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Stepping through the door of the loft, I was greeted with the smell of basil and pesto. I shrugged out of my coat and handed it to Alexis who put it in the hall closet. She turned around and looked me up and down; I was in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and black tie. She grabbed my blazer and pulled it off of me as well.

"Just want you to be comfortable." She said kissing my cheek.

I took her hand in mine and she guided me into the kitchen where the group was gathered around the island, sipping wine and chatting.

"Dad, Jasper's here." Alexis stated as we came to stop at the counter top. Her father looked up from cooking and smiled at us both.

"Good to see you again, Jasper. I think you know everybody except for Jim and Jenny." He said.

"Jim Beckett." The older man who was standing next to Kate said. He approached me extending his hand to mine and I shook his hand.

"Jasper Bracken."

"Hi, I'm Jenny, Kevin's wife. And this is my daughter Sarah Grace." The petite blonde said approaching me with a baby in her arms.

"Hi, I'm Jasper." I said looking over the blanket, seeing the newborn child. Your daughter is beautiful just like her mother."

"Thank you." She said with a smile.

My cellphone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the caller I.D. It was Miss White. I sighed debating whether I should take the call or not.

"Go ahead, take it." Alexis whispered.

"Excuse me." I said taking the call. "Bracken."

"Turn your TV on now." She stated.

"I'm at a dinner right now."

"Get to a TV and go to Fox News."

"Miss White…"

"It's your father. He is talking about your campaign." She said simply.

"Fine, stay on the line. Hold on." I said putting the call on mute. "Mr. Castle, may I use your TV for a moment?"

"Sure. Alexis turn it on." Castle said.

"What channel?" Alexis said clicking the TV on.

"Fox News." I told her.

The anchor woman came on the screen and the entire group gathered into the living room.

"Now, let's go live to Senator Bracken's press release today."

The camera cut to my father who was standing in a conference room.

"Today, my son announced his decision to run for City Council. I support my son one hundred percent. But, his decision on becoming a Republican and running this young. It's outrageous. I believe he still has many years until he is truly ready. I love my son but I do not believe he is ready to take on the role of leading the people of New York." He said.

"Jasper!" Miss White's urgent voice came over the speaker.

"What?" I asked.

"We need to do damage control. You need to talk with your father and get him to retract his statement."

"Miss White, if he feels that way, I can't change his mind. Listen, make a statement to that release. I have to go I'm at a dinner. We will talk tomorrow."

"Jasp-!" Her shouting cut off by my tapping of the end button.

"Jasper, I am…" Alexis said apologetically.

"So, dinner?" I suggested as I walked into the kitchen. Trying to get the subject changed off of me.

Kate must have sensed that because she said, "Yea, Castle, when is your five-star meal going to be done?"

"Soon, detective very soon."

The clatter of forks and knives against the plates and the chatting between the adults was the only thing I heard. The only thing I saw was Alexis sitting right across the table from me. She was staring inquisitively.

Truth is, I didn't want my problems to be the center of attention and conversation tonight. All I wanted to do was have a nice, peaceful dinner with Alexis and her family. And, yet my father still manages to screw that up.

"So, Jasper, Alexis never told me how you two met. Care to share?" Martha asked curiously.

"Uh…" I looked over at Alexis. Using my eyes to ask her if I should mention the underage drinking. She looked at me with wide eyes. I'm just going to take that as a no. Ok, I guess I will tell them of the first time we actually met. "Well…at freshman orientation a year and a half ago, Alexis and I bumped into each other, literally."

The table laughed.

"We did?" Alexis asked shocked.

"Yea, that's where I developed my huge crush on you. You were coming up the stairs of the auditorium while I was walking down. I saw you and I just stopped mid step. That caused me to fall down the entire flight of stairs. I broke glasses on the way down and you didn't notice me because you were busy talking to that guy you dated, what was his name…Max. Yea, Max. Anyway, I just thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on."

"Why didn't you ask me out?"

"I was afraid to talk to you. Besides you are way out of my league. I mean you were dating Max and then when you left for the summer you came back with Pi when I had only had one girlfriend prior."

"That is the cutest thing I have ever heard." Lanie exclaimed.

I looked back over to Alexis who was gazing at me. Her head tilted, her eyes glistening with tears.

After dinner, I helped Alexis clean the dishes while everyone filed into the living room to chat before they start to leave. It was silent and I was getting worried that her silence meant that she thought I was some creepy stalker guy who followed her.

Alexis pulled the plug from the sink and dried her hands as I wiped the last plate dry. She turned to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She nuzzled her head into my neck, she was wearing high heels. Inhaling my cologne, she sighed happily.

"I wish that I had known you, back then."

"Why?"

"Because I wasted so much time on guys that I didn't care about."

"No one can predict the future."

"Yea, but I wish I could the change the past."

"I don't."

"Why?"

"Because why waste time on the past when I'm here in the future, in this moment, with you." I said realizing that I had begun to sway back and forth.

"I can't imagine my life without you." She whispered.

"Alexis, promise me. Me and you forever. Just us."

"I do."

I leaned in kissing her. My corners of my mouth turned up into a smile from her word choice.

I do.