Chapter 16

After four cases with Kate close at hand, Alexis did her first solo money shot, and all went exactly as they gamed it out. After that she was given her own case portfolio and helped out as a third face when there was a fear Rick or Kate were becoming a tad bit too conspicuous.

For Alexis, the new job at RCI was working out well except for one troubling observation. Her dad and Kate were much more social than she expected. In fact there were glimmers of something far different. Stolen stares and touching that lasted a bit too long were hard to miss. She also noticed Kate's hair and makeup were getting more attention, while her dad's noticeable paunch was becoming far less noticeable. Subtle, but definite signs that something had changed from the quiet neglect she last saw at the loft.

Alexis's surmise became an outright certainty a few weeks later. Her dad started making Kate coffee. He had previously stocked the office with an outlandishly fancy coffee machine that he considered a necessity for the comfort of all. It sat on an altar like table in the large reception area where every private office had an unobstructed view of it whirling, steaming, and gurgling whenever a so inclined passerby needed a caffeine fix.

It was cleaned and stocked weekly by a very handsome Italian guy who Alexis wouldn't mind seeing in far less attire. A lustful threesome came to mind. Jeremy would be reluctant, but that would just delay things. The next guy would be more amenable, or he wouldn't be the next guy for long. This was the time to discern her likes and dislikes.

During each visit, the hot guy went out of his way to offer remedial instruction to anyone who would listen, and Kate was particularly keen on mastering the purpose of every dial, lever, and spout. Alexis had two plausible explanations for her behavior. The probable one was Kate wanted no repeats of her past precinct mishaps with a similar machine that often drew spectators looking for some comic relief at her expense. The other was a bit more salacious. Perhaps like Alexis, she admired the view and hoped a bit of flirting might peak his interest in what a mature woman might offer in a more intimate setting.

Kate didn't talk much about her love life, but Alexis was aware that there was one guy named David. He was not local, but visited sporadically primarily to scratch what was very much a mutual itch. Their relationship was centered around hotel hookups usually after dinners discussing anything but them. Kate made clear the satisfying sex kept her coming back, and anything more was just a fanciful aspiration she had no intention of acting on. Yes, she, Kate, and even her dad were all stuck in dalliances where satisfying sex kept them comfortable, but far from committed.

The early instances of his barista skills on her behalf might have been dismissed as innocent efforts of a co-worker just trying to be polite. Subsequent examples though, could not. Coffee was their thing. The exchanges were almost sensual. For them, it was a ritual loaded with subtext that blatantly suggested the hard edges from their breakup were thawing under the rubric of catching cheaters. The intent was clearly to probe the pickets around the other's heart whether they admitted it or not. Perhaps a reconciliation was not as preposterous as she always thought.

Normally she would have just observed this surprising behavior and done nothing. However, Kate's cautionary tale about time lost with her dad had changed her perspective on family estrangements. Unlimited tomorrows to fix things were not guaranteed. With her dad and Kate, another right partner might come along, but then again, maybe not. Their chemistry was undeniable, and perhaps, it was time to see if their dreaded baggage was still the big bugaboo they couldn't get past.

After all, her dad had given her so much. Yes, things were not as ideal as they once were, but none of his recent vitriol stemmed from malice. Kate, on the other hand, was a latecomer back into her life after a bazaar hiatus killed what had been a great relationship. Regardless of her inexplicable behavior, Kate had willingly risked life to save her and suffered terribly as a result. Alexis owed them both, and perhaps she was in an ideal position to prod, but not preach about what was obvious to her. Whether they took advantage was up to them.

The opportunity to set the stage with Kate came quickly. They had been doing a tandem surveillance operation when the woman in question darted into a nail salon instead of the nearby hotel she had frequented before. They guessed the target wanted to glam up before the next rendezvous and opted to wait in the car for the next act to play out.

Alexis began by saying, "You and dad seem to be getting along really well. I've noticed your hair and makeup are getting more attention. He's even making you coffee. Coffee is full of subtext for you two, and you aren't exactly discouraging him. It was a huge part of your coupling dance before, and call me crazy, but I think it's clearly back."

"Alexis, I"m sure glad you decided to join us. You have potent powers of observation. It is odd, exciting, and unknown all at the sametime. We have so much baggage; it would be a daunting task. Problem is - he truly is my one-and-done - no matter how much I fiddle around."

"Kate, baggage wasn't meant to stay packed forever. Sooner or later, you arrive at your destination and need to unpack. I know you are a skeptic of the universe having an agenda, but you have to admit fate put you in a place where you could do just that."

"Its probably too late, Alexis."

"Kate, when are you going to admit your dad was right. You made a catastrophic blunder going after LOKSAT. Given what you are trained for, I can only assume you got him and look where it got you. Living for a yucky job and a sex buddy who offers you nothing else. You had it all with my dad, and then off you went on an emotional bender fueled by your insatiable desire for revenge."

"If my dad is the one, why not start with an apology like he did when he callously violated your wishes by investigating your mother's murder? He apologized knowing full well you could reject his plea and crush his nascent hopes for something more. He took a huge emotional risk. Now fate has put you in a perfect position to do same. Family is different you said. Those ties don't break. He qualifies, and you know it. Aren't you using the same excuse strategy with him that you now regret employing with your dad?"

"Do you think he would be receptive to that? I have no confidence about reading him." Before Alexis could respond, the target exited the nail shop, and it was showtime for Kate and her wheelie. Alexis remained in the car quite sure her direct attack would resonate perhaps not immediately but soon.

Future joint surveillance operations provided frequent lulls for them to build a lasting rapport much like the old days with Kevin or Javier. One topic that both agreed on was starting a new fitness regimen. The problem was most commercial alternatives were not as rigorous as either would have liked. Both agreed if it wasn't grueling, it wasn't worth it.

In desperation they contacted Susan who put them on to a very unique place. It was run by two former Army Rangers. Classes started promptly at 4:30AM and lasted about an hour. To get in you had to audition in a class they dubbed 'fun'. Basically you picked up a bulky sandbag at the beginning and for the next hour or so hardly ever put it down, while you were running, squatting, or standing still with it balanced on a shoulder, centered overhead, or clenched tight to the chest.

If your bag hit the ground when it wasn't supposed to, the yelling started. Kate and Alexis were unfazed by the taunting. Lots of that during training camp had numbed their response to any sort of verbal abuse. Instead they focused on recovering the correct position and holding it for the duration. By the end, both were sweaty disheveled messes and sure they wanted in.

Regular classes with their new taskmasters had them hobbling into a local coffee shop just after 6:00AM. Large cups of black coffee and bowls of warmed oatmeal with fruit were the perfect sustenance they needed as they settled into hard chairs and waited for their exhaustion to slowly dissipate. They were the only women in the class, and neither expected any special treatment. To that end, each loudly rejected all offers of accommodation, and now both were stuck with the dismal fatigue that their mutual bravado all but guaranteed.

In between sips and bites, the conversation often drifted towards their respective love life. Both felt the other was in denial about what was really going on. Alexis took every opportunity to disparage David. Kate could do so much better with well what was right in front of her for starters. Kate did not reject her observations, but had great trepidation over how to start. She knew she owed him a huge apology, but was horribly out of practice. Her last apology with Lanie had been a disaster, and she couldn't recall any with her comrades in the 'Boys Club'. Even her recent reconciliation with her dad did not include any forthright apologies. Instead, each chose to focus on their collaborative project and ignore all their past vitriol. It worked great with him, but Castle would demand more - much more.