriff from Colorado."
Tasha chuckled, pleased, and released him so he could turn around and look at her.
"How was the road course?"
Castle grinned.
"It was fun. How about you? What did you do today?"
"We did the seminar on traffic stops gone wrong and then the self defense forum. You should have been there." She smiled and her expression turned a little sultry. "Lots of wrestling on the mats. That would have been fun…"
His grin faded just a little as he recognized what she was saying – without actually saying it. Under normal circumstances – and only a year before – he would have jumped at what she was almost offering, but things had changed for him, and even though he knew there was no guarantee that he'd get what he wanted, he wasn't going to ruin any chance at it if he could avoid it. And this he could avoid. He hoped.
"I'm sorry I missed it," he told her, making sure he schooled his expression so she wouldn't mistake his meaning for an invitation of his own. "I don't really have a lot of hand to hand training, so it might come in handy. I-"
"Hey, Rick!"
He turned when a couple of the Texas rangers headed toward him. They were grinning and one of them was holding a copy of Heat Wave.
"Yeah?"
"Is this really yours?"
"Not that copy, no, but I wrote the book, if that's what you meant…"
Tasha looked annoyed at the interruption, but the rangers were oblivious. The one holding the book grinned even more.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you say you were famous?"
He smiled.
"If you didn't recognize me then I'm not that famous, am I?"
"Good point."
"You should try going somewhere with him in New York, though," a new voice said, and Castle turned and smiled at Beckett, who had just joined them without any of them noticing. "Everyone knows him there."
"Will you sign this for me?"
The other ranger looked at his friend with surprise.
"You're going to read it?"
"No. But I can at least say I met him – and have proof."
Castle grinned again. Like Esposito had once told Beckett – before Castle had even met them – cops who work with dead bodies all day don't really want to go home and read about murders. He wasn't surprised. And he certainly wasn't offended.
"Got a pen?"
They didn't, but Tasha did and with another sultry smile she handed it over so Castle could do a quick note in the inside of the cover for the ranger. She clearly hadn't given up on the idea of spending more time with him.
"What are you guys doing for dinner?" the Texans asked as Castle handed the book back.
The writer looked over to Beckett, hopefully.
"Do you have anything in mind?"
Beckett hesitated, debating whether she'd sound as jealous as she felt at the look that had passed between Tasha and Castle, and wondering if he was hoping that she'd say she was doing something else so he could go off with Tasha and the others.
"I was going to take you to dinner at the Space Needle," she finally said, figuring that even if he didn't want to at least the offer was on the table for another time. It wasn't often she had $200 to spend on just a meal, and for once she could treat him to something expensive and first class.
He smiled, and she knew with that expression that he hadn't been trying to get rid of her. It made her feel surprisingly relieved.
"That sounds great." He looked at Tasha and at the rangers. "We'll take a rain check on dinner with you guys – and see you at the cocktail party?"
Tasha looked like she wanted to invite herself to dinner, but she knew that she wasn't invited, and smiled instead.
"As long as you save a dance for me tonight at the party."
He was relieved enough that his smile was genuine.
"I promise."
Satisfied, Tasha left them alone with the rangers, who excused themselves after only a few moments. The one with the book said he was going to call his wife to see if she'd ever heard of Castle, and the other one went with him just so he could make fun of his friend. Castle turned to Beckett.
"Thank you."
She gave him her best innocent look.
"For what?"
He rolled his eyes.
"I felt like prey."
"It looked like it for a moment there. If you don't want to go to dinner at the Space Needle you don't have-"
"No way," he interrupted, with a smile. "You already invited me. You can't take it back."
"Let's go, then. I'm starved."
OOOOOOOOOO
The Sky City Restaurant was probably the oddest place Beckett had ever eaten, but it was just as classy as she'd hoped. They'd both been impressed with the view when they looked out the window, but she hadn't believed that the whole restaurant actually revolved until she watched the view slowly change as they moved. By the time they were finished with their appetizers and salad she was a believer. Castle had eaten there once before, so he hadn't been as amazed. Although she knew he enjoyed the view.
"So you had a good time today?" she asked as they waited for their entrees to arrive. Both of them had decided to try a salmon dish in honor of their visit to the Northwest, where the locals prided themselves on their seafood.
He smiled.
"Yeah. It was really fun. How about you? You looked like you were enjoying yourself."
"I was," she told him. "They're a lot more casual here than they are in Buffalo, and that makes it more enjoyable. Not that I don't like the Buffalo convention. I know more people there."
"You just have to meet new ones here," he told her, still smiling.
"I noticed you weren't having any trouble meeting new people," she said. "Tasha seems smitten…"
He rolled his eyes, cheerfully, more than ready to tease her.
"Jealous?"
"I didn't say that," she said quickly, almost defensively.
Too quickly, it turned out. Castle's eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"You were jealous."
"No, I wasn't."
He looked positively gloating, now, and she was torn between embarrassment and annoyance. Luckily, he could read both of those expressions easily, and managed to assume a more normal expression before she could actually get upset with him. He reached out and took her hand before she could pull it back, and caught her eyes with his own.
"Kate…" he paused, uncertain how to articulate exactly what he wanted to say, and tried again. "I just want you to know that-"
"Who's hungry?" the waiter said, cheerfully, bringing over a large tray that held their entrees and a basket of bread, while another waiter arrived and refilled their wineglasses, just as cheerfully.
Beckett pulled her hand away, forced to in order to keep from having the plate put down on her arm, and Castle looked at her helplessly, but when the waiters had left them alone again, their conversation turned to the convention and what they wanted to look into doing the next day.
The moment had passed, and neither of them was sure if they should be relieved or disappointed.
