Sara was nervous. She was going out on a date with Nick Stokes. The same
Nick Stokes that she'd worked with for the last three years. Her pal Nick
Stokes that she could talk to about almost anything. The Nick Stokes who
delighted in teasing her. The Nick Stokes that she'd had a crush on since
she'd first met him. And now, they were going out on a date. She tried to
pull herself together. As it was, she'd changed her mind about how to wear
her hair four times. She finally decide to just wear it straight with a
bit of flip in it. Now makeup was another thing altogether. She didn't
tend to wear a lot of it, but this was a special occasion. She didn't want
to look like she was trying too hard. It was only Nick, but then again, it
was Nick.
Sara was ready. She had just put on a pair of diamond stud earrings that she'd gotten from her parents when she graduated from Harvard. A single diamond-like stone suspended from a silver chain completed the ensemble. She stepped back to take a look at herself in the mirror when she heard a knock at the door.
She took a deep breath and walked over to look through the peep hole. A grin spread across her face as it revealed a nervous looking Nick. He wore black slacks, a deep blue button up shirt, with a black tie, and a black sport coat. As she opened the door, Nick looked up at her and his jaw dropped as he took in her appearance. The bouquet of flowers in his hand momentarily forgotten.
As he stepped into her apartment he finally found the words that had eluded him just moments ago. He handed her the flowers and brushed his lips against her cheek, "Sara, you look gorgeous."
Sara's heart flipped. She accepted the flowers from him and walked into her kitchen to find a vase to put them in. She was glad to have her attention averted from Nick for a moment. He was devastatingly handsome, and it was all she could do not to melt when she looked at him.
She turned around after putting the flowers in water to find Nick looking at her with a grin on his face, "Sara, I mean it, you look amazing."
Sara chuckled as she looked at him, "You look pretty good yourself."
Nick offered her his hand, "Shall we go?"
As Sara took his hand, she cast a sidelong glance at him, "Isn't that why you're here?"
Nick chuckled, "Ok, Ms. Smarty Pants."
They walked out to his Tahoe hand in hand, Nick caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. He opened the passenger side of the car and let Sara in before walking around to the other side of the SUV and sat behind the wheel.
Sara looked over at him, "So where are you taking me on this date, Mr. Stokes?"
Nick flashed her a grin as he started the ignition. Soft romantic music wafted through the speakers, "I think I'll keep you in suspense a while longer."
As he drove, Nick reached over and took Sara's hand, their fingers lacing together. Sara smiled.
They threaded their way through traffic and head toward the Strip. Nick pulled into the parking lot of the Stratosphere. As they exited the elevator into the entrance to the Top of the World restaurant, Nick stepped forward and grinned at the hostess, never letting go of Sara's hand, "I've got reservations, Stokes, party of two."
As they were seated at the table, the hostess commented, "Everything's been taken care of as you requested, Mr. Stokes."
Sara looked over at Nick with a quizzical expression on her face.
Nick reached over and squeezed her hand, "I ordered when I made the reservations, I hope that's ok."
She tried to suppress a grin, "Nick the view is amazing."
He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, "Yeah, it is isn't it?" She looked over at him to find him staring at her with a dopey grin on his face.
Sara laughed, "Nick, we are pretty ridiculous. We've known each other for three years and we can't even carry on a normal conversation."
Nick chuckled, "Yeah, I know. Forgive me, but I think I'm a bit smitten by the lovely Sara Sidle." He gave her a sheepish grin.
Sara smiled at him, "I was thinking about tonight earlier when I was getting ready and I couldn't believe how nervous I was. I mean, I can talk to you about almost anything, and here I am nervous about being on a date with you."
Nick squeezed Sara's hand, "I thought I was the only nervous one here."
Sara shook her head a faint smile on her lips, "Let's just try and be normal, this is just us."
Nick winked at her, "But you look amazing in that dress, Sara. Catherine was right."
Sara giggled, "You should have seen the look on your face."
Nick chuckled, "I guess I did lose my ability to speak there for a few minutes."
Their first course came and as they began eating, they began to relax a bit more. The nervousness now gone, they began talking about anything and everything. Sara laughed as Nick shared stories of being the youngest of seven. By the time they finished their meal, a couple of hours had gone by. Nick paid the bill and they headed back to the Tahoe hand in hand.
Sara smiled at Nick as he opened the door for her, "Nick, dinner was wonderful. Thank you." She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips before getting into the SUV.
Nick could not erase the grin from his face as he got behind the wheel, "Ready for the next phase, Sara?"
Sara teased, "Do I have a choice?"
Nick shook his head, "No." He grinned at her and threaded the SUV through traffic toward a park on the edge of town. He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.
Sara gave him a curious look, but followed as he exited the vehicle. Hand in hand they walked along the path following other couples toward an area strung with lights. Soft music wafted along the evening breeze.
Nick turned toward Sara, grinning, "I thought maybe we could do a little dancing."
He led her onto a makeshift dance floor as a swing band began playing a slow number. He pulled her close and closed his eyes as he took in the scent that was Sara. His arms encircled her small waist. Sara smiled and slid her arms around Nick's neck, resting her head on his shoulder as they danced.
She pulled back for a moment and looked up into his eyes, "Nick, this is nice."
Nick grinned at her and reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her jaw, and he bent down and gently kissed her. They smiled at each other as they broke the kiss. Nick led her off the dance floor where they could be more alone.
Nick's cell phone rang, breaking the moment. Noting the caller ID, he answered it gruffly, "Warrick, this had better be good!"
The color drained from Nick's face and he looked over at Sara, "We'll be right there." He ended the call and managed to say, "Grissom was attacked by a suspect. He's at Desert Palm."
Sara was ready. She had just put on a pair of diamond stud earrings that she'd gotten from her parents when she graduated from Harvard. A single diamond-like stone suspended from a silver chain completed the ensemble. She stepped back to take a look at herself in the mirror when she heard a knock at the door.
She took a deep breath and walked over to look through the peep hole. A grin spread across her face as it revealed a nervous looking Nick. He wore black slacks, a deep blue button up shirt, with a black tie, and a black sport coat. As she opened the door, Nick looked up at her and his jaw dropped as he took in her appearance. The bouquet of flowers in his hand momentarily forgotten.
As he stepped into her apartment he finally found the words that had eluded him just moments ago. He handed her the flowers and brushed his lips against her cheek, "Sara, you look gorgeous."
Sara's heart flipped. She accepted the flowers from him and walked into her kitchen to find a vase to put them in. She was glad to have her attention averted from Nick for a moment. He was devastatingly handsome, and it was all she could do not to melt when she looked at him.
She turned around after putting the flowers in water to find Nick looking at her with a grin on his face, "Sara, I mean it, you look amazing."
Sara chuckled as she looked at him, "You look pretty good yourself."
Nick offered her his hand, "Shall we go?"
As Sara took his hand, she cast a sidelong glance at him, "Isn't that why you're here?"
Nick chuckled, "Ok, Ms. Smarty Pants."
They walked out to his Tahoe hand in hand, Nick caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. He opened the passenger side of the car and let Sara in before walking around to the other side of the SUV and sat behind the wheel.
Sara looked over at him, "So where are you taking me on this date, Mr. Stokes?"
Nick flashed her a grin as he started the ignition. Soft romantic music wafted through the speakers, "I think I'll keep you in suspense a while longer."
As he drove, Nick reached over and took Sara's hand, their fingers lacing together. Sara smiled.
They threaded their way through traffic and head toward the Strip. Nick pulled into the parking lot of the Stratosphere. As they exited the elevator into the entrance to the Top of the World restaurant, Nick stepped forward and grinned at the hostess, never letting go of Sara's hand, "I've got reservations, Stokes, party of two."
As they were seated at the table, the hostess commented, "Everything's been taken care of as you requested, Mr. Stokes."
Sara looked over at Nick with a quizzical expression on her face.
Nick reached over and squeezed her hand, "I ordered when I made the reservations, I hope that's ok."
She tried to suppress a grin, "Nick the view is amazing."
He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, "Yeah, it is isn't it?" She looked over at him to find him staring at her with a dopey grin on his face.
Sara laughed, "Nick, we are pretty ridiculous. We've known each other for three years and we can't even carry on a normal conversation."
Nick chuckled, "Yeah, I know. Forgive me, but I think I'm a bit smitten by the lovely Sara Sidle." He gave her a sheepish grin.
Sara smiled at him, "I was thinking about tonight earlier when I was getting ready and I couldn't believe how nervous I was. I mean, I can talk to you about almost anything, and here I am nervous about being on a date with you."
Nick squeezed Sara's hand, "I thought I was the only nervous one here."
Sara shook her head a faint smile on her lips, "Let's just try and be normal, this is just us."
Nick winked at her, "But you look amazing in that dress, Sara. Catherine was right."
Sara giggled, "You should have seen the look on your face."
Nick chuckled, "I guess I did lose my ability to speak there for a few minutes."
Their first course came and as they began eating, they began to relax a bit more. The nervousness now gone, they began talking about anything and everything. Sara laughed as Nick shared stories of being the youngest of seven. By the time they finished their meal, a couple of hours had gone by. Nick paid the bill and they headed back to the Tahoe hand in hand.
Sara smiled at Nick as he opened the door for her, "Nick, dinner was wonderful. Thank you." She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips before getting into the SUV.
Nick could not erase the grin from his face as he got behind the wheel, "Ready for the next phase, Sara?"
Sara teased, "Do I have a choice?"
Nick shook his head, "No." He grinned at her and threaded the SUV through traffic toward a park on the edge of town. He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine.
Sara gave him a curious look, but followed as he exited the vehicle. Hand in hand they walked along the path following other couples toward an area strung with lights. Soft music wafted along the evening breeze.
Nick turned toward Sara, grinning, "I thought maybe we could do a little dancing."
He led her onto a makeshift dance floor as a swing band began playing a slow number. He pulled her close and closed his eyes as he took in the scent that was Sara. His arms encircled her small waist. Sara smiled and slid her arms around Nick's neck, resting her head on his shoulder as they danced.
She pulled back for a moment and looked up into his eyes, "Nick, this is nice."
Nick grinned at her and reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her jaw, and he bent down and gently kissed her. They smiled at each other as they broke the kiss. Nick led her off the dance floor where they could be more alone.
Nick's cell phone rang, breaking the moment. Noting the caller ID, he answered it gruffly, "Warrick, this had better be good!"
The color drained from Nick's face and he looked over at Sara, "We'll be right there." He ended the call and managed to say, "Grissom was attacked by a suspect. He's at Desert Palm."
