All I can think about is that kiss and I swear it takes me a full minute to realize that Nick has already driven off. I'm still blushing a little as I get in my car to follow him to the diner and I'm wondering if he'll kiss me again, or what he would do if I just walked up and kissed him. I cannot believe that a simple kiss from him has turned my analytical brain into complete mush. As I pull into the diner's parking lot and see Nick standing next to his vehicle with a cocky grin plastered on his face the thought occurs to me that he's standing there waiting for me and a flutter rushes through my heart. I don't really know where all of this sudden rush of feeling is coming from; sure I've always found Nick attractive, but maybe deep down even while I was consumed with my feelings for Grissom there was a part of me that had feelings for Nick too and now that I've determined to get past Grissom, those feelings for Nick have just burst into life.
His grin gets even bigger as I step out of my car and walk towards him. "I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to go back and pick you up." There is so much in that look and I know that he knows that his kiss has affected me in a way that I never completely expected.
"Oh, shut up." I'm sure that the smirk on my face belies my tone and if there were any doubt at all in Nick's mind, I'm pretty sure I completely remove it as I step towards him, wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips against his. I can feel Nick smiling against my kiss and as his hands find their way to my waist I feel a flipping sensation in the pit of my stomach and I decide that this feeling is something that I intend to catalogue in my mind. It takes my mind a few moments to process that we're standing in the middle of a parking lot where anyone could see us; people we both know from the lab and LVPD and it takes another few moments for that information to sink in deep enough for me to pull away from Nick.
He looks entirely too pleased. "You can shut me up anytime." You know, I'm not sure how I never noticed before how when Nick smiles, his entire face crinkles up into these laugh lines and I realize that he must have grown up in such a happy home for it to be reflected in his features like that.
"Let's just eat." I can't help but grin back at him, but I don't know if it's doubt or disbelief that makes me wonder how he could look at me like that knowing what he knows about my family. I'm not sure I would look at me like that and I know far more about my family than either he or Grissom knows. And then there's a pang about Grissom again that I've become so familiar with over the years. Part of me wonders if the reason why he could never risk being with me was because of my family; surely he knew more about my background than he let on when I told him about it. I'm not stupid; Grissom does his homework and if he's going to ask you to move across the country to become a CSI on his team, he's found out more about you than you probably even want to know. Suddenly I'm so disappointed; Grissom didn't want to be with me because of the hell that someone else inflicted on my life, but just as suddenly, I feel a glimmer of hope because I realize that Nick wants to be with me in spite of it.
There is something comforting in the familiarity of that diner as we walk in and despite my nervousness about this change in my relationship with Nick, being in that place helps to put me at ease. At least until I spot Warrick, Catherine, Grissom, and Greg gathered around a table in the large corner booth. Panic shoots through me as I wonder if they saw Nick and I making out in the parking lot. Wow, Nick and I making out, that thought just makes me smile and I realize that if they all saw us, there isn't anything I can do about it now. I'm not sure why I feel a rush of relief as I realize that Nick's rig is parked in such a way to nicely block any view of us that they might have gotten; it's not that I'm ashamed of Nick, I just need some time to adjust to this whole idea of us and I'm really not sure I want the rest of the team weighing in on my personal life until I know for sure what's really going on here.
It's Greg that spots us first and he's waving us over as he urges the others to scoot around to make room for us. Unfortunately, they scoot inward, leaving Nick and I on opposite sides of the booth, not how I would have pictured a first sort of date, but for now it'll have to do. We did come to the diner, it's not like we could have expected complete privacy in the first place.
"I was just going to call you two." Greg is grinning at me as he offers me a menu. I can't help but smirk at him; I've looked at the menu here exactly one time, and since I know they only have one vegetarian omelet, I've never ordered anything else. Besides, Audrey the waitress knows all of us and I'm pretty sure that she's already put our orders in which is probably why no one has any coffee yet.
"Well, we must have read your mind then, Greggo." Nick is grinning like he's got a big fat secret he wants to tell the whole world, and I glance at him for a long moment hoping he can read my mind that I don't want him blabbing it out to the rest of the table. He winks at me and I know that I have nothing to worry about. "Isn't that right, Sar?"
"Definitely." My smile is as subdued as I can make it, I don't want to look like I've got a secret too because I know the prying eyes around the table will just pick up on it, especially Catherine. "For instance right now I'm sure that Greg is wondering why none of us have even looked at the menu." I know it's true because ever since I declined the menu he offered me, he's been looking around the table at everyone else wondering why they haven't even touched a menu.
Greg looks at me like he's not quite sure if I actually can read his mind. "You scare me sometimes."
"She has that affect on a lot of people." Warrick looks thoroughly amused, but I catch him shooting Nick a meaningful glance and I wonder just how long Nick Stokes has been interested in me.
"Beauty can be intimidating." Grissom just rattles that off as if there is no meaning behind it, but I know and everyone else around the table knows that it goes far deeper than that. Could it be that I intimidate Grissom, that he could be afraid that I could reject him? How in the world could he even think that? On more than one occasion, I've practically thrown myself at him. What the hell kind of risk is that? Could it be that Grissom doubts himself even more than I doubt myself? It's a revealing thought.
"Yeah, Catherine intimidates me all the time." Nick does his best to look serious, but he comes out with laughter instead and the rest of the table follows suit. I think he knows that Grissom's statement made me a bit uncomfortable and I appreciate him trying to deflect the attention away from me.
"It's one of my best assets, Nicky." Catherine has this slightly wicked smile and it makes me laugh. Catherine and I may not always get along, but she has found a way to use her beauty as a tool to gain information as a CSI and I have a certain amount of respect for that.
Of course, Greg brings it right back as he sizes up Nick. "Don't you think Sara's beautiful too?" Only Greg would go there. I have really enjoyed watching him grow as a CSI, but I have to say he has a long way to go on picking up on the subtle dynamics of this group.
Suddenly, all of the attention is on Nick wondering just how he's going to work his way out of this one. I'm wondering too, because I don't want him to tell anyone about what's transpired between us until we've had a chance to talk about it by ourselves.
Nick just grins easily at me and doesn't even look over at Greg as he answers the question. "No, Greg, I don't think Sara's beautiful." Shock I think was what was reflected on my face, especially in light of the way that man had kissed me and I think Warrick mumbled something about Nick being an idiot in the fraction of a second before he continued and I was filled with relief. "I think Sara's gorgeous."