In preparation for an evening out with Grissom, Sara seeks out some expert advice from the last person she ever thought she would ask for help - Catherine.

Second part of the the Finally Setting the Date series. Follows "A Comedy of Errors" and takes place between epiosdes 521 "Committed" and 524 "Grave Danger," circa May 2005.

A Lady Never Tells

Sara rued the fact that it was one of those inexplicable certainties in life that if you were wanting to accidentally run into someone, you never did, but if you were intentionally trying to avoid someone, you ran into them wherever you went.

She had been trying to bump into Catherine Willows for the better part of three days now and she knew that tonight was her last chance as there was no way in hell she was going to call Catherine at home.

Now that would be an uncomfortable phone conversation, Sara thought playing the scenario out in her head.

Not that it was going to be any easier in person.

What if she asked questions?

What was Sara going to tell her then?

Certainly not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

This... this thing, or whatever the hell it was with Grissom was private and she wanted to keep it that way.

But she sorely needed the advice and there was no one in all the lab more qualified in the field of fashion as Catherine Willows. She may have hung up her dancing shoes a good fifteen years before, but she had never relinquished her sense of style. And Sara had to admit that she had envied Catherine that particular trait a time or two.

Catherine both possessed and projected this inner confidence about herself. She knew men were attracted to her, something that Brass and the other detectives had used to their advantage on more than one occasion.

Sara, on the other hand, wanted little of that sort of admiration, preferring to appeal more to a man's intellect than his lust. Or so she tried to tell herself, with only marginal success.

The truth was she didn't really crave that sort of attention from men in general, just one man in particular.

Grissom.

She mused with a sigh.

Over the last few days he had been the exact same person he always had been, and yet, at least to Sara, he seemed inexplicably changed. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly. He just seemed...

Happier.

Or maybe she was projecting her own greater sense of contentment onto him.

Although, as she wended her way down the long corridors towards Catherine's office, contentment was the last thing that she was feeling. Its was more like butterflies - a whole rabble of butterflies.

Damn, Grissom and his bugs were rubbing off on her.

Butterflies or not, she had to just bite the bullet and do it.

Thankfully, as it wasn't long into swing shift, Catherine was in her office engrossed in every supervisor's worst nightmare: Paperwork Patrol. Sara only hoped that Catherine was more amenable to being disturbed in the midst of the process than Grissom usually was.

Summoning up the last of her resolve, Sara rapped on the open door. Catherine looked up.

"I'm going to pretend I don't see you," she said, quickly returning her gaze to the piles of paper neatly stacked on her desk.

"Why?"

"Because Grave doesn't start for another seven hours and Grissom would have my hide if he knew that I knew you were here. So I don't see you." She gave Sara a furtive grin. "Of course that doesn't mean we can't talk," she said gesturing to a chair.

Sara returned the smile and sat.

"Enjoying the perks of your new position?" she asked, indicating the top file folder marked Requests.

Catherine snorted. "Comes with the territory I guess."

Sara gave her an I'm glad its you and not me sort of smirk.

"So why are you really here, Sara?" Catherine asked in her usual direct manner. "You don't strike me as the type who comes into work early merely to pay a social call."

Damn, caught.

There wasn't going to be an easy way either around or out of this one. So Sara replied honestly, "I need a little friendly advice."

Catherine for her part looked as stunned as if Sara had slapped her.

In all the years the two women had known each other, Sara had never come to Catherine for advice on anything. And she knew for certain by the strange uncertain sort of tone in the younger woman's voice, that this was not about a case.

In fact, if Catherine read Sara correctly, this was about a man.

And that made her even more curious.

"About?"

"Well," Sara began still hemming and hawing a little. "You see I need a dress. A nice dress."

"A dress?" she stammered in shocked reply.

Catherine liked being right, but this was one case where she was still surprised to have been proved so.

"As in court nice or date nice?"

Sara pursed her lips in response.

"Nick finally persuaded you to go out with his friend?"

"No!" Sara answered so swiftly and decisively as to make Catherine start.

Catherine knew Sara better than to press so she switch tactics, "Casual or formal?"

"Formal, I think."

"Serious?"

"Mmmm," she answered vaguely.

"Dinner?"

Sara nodded.

"Do you know where?"

She shook her head.

"When is this big mystery date?"

"Day after tomorrow," Sara admitted sheepishly.

"Kind of last minute don't you think?" Catherine teased, knowing all too well that Sara typically never procrastinated on anything. When Sara didn't rise, she merely flipped through the rolodex on her desk. "Well, I'd avoid the stores on the strip. They cater mostly to the tourists or to designer aficionados. But there is this one small boutique off the main drag." She pulled out a card and picked up her phone. "Know the owner pretty well. She helps me out from time to time when I want something that looks designer but doesn't cost it. Let me give her a call. She usually only opens for appointments. You think you can manage to get off shift on time tomorrow, or do I need to talk to Grissom?"

"Please don't do that," Sara almost pleaded.

The very last she wanted was for Grissom to find out about this little discussion.

Catherine grinned mischievously, but said, "Fine. I'll have her call you with a time."

"Thanks," Sara replied as she got up to go.

"Oh and Sara -"

She turned.

"Have a good time."

Sara wasn't sure if Catherine was referring to her shopping or her date, but was pretty sure she didn't want to stick around for the inevitable third degree. So she beat a hasty retreat, almost bumping into Nick and Warrick as she left.

"Where's the fire?" Nick called after her.

Warrick gave Catherine a bewildered stare. "What was that about?"

"And why do you have that goofy grin on your face?" Nick asked.

Catherine continued to smirk knowingly, "You know a lady never tells, boys."