Gil Grissom sat at the table across from Sofia Curtis. He had asked her to dinner. His intentions were pure. At least as pure as they can be when a man asks out an attractive woman to dinner.

Gil Grissom was dressed in black khakis and a blue button down shirt that showed off his eye color. His posture was tense and uncomfortable. It was like that of a suspect awaiting interrogation.

"This is a nice restaurant, Gil, can I call you Gil? Do you come here often" She was sitting cross-legged, elbows on the table, twirling her blonde hair.

"I prefer Grissom, please. And no, I don't tend to come here often." Gil is too personal. Catherine calls me Gil, but she has known me for years. So does Jim. Sara doesn't even call me Gil and I have known her for almost as long as I have known Catherine. Sara…sweet Sara! Sigh Focus Gil. Remember why you are here. One word…Conrad Ecklie. OK. Two words. He chuckled inwardly.

"Alright, Grissom it remains." She giggled stupidly. She was attempting to be funny. It wasn't working.

"What would you like to order" He asked.

"A porterhouse steak. I like my meat like I like my men, big and juicy." There was a hint of passion in her voice. She said it hoping he would pick up on it.

Grissom nearly choked. I hope that wasn't meant for me. This may have been a bad idea.

The waiter arrived. Grissom glanced up. "I will have the Sea Bass and the lady will have a porterhouse." The waiter turned to Sofia. "How do you want that cooked Miss"

"Blue."

The waiter appeared slightly disgusted by her request. "Would you folks like anything to drink" He asked before leaving to place their orders.

"The house beer for me, please." Grissom stated. "Sofia"

"Champagne."

The waiter left and returned moments later with their drinks.

"I never pegged you for a beer man, Grissom. I figured you were more refined that that. I could see Nick or Warrick enjoying a beer, but I never figured you would." Sofia gulped down her champagne and ordered another... and four after that.

Grissom was getting worried. He wondered how much she had to eat to counteract all that alcohol. He didn't have to ponder it long as a short time later the waiter arrived with their meal. Grissom's looked quite appetizing; it was a beautifully laid out on the plate with a bed of rice and veggies. It smelled great and he hoped it tasted half as good as it smelled.

He looked across the table to Sofia's plate. The big wounded piece of cow on her plate was disgusting. He felt sympathetic towards Sara all of a sudden. Especially after that hamburger incident a few years ago...she must have felt similar to how he felt now. It was revolting to look at a raw piece of steak. It was dripping blood all over the place. He couldn't quite figure out how someone could eat 'blue' meat. It was detestable. It was awful. You might as well have sliced it straight off the cow. Grissom had to look away before he lost his appetite.

He dove into his meal. It tasted so good, so flavourful. Sofia ordered more champagne this time grabbing onto the waiters arm before he could retreat.

"Just leave the bottle." The waiter nodded leaving the bottle and walking off. Sofia tried to start a conversation with Grissom but in order to enjoy his meal he had a hard time looking at her.

The smacking and chewing emitting from across the table was bad enough. The thought of eating the raw meat was making him nauseous. He pushed his half eaten meal away.

"You not hungry" She asked.

"I'm full." He lied.

He fought to keep down what he had already eaten when he looked across the table to see the pool of blood on her plate. The effort was waisted as he observed her soak her bread in the blood and eat it. He got up and all but sprinted to the bathroom.

Grissom poured the contents of his stomach into the toilet. He could look at dead bodies and decomps, but not somebody eating very rare meat, what was wrong with him? Must be empathy. He laughed.

When he returned to the table Sofia had a new bottle of champagne in front of her. I wonder if she has a drinking problem? He sat down. Their plates had been cleared away.

Grissom flinched suddenly as Sofia began running her foot up his pant leg. "Sofia, what are you doing"

"I thought you asked me out on a date" She slurred.

"I asked you out to dinner as a colleague. I wanted to ask you for some help regarding Conrad Ecklie."

"So its not a date" She slurred some more.

"I'm afraid not." He admitted.

"You wanted me to help you? Help you with what" She hadn't moved her feet away from his.

"I think perhaps this can wait until you sober up. I'll pay for dinner and leave money for a cab. I've uhh... I've got some things to finish up at the lab." He lied. "I will see you at work tomorrow night." Grissom got up quickly, dropped a stack of cash at the front desk, and left before she could say a word.

-

The next night at work Sofia approached Grissom in his office. "Grissom, I'm sorry about last night."

Sara walked by his office at that moment. Grissom put his head in his hands.

"Its fine. I just wanted to ask you about Conrad. He has been extremely hard on myself and CSI Sidle."

"Oh yeah" She spat. "Sidle."

"Do I sense some hostility" He questioned.

"No! Of course not" She lied. Without Sidle you would be mine. I'm gonna use this to my advantage. "Can we rain check the Conrad talk? Maybe have dinner again" She prodded.

"No. I think that would be a bad idea. Forget I asked."

Sofia walked out and headed straight to find Sara. She found her in the A/V Lab going over evidence.

"Hey Sara."

"Hi." Sara said with a clear lack of enthusiasm as she continued to work without so much as a glance in Sofia's direction.

"Have you ever been to La Mande" I wonder if he takes her there?

"No, why"

"Just wondering, Grissom took me there last night. It's quite romantic." There, how does that feel?

Sara's head snapped up to look at her, pain evident in her eyes.

Success! Sofia snarled to herself. Fighting back tears and pretending not to notice the triumphant smile on Sofia's face, Sara dropped what she was doing and stormed out of the room and down the hall.

Sara ran past Grissom right into the locker room. Grissom turned to follow her. What in the world? He glanced over his shoulder to find Sofia leaving the AV lab where he knew Sara had been moments before. Oh crap.

Sara locked the door.

"Sara" He tried the door. "Sara, please let me in." He pleaded.

"Go away" She yelled.

"Please, let me explain Sara."

"Why should I? Give me one good reason"

"I think you misunderstood."

"Go away Grissom"

"Sara."

She hated it when he said her name. Even after all these years is still melted her into putty.

The door unlocked and he stepped inside.

"I'll give you five minutes. You had better make it good." He paused a moment and she glanced at her watch. "You're down to four minutes, forty five seconds."

"Sara, I did go to dinner with Sofia."

"This is supposed to make me feel better? Four minutes, 35 seconds."

"It's not what you think. I went to discuss Conrad and what he had been doing to me and to you."

Sara looked up at him her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Forgive me if I don't believe you. I have seen you together. I do get paid to uncover evidence."

"Sara."

He was doing it again. "What. What do you expect me to think? I ask you out and you shoot me down cold. You couldn't go out with ME as a colleague. And then you asked her out. It hurt. Especially after what we had just been through! I never told ANYONE about that Grissom! Nobody."

"I went to see if I could get some information on Conrad. Some ammunition so he would leave us all alone."

"What really happened"

"We went to dinner. She ordered a steak so raw I literally lost my lunch watching her devour that bloody mass. It made me think of you and your decision to be a vegetarian. It was a disgusting display of eating habits. I was revolted. I had to leave. Besides she was very drunk and she started coming on to me. I shot her down. It seemed to piss her off. That's why she attacked you tonight."

"Really"

"Really. She got drunk, I paid for dinner, and I left. It pissed her off." He smirked at her. "It was a stupid idea."

Sara smiled at him and he took her in his arms. "I'm sorry" She sobbed.

"Its my fault. I should have told you. I didn't think it would upset you like this. I'm sorry."

Then, before he could think twice he pulled her in tight and kissed her hard. His hands were all over her body. She felt so good, she smelled so good. His lips moved down her neck and onto her chest. Sara moaned softly. His hands were under her shirt on her soft skin. He lifted the shirt up to expose her bare skin. He kissed the sensitive flesh of her belly. Sara groaned and leaned into his kisses giving him more access. He lifted the top off over her head. Her lace-clad breasts greeted him. She was begging him to touch her. He dove his face into her chest brushing his beard against her chest. Sara moaned softly.

"Ooh….So good."

Reaching behind her he unclasped her bra. Her taunt breasts were in his face. He suckled them gently emitting a growl from Sara He'd never heard anything more erotic in his life..

Sara reached under his shirt and stroked his firm chest. Grissom hissed. Grasping the hem of his shirt she discarded it over his head. Her mouth made contact with his skin raining kisses up and down his firm chest.

His hands were on her hips reaching for the button on her jeans. The door creaked. They jumped apart and Sara ran to a stall, clothes in hand. Grissom was left standing half-clad when Sofia walked in. Even a complete idiot could tell what they'd walked in on.

"Did I interrupt something" She snarled.

"No, I was just changing my shirt." He tried to lie. He was still flushed. He was trying to avoid eye contact so she wouldn't see his swollen lips.

Sara was perched in the cubical waiting for Sofia to leave. Eventually she did. Sara came out of hiding fully dressed again.

"That was close." She admitted. "And you're a terrible liar."

"I know." He said pulling her into an embrace. "I think we should go someplace more private….if you are interested." He was stammering. "I don't think that this is an appropriate place to do anything."

She kissed his lips. "Shh. Your place or mine"