459. Chapter 459

After The late Shaft

Episode 2.20

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I would get the shaft if I claimed to own Castle. Rating: K+ Time: See above

Kate Beckett wasn't mad at Castle for pushing her to investigate Bobby Mann's murder when she didn't believe foul play was involved, but she was mad that he had left her in the middle of building theory on the murder because of some problem with Alexis. And if he didn't care so much for his daughter and his mother and…other people, I wouldn't care for him at all. As it is…Kate stopped. That train of thought would lead nowhere.

Her train of thought, and her dinner at Remy's, was interrupted by someone sitting down at her table.

"Excuse me?" She said. "Do I know you?" As soon as she said it, she realized she did know who the woman was.

"I'm Ellie Monroe. I'm an actress and I was on the Bobby Mann show last night with Rick Castle."

"And you're here because…?" Kaye wondered if the actress had some information on the murder.

"I like to know the competition."

Kate was thrown by that response. The competition? "The competition for what?"

"For Rick Castle, of course. It's Beckett, isn't it? Kate Beckett?"

Kate nodded. "And why do you think we're competing for Castle?"

Ellie Monroe laughed. "Really? Are you going to play that game?" She shook her head. "Richard Castle has practically lived his life on the Ledger's Page Six with a new supermodel, debutante or starlet every night. Until he met you and then he dropped off of every celebrity gossip site's radar. I've made a few discrete inquiries and he simply hasn't been dating since he met you. Not at all. Now what do you think that means?"

"That he's very busy with his new series." Kate answered. She really couldn't believe this woman.

"Derek Storm never kept him off of Page Six or out of the dating game. After the Bobby Mann show last night, I invited Rick back to my hotel. I made it very clear that I intended to screw his brains out. And he turned me down. Said he had other plans. Rick Castle would never turn someone like me down unless he had someone else lined up. It isn't hard to figure out that that someone else is you."

Kate was about to tell Ellie that she'd be happy to give her written permission to fuck Castle senseless but Ellie went on.

"I'm sure that some skinny, flat chested skank is the best the NYPD can offer Castle, but do you really think you can compete with me?"

Kate got even angrier when Ellie went on. "And I'm sure you know what Castle is like, don't you? An empty headed playboy who thinks with his dick. I'm afraid you've seen the last of him."

Kate remembered how much her partner loved his daughter and his mother. She remembered how hard he worked to solve murders. She remembered the risks he'd taken for her. Ellie Monroe didn't know Castle at all. Her mind instantly went from angry to ice cold. She smiled at Ellie. "Perhaps you should consider that if this skinny, flat chested skank can keep Castle for over a year, I just might be special and very, very good."

Ellie just laughed.

Kate kept smiling. "Now get the hell out of here and let me finish my dinner or I'll run you in for solicitation."

"What?" Ellie was shocked.

"For prostitution. Look around you. Cops eat here. I'm a cop. If I say you propositioned me, half of them will testify that you did." Kate new that none of them would testify to that, but Ellie didn't know that.

The other woman stood up and left hurriedly.

The next morning, Kate decided she had to ask Castle something before she said anything else. When he put her cup of coffee down and said good morning, she glared at him. "Did you tell Ellie Monroe that you were sleeping with me?"

"What?" He screeched. "No. Of course not. What did…How did…I would never…"

"So, that's a no?" Kate cut him off.

"Of course it's a no. Why would you ask?"

Kate gave Rick a slightly sanitized version of her talk with Ellie Monroe. "Did she ask you to go back to her hotel for sex and you refused?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

"Ellie Monroe has a well deserved reputation for sleeping with people to get parts."

"And that offends Rick Castle somehow?" Kate said, trying not to sound too disbelieving.

"I thought Meredith was my one and done when we got married. I came home one day to find her in bed with a producer, or maybe it was a director. She didn't understand why I was so upset. She told me that Hollywood worked that way. Everybody did it. And the next thing I knew, she served me with divorce papers. I know that not every woman I've been with wants me for myself, but the sort of thing Ellie Monroe does, completely turns me off."

Kate smiled at him. "I think I chased her off for you."

He smiled back. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

But Ellie had not been chased off as Castle found out as he left the precinct that evening.

"Hello, Rick." A seductive voice said from behind him. He turned to find Ellie Monroe standing there. "I thought we could go to dinner." She opened her coat to show that she was wearing a see through blouse and no bra. "And then we can have dessert."

Castle stood there dumbstruck. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Ready, lover?" Kate Beckett whispered in his ear. "Dinner?"

Castle nodded, then turned to Ellie. "Sorry. Other plans."

They walked to Kate's cruiser and got in. "Oh, shit." Kate said. "She's behind us in a car. She's going to follow us."

Castle turned to look out the rear window. Sure enough, there was Ellie Monroe. "Okay, I'll take you to dinner. It's the least I can go for you for helping me out like this."

"Okay, but nowhere that we'll end up on Page Six or anything."

"I know the perfect place. Do you like sea food?"

"I do if you're paying."

Jimmy's was a local family restaurant that did not attract celebrities except for Richard Castle who'd bring his daughter and mother there. Jimmy greeted Castle and Beckett and made sure they got a table away from any prying eyes.

Castle was looking over the menu when he saw a familiar face enter the restaurant. "Ellie Monroe is here."

"If she sexually assaults you, I can arrest her." Beckett teased.

"You may have to."

"What do you mean?"

Castle buried his head in the menu. "She's sitting facing me and I can see she has no underwear on."

"Half the restaurant can see her, too, then." Kate said, fighting the urge to look around to make sure Castle wasn't teasing her. However, the reactions of the other people confirmed her suspicions.

Castle didn't lift his eyes from his plate the whole time and was happy to leave as soon as they were done.

Kate checked behind her as she pulled out into traffic. "Damn her. She's still following us."

"Drop me at my loft. I can run inside before she grabs me. I'll lock myself inside."

Kaye thought for a moment. "What? You and the ultra-sexy Kate Beckett not sleeping together? She'll smell a rat at once. You can sleep on my couch. You've done that before."

"I'll make you breakfast tomorrow morning." He said thankfully.

"This time I hope we do find a body at the door."

They both laughed.

When they got to Kate's apartment, she looked out of her bedroom window. There, right across the street, she could see Ellie Monroe looking up at her. Kate cursed under her breath. "Castle, she's right across the street and it looks like she has binoculars." Kate had an idea. "What are you wearing?"

"All I've taken off is my shoes."

"Take of your shirt and come in here."

"In your bedroom?"

"Yes. My bedroom. Come on, Castle. You aren't going to tell me you never wanted to see what it's like."

Castle walked in with his shirt off.

"Come over here by the window and put your arms around me and touch your nose to mine."

He did so.

"From the street, it'll look like we're kissing. Move your head around, Castle. Just a little bit." She cautioned him. "Okay, you can go to bed on the couch and close the door on your way out." As soon as Castle was gone, she looked out the window again. She could see the binoculars. She undid her blouse and tossed it on the floor, then her bra. She stretched, shoving her boobs out. Then she pushed off her slacks and panties. She doubted that Ellie could see anything below the waist at that angle, but she really wanted Ellie Monroe to think she was with Castle. Call me a skinny, flat chested skank, will you? You couldn't take Castle away from me in a million years. She realized that Castle wasn't hers by any means. He's more mine than he'll ever be yours, bitch.

The next morning while Castle made breakfast, Kate looked out the window. Ellie Monroe's car was still there. When they left, Kate suggested they stop for a cup of coffee since they would walk right past Ellie's car.

Monroe was awake and looked tired and bedraggled.

Kate put her arm around Rick as they walked past.

"Kate, I've never known a woman as strong and limber as you are. And so totally erotic. You've worn me out. I don't think I can do anything today."

Kate laughed. "I had some plans for that supply room when we get to work, lover." She said in a low seductive voice. "I think I can…get you started."

"What can I say? I'm in."

"You soon will be." Kate giggled.

Behind them, they heard Ellie's car roar away.

That night, someone knocked at Kate's door. It was Castle, carrying a bouquet of roses and a bottle of wine.

"What do you want, Castle? Is Ellie still bothering you?"

"No, she flew back to LA this morning."

"You really don't need to thank me. Dinner last night was enough."

Castle looked uncomfortable. "There's more."

"More?" Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I got call from Stan Berg this afternoon. He's a studio executive. He told me that Ellie called him and said I'd recommended her for the part of Nikki Heat because we slept together. She said I was demanding that she get the part."

"I hope you told him you never slept with her and that you didn't recommend her."

"I did."

"So what's the problem?"

"Stan said he knew she was lying because everyone in Hollywood knows we're sleeping together." Castle waited for the explosion.

Kate took a deep breath and balled her fists at her sides. Then she started laughing. "Castle, a famous FBI profiler thinks we're sleeping together. If she's wrong, how can we expect Hollywood to get it right?" She took the bottle of wine from Castle and walked back into her living room. She turned around and looked at him. "You coming, or what, Castle?"