The Wedding Date

Chapter 14

Kate sat back in the cab, still a little annoyed at Rebekah Queller for putting this task on her. And with how everything had been progressing with Castle, she would rather have utilized the brief down time they did have to spend more time getting to know him outside of the role he played as Richard Castle, Male Escort. She wanted to know the real man behind the façade, the one she'd caught a glimpse of last night. There was just something about him that was irresistible. And Kate knew from past experience that what she was feeling for her companion was far more than some simple infatuation.

It was more. So much more.

However, she was the maid of honor, so Kate supposed that certain duties—such as this—sort of fell under her purview.

Leaning forward, she paid the driver and then climbed out of the cab. Kate glanced around the posh shopping district in St. John's Wood, searching for the jewelry store. She pulled out the business card Rebekah gave her before she left the house, double-checking to make sure she was in the proper location. Spotting what she believed to be the store across the street, Kate took off at a quick clip down the sidewalk until she reached a crosswalk. She waited for traffic to clear before making her way across.

The jewelry store was elegant, with numerous glass cases housing fashionable and expensive pieces. She furrowed her brow as she examined the interior through the front window. Kate checked her wristwatch, wondering if she'd arrived too early. It didn't look like anyone was in. She lowered her head and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. This was not how she wanted to spend her morning.

Just as she was about to give up, and attempt to hail down a cab, she spotted someone emerging from behind the back counter inside the store. He was a well-groomed man with a smart suit and an air of sophistication. Kate waited patiently by the front door as he stepped over to the register and bent his head, going over some papers. And, much to her chagrin, the man took his time.

Kate checked her wristwatch again, and frowned. Back in New York, a boutique such as this would have already opened at least two hours earlier. But she supposed things operated differently on this side of the pond in comparison to back home.

Finally, after what seemed like an excruciatingly long wait, the man stepped out from around the glass counter and unlocked the front door, admitting her with a welcoming smile.

"Looking for something in particular, Miss?" the jeweler inquired with a raised eyebrow as he moved back behind the counter and watched as she scanned the rows of engagement rings behind the glass cases.

Jerking her head up, Kate offered the man a polite smile. "No, not really," she said with a shake of her head. "Actually, I'm here to pick something up. Rings for the Queller/Wentworth-Thymes wedding."

"Oh, and do you have the purchase slip?"

"What?"

"The purchase slip, Miss," the man gave her suspicious look. "I need to see the purchase slip as a form of verification that you're acting on behalf of the buyer."

"Oh," Kate knitted her eyebrows together. "Um… she didn't give me one."

"Well then, Miss, I cannot release the rings into your care," the man stated in flat tone, clearly annoyed, as if she'd just wasted his time.

Kate opened her mouth to argue further—there was no way she was going to go back without the rings—when she was interrupted by the door chime announcing the arrival of another patron. She arched her neck over her shoulder and nearly choked in surprise.

"Hey, you!" she greeted, attempting for a causal manner as Will Sorenson strolled into the shop.

He flashed her what he always thought was a charming grin, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Let me guess, Rebekah thought I'd forget about the rings?" he asked.

Kate simply stared at him.

Will shook his head and chuckled slightly. "I think I'm her least favorite person," he said.

Kate shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe not her least… There's always—"

"Harry's mom," Will finished with a laugh, bobbing his head in agreement. "You're right about that." He paused for a moment before turning his attention to the jeweler. Will reached inside his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I have that purchase slip right here."

"Ah, thank you, sir," the jeweler said with what must be his customary welcoming smile as he accepted the paper slip. He examined it for a moment before nodding. "I'll be just a moment," he declared before disappearing through a door into the back storeroom.

Kate shifted on her feet, wringing her hands together as she studiously tried to ignore Will's intense gaze. He stepped closer to her, raising a hand up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She jerked back, astonished at his brazen behavior. She narrowed her brow and glared at him.

"Don't," she snapped.

Will cocked his head and stared at her for a long beat. "Sorry," he said, averting his gaze for a moment, yet he did nothing to move out of her personal space. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Kate." He offered her a soft smile. "You used to love it when I did that."

Kate growled, growing increasingly frustrated with Will's attitude. "Listen, Will… you and me, we're in the past. I don't know if somehow last night's debaucheries made you forget, but I'm here with someone else."

Holding up his hands in an attempt to placate her, Will took a step back. "Okay, Kate, okay," he said. He paused and glanced around the shop. "We should talk about that. This guy—Rick—there's something not quite right about him."

"Unbelievable," Kate grumbled and rolled her eyes. She turned on Will with a formidable glare, stabbing her finger into the center of his chest. "It's called character." She scoffed. "God, you're so predictable."

"Is that why you brought him?" Will questioned with a crooked grin, so full of himself. "Because of me?"

Kate laughed way too hard. "Don't be absurd," she insisted, not wanting him to know just how close to the truth he really was. Yes, she had initially hired Castle because she needed a buffer between her and her ex-boyfriend. But things had changed.

She turned to leave, but Will stopped her with a hand on her arm. Kate spun around, huffing indignantly and glaring at where he was touching her. Will quickly released her and held up his hands in a conciliatory manner.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Kate narrowed her eyes. "You wanna know why I brought him?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

Will nodded.

"I brought Rick here because he's my boyfriend," she asserted, feeding off the righteous rage at Will's presumptuousness. "Because I adore him. Because late at night he takes me in his arms and…" She pushed up on her toes to whisper into his ear a three-word description. She dropped back down to her feet and gave him a pointed look. "I'd stick around and explain what that means, but even if I give you the instruction manual, it doesn't mean you've got the tools to get the job done." Her eyes flicked down below his waist as she said that last part, and an amused grin spread across her lips.

Just then the jeweler returned, unknowingly providing Kate with an opening to end this particularly aggravating encounter. When Will turned to greet the man, Kate took the opportunity to take her leave, spinning around on her heels and storming out of the shop before Will could finish his business with the jeweler and muster up a response.

However, her victory was short lived. Will burst out of the shop door not long behind her. She arched her neck over her shoulder as she strode down the sidewalk and groaned inwardly as her ex-boyfriend jogged after her.

"Kate, wait!" he called after her.

She hesitated for a moment at the crosswalk, tempted to just rush across before the traffic lights changed, but she decided it was futile. It was probably best to get this over with so that it didn't cloud the rest of the wedding festivities. She turned around and folded her arms across her chest, giving Will a pointed look.

Will came to a halt in front of her, panting a little from the energy he had to exert to catch up with her. He held the upscale boutique bag containing the wedding rings to his side as he looked at her with almost pleading eyes.

"I don't want you hating me," he implored. "We've never had this talk, Kate. You know how terrible I am at this."

"I don't give a shit," she snapped.

"Kate, stop it," Will said in a stern voice. "You do. You can't even look me in the eye right now." He paused for a breath. "I came here to London and you stayed in New York… and we never talked."

Kate shifted her weight between on her feet, reluctantly agreeing with him that they really hadn't had that talk that every couple had at the end of an intense relationship. She knitted her eyebrows together as she forced herself to look up at him. "That was a long time ago, Will," she asserted.

"Yes, it was," he agreed. "And it took your best friend getting married to get us here."

She wavered for a moment, unsure what exactly he was trying to say. "So, what's your point?"

"I should have told you the truth," he said after a long beat, his expression contrite and sincere.

"The truth about what?" Kate asked, brow furrowing in confusion. Something seemed off. She scanned his face. Whatever it was that Will wanted to tell her was clearly difficult for him.

"About the promotion," he elaborated. "You were right. I was a coward. I should have told you about it. But… there was more to it than the job."

Kate frowned. "Like what?"

Will heaved in a deep breath. "There was something else on my mind at the time. Something you deserve to know."

And then, seemingly out of thin air, Rick Castle appeared by her side, surprising her enough to make her jump as his hand slid up protectively on her back. He flashed her a wink and grinned, oblivious to the intense conversation he was interrupting, before turning his attention towards an equally startled Will Sorenson.

"Hey," he said, extending his hand and shaking Will's.

Still somewhat shell-shocked by the interruption, Will retrieved his hand and shook his head. "Sorry, can you give us a moment?"

"No, I can't," Castle said with a polite smile. "We're late for a dance lesson." He flicked her eyes between them. "I guess you'll have to finish up later."

Kate gave Castle an annoyed look as he pulled her away, his hand still pressed possessively on her lower back as he directed her towards the waiting cab. She glanced back at Will, surprised to see the look of relief wash across his face before he turned around and stalked away in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.

XXX

He did not understand why she was so angry. They had sat in an uncomfortable silence during the ride to the dance studio. He was literally baffled as to her reaction to his interrupt. Knowing why she had hired him in the first place, Castle had thought she would have been appreciative of him saving her from yet another awkward encounter with her ex-boyfriend. But that was not how Kate was acting.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, refusing to meet his eyes or even respond to his unspoken questions. Castle hated this. He was supposed to be good at reading people. It was part of what made him so great at his job. But everything was different with Kate Beckett. He considered the notion that his feelings for her clouded his ability to read her properly.

Such an assertion seemed logical.

It had been a long time since he'd truly had these kinds of feelings for someone. He could fake it easily. And he had to for his job. But actually feel it for real made it so much more difficult. Or maybe he was just rusty. After all, his last truly real relationship had been when he was in college.

Castle held the car door open for her as they exited the cab. He paid the driver and then joined her on the sidewalk. She took off at a quick clip, heading towards the signage denoting the location of the dance studio. The studio was on the second story of a building down the block. Castle opened the front door for her when they arrived and Kate stormed past him with a scowl marring her beautiful features.

He watched, brow furrowed in befuddlement, as she charged up the stairs towards the second story entrance. "Hello, goodbye, I want you, I hate you," he hollered after her, growing annoyed at her silent treatment as he rushed up the stairs behind her. "It's all just words. None of it means anything. What matters is what you do. You either stay put or you walk away. If you look back, you're not walking away!"

"Oh, cut the crap!" she growled, bristling with indignation.

They reached the second story landing, and Castle grabbed her arm, stopping her. She spun around and glared up at him. He released his hold and smoothed his hand down her arm in an attempt to calm the fire burning within her intense gaze.

"I just hate seeing you so stuck," he admitted on a soft sigh. Castle knew she claimed she was over Will, but it was painfully obvious there was still part of her stuck on that old relationship. It was clear for the start that she needed help moving on. And now he was worried that they'd taken two steps back after the glorious forward momentum from earlier this morning.

Kate shook her head, carding her fingers through her long locks. He could help but marvelous at how beautiful she was when she was angry. Though he wished she wasn't angry with him. "He was about to un-stick me!" she hissed, borrowing his turn of phrase. "I paid you to help me get closure."

Castle scoffed at that. "You paid me for a lot of reasons," he replied, matching her glare with one of his own. "Closure wasn't one of them."

Kate huffed, infuriated, and shoved past him to push through the door. He followed her, and together they burst into the dance studio, late. Maddie and Harry were standing in front of the mirrored walls, talking quietly with the dance instructor. The group glanced up when they entered. Kate fumbled on the glistening hardwood floors, and Castle reached out to steady her.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

The dance instructor narrowed her eyes as they quickly stepped out onto the dance floor to join the others. She was in her late 50's and had a melodramatic air about her. She introduced herself as Sonja, and Castle smirked, finding the dyed red hair reminiscent of his mother.

"The wedding dance is, sans doubte," Sonja asserted with a theatrical flare that definitely reminded Castle his mother, "the most important dance-moment in a person's life."

Harry raised his eyebrows, sharing a skeptical look with Castle. He bobbed his head in agreement. Maddie jabbed her elbow into her fiancé's side, and gave him a 'pay attention' look. Meanwhile, Kate stood rigid by Castle's side. However, he was comforted by the fact that she at least didn't brush him away when he curled his arm around her slim waist.

"A room full of friends, family… enemies… all watching, smiling, betting on how long the marriage will last," Sonja continued, pausing only briefly to narrow her eyes at the two men. "All you'll have is each other and whatever skills you acquire today."

Kate shifted closer to him, moving her hand up to rest over his. Castle felt some of the tension release as she leaned into him for support. He glanced over at the other couple, noting how unnerved and anxious Harry appeared. He tried to offer the other man a reassuring smile, but Maddie's fiancé was too lost in his own thoughts to notice.

"There are people who will tell you that the wedding dance is symbolic of a couple's compatibility," Sonja informed them with a dramatic wave of her hands. "Of a rapport that cannot be faked. That an unskilled man on the dance floor is a man who lacks grace in bed." She smiled wickedly as she glanced between Castle and Harry. "These people are right."

Harry gulped. Maddie patted his hand reassuringly. Kate squeezed Castle's hand, and he glanced down to see her biting her lower lip in an attempt to hold back a laugh.

Sonja clapped her hands together three times. "Now, let's see what we have to work with!"

XXX

Twenty minutes later, Maddie and Harry were dancing awkwardly to a standard as Sonja gave them instructions. Kate—with her hair tied back in a loose ponytail—watched the couple, feeling a little sorry for the groom. It was really unfair of everyone to put so much pressure on him for something as simple as a dance. Sonja's little speech before they started definitely hadn't helped matters. She sighed, dragging her eyes away from the other couple, and turning her attention back to swaying, if somewhat sedately, to the music with Castle.

There was still some tension between them. She hated that. She felt foolish for snapping at him earlier. It wasn't his fault. There was no way he could have known what she and Will were talking about. And he definitely couldn't read minds. Feeling apologetic, Kate dared to glance up into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch," she spoke softly so that only he could hear her over the music. "I really appreciate you doing this."

"It's my job," he answered simply, shifting his hands around her waist.

Kate swallowed past a lump that suddenly manifested in her throat. She gazed deep into his eyes. A long look. The longest she'd been able to sustain since the boat. She couldn't read him. God, she hoped she hadn't hurt him too much. They'd made such good progress earlier, and now she was afraid she'd thrown that all away. She was awful at this. She always seemed to find a way to sabotage the good things in her life. It was like she was a masochist when it came to romance.

"She knows you better than anyone," Sonja's voice carried over the music as she instructed Maddie and Harry. "You know her better than she knows herself. Where does that feeling live? I don't care if it's your head, your heart, or your crotch. Find that place and dance from it."

Kate shook her head and bit her lower lip. She glanced up at Castle, pleased to see he was just as amused as she was at Sonja's dramatic coaching.

"You know what pisses me off?" Kate asked after a long beat.

Castle paused momentarily, shaking his head, before continuing to move to the music.

"I've been spilling my guts all this time, but I don't know anything about you," she asserted with a pinched nose. "Not one thing."

"I'm sorry about that," Castle said, squeezing his fingers around her slim waist as he flashed her a contrite expression. "This… this is all so new to me." He paused and licked his lips. Her eyes flicked down to follow the movement before returning to his. "My mother was an actress, I wasn't lying about that. I spent most of my formative years backstage during her performances. Kids at prep school picked on me because they knew I was only there because of a scholarship. Needless to say, I didn't have many friends. I majored in Comparative Literature at NYU. And I think I'd miss you even if we had never met."

Kate blinked in surprised, the power of his words hitting her hard. They danced for a long moment in silence, simply enjoying one another's company. Kate had never felt closer to anyone in her entire life.

"Okay," she licked her lips and glanced up at him expectantly. "Now will you tell me why you became an escort?"

Castle smiled enigmatically. Then without warning, he spun Kate around and then reeled her back in tight, holding her close.

The entire world seemed to melt away until it was just them, alone, swaying to the music like they'd always been doing so together. They glided across the floor as if they were weightless. Their movements were perfectly matched and in sync with one another. Their eyes stayed locked on each other as though it were that connection—not gravity—that kept their feet tethered to the ground. Time seemed to slow down for them while the rest of the world carried on a normal speed.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, Maddie and Harry noticed what was going on. They stopped dancing and stared, slack-jawed, as Kate and Castle floated past, completely and utterly wrapped up in each other, oblivious to everything else but one another. They were incredible together. And as the music reached its crescendo, Castle gracefully spun Kate to a perfect stop ending with her back leaning against his chest and his arms wrapped around her waist.

"So you can't dance, eh? Bloody liar!" huffed Harry.

And the perfect moment was shattered. Kate crashed back to reality, and she blinked her eyes, glancing around to see Maddie, Harry, and Sonja all staring at them with astonished expressions. She breathed in deeply, just as shocked as everyone else just how amazing it was.

"I thought you said you were crap," Harry continued, glaring at Castle.

Her escort shifted behind her, tightening his hold around her waist as he shook his head. "I had to say something to get you here," he said with an easy grin, pouring out the charm.

Harry stared at him for a long moment, before inclining his head. "Fair enough," he gave in. "But I'm stepping on toes here and you're waltzing around like…"

"Fred Astaire!" Maddie finished with a cheer, clapping her hands and flashing a wink in Kate's direction.

Castle chuckled. "It's not me, I swear," he asserted, hugging Kate from behind. She sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing into his embrace. "It's her. She's magic."

Kate blushed, and shook her head, attempting to assert that that was not true. She wasn't really that great. "No, I don't think so," she fumbled.

"Shh, Kate," Castle hushed, dipping his head down to press a quick kiss to her exposed neck. "Stop being so modest."

"Castle," she replied in a low voice, giving him a pointed look. She did not want to be credited as an expert dancer when she was anything but. He hummed in response, squeezing her slim waist in reassurance.

Oblivious to the exchange between the pair, Sonja clapped her hands happily. "And, switch partners!"

XXX

Castle and Kate emerged outside the dance studio, hand in hand behind the soon-to-be newlyweds. Together the foursome walked down the block towards the corner, where the street met a major thoroughfare and cabs would be easily found. Maddie jogged ahead to hail one down.

"That wasn't so bad, was it, Harry?" Castle asked as they walked alongside him.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess not," he said. "But I still think I'm rather rubbish."

"Don't worry," Kate assured him, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "All that matter is you love Maddie and she loves you. That's the most important part."

"That's right," Castle nodded his head in agreement. "Everything else is just superficial."

"You think so?" Harry asked, glancing at them with a hopeful expression.

Castle released his hold of Kate's hand and clapped the other man on the back. "I know so," he insisted with a warm smile.

Harry nodded, looking more at ease. Castle was glad they could alleviate some of the pressure the man was under. They met up with Maddie at the corner where she'd manage to hail down a cab. She grinned, slinking her arms around her fiancé's waist and snuggling close to him.

"Feeling better, honey bunny?" she asked.

"A little, yes," he said. "Though, your mother still scares me."

Maddie laughed. "Yeah, well, she scares me too sometimes." She stretched up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Kate leaned into Castle side as they watched the couple. He glanced down at her, and she met his gaze. Before he could second-guess himself, he dipped his head down and pressed a quick, chaste kiss to her lips. When he pulled back, she was smiling up at him.

"Ooh!" Harry hooted, staring down at his wristwatch. "You two better get going. My parents will be 'round to cart you off to the country shortly." He gestured towards the cab, indicating for them to take it.

"We could share," Castle offered.

"No that's fine," Maddie assured with a wave of her hand.

"If you're sure," Kate said.

Harry bobbed his head. "Don't worry. We'll get another one."

Castle exchanged a look with Kate before opening the cab door for her. She was just climbing in when the bride-to-be called after her.

"Oh, Kate," Maddie said. "Whatever you do, don't mention Italy. Or politics. Or baby buggies."

"Huh?" Kate furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Or Edith Piaf," Maddie finished with a definite nod.

Kate glanced up at Castle with a worried expression.

"Um… you're probably best off pretending you're asleep," Harry put in with a shrug.

"My future in-laws aren't exactly the easiest people to have conversations with," Maddie tried to explain.

"Okay," Kate inclined her head, still somewhat bewildered, before slipping into the cab.

"See you on the other side," Castle said with a grin, shaking Harry's hand.

He scooted into the backseat beside Kate and was surprised when she reached across the space between them and grabbed his hand after giving the cab driver the address for the Hurthshaw house. Kate slanted into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled to himself as he felt her relax, all the tension flowing out of her body.

"I'm sorry," she sighed softly.

"You already apologized."

"I know," Kate said, arching her neck to gaze up at him. She looked at him like no other woman had looked at him before. She bit her lower lip and reached up with one hand to cup his cheek. "But not for that."

"Then for what?" he asked, closing his eyes and easing into her tender touch.

"For making you wait," she elaborated, snuggling closer into his side. "We don't need to wait until after the wedding to define what we are to each other."

"We don't?"

"No."

"What are we?"

She wrinkled her brow in thought. "Together," she answered honestly.