Jim and Sara sat at the table, in the restaurant recommended by Det. Bonham. Sara sipped her wine and looked around. The food was wonderful and the wine Jim had ordered was perfect.
"This city is so different from anywhere I have ever been." She said. "Like a different world."
"It reminds me of Europe." Jim remarked
"You've been to Europe. I didn't know that." Sara said surprised, sipping more wine.
"There are a lot of things about me that might surprise you, Sara."
"Like what?" the wine was warming Sara. When the waiter approached to refill their glasses, Jim shook his head no discretely.
He knew the wine and good food had loosened her tongue and relaxed her mind, so he needed to be on guard.
"Nothing much, I'm pretty much an open book, what you see is what you get."
"I don't think so, Jim. I think there's a lot underneath your sarcasm and attitude that I don't see."
Sara knew that Jim watched out for her. He didn't just look at her, he saw her. He listened to her and noticed when things disturbed her. Sara had always been attracted to men that mentored her. Her first real relationship had been with her English tutor in college.
She tended to seek out men that would not emotionally commit. Grissom had been that way, only giving her enough to keep her wanting more. She wasn't even sure if Grissom was fullyaware of her reaction to him. Sara realized that nothing could develop between the two of them. She could have given her soul to Gil, they were so alike in so many ways. Gil would always keep something back. Grissom needed someone that would forgive his lack of complete surrender.
Sara looked at Jim with fresh eyes.When he smiled it was honest and clear. You could watch his eyes for his moods. Sara had seen those eyes in almost every situation. Cruel, angry and menacing in the interrogation room. Twinkling and crinkling, joking with the team. You could see every year on his face, it was weather-beaten and that attracted her.
Jim watched Sara's face react to her thoughts and wondered what was going on in her head.
"Let's go for a walk." he suggested.
The evening had cooled a little, and a breeze was blowing off the river. As they walked along the river walk, Jim navigated through the crowd putting his hand on the small of Sara back from time to time. Sara thought about her reactionto his glances and flirtation with Kate. Why did she care, would she have cared if Warrick or Nick had flirted with the detective. She was tired and the wine had gone to her head.
They ended up in Jackson Square in front of St. Louis Cathedral. It glowed white in the darkness. The humidity still hung in the air. Sara was wearing her jeans and a white linen shirt. Jim had simply abandoned his jacket and tie and rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows.
Jim and Sara sat on a bench and watched the locals and tourists. Sara leaned forward to watch a group of extremely drunk women walk by laughing. Jim stretched out his legs and put his arms on the back of the bench. He hated to admit how exhausted he was becoming.
"Just like home." Sara turned laughing at the women. "I bet they will be saying 'What happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans' by the end of the night."
"Just like home." He echoed and his eyes crinkled in a way that could only be described as sexy.
She leaned back not minding that his arm was touching her shoulder. Strands of her hair blew in the breeze, Jim's free hand brushed them back behind her ear. An unexpected chill ran up Sara's spine.
"Oh." she simply said and turned to him. "We've had a busy couple of days."
"Yeah." he said drawing his arm tighter around her shoulder.
"Are you as exhausted as I am?" she put her head on his shoulder. He lightly kissed her hair.
"I haven't slept in days." he admitted.
Sara wondered if she could just sit like this for a while. She wanted to sit and figure out what was happening. Was she really sitting with Jim Brass, feeling so at peace. The arms around her were not the ones she would have predicted would give her such peace. The lips on her hair were not the ones she thought should be kissing her. The interesting part was how right this felt.
Sara turned and looked at Jim. He love that crooked smile.
Jim took her face in his hands and kissed her. A sweet soft kiss, but something was wrong. She was pulling away from him. Had he moved to fast. He thought this was what they both wanted, but it wasn't him.
Standing behind Sara was Perry Hart. He held a gun at her side and was pulling her up from the bench.
"I hope I ain't interrupting anything, but I need you two to come with me. I've been following you two all night. It's been sweet, but now it's gotta end."
"Buddy, you don't want to do this, okay?" Jim began and Hart pushed the gun further into Sara's side.
"Come with me and don't try nothing." Hart snarled. "I'll kill her, I don't care, what have I got to lose."
