Another Chance
Chapter 30
The gala is huge, lively and upbeat. Ricky Martin was the first performer, bringing the whole crowd to its feet singing along with She Bangs. Castle said a silent prayer of thanks that the man was wise enough not to sing Living the Vida Loca. When things had calmed down somewhat after a few renditions of show tunes, a drop in by Pit Bull and his crew on the way to another celebration, heated up the room again with "Fire Ball."
Even in the midst of the excitement, Castle finds it hard to tear his eyes from Kate. She is not yet beginning to show, and her red sequined gown clings enticingly to every luscious curve of her figure. Her hair is partially up, secured by a jeweled comb, with tendrils drifting around her face and calling out for his touch.
The monitoring equipment that Dr. Lyra prescribed, not only records Kates vitals but is capable of producing a clinical quality read out of the activity of Kate's heart. Castle's stomach roiled at his realization that the doctor thought it necessary that Kate should employ the gadget, but as yet, there have been no signs of trouble, and he is beginning to relax - a little.
Kate is as hungry as ever. She's going through her third plate of appetizers. He's amazed that she hasn't put on weight just from all the food she's been consuming but imagines she's been working it off with the exercises Lyra is allowing her to do, along with all the walking involved with a new case requiring a lot of door to door questioning of potential witnesses. As usual, in New York, it was hard to find anyone who would admit to seeing anything, but in the end, an 80-year-old woman who was returning from walking her Pekingese provided enough of a description to put Kate on the right track of the perpetrator of a robbery-murder. Kate's collar also put an end to a series of break-ins in the area.
Castle was with Kate for all of her interviews but found himself spending more time watching her, than listening to the answers whomever she was questioning gave. If he wasn't much help, it did make him feel better to be at her side, even if it meant some late nights finishing his own work.
For now, he's set with Black Pawn. They have enough of his mini marvels to fill their pipeline for a while, and he can go back to Nikki Heat if he can manage to absorb enough details of the actual casework to give him something to write about.
To Micah, Alexis looks comfortable at her father's table at the fundraiser. He wishes he could say the same. As the daughter of a best-selling author, she's been to events like this before, but he hasn't. He feels out of place, but that's not what's making him the most nervous.
With the Christmas rush at the store over and classes out of session, he's had the opportunity to work on other things. He's hoping that one of his plans will come to fruition as the new year arrives in a few hours. The other one will take longer.
He has a notion for the initial product of the company he and Alexis plan to launch on graduation. He got the idea from the animals that provide emotional support for both children and adults that need it. But not everyone who requires that kind of help can have or care for another living being. His thought is to provide the next best thing, a cuddly robot that can provide both companionship and comfort. He's been studying an algorithm created at MIT in the '60s. It reflected people's thoughts back to them in a way that closely mimicked a human therapist. Programming has come a long way since then as have electronics. He suspects that everything that once required a sizable computer could now be put on a small chip. That's something he will have to pursue further. There will also be the matter of choosing voices and making sure that whatever he produces can stand up to long-term and possibly rough use. That's a lot to ask for in a toy, but he's pretty sure that together, he and Alexis can bring it at least past the prototyping stage. It will take money, of course, as well as time, but it is the sort of project that could attract crowdfunding. There are a lot of details to work through before they can even think about launching a campaign. And his more immediate plan is much more important.
Since Kate is forgoing alcohol for the health of the baby, Castle is doing the same. There are a number of other people at the celebration who are staying with soft beverages for one reason or another. Java Hut has set up a fancy coffee bar at one end of the ballroom, which is doing a lot of business, with the profits all going to the cause. Juicy Juice, Kate's favorite right now, is doing something similar. So far, Kate's had two of their specials, heavy on apple and spice. For himself, Castle is going with root beer - straight up. It doesn't pair as well with some of the canapes as Champagne might, but it tickles his nose like the sparkling wine.
In the few moments he's been able to pay attention to someone other than Kate, he's glanced at Micah a few times. It's warm in the room, but not enough to make anyone sweat as much as Alexis' significant other is doing. The young man clearly has something on his mind. Castle is hoping that whatever it is, it works out for the best. His daughter, as always, looks beautiful, and also about as happy as he's ever seen her. Overprotective fatherly instincts or not, he can't deny that Micah is good for her. And if he tried, both Mother and Kate would soon set him straight.
The hands of the giant clock that's been set up in the ballroom for the evening are ticking closer to midnight. Glasses are being raised, and the band is preparing to herald the arrival of the new year. Micah has his own idea of how he wants to celebrate, but he doesn't want to do it in a crowd - just in case. Alexis looks puzzled when he asks her to go with him to find someplace private, but she takes the hand he offers.
Except for the restrooms, there isn't much privacy to be had. The little cubby where the coats of the gala's attendees are being stored will have to do. There is not much space between the racks, but there is room for Micah to get down on one knee holding the ring he worked so hard to buy, clenched tightly in his hand. The diamond isn't nearly as large as the one Kate wears, but it is surrounded by smaller aquamarines, much like the color of Alexis' eyes. He'd measured her finger when she fell asleep at her computer, studying. The ring will fit. He's just not sure if she will accept it.
Micah's mouth is dry, and the words he planned to say have flown from his head. The best he can do is to hold out the jeweled promise and say only, "Alexis, please, will you marry me?" Shouts of celebration rise throughout the city as Alexis and Micah seal their pledge with the year's first kiss.