"Castle, long time no see. How's it going?" asked one of the waiters who waited to seat them as they walked through the door.
"Joe! Its going well how about you?" Castle asked excited to see his friend he had known since high school.
"Good I guess. At least it's going somewhere." The waiter said laughing at his own joke. "Who do we have here? New girlfriend?" Joe asked as he stared at Beckett as though he was making sure she was good enough for his buddy.
"Nope. This is Detective Beckett, my inspiration for Nikki Heat, I have been following her around for a while." Castle said as he look at Beckett admiring her beauty, thinking she was to pretty to ever go out with a guy like him.
"Oh well nice to meet you Detective. Usual spot?" He asked turning back to Castle.
"Please." Castle answered letting Joe lead the way.
Joe lead Castle and Beckett into a room towards the back of the restaurant, getting stares as they passed the other diner's tables. Beckett was use to the stares, she had been out with Castle so many times that she didn't even notice it anymore. Joe placed their menus at a table right near the entrance of the room. Castle pulled out a chair for Beckett before sitting across from her.
"Ooo a gentleman." Said the waiter with a wink before turning around leaving the two alone.
"Sorry about him. He doesn't have many friends and gets a little too excited when I come here." Castle said jokingly from behind the menu he was looking at.
"No worries." Kate said making sure to hide her smirk behind her own menu. Joe arrived back at the table ten minutes later to take their orders.
"I'll have my usual with a beer." Castle said closing his menu and handing it too Joe.
"I'll just have a salad and a beer sounds good." Beckett said also handing Joe her menu.
After Joe left it was only a couple of minutes before a girl a little shorter then Beckett with long blonde hair came up to their table holding Heat Wave, one of Castle's books.
"Would you mind signing this?" She asked holding the book and a pen towards Castle. "I'm a huge fan."
Beckett sat back in her chair with sigh realizing they were going to have no privacy on this outing. Castle finished signing the book and handed it back to the girl. He turned to Beckett, put his elbows on the table, and rested his chin in his palms. They stared at each other for quite a while before Joe arrived back at their table with their food.
"Here you go. Enjoy." He said before turning and walking away. As Beckett went to take a bite of her salad she thought she saw a flash go off in the distance but shook it off as nothing thinking it was just a group of kids taking silly pictures. Castle and Beckett finished their lunch in silence. Castle flagged down Joe and ordered them dessert. They had agreed on sharing a slice of classic New York cheesecake, they were to stuffed to order individual once. Joe brought them their cheesecake and two forks.
"Dig in." said Castle as he passed her a fork. As soon as both Castle and Beckett stuck their forks into the cheesecake another flash went off but only this time it was closer. Again Beckett shook it off as nothing and continued eating the cheesecake. When they both had finished, Castle paid the bill and they got ready to leave. Castle held Beckett's jacket open for her as she slid her arms into the sleeves. Right as she was doing this another flash went off but only this time it was right in front of their faces. Before they had a chance to see who it was the person had run out of the restaurant leaving the door to slam shut behind them.
"Stupid paparazzi." Castle muttered as he put on his jacket. They walked out of the restaurant and around the corner to where they had parked the car. When they spotter their car they noticed there was also a mob of paparazzi waiting for them blocking the car's entrances so they couldn't get in.