Couples

Chapter 133

Nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot, Esposito waits for his partner to look up. "Hey, Bro, what's going on?" Ryan inquires.

Esposito drops into the chair near Ryan's desk. "Can I ask you something?"

"Nothing's ever stopped you before. But if Bambi wants Jenny's grandmother's recipe for the shepherd's pie she liked when you brought her over, forget it. Jenny guards that secret like a dragon protecting its egg."

Esposito scowls. "How would I know what a dragon does? I'm not into that nerd stuff. But listen, it is about Bambi – or Bambi and me. We said the word last night."

"You mean marriage?"

Rolling his eyes, Esposito shakes his head. "No, Man. The 'l' word."

"Well, if you both said it, congratulations. So, what's your problem?"

"The 'l' word started me thinking about the 'm' word. How long were you dating Jenny before you started thinking about buying her a ring?"

"About two seconds. But for the first few months, we weren't exclusive, so I held back. But after that, I thought about it all the time. It just took me a while to get the money together. I mean, you know what we make and how expensive it is to live in the city, especially Manhattan. And I was still paying off my school loans when I first met her, too. So I wasn't going to pull her into a marriage with that over my head. But you don't have any of that hanging over you, do you? Didn't you do college on your vet's benefits?"

"Yeah, I did. And Castle made fun of me for going to New York University, but I also had a part-time job while I went, so I graduated free and clear. The only thing I owe on right now is my T.V., and I'm almost finished paying that off."

"That's great. So don't sweat it. You love her. She loves you. Buy her a ring. Go to the jeweler where I bought the one I gave Jenny. He's a gemologist and really knows his stuff."

Javi leans on the desk. "You really believe I should, so soon?"

"You wouldn't have asked me if you weren't ready to go for it." Ryan writes on a sticky note pad and hands Esposito the slip of paper. "That's the jeweler's name and address. He's open late on Thursdays."

Esposito shoves the yellow square in his pocket. "Thanks, Bro. I'll check him out."

Crepe paper streamers and balloons festoon Imagination Patch, along with a banner reading "Congratulations Kitchen Klash Champions." Holding tightly to Lily, Rick looks around. "You and the staff did a great job, Mark. How did you get the banner printed so fast?"

"It's a restaurant thing," the manager explains. "For years, I've had a printer who can fill orders like that in less than an hour. So whenever I've gotten a spur-of-the-moment request to stage a celebration, I could come through. Being able to do that encourages a lot of return business and referrals. It helps reviews on Yelp, too."

"I don't think Auchincloss or Christine are going to be posing on Yelp, but they should appreciate the acknowledgment of their victory. When are they do in?" Rick wonders.

"Christine, any minute. With their competition yesterday and Madison covering, we're doing a noon opening, like on Sundays. I don't know about Auchincloss. But she'll be working prep."

"Punkin cookie!" Lily exclaims.

Mark nods knowingly. "Christine knows what her favorite girl likes. She put some away for you. I'll get one."

Knowing he'll be getting things going at Pot Pie Palace, Christine isn't expecting to see Ben that morning. She's not sure how she feels about that. She increasingly looks forward to seeing him, but she's also having a hard time figuring out what he has on his mind where she's concerned. And she's not having the easiest time figuring out her own feelings toward him.

She isn't expecting a celebration, either, at least not much of one. Still, as she opens the door to Imagination Patch, "We Are the Champions" pours from the sound system. She receives warm hugs from Mark, some of the staff, Mr. Castle, and a somewhat messier one from Lily, who's about halfway through her cookie.

Smiling, Christine brushes off the crumbs. There's not much sweeter than the delight of a little one. Maybe that's why she enjoys making the cookies so much. Mark seems to have come up with a cake as well. Appropriate to the morning hour, it's more a coffee cake than a traditional shortened sheet or layered creation. But the cinnamon streusel is right on, even if it does generate more debris.

While she's finishing her last bite of the pastry, Christine catches sight of her watch. She's falling behind fast. As Elton Greene told her, "Time waits for no chef." Regretfully, she excuses herself to go to the kitchen.

Jack sifts through the latest chatter about the Russians. The agency put out the most recent analysis of increasingly aggressive cyber intrusions, but today, that's not what Jack is worried about. As explicitly as she could, Azra made it clear that she was looking at Russian penetration into real estate. Of course, the funneling of Russian money into property in the U.S. has been going on for years, much of it aided by developers now occupying prison cells. But if Azra is involved, the incursion must be more significant. Jack sees a mention here and there, particularly in response to concerns from Qatar. But nothing jumps out at him.

Rubbing his eyes, he switches to his daily check on Richard's website. It's been some time since his son left Jack a message, but when he has, it's never been an idle posting. Richard's written his usual greeting to his fans and teased his next book. But the request at the end wasn't meant for his fans. "The problem is murder. I'm seeking counsel from a very special consultant on the activities of an old adversary on a cement island." A comedian from Jack's era referred to Manhattan that way. Richard couldn't possibly remember, but the author has always excelled at research. The old adversary is probably the Russians. They are old, new, and everything in-between. Murder has to be a reference to one of Kate's cases. Could it possibly be tied to Azra's mission? It would be a strange convergence of events, but Richard seems to be a magnet for those.

Jack suspects that the only way he'll find out the whole story is by contacting Richard. That's always a risk, particularly if Jack's son has Lily in tow. But Jack will minimize the threat as best he can. During the current spate of frigid weather, foot traffic in the park where they've met before will be minimal. Jack will be able to clear the area ahead of time and set cameras to warn him if anyone approaches. He'd love to see his granddaughter, but ensuring the child's safety involves too many complications. Jack decides to instruct Richard to come alone. After carefully crafting a cryptic message, the agent sends it via his secure phone. Richard will figure it out.

Christine is wiping down the Imagination Patch kitchen and putting it in order for the next morning when Ben shows up. "I saw the pictures you sent of the banner and the balloons, but I had too many covers to take the time to send a decent response."

Christine nods. "I understand. But I'm glad Pot Pie Palace business is good. And I have some leftover cake if you want some. Still, you didn't have to come for closing. You must be exhausted."

"Tired, yes, as you must be. I don't want any cake, but I did want to talk to you. Can we sit down for a moment?"

"Of course," Christine replies automatically. But she can't imagine what might be coming next.