Disclaimer: All these characters belong to ABC and Mr. Marlowe
Sitting on her couch, Kate was reviewing her latest case notes. She was exhausted, but after spending the afternoon with Castle in the park, she didn't get to complete the work she wanted too.
Hearing the buzzing of her phone, she took a quick glance at the caller ID before answering.
"Hey, Lanie. How you going?" she greeted with a yawn.
"Uh-uh. Kate Beckett, I am not calling so we can talk about me. I'm calling so we can talk about you. Now, why didn't you tell me that you were dating Richard freakin' Castle?"
Shutting her eyes, Kate winced. Great. She was going to tell Lanie, eventually, but it seemed like somebody already did the talking for her.
Putting her files aside, Kate sunk into the couch. "How do you know about that?"
"Javi told me. Mind you, he didn't decide to inform me until now, but at least he told me. Girl, I am your best friend. What the hell is wrong with you?" she questioned through the phone.
"Nothing, I just-" unable to find the right words to explain, Kate went for the easiest she could come up with. "I was going to tell you, but it's just complicated."
"Yeah, I know, he explained everything. But it still doesn't mean I'm happy with you." Letting out a sigh, Lanie softened her voice, "Now that we've got that out of the way, how was your walk?"
"Terrible," Kate grumbled.
"Okay, well, it was your first date, so I guess that's only expected. When and where is your next outing taking place?"
"I'm going to his place on Friday." Kate ran her fingers through her hair, slightly scratching her scalp.
"Hmm, two dates in five days. Doesn't sound so terrible to me," Lanie teased.
"Unfortunately we have no choice in the matter. His publicist has literally provided us with an itinerary of what we are expected to do and when," dropping her hand to rest on the cushions.
"Mmm-hmm, and is jumping him in that itinerary somewhere?"
"Lanie, please-" she interjected.
"Kate, he is one of New York's most eligible bachelors, your favourite author, and you are practically going to be spending every second day with him. You cannot tell me that you're not planning on taking advantage of the situation," she justified.
"That is far from my mind. He is so superficial and egotistical it's astonishing," Kate unenthusiastically replied.
"Honey, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you already have that opinion of him before you met? Maybe if you actually got to know the damn guy, you might get along a little."
"Lanie, he is completely how they describe him in the papers, if not worse."
"Come on, Kate. I've been trying to set you up for years, and you haven't had a bar of it. Now, you have this man literally forced into your life. It's like it's meant to be," Lanie attempted to persuade.
"There is no way. He is like a complete child and all we seem to do is argue with each other," Kate defended into the phone.
"Well, maybe that's a good thing. You are one of the most serious, closed-off people I've ever met, Kate. Your life could do with someone who challenges you. Look at the positives, though. At least you survived your first date together," Lanie highlighted optimistically.
"That was one date, Lanie. Goodness knows what's going to happen on the next one."
"Honey, I'm sure it won't be that bad."
This was bad. Rick was sitting at the kitchen bench, apprehensively watching the clock. They had agreed that Kate would come over three o'clock, and it was currently ten minutes past. Damn. That meant she would be there any minute now.
Looking around hopelessly at his empty and silent loft, he dreaded her arrival. He had spent the past two hours attempting to create excuses for Paula. Anything, that could logically justify why it was simply impossible for Kate to come over; radioactive rats were running loose in his kitchen, his loft was haunted with ghosts who didn't like visitors, he received a contagious monkey virus and therefore was in lockdown...The only problem was, he couldn't think of anything sensible enough to work. Stupid over active imagination.
Hearing a knock at the door, he dropped his head in his hands and let out a grumble.
"Here we go."
Pushing off the stool, he shuffled his way to the entry. Shaping his hand around the metal handle, he exhaled a deep breath, and pulled.
"Hi," he welcomed to an equally discontented Kate Beckett.
Stepping aside, he gestured with his arm for her to enter.
"Hi," she mumbled, walking past him with a pile of folders in her arms.
Did this woman think about anything other than work?
Pausing in the entry, she stood uncomfortably, waiting for him to take the lead.
"Oh, here, you can sit on the couch if you would like," motioning to the leather furniture.
"Thanks," she muttered, as she slowly began to move.
Once she was sitting down, Rick awkwardly scratched his back. "Great, well, I will leave you to it. I'm just going to go in there," he fumbled, pointing to his office, "To, you know, do some writer stuff."
"Sure," she replied, setting her work out in front of her.
Quickly exiting the room, he walked into his office and shut the door behind him. Scanning his eyes around the decorated space, he attempted to find some inspiration. What the hell was he going to do for three hours? He couldn't write because of his wrist, not that he really wanted to anyway. He was certain he had a yo-yo in there somewhere, but he just had to find it...
Before he had a chance to look, however, his phone rang.
Lifting it up to his ear, he didn't even get a word in before he was deafened by the booming voice on the other end. "Richard Castle!"
Jerking his phone away from his sensitive eardrum, Rick grimaced. That was just what he needed. An angry Paula.
"Hi, Paula!" he answered, providing his best attempt at cheerful voice. He figured if he at least sounded a little happy, there was a slight chance he might have been able to dissolve her bad mood.
"Do not try to force your charm on me, Richard!"
Damn. She knew him too well.
Walking over to his large chair, he dejectedly sat down. "What's wrong with you?" he innocently queried.
"Have you checked the paper for your big article from your first date?" she sternly questioned through the phone.
"Ah, no. Sorry, Paula. I've been really busy trying to help Alexis with her schoolwork, and-"
"Your excuses aren't going to work either," she suddenly interrupted.
"Fine. I can check now if you'd like?" he apprehensively suggested, searching through the pile of papers on his desk.
"Sure, go for it, but you might want to find a magnifying glass beforehand!" Paula snapped.
"What?"
"There is no article, Richard!"
Uh-oh.
"You are briefly mentioned. Simply a line at the bottom of a summary gossip piece." Clearing her throat, she began to read, "In other news, celebrity author, Richard Castle, was seen arguing with yet another one of his women. It doesn't seem like the Storm will be Clearing for this doomed coupling. "
"Hey, that's not too bad. At least the play on words mentions my new book title, sort of," he hopefully informed.
"Richard, this is a catastrophe. We don't want to be 'other news,' we want to be the news! People aren't interested in reading about you fighting with your woman of the week. Romance sells, Rick. They want to hear the true love story of the murder-mystery writer falling in love with a local cop. Arguing in front of the cameras is not going to accomplish that!" she finished her rant angrily. "Now, you are meant to be on date number two. Is she there yet?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Great. What are you two doing?"
"She's working in the lounge and I'm in my office," he replied, playing with a figurine on his desk.
"You're what?" she yelled. "Are you hiding from her?"
"No," he clarified with an uneasy chuckle, "Paula, don't be ridiculous. I'm cleaning out my desk drawers."
He's never lied so badly in his life.
"Richard, you and I both know that you never clean out those drawers."
Realising it was a lost cause, he quickly spoke. "Fine, I'll admit it, I'm hiding. But this is just too hard, Paula. I'm trying to get along with her, I really am, but she's just-"
"Just what?"
"I don't know! That's the problem. I have no idea what she is," he defiantly whispered, standing up from the chair. "I have never met a woman like her in my life." Making his way towards the other side of the room, he continued, "Trying to have a normal conversation with her is like trying to tunnel through a brick wall with a spoon. It's impossible! Seriously, Paula. There is no way this is going to work out. We are literally polar opposites," he hushed, now staring at an occupied Kate Beckett through his bookshelf.
"Just be patient with her. You know they say opposites attract," she hinted.
"Well, whoever came up with that stroke of genius was clearly drinking Kool-Aid at the time!" he adamantly argued.
"Rick, the potential publicity for this is massive, but it's not going to happen if you two are constantly at each other's throats! Now, quit acting like a child, and go out there and talk to her!" she sternly instructed before hanging up.
Rick opened his mouth to respond, but it was too late. Placing his phone back in his pocket, he huffed out a breath and slowly began to pull at the door.
Keeping his attention on Kate, who was completely engaged in her work, he uneasily made his way across the room. Stopping a few feet away from her, he sunk down on the opposite end of the couch and stared. He just sat there, hands clasped in his lap, waiting for her to acknowledge him.
In what seemed like forever, she slowly lifted her head up and returned his gaze.
With her full attention, he cleared his throat and finally spoke. "So... How about this wintery weather, huh?" he uneasily began.
Raising an eyebrow, Kate shot him a questioning glance. "The weather? Really, Castle? That's what you go for?"
Shifting his body to now face her, "Hey, don't blame me, okay. After our first date I googled one-hundred and one ways to start a conversation in awkward situations, and talking about the weather was most popular," he defended.
"I can't believe you actually put in effort for this," she sighed, attempting to look preoccupied.
"Believe me, I didn't. I just wanted to be more prepared then last time. We both know what a disaster that one was," he chuckled to himself.
Closing the case file on her lap, Kate crossed her arms and drew her eyebrows together. "Why are you here?"
"Uh, because it's my loft."
Rolling her eyes, she continued. "Not here as in your loft, I mean here as in the room. What happened to, 'we don't even have to be in the same room as each other'?" she questioned, imitating his earlier statement.
"Well, that was the plan. Paula just found out though and told me off. She wasn't exactly happy with our performance at Central Park and thought we needed to put in a bit more 'effort'. She made me come and talk to you," he said quietly, bringing his feet up to rest on the coffee table.
"She made you? What are you, five?"
"No. But when Paula tells me to do something, I prefer to listen. She is a very scary woman."
"So we are just going to sit here for the next three hours?"
"Pretty much. Sounds fun, right?" he sarcastically asked.
Kate looked around the room, before letting out a sigh. "This is ridiculous. How about you put a movie on. Do you think Paula will be okay with that?" she mocked.
At least it was a valid excuse to sit in silence for a few hours.
"Okay. Well, you look through the cabinet over there then," gesturing to the piece of furniture, "And pick out a DVD that you like. I will go set up the projector," he suggested, getting to his feet.
"Great," she nodded, pushing herself off the couch and making her way to his collection.
Entering his office, Castle gathered all the equipment he could find. Hmm, now where was that remote?
Doing a quick rummage of the room, he still couldn't spot it, so headed out to the lounge for further inspection.
After a few minutes of unsuccessful searching, he finally gave up.
"Hey, have you seen the projector remote?" he asked Kate, who was still crouched over, trying to choose a movie.
"Have you looked for it?" she bluntly asked, turning around to face him.
Dropping his shoulders, he let out a sigh. "No, my spidey-senses are just telling me that it's missing," sarcastically waving his fingers in the air. "Of course I looked for it," he finished sternly.
"Castle, I've been here for no longer than twenty-five minutes. What makes you think I could find it?"
"Because you're a detective. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you detect things?" he obviously stated.
"Murderers, Castle. Not missing remotes," she factually responded.
"So you're saying that your skills are selective? Jeez, remind me if I'm murdered not to ask you to try and solve my case," he sarcastically informed, before quickly reviewing his words, "Wait- that wouldn't work..."
"Are you serious?" she frowned.
"Well, at least admit that between the two of us you would be most qualified to find it," he honestly answered.
Unwilling to argue over something so trivial, Kate let out a puff of air and rose to her feet. "Have you looked in the couch?" she questioned, making her way towards the furniture.
"Of course I looked there," he frankly sighed.
Now standing in front of the couch, Kate began to feel between gaps. Lifting up the cushions, she spotted the remote.
"Sure you did," she unbelievably stated, holding the missing object out for him to see.
"You found it," he answered, expressing his surprise. "Well, just so you know, it definitely wasn't there when I looked," he justified, taking the remote and walking towards the projector. "So, you pick a movie yet?"
Kate slowly walked towards him. "Yeah. I had seen it advertised and was interested in watching it, but never found the time. Here," handing him the DVD.
Looking at her choice, Rick scrunched up his face. "Oh, nah, not that one. Bruce Willis' character gets killed in the end. Choose another one," he candidly informed before walking off.
"Are you serious?"
Turning around to catch her stare, he was completely oblivious.
"What?"
"Castle, I just said I hadn't seen it. You literally just spoiled the whole movie for me."
Oh. Whoops. "Well, you said you didn't have the time to watch it, so I guess now you don't need to. You should probably be thanking me."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"What now?" he grunted, turning around to face her.
"You are so self-centred you don't even realise it!" she pointed out, forcing her hands to her hips.
Scrambling his brain for good comebacks, he quickly responded. "Well, at least I communicate enough for you to notice."
"What's that meant to mean?" she defensively questioned.
"All you seem to do is grumble and frown all the time."
"I don't grumble. I just don't agree with most of the things you say, so I let you know!" she argued, raising her voice.
"See, there you go again with the bad mood. Where are your fellow dwarfs? I need to tell them Grumpy has run away and she's in my loft!"
"Gah, you're unbelievable!" she shouted, standing up from the couch and collecting her files.
"Yeh? Well guess what? So are you!" he equally retorted, his voice just as loud.
"Fine! Enjoy your movie, Castle!" walking away from him in a huff.
"Fine, I will!" he stubbornly agreed, overdramatically raising his hands in the air.
"Fine!" she finished, shutting the loft door behind her.
Yep. This was bad.
Thanks again to everyone who has taken their time to read, especially to those who have made the extra effort to leave a review. Every single one of them has given me further encouragement and even got this chapter out a little earlier than expected.
BareWriter