27. Chapter 27

After Lucky Stiff

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Same as before, not mine. Rating: K+ Time: Need you ask?

Kate Beckett sat at her kitchen table and listened to Castle as he discussed the Johanna Beckett Scholarship fundraiser. Castle can't stay out of my private life. Not that I want him to, of course. He is sweet, and this is the sweetest thing he's ever done for me.

"Do you like polo, Beckett?" Castle asked.

Kate hadn't really been following his talking. "Pardon?"

"Polo? Do you like polo? Because we should invite Jim Porter, he loves these charity dos, and he is generous. But, I couldn't stand to hear his story again about how be almost played polo with Prince Phillip once. The story goes on forever and I've heard it over and over."

"I've really never paid any attention to polo, I'm afraid."

"Okay. If he does start, tell him you have to powder your nose or something. He'll find someone else to tell the story to."

Castle continued talking.

SIX WEEKS LATER

"You look gorgeous." Castle whispered in her ear as they walked up the red carpet. "Quit worrying."

"I'm not worried about how I look." She whispered back at him. "I'm worried about how this is going to go. I've never done this before. Suppose we don't raise any money? Suppose no one shows up?"

"Don't worry. Alexis is coming with a couple of her friends, and she's been saving up her allowance."

"Castle!" She hissed, but Rick just smiled.

Rick and Kate walked through the doorway. Kate stopped dead. The ballroom was jammed. She swallowed hard. "There must be two hundred people here."

Castle shrugged. "We sent out about one hundred and eighty invitations, most of those would be bringing a significant other, so this isn't so bad a turnout. We'll do better next time."

"Better?" Kate gasped.

"Rick! Kate! Over here." Called a familiar voice.

"Bob, how are you?" Castle said, shaking the mayor's hand.

"Mr. Mayor." Kate said nervously.

"Oh, please, Kate. Call me Bob." He turned and pulled another man into the conversation. "Meet my very good friend, Congressman Mike Dwyer."

Castle shook his hand as did Kate.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to make the kind of bids Bob's other friends can, but I have my eye on a few things." He said, smiling professionally. "And remember to vote."

The mayor took Kate's arm. "If you two will stand over here with me, there are a lot of people who want to meet you. By the way, you look gorgeous tonight, Kate."

"She always looks gorgeous, Bob." Castle said.

Kate was wearing the red dress she'd worn on the disastrous date with Brad Decker. In addition, Martha had insisted on Kate wearing a pair of her diamond earrings, a diamond bracelet and a diamond ankle bracelet.

The first person to greet Kate was Dean Arlen Howell, the dean of the law school. "I think this is a wonderful idea, Ms. Beckett. Your mother was a wonderful lawyer. And much missed."

Kate managed a reply. Luckily Castle seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of small talk to occupy the dean.

After that, the faces were all a blur. When they were done, Kate leaned against Castle. "Everyone we met was CEO of this, partner of that, owner of something else. Do you think we could raise a hundred thousand dollars tonight?" Kate hadn't wanted to get her hopes up too high and had decided that one hundred thousand dollars would be the best they could hope for.

"You never can tell." Castle replied.

Mayor Weldon took the stage and a drumroll stilled the chatter from the audience. "Okay, everyone. Now it's time for what we're here for, the auction. First up are hardback, first editions of the Nikki Heat books, and each will be autographed for you by the author, Richard Castle and his inspiration, our own New York police detective, Kate Beckett." There was a smattering of applause. "And you should all know that one hundred percent of the proceeds of tonight's donations will go towards scholarships. All of the administrative costs of the fund are being borne by Rick Castle."

"Castle!" Kate said. "You didn't tell me that."

"You said I should handle the details. This is the sort of thing I do, remember."

"Yes, but…"

"Shh! The bidding is starting."

Kate listened to the bidding and was thrilled as the books went for $7800. "We just might reach one hundred thousand." She whispered.

Mayor Weldon called for quiet. "The second item is a seven course dinner, with wine, for two at Q3, courtesy of Madison Queller, who unfortunately couldn't be here tonight. Who'll start the bidding at one thousand dollars?"

Kate was thrilled when the dinner went for sixteen thousand dollars.

Mayor Weldon looked out into the audience. "Is Dr. Parish here? Lanie, can you come up here? And Kate, of course."

As Kate made her way to the stage, she saw her friend also coming to the stage with a mysterious smile on her face.

"Lanie, what is this?" She whispered.

"Shh!" Lanie put her finger over her lips.

"We have a special treat for you to bid on tonight. One lucky man, or woman, will get a kiss from the real Nikki Heat, Detective Kate Beckett."

The applause from the audience gave Kate a chance to turn on Lanie. "Did Castle put you up to this? I'll kill him. Right here in front of everyone."

"Did I forget to mention this to you?" Lanie said innocently.

Mayor Weldon turned off his mic and leaned over to talk quietly to Kate and Lanie. "Is there a problem, Kate? Lanie said it was okay."

"I think that Castle put her up to this, in which case I'll…"

Weldon interrupted her. "No, Rick had nothing to do with this. Actually, I mentioned it to Lanie. I've auctioned off kisses from me at a couple of my fund raisers. It seems I'm very popular with the over eighty crowd. All three women who won the kiss were that age. Look, if this bothers you…"

"No." Kate said quickly. "You've already announced it. I'll do it." Kate turned and smiled stiffly at the audience while the Mayor began the bidding at a thousand dollars. It was soon clear that there were two main bidders. One was a tall, white haired man who appeared to be in his early fifties. Kate noticed that his wife appeared to be encouraging him to bid. The other was an older man, perhaps in his seventies. From the look on the face of the woman next to him, who was alternately glaring at Kate and then the man next to her, Kate was sure she wasn't encouraging him.

"The bid is eleven thousand dollars. Really, gentlemen? A mere eleven thousand dollars for a kiss from Nikki Heat? Do I hear eleven five?"

It looked like the younger man would win, then older one raised his hand. "Eleven five." He said. The other bidder looked at his wife who gave a barely noticeable shake of her head. The man shrugged and shook his head.

"Eleven five is the bid. Who'll bid twelve thousand? Do I hear twelve? Eleven thousand and five hundred dollars going once… "

"One hundred thousand dollars." There was a collective gasp from the audience and then silence. Everyone looked at the new bidder.

Mayor Weldon looked out into the audience. "Rick, the bid was twelve thousand."

"No, Bob, the bid is one hundred thousand dollars."

Weldon smiled. "So, do I hear one hundred and one? Anyone? One hundred thousand going once, going twice, one hundred thousand dollars going three times? Sold to Rick Castle. Okay, Rick. Come up here and claim your prize."

As Castle walked up to the stage, Kate, although thoroughly shocked, smiled. She remembered the kiss before they took down Lockwood. Kate felt herself quivering slightly.

Rick walked up to her to the cheers of the audience. He put his hand on the side of her neck, leaned in and quickly brushed her lips with his. He turned around and smiled. "Worth every penny!" He announced proudly.

Kate was in shock as Lanie and Castle escorted her off of the stage to more cheers from the audience. However, Castle's outrageous bid seemed to have changed the atmosphere. The next item, a two day trip on a luxury yacht went for eighty thousand dollars. The item after that, a spa day, went for forty four thousand dollars. Eventually, all the items were sold and the audience began to drift away.

"How much did we make?" Kate asked, still in shock.

"I make it just over a million, but don't worry. We'll do better next time." Castle said. He looked around. "There are the usual drunks at the bar, but that's about it. Ready to go home now?"

"A million dollars?" She was really in shock. "A million freaking dollars?"

Castle gave her a smile. "I call that a good start."

Kate followed Rick to his car and then drove to her home. "Why did you kiss me like that?"

"Like what?" He asked innocently.

"Castle! I have been kissed by you before. Why such a brief kiss? You hardly touched my lips."

"Easy. There is an etiquette to these things. If you buy a kiss from a lovely young lady and give her a three minute grope with plenty of tongue, everyone thinks you're a pervert. If you give her a sweet little kiss, everyone thinks you're a generous patron of good causes and a fine fellow all around."

"You didn't get your money's worth." Kate said softly.

"Like I said, worth every penny." They had arrived at Kate's place. "I can double park in front and take you inside."

"You will not."

"You don't want me to walk you to your door?" Castle sounded a bit hurt.

"What I don't want you to do is double-park. I'm a cop, Castle. You were actually going to double park with me in the car? There's a place across the street, make a one eighty."

Castle parked, then got out to open the door for Kate.

She got out and then turned to face Castle. "You so did not get your money's worth." She threw both arms around Castle's neck and kissed him as hard as she could. She opened her mouth and sent her tongue searching for his. He kept his mouth closed until she grunted angrily, then she found his tongue. She ran her hands through his hair and rubbed her breasts against his chest. She raised one leg and hooked it around Castle's thigh and rubbed herself against him. Her nipples were now taut and she could feel herself getting wet. She broke the kiss and whispered in his ear. "Now, that was amazing."

She stepped back and started towards her building, then turned. "Tomorrow?"

Castle nodded and watched her until she disappeared into the lobby.

"Amazing."