Scavenger Hunt

chapter IV

They both get in the car with a lighter mood, still glancing at each other every now and then and bursting into laughter. Both of them unknowingly getting comfortable with each other's presence.
They were waiting for their coffee at the drive thru window.

"So what's next on the list?" Catherine smiles at her companion.

"Hmmm. It says a matchbook from a hotel with a bellboy's kiss mark on it." She looks at Catherine with a sly smile. "You suggested this one, didn't you?"

Catherine winks at her, "I sure did! Now imagine the boys pull that one off."

Sara pauses and then her grin widens showing off her gapped teeth, "Oh! That would be hilarious! That is truly wicked!"

"My thoughts exactly, Sara dear!"

"So," Sara continues, "where the hell are we gonna get that one?"

The blond passes the coffee cup to her companion, "Sara, who do you think you're with?"

Sara grins, "I'm with the best!"

"Right!" Catherine squeezes her arm lightly as they drove off to the next assignment earing a huge smile from the brunette.

"So, Sara," Catherine began, "have you ever gone out with a woman before?"

"As friends?" Sara sips her coffee as she watches the blond drive.

"Yes, like braid each other's hair, paint toenails, get perms together, compare cup sizes, share secret crushes, giggle in high pitched voices, etc. Girly pigtails and all those stuffs."

"Oh, sure! But we never got perms together although I..."

"No, you ninny!" Catherine rolls her eyes up, "I meant have you dated a woman before! God, Sara! Sometimes I don't know what to do with you! At times you're so geeky it's too adorable!"

"Oh. Sorry, I...I...ummm...Well... I..."

Catherine smirks, "there you go again. You stutter when you blush."

"I do not!" Sara faces her with a crinkle on her nose.

Catherine lifts an eyebrow. "Look in the mirror, chika girl. That shade of blushing would go great with my new handbag."

"Oh, Catherine, stop!"

Catherine pressess on. "Well? Have you or have you not?"

"Uh, me?"

"Hellooo...Is there someone else in the car besides me and you?"

"I...Uh...well..." Catherine could clearly see Sara's face turning bright red.

"You don't have to answer, Sara. I'm more concerned that you're head's going to explode with all that blood rush to your brain." Catherine point's her finger to the brunette's cheek. "I'll ask later, honey," smirks Catherine.

Sara sinks deeper in her seat as they drove on.

"The Bellagio?" Sara's eyes widen. "The Bellagio, Willows?"

Catherine gets out of the car. "I'm not going in some seedy hotel. Besides I haven't been here in awhile." She hands the keys to one of the car attendants, "I wonder if..."

Sara cuts her off and faces her with a serious look. "This is the Bellagio, Catherine." She points to the hotel, "The Bellagio! This is a freaking five star hotel! You're going to get kiss marks on a match book from a bellboy here? Are you outta your mind? What if ... wait a minute, what do you mean you haven't been here in awhile?"

Catherine gives the brunnette a smirk. "something wrong with the hotel, Sara?"

Sara again becomes flustered, "uh, no. No, Bellagio is just fine."

They walk up to the information desk.

The receptionist greets them with a smile. "Miss Willows! What a lovely surprise!"

More surprised was Sara who leans and whispers, "they even know you?"

"Shhh!" Catherine elbows her. She approaches the desk, "Gerry! Good morning. You're doing day shift! How are things?"

"Ah, everything's great." Gerry, the receptionist raises an eyebrow as he looks at Sara then at Catherine, "same room, Miss Willows?"

Sara's suprised look was classic: she turned white as snow as all the blood drained to her lower extremities.

Cathrine caught the look of sudden embarrassment of her female companion. "Uhhh, no. Not today, Gerry. This is Sara, she works with me."

Now it was the receptionist's turn to turn pale. "Sorry, Miss Willows. My mistake." Clearly he was embarrassed, "I'm so sorry. I..."

Catherine holds her hand up. "Gerry, skip it. It's all right. Is there a bellboy here?"

"Yes, Miss Willows. He's by the..."

Catherine turns towards the elevators, "I see him. Thanks, Gerry. By the way, you got a matchbook there?"

"Sure. Here." Gerry hands her one.

She smiles warmly. "Thanks, Gerry."

And the receptionist blushes. "Always a pleasure meeting you again, Miss Willows."

The pair walk towards the elevator.

Sara couldn't contain herself, whispers in a high pitched voice, "you stay here, too, Catherine? That you got a regular room? Do you know how much it costs to stay here, Catherine? Oh, god, I thought I knew you well, Catherine. What else secrets you got in store? You're going to surprise me with every place we're heading to, right, Catherine? Oh, god, the only time I went in a room here was for finger printing! How often do you go here, Catherine? I can't believe..."

"Sara, I know I have a lovely name, but to say it in your every sentence? You gotta calm down, you know."

Sara takes a deep breath and recollects herself. In a slow, steady voice, "I'm sorry." She pauses, "I was surprised." She takes another deep breath, "there are so many surprising things about you that..."

Catherine leans in and whispers, "later, Sidle." She extends her arm towards the bellboy, "Robbie! How are you?"

"Miss Willows!" The bellboy shakes her hands shyly. "I didn't even knew you know my name."

"It's uh...on your ID." She points to the big bold letters with the name ROBBIE on his name tag.

"Oh..." his ears became a shade of red.

"What up with all the blushing today anyway?" Sara says under her breath, "first me, then the mayor, then that receptionist guy now this kid named Robbie."

Catherine ignores Sara. "Plus," she looks at the bellboy with a smile, "you're cute." This made him blush even more. Sara rolls her eyes up at her flirting.

Catherine continues to ignore her, "anyway, Robbie. I need a favor."

"Anything for you, Miss Willows," he says eagerly, "you name it, you got it!"

"Could you...well, how should I say it? It's a little embarrassing for me to ask of you, Robbie." Catherine fiddles with the match box with her fingers.

"Oh ,brother..." Sara says under her breath as she again rolls her eyes up.

Robbie obviously caught under Catherine's spell, "Miss Willows, anything at all. Anything! Just say the word and I'm yours at your disposal."

Sara shakes her head in disbelief. "Oh, for Pete's sakes..."

"Well, Robbie. You're so sweet! Can you just write you're name here and seal it with a...hmmm...kiss perhaps?" She hands him the match book and a lipstick.

He repeats her words slowly, "seal it... with a kiss?"

"Well, Robbie dear," the blond leans a little closer, "I'm old enough to be your mother and all I just want is a little reminder of this little fantasy I've been..."

"No momma will ever look as beautiful as you, Miss Willows. You'r every boy's fantasy! Oh, man the dreams I've..."

Sara tries to supress a grunt. Eventually follows it with a fake cough.

Catherine straightens her back up. "Yeah, yeah, Robbie. I just need your lip marks here, comprende?"

"Oh, sure, Miss Willows! Anything to satisfy your needs." He clumsily applies the lipstick, gives a smack on the match book and writes his name. "Wait till the boys hear of this one!"

"Yeah, yeah. That'll be a hoot. Thanks, Robbie." She takes the match book from the ever wide grinning bell boy. "Don't forget to wipe the lipstick off- you surely wouldn't want to get fired for them thinking you're kissing the customers, right?"

"Oh, no, no, no!" He wipes his lips with the back of his hand. "Thanks, Miss Willows!"

Catherine and Sara walk out with the taller CSI still shaking her head in disbelief. The car attendant hands her the keys.

"What?" The blond questions as they got in the car.

"Nothing." Came the short reply.

"Come on, Sara. You're free to speak. I know you got all these questions swimming around in that brain of yours. So let it rip."

Sara takes a deep satisfied breath, "okay, first off..."

"Hold that thought, Sara. I need more coffee first." She drives off leaving Sara's jaw hanging open.

r/r would be nice