When Sara opens her door to Nick he is struck dumb. He is positive that this must be what a stroke feels like. He finds himself unable to move, speak, or even think. He had opened his mouth before he lost brain functioning but the only word that he now seems to be able to make is. "Ugh…" He is sure that if he blinks his eyes often enough this strange hallucination of Sara will go away and the real Sara will appear.
"Nice to see you too, Nick." Sara retorts rolling her eyes at him. Which of coarse he doesn't see because it isn't her eyes he is staring at.
"Ugh…….." She can't be real. Yet here is a girl who looks well, mostly like Sara, sounds like Sara, but who certainly can't be Sara. Those do not belong to Sara, and the Sara he knows would never wear that.
"You've already covered that Nick." Sara grinds her back teeth. She's been planning on using Nick as litmus test for tonight and judging by his reaction she is going to be in for a very long evening.
"Ummm." Nick can count on one hand the number of times he's seen Sara in a shirt that displayed even the upper most swell of her breast. Tonight they are practically bare, flaunted in a manor that begs for closer inspection.
"Nick if you're done staring at my breasts we need to pick-up Greg."
"Ah what?"
"Pick-up Greg. Remember it's his Thirtieth Birthday. The teams having sushi before shift to celebrate. You're picking us both up so Greg and I can go clubbing afterward. Any of this ring a bell?"
"Yeah sorry Sara." As they walk to the car he can't help but continue to stare at her and finally he has to ask. "Sara where the hell did those boobs come from?"
Sara smiles. "Well I always wear a sports bra at work it flattens them making them look smaller. This shirt makes them look bigger. So um, you think Greg's going to like the outfit?"
"I think Greg's going to swallow his tongue." He says honestly.
Nick holds his tongue until they arrive at his truck. When they are both settled he doesn't start the car. Instead he turns to stare at her one more time while he gathers his thoughts. He can't say that he loves Sara like his sister. He never flirts with any of his sisters and he certainly never checks out any of their asses. Sara was fun, flirty, and intense. Sara was the kind of girl a guy could get serious about. From the first day he was aware of her interest in Grissom. More importantly he was aware of Grissom's interest in her. Never one to blindly look for personal or professional trouble Nick has kept any feelings he might develop for Sara at bay. So they flirt, tease, and even occasionally ogle each other, but both are aware that they will never crossover the boundaries of friendship. This agreement came to be without ever having a conversation. However, he isn't positive that Sara and Greg have the same understanding. He is fairly certain Greg has feelings for Sara. He is almost equally as certain that Sara does not have the same feelings for Greg. This makes her outfit tonight puzzling. Sara isn't a cruel person. He doesn't think she would ever do anything to deliberately hurt Greg. Which begs the question?
"Sara do you know what you're doing?"
"I'm being Greg's friend." She replies quickly.
Waiting till she meets his eyes he gives her a piercing glance. "Sara that outfit does not say friend."
"Greg will understand." She sounds confidant.
"What about Grissom?"
"Tonight's about Greg screw Grissom." She sounds petulant. Aware she is breaking the rules but determined to proceed anyway.
"Okay Sara but I really hope you know what you're doing." He has a feeling that Greg's Thirty Birthday was a night no one will forget.
As they arrive at Greg's apartment building he is standing on the sidewalk literally bouncing with excitement. His hair is in two inch spikes the tips are freshly bleached golden blond. Greg is wearing one of his a band t-shirts, leather pants, and a leather collar around his neck. As soon as they pull up Greg begins speaking in an animated rush "So do I get to know where we're going now Sara. When I agreed to let you plan my Thirtieth Birthday I never realized you planned on keeping everything a surprise……" at this moment Sara chooses to open her door and hop out of Nick's truck, to allow Greg to climb in the back.
Nick can see the sock register on Greg's face. Greg's jaw hangs slack. Nick wonders if he'd looked that goofy when he'd first seen Sara. Greg stares for several moments before stammering "Um Sara you look well wow um that's ah Sara."
Nick suppresses a chuckle.
"Happy Birthday Greg." Sara says then she kisses him on the cheek.
"Ah. Wow Sara." Greg continues to stare with wide eyes.
Smiling Sara playfully punches his arm. "Hop in Birthday boy you don't want to be late for your own party."
He climbs in back finally regaining the power of speech he asks "So where are we going?"
With an evil grin and sparkling eyes she turns back to him saying "What Greg don't you trust me? Drive Nick drive."
Grissom and Catherine sit at a table waiting for the others to arrive. Grissom glances around the restaurant shaking his head. Only in Vegas could you find a high end sushi restaurant with an alternative rock club attached. The restaurant has a minimalist Asian décor with clean lines, paper screens, and two types of tables. There where long black tables two to three feet off the floor with cushions to sit on and standard height black tables with black wooden chairs. He was relieved to find Sara had booked a standard table. At almost fifty he is well beyond his cushion on the floor days. The thing that made this restaurant unique was that only a beaded curtain spanning an entire wall separates it from an alternative rock dance club. Though he hasn't been over to see the club he can certainly hear the music blaring from the other side of the beads.
"Why again did I have to come to this?" Grissom asks Catherine only half jokingly.
"Because it's Greg's Thirtieth Birthday and it's the first time since Nick's abduction that we have all gotten a chance to get together and celebrate." Catherine glares at Grissom hoping that he won't complain the entire evening ruining Greg's big night. She knows Sara has been planning this evening for months. According to Nick, Sara and the guys had been working in the garage two months ago when out of the blue she'd asked if Greg had plans for his Birthday. When he'd said no she asked to plan the evening. She told them months ago that they would all be having dinner with Greg tonight her treat. After dinner everyone but Sara and Greg would be going to work. No one was sure what Sara had planned for the rest of the evening but she had arranged for Nick to pick them up so they could drink and take a taxi latter. Catherine glancing around had to admit this wasn't her type of place. She isn't fond of sushi and the music was God awful. This is however perfect for Greg. She wondered how Sara found this place. It's Grissom's complete change in posture that alerts Catherine to a change. She follows his line of sight to Nicky she smiles then noticing Greg and strange woman next to him. It takes a moment to register that the woman is Sara. "Oh my God." She hisses out her gaze immediately flying to Grissom.
Instead of coming straight to the table Greg grabs both Sara and Nick's arms and tugs them over to the beaded curtain. As they gaze inside Grissom has a clear view of Sara. She however, is distracted by Greg who is bouncing up and down animatedly gazing beyond the curtain. Grissom is grateful to be given a moment to take in her appearance without her eyes on him. She is so different from how he's ever seen her he has to stare. He was aware that Sara has been growing hair out for months but he'd had no idea that she'd done it expressly for tonight. Her hair is a single length that falls two inches bellow her shoulders. For tonight she has cut in slightly jagged bangs that rest just above her brows. Her hair is perfectly straight, shiny as silk, died to a deep chocolate brown, except scattered throughout it are a dozen or so small strands with last two inches died royal blue. As his eyes travel down her, he notices a glossy black ribbon secured tightly around neck. He shoulders are completely bare. Each of her upper arms has a design painted around it, in what he can only assume is liquid latex. Each arm has royal blue vine entwined with a black vine. The same pattern is repeated at each of her delicate wrist. Her top is a royal blue corset, which matches the�blue tips� of�her hair perfectly, with tatted floral embroidery and stints. It pushes her breasts up baring their tops and most of the sides. The back of the corset is tightly laced, with a black ribbon that is tied into a playful bow. The ends of the ribbon rest against a bare section of her back. The corset stops an inch above her belly button, her skirt doesn't start until the very top of her pelvic bone. This leaves a good three inch of creamy, pale, perfectly flat stomach, and back exposed. Grissom allows his gaze to linger here for a moment before traveling down to her skirt. It is tight, black, and leather. It starts at her hip bones and stops several inches above her knees. She is wearing a pair of tight, black, leather boots with a three inch heals. He has never seen her this bare. Not even in her college days. At this moment he would not describe her as pretty or even beautiful. There was only one word to describe her appearance, carnal. She is a walking sexual fantasy. An adult male's wet dream come to life. Only in his most private of fantasy he would ever have dare to picture her like this. This vision of her sends an electrical jolt of desire through his whole body. He wants to drag her out here. Spread her across the first flat surface he can find. He wants to take off his jacket and wrap her in it so no other man can see this much of her body. This brings two harsh realties to light. The first was that his most sexualized version of Sara and what Sara believed Greg's fantasy of her where are shockingly alike. He hated to admit he that the younger mans tastes and his where so similar. The second realization was almost devastating. Sara had dressed this way for Greg. He never would have guessed she would dawn such an outfit privately. He is stunned that she is wearing it publicly. Here in front of her professional colleagues. Every reason he can come-up with for her wearing that outfit for Greg is more painful then the last. His body is warring between two opposite sensation hard tight arousal and bitter grief.
Catherine couldn't take her eyes off Grissom. So many emotions played across his face. It was rare that he dropped his walls. She notices him starting to rise "You can't leave."
"I know." He keeps his voice flat and his face neutral "I going to the bathroom."
"Grissom." Catherine hiss not believing him.
"Catherine I'll be right back, trust me." He stands he has no intention of leaving this restaurant but there is something he has to do.