We're probably looking at a three-shot here.
Note: None of these characters are mine.
How I Came To Be Yours – Chapter 2
By the end of the week, Kate had finished the second novel and then had read them both twice more. They made time pass quickly, which was more than she could say of anything else.
She'd almost gone to one of her classes on Tuesday, but had ended up curled up in the library stacks instead. Thursday she tried again and had managed to stay in her seat for a full 35 minutes before bolting. Baby steps, she figured.
She was excited about Saturday, about the prospect of a new novel to pour her time into. The feeling was incongruous with everything else in her life at the moment. Early in the week, in a fit of mourning, she'd talked herself out of the excitement. Excitement had no place in the real world. The real world was cruel. But by midweek, the anticipation had crept back in, and she found that she had missed it. So she let it stay.
Saturday came. Kate woke up early, and showered in warm water for the first time in a while. She brushed out her hair and dressed in clean clothes. She even ate the PB&J her roommate had left on the counter with a note reading, "EAT THIS!" She grabbed her bag, and both of the books, and headed out.
It was a long walk to the bookstore through the snow, and Kate arrived just as the reading was about to start. She stepped inside and stopped dead in her tracks. The main floor of the bookstore was packed with women, some only in their teens, some well past middle age. All were swarming around, talking excitedly.
What had she been thinking? She couldn't do this. Sitting in this crowded room full of semi-crazed women? Hell no. Just the thought made her claustrophobic. A few women brushed past her, jostling her, and a wave of panic seized her.
Kate turned quickly to leave, and slammed face first into something rather broad. And firm. And very un-middle-aged-woman-like.
"Whoa there killer. Where's the fire?" The man she'd run into reached out to steady her before she toppled over.
Kate looked up at the source of the deep voice and found herself face to face with Richard Castle himself. He grinned at her, and she opened her mouth to stammer something, but a loud announcement from the other end of the room drowned her out.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Richard Castle has arrived. Please give him a warm welcome."
The room broke into applause and a healthy handful of high pitched squeals. Richard Castle squeezed Kate's shoulder and then walked past her towards the front of the room, waving and smiling at the crowd.
Kate watched him walk away. The crowd pushed closer towards the front of the room, giving her a little space. She took a deep breath, and snuck off around the edge of the room. She found herself in the same deserted isle she'd occupied earlier in the week, so she sat and curled her legs underneath her, settling her bag and her books on the floor next to her.
"Thank you all so much for coming," Richard Castle was saying, "It's an honor to be here. I'm going to read a passage from my third novel, Kissed and Killed."
God, he's got a great voice. She rested her head on the shelf behind her, and closed her eyes, letting herself get lost in his words.
Kate suddenly became aware of giggling above her. "Quiet, Alexis! You'll wake her," a familiar voice chided gently.
Her eyes snapped open just in time to see a flash of red hair disappear around the end of the row.
Kate rubbed her eyes, and looked around. The store was mostly empty now; the crowd of women had completely disappeared. Confused, she checked her watch. She'd been asleep for two hours. Apparently it wasn't just the books that made time fly. The man himself had that ability as well.
Glancing down, she saw that her small stack of books had grown. On top of the two novels she'd carried in with her lay a third. She ran her hand over red hardbound volume before picking it up. She glanced around, but whoever had left it was gone.
Flipping open the front cover she found a short handwritten message
I've never caused a woman to flee in panic AND bored her to sleep in the same day. How flattering!
Happy Reading,
Rick Castle
She let out a startled laugh, as her face flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't often she fell asleep in public places, and it really wasn't often she fell asleep while being read to by a very attractive young man. But four weeks without sleeping through the night will do that to you, I suppose.
Getting to her feet, Kate headed towards the front of the store, holding the new book tightly to her chest. She was well aware she probably looked like a little kid with a security blanket, but hell, who was she kidding. That's exactly what she was.
She stepped up to the same elderly woman who she'd spoken with earlier that week, and placed the book on the counter.
"Oh, hello dear! What can I do for you?"
"Um, just the one book, please."
"That one's already been bought and paid for, dear. Spoke with Mr. Castle about it myself."
"Excuse me?"
"He came right on up and said he'd like to purchase a copy for the beautiful young woman asleep in the corner." When Kate looked at her confused, she elaborated in a conspiratorial whisper, "That's you, dear."
"Um, alright. Thanks," Kate said, nodding uncertainly. She picked up the book, placing it on top of the two in her arms, and headed for the door. She glanced back and caught the woman behind the desk smiling at her.
"He's never done that before dear, not in the last two times he's been here, anyway," the woman called after her. Kate tucked her hair nervously behind her ears and smiled back, as she pushed the door open.
What the hell had just happened?
Thanks for reading!