Tom stood there just taking her in, she was beautiful. When she asked why he was there for it snapped him out of his stupor.
"Hi, Kate. I was just taking something to my car and I found your wallet on my front steps. You must have dropped it when you left earlier." He tells her as he walks into her apartment.
"I'm really sorry. I'm sure that seemed pretty awkward earlier."
"No, not really. You don't need to explain…"
There's nothing going on between me and Jane. She was just a little late getting Austin back home from the museum and then I made her stay for dinner."
"Thank you for bringing this back for me." She says as she takes back her wallet.
Kate watches as he moves slowly towards her and she knew what he was going to do before he did it. He leans in towards her and for some strange reason, she can't move out of the way to avoid him. It's like she's frozen to the spot she stands in. The next sensation she feels is his lips upon hers. For most men she has kissed in her lifetime they were okay, but kissing him feels like she's kissing a dead fish. She can't explain why it feels so wrong but he just isn't a good kisser. She stands there taking his kiss and is startled when she hears someone clearing their throat behind her. She quickly breaks away from Tom and turns her head to the right and sees Rick with her front door wide open and standing in her doorway with Mike slung over his shoulder.
"You're back!" Kate says hoping to downplay the scene Rick just witnessed. But by the way, he's looking at her she knows it won't work.
"Yeah, he passed out before he could tell me where he lived," Rick tells her as he looks at Tom accusingly but then turns his head when he hears Mike mumble something from behind his back.
"2831 Mablezz cou…."
"That's about all he could remember," Rick says.
Tom extended his hand and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Tom."
"My manners have completely left me I'm so sorry," Kate says.
"Tom Demming this is my friend Mike." As Kate points to Mike's backside hanging over Rick's shoulder. "And this is Rick Castle."
"We were just um, what were we?" Kate asks looking at Tom willing him to answer for her.
"Kate left some stuff at my place and I thought it would be better if I got it back right away."
If a situation between three people could be any more awkward this was it. Kate just stares at Rick and Tom and wishes the ground would just swallow her up and take her away.
"Well, I won't keep you guys. I'll catch you tomorrow Kate. Nice meeting you Rick."
"Pleasure," Rick replies back. And with that, Tom leans in and kisses her cheek goodbye. He turns and is out the door in less than two seconds. Rick looks at Kate and decides that it is time for him to leave.
"Hey, I'm going to get going. I'm going to put him down here on the steps right here. Here we go, buddy."
"No, Rick you don't have to leave. Stay, sit."
Kate watches as mother Theresa sits down and shakes her head at the dog.
"No, I really should be going." Then he turns and walks out her front door. It takes her no time to make up her mind and chase after him. By the time she catches up to him, he's stabbing the elevator button to go down.
"Rick please let me explain!"
"You don't have to."
"But I want to."
"Kate I don't have a claim on you. We've been out what, three or four times I realize that."
"You won't let me explain?"
"Let me do it for you. You were lying to me to spare my feelings. I get it."
The elevator doors open and Rick steps on never turning around to see the look on her face.
Xx
Kate struggles a bit with her unconscious friend but she gets Mike over to the couch and sets a pillow behind his head and covers him with a blanket. He'll sleep off his drunk and wake up with one hell of a hangover tomorrow. Kate makes herself a cup of coffee and she sits down in front of the television with Mother Theresa. She just so happens to come across a show that involves her friends breed of dog. Mother Theresa sits up and watches the television and can see a dog just like herself poised at the door of a helicopter ready to jump into the water to save a drowning victim.
"You could do that. You could."
Xx
The next day at the 12th seemed to drag for her. Luckily Tom was away from the precinct all day due to a rash of push in robberies in So-Ho. She couldn't have been happier. She had been stuck with paperwork since she and the boys had closed their last case. Ryan had requested three days off to celebrate his and Jenny's wedding anniversary. She envied him. He was celebrating his second anniversary and it seemed like nothing could stop him from being happier. She wishes she had that but first she needs to find a guy. She thought she had the guy but again she screwed that up too. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Tori trying to make a quick exit. She can't because the dress she's wearing is brighter than anything she has ever seen on anyone before.
"Tori?" Kate calls out.
"Kate?"
"Oh no you don't. What's with the dress?"
"Erin's parents are back in town. They'll be spending the holidays with us. Oh, joy." Tori says a little disgusted.
"You know I can really learn to hate her parents."
"You and me both. But they'll be gone soon enough."
"So what are you doing for the holidays?" Tori asks.
"Oh you know, dinner at Dad's house, relatives coming out of the woodwork the usual. But just let me know if you need to be rescued. I have you on speed dial just in case."
Tori gives Kate a little smile as she turns and walks towards the elevator.
Noticing the time, she realizes that she has been at her desk all day doing paperwork. And now she's had enough so she gets up from her desk and gathers up her coat, shuts down her computer, and secures her desk. She turns the corner heading through the elevator and she sees Jane. Wanting to make a quick exit she tries to bypass her and shoot straight for the elevator. But before she can Jane confronts her.
"Detective Beckett a word if you can."
"Yes, Detective what is it?"
"Are we okay? What I mean is, is our unit cohesion still in a good place?"
"Yes, detective why wouldn't it be?"
"I had no idea that you and Tom were…"
"Let me stop you right there Jane. We're nothing Tom and I."
"Neither are we me and him I mean." Jane was quick to point out.
"He is one hot dad though. I don't blame you for being interested."
"Interested may be pushing it just a little bit."
"Well, I'm not in that picture I just wanted you to know that."
"Good to know." Kate leaves her standing there and heads directly for the elevator but in the back of her mind, she thinks otherwise.
Xx
Kate gets the platter of stuffing, brings it out to the dining room and places it on the table. It's then when her father takes the opportunity to introduce his lady friends.
"Before we tackle this succulent looking bird we have some honored guests here with us today. Marion Swift, Dorothy Murphy, and Dolly McCann."
"Hello, Dolly!" Dolly says and the table laughs.
Mike who is sitting right next to Kate says,
"All three at the same table? The man has balls of steel!"
"We're very proud," Kate says sadly.
Xx
Rick had been moping around his loft ever since he saw Kate kissing that guy. Every time Chuck decided to come over, he wondered what mood Rick would be in when he arrived. He had to deal with his many mood swings couldn't take it anymore. So, he decided that he would take him out get him so drunk that he couldn't remember his own name. And what better way to do that than at a strip club? So now he stands in front of his friend's door waiting to knock not knowing if he's home or not.
Xx
He needs to get out of this funk. He just can't seem to get her out of his mind. He knows they have a connection but when he saw her kissing that guy Tom, it just changed his mind entirely. The knock on the door draws him out of his thoughts.
"What are you doing here Chuck?" Rick says as he opens the door.
"I'm here to take you away for an afternoon of boobs and booze. From the looks of it, it looks like you need it." Chuck just looked at the inside of the loft from where he stood in the doorway, and it looks like a tornado hit it. Not anything like Rick would keep his home.
"Let me guess we're going to the strip club on Canal Street?"
"Is there any other place better?"
"Nope, I guess not. Let me grab my jacket and we're out of here."
Xx
Joan Jett is singing in the background of the strip club "Do you want to touch, yeah, do you wanna touch do you wanna touch, yeah, do you wanna touch me there, yeah yeah yeah" and a stripper is sliding down a stripper pole as Rick and Chuck watch her…
"This was a great idea, Chuck, this is a great place to spend Thanksgiving."
"See what did I tell you! Have another drink and you'll see her in your dreams and if you're lucky in your bed." Chuck says as he points to the dark-haired stripper hanging from the pole.
"Chuck, that's not what I want. I don't want fake tits and a come please me attitude. Did I tell you that she was a cop?
"Rick you need to forget her. She's history."
"Chuck she could have been the one. She was good, interesting, I had a glimpse."
"Rick, you really need to stop obsessing about this girl. Move on. I bet she has by now."
"I will." Rick sighs heavily.
"This time you got written out of act one. Women are devious, self-serving shallow… Not you dear." Chuck says as he notices the stripper drop her top and he is mesmerized by her boobs. Rick can only look at his friend and wonder why he talked him into coming here with him.
Xx
Kate has a stack of dishes in her hand and is attempting to put them away when she is stopped halfway to the cupboard by her aunt Theresa.
"Katie my dear, if Casey Donavan is no good…"
"If? What do you mean if? His mother and my mother were sisters!"
"Roland Dettmer?" Kate reads from the business card her aunt had just given her.
"He's my optometrist. And he's expecting your call. How many fingers am I holding up?" Her aunt asks and she is once again tossed into the dating pool. Just as Kate puts away the dishes her friend Jack comes into the kitchen.
"Oh Kate great news, I didn't want to get your hopes up but two guys in my office just got divorced."
"So much to be thankful for."
"Start with Ritchie first and if that doesn't work go with Jerry."
"Ritchie first… got it."
"Yeah definitely go with Ritchie," Jack tells her as he walks back out into the dining room.
When did she become everyone's dating project?