Sunday June 28th : When she walks into the locker room she hears him singing. She listens at the doorway, knowing that they're the only two left.
"Hold on, What's the rush? What's the rush? We're not done away, cause I don't need to change this...atmosphere we made if you can stay one more hour. Can you stay one more hour? You know I'm gonna find a way to let you have your way with me. You know I'm gonna find the time to catch you and make you stay. Hold on... I'll be there when it's all done, you know. Cause what's the point of chasing if I can't enjoy your face, and we can be wrong tonight. Can we be wrong tonight?"
She slowly sneaks up behind him. She grins as she pulls the earbuds out of his ears. He looks up at her and finds her smiling ear to ear. She chokes back a laugh and finally gains enough composure to ask, "Whatcha singing Nicky boy?"
"It's nothing," he answers with bright red cheeks.
"No I'm curious what were you singing?" she asks him.
"It's called Find a way, by a band you've probably never heard of."
"I do have a teenager," she reminds him.
"SafetySuit, I didn't think that I'd like them, but they sort of grew on me."
"What other songs do they sing?"
"Stay..."
"I think that I may have heard that one," she admits.
"So are you headed home?" he asks innocently enough.
"I had planned on it why?"
"I thought that you might be hungry, we could go for a bite."
"I am, but I'd sort of like to be at home."
"Yeah I can understand that."
"Although my house is a little quiet right now, Lindsey is at the beach with a buddy. Why don't you come over? I'll make you breakfast," she offers.
"You actually know how to cook? I mean I know you can cook Jello but that doesn't really count." he jokes.
"I'm actually a very good cook, just don't let anyone else know."
"What's your specialty?"
"Breakfast."
"Ok, I'll meet you there," he agrees.
He stops to get gas on his way to her house. She's already in the kitchen when he knocks on her door.
"Nick come in," she hollers.
He opens the door, and follows her voice to the kitchen.
"Don't be a stranger," she tells him.
"What smells so good?" he asks her.
"French toast."
"It's been forever since I've had french toast, I'd venture to say that it's been five years."
"Well I'll have to fix that won't I?"
"Yeah."
"Nick what's on your mind? You've been awfully quiet lately."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"Have you ever been tempted to date someone at the lab?"
"Why do you ask? Are you tempted?"
"No well... it's just how are you supposed to meet anyone outside of the lab? I mean it's hard to have time for any sort of relationship, especially considering the crazy hours."
"I know," she answers him.
"I know that it's stupid, but..."
"Nick don't worry about it."
"I'm not saying that I am tempted, but what if I were? What would happen if I worked with them?"
"Ecklie would launch and investigation and sell the story to the first tabloid that came along," she jokes.
"Seriously, what would happen?"
"What they don't know can't hurt them. If you get in a situation where it might be a conflict of interest you could always just take yourself out of it. I personally don't agree with dating a co-worker, things get messy but... to each their own."
"I don't feel right about hiding something like that."
"Sara and Grissom... I love them, but they're idiots. Everyone knew."
"I didn't know," Nick argues.
"Just about everyone knew. They thought that they were being sneaky, but they weren't."
"So how do you hide something like that?"
"Leave your personal life at the door when you walk in. At work it's your colleague, at home, it's... whoever."
"Ok."
"You're not after Wendy are you because..."
"No, I wouldn't want to upset Hodges, he might go postal."
She puts two plates on the table. She returns to the refrigerator and looks around.
"I don't have any milk is orange juice ok or do you want something else?"
"Orange juice is fine," he answers.
She returns with two glasses of orange juice and a bottle of syrup. She quickly sits them down, and goes back for the butter and silverware. Finally she sits down, and they begin to eat. They eat in silence, neither of them looking at the other.
Catherine looks up from her plate and finds Nick staring at her.
"What?" she asks him.
"Nothing," he answers her with a goofy smile on his face.
"Are you sure?"
"It's nothing. I'll tell you later."
"Why later?"
"I..."
She puts her fork down and looks at him. He can't take his eyes off of her. He gulps and before he knows it words are coming out of his mouth.
"You're beautiful," he tells her.
She says nothing, she waits for him to elaborate.
"Catherine I... this is awkward."
"What's awkward?"
"It's just...I don't think I've done a very good job of hiding that I'm attracted to you."
She smiles at him.
"I guess I've just been thinking, wondering really, if we'd be any good together."
"In bed?" she raises an eyebrow.
"As a couple," he answers like a gentlemen.
"Oh."
"Look I don't... I'm not asking for anything. I'm just letting you know. I needed to get it off my chest."
Catherine says nothing.
"I've got to get going. I'm exhausted I need to get to bed it was a long day."
"Yeah," she nods.
He heads for the door. He stops and turns just before reaching the door. "Breakfast was great, thanks. But you should be careful who you cook for. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
He leaves her dumbfounded at her kitchen table, staring past a bottle of syrup to his previously occupied seat.
