Monday 15 April 2013

Undercover Lover #14: Glechik Cafe

So just a little background: Kate Beckett spent part of her junior year in Kiev and she admitted to occasionally going down to the Glechik Café in Brooklyn and pretending to be a Muscovite. Now she made it sound so sexy but the café is this family-style restaurant and ever since I discovered that I've had to write a scene like this.

Admittedly it got a little away from me but it ended up nicely, I thought.

It also brought up the concept of taking on new personas in different environments which I always thought was fun. Have you ever pretended to be a totally different person just for fun? The world is too big for just one person to explore it all. Be new!

“I can’t believe you used to come here it’s so…not what I expected.” Rick wandered around the homely restaurant that looked so calm and peaceful.

Kate came up behind him, bumping his knee into a far booth. “What, you were expecting some seedy bar where I had tawdry affairs as Katya the Muscovite?”

“Well…yes.” He picked up the menu but couldn’t read it. He was just so disappointed.

“I hate to disappoint you, Castle I just came here for the food.”

“Then why did you bring me here?”

She loved when he pouted. So cute. “Because I know you’ve been having Russian sex fantasies about me since that one time I pretended to be Russian to save your ass and I thought it was time to set the record straight. What did you think I did in Kiev anyways?”

“Well if I had to guess, I would say”

“Michael.”

“What?” he looked over to find his girlfriend suddenly very white, pulling her menu open to hide her face from any passersby. “No I don’t think you did Michael while you were in Kiev; who’s Michael?”

“Katya?” Kate winced and tried to duck down further into the booth but it just wasn’t working.

Rick, ever curious, just had to peek out over the side to catch of a glimpse of the man his strong, confident detective desperately wanted to hide from. Blew her cover wide open. “Who’s Michael?”

She leaned forward, she they were nearly nose to nose across the table. “I met him Kiev over twenty years ago.”

“Oh there’s more to that story.” He insisted.

Curse him. “I may have told him I was a… hooker.” He just stared. “It was a dare from my friend; and I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

“Katya?” There he was, Michael, the one-night stand from a lifetime ago, all hunky and gorgeous with his Russian accent and wavy brown hair, standing before her.

“Michael, hello.” She didn’t mean to, it was just a reflex. Castle shot her an amused look at her ‘reflex’ Russian accent.

“How have you been?”

“Fine.” Was she sweating? It felt like she was sweating out of her dress. She thought she had buried that life a long time ago. “What are you doing in New York?”

“Oh I work here now. Been here almost ten years now.” Perfect. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to travel the world and then settle down in Greece.”

She let out a nervous giggle that Rick was never going to let her live down. “I guess things didn’t work out like that.”

“I’ll say.” Rick muttered. He couldn’t help it, it was just too hilarious.

Of course his comment attracted the attention of the hunk with porn star abs. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“Right,” Kate cleared her throat. “Michael this is Rick, my”

“Let’s say handler.” She gaped at her boyfriend. He was sleeping on the couch for a week.

“Oh.” She watched the implications play on his face. “Oh! So you’re still doing that huh?”

“Yup.” She breathed; maybe if she breathed hard enough she could hyperventilate and this conversation would end. Quickly.

“Well I guess, if you got it you got it.” Please, please pass out.

“That she does.” The glare she shot her boyfriend melted the ice in the cups of the elderly couple behind them.

“Well listen, Katya,” dear lord, Michael was still talking to her “if you every want a change of pace,” He shot an unexpected look at Rick that made the writer jump back in his chair. “Just give me a call okay?”

She took the card and nearly choked on the piece of gum she spit out an hour ago. “You work for the NYPD?”

Rick couldn’t help it; he was gripping the table in uncontrollable laughter while several patrons looked on. Michael simply glared. “Is there something funny Rick?”

“Nothing it’s just…” he was shaking so hard it was difficult to form sentences. “I don’t think she’ll be calling you any time soon. Not a cop.”

“Rick.” She swatted her boyfriend, her face brighter than ever. “Keep it down.” He swatted her back, trying – not very hard – to dispel his tears of laughter.

The poor man watching their exchange misinterpreted and leaned over the table so he was right in Rick’s face. “She is not your property. She can leave you any time.”

He looked right passed him and straight into his girlfriend’s eyes. She was pissed off but there was a spark of amusement that he planned on igniting. “Oh she can leave me; but I don’t think she ever will.” She pursed her lips, onto his game but curious to see how far he’d take it.

“Oh I don’t know, Rick.” She bit her bottom lip. “I wouldn’t mind a change of pace.”

“Last night wasn’t enough for you?” He mirrored her lip bite just to keep from laughing – and because it was hilarious “That was a swanky place I set you up in.” Oh she remembered the hotel room he booked for the two of them so they could take a “stay-cation and just forget the world”. It was a swanky place – what she saw of it.

“You are disgusting.” She blinked out of her memories when she noticed Michael was still in Rick’s face. “I ought to arrest you right now.”

“You could.” Rick was enjoying this way too much. “But I haven’t actually done anything wrong.”

“Alright Rick, that’s enough.” She gave him a sharp look that he seemed to miss.

“I’ll saw when it’s enough.” He caught it that time. “It’s enough.” Oh right, Michael was still there. Why was he still there? This was getting a little out of hand. “If you’ll excuse us Michael we have some place to be right now.” Namely, the precinct but he wasn’t about to tell mister swimsuit model. There was just something about him that really bugged Rick.

Pool boy slapped his hand on the table preventing the writer from escaping. Kate rolled her eyes, dropping the accent. “Alright Michael that’s enough, let him through, we really do have to get going.” The man didn’t move. “Michael let him through.”

“Katya this doesn’t concern you, you can walk away.” Seriously? The couple exchanged glances over their captor’s shoulder. How had this guy made it into the police department?

“Oh you are so dead.” Rick chuckled, knowing he’d heard that phrase before.

“Are you threatening me?”

"No. I am." He turned to find a fist connecting with his jaw. Detective Kate Beckett could throw a mean right hook.

The accent was back in full force. "If you come near me or my boyfriend ever again I will have you arrested for harassment." She leaned in dangerously close. "I have a special relationship with the NYPD." She tossed the man a wink as she pulled her boyfriend out of the booth, linking her arm in his.

Again Michael didn't understand. In retrospect he might have been trying to be a good cop but it just came off as annoying. He shouted across the crowded restaurant as the couple were stepping out "if you leave with him I'll arrest you on charges of prostitution and assault of a police officer." The room froze, watching Kate to gage her reaction - maybe pulling away as well.

They weren't expecting an enraged Kate Beckett reaching into her pocket as she stormed over to her prey; well, Rick expected it which is why he let her go. Nose to nose with her target she produced her badge and shoved it in his face. "Detective Kate Beckett NYPD, homicide unit. You are not to bother me or my boyfriend ever again; am I clear?" He nodded mostly in fear for his life. "Good." She stepped back with a bright smile on her face. "It was great seeing you Michael. Until next time." She blew him a kiss as she rejoined her boyfriend and sauntered away from the restaurant.

Rick kissed her cheek "I guess we can't go there anymore."

"Ya, think?"

"Well it was nice what I got to see of it." He tugged her closer to his side "and I did get to know a little bit more about you. Are you just going to let that poor man believe you were a hooker?"

"If he thinks that I'm a hooker than he deserves to be thoroughly confused."

"Well you can't blame him, you could totally pull it off Katya." He kissed her hair when she playfully slapped his chest.

"Just you wait."

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