Rick Castle was beginning to regret his impulsive decision to take Kate Beckett out for dinner. He wanted to celebrate with her, but he didn't want to cross the line from friends, not now that he knew he wasn't yet ready. That was one of the reasons he chose the location he did.
"You look great," he told Kate as she answered her door. She'd asked him how dressy she needed to be, pointing out that her arm was still in a cast, and all he'd told her was 'not too fancy'. He was dressed in dress slacks, a shirt and jacket, smart but still fairly casual. She'd opted for a dressy pants suit, co-incidentally choosing a striped blouse that almost matched his shirt.
"Thanks," she replied, stepping back to retrieve her purse and then exiting her apartment.
They made smalltalk as they headed for the street and the cab that Rick had kept waiting. She filled him in on her dad's worry about her returning to work so soon and Castle echoed the sentiment, though quickly stopped when he received a glare. Neither wanted to say too much, both enjoying the company and not wanting to push the boundaries.
The restaurant wasn't far from Broadway, but was an inscopicuous little place, somewhere you might just walk past if you didn't know it was there.
"My mother told me about it," Castle admitted when Kate pressed him for details as they persused the menu. "She used to come here after coming off stage, they stay open very late to capture the actor crowd."
"Have you eaten here before?"
"A couple of times." Her face fell a little and he added, "Only with Mother, though, when she's insisted I see her performance." The smile that graced her face as she acknowledged his words brought a smile to his own.
"So, it's really finished?" she asked as they ate their appetizers.
He nodded. "Yes, just waiting on the final edit requests, but should be completely finished by the end of next week." She mentally noted that he hadn't mentioned Gina by name, but didn't comment on the fact.
"And when do I get to read it?"
"As soon as I get a copy, you'll get a copy. Shouldn't be long until the initial print run."
"You'll get galleys though, right?"
Smiling, he nodded. "Yes, but you won't." She started to protest but he talked over her. "I want you to see the completely finished article, so you get the full effect."
"You need the high quality binding and glossy artwork to cover up the sloppy writing, huh?" she teased, laughing as he narrowed his eyes in a mock-glare.
"You're ready to go back to work on Monday?" he asked, changing the subject.
She took a sip of her water before answering. "Yes, I need to get back, I don't do well with sitting around the house."
"I noticed," he smirked. "I think the constant sighs of frustration were my first clue."
"I just need to convince the captain that chasing down leads will be a good way to get the fresh air and exercise required to help my lung to heal."
"If you manage to convince him of that, I'll give you the galleys to read," he promised, knowing there was no way Montgomery would ever agree to go against the doctor's advice and put her health in jeopardy, plus disqualify her from insurance by disobeying the restrictions. "I can always drop by and take you out to lunch in the park though, if you want fresh air and exercise."
There was a sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue, but she bit it back. During her recovery they had often gone out for a walk and it had been nice. She needed to walk and he needed the break from writing, so they'd killed two birds with one stone. As much as she wanted to keep up the banter, she couldn't mock their walks, she'd enjoyed them too much.
"I'm sure I'll survive," she finally replied, though tempering her tone so he knew she wasn't turning down his offer completely.
The rest of the meal passed quickly, Castle eagerly discussing Alexis's imminent return and what he had planned for them and Beckett smiling at his obvious devotion to his daughter.
They shared a cab back to her apartment, and he accepted her offer of coffee, but he knew he shouldn't stay long. Despite her clearance for work, she was still recovering and taking painkillers that made her tired.
He chose not to sit on the couch beside her, opting instead for the other couch. They chatted a little, but it was nothing more than smalltalk, each of them now choosing their words carefully, so that it didn't feel like a date and wouldn't make them uncomfortable when he took his leave.
Beckett finally let out the yawn that she'd been holding back and Castle siezed the opportunity it provided.
"I'll let you get some sleep." He stood up and took his now empty coffee mug to the kitchen.
"Sorry, I'm not pushing you out," she apologized, following him.
"I know, but it's late and I need my beauty sleep," he grinned. "Thank you for the great company and conversation tonight."
"Thank you, too."
"So, can we repeat it sometime?" he asked with a hesitant smile.
"Sure," she replied and he felt his feelings start to surge to the surface again, wondering if she was taking the first step after all, but then it came crashing down. "When you finish your next book we'll definitely have to celebrate again, though hopefully I won't be celebrating a recovery then."
He smiled, though it was a little half-hearted and he mentally kicked himself for being weak and letting her affect him so quickly again. He was happy with the way things were, he just needed his heart to catch up to his brain. "I'm sure we can find something else to celebrate before then," he said eventually, recovering his composure. He shot her a devilish grin and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure you'll try," she agreed.
He walked to the door with her at his side. "Sleep well, Kate, and use tomorrow to relax while you still can." He turned so that he was facing her and stretched out his arm, before quickly taking it back. Touching her would not be wise, blurring the boundaries once again, just when clarity was crucial.
"Thanks, Castle, for everything," she said softly, giving him a warm smile as she held his gaze before he turned around and walked away.
TBC..
There's one more, very short, chapter to go...