Playing Hard to Get
Chapter 21
Okay, Kate was willing to admit that Disneyland had been a blast. Having Castle around acting like a kid did actually help a lot. Some of the rides, she was told, were just like the ones in Disneyland, California. But most were completely different. And they had stayed until the park itself was closing. That was when they went shopping on their way out. Each bought a t-shirt, and Alexis got another stuffed animal for her room.
Kate looked at the stuffed animal in Castle's hand. "You bought something for Alexis." She turned around and went back into the store to find something for her dad. She was kicking herself the entire way. Why did she only buy for herself and not anyone else? Annoyed with herself, she went back inside yet again and bought something for Lanie too.
Kate was satisfied with her purchases. "Now we can go home."
The hotel gift shop actually had condoms. Not many of them, so they only bought two and ended up using them that night.
Very happy and still a bit giddy from Disneyland, a sexually satisfied Kate got dressed for their trip to Amsterdam next. It was a three-hour trip one way, so it was a little longer. It left at 8:29, and they arrived just in time for lunch.
De L'Europe was the hotel. Now, this room, while called deluxe, was more along the lines of a couple of hotel rooms Kate had stayed in the past. It wasn't nearly as opulent or comfortable as their hotel room in Paris.
"What's first on your agenda, Castle?" Kate was ready to hit the ground running.
"Drinks and lunch followed by a boat tour that will take us down some of the canals. Sightseeing," Rick explained.
"Good. I'm starving." Kate grimaced. "The food at Disney was terrible."
"It did leave one a little wanting," Rick was willing to admit.
"Wanting?" Kate stared at him, thinking his taste buds must be dead. "I was ready to throw the whole thing in the trash." So Kate took his hand and began pulling. She was starving and wanted to eat.
It didn't take long to find a place they could both agree on. Each had their drink of choice and sat there, their coats over the backs of their chairs.
"So, how are book sales?" Kate only knew what he had told her when he had gotten that offer to do three more Nikki Heat books.
"Still through the roof. Better than any of my Derek Storm books. I just might see some royalties off of this book." He wasn't holding his breath, but you never know.
"You've never gotten royalties?" Kate was shocked.
Rick shook his head. "Contrary to popular belief, the writer doesn't typically earn royalties. Patterson and Cussler might, but I never asked. All my money comes from the contract that gives me an advance on book sales. The better your previous books sold, the bigger the possible advance.
"The better Heat Wave sells, the bigger the advance for the next book. It's all written into the contract. You really do need a lawyer to figure it all out. Now, if the book sells unbelievably well, then yes, I'll start receiving royalties. Till then, it's all Black Pawn money."
"I didn't know. I just thought you got money based on how many books sold, and that's it," Kate told him.
"Not technically, no. Though after twenty-six best sellers, my contracts, and as a result, my advances, have gotten better. And my contract terms get just a touch better as well." Rick didn't say anything else for a couple minutes. Then he looked at Kate thoughtfully.
"You know, as much as you read, you could be a writer. I could put in a good word for you with Black Pawn," Rick offered. "You know, write on the side. Cop by day, writer by night."
"No thanks. I'm just a cop who happens to be a one-writer girl." Kate saw him reaching across the table for her hand. She met him part of the way and smiled at him.
"Richard Castle!? You're Richard Castle?" Some woman showed up at their table. "You are Richard Castle. Can I get your autograph?"
"Anything for a fan." Rick was used to it since it happened on occasion. However, Kate was not, and that woman was interrupting their lunch and drinks.
Then that woman did the unthinkable. She pulled her top down, along with her bra, and stopped just short of her nipple. From Kate's point of view, she had boobs, big ones.
"PUT THOSE AWAY!" Kate yelled. "Just who do you think you are? Can't you see we're having lunch together? Castle is mine, so you can take your tits and go right back to your table." Kate got up and poked her in her big boobs.
"Castle doesn't sign women's chests any longer. If he was going to sign anyone's, he would sign mine." Kate poked her again. "Now get lost."
"Well, at least I have tits," she retorted as she covered herself.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? You're damn lucky I'm not armed or have jurisdiction in Amsterdam, or I'd arrest you!" Kate was boiling mad.
"Who the hell do you think you are anyway? His wife?" she fired back.
"And if I was? For your information, I. Am. Nikki. Heat. Now get lost," Kate told her yet again and watched her retreat.
"The nerve of that woman! Thinking that you would sign her chest. And right in front of me, no less." Kate was furious. She sat down and stewed and downed her drink. Now she needed another one.
"What are you grinning at, Castle?" He was sitting there looking at her with a big grin on his face. She was still angry, so Castle was about to get a taste of her anger, even if she didn't mean it. Not really.
Rick kept grinning at her. "You just said you were Nikki Heat."
"I... Did I?" Kate was starting to calm down some and watched a still grinning Castle nod his head.
"And you also suggested that we might be married."
"I did not." Kate would know if she had proposed to Castle, and she certainly hadn't done that. "Will you stop grinning? You look like that cat in Alice in Wonderland."
Rick was spared from making a comment when a different woman came up to their table. This one had a napkin and a pen. She was ready. "You're Nikki Heat? Can I have your autograph? …Please?"
To Rick's surprise, Kate took the pen. "What do I sign?" She had never signed her name for anything unless you counted police reports or purchases using her credit card.
Rick smiled at her. "Nikki Heat, of course."
"Oh, right." She was thinking Kate Beckett. So she signed as Nikki Heat and handed back her pen.
"Thank you." And she was gone.
"Your first?" Rick inquired.
"Actually, yes. Why would she want my autograph? Nikki Heat doesn't even really exist." Kate didn't get it.
"That name is all over the book's cover," Rick said patiently. "You have a fan. Have you not checked your own website?"
Kate stared at him in shock. "I have a website?"
Rick nodded. "Created by Black Pawn to help sell the book. More than likely, Gina's idea."
"Your ex-wife created a website about me?" Kate didn't see why.
"Please, don't remind me." Rick shuddered. "It cost me a cool two million to get out of that mistake."
"But you've been divorced twice, Castle." Even she knew that.
"Meredith was my first wife. I won't call her another mistake since she gave me Alexis, but that marriage was doomed from the start." Rick even saw having sex with her relatively recently as another mistake. He just kept making mistakes when it came to women.
"What happened, if I may ask?" Just then, Kate was distracted by their lunch showing up, and she ordered another drink while the waiter was there.
"Meredith happened." Rick attempted to give her the short version. "Alexis was just a baby still. I had a meeting with Black Pawn and left her with Meredith. I came home to find my wife on top of some producer in our bed, and Alexis wailing in the nursery."
"Oh, my god." Kate covered her mouth.
Rick made it quick. "I kicked him out; Meredith packed everything of hers and left the same day. A few days later, I was served with divorce papers. She got half of everything, and I got Alexis. It seemed like more than a fair trade."
"I'm so sorry." Kate reached across the table to take his hand in hers. "I would never do something like that to my husband. That's just so wrong on so many levels."
"It's okay. Did...did you just propose to me?" Rick tried to work it out in his head.
Kate snatched her hand back. "No! I did not propose. I would know if I had."
Rick tried replaying all that in his head, and it sounded like she'd just come very close to proposing. At least it did to him.
"Eat your lunch," Kate told him and focused on eating to get off that topic.
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Little did they know, since it wasn't in the brochure, that the tour ended just outside Gassan Jewelers. Their guide had these coupons to get in and tour their building. They could watch how diamonds were made. Get to see a real diamond and be told the characteristics behind each diamond. And on the ground floor, there was a shop where you could purchase all kinds of things.
Kate shrugged. It sounded interesting. She loved diamonds, so why the hell not?
They were part of a group of eight people. Their tour began on the second floor, where all the interesting stuff was done. They got to watch them not cut but make a diamond, one of their diamonds.
Then they ended up in a room where a woman would send down a request, and via a vacuum tube, up came a diamond all wrapped up in paper that she had to sign for since its being up here was her responsibility.
"A Gassan diamond has 121 facets. This is a normal diamond that you can purchase anywhere, and this is one of ours. See the difference? Of course, once a diamond is cut it loses some of its size. The same can be said for one of our diamonds. However, look at the difference."
Rick and Kate both saw the difference clearly.
"You can set any diamond in a ring in how long a time?" Rick asked her, and lucky for him, Kate was busy looking at the difference.
"Twenty-four hours," she replied. "However, if you are short on time, we have a large selection downstairs. It will only take about an hour to adjust the ring size to fit her finger."
"Thank you." Eventually, Rick and Kate were back downstairs, having taken the back stairs that dumped them right into the store. "WOW!" This place had everything. Rings, watches, necklaces, broaches, earrings. You name it, they had it.
"What's your ring size?" Rick asked her seemingly out of the blue.
Kate looked at him like he was from another planet. "Why do you want to know that?"
"Research, I'm always doing research," Rick told her calmly.
"Six." Kate stared at him questioningly, still unsure what he was up to.
Kate had finally let go of his hand and was way off in the store, out of earshot. "All of these are Gassan 121?" Rick queried.
"These here? Yes, sir," she nodded. All the diamonds were already set into a ring. So all he had to do was choose one.
"This one." Rick ignored the price. He was only interested in the look of it.
"That is ring 9217666. The price is €63.636,00. What size is she?" She looked up and saw the woman he was with was over on the far side of the store.
"She said 6," Rick told her.
"Our rings start at 7 in the store. Give us an hour, and we can resize it into a 6," was her answer. "Is that cash or charge?"
Rick had his receipt, and now all he needed to do was keep Kate here for another hour.
"Castle, come here. I want you to look at something." She had found something that might be perfect for him. She just had to figure out if she could afford it. Everything was in euros, and she didn't know the exchange rate.
"That one, the one with the big face. What do you think?" She liked it, though she just didn't know if it would fit his wrist. It didn't look that much bigger, but the face looked bigger. There was literally nothing around the edge unlike most watches. And the face itself was unique.
An older woman came over to them. "May I help you?"
"Yes, this one, please. The one with the big face." Kate pointed it out and was soon holding it to look it over.
"I need your wrist, Castle." Kate grabbed his hand and lifted it, but she had to put her watch down to take his off and then on with that watch.
"For your dad?" Rick asked since she hadn't really gotten him much yet. Kate hummed in response.
It seemed to fit, and she liked the look of it. It was unique, not like the other watches.
"Mr. Castle?" Rick heard his name being called and turned to walk away.
"Not so fast, Castle." He was still wearing the watch. After it was off, Castle was gone. "In dollars, please?" Kate watched her use a calculator, and she told her the cost. "I can afford that. I'll take it. Just box it up, if you would, please."
Eventually, they were both leaving with little plastic bags. "Something for Alexis?" So far, she had a Disney t-shirt and a stuffed animal. Rick simply hummed back at her.
Dinner was next. Then they did some shopping after dropping off their bags in her hotel room. There were lots of stores to choose from. "So what's tomorrow?" Kate inquired because she didn't have any grand plans.
"The Anne Frank House and then a tour of Heineken Brewery," Rick said. "That one's a little more outside of town. I hope you still have your walking shoes."
"I didn't even know that house was in Amsterdam, and my feet are fine, thank you." So were the muscles around her core. Thankfully, keeping her core up against Castle's leg all night that night had helped a lot after what he had done to her that first night. She was still hoping for a repeat before going home.
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They both picked up their little plastic bags from Gassan and at the same time said to each other, "I bought you something."
Rick smiled at her. "Ladies first."
"It was impulsive, and no, it wasn't for my dad. I just… I wanted to thank you for talking me into taking this trip. I've enjoyed it so far. Only London and Geneva left to visit before going home." Kate handed her little box to him and waited for him to open it, her heart pounding.
Kate loved it, and she hoped he loved it too. "That watch!" Rick opened it and looked it over. "This is unique, Kate. I can say I've never seen one like it before."
"But do you like it?" He needed to say that he liked it, maybe even loved it. Though that could wait, let it grow on him.
"I like it. I like it a whole lot." Rick handed it back to her, took off his watch, and put hers on. "Thank you." Rick leaned in and kissed her. He even felt her kiss him back.
"I'm glad you like it. It's yours," she blurted. She was still a little nervous about it.
Rick reached in, took out his little box, and opened his hand. "And this one is yours."
Kate lost all the color on her face. She didn't take it from him. It was a ring box. She knew a ring box when she saw one, and this was definitely a ring box. She was scared, nervous, and about ready to throw up. She could feel tears starting, her heart was beating way too fast, and she was dizzy, almost ready to pass out.
"What have you done?" she whispered. There was a ring inside that little box. She just knew it.
Rick opened the box to reveal its contents, and now Kate knew she really was just about ready to pass out. It was gorgeous, and yes, it was an engagement ring. It had one large diamond in the middle and two smaller ones on either side. She also didn't miss that the box and the bag said Gassan, so she knew where he had gotten it.
Kate was totally taken by the look of their 121-facet stone, just like she saw in Gassan. "Castle!?" He wasn't... He couldn't be, could he? They hadn't known each other that long. Hell, she had dated Will for far longer, yet he hadn't tried to do this nor even talked to her about her ideas of marriage.
She watched as he took the ring out and then took her left hand in his, and very slowly, he slipped the ring onto her finger. "Castle, what are you doing?" Yeah, if he said that word, she would definitely pass out. Her blood pressure couldn't take much more.
He thought it was obvious. "I'm giving you an engagement ring."
At the moment Kate only had eyes for the ring. It was more ring than she had ever hoped for. Like many women, she had looked at wedding magazines, but if anyone asked, she would deny that they even existed, let alone looked at a few. Wedding dresses, flowers, color arrangements, invitations, the whole nine yards. She even knew where she wanted to be married.
"The center stone is 2.71 carats. The color is I, and the clarity is SI1. I was told that was pretty good. All on 18-karat white gold. Stunning, isn't it?" He was captivated by the 121 cut just as much as Kate had been. It was why he had chosen this one for her.
"Castle." She couldn't seem to get any other word out of her mouth. Yes, she was learning to like him, but he was taking this to a completely new level. One she wasn't sure she was ready for.
"It doesn't have to be tomorrow and certainly not this year." Especially since tomorrow was Christmas day and nearly everything might end up closed on them. They would just have to take their chances tomorrow. "Or even next year. I've learned to care about you, Kate, and I decided I didn't want anyone to steal you away from me."
He had artfully dodged saying the word marriage, and Kate hadn't missed that part.
Kate finally stopped looking at her ring, the ring that every woman wanted on her finger, and she had a beautiful one. A special one. Now she was looking up at him through eyes filled with tears. "What am I going to do with you, Castle?"
"You could kiss me," Rick offered. That caused Kate to laugh a little, which was always a good thing in his eyes. She needed to learn to laugh more often. And she did kiss him.
Later that night, there was still more sex. Rick took it as a sign that yes, she would if he ever found the courage to use the word MARRIAGE. Even he wasn't ready for that word just yet. Yes, he had been impulsive, but at least she hadn't given him his ring back. It was still on her finger.