Chapter 2: Sara Sidle
~~~~~SARA'S POV~~~~~~
"Sara you're next." Nick said to me.
"Why do I have to go next?" I complained. I made sure the tone of my voice was just the right pitch to be a low whine.
"Because I get to pick who goes next." Nick said smiling. His smile was contagious and I smiled back.
"You just made that up!" I exclaimed still smiling.
"Quit arguing Miss Smarty Pants. Now who wants to be the first to ask Sara a revealing question?"
I know he did just not call me Miss Smarty Pants. What is with the guys tonight anyway? Greg challenges Nick to kiss me, Nick is being extra annoying, and Grissom nearly killed Nick when he came over to kiss me. What was that all about? Warrick seems to be the only one normal tonight.
"Does it have to be a question? Can it be in the form of a request. Like I want Sara to tell us about her experiences that landed her membership in the Mile High Club." Warrick smiled from ear to ear at me. Okay I take that back Warrick is acting weird too. Men and there sex stories, I thought ruefully.
Nick threw up his arms. "New rule and that's acceptable."
"You are so making these rules up." I protested again.
"So what? My game, my rules. Answer or Warrick gets to challenge you."
I turned to Warrick. "I never knew you were so interested Warrick, but okay you want to know. I am sure you all heard the rumor which I cannot deny, especially since I told Grissom myself and basically started it."
Grissom got up to get a cup of coffee and tried to seem uninterested in entire the conversation. He wasn't so uninterested when I told my story before now was he?
"Well?" Catherine's eyes twinkled. She probably never thought of me as such a risk taker.
"Well it never would have happened if I wasn't drunk." I said as if that could be the end of it.
"Drunk?" Warrick said.
"I hate to fly really. Its not a paranoia or a fear but I just don't like it. There are too many things that I can't control. If I were flying the plane I would feel better. But I can't fly a plane."
"I never knew that." Grissom said out of nowhere. He scared me actually because I thought he wasn't listening. Well there are a lot of things he doesn't know about me.
"Yeah. A few mini-bottles and I was gone. Of course I knew exactly what I was doing. I guess I just did it for the hell of it that and well he was amazing." Grissom's eyes dropped at the mention of the other guy but everyone else hung on every word. Feeling sorry for him I ended the conversation. "I had no idea that it would be the topic of discussion years down the road."
"So what was it like?" Greg wagged his eyebrows at me.
"Good. Very good but not any better than what I can do at sea level." I joked.
Greg growled at me. "Maybe you can show me sometime?"
"Watch it Greg, Grissom might suspend you." Nick gave Grissom a small smile, but it wasn't returned.
"I think we should move on to Catherine's question." He said.
"Okay Catherine what do you what to know?" I turned to her.
"Well I want to know what you were like in high school. You didn't strike me as someone that would have sex in an airplane lavatory, so it got me thinking what were you really like."
"Same as now I suppose."
"A total geek Sara?" Nick got a quick jab to the stomach for that comment.
"I wasn't a geek." I hissed.
"Were you in any other club other than the science club then?" He asked from a safe distance.
"Yes as a matter of fact I was. It wasn't a club but I did gymnastics for about...three years I think."
"Gymnastics?" Catherine asked surprised. "I don't see you as the graceful type Sara."
"Hey! Just because I'm tall doesn't mean I am not graceful. I won a few awards thank you very much. Not to bad for Miss Ungraceful. And actually that was the purpose of me joining. My parents thought it would be good for me."
"Can you still do the flips?" Nick asked.
"Its been awhile Nicky. And no I won't do it to prove it."
"Whatever." Nick said. "So I guess its my turn. I'll be to the point Sara, since Halloween when you told us about your tattoo I have be very interested to know where and what it is. So show me."
"No way!" I can't believe he remembered that. Men.
"Well then on to my challenge."
"Just great." I mumbled. The eagerness in his voice should have been a fair warning.
"It was going to be something more bold, but I don't think Grissom would approve. Anyway since I am equally intrigued about your flexibility, I want you to do a back bend from standing position."
The room busted into laughter, myself included. Me, Sara Sidle, in a back bend was surely the sight to see. I even noticed that Grissom was smiling.
"You have got to be kidding me." I smiled. "I haven't done one in forever."
"Well there is a time for everything."
"Yeah Sara." Greg teased.
"You have to let me warm up first." I said getting all serious. I stood up. I never do anything half-assed so this was not going to be an exception.
"Whatever. Do what you need to Sara, I'll wait." Nick said.
I gave him looks to kill while I removed my denim jacket and set it on the table. I stretched my arms over my head then I stretched my back. This is going to hurt.
"Ready Sara?"
"Shut up Nick. I'd like to see you do this."
"You had your opportunity. Everyone give our ballerina some room." Everyone stepped back.
"Here goes nothing." I stood with feet spread apart by at least two feet, eased back, and prayed that I didn't fall. If I could get this done then I could rub it in Nick's face for a least a month. I felt my shirt lift and realized I should have tucked it in but no turning back now I was at least half way there. Slowly I could feel my ribs stretching against my skin and my muscles tightening as I bent back. Before I knew it my hands rested securely on the floor and Grissom, who was standing behind me before, was now upside down and in my view. Well his legs and feet were in my view.
"Holy shit." Greg said. "Marry me Sara?"
Greg's tone was hilarious. The room was full of howls to cheer me on. I started to laugh myself but almost lost my balance. "Shut up guys. I think I'll fall over if you make me laugh."
"That wouldn't be too bad." Nick called to me.
"Okay I think I proved that I could do it. So can I get up?" All the blood was rushing to my head and my arms weren't going to hold on much longer.
"Sure Sara." Nick said.
I tried to move but I could feel my arms go to liquid as exertion set in and I almost fell.
"What's wrong Sara, stuck?" Nick teased. I swear if I wasn't bent over backward, I would have shut him up real quick. Instead I found a friendly face in the crowd. "Uh...Grissom could you help me up."
I heard Grissom put down his coffee and he came to stand beside me. He placed one secure arm came under the bow in my back and the upper part of my arm. I could feel the heat through his clothes and the muscles in his arms as he gently pulled me up with ease. It was a slow pull, almost as if we were dancing. His lingering fingers found a bare spot on my back where my shirt rode up and I shivered. He felt so good. "Thanks." I said finally finding my voice as I came eye level to him. My flushed red face was only inches from his. I could feel his breath on my face.
"No problem." Grissom said. We stood staring at each other completely obvious to the others in the room. Then he pulled his eyes away to see his hands never left my body. He flushed and quickly dropped them to his side.
I looked away and was thankful that my face was red so no one could see me blushing. To distract attention from our current whatever it was, I quickly recomposed myself to gloat. "Ha! In your face Nick!" I yelled.
Nick clapped his hands. "I'll give you credit, that was nice real nice. I think Grissom would agree."
I scowled but the smile broke through in the end. I straightened my shirt and rubbed my hand across the small of my back. "God my back hurts now, that's the last time I'm doing that."
Everyone erupted into fits of laughter.
"Okay I want to ask the next question." Greg said calming the laughter.
"Technically its Grissom's turn Greggo." Nick told him.
Grissom sat down again with his cup of coffee in hand. He glanced at me then away. "I don't mind. Go ahead Greg."
"Thank you Grissom. This is a serious question and I believe you all know why I have to ask. Sara, are you and Grissom...you know?" No he just didn't. Mental note to self: beat Greg senseless.
Grissom's face flushed red in anger or embarrassment I didn't know which. "There is nothing going on between me and Sara." He said.
"First of all, I believe its Sara's question to answer not yours, and secondly I think my question has plenty of merit, especially after what we all just witnessed." That man had to be either the dumbest man on earth or the bravest man on earth to talk to Grissom like that. Well Greg I'll be at your funeral.
"Get your mind out of the gutter Greg, I helped her up that's it. Only you can make it into something sexual."
"Oh I don't think I was the only one." Greg said sheepishly. I noticed the lowered heads and smiles that the team gave me. No Greg was not the only one. Greg was going to pay dearly for this.
"Look Greg," I said sadly. "There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Grissom." Which was true. There wasn't anything going on. Unfortunately.
"So you don't have any feelings for Grissom other than friendship?" Greg teased.
I raised an eyebrow. If you only knew Greg I thought to myself. "I believe I answered your question. Rule is only one question per person."
"Is that a yes or a no?"
I crossed the room to the sink. "Whatever you want it to be." I threw Grissom a big smile which was nicely returned.
"Okay I believe that answered my question." Greg said.
I granted Greg a full hearted laugh. If anyone could make me laugh, it was Greg. "Sure Greg."
"What? I got all I needed to know just now."
"You're making too many enemies Greg be careful." Catherine joked. She turned to Grissom. "Batter up Gris."
I stared at Grissom intensely. "Well Grissom this is the time to ask one of your burning questions. I won't go lightly on you later so get it out of your system." I gave him a smile only for him. It was true, his question was going to burn.
"I just want to know about your first love."
"What do you want to know? His name? Description? Why I was attracted to him? What?"
"Everything."
"Why are you going to take notes?" I teased.
Grissom squirmed in his seat at the sudden attention, but granted me no pleasure in my joke. "No Sara. Its a proven fact that all lovers are compared to your first experience of being loved. It shapes how we view the opposite sex."
A typical Grissom answer. Why would I think it would be anything less? "Maybe." I said skeptically even though it had some truth to it.
"Answer the question Sara or would you rather have me challenge you?" He raised his eyebrow and I matched his movement with my own.
Oh you can challenge me anytime, I thought. "Fine." I said through gritted teeth. "Technically the first person I have ever fallen in love with was Daniel Fox. Dark hair, green eyes, exactly three inches taller than me, and on the La Crosse team. Also very smart. He was another Physics major and we met at a fair. I was in my freshman year of college and he was a junior."
"Got a thing for older men Sara?" Greg just missed my swing.
"Shut up. We dated for two years. And despite your theory Grissom I do not compare him to every man I date." I compare every man I date to you. "But it was the best two years I have ever had in a relationship. I loved him."
"Did he love you?" Grissom asked.
"Yes Grissom he did. He actually even proposed on May 11th." That shut him up and the look on his face was priceless. "He took me to the observatory to look at the stars like we did since we met. I had no idea what he was planning. Anyway long story short he asked me to marry him."
"And?"
"I said no."
"What?!" Catherine shouted. "Guy like that honey what's your problem?"
I laughed at her reaction but my response was serious. "I wasn't ready. I wanted a career so the last thing I wanted was to be tied down. He wanted kids, a house, the white picket fence, everything. I told him I didn't know if I could ever give him that. He insisted that he would wait, but I broke it off."
"Why?" Grissom asked.
"I think it was mostly because I didn't want him to give up his dream for me. He wanted all that and I didn't want to be the reason he couldn't have it. That and add a dash of fear so I ended it." I have never admitted being so scared in my life, I guess there is a first time for everything.
"Have you heard from him since you broke it off?" Warrick asked me.
"A few years back I got a letter. He got married and has two kids. It hurt to let him go but when I got his letter I could tell he was truly happy. I guess it wasn't meant to be."
"Now that's a love story." Catherine said standing up. "A true love story. I am sorry it didn't work out Sara."
"Well I don't regret telling him no. It was for the best; for both of us." Soon after that I met Grissom, but I didn't say that aloud. No that was only for me to know. I looked down at my hands then back up at Grissom. "Got everything you wanted to know?"
"Thank you." Was all he said. What was that suppose to mean? I hate when he does that.
"Well anyway, enough love and more games. Catherine you're next." Nick said brightly.
"Oh I'm not sure you want to go down that road." Catherine said eyeing everyone suspiciously.
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tbc...