Chapter 4
She jumped, startled by the sound of her name. Quickly turning around on her stool, she smiled at the sight of Grissom standing in front of her. ~He looks pissed. How long have I been down here? Is he that hungry? He'll get over it--I've been working.~ Catherine quickly stood up and threw her arms around his neck. She positioned her mouth next to his ear and lightly whispered "We need to talk...play along." Pulling forward and looking into his confused eyes, she pushed her lips to his for a moment, lingering a second longer than she had initially intended. "Hey baby."
"Hi." Grissom spoke softly, his body still tingling with electricity. He, still holding her by her waist, bit his bottom lip, contemplating what just taken place. ~Catherine kissed me. Very briefly, albeit, but she still kissed me.~ He glanced at the man who was still seated next to her and realized that he must be the reason behind Catherine's actions. The man had an odd sort of grimace on his face. ~Well, you're not touching her now, are you? Jerk.~ He almost laughed, but stopped himself, realizing that he would then have to explain the thoughts going through his head.
"Were you wondering where I had disappeared to?"
"I was mildly concerned. Yes."
Catherine could see in his eyes that he wasn't lying or just 'playing along'. He was actually worried enough to come looking for her.
"Good thing you found her in time. She was actually thinkin' of running off with me." The comment forced Grissom to break his eye contact with Catherine. The man was now standing up, facing Grissom, and was smiling that irksome grin again. Seeing the scowl that crossed Grissom's features, he realized that he must not be impressed by his humor. "Just kidding man. But, you really shouldn't allow such a beatiful specimen of woman to stray too far from your sight. Ya never know when she might stray too far."
"I'm not worried about that." Grissom gave Catherine a small grin before turning back towards the man. Grissom's trained eye began to investigate him. He was short and stocky with black hair, greased back to his head. He had bushy eye brows that bounced up and down as he talked. And the grin that was constantly plastered to his face rubbed Grissom the wrong way. When he moved to bring his hand up to the back of Catherine's neck, Grissom had had enough. Gil slighly clutched her hand and tugged gently, effectively pulling her towards him. She didn't move to let go of his hand, so he laced his fingers in hers and leaned towards her. "You ready to go?"
She nodded. It was that moment---standing in a crowded bar, holding Grissom's hand---that she realized just how much she wanted to kiss him again. An actual kiss..not some peck on the lips. She just wanted to lay one on him. She smiled at the thought of what his reaction would be to that. ~Would he kiss me back? Push me away? Lock me in an insane asylum and throw away the key?~ Catherine was jolted back to reality by the sound of a conversation starting back up. She sighed heavily.
"Aw, leaving so soon? We didn't even formally meet yet. I'm assuming that you're the husband that I was disappointed to hear so much about. I'm Sheldon Jones. My friends call me 'Jonsey.'" He ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times and then reached his hand out to shake Grissom's.
~Why does that name sound so familiar?~ Grissom reluctantly pulled his free hand up and shook the man's hand quickly. He then looked down at his own fingers, which were now lightly coated with a shiny film. Looking up again at the man's greasy hair, he frowned and wiped his hand on the back of his pants. "Gil Grissom."
"I'm the sheriff here in Union."
Grissom nodded, urging him to go on. ~Ah, ha. That's it. The sheriff..that's why Catherine was sticking around.~
"Small town--wouldn't think there would be so much trouble. It's a job and a half, though. That's what the pretty lady and I were talking about. She seems really interested in the criminal mind. What do you do, Mr. Grissom?"
"Bank robber," Grissom answered sarcastically. Catherine squeezed his hand and smiled.
The sheriff let out a hearty laugh. "You're too funny, Mr. Grissom. But, I can see that you're anxious to go." He looked towards Catherine and spoke softly. "Perhaps we'll meet again."
Grissom leaned forward, as if to whisper, but raised an eyebrow and spoke loudly. "Maybe." He then turned quickly and paused, waiting to see if Catherine was going to follow.
"Bye Sheldon. Nice to meet you." With that, she turned and walked in front of Grissom, still gripping his hand, and pulled him towards the exit.
She jumped, startled by the sound of her name. Quickly turning around on her stool, she smiled at the sight of Grissom standing in front of her. ~He looks pissed. How long have I been down here? Is he that hungry? He'll get over it--I've been working.~ Catherine quickly stood up and threw her arms around his neck. She positioned her mouth next to his ear and lightly whispered "We need to talk...play along." Pulling forward and looking into his confused eyes, she pushed her lips to his for a moment, lingering a second longer than she had initially intended. "Hey baby."
"Hi." Grissom spoke softly, his body still tingling with electricity. He, still holding her by her waist, bit his bottom lip, contemplating what just taken place. ~Catherine kissed me. Very briefly, albeit, but she still kissed me.~ He glanced at the man who was still seated next to her and realized that he must be the reason behind Catherine's actions. The man had an odd sort of grimace on his face. ~Well, you're not touching her now, are you? Jerk.~ He almost laughed, but stopped himself, realizing that he would then have to explain the thoughts going through his head.
"Were you wondering where I had disappeared to?"
"I was mildly concerned. Yes."
Catherine could see in his eyes that he wasn't lying or just 'playing along'. He was actually worried enough to come looking for her.
"Good thing you found her in time. She was actually thinkin' of running off with me." The comment forced Grissom to break his eye contact with Catherine. The man was now standing up, facing Grissom, and was smiling that irksome grin again. Seeing the scowl that crossed Grissom's features, he realized that he must not be impressed by his humor. "Just kidding man. But, you really shouldn't allow such a beatiful specimen of woman to stray too far from your sight. Ya never know when she might stray too far."
"I'm not worried about that." Grissom gave Catherine a small grin before turning back towards the man. Grissom's trained eye began to investigate him. He was short and stocky with black hair, greased back to his head. He had bushy eye brows that bounced up and down as he talked. And the grin that was constantly plastered to his face rubbed Grissom the wrong way. When he moved to bring his hand up to the back of Catherine's neck, Grissom had had enough. Gil slighly clutched her hand and tugged gently, effectively pulling her towards him. She didn't move to let go of his hand, so he laced his fingers in hers and leaned towards her. "You ready to go?"
She nodded. It was that moment---standing in a crowded bar, holding Grissom's hand---that she realized just how much she wanted to kiss him again. An actual kiss..not some peck on the lips. She just wanted to lay one on him. She smiled at the thought of what his reaction would be to that. ~Would he kiss me back? Push me away? Lock me in an insane asylum and throw away the key?~ Catherine was jolted back to reality by the sound of a conversation starting back up. She sighed heavily.
"Aw, leaving so soon? We didn't even formally meet yet. I'm assuming that you're the husband that I was disappointed to hear so much about. I'm Sheldon Jones. My friends call me 'Jonsey.'" He ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times and then reached his hand out to shake Grissom's.
~Why does that name sound so familiar?~ Grissom reluctantly pulled his free hand up and shook the man's hand quickly. He then looked down at his own fingers, which were now lightly coated with a shiny film. Looking up again at the man's greasy hair, he frowned and wiped his hand on the back of his pants. "Gil Grissom."
"I'm the sheriff here in Union."
Grissom nodded, urging him to go on. ~Ah, ha. That's it. The sheriff..that's why Catherine was sticking around.~
"Small town--wouldn't think there would be so much trouble. It's a job and a half, though. That's what the pretty lady and I were talking about. She seems really interested in the criminal mind. What do you do, Mr. Grissom?"
"Bank robber," Grissom answered sarcastically. Catherine squeezed his hand and smiled.
The sheriff let out a hearty laugh. "You're too funny, Mr. Grissom. But, I can see that you're anxious to go." He looked towards Catherine and spoke softly. "Perhaps we'll meet again."
Grissom leaned forward, as if to whisper, but raised an eyebrow and spoke loudly. "Maybe." He then turned quickly and paused, waiting to see if Catherine was going to follow.
"Bye Sheldon. Nice to meet you." With that, she turned and walked in front of Grissom, still gripping his hand, and pulled him towards the exit.