Hope you're enjoying this. Harder to find the time to write than I thought it would be. So I genuinely appreciate knowing if you're liking it. Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming [please, with cherries on top?].
Chapter 8 – Off to Dinner
Backstage, Rick looked at his daughter who was prying her feet out the wooden shoes. Behind her his mother was removing the witch's wart and scrapping at some of the putty-like makeup used to make her chin bulge.
"We did a good job, kiddies. Alexis, if you ever wanted to follow in my footsteps…"
"Ah, Mother. She's the brains in the family. We can't waste it on the stage."
"Har, har, har."
"Dad, out. So we can change."
Rick walked out, eyes immediately searching for Kate. He found her sitting in a child-sized chair holding a little girl and reading her a Dr. Seuss classic: One Fish, Two Fish.
"You, Detective Beckett, are not where you said you'd be…but this is better."
"Castle." Kate said as she and the little girl looked up at him. The girl slid of Kate's lap and scampered off to a bean bag. "Looks like some of us are still resilient to your Castle charm. Hope remains." Kate shifted her eyes toward the heavens, mouthing 'thank you' the entity there with a smile on her face.
"Full of funny, today, aren't we?" Rick extended his hand to help her up from the pint-sized chair. "Thanks for staying. It really meant a lot to Alexis."
"Well, Castle, I wasn't lying when I said I enjoyed it. Second time, too."
Kate saw Martha and Alexis behind him and dropped his hand.
"You two change fast." Rick was disappointed to lose Kate's hand so quickly after having it in his own.
"Years of practice, Darling. Come now, go get changed. You're taking us to dinner to celebrate. Kate, you'll join us?"
Kate paused. She'd had dinner with Castle's family many times, but going out to dinner somehow seemed different. Still, they were friends, right? And she enjoyed their company. Already, her day hadn't gone as planned—and Castle was certainly to blame for a large portion of her day. Her decision made, Kate glanced at her watch and ran her fingers around the face as was her habit. She couldn't believe it was already after five. And since Josh was now working instead of spending the evening with her as they had planned, What the hey?
"Well, I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm famished, so I'm game."
"You're famished, Beckett? I've seen you subsist for days on little more than caffeine and claws, and today—after a big delicious breakfast, I might add—you're famished?"
"Maybe I make up for my work week on my days off?"
"Maybe you forget to eat and should let me feed you more often?"
"I'm letting you feed me now."
"Right," Alexis eyes bouncing back and forth between the two. "So, go change, Dad. She's famished, remember? And Gram and I are hungry as well."
"But, more importantly, sexy as that getup is, I'm not going anywhere with you dressed liked that."
Rick hooked his thumbs in behind his suspenders, and with a lightly randy grin said, "You think suspenders are sexy, Detective? I'll keep that in mind."
Quick as he said it, Kate was in front of him with her own sly grin. "You do that," she whispered into his ear. Then, while he was still dazed, she stood back, slipped her fingers behind his suspenders and pulled back. "Larry King wants his look back." His eyes widened as she released the straps and enjoyed watching him wince as they smacked against his chest.
"Easy, Tiger." And then, because he couldn't resist: "But, I can keep the tights?"
"If that's what it takes to make you feel like a man, Castle."
"I'm—"
"Really, Richard. We know. Wounded pride. Witty retort. But maybe we could continue this at dinner?"
The three of them pushed him away. "Fine. I'll go. But I'm picking the restaurant."
Rick was back in jeans and his blue button down, he returned to his girls. He paused for a moment to take in the sight. Kate leaning over to look at something on Alexis' phone, with Martha between them looking perplexed, but pleased.
Kate was immediately aware of Rick's presence. She looked up.
"So, Castle, where are we heading?"
"Well, I don't actually know where I want to eat. I just know I want pierogis. I've been craving them for like five years. Haven't had good pierogies since Leshko's closed."
"Stanton's, then?" Alexis suggested.
Rick wrinkled his face. "Maybe. It's kinda hit and miss."
"Castle. If you want good—no great—pieroies, I know just where to go. After Kiev, I missed the latkes and varenyky and even the borsht so much, I dragged Dad around to nearly every Ukrainian, Russian and German restaurant in the City. Have you ever heard of Veselka's?" Three heads shook 'no.'
"Oh, you're gonna love it. Best pierogies in town. Whenever Dad and I meet up for dinner, that's pretty much the only place we go. So?"
"Sounds great, Darling."
"Let's go." Rick jingled his keys, silently asking Kate if she wanted to ride with.
"I drove here. Ride with me, Lex?" The girl nodded her delight. "Corner of 2nd and 9th, Castle. See you there."
"Feel free to change the station. Or you can plug in your iPod. I have an adapter in the glove compartment."
"No, this is fine. It's the same station I normally listen to."
Kate pulled away from the hospital and went over a few blocks, knowing there was a gas station on the corner. "I have to fill up," she told Alexis. "But, I have an ulterior motive for asking you to ride with me."
"Is it about my Dad? Did he do something?"
"Nope." Kate grinned. "I want the scoop on Ashley. It hasn't been just us since we went to the coffee shop—and I happen to know you have prom coming up." Kate left a thrilled Alexis sitting in the car.
When Kate slid back into the car, Alexis filled her in on all the details about prom: when it was going to be (weekend after Mother's Day), who was going with whom, where it was going to be, the theme (Arcadian Nights—a clever play on Arabian Nights). Castle donated his pin ball machine and an air hockey table, but wasn't willing to part with his laser tag. That was okay though because the after-party space had laser tag, bumper cars, bowling and, of course, a full arcade.
"Sounds like you're going to have an amazing time, Alexis. You haven't told me about your dress though. What's it look like?"
"That's the problem."
"You haven't picked out a dress yet?"
"No. I have a dress." She scrolled to a picture on her phone and held it out to Kate.
"It's beautiful, Lex. Looks great on you!"
"Yeah." Alexis took her phone back, her disappointment clear. She scrolled to another picture on her phone and held it out for Kate to see. "Popular, too."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Tess sent me this yesterday. I really love that dress and it took forever to find it." She looked up shyly at Kate. "It matches Ashley's eyes. I know he'd love it."
"Alexis," Kate said looking over at the girl who now had tears in her eyes. She was clearly frustrated and trying not to come off as a typical, frustrated schoolgirl. Kate squeezed her leg. "Two things. One that dress—looks way better on you. Two, doesn't matter what you wear, Ashley's going to love it because he loves the girl wearing the dress, not the dress. Oh, he'll notice what you're wearing to be sure. But, I've seen you two together. He wouldn't know if every other girl—and half the boys—were wearing the same dress. He never takes his eyes off you."
Alexis smiled. "Yeah. He does kinda like me. Kinda like dad with you." Alexis sneaked a look at the detective, completely aware of what she'd just said, wondering what Kate's reaction would be, but other than a slight flush, Kate gave nothing away.
Kate skipped to the issue at hand. "So, what are you going to do about a dress?"
"Well, I thought I'd wear the same dress I wore to my friend Mariana's Quinceañera, but," she gestured to her chest, "I've, uh, grown." Her cheeks reddened.
"Well, looks like you get to go shopping again."
"But, I don't want to go shopping. All my friends already have their dresses. We already did the shopping thing."
"Surely, Paige would go with you."
"Yeah."
"And I would go with you."
"You would?"
"Sweetie, I would love to go with you. We could make a girl's day. You invite Paige, I'll invite Lanie."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. What are you doing tomorrow?" Alexis just shook her head. "Text Paige and see if she wants to go."
Alexis did as she was told and excitedly chimed "She's in." Kate pulled her phone from her pocket.
"Here," she said tossing it to Alexis. "Text Lanie. But make sure you tell her it's you on my phone first. I don't want her sending any foul texts your way." Kate knew Lanie was pretty much a shopaholic and would drop plans—even if they were with Esposito—if it meant she'd get to go shopping. She'd jump at the chance to shop for a fancy dress. "Let's plan around ten…that way we have all day if we don't find something you like right away."
Kate pulled into a parking space across the street from Veselka's.
Surprise guest at dinner…who will it be?