He ducks into his bedroom to avoid the shrill voices that carry through the living room and his office to place the call. He had just returned home from a meeting with some publishers and within the time he was gone, his mother had convinced his daughter's sleepover friends that they wanted to be Broadway stars and now had them up – way past their bedtime if he might add – practicing voice warm ups and whatever other strange rituals and practices actresses had.
As soon as he had walked through the door, his daughter had bounded over to him a huge grin on her face and a mischievous glint in her eye. He ruffled her hair, waiting for her to ask him whatever it was she wanted to ask him.
"Can we order pizza?" She asks sweetly.
He glanced at his watch, noting that it was a few minutes after nine, he was pretty sure they ate already and shouldn't even be given any more energy at this hour.
He was about to voice all these thoughts when she pulled her best pleading face, the one he could never resist. Oh what would it hurt? Tomorrow would be Saturday and he was hungry too anyways, so he nodded and smiled.
"Sure sweetheart."
"Yes!" She had exclaimed and ran over to re-join the next lesson his mother had them engaged in.
So there he was, in his bedroom, ordering pizza for a bunch of ten year old girls and himself. He sat on the edge of his bed, drumming his free hand against the comforter as he waited for someone to pick up.
"Authentic Nick's, how may I help you?" someone picked up.
"Oh, yea can I have a large pizza with everything on it and a small s'mores please." He ordered.
"Is that for pick up or delivery?"
"Delivery please." He answered and waited for the usual response of the amount and how long it would take.
"Thanks much." He replied, hanging up.
He looked around his room, before flopping back onto his back, keeping his phone at his chest and shut his eyes. It had been a long day with the longest meetings he had ever been in, he ran his hand over his face, feeling the slight headache that plague his throughout the day throbbing in the back of his head and the excessive noise wafting through his loft didn't help either.
It was times like these when the loneliness he had been pushing aside set in. He yearned for someone to be here at the end of the day, when he returned from whatever business he had, or to be here for them whenever they returned from their day. Alexis and Martha were generally here with him yes, but he wanted that someone he could unwind with, to sit and cuddle, have a glass of wine, maybe share a bath, he just so badly wanted that.
But that's not how the world worked, if it is meant to be, it will be, he had forced one too many relationships to know that you can't turn people into your dream partner and you can't force anyone to settle down, he had learned that the hard way.
It made him weary and it made him cautious, but it also made him so much more in need of it, he was tired of doing things alone and being the only one trying.
Before he could get further into his woes of single life, he heard Alexis yell into his office that pizza was here. He pulled himself off of his bed, running his hand through his hair. He made his way through the crowd of little girls awaiting food, pulling out his wallet before he opened the door, expecting to see his usual delivery guy on the other side.
When he opened the door, he automatically ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to make it look less like a dishevelled old man. The person on the other side stood, with the pizzas in their hands, with a glint in their eye and a slight smirk as they glanced over him.
"Someone ordered pizza?" She spoke after some time.
It was only then he realized he'd been staring, for more than an appropriate time, but he couldn't help it, not when she was standing before him.
She was tall, almost up to his level. She was slim, but not lanky, she had body, a good one at that. Her uniform fit her perfectly. Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulders in loose curls, framing her face.
Her face, now at the centre of his attention, with its sharp angles and flawless skin, flushed cheeks with glinting eyes and lips that slightly twitched upwards when he noticed she had spoken, but he was too bust staring at her to respond.
"Oh, uh yes, pizza, I did order that." He fumbled for his wallet, pulling out the money as we as a generous tip, before rethinking and pulling out more.
He handed the cash to her as she handed him his food, still smirking and damn it if he didn't find it incredibly attractive.
There was something to her, something mysterious and edgy and suddenly he felt like he couldn't think straight, not with those hazel eyes staring at him. He thought of a million and one questions he wanted to ask her, but they all sounded incredibly creepy and forward, so he kept his mouth shut.
"Um, thanks." He mumbled as she turned away, walking down the hallway with a small smile on her face.
She stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Enjoy your pizza Mr. Castle." She said before stepping on board the elevator.
He watched as she turned around, still smiling, staring directly at him. He swore he saw her twirling her hair as the elevator doors shut.
He sighed and stepped back into his loft, locking the door and heading over to the kitchen to share pizza for these small children.
He had just handed off the last slice to the last girl and was about to take his personal s'more pizza into his room when he realized…
He didn't even ask for her name.
End A/N: I was going to name this fic "Mr. Steal you Pizza Delivery girl" cause … well that's what it was kinda inspired by, from Swoozie … but I didn't and this title is much lamer. Womp. Sorry for any mistakes… Also, I hope to keep this fic short… so that I'll actually finish it…