Thank you once again for all your feedback. Here's chapter 12, dedicated to
all the sparkling stars out there with wonderous G/C thoughts. *Warning*
this chapter is a bit different to the others. It's a little more
sentimental and, I think, rather unrealistic... but blah! And because it's
different feedback will be appreciated all the more ;) I'd really like to
know what you think. Thanks.
Previously:
Noticing his figure walk up to her Catherine didn't turn. The image in the mirror was not clear, but she knew who it was.
"Catherine?"
Hearing the vaguely familiar voice rumble softly through her ears, she turned and was presented with an overwhelming vision. Her words caught in her throat.
"Can I get you a drink?"
Chapter 12 - Dancing With The Ghost
May 8th - 10:45pm
La Curaith
"I've already got one, thank you," she replied, relieved that she could utter words that sounded calm, because that certainly was not how she felt. "You're not Simon, are you?"
The question would have seemed a bizarre one to anyone who could not see what Catherine was seeing. The man in front of her chuckled at her question.
"No, I'm George, Simon's brother. Twin brother evidently."
"Very evidently." Catherine agreed.
Although George and Simon looked pretty much identical, there was something different about George's features. However attractive Catherine had thought Simon to be, George had a far larger amount of sex appeal, which was what had caused Catherine to be stunned into silence.
"Simon told me about his meeting you at the park. He couldn't tell me very much about you though."
"Well, like I told him, I don't give much away to strangers."
"Let's hope this time it's different. Care to elaborate for *me*, Catherine?" he asked, sitting on the stool next to her and watching as she finished off the last of her Martini.
She paused, then, "How about that drink?"
11:15pm
Grissom had entered the large hall thirty minutes ago and his eyes shot immediately to where Catherine was sitting. He chuckled at the sight even though a huge bolt of jealously shot through his body like a lightening strike. Catherine stood out. Grissom noticed the other bars leading out of the hall were crowded with men and women. The bar that Catherine was sitting at however, was crowded with men, dozens of men, and a single woman. Catherine's dazzlingly blue dress shone like glitter out of the crowd of black suits. Now, Grissom was part of the mass of black that surrounded the woman; although he did not make himself known, and Catherine was still unaware of his presence at the end of the bar.
Catherine's earlier attention had been diverted from the entrance doors to the men around her so she did not notice Grissom's entrance and she was now on her fifth drink of the evening, having bought none herself. She felt the soothing voice once again flow through her ears.
"Do you, uh... want to dance?"
Catherine turned to face George; her answer now had the attention of the majority of the men surrounding her. She noticed the silence that had followed George's question as the men anticipated her response with bated breath. She smiled mischievously, her eyes finding the faces of all the silent, expectant men who stood around her. At last she replied,
"How about it gentlemen? Care for a dance? Although I should warn you, I have a somewhat... remarkable reputation for my... *moves* on the dance floor. I hope you can keep up."
Catherine did not wait for an answer but slid gracefully off her stool and the crowd parted to let her through.
Grissom smiled to himself at the end of the bar - a ghost once more. He was amazed that Catherine could still attract as much attention as she was receiving now. And even though she did not know it, the men around her were the people in high school who it took all the lady's efforts to attract. Catherine hadn't even moved from her stool and she had already been swarmed with men in the first hour or so of her being there.
Five men had followed Catherine to the busy dance floor as another song started oscillating the sound waves in the air. Instinctively, Catherine positioned herself in the centre of the floor and naturally started swaying to the music. She spun around only just making herself aware of the five men who had followed, and the other men who had turned and followed her with their eyes to watch. She was used to the attention and right now revelled in the fact that she did not have to strip down to a g-string to get it.
As it always did, the music moved her body for her. Her hips swayed rhythmically to the beat and her feet slid smoothly and skilfully across the floor. The five men had now become six, and had surrounded her, occasionally making her disappear from the view of her onlookers. This did not bother them though; some men actually moved to get a better look at this marvel. At that moment Catherine held the attention of almost every man in the room. One wife slapped her hand across her husband's chest to divert his attention from the extraordinary event. Another woman, seeing her husband's attention had also been diverted, grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. She then attempted to pull off the same moves as Catherine, and mimic her. She failed.
Catherine moved subtly from each man to the next, giving them a small amount of attention. There were no words to describe how much every man in that room wanted her, and how every woman wanted to be her at that moment. Catherine was aware of all the eyes boring into her body and her movements. She smiled at the, this time welcome, familiarity of the attention.
After a few songs however, Catherine had had enough. He mind started to drift to thoughts of Grissom; she was here with *him*, to support him and currently she was doing the complete opposite of that.
"Excuse me, gentlemen."
Catherine moved through the crowd groaning men, who were this time unwilling to let her through. She turned to George and said,
"I had fun. It was a pleasure to meet you." She was not lying - George was a stunner. "Is your brother here? I mean he is the host right?"
"Yeh he's around. Probably greeting guests. I had fun Catherine; maybe another dance later?"
"We'll see."
She then let her feet lead her to the bar and, resuming her place on the stool, she declined all offers of a drink. That was until one man tapped her on her shoulder.
"A drink or a dance?"
"Simon, hi. A drink would be great thank you. I'm not sure I particularly want to go back on the dance floor just yet. Keep them in suspense, that's what I say." She laughed at her joke as Simon bought her drink thinking, 'well that's certainly what she's doing'.
11:40pm
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Would you like to dance?"
"Thank you for the offer but I think I'll decline."
The unfamiliar man walked away, just as all the others had.
"What is that the fifth person in the last... twenty minutes. You really attract them don't you? They should have danced with you when they got the chance."
Catherine laughed at his comment. Her magic seemed to be working tonight but not on the right person. Where was he?
"So, would you... uh... care to dance with me?"
"I'd love to, Simon, but really these heals are killing me. I think I'll just give my feet a rest for a moment."
"Very well." Simon said, disappointment evident in his tone. But then, this attention was diverted.
"Hey Catherine, you see that guy over there?"
Catherine turned and looked to the end of the bar; she saw him. Simon didn't wait for an answer.
"His name is Gil Grissom. A complete loner in high school, well... all his life it looks like. Never got a girl, and I hardly ever saw him with friends. He always played with creatures. One time I stood on a cockroach he was playing about with, he went crazy on me; he just..."
Catherine turned back to Simon. From then on, all his words went clean through her ears. It kept playing over and over in her mind, 'all his life it looks like.' She wasn't there for him. Some people actually joined in Simon's conversation, and Catherine couldn't bare it any longer. Some of the words coming out of the crowd were harsh and unnecessary - do they not know that people change over *decades*? She sat there in silence and looked over to Grissom. For the first time since they had arrived, their eyes locked. Silent words flowed between them.
Grissom knew Catherine wanted him to come over, but he knew how the crowd around her felt about him, and that was something he did not want to be near. Slowly getting off his stool, he walked over to the sparkling woman who had once more been surrounded by a multitude of men. Catherine saw him move towards her. As he drew closer, the crowd silenced and Grissom stood in front of Catherine. Their eyes contact couldn't be torn apart by anyone or anything at that moment. The silence lingered a while more; then Grissom breathed in and spoke.
"May I have this dance?"
Catherine smiled at him and was about to respond when a voice interrupted. Simon slapped Grissom on the back and said,
"Sorry buddy, she's been declining offers all night. I don't think anyone stands a chance, particularly you."
His last comment had Catherine's blood boiling, and Grissom had never been so embarrassed in front of Catherine. Her single word was filled with so many emotions directed both at Grissom *and* Simon.
"Yes."
Gradually Grissom held his hand up to Catherine. Eyes still connected, she took it, sliding it slowly across his skin and squeezing it as his fingers wrapped around hers.
11:50pm
No one in the crowd said a word; they all stared after the couple who had now placed themselves on the dance floor. Other eyes stared once more, initially out of pleasure for the dancing woman, but then out of shock at seeing the man she was connecting with. Grissom couldn't dance; Catherine knew this. His dancing was about as bad as her singing, but with Catherine's natural rhythm, his dancing couldn't help but be improved.
"Simon was one of the ones who... one of the popular ones, wasn't he?"
Grissom smiled at her. Her skin was sending vibrations through his wherever she touched him. As her hand touched his cheek, his face felt as though it was on fire with the sparks she sent through her fingertips.
"You're ruining your reputation, Catherine."
Catherine face fell.
"Why do you think like that, Gil? So what if I've been fairly popular tonight. Why do you never think that you could be *improving* *your* reputation? I mean, damn, I was on fire tonight. And I chose *you*."
Catherine grinned at him. Her playfulness improved Grissom's mood and for a second made him re-think; maybe he wasn't damaging her quickly approved reputation, maybe *she* was helping *him* out.
Her head rested on his shoulder as the beat of the song slowed. Their arms wrapped around each other and the faces of the still staring people around them seemed to evaporate.
"Cath?"
"Mmm?"
"I wonder if our door has been fixed yet."
Catherine stared up at him, and followed his train of thoughts. A mischievous grin appeared on her face.
"Let's go, handsome."
Hand in hand they walked off the dance floor, past the host, who was staring in even more disbelief as he saw them exit the building together. Simon felt as though he had no choice; he had to go after her.
* * * * *
Well there you go kids! I promise the next chapter will be fun - and believe me - it will be! Hoped you enjoyed reading this. ~ Cath
Previously:
Noticing his figure walk up to her Catherine didn't turn. The image in the mirror was not clear, but she knew who it was.
"Catherine?"
Hearing the vaguely familiar voice rumble softly through her ears, she turned and was presented with an overwhelming vision. Her words caught in her throat.
"Can I get you a drink?"
Chapter 12 - Dancing With The Ghost
May 8th - 10:45pm
La Curaith
"I've already got one, thank you," she replied, relieved that she could utter words that sounded calm, because that certainly was not how she felt. "You're not Simon, are you?"
The question would have seemed a bizarre one to anyone who could not see what Catherine was seeing. The man in front of her chuckled at her question.
"No, I'm George, Simon's brother. Twin brother evidently."
"Very evidently." Catherine agreed.
Although George and Simon looked pretty much identical, there was something different about George's features. However attractive Catherine had thought Simon to be, George had a far larger amount of sex appeal, which was what had caused Catherine to be stunned into silence.
"Simon told me about his meeting you at the park. He couldn't tell me very much about you though."
"Well, like I told him, I don't give much away to strangers."
"Let's hope this time it's different. Care to elaborate for *me*, Catherine?" he asked, sitting on the stool next to her and watching as she finished off the last of her Martini.
She paused, then, "How about that drink?"
11:15pm
Grissom had entered the large hall thirty minutes ago and his eyes shot immediately to where Catherine was sitting. He chuckled at the sight even though a huge bolt of jealously shot through his body like a lightening strike. Catherine stood out. Grissom noticed the other bars leading out of the hall were crowded with men and women. The bar that Catherine was sitting at however, was crowded with men, dozens of men, and a single woman. Catherine's dazzlingly blue dress shone like glitter out of the crowd of black suits. Now, Grissom was part of the mass of black that surrounded the woman; although he did not make himself known, and Catherine was still unaware of his presence at the end of the bar.
Catherine's earlier attention had been diverted from the entrance doors to the men around her so she did not notice Grissom's entrance and she was now on her fifth drink of the evening, having bought none herself. She felt the soothing voice once again flow through her ears.
"Do you, uh... want to dance?"
Catherine turned to face George; her answer now had the attention of the majority of the men surrounding her. She noticed the silence that had followed George's question as the men anticipated her response with bated breath. She smiled mischievously, her eyes finding the faces of all the silent, expectant men who stood around her. At last she replied,
"How about it gentlemen? Care for a dance? Although I should warn you, I have a somewhat... remarkable reputation for my... *moves* on the dance floor. I hope you can keep up."
Catherine did not wait for an answer but slid gracefully off her stool and the crowd parted to let her through.
Grissom smiled to himself at the end of the bar - a ghost once more. He was amazed that Catherine could still attract as much attention as she was receiving now. And even though she did not know it, the men around her were the people in high school who it took all the lady's efforts to attract. Catherine hadn't even moved from her stool and she had already been swarmed with men in the first hour or so of her being there.
Five men had followed Catherine to the busy dance floor as another song started oscillating the sound waves in the air. Instinctively, Catherine positioned herself in the centre of the floor and naturally started swaying to the music. She spun around only just making herself aware of the five men who had followed, and the other men who had turned and followed her with their eyes to watch. She was used to the attention and right now revelled in the fact that she did not have to strip down to a g-string to get it.
As it always did, the music moved her body for her. Her hips swayed rhythmically to the beat and her feet slid smoothly and skilfully across the floor. The five men had now become six, and had surrounded her, occasionally making her disappear from the view of her onlookers. This did not bother them though; some men actually moved to get a better look at this marvel. At that moment Catherine held the attention of almost every man in the room. One wife slapped her hand across her husband's chest to divert his attention from the extraordinary event. Another woman, seeing her husband's attention had also been diverted, grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dance floor. She then attempted to pull off the same moves as Catherine, and mimic her. She failed.
Catherine moved subtly from each man to the next, giving them a small amount of attention. There were no words to describe how much every man in that room wanted her, and how every woman wanted to be her at that moment. Catherine was aware of all the eyes boring into her body and her movements. She smiled at the, this time welcome, familiarity of the attention.
After a few songs however, Catherine had had enough. He mind started to drift to thoughts of Grissom; she was here with *him*, to support him and currently she was doing the complete opposite of that.
"Excuse me, gentlemen."
Catherine moved through the crowd groaning men, who were this time unwilling to let her through. She turned to George and said,
"I had fun. It was a pleasure to meet you." She was not lying - George was a stunner. "Is your brother here? I mean he is the host right?"
"Yeh he's around. Probably greeting guests. I had fun Catherine; maybe another dance later?"
"We'll see."
She then let her feet lead her to the bar and, resuming her place on the stool, she declined all offers of a drink. That was until one man tapped her on her shoulder.
"A drink or a dance?"
"Simon, hi. A drink would be great thank you. I'm not sure I particularly want to go back on the dance floor just yet. Keep them in suspense, that's what I say." She laughed at her joke as Simon bought her drink thinking, 'well that's certainly what she's doing'.
11:40pm
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Would you like to dance?"
"Thank you for the offer but I think I'll decline."
The unfamiliar man walked away, just as all the others had.
"What is that the fifth person in the last... twenty minutes. You really attract them don't you? They should have danced with you when they got the chance."
Catherine laughed at his comment. Her magic seemed to be working tonight but not on the right person. Where was he?
"So, would you... uh... care to dance with me?"
"I'd love to, Simon, but really these heals are killing me. I think I'll just give my feet a rest for a moment."
"Very well." Simon said, disappointment evident in his tone. But then, this attention was diverted.
"Hey Catherine, you see that guy over there?"
Catherine turned and looked to the end of the bar; she saw him. Simon didn't wait for an answer.
"His name is Gil Grissom. A complete loner in high school, well... all his life it looks like. Never got a girl, and I hardly ever saw him with friends. He always played with creatures. One time I stood on a cockroach he was playing about with, he went crazy on me; he just..."
Catherine turned back to Simon. From then on, all his words went clean through her ears. It kept playing over and over in her mind, 'all his life it looks like.' She wasn't there for him. Some people actually joined in Simon's conversation, and Catherine couldn't bare it any longer. Some of the words coming out of the crowd were harsh and unnecessary - do they not know that people change over *decades*? She sat there in silence and looked over to Grissom. For the first time since they had arrived, their eyes locked. Silent words flowed between them.
Grissom knew Catherine wanted him to come over, but he knew how the crowd around her felt about him, and that was something he did not want to be near. Slowly getting off his stool, he walked over to the sparkling woman who had once more been surrounded by a multitude of men. Catherine saw him move towards her. As he drew closer, the crowd silenced and Grissom stood in front of Catherine. Their eyes contact couldn't be torn apart by anyone or anything at that moment. The silence lingered a while more; then Grissom breathed in and spoke.
"May I have this dance?"
Catherine smiled at him and was about to respond when a voice interrupted. Simon slapped Grissom on the back and said,
"Sorry buddy, she's been declining offers all night. I don't think anyone stands a chance, particularly you."
His last comment had Catherine's blood boiling, and Grissom had never been so embarrassed in front of Catherine. Her single word was filled with so many emotions directed both at Grissom *and* Simon.
"Yes."
Gradually Grissom held his hand up to Catherine. Eyes still connected, she took it, sliding it slowly across his skin and squeezing it as his fingers wrapped around hers.
11:50pm
No one in the crowd said a word; they all stared after the couple who had now placed themselves on the dance floor. Other eyes stared once more, initially out of pleasure for the dancing woman, but then out of shock at seeing the man she was connecting with. Grissom couldn't dance; Catherine knew this. His dancing was about as bad as her singing, but with Catherine's natural rhythm, his dancing couldn't help but be improved.
"Simon was one of the ones who... one of the popular ones, wasn't he?"
Grissom smiled at her. Her skin was sending vibrations through his wherever she touched him. As her hand touched his cheek, his face felt as though it was on fire with the sparks she sent through her fingertips.
"You're ruining your reputation, Catherine."
Catherine face fell.
"Why do you think like that, Gil? So what if I've been fairly popular tonight. Why do you never think that you could be *improving* *your* reputation? I mean, damn, I was on fire tonight. And I chose *you*."
Catherine grinned at him. Her playfulness improved Grissom's mood and for a second made him re-think; maybe he wasn't damaging her quickly approved reputation, maybe *she* was helping *him* out.
Her head rested on his shoulder as the beat of the song slowed. Their arms wrapped around each other and the faces of the still staring people around them seemed to evaporate.
"Cath?"
"Mmm?"
"I wonder if our door has been fixed yet."
Catherine stared up at him, and followed his train of thoughts. A mischievous grin appeared on her face.
"Let's go, handsome."
Hand in hand they walked off the dance floor, past the host, who was staring in even more disbelief as he saw them exit the building together. Simon felt as though he had no choice; he had to go after her.
* * * * *
Well there you go kids! I promise the next chapter will be fun - and believe me - it will be! Hoped you enjoyed reading this. ~ Cath