**Author's Note: ok so I made one teensy-weensy mistake, for some reason I
got myself thinking that Reno wasn't that far from Vegas (in real life it's
like 6 hours away or something). So for the sake of this chapter working,
I'm going to invoke the Willing Suspension of Disbelief, and pretend that
it's only about an hour away ;-)
Chapter 9
"How are you going to do your hair Mommy?" Lindsey asked bouncing on Catherine's bed.
"I haven't thought that far in advance yet," Catherine said from the bathroom where she was putting on some makeup.
"Well when are you going to decide Catherine? At the party or when you go to work tomorrow night?" her sister, Lisa, replied.
"I don't see why you're making such a big deal about this," Catherine muttered, sitting down on her bed.
"I don't see why you're not," Lisa replied, sweeping Catherine's blonde hair up into some sort French twist. "So Lindsey, what do you think, up or down?"
"Down," Lindsey replied. "Uncle Gil likes it that way."
"So mom called today," Lisa said trying to change the subject.
"That's nice," Catherine replied, digging through her closet.
"She said she's coming to town next week, and she'd really like to see you," Lisa continued, knowing this would get her sister's attention.
Catherine spun around so fast she almost fell over. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her I'd have to talk to you first," Lisa answered.
"Good," Catherine said, suddenly feeling flustered. "What time is it?"
"Almost 6," Lisa replied. Then realizing what Catherine was doing exclaimed, "You do know which dress you're wearing right?"
"Uncle Gil thinks you look pretty in blue," Lindsey sang, smearing on some of Catherine's lipstick.
"Lindsey, how do you know that?" Catherine asked, reaching for a tissue to clean the stray lipstick off the little girl's chin.
With a coy smile Lindsey shrugged and scampered out of the room to play with her Barbies. A few minutes later she raced back into Catherine's bedroom, but came to a screeching halt when she saw her mother.
"Mommy, you look just like Cinderella," Lindsey whispered reverently. "When I get older and go to a big party, I want to look just like you."
Catherine knelt to embrace her daughter, "You will sweetie."
"Maybe she'll even let you borrow the dress," Lisa said, winking at Lindsey.
"Oh Mommy," Lindsey said pointing to the living room. "Uncle Warrick and his friend Michelle are here."
"Well why don't we go say hi," Catherine replied leading Lindsey out to the living room.
*************************
"The bowtie's fine Gil, quit fiddling with it," Brass muttered as he and Grissom made their way into the atrium of the Governor's mansion.
"I never feel right in these things," Grissom muttered, looking around at the various crowds of well-dressed people.
"Parties or tuxedos?" Brass asked with a smirk. He waited for Grissom's response, but got none. Following Grissom's gaze, Brass realized what had taken his breath away.
Approximately five feet away Catherine stood chatting with Nick, Sara, Greg and his date, Stephanie.
"Might as well go say hi while we wait for Beth and Christina to get here," Brass said, nudging Grissom with his elbow.
As they approached the group, Grissom could hear Catherine saying to Nick, "Yeah James just moved here a few months ago so I drove up with Warrick and Michelle, and he's meeting us here."
"Hey Boss!" Greg exclaimed as Grissom and Brass walked toward the group.
"Good evening everyone," Grissom replied, barely taking his eyes off Catherine.
Before anyone could respond Brass' cell phone began to ring. "Must be our dates," Brass said, motioning to Gil and himself. As Brass excused himself to answer the phone, Nick turned to Sara.
"Hey shouldn't we go find figure out which table is ours," Nick said pointing to the ballroom.
"Yeah good idea," Sara said.
"We'll come along," Stephanie said with a smile.
"But wait Catherine didn't finish telling us about," Greg said as Stephanie took his arm and followed Nick and Sara into the ballroom.
"She's seems good for him," Catherine said watching Greg and Stephanie walk away. "They balance each other out personality-wise."
Grissom opened his mouth to say something, but could find no words. Instead he stared into Catherine's blue eyes as if entranced by some magical spell. From the moment he had spotted her, Grissom could hardly believe his eyes at exactly how beautiful she looked. In a powder blue with tiny straps barely visible through the blonde curls that grazed her shoulders Catherine seemed like a vision of heaven on earth.
"Fancy meeting you here stranger," Catherine said softly.
"Catherine, you look beautiful," Grissom said when he had finally found his voice.
Blushing slightly, Catherine gave him a warm smile. Then she realized something.
"Gil, who are you here with?"
***So who IS Gil's date?? How will the rest of the evening go once she arrives?? And what about Catherine's mother coming to town?? All this and more in Chapter 10 so stay tuned!!!
Chapter 9
"How are you going to do your hair Mommy?" Lindsey asked bouncing on Catherine's bed.
"I haven't thought that far in advance yet," Catherine said from the bathroom where she was putting on some makeup.
"Well when are you going to decide Catherine? At the party or when you go to work tomorrow night?" her sister, Lisa, replied.
"I don't see why you're making such a big deal about this," Catherine muttered, sitting down on her bed.
"I don't see why you're not," Lisa replied, sweeping Catherine's blonde hair up into some sort French twist. "So Lindsey, what do you think, up or down?"
"Down," Lindsey replied. "Uncle Gil likes it that way."
"So mom called today," Lisa said trying to change the subject.
"That's nice," Catherine replied, digging through her closet.
"She said she's coming to town next week, and she'd really like to see you," Lisa continued, knowing this would get her sister's attention.
Catherine spun around so fast she almost fell over. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her I'd have to talk to you first," Lisa answered.
"Good," Catherine said, suddenly feeling flustered. "What time is it?"
"Almost 6," Lisa replied. Then realizing what Catherine was doing exclaimed, "You do know which dress you're wearing right?"
"Uncle Gil thinks you look pretty in blue," Lindsey sang, smearing on some of Catherine's lipstick.
"Lindsey, how do you know that?" Catherine asked, reaching for a tissue to clean the stray lipstick off the little girl's chin.
With a coy smile Lindsey shrugged and scampered out of the room to play with her Barbies. A few minutes later she raced back into Catherine's bedroom, but came to a screeching halt when she saw her mother.
"Mommy, you look just like Cinderella," Lindsey whispered reverently. "When I get older and go to a big party, I want to look just like you."
Catherine knelt to embrace her daughter, "You will sweetie."
"Maybe she'll even let you borrow the dress," Lisa said, winking at Lindsey.
"Oh Mommy," Lindsey said pointing to the living room. "Uncle Warrick and his friend Michelle are here."
"Well why don't we go say hi," Catherine replied leading Lindsey out to the living room.
*************************
"The bowtie's fine Gil, quit fiddling with it," Brass muttered as he and Grissom made their way into the atrium of the Governor's mansion.
"I never feel right in these things," Grissom muttered, looking around at the various crowds of well-dressed people.
"Parties or tuxedos?" Brass asked with a smirk. He waited for Grissom's response, but got none. Following Grissom's gaze, Brass realized what had taken his breath away.
Approximately five feet away Catherine stood chatting with Nick, Sara, Greg and his date, Stephanie.
"Might as well go say hi while we wait for Beth and Christina to get here," Brass said, nudging Grissom with his elbow.
As they approached the group, Grissom could hear Catherine saying to Nick, "Yeah James just moved here a few months ago so I drove up with Warrick and Michelle, and he's meeting us here."
"Hey Boss!" Greg exclaimed as Grissom and Brass walked toward the group.
"Good evening everyone," Grissom replied, barely taking his eyes off Catherine.
Before anyone could respond Brass' cell phone began to ring. "Must be our dates," Brass said, motioning to Gil and himself. As Brass excused himself to answer the phone, Nick turned to Sara.
"Hey shouldn't we go find figure out which table is ours," Nick said pointing to the ballroom.
"Yeah good idea," Sara said.
"We'll come along," Stephanie said with a smile.
"But wait Catherine didn't finish telling us about," Greg said as Stephanie took his arm and followed Nick and Sara into the ballroom.
"She's seems good for him," Catherine said watching Greg and Stephanie walk away. "They balance each other out personality-wise."
Grissom opened his mouth to say something, but could find no words. Instead he stared into Catherine's blue eyes as if entranced by some magical spell. From the moment he had spotted her, Grissom could hardly believe his eyes at exactly how beautiful she looked. In a powder blue with tiny straps barely visible through the blonde curls that grazed her shoulders Catherine seemed like a vision of heaven on earth.
"Fancy meeting you here stranger," Catherine said softly.
"Catherine, you look beautiful," Grissom said when he had finally found his voice.
Blushing slightly, Catherine gave him a warm smile. Then she realized something.
"Gil, who are you here with?"
***So who IS Gil's date?? How will the rest of the evening go once she arrives?? And what about Catherine's mother coming to town?? All this and more in Chapter 10 so stay tuned!!!