There were times when even he was amazed by what he was able to pull off by using someone's misery against them. The stunts he was able to pull off were harmless and he was able to "sell" what he was telling his victim so well that they believed him. But the one small detail he never thought to consider was how it would affect his job. A job that he liked a lot, hell he loved what he did. But now it seems that the stunt he pulled with Rick in Central Park might have gone a bit too far.
"Was this you're doing Michael?" His uncle asked.
"Well to be honest with you…"
"STOP! RIGHT NOW!" His uncle shouted.
"But uncle Bill, I was only having a little fun. No harm, no foul right? No one got hurt here did they?"
"If you could only open your eyes and see the damage that you've caused." His uncle said, shaking his head.
"What are you talking about uncle Bill?"
"I have it on good authority that your friend, or should I say, your soon to be ex-friend was arrested in Central Park this morning and he was naked! DO you know how humiliating that must have been for Rick? He just got divorced and then to have this happen."
"People will do some strange things…"
"How much?" His uncle said in a tone that demanded an answer.
"How much what?" Michael replied acting innocently.
"How much did you promise him to pull off this dare? Because I know you. You offered him something in return for doing what he did. And I also know that if you did that, you had no intention of carrying through on your offer."
"Um, ah,..."
"Spit it out, Michael. Now's not the time to forget how to use that mouth of yours."
"I promised him that I would advance him 25% for his next novel."
"Twenty-five percent huh? Are you sure? I mean we never offer that much for an advance. At the most, it's usually between ten and fifteen percent with a forecast of more if the book sells well." Bill looked at his nephew and could tell he was flat out lying to his face. Now he needed to figure out exactly what was said between the two in the park.
"Are you sure you want to go with that amount? Because if you lie to me you will be paying the difference in the balance for the advance. All I need to do is make one phone call to Mr. Castle and I'll know soon enough."
Knowing that he is in too deep he finally comes clean. He just hopes his uncle can understand.
"I told him I would give him a seventy-five percent advance for the next Derek Storm book."
"Well, that is sad. I am going to tell you something Michael something that you are probably not aware of. Rick and I go back a long way. A really long way. You could say that we started in this business together. When I started this publishing company I had no one to publish. Then along comes Rick and he gives me a manuscript to read for a story that I thought might be just what this company needs to get it off the ground. It turns out it was. So now this is my dilemma. I am not going to pay Rick anything for an advance except for the normal fifteen percent. You on the other hand will either pay the remaining sixty percent or you will be out on your ass looking for another job. Just because you're my nephew doesn't give you the right to promise something and not follow through. Rick is like family to us and I don't know why you decided to pull a stunt like this. Did you know that he could walk and we couldn't stop him? He can walk because his contract is fulfilled. The next Derek Storm book was going to be the start of a new contract. Black Pawn was going to offer him a four-book deal. And now after today's little fiasco, I'm not sure that he will be here to accept that offer. So God help you if he doesn't entertain this new contract negotiation because if he won't you will be out on your ass. Just because you're my nephew doesn't mean you're guaranteed to have a position in this company. You had better have deep pockets."
"Yes, Uncle Bill," Michael said with remorse.
"The first thing I would do is go back to Rick and apologize. Maybe you might be able to save whatever relationship we have with him. but I wouldn't count on it if I were you because I think he's had enough of you.
Kate had never been treated like this before on any date. Rick held doors for her, opened car doors, complimented her on the outfit she was wearing, and always told her she looked like a goddess, that she was beautiful. She had never been bathed in this much praise before from anyone. As they sit in the back of the executive Cadillac limousine he picked her up in, she nervously fixes her dress to make sure that she doesn't expose anything that would be unladylike. Rick on the other hand has been looking straight ahead not even making small talk. But that all changes once they get three blocks away from her apartment.
"So Kate I'm curious to know how you can deal with the common police environment. What I mean is you're a female working in a predominantly man's world. Not that there's anything wrong with you being a female I'm just curious to know how you do it."
"I've taken a lot of razzing and maybe even a lot more than just friendly hazing. But I needed to show the people who don't believe that a woman can be in a man's job that it can be done. At times its kind of exciting but then there are times where it's completely boring. Especially the paperwork."
"I see. But I do salute you for doing the job that you do. Keeping New York City safe is a top priority."
"So you didn't tell me where we are going."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm taking you to a quaint and small Italian restaurant. Casa Apicii has been in the village since the fifties. I have eaten there only once and the stuffed shells they make will make you wish that you could eat them every night, it's that good!"
"Hmm, I've never heard of the place."
"I promise that you'll love it," Rick vows.
Ten minutes later they pull up to the front of a very small storefront. As Kate moves to get out of the car, Rick offers his hand to help her out. She looks up at the storefront and now notices that it's a very small but busy Italian restaurant. Again Rick holds the door she walks across the threshold and into the establishment. He walks up to the concierge station and gives his name for the reservation. A short balding man shows them to a secluded area in the back of the restaurant. To her, it reminds her of a meeting place the crime families used to meet at in movies to be unheard when they talk about family business.
"So Rick how is your daughter doing?"
Rick at first is taken aback by the way she asks about his daughter so easily. He has tried his hardest to keep her out of the news cycle and is amazed that he even knows he has a daughter. But on the other hand, she is a cop and is privileged to information that he can't control.
"She's doing good actually. She is with some friends for the night. She was invited to a birthday party which became a sleepover."
"I remember those. My mom used to encourage me to make friends in school and when I did, I was invited to a lot of birthday parties with sleepovers."
"Popular in school were you?"
"Not that popular, but I had a lot of friends. And it's sad now because of all the friends I had in school I only have contact with two or three."
Before Rick could ask about who the friends she had still were, their server stepped up to their table.
"Good evening my name is Antonio and I will be your server. Would you like to hear today's specials?
Both Rick and Kate nod their heads acknowledging his question.
"The chef can prepare a squid risotto dish cooked in a white wine butter sauce and presented over a bed of Spanish rice. Next up is a grilled mahi-mahi smothered in butter sauce with a medley of spring vegetables. Last but not least is the salmon grilled with sweet sauce. It comes with grilled potatoes, and baby sweet green peas."
"Thank you. Can we have a few minutes to look over the menu and decide?" Rick asks.
"Absolutely. Just signal when you need me to return." With that said Antonio turns and heads back towards the kitchen.
"So Kate what do you feel like tonight? Would you like something from the specials or would you like to order from the menu? And would it be all right if I ordered a bottle of white wine?
"I'm not sure which way I'm leaning Rick but the salmon sounded tempting. Let me take a look at the menu one more time. And sure, I would love a glass of white wine."
Rick signals for their server and waits until the server returns. He orders the bottle of Bella Sera Pinot Grigio for both of them.
"Are you ready to order sir?" The server asks after he writes down the bottle of wine.
"We are," Rick says after getting a quick look of agreement from Kate.
Always being the gentleman Rick lets Kate place her order first.
"I think I'll have the salmon. And for an appetizer can you please bring us some fried calamari?"
"Not a problem Miss. And for you sir?"
"I think I'm going to have the filet mignon with the garlic-infused potatoes. Could I also get a side of vegetables?"
"Certainly sir. I'll go place your order right now."
As a server walks away Kate looks to Rick.
"So Rick, I really need to know why you would agree to ride a police horse naked? It seems to me that this friend or ex-friend Michael is a bit of a troublemaker."
He is at that. But he is no longer an acquaintance of mine. The only reason I decided to do what he asked of me was that he was promising me a very large advance on my next book. Looking back now, I should have never agreed to do what I had done."
"Sometimes snap decisions are the worst. But at least you learned a valuable lesson from this little disaster."
When Kate finished her sentence the server arrived up with their food all Rick could do was nod.
Their meal was filled with good food and even better conversation. Kate explained why she was a cop but didn't get into the exact details about exactly why. She just told Rick that she wanted to make a difference in her life and other people's lives as well. Helping people was her priority she told him.
Rick had told her how he had become the writer he had become. He was left alone at Penn Station by his girlfriend of two years. She told him that she needed a break and after all that they've been through he couldn't believe she would leave him like this. He suspected her mother had a hand in her decision to fly to London for an opportunity she could not pass up at a moment's notice, but it made him realize that nothing is permanent in life. After hanging around Penn Station long after her train had left he went back to the college dorm to sort out how he was feeling emotionally. Then he started writing his first novel. He also had started writing a book that was based upon his and Kyra's life starting where she had left him and the heartache that followed both books eventually became best sellers.
Dinner was done and Rick had intercepted the bill much to Kate's surprise. She wanted to at least pay for half of their meal. She might have been surprised but again she was amazed at the care that he was showing her. Usually, when she went out on a date it was Dutch and she paid her half.
"Rick you know that this was a dinner date that we were both going to be on right?" She asks.
"Kate, I know that this date was made on short notice. But remember I asked you out not the other way around. So with that said I am glad to take care of the bill for tonight's fare. But I will ask one thing of you if it's all right. The food was very rich and I would like to take you out for a walk along the promenade. You can say no but in a way, this would be a way of getting to know each other a little better."
She really wanted to prolong the date so to speak. This would be an ideal way of doing it and she did have tomorrow off. She's hesitant at first but in the back of her mind, her brain is screaming to take him up on his offer.
"Okay, Rick I'll agree to your walk. But there are conditions."
"Oh? And what could they possibly be?"
"No shop talk. Our jobs are off-limits. So whatever you want to talk about it will be personal. Agreed?" She tells him.
First, he wanted to say no to her conditions but after thinking about it he thought what the hell. There wasn't much he could tell her anyway.
"Just so you know Kate this won't be like the Magic 8 Ball of questions. The questions I ask might get a little more than personal."
She was up for the challenge and besides she would veto anything she felt was inappropriate.
"Okay, you're on Rick."
Rick picked up the receipt for the bill, left a very large tip for their server, rose from his chair, walked behind Kate, and pulled out her chair for her. He then presented her his arm so she could slip hers into the crook of his. They walked out of the restaurant arm in arm hoping that tonight would be something that they could both build on together.
TBC