A/N - "Thoughts"

Chapter 3 – Gifts And Insight

Kate and Gordo walked around San Francisco's Chinatown visiting the various shops. After a few hours of shopping, Gordo followed Kate out of one of the shops and as he adjusted Kate's bags that he was carrying, "How much longer are we gonna be shopping?"

Kate stopped on the sidewalk and took a few of the bags he had been carrying. "Quit your whining," she told him sarcastically with a small smile. "Besides you're dragging me to that baseball game tonight."

Gordo snickered and looked at her with a smirk, "I'm not dragging you anywhere. If you remember correctly it was your father who gave you the tickets and you asked me to go."

Turning and flipping her hair over her shoulder, "Whatever," Kate started walking towards another shop, "One more shop and then we can call it a day."

Gordo laughed softly as he started to follow her. "Yea, I've heard that before," he said sarcastically.

As they entered the shop, Gordo headed towards some of the displays in the back of the shop while Kate stayed near the counter.

Kate watched him for a moment and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Slowly looking away, she spotted a display on the counter of necklace pendants in the shape of Chinese characters. Walking up to the counter, Kate started to go through the rack. She had wanted to get Gordo sort of a thank you gift for what he had done. They had been hanging out for about two weeks now, basically doing tourist stuff, and she was actually having fun with her old friend.

As Kate was shifting through the rack, an elderly Asian woman walked up to her. "Can I help you dear?"

Kate looked up, "Yea. I'm looking for a gift."

"A gift?" the woman repeated. She glanced over at Gordo, "For a boyfriend perhaps?"

Kate looked dumbfounded for a moment but then got what she was implying. "No. A friend. We're just friends."

"Perhaps," the woman said as she walked behind the counter. "But I've seen the way you look at him."

Kate blushed slightly. "I just wanted to buy a gift for my friend."

The old woman nodded with a knowing smile. "Perhaps this one," she said reaching to the display and taking one of the pendants. "It means friendship."

The old woman handed Kate the pendant. Looking at it in her hand, Kate smiled softly. "What's it made out of?"

"Sterling silver."

"Umm, how much?" Kate asked.

The woman reached under the counter and pulled out a small box, bag, and a matching necklace. "Thirty and I throw in the necklace."

Kate looked at her for a moment, "Isn't that kind of cheap?"

The woman just shrugged and gave her the same knowing smile. "Let's just say I have a soft spot for young lovers."

Kate's face went completely flushed. "We're…We're just friends."

The woman nodded but the smile remained. "Sometimes the best love starts as friendship."

Kate wasn't sure what to say, if anything. Paying for the gift, she hid it in one of the bags she was holding. "Thank you."

"You're welcome dear and don't hide your heart for too long."

Kate just nodded and watched the woman walk away. Shaking her head, she headed towards the door.

"Kate."

Looking up, she watched Gordo walk up to her. "You done?"

"Yea. You buy anything?" Gordo asked her.

As they walked outside, "Just a little trinket," Kate told him.

The night, Kate and Gordo sat in box seats along the first base line at Pac Bell Park. A client of Mr. Sanders had given him the tickets but since Amy didn't want to go, he gave the tickets to Kate.

Kate wasn't really into sports but one, it was something for them to do and two, it got her out of the house.

As Gordo watched the game, he glanced at Kate out of the corner of his eye. He knew she didn't really understand everything but he tried his best to explain it to her. He watched Kate tug at the baseball hat he bought her. Originally it was meant as a joke but it made him sort of happy that she continued to wear it during the game.

Kate watched as the batter hit the ball to the second baseman and he just stepped on the bag. As the fielders ran off the field, Kate turned to Gordo.

Gordo looked over and noticed her questioning glance. "When there is a runner who is forced to run to the next base, all the fielder has to do is step on the base."

Kate bit her lip as she replayed what Gordo said. "A force out?" she asked a little shyly.

Grinning at her, "Yea." Putting an arm around her, he gave her a quick hug. "You're getting it."

"Th…Thanks." Kate mumbled as she felt her head spinning.

As Gordo looked back at the field, Kate continued to look at him. "Me and Gordo?" she thought to herself. "We're barely friends again and I'm thinking about being more? Am I crazy or just stupid? Ruin a perfectly good friendship that I just got back for a stupid summer romance. Besides there's no way a guy like Gordo would seriously go out with me."

Kate let out a sigh and turned back to the game, "Just when I thought things were looking up, my wonderful life bitch slaps me back into reality."