Yeah, yeah, it's been forever. I have no decent excuses. I apologize for the wait.
It's late, really late, when she arrives. She's filthy; head to toe covered in dirt and grass stains. Her hair is mussed and her makeup is smeared. What on earth happened to her?
I don't get a chance to ask though as she makes a beeline for her usual chair; the chair that's currently occupied by one of my new semi-regulars. He only comes in late at night, only ever stays a short time and rarely talks, but he's nice enough, always says please and thank you. I like him. John, I think his name is. Something with a J. No… Josh. It's definitely Josh. Josh the cardiac surgeon. If I was a decade or so younger, he'd be quite the catch, I think.
"Kate, wait!" I call, but I'm too late, she's already skidded to a halt as she rounds a column and comes face to face with the man occupying 'her' chair. She looks a little stunned and taken aback that he's in her seat. He just looks stunned.
Fair enough, I think. She is looking pretty stunning right now, and not in her usual 'just stepped out of the pages of Vogue' way. No, this is more of a feral wildebeest look that she's got going on.
I can barely make out her apologies as she holds out a dirty looking hand to introduce herself but the man smiles and shakes it anyway, laughing at something she says. Something I don't catch at all. Damn. Looks like eavesdropping will be out of the question tonight. The secluded spot is just too far from the counter that I'm chained to tonight after an employee had called in sick and left me high and dry.
I quickly set about making her the usual; chai tea latte. Watching them out of the corner of my eye while I steam the milk, now it's her that I notice laughing. They are cute together, I think, before my stomach drops and the feeling of a lead brick settles deep in my gut.
Shit! I know exactly what I am witnessing. This is a couple in the making.
I smell trouble. Not for Kate, per se, but mainly for myself and the perceptions I have about my matchmaking abilities. Rick and Kate are my endgame. But I'll be damned; it looks like now it is Kate's turn to throw a wrench into the works. I have been advocating for a rebound after all. But I was thinking more of a one night stand than a full-on relationship. Rick's latest affair with Gina has gone on longer than I ever expected it to though and I'll give Kate this: If she's going to find someone new, a handsome doctor with a rocking body and a smile to die for isn't a bad choice.
She reaches over and smacks him on the bicep, an intimate gesture coming from her, and I quickly pick up her now complete chai and hurry over to the alcove to hand it to her. She accepts it with a nod of thanks and I wave away the five dollar bill she waves in my direction, instead shooting her a look that infers I know exactly what is going on over here. She ducks her eyes, clearing her throat and I take it as my cue to leave.
I busy myself for the next few minutes, wiping tables and sweeping my already swept floor, being not at all discreet. I don't glean any more specific information but I can tell from their body language that they have definitely hit it off.
As I'm tucking the broom back in its cupboard behind the counter, Josh rises, handing over his business card. Kate smiles and replies in kind, handing over her card and blushing when he lets his fingers linger on hers for a moment longer than is socially acceptable.
Oh yeah, I'm definitely in trouble here. All my painstaking groundwork is being swept away with the brush of a few digits.
Kate grabs her bag from the floor and makes like she's going to follow him out of the store but I quickly intervene, running over to grab her hand and pull her back into the store. She raises an eyebrow but comes along willingly enough. She knows by now that I'll use force if necessary. I'm not above it. We both know it.
"Nice to meet you, Kate," he says, his voice smooth and warm, like honey, as he exits.
Kate blushes, again, and nods as he leaves.
"Spill," I demand, leading her back to the seating area and sitting her down on the sofa by the window.
"There's nothing to tell," she hedges. "He's… sweet."
"Not half bad to look at either," I say.
"Nope…"
I decide to let her off the hook for a minute. Besides, I hear the bell above the door ringing and since I'm the only one on shift tonight, Kate is literally saved by the bell. She smirks as I rise and I roll my eyes in response. "This isn't over," I warn with a grin as I hurry over to the register to take the lady's order. She orders a cup of decaf, drip filtered coffee and I sigh in relief. She'll be out the door in no time and I can resume grilling Kate.
It turns out that the woman wants to chat. She comments on the weather, the Mets, the state of the economy, and while usually I'd be happy to indulge, my friend is sitting over on the sofa by the window, watching the pedestrians pass by with a contented smile on her face. I'm polite to the lady, inquiring about where she lives and what she does for a living, a few other general questions, but I'm also in a rush and I miss most of the conversation as my attention keeps slipping. Brooklyn, I catch though, and she's a hairdresser.
Huh, I think. That explains the chattiness; she's a kindred spirit. "Listen," I say, handing over her cup of steaming decaf. "I hate to shuffle you out the door, but I think you're my kind of people and I know you'll understand. I'm short-handed tonight, but that's my friend over there and she's… having a moment."
"Ah," she smiles, taking the hint. "Gotcha! Some other time then," she says with a wink and turns to leave.
"Have a good one," I call after her.
As I return to the couch, I study Kate's features. She looks happy; relaxed in a way she hasn't for a long time. I decide to drop the topic of the handsome doctor and let her have her moment, instead going after the giant elephant in the room.
"So…" She looks up, already cringing, probably assuming I'm gonna go for the jugular regarding the surgeon. "You wanna explain your disheveled appearance?"
"Oh," she laughs, eyes lighting up and a huge grin spreading across her face. "Castle and I…"
And then her face falls again. God, can nothing be simple with this woman? Castle and you should have been together a year ago, I think. "Castle did this?" I say instead, gesturing to her mud-streaked slacks.
"We were on a case and it lead to a treasure map," she replies.
"No freaking way," I exclaim. "No way."
"Way," she confirms, nodding. "An honest to goodness treasure map."
"So you guys just followed the map and dug up a treasure?"
"More or less…" she responds, chuckling before continuing. "There was a long and convoluted case, and the possibility of an extended gun battle at one point, but yeah, more or less."
"You know," I say. "I think I'm kind of glad that I don't have your job. Exciting as buried treasure sounds; I'm not too fond of the idea of gun battles. I'm glad you're both okay," I say, squeezing her knee.
"Me too," she says, still smiling. "Castle was actually kinda helpful this time around. He probably saved all of our lives."
"Well, well," I reply, impressed. "Is our boy growing up?"
"Could be," she says, her tone laced with a small hint of sadness.
"What is it?" I ask gently.
"It's nothing; it's stupid really."
"Impossible."
"Really."
"Try me," I say.
She sighs, fiddling with her fingernails and stalling for a minute before she begins. "We were gonna go out and celebrate. After we'd turned over the goods, of course." She laughs, "Castle was none too happy about that. He was rambling about the injustice of it all; finding a treasure and then having to do the right thing and hand it over to the police."
"Yeah," I laugh, "that would really chap his ass."
"Uh huh. So as a consolation I offered to take him out to celebrate. We were halfway to a little bar I know, not far from his place, when his cell rang."
Oh, I know exactly where this is going. "Gina?" I ask.
"Yeah," she confirms, looking around as though prying ears might hear her confession.
But the shop is deserted at this late hour and there's nothing, and no one, who can possibly interrupt and perhaps save her from coming clean.
"Look, I know I have no right to him. She's his girlfriend, his ex-wife for goodness sakes. But still…"
She fidgets with her dirty clothes, pulling on the hem of her shirt that has somehow torn and frayed at her hips. She twirls at a loose thread, refusing to meet my eyes.
"It stung a little?" I ask, gently placing a hand on her arm and encouraging her to look up at me.
She meets my eyes, the greens and browns stormy and a little hazy. "Yeah."
"Kate, I don't know if you want to hear this but…"
"But nothing Jess. I'm being ridiculous." She cuts me off, shrugging off my hand and shaking her head as if to clear the unhappy thoughts. "He deserves to be happy and if Gina's what makes him happy, I'm okay with it. Really. Besides," she says, swiftly turning the conversation away from the feelings that she clearly still has for Rick. "This guy, Josh? I think I might really like him. We made plans to go out sometime this week. Probably tomorrow night. As long as he doesn't get called in for a shift at the hospital."
"You like him, huh?" I ask, taking her cue to drop the Castle subject and move on to more exciting things.
Kate and Rick might be endgame. But perhaps she's right… in her own screwed up way. They are both obviously meant for each other, but it's also likely that neither of them is ready for it yet. They are both so very gun-shy, neither willing to pull the trigger and admit their true feelings for the other.
They keep breaking each other's trust, each other's hearts, and maybe it's better that they move on alone, grow up a little more, before attempting to come together for anything long term. I'd hate to see them flame out and die because they rushed into a relationship with their eyes closed.
One and done, Kate always says. I have a sneaking suspicion that Kate already knows that Rick's her one, and the lack of Gina in recent conversations leads me to believe that as far as Rick's relationship goes, he's almost done.
Perhaps I should just step back and let nature take its course.
She nods her head, smiling. "Yeah," she says. "I think I might."
"Then I'm happy for you," I say, actually meaning it.
After all, Kate needs to learn that she can depend on people. And who could be more trustworthy with a fragile heart than a freaking cardiac surgeon?
It's CASTLE FREAKING... SUNDAY? Ah well, who cares?! Happy Castle day to you all! No matter what day you plan on watching it. Hiatus of hell... OVER!
Many thanks to Kell for the awesome last-minute beta. And to Avi, who started me on an epic writing binge of almost 10,000 words last night. If not for that, I doubt I ever would have found the mojo to pull out Jess and dust her off for another chapter.