Sara stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered, and thankful to be in
her own clothes. She went in search of Nick to let him know the shower was
free. She found him standing in the kitchen wearing sweats and a T-shirt
sipping a glass of orange juice.
"Hey, Nick, shower's all yours." Sara smiled.
Nick had a serious expression on his face, "Hey, Sara. Can we talk first?"
"Uh, sure." Sara answered her face betrayed the worry that she was feeling.
"Want some OJ?" Nick offered with a lopsided smile trying to put Sara at ease.
Sara nodded and a faint smile played at her lips. Nick poured her a glass of orange juice and then beckoned Sara to follow him over to the couch. He let out a deep breath and then turned to face her, "Sara, I'm not sure how to say this. Things between us are moving really fast. I know what my reputation is and part of it's true, but most of it is just talk."
Sara placed her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile, "Nick, I don't care what your reputation is. I care about you. I like being with you."
Nick restrained a smile, "Thanks, Sara. I care about you too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't want to rush into a sexual relationship with you. Don't get me wrong, Sara, I want you. I want you in the worst way."
Sara blushed, "The feeling's mutual, Nick."
Nick grinned and took her hand as he continued, "I just want to make sure if we're together that it's for the right reasons before we take that kind of step. Especially since we work together almost everyday."
Sara mulled that thought over and nodded.
"Sara, I haven't been with anyone since Kristy Hopkins was murdered." Nick stated, waiting for Sara's reaction.
An expression of surprise crossed Sara's face as she looked at him and she set down her orange juice, "I had no idea."
"It's not like I've been shouting it from the top of the Stratosphere." Nick continued, "Sara, I've never really thought about the consequences of my actions with women until she was murdered. In retrospect, I can see that I've hurt a lot of people trying to cover up my own issues."
Sara looked at him quizzically.
Nick paused for a few moments as he tried to collect his thoughts. He blinked back tears, "Sara, when I was nine years old, I was molested by a last minute babysitter." A tear slid down his cheek.
Compassion filled Sara's face. She reached over and brushed the tear away with her fingers.
He looked into her eyes, "No one but Catherine knows that."
"Oh, Nick." Sara put her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
"Let's just take this slow, ok, Sara." Nick concluded resting his chin on her head.
"Yeah." She replied. After a few moments, Sara pulled herself out of the embrace, tears were running down her face, "You better get ready for work, or were going to be late."
Nick brushed the tears from Sara's face with his thumb, "Ok. I'll be ready in five minutes." He leaned down and tenderly kissed her, the salty taste of tears on her lips. He got up from the couch and headed down the hallway to shower and dress for work.
Sara sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself as she mulled over the serious nature of their conversation. Wiping tears away with the back of her hand, she got up off the couch and gathered her things so she would be ready to go when Nick was.
"Hey, Nick, shower's all yours." Sara smiled.
Nick had a serious expression on his face, "Hey, Sara. Can we talk first?"
"Uh, sure." Sara answered her face betrayed the worry that she was feeling.
"Want some OJ?" Nick offered with a lopsided smile trying to put Sara at ease.
Sara nodded and a faint smile played at her lips. Nick poured her a glass of orange juice and then beckoned Sara to follow him over to the couch. He let out a deep breath and then turned to face her, "Sara, I'm not sure how to say this. Things between us are moving really fast. I know what my reputation is and part of it's true, but most of it is just talk."
Sara placed her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile, "Nick, I don't care what your reputation is. I care about you. I like being with you."
Nick restrained a smile, "Thanks, Sara. I care about you too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't want to rush into a sexual relationship with you. Don't get me wrong, Sara, I want you. I want you in the worst way."
Sara blushed, "The feeling's mutual, Nick."
Nick grinned and took her hand as he continued, "I just want to make sure if we're together that it's for the right reasons before we take that kind of step. Especially since we work together almost everyday."
Sara mulled that thought over and nodded.
"Sara, I haven't been with anyone since Kristy Hopkins was murdered." Nick stated, waiting for Sara's reaction.
An expression of surprise crossed Sara's face as she looked at him and she set down her orange juice, "I had no idea."
"It's not like I've been shouting it from the top of the Stratosphere." Nick continued, "Sara, I've never really thought about the consequences of my actions with women until she was murdered. In retrospect, I can see that I've hurt a lot of people trying to cover up my own issues."
Sara looked at him quizzically.
Nick paused for a few moments as he tried to collect his thoughts. He blinked back tears, "Sara, when I was nine years old, I was molested by a last minute babysitter." A tear slid down his cheek.
Compassion filled Sara's face. She reached over and brushed the tear away with her fingers.
He looked into her eyes, "No one but Catherine knows that."
"Oh, Nick." Sara put her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
"Let's just take this slow, ok, Sara." Nick concluded resting his chin on her head.
"Yeah." She replied. After a few moments, Sara pulled herself out of the embrace, tears were running down her face, "You better get ready for work, or were going to be late."
Nick brushed the tears from Sara's face with his thumb, "Ok. I'll be ready in five minutes." He leaned down and tenderly kissed her, the salty taste of tears on her lips. He got up from the couch and headed down the hallway to shower and dress for work.
Sara sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around herself as she mulled over the serious nature of their conversation. Wiping tears away with the back of her hand, she got up off the couch and gathered her things so she would be ready to go when Nick was.
