They had been walking around the upper deck of the boat taking in the scenery and had paused at the railing for a moment as they talked when Sara heard a voice behind her that made her stiffen.
"Hey, Nick Stokes." The voice sounded almost too happy.
Nick could feel his jaw clenching slightly as he forced a smile on his face and turned around. "Hank. How's it going man?" He could tell that Sara was very uncomfortable at the moment and was doing her best to keep her cool.
"I'm good." Hank still hadn't noticed Sara standing against the railing looking out a the lake. Hank leaned towards Nick a bit conspiratorially. "I'm proposing to Elaine tonight." He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.
"That's great." Nick hoped that Hank had wised up after he'd hurt Sara. It seemed apparent that he had still never told his girlfriend about cheating on her.
Hank glanced around. "You here alone?"
Sara took a deep breath and turned around, smirking at Hank. "No, he's with me."
Nick restrained his amusement at the shock that registered on Hank's face momentarily at seeing Sara. "You remember Sara."
Hank swallowed hard. "Hi." There was much conveyed in that one word. Regret. Embarrassment. Awkwardness. Shame.
"Hi." Sara realized that although he'd hurt her, she had gotten past it a long time ago. "So you're going to ask her to marry you."
Hank nodded. "Yeah."
"I hope you plan on treating her right." Sara's words contained no malice, but simply an admonishment that what he'd done had hurt and it would hurt Elaine even more if he ever repeated his folly.
"I'm really sorry, Sara." Hank furrowed his brow. It was evident that if he had met her at a different time and place in his life, things might have turned out differently.
"Yeah." Sara smiled softly, finding herself threading her arm through Nick's as she saw Elaine approach.
"There you are, sweetie." The petite woman approached with a smile. "I go check my coat in and you disappear."
"Elaine, you remember Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle." Hank smiled at her and gestured towards the pair of CSIs.
Elaine could tell they looked familiar and she smiled as extended her hand. "Forgive me, but I can't remember where we met." She glanced at Hank for a moment.
"We work at the crime lab." Sara offered as she shook Elaine's hand.
A flash of recognition went across Elaine's face as she turned back towards Sara. "Oh, you investigated that accident I was in at the restaurant."
Sara nodded trying to figure out how to extricate her and Nick from the conversation.
"If you'll excuse us, we need to go find our table." It seemed that Hank was thinking the same thing as he politely detached them from the situation.
"It was nice to see you again. I hope you two have a nice evening." Elaine smiled as she let Hank lead her towards the steps that went down to one of the dining areas.
Sara let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and glanced at Nick who was studying her.
"You ok?" Nick looked sincerely concerned. The graciousness that she had offered Hank and Elaine hadn't surprised him really, just reinforced in his mind as to the kind of character she had.
Sara nodded and then furrowed her brow as a tear surprised her. "I think I could use a hug though."
Nick enveloped her in his arms and held her for a moment, whispering into her ear. "You were always too good for him, Sar."
She let out a soft chuckle as she pulled out of his embrace, smiling at him. "Thanks."
"Anytime." He grinned at her. "Have I told you how pretty you look tonight?"
Sara felt her cheeks flushing a little as she looked at him. "You don't look so bad yourself."
Nick offered her his arm again cocking his eyebrow. "You hungry?"
She threaded her arm through his again and smiled. "Yeah, maybe we should find our table."
When they found their table, it happened to be across the room from where Hank and Elaine were sitting. Nick glanced over at Sara as they waited for the salad course to arrive. "Do you want me to see if we can get another table?"
Sara let out a sigh and smiled, shaking her head. "I'm fine." She glanced over to where Hank and Elaine were and then back at Nick. "Let's not let that ruin the evening. I came with you because I thought we'd have a good time."
He grinned at her. "Ok then."
The salad arrived and as they began to eat, they chatted about their families and the differences between being an only child and being the youngest of seven.
"I don't think they'll ever let me live that one down." Nick commented with a grin as he popped a piece of broccoli in his mouth.
"Your dad really claimed you as a girl on his tax return?" Sara looked at him a bit gape jawed.
Nick nodded. "Yes, he did." He began to gesture with his fork. "You know, son, daughter, daughter, daughter, daughter, daughter, daughter." He winked with the last one. "It wasn't until after he'd mailed it that he realized his mistake. He had to send in an amendment to his return."
Sara couldn't help but laugh. "Did your sisters ever dress you up?"
Nick's cheeks turned a little pink. "Once that I remember, and then my mom put a stop to it."
Sara's eyebrows arched upward in curiosity. "What did they dress you up in?"
His cheek turned a little pinker. "A tutu."
Sara giggled. "I wish I could have seen that. Nick Stokes in a tutu."
He raised his eyebrow and pointed his fork at her. "I was three and went by Nicky at the time." He leaned over the table a bit and whispered. "They did take a picture though."
Sara's eyes widened as she started to giggle harder. "Is it still around?"
He grinned. "Oh, my sisters have made sure of that. I'm sure that they'd send it to you, but then I'd have to tell you how to get in touch with them and I'm not sure I want that picture circulating around the lab."
She looked slightly offended. "Don't you trust me?"
He chuckled. "Oh, I'd trust you with my life, just not with that picture."
She smirked at him and took another bite of her entrée. Her expression changed for a moment as if she had just remembered something. "Hey, do you have your cell phone? I left mine at my apartment."
He nodded. "Yeah, what's wrong?"
"Oh, I just need to make a quick phone call." She looked at him earnestly.
Nick handed his cell phone over without question and took another bite of his food.
Sara looked at the phone intently for a moment and then pressed a few buttons and glanced over at Nick. A mischievous smile flitted across her face.
Nick became immediately suspicious. "What are you doing?"
She just smirked as someone on the other end of the line picked up. "Hi, this is Sara Sidle, I work with Nick."
Nick's eyes widened.
"Uh, huh." She looked at him and chuckled. "He has. That's interesting."
Nick extended his hand and raised an eyebrow as if to ask for the phone.
Sara shook her head. "Well the reason I'm calling is because Nick mentioned a picture that one of you took." She let out a giggle. "Yeah, the tutu picture."
"Sara, which one of my sisters are you talking to?" Nick reached for the phone.
Sara just sat back in her chair a little further just out of his reach and smirked. "Uh, huh, S-I-D-L-E. First initial, last name. Great, I'll look forward to seeing it."
"Sara, tell me you did not just do that." Nick looked a bit embarrassed.
"He's right here." Sara winked at Nick. "Oh, no, we have the night off. We're on a dinner cruise on Lake Mead." Her eyebrows arched upward. "Really. I didn't know that." She smiled at Nick as he started to chuckle. "I'll have to ask him about that. Ok, then. I'll look forward to meeting you too sometime, Lisa." She ended the call and grinned at Nick.
"Can I have my phone back now?" He held his hand out.
She gave it back to him and smiled. "Your sister Lisa told me some interesting things."
Nick felt the collar of his shirt suddenly get tighter. "Oh, really?"
Sara nodded and finished off the rest of her entrée. "Yeah, she told me that you talk about me a lot."
"I tell my family about all the people I work with." Nick wasn't sure why he was defending himself.
Sara chuckled at his discomfort and winked. "Oh, and she's emailing me that picture of you in the tutu."
"Hey, Nick Stokes." The voice sounded almost too happy.
Nick could feel his jaw clenching slightly as he forced a smile on his face and turned around. "Hank. How's it going man?" He could tell that Sara was very uncomfortable at the moment and was doing her best to keep her cool.
"I'm good." Hank still hadn't noticed Sara standing against the railing looking out a the lake. Hank leaned towards Nick a bit conspiratorially. "I'm proposing to Elaine tonight." He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.
"That's great." Nick hoped that Hank had wised up after he'd hurt Sara. It seemed apparent that he had still never told his girlfriend about cheating on her.
Hank glanced around. "You here alone?"
Sara took a deep breath and turned around, smirking at Hank. "No, he's with me."
Nick restrained his amusement at the shock that registered on Hank's face momentarily at seeing Sara. "You remember Sara."
Hank swallowed hard. "Hi." There was much conveyed in that one word. Regret. Embarrassment. Awkwardness. Shame.
"Hi." Sara realized that although he'd hurt her, she had gotten past it a long time ago. "So you're going to ask her to marry you."
Hank nodded. "Yeah."
"I hope you plan on treating her right." Sara's words contained no malice, but simply an admonishment that what he'd done had hurt and it would hurt Elaine even more if he ever repeated his folly.
"I'm really sorry, Sara." Hank furrowed his brow. It was evident that if he had met her at a different time and place in his life, things might have turned out differently.
"Yeah." Sara smiled softly, finding herself threading her arm through Nick's as she saw Elaine approach.
"There you are, sweetie." The petite woman approached with a smile. "I go check my coat in and you disappear."
"Elaine, you remember Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle." Hank smiled at her and gestured towards the pair of CSIs.
Elaine could tell they looked familiar and she smiled as extended her hand. "Forgive me, but I can't remember where we met." She glanced at Hank for a moment.
"We work at the crime lab." Sara offered as she shook Elaine's hand.
A flash of recognition went across Elaine's face as she turned back towards Sara. "Oh, you investigated that accident I was in at the restaurant."
Sara nodded trying to figure out how to extricate her and Nick from the conversation.
"If you'll excuse us, we need to go find our table." It seemed that Hank was thinking the same thing as he politely detached them from the situation.
"It was nice to see you again. I hope you two have a nice evening." Elaine smiled as she let Hank lead her towards the steps that went down to one of the dining areas.
Sara let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and glanced at Nick who was studying her.
"You ok?" Nick looked sincerely concerned. The graciousness that she had offered Hank and Elaine hadn't surprised him really, just reinforced in his mind as to the kind of character she had.
Sara nodded and then furrowed her brow as a tear surprised her. "I think I could use a hug though."
Nick enveloped her in his arms and held her for a moment, whispering into her ear. "You were always too good for him, Sar."
She let out a soft chuckle as she pulled out of his embrace, smiling at him. "Thanks."
"Anytime." He grinned at her. "Have I told you how pretty you look tonight?"
Sara felt her cheeks flushing a little as she looked at him. "You don't look so bad yourself."
Nick offered her his arm again cocking his eyebrow. "You hungry?"
She threaded her arm through his again and smiled. "Yeah, maybe we should find our table."
When they found their table, it happened to be across the room from where Hank and Elaine were sitting. Nick glanced over at Sara as they waited for the salad course to arrive. "Do you want me to see if we can get another table?"
Sara let out a sigh and smiled, shaking her head. "I'm fine." She glanced over to where Hank and Elaine were and then back at Nick. "Let's not let that ruin the evening. I came with you because I thought we'd have a good time."
He grinned at her. "Ok then."
The salad arrived and as they began to eat, they chatted about their families and the differences between being an only child and being the youngest of seven.
"I don't think they'll ever let me live that one down." Nick commented with a grin as he popped a piece of broccoli in his mouth.
"Your dad really claimed you as a girl on his tax return?" Sara looked at him a bit gape jawed.
Nick nodded. "Yes, he did." He began to gesture with his fork. "You know, son, daughter, daughter, daughter, daughter, daughter, daughter." He winked with the last one. "It wasn't until after he'd mailed it that he realized his mistake. He had to send in an amendment to his return."
Sara couldn't help but laugh. "Did your sisters ever dress you up?"
Nick's cheeks turned a little pink. "Once that I remember, and then my mom put a stop to it."
Sara's eyebrows arched upward in curiosity. "What did they dress you up in?"
His cheek turned a little pinker. "A tutu."
Sara giggled. "I wish I could have seen that. Nick Stokes in a tutu."
He raised his eyebrow and pointed his fork at her. "I was three and went by Nicky at the time." He leaned over the table a bit and whispered. "They did take a picture though."
Sara's eyes widened as she started to giggle harder. "Is it still around?"
He grinned. "Oh, my sisters have made sure of that. I'm sure that they'd send it to you, but then I'd have to tell you how to get in touch with them and I'm not sure I want that picture circulating around the lab."
She looked slightly offended. "Don't you trust me?"
He chuckled. "Oh, I'd trust you with my life, just not with that picture."
She smirked at him and took another bite of her entrée. Her expression changed for a moment as if she had just remembered something. "Hey, do you have your cell phone? I left mine at my apartment."
He nodded. "Yeah, what's wrong?"
"Oh, I just need to make a quick phone call." She looked at him earnestly.
Nick handed his cell phone over without question and took another bite of his food.
Sara looked at the phone intently for a moment and then pressed a few buttons and glanced over at Nick. A mischievous smile flitted across her face.
Nick became immediately suspicious. "What are you doing?"
She just smirked as someone on the other end of the line picked up. "Hi, this is Sara Sidle, I work with Nick."
Nick's eyes widened.
"Uh, huh." She looked at him and chuckled. "He has. That's interesting."
Nick extended his hand and raised an eyebrow as if to ask for the phone.
Sara shook her head. "Well the reason I'm calling is because Nick mentioned a picture that one of you took." She let out a giggle. "Yeah, the tutu picture."
"Sara, which one of my sisters are you talking to?" Nick reached for the phone.
Sara just sat back in her chair a little further just out of his reach and smirked. "Uh, huh, S-I-D-L-E. First initial, last name. Great, I'll look forward to seeing it."
"Sara, tell me you did not just do that." Nick looked a bit embarrassed.
"He's right here." Sara winked at Nick. "Oh, no, we have the night off. We're on a dinner cruise on Lake Mead." Her eyebrows arched upward. "Really. I didn't know that." She smiled at Nick as he started to chuckle. "I'll have to ask him about that. Ok, then. I'll look forward to meeting you too sometime, Lisa." She ended the call and grinned at Nick.
"Can I have my phone back now?" He held his hand out.
She gave it back to him and smiled. "Your sister Lisa told me some interesting things."
Nick felt the collar of his shirt suddenly get tighter. "Oh, really?"
Sara nodded and finished off the rest of her entrée. "Yeah, she told me that you talk about me a lot."
"I tell my family about all the people I work with." Nick wasn't sure why he was defending himself.
Sara chuckled at his discomfort and winked. "Oh, and she's emailing me that picture of you in the tutu."