Disclaimer: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation belongs to CBS & Jerry Brukheimer; I'm just borrowing these characters for my own amusement. Complete work of fiction, including some of the unknown city names that might crop up every now and again.
Summary: She already crushed on a co-worker that went no where except for one dinner date. Will it be different this time around on a different guy?
PhoenixRae's Note: Thanks so much to those read and reviewed so far. I am on a roll here and I can't wait to see what will happen to this two. My muse is threatening to abandon me yet again, and I am hoping that before it does I am close to finishing this fic already.
IV.
NOW SOFIA WAS BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND what Grissom's bugs and other experiments felt like under the microscope; every move she made, every time she and Nick ran into each other either at the PD or in the lab, she felt the hairs at the back of her neck prickle like all eyes were on them.
Damn Grissom and his observation! And damn Nick for being…well, for being the all-around Mr. Nice Guy here at work! If she doesn't fancy the guy she wouldn't be this jittery around everybody else at work.
She was thankful her three days off was just a few hours away. She needed to get away from here, and Nick better stop phoning and asking her for breakfast or lunch or dinner!
Her cell phone rang. She grabbed it from where she clipped it on her belt buckle and read the caller ID.
"Speak of the devil," she mumbled and debated on whether to answer his call or not. It has been a while since they last worked together. "Curtis," she answered curtly.
"Hey Sofia, what's new?"
Sofia tried not to react at his cheery greeting. Every time he called her he sounded genuinely happy to be talking to her regardless of whether it was work-related or otherwise.
"Nothing much, I'm just finishing up a case then I'm off for three days. What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm off the next couple of days too and I figured you might want to hang out or something."
Sofia's eyebrow slowly rose and her steps faltered. Hang out? Nicks Stokes was calling her to ask if she wanted to hang out with him during their days off.
Hell yeah I'd like to hang out! Sofia wanted to jump on the chance to spend some time with him outside work and away from a case. She would've quickly accepted his invite if only he asked her before Grissom talked to her, questioning her about her relationship with Nick. She wondered if she wasn't a detective, if she was still a CSI, would Grissom or Brass question her working alongside Nick and possibly ending up spending time with him? She has seen the other CSIs hang out after work and sometimes when they were off-duty, and no one's said anything about the co-ed CSIs hanging out. You're just being paranoid, as usual, she told herself.
"Hello? Sofia, are you still there?"
"Uh…rain check on the hanging out, Nick? I kinda have something planned for my days off and…well, I'd love to hang out, sure, why not? But I gotta make sure my calendar's clear off any previous appointments," she stumbled as she thought up a lame excuse on the spot. She didn't actually decline his invite, she just evaded it – sorta.
"Oh, alright. Well, I won't bother you on your first day off. I'll probably call you the day after."
"Sounds great. Bye." She clicked off before he could add more. She stared at her cell phone for the longest time, contemplating on whether she should welcome this new development in her 'relationship' with Nick Stokes or not.
YEAH, BYE," NICK SPOKE TO THE ALREADY disconnected line. He lowered his cell phone from his ear and stared at the silver device for the longest time. He stood leaning against his locker door.
"Yo Nick!" Warrick Brown came in to the locker room and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Something's wrong with your phone, man?"
Nick straightened and put his cell phone away. "Nah, nothing's wrong with it. I was just thinking," he opened his locker door and started looking for one of the clean shirts he stuffed in there to change in to.
"About what? You already solved the case." Warrick sat on the bench and started untying his shoe to change to his runners.
"It's not about the case. Just…something." He gave a nonchalant shrug, telling Warrick it wasn't anything mulling about. But Warrick wasn't about to let it slide that easily.
"C'mon Nick, you know you can tell me what's bothering you," he chided. "Is it a woman?"
Nick hated it when he was right. "I told you, it's nothing, man," he insisted and grabbed a clean black short-sleeved shirt he hung in his locker.
"It is a woman," chuckled Warrick and shook his head. "Who is she? Is she hot?"
"Rick—"
"Look, you're obviously hung up on this woman because…well, I heard you when you hang up and you didn't sound too happy."
Nick turned to him then. "You were eavesdropping on me now, Rick?"
"No. I was just about to enter the room when I heard you on your phone. Don't worry, I didn't hear what you and your mystery lady talked about. I just heard you telling her 'bye' and that's that," he explained. "Anyway, things are not working out between the two of you?"
Nick knew Warrick wouldn't let this one slide so easily. His friend would pester him until he budged, and after he wouldn't stop harping on him when he announced he eloped last year, Nick knew this was his comeuppance.
"Want to lend me your ear while you treat me out for breakfast?"
Warrick cocked an eyebrow. "If I'm lending you my ear, why do I have to pay for your breakfast?"
"Because that's the only way you're going to find out what's bugging me."
"Sneaky bugger," he mumbled.
Nick gave him his trademark grin. "So? Wanna hear about it or not?"