Midway through shift, Nick realized that he'd been so distracted by kissing Sara and then Warrick's subsequent interruption that he'd never gotten a chance to see what Sara put in his locker. He was in the middle of running a few tests on some samples that he and Warrick had collected at a crime scene earlier, but he made a mental note that as soon as he had an opportunity to take a break, he'd go look in his locker.
Warrick had been giving him a hard time about Sara all night long, wanting more details about their date, but Nick kept being vague and brushing him off. Not that either one of them had anything to hide, Nick just didn't want his date with Sara to be reduced to locker room fodder.
Nick never did get a chance to look in his locker during shift. He and Warrick got called out to another crime scene, and ended up back at the lab an hour after shift had ended. Nick was gathering his things out of his locker when he found the envelope Sara had placed there. He sat on the bench in front of the bay of lockers and opened it. A smile spread across his face as he noticed the sunflowers on the front of the card. For some reason it reminded him of home. When he was young, his mom used to plant sunflowers near the side of the house and he and his siblings used to get into trouble for pulling them down low enough that they could get to the seeds. His mom would tell them that she planted them for the birds. Maybe that was why he always liked birds.
Nick opened the card and his smile widened into a grin as he read what Sara wrote:
Nick,
I didn't think that it was true, that chivalry could still be alive and well, but you proved to me that it is. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I never thought I could have so much fun playing putt-putt golf in high heels, but then, I'd never tried it with you before. Last night was an eye opener in many regards. I hope we get the opportunity to see more of each other outside of work.
Sara
Nick chuckled softly and reread the card. It was amazing what could change over the span of a few days. He pulled his jacket on and put the card in his pocket before shutting the locker door. As he turned around, he noticed Sara standing in the doorway of the locker room. He grinned at her. "Thanks for the card."
There was a hint of color in her cheeks as she smiled at him. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."
Nick looked at her curiously. "I thought you had a dentist appointment."
She stepped into the room and moved toward her locker. "I do, but I didn't see the point in going home first." She glanced at him as she opened her locker to retrieve the flowers he'd put inside of it for her. "Besides, I was kind of hoping to see you before I left."
Nick couldn't hide his grin. "Really?"
She nodded. "Want to walk out with me?"
"Is that a trick question?" Nick teased.
Sara laughed. "No, it's not."
They made their way through the lab and out to the parking lot, catching a few curious glances, not because they were walking together, but because Sara was carrying a bouquet of flowers.
They slowed as they neared Sara's Denali, neither one of them really wanting to leave. Finally, Sara glanced at her watch. "I've got to go, I'm going to be late for the dentist."
"Uh, you're busy before shift, right?" Nick queried as he looked into her eyes and reached up to brush a bit of her hair off of her forehead.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm getting a massage. But we're still on for breakfast and a movie tomorrow morning after shift, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be looking forward to it."
Sara smiled and opened the driver's door of her Denali, setting the flowers and her bag on the seat.
Nick reached for her shoulder. "Uh, Sara?"
She turned around to face him, "Yeah?"
Nick leaned in a gave her a soft kiss, his fingertips trailing down her cheeks. "I'll see you tonight."
Sara nodded and then leaned up and kissed him, stepping back with wide eyes and a smile on her face. "Bye."
Nick watched her as she climbed into her Denali and drove out of the parking lot. He stood there for a few minutes before heading to his own vehicle and driving home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So do you think Grissom is going to freak out when he finds out that they're dating?" Warrick queried Catherine.
She glanced over at him and smirked. "He probably won't even notice."
Warrick closed his locker and chuckled. "You're probably right."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Shock was evident on Gil Grissom's face as he stood in the doorway to the lab building. He had wanted to clarify something on one of the reports Nick had turned in when he'd seen Nick and Sara walking out the front door of the lab. He'd followed, thinking he'd catch him in the parking lot, but then he'd seen Nick kiss Sara, and Grissom stopped in his tracks. When he'd seen Sara kiss him in return, Grissom's jaw dropped. He had never imagined that the pair were anything other than friends.
