Moon in Scorpio

Date Night part 4

She blushes slightly, "You know you can pick up false IDs at just about any campus right? Not to mention how easy it is to knock one up with a computer?"

"Yeah, I do know, and that's Ok as long as you don't get caught, I mean that can lead to a Class A Misdemeanor or even a Class Four Felony ..." and seeing the look she gives him, he has to grin "Research, for when one of my characters might need something"

"Yeah, right ... well, anyway, it was only for the box and not going to be used for anything else ..."

"Just out of curiosity, what did you supply?"

"University id and my lease ... with a number of changes made to them ..." waiting to see if he was going to interrupt her again and seeing him hold up his hands in surrender, she continues, "Anyway, the gym I go to ..." and he's about to interrupt her again, but she glares at him and he closes him mouth and slaps on an apologetic look. Waiting until she's sure he's not going to say anything, she holds her glare and then continues, "I go there for yoga and self-defence, but they also have an indoor rock climbing area. I signed up and started training, learning about basic body movements, proper spotting, previewing sequences, moving dynamically and most importantly for me, how to use ropes, ascenders, pulleys and harnesses"

"Meanwhile, I bought all my climbing equipment normally, the gym gave me a legitimate excuse, and the rest of the stuff I ordered out of state, via the Internet and had sent to the mailbox", here she pauses and looks at her watch, raising her eyebrows as she notices its gone half four. She's about to mention it when he reaches his hand out and rests it on her knee.

"Look, it's going to be several hours yet before my mother and Alexis come home. I still want to hear the rest of it and I also have some stuff I want to show you and maybe discuss, but if you need a break ... how about we head out for a walk? Get some fresh air and then come back for round two ... three?" he corrects himself.

She looks at him, both surprised and pleased at his suggestion. They could probably both do with walking the cake off and some fresh air would be welcome. Slipping on her boots, she waits for him to get his own jacket along with her coat out of the closet and they both make their way down to the lobby, waving Charlie back into his seat as he's about to get up and open the door for them.

As soon as they reach the pavement, the chill hits them and Castle is quick to take Kate's coat from her arm and hold it out for her to slip into. It is only a few days till November and the air is fresh with the promise of snow, making their breaths steam and their noses cold. Tucking their hands into their pockets they began to walk down Broome, discussing the weather, commenting on the buildings they walked past, Castle making Kate giggle as he suggested that the elderly lady approaching them, wearing a fifties-style hat is probably the retired Mary Poppins. It then becomes a game to see who can place any unusual looking pedestrian into some farfetched film role.

They take a left onto Lafayette, heading up towards Petrosino Square, with Castle making her laugh again when he demands in an outraged voice how a triangular area could be called a square! A number of people sitting on the benches nearby look up at him in surprise and she has to grab his arm and drag him away as one particularly cranky and elderly gentleman of undoubted Sicilian origin starts telling him to mind his own "damda bizeness".

They are both laughing as they turn right onto Spring Street and neither seems conscious of the fact that Kate still has her hand through his arm. Spring Street is fairly crowded as commuters crowd down into the subway and make their way round the road works on the corner. Half-way down the street Rick becomes aware of her hand in the crook of his arm just about the same time as Kate does. She's about to pull her hand out but he puts his other hand on hers and pressed his arm into his side holding her hand in place and pulling her round towards the Ceci Cela Patisserie, guiding her indoors.

"Castle, you can't still be hungry?"

"No, but they have some fantastic pastry here, I thought we could pick something up for this evening"

She comes to an abrupt halt, pulling him up short and making the person coming through the doorway behind her come to a bumping halt. There's a moment of apologies and then she's pulled him back against the wall. "What do you mean this evening?"

Looking a bit sheepish, he looks down at her, decides to go with the pouty little boy look and adds "Well, with so much still to talk about, I thought maybe you'd like to stay for dinner?"

She knows that look, and if it wasn't so damned cute she'd knock it off his face ... which is probably exactly why he does it. She does an eye roll and when she looks back up at him he's grinning like he's just won the jackpot and she must remember not to use the eye roll when he's got the better of her ... with a sigh she settles for "Well I'm not promising anything" and to underline the matter pulls her hand away, which only makes her realise how comfortable she'd been with it on his arm and ... focus Kate!

Ten minutes later they leave the shop and he's carrying a box with enough mini cakes, tarts, tartelettes and petit fours to feed a regiment. They continue down Spring Street, walking past the DeSalvio playground, the rather yellowed and threadbare patch of grass and leafless trees not making it particularly welcoming, though he tells her that it looks much better when covered in snow ...

"Castle, most things look better when covered in snow, it hides the ugliness"

"You didn't let me finish" he answers in mock hurt "It also looks a lot better in spring when the leaves are out the grass has had a bit of sunlight!"

"Ok, I'll take you word for it, where now?"

"Let's cross over here and head back shall we .." they turn right onto Mott and head down towards Grand, pulling into the Parisi Bakery to pick up some fresh bread. She knows a little about this area from her work, but it still surprises her how within a block they've gone from worn-down Americana to brash Asian. Nearly every property at this end of Mott is Asian, garish and colourful shop fronts replacing the rather weary looking traditional shops further up the street.

She mentions it to him and he shrugs, "Fresh people, coming from and with nothing, willing to work twenty-four-seven to live the American dream, Italians, Irish, German, Jews, Vietnamese, Puerto Rican, Columbian ... it's been happening for the last two hundred years and will probably continue for the next two hundred. The changing face of New York!"

Turning right onto Grand they're back to a street reflecting its name, the tree-lined pavements giving onto better quality stores. They cross Mulberry Street and stop outside the Italian American Museum, but it's getting a bit late and so they carry on and turn right onto Centre Street and walk past the Police Building Apartments, previously the New York City Police Headquarters building. Kate looks at him as they walk past and asks "You trying to tell me something here Castle?"

He grins "No, but I just wondered if you'd ever thought of hitting it, I mean given its previous history and considering they are luxury condominiums ... the temptation ...?"

"I have no intention of tempting fate. No Thanks!" and she's grinning and bumping shoulders with him as the walk past the impressive building.