NOTE: this chapter has been edited to comply with this website's rules.
Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
In the Bluff – Part 5
August 20, 2005 (Day 120)
The Grissoms'
11:25 p.m.
A couple of hands into the round, Gil and Carrie sat across from each other trying to read each other's tells while everyone else watched from the couches and chatted.
Gil studied Carrie's expression but noted she wasn't giving anything away like she had in the previous round. Now her expression was a steady look of bliss and her body language was completely relaxed. He figured Nick must have shown her one hell of a good time in the pool house. Suddenly his whisky influenced brain veered off in a new direction and his thoughts turned inward. Why haven't I ever taken Sara out to the pool house for a romp? Nine out of ten times we're in our bed. We really should branch out more. We did in Tahoe so why not at home too? Now that I know she enjoys skinny dipping, maybe I should take her out to the pool house, get her really hot and bothered and then when we're done, we jump into the pool together to cool off. The neighbors can't see into the pool area and Sara won't have to worry about germs in her own pool…as long as we can keep our guests from defiling it for the remainder of the evening. Yeah…that sounds like fun. I bet she…
"Grissom…" Greg prodded. "We're pre-flop, waitin' on you to post the small blind." The daze on his mentor's face cracked him up. "Uh…in case you've forgotten…this round carries a ten chip minimum ante so you need to toss in five on the small."
"Sorry." He slid the five chips forward and refocused his eyes on Carrie and his mind on the game.
After Grissom moved his chips, Carrie followed with hers and then polished off her glass of wine.
"Time to check your pocket cards!" Greg enthused.
When Carrie turned the corner of her first card she saw a nine of spades and when she peeked at the other, she saw a Jack of spades. Staring at the second card she couldn't help notice the smirk on the Jack's face. Oh yeah…the Jack of Spades looked like a real Bad Boy. He had that little mustache curled just right and he was glancing ever so slightly out of the corner of his eye as if to say…I know you're there staring at me, Baby. Carrie answered his call in her mind. Yeah…I know all about your type, Jack. You probably saw a pool house or two in your day, huh? Probably took every one of the four queens there over time. They probably didn't know you were playin' them all either. What a rogue. A rogue like Nicky was playing in the pool house. Hmm…I wonder what Nick would look like with one of those devious little moustaches? Speaking of Nick's hair…I kind of miss his shaved head look…it made him look so bad ass. I know I encouraged him to grow it back for the wedding, but that's not for a little over five months. If he shaved it now he'd still have plenty of time to grow it back. Then I could take a naughty romp with shaved-head Nick. I wonder if…
"Carrie…" Greg tapped her arm. "Decision time."
"Sorry…" She glanced up and saw that Gil had anted and quickly matched.
"Here comes the flop!" Greg announced as he dealt the three cards. "Queen of spades, eight of spades, two of hearts."
Grissom peeked at his pocket cards again, because in his Scotch stupor he had forgotten what they were. Ace of diamonds and ten of hearts…that's right, I have nothing, he reminded himself.
Greg relaxed in his chair with Tawny behind him expertly massaging his shoulders. "Wow…that feels great, Sweetie." And as he enjoyed the rub down, he thought…damn…this dealer/dj gig is the best non-job I've ever had. Not only did I get paid in free rent for six months, I have all the beer and tequila I can drink, a limitless supply of great food, and the hottest babe I've ever had touching me in my life, giving me a back rub. And the best part…I get to go home with her! Oh yeah…looking back on the life and times of Greg Sanders, even factoring in I have at least a dozen bruises from getting clobbered repeatedly by Tawny's sandal, this night kicks ass! For once I'm not just the clown at the party…
"Chuckles!" Carrie yelled, "Are you going to deal the turn card or not? I need skirt money!"
From his spot on the couch, Nick lowered his beer bottle and burst out laughing. "Sounds like my girl has a new fetish! Skirts instead of shoes." Yeah…she has a new fetish…Bad Boy Fantasies and tonight she cast me in the role of the lothario. Damn that was hot. I really didn't think I could get that carried away with her but then again, I've never drunk tequila around her and she was practically begging me to…oh yeah…the look in her eyes while I bestowed a little knowledge on her as she put it…she was loving every minute of it. Look at her over there. She looks like the cat that ate the canary. She's still buzzing from the lovin'. Oh yeah…she's got Bad Boy Nick on the brain and she looks like she's about to explode thinking about what I might possibly wow her with when we get home tonight. Just look at that smile consuming her face…
Smiling at the turn card, Carrie couldn't believe her unbelievable luck and inwardly she screamed with satisfaction. I can't believe it's the ten of spades! Oh my god! I have a royal flush! I can't lose! I feel like the cat that ate the canary! Wait…am I emoting? Damn! Now Gil will know and fold. I'll look at Nick and try to get my mind off the game for a second.
Gil sat back, staring at Carrie. She was grinning like a fool and he wondered why the turn card gave her such a rise. Then he saw her eyes dart in Nick's direction and he followed her gaze. That's when he realized her euphoria had nothing to do with her cards, she was STILL thinking about her time in the pool house with Nick. Then he wondered, does Sara ever hold that happy look for this long after we make love? Hmm…let me think about this. Sure she does. In Tahoe she definitely looked blissed out for hours after we…
"Gris…" Greg patted him on the shoulder. "How about letting us know your plans?"
"All in," He announced in a puckish tone. Carrie wasn't concentrating on the game one bit and he had no doubt she'd match without thinking. Of course after he went all-in he recalled he didn't have much of a hand either.
"I'll match," She immediately announced.
"Really?" Gil played it cool, counting the minutes until he relieved her of eighty percent of her chips. "Let's see the river, Greggo."
"Gather around!" He exclaimed. "It's time for the showdown. If the King of Bugs takes the hand he's in the game and in the lead by far. If the Queen of the Courtroom takes it…she's the champ."
Everyone watched as the card flipped. "Ace of clubs. Let's see whatcha got, Gris."
"Two pair." He breathed a sigh of relief that he ended up with something.
"He was bluffing," Warrick commented, just as he had surmised. "Come on, Carrie. I know you got something better. I've heard on the street that Nick's good, but he's not solely responsible for that look I saw in your eyes when Greg dealt the turn card."
"Hey!" Nick playfully punched his buddy in the shoulder. "You don't know what you're talking about."
And while her fiancé was in denial, she flipped over her pocket cards and yelled, "Guess who's going shopping tomorrow! I'm flushed from the hot Nick lovin' AND with royalty! Now someone tell me how much I've won because I'm WAY too loaded to count."
Tawny instantly answered, "$2,400."
"See how good she is at math!" Greg proudly exclaimed. "Let me tell you…she's an Algebra whiz!"
Catherine winked at Tawny. "Yeah, Greg…that's how she learned to count money so quickly…studying Algebra." As predicted, it went right over his delusional and tequila saturated head.
"A little something for the dealer." Carrie slid two hundred in chips at Greg. "If the baby's a girl she'll need shoes."
"Thanks." Greg knocked the chips on the table. "I'll put it in the baby's bank account."
She winked, "Excellent idea."
Gil extended his hand to Carrie. "Congratulations."
Returning the shake, Carrie beamed. "Now that the match is over, I'll tell you that my dad was a state poker champ. He taught me to play when I was ten. My mom played too and Paul. He dabbles every now and then in tournaments. When my mom got sick, my dad and I used to play with her all the time to keep her mind off her treatments but after she passed on, I stopped playing. This was my comeback."
"Welcome back," He replied, absorbing the information he just learned and adding it to his Carrie profile.
Nick placed his hands on her shoulders. "I can't believe what I'm learning about you tonight. What else don't I know?"
"A woman should always have some mystery," She teased.
Gil absently said what came to mind. "Just ask Jim, he's got a mystery lady of his own." When his Scotch soaked brain caught up with his mouth he couldn't believe what he said.
"Really, Jim?" Catherine's curiosity was piqued. "You mean Roxie was just a stand-in?"
"You're not going to get it out of him." Sara tossed her arm around The Brass Man. "He's not ready to share her with us yet, are you?"
"I thought there was supposed to be cake at this party?" He deflected. "And what happened to the music, Sanders?"
"They wanted it off for the final round." Grabbing the remote he played the song he had cued up. "I had a feeling Carrie would win so I have her favorite pseudo-man crooner, Clay Aiken, ready to sing her a song of celebration…This Is the Night."
"I love that one!" She gushed and overshared freely. "The only thing that gets me hotter than a Bad Boy is a guy who can sing!"
Nick grabbed her hand, yanked her to her feet and whispered in her ear, "Maybe I can take voice lessons from Greg's music teacher mom next time she's in town, and be a double threat."
"Who said they wanted cake?" Sara asked as she carried over a large chocolate-iced cake ablaze with candles and placed it on the table in front of Gil. "Time to embarrass my husband. Make a wish, Honey."
"Let me think…what could I possibly want?" A joyful smile consumed his face as he pulled Sara onto his lap and whispered in her ear, "Wish it with me."
In one exhale the candles were extinguished and their dream fueled a little more.
Lost in the moment, Gil let his words flow. "I love you, Sara."
"Now that's a chugger!" Nick proclaimed, raising his beer bottle.
Twenty minutes later…
At the front door, Sara and Gil said goodnight to Catherine and Warrick while their taxi waited in the driveway.
"Sorry we can't stay longer," Catherine explained, "we have to take Lindsay somewhere in the morning. Great party, Sara."
"Yeah." Warrick nodded. "Don't make us wait another four months."
"We won't," Gil assured him. "We're getting better at this stuff. See you at work on Monday…in your new position."
"Yeah." Warrick nodded. "I won't let you down."
"That goes without saying."
Catherine tugged her man away from the door. "As if I don't already have a cavity from all of Greg's Disney tunes. Night everyone!"
"Goodnight," Sara and Gil simultaneously replied before shutting the front door. Once they realized they were alone in the hallway they took the opportunity to share a passionate kiss.
"Hey!" Brass called from the end of the hall. "Give his tonsils back, Boom Boom!" When they parted he announced, "I thought you'd want to know that Greg and Nick are in your Jacuzzi wearing their boxer shorts so they don't break your nudity rule…well I hope that's not the only reason they kept them on. I'm almost positive you don't have to worry about DNA transfer, but you never know."
Laughing she asked, "Where are Carrie and Tawny while Greg and Nick are getting heated?"
"Talking girly in the living room. Can I please steal some time with your husband so I don't have to feign a passion for pumps or hang with the semi-naked man-boys in the hot tub? Three's a crowd."
"Sure." She pecked Gil's cheek again. "Maybe you can get him to spill about the mystery lady while I hang with the girls."
Once Sara was gone, Gil snipped at Jim, "You! Come with me."
While following orders, he quipped, "I sincerely hope you're not going to spank me with a ruler…I get enough of that at home."
Upon stepping into the living room, Sara saw Carrie and Tawny laughing hysterically together on the couch. "And here I thought shoes were serious business for you, Carrie."
"We're not talking about shoes, Sara," Carrie tipsily informed her. "We're talking BOYS."
"Oooh." Giddy from the success of the night and her husband's love, Sara bounded over and plopped on the couch next to Carrie. "I've never done the guy-talk thing at a party with girlfriends." She chuckled. "Probably because I've never had girlfriends until now…or a guy I was happy to brag about. What's the topic?" Then an alarm sounded. "Wait…this is totally confidential, right? We don't tell our guys what we say or hear, right?"
"What's said between sisters, stays between sisters," Tawny assured her.
Then Carrie slurred, "New topic…most risqué place you've ever made love to your man."
Tawny giggled, "You guys probably won't believe me since you think we're a little out there but…Greg and I have only made love in bed…first mine then his…which I guess is really ours now since we're living together. Not that it hasn't been wonderful! Because it has! It's just always been in bed."
"Until tonight," Carried admitted, "Nick and I have only made love in bed too…well, we tried to make love in the stables at his parents' ranch, but a tornado blew in and ruined it. So Sara's pool house is my answer."
"I'm honored…not." Sara stared at the two younger women and realized she was actually the top dog…the married one, the one with the most intriguing experiences…well, in terms of current relationships anyway, because she knew Tawny probably had ten times as much overall. Never having been in that power position before, Sara couldn't resist flaunting it a little. "Don't take this the wrong way, ladies, but…you should really try to break out a bit more with your men. Gil and I have so many places it's hard to choose…but if you want to get technical as for MOST risqué, as in terms of potential public exposure, I'd have to answer an airplane restroom." Now they wouldn't dare question her forty-nine year old man's abilities without having to go into any detail to prove her point.
Stunned, Carrie said, "You and Gil are mile high members?"
"Just got our wings flying back from Tahoe." She felt a little guilty sharing, but at the same time it was fun to have the sisterly thing going on for the first time ever.
"Wait a minute…" Even though she was blotto, Carrie's legal mind kicked into gear. "You and Gil can utilize a public restroom for pleasure, a place where other people...people like kids and nuns could go minutes later and that doesn't bother you, but Nick and I discretely use your pool house and it's offensive? Care to explain the hypocrisy?"
Tawny leaned forward to talk to Sara as if Carrie wasn't sitting between them. "I can't believe she came up with argument considering how trashed she is. Here…I'll save you from having to respond to her, Sara. This should be fun." With enthusiasm she grabbed Carrie's left hand and admired her ring. "Carrie, tell me how Nick proposed to you! Every last detail!" It was a bait and switch tactic but also a subject weighing heavy on her mind.
"It was AWESOME!" Carrie exclaimed with the exuberance of a woman who hadn't drunk two bottles of wine in one night for quite some time. "Same night as the failed stable lovin' I mentioned before. Totally shocked me! I don't know how I didn't see it coming. He was so jittery instead of being his usual smoooooth self. Unlike tonight when he was…oh…I'm getting warm just thinking about it. You know I've never done anything like that before because well…I have trust issues…but tonight…" Tossing her sandaled-feet up on the coffee table, she groaned with delight. "I think my whole life changed in your pool house, Sara. I'm a new woman."
Sara leaned forward to talk to her partner in sobriety. "Tawny, now it's my turn to have fun with the drunk. Hey, Carrie…what happened in the pool house that was sooooooo great?"
"You mean besides from having the hottest sex of my life?" She released a naughty giggle. "And I'm talking, the kind of sex I've only seen in movies! Sara, you'll probably find scratch marks in the wicker of your couch. I'm talking HOT!" Glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone, she said, "I was even…loud." Then she covered her mouth and giggled harder. "Wait…wait…I have to ask, do you guys know about not wearing pants to parties?"
Tawny and Sara caught each others eyes and cracked up, instantly confirming that nothing's funnier than hearing drunken confessions when you're sober.
Then Carrie realized she was the only woman on the couch wearing pants. "Catherine had a skirt on too. So I guess I am the only one who didn't know about that! I would have been able to keep my shoes on then." She clicked her sexy sandals together. "But Nicky let me put them back on. See…he's a gentleman even when he's having his way with me like a scoundrel right off the cover of one of those romance novels."
Tawny called over to Sara. "This is too easy. Hey, Carrie…who was on top?"
"HA! That's an easy one…" Carrie choked on her laughter. "Nicky's always on top."
"Really?" Sara felt guilty for taking it this far and yet…she didn't redirect the conversation.
The concept was baffling to Tawny. "He never wants you on top? Wow. One of the reasons I love Greg is that he doesn't want me on top all the time." She pointed to her chest. "Every other guy has demanded to watch the view from below."
Carrie sighed and looked at her modest B cups. "Do you think it's because of my boobs or lack thereof?"
Sara started shaking with laughter. "Okay, this is getting out of hand."
To which Carrie replied, "Seriously Sara…we're the same size. Does Gil enjoy the view from below?"
"WAY out of hand," Sara clarified, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. "Let's just leave it at...we have a VERY healthy repertoire." Well, except for the unhealthy flu love last week.
"So, if it's not my lack of…" Carrie pondered the question and while she did, Tawny answered it for her.
"Your guy is a bit of a control-freak, Sweetie." Tawny patted her arm. "Combine that with your sexual repression and BINGO, you're on the bottom night after night. Maybe now, after your life-altering pool house experience, you'll feel relaxed enough to ask for a chance to saddle up."
"Saddle up! HA!" Carrie laughed so hard her face turned red.
"Okay!" Finally Sara showed some mercy. "Carrie, you never answered Tawny's question. What did Nick say exactly when he asked you to marry him?"
"OH!" She bubbled. "I remember every word…"
The whole time the girls were having their revealing conversation, Nick and Greg were doing some sharing of their own…
"So what did you say when you proposed to Carrie?" Greg asked as he sat opposite Nick in the Jacuzzi.
"Dude, I don't have a clue." Setting his Heineken down, he reclined further into the bubbles. "I was shakin' in my shoes all night. Finally I managed to ramble some incoherent proposal. Then it seemed like time stood still waiting for her to say yes, but I figure it was all of ten seconds before she screamed YES over and over." Grinning, he thought…kind of like tonight in the pool house. He couldn't believe how many times he heard her scream YES!
"That doesn't help me much," Greg lamented before taking a sip of brew.
Returning from the pool house memory, Nick replied, "Here's my advice. Don't plan what you're going to say. I had it all planned out thinking we'd be in Paris and then we ended up in Dallas. So here's what you do…you get the ring and then wait for the right opportunity and when it comes…the words will flow…most likely they won't make any sense, but it won't matter to her because they're coming from your heart."
"Wow…that's deep." Greg set his empty bottle down. "I had no idea you were such a sensitive guy."
"Hey!" Throwing his arms up on the walls of the Jacuzzi he thought…I have my Bad Boy reputation to protect. "Don't call me sensitive…you know how it is, sensitive guys don't get laid."
"Tell me about it," He lamented.
"Well obviously you got some action at least once, Greggo, or Tawny wouldn't be pregnant."
"I meant in high school…and college…and on and off after that," He laughed.
"So what's it like knowing you're going to be a dad in less than nine months?"
"It depends on when you ask me." His honesty flowed as easily as the bubbles in the tub. "Sometimes I'm scared to death and other times I think it's going to be the greatest thing. One thing I know for sure…Tawny is the best thing that ever happened to me. I know that may sound kind of crazy to you considering what I said about her when I was first seeing her, which, for the record, I embellished quite a bit…a lot actually…for my ego and at her expense."
Nick grinned a little wider. "Yeah…like Warrick and I didn't know you were embellishing. We just didn't call you on it because we thought you were due a chance in the spotlight after listening to our war stories all these years."
"Now of course I wish you had told me to shut the hell up." Getting a little lightheaded, Greg opted to climb out and sit on the edge of the Jacuzzi.
"Good idea." Nick took a seat on the edge. "This hot water is boiling the tequila in my veins."
"Damn, what did you do to your left shoulder?" Greg inquired.
Glancing down at the specified body part, Nick was surprised to see nail indentations and scratches. "Whoa."
Greg started laughing. "I think I know where I can find some of your epithelials."
"Damn…I didn't even know she did that." He laughed along with Greg and in an uncharacteristic blurt about his fiancée, said, "What an animal. How could I not know she was doing that at the time?"
Greg held up the bottle they had brought out with them. "Tequila in your bloodstream, Hoobastank blasting from the speakers and your babe begging for more in the pool house…face it, you were in testosterone overdrive and even a full scale 'alien invasion end of the world scenario' wouldn't have made you lose focus."
"True." He lifted his bottle. "Now tell me why you have contusions all over your arm."
"Tawny beat me with her shoe," Greg answered matter-of-factly while taking a sip from the tequila bottle.
"You two are into some weird shit, aren't ya?"
"No." He laughed at the assumption. "She was beating me with it because she was pissed at me and I wouldn't let go of her wrist. She thought I was being a duplicitous asshole and manhandling her, like every other guy she's ever known. It was a misunderstanding…both what she heard and why I wouldn't let go of her. It happened during your pool house grind."
"From what I've seen and heard, Tawny seems really volatile." He quickly clarified, "I'm not judging you or her. I'm just saying I couldn't deal with it personally. I couldn't handle the rollercoaster ride."
"That's cool. Carrie is WAY too controlled for my taste." He passed over the tequila bottle. "No offense but I wouldn't last a day with her."
"Because she'd kill you by noon." After a hearty laugh he took a sip. "I know she comes off as a bit high strung at times."
"A bit? At times?"
"Okay…" He laughed again. "Very and often. But there's no other woman for me."
"I have to say, I'm kind of surprised you'd go for those qualities in a woman since you're such a control-freak. I always thought you'd end up with a less assertive type." Extrapolating he said, "See, I get how it works for Catherine and Warrick…he's so laid back he doesn't mind letting her rule the roost most of the time. When it's important, he speaks up and she's so grateful that he lets her run the show 23/7, she doesn't mind giving him what he wants."
Nick pondered the analysis. "I could see that." In a mind-expanding tequila fog he asked, "How does it work for Grissom and Sara?"
"They're far more complicated," Greg remarked as he slipped back into the Jacuzzi. "They flux."
"Flux?"
"It means to continually change."
"I know what the word means, ya' geek." Shaking his head, Nick grabbed his beer. "What does it mean for them?" Immersing himself in the water again, he explained, "I never really put much thought into this relationship dynamic thing."
"Uh…not surprising since you're a control freak. What's to think about when you've got everything under control?"
Nick shot his buddy The Look.
Stepping back into the water, Greg continued his analysis. "Initially Grissom was in control because Sara was desperate for someone to love due to her security issues. At the time we didn't know her story so it didn't make sense, but now that we do it's perfectly logical that she could be so tough professionally, but personally so needy. Once they got together, Grissom filled her security needs while she dealt with her emotional baggage. But then there was a flux…as Sara grew stronger Grissom grew vulnerable. Happened, oh I'd say three months ago or so. If you think about it, I'm sure you'll agree. All along Grissom was needy too, but you know Grissom…he can lock his emotions and needs in a box and focus on the priority at hand. That's exactly what makes him so good at his job…he can compartmentalize and shut down. Anyway…once Sara was healed, he unlocked the box and now it's her turn. She's healing him. They flux, each having a lengthy period in the power position before taking a step back and letting the other take the lead for a while."
"Hmm." Nick replayed Greg's statements in his mind and then said, "So what's your deal with Tawny?"
Grinning, he answered, "We're in a constant state of flux. You could never deal with the mania that is our life. We get a rush after every free fall into Emotion Land. One minute she's beating me with her shoe and the next we're dancing to a Disney tune and enjoying the sweetest moment of our relationship. You'd hate it."
Nodding, Nick admitted his limitations. "Carrie and I got into this, sort of argument, on my birthday and I hated every minute of it."
"Because it was out of control…because you were out of control." Greg grabbed his beer bottle but then realized it was warm and put it back.
"It's not that." Slipping into seriousness, Nick confessed, "I never want to upset her or make her feel vulnerable. Not after what she went through…"
"I can relate because Tawny and she have that unfortunate experience in common. But holding stuff in doesn't work for me. It would make me crazy and then I'd blow. So when I'm ticked, I tell her. It's better to upset her a little right away then dump a ton down the road."
"Yeah well…" Suddenly a new emotion flashed through him…anger, and the alcohol only fueled the fury. "You don't know Carrie's whole story. It wasn't a one time deal. The trauma was…that bastard coach forced himself on her for a god damn year. A year! Had her so afraid to tell…damn it! Every time I think about it my gut twists and I wish he was alive so I could kill him with my own hands."
Greg had witnessed enough severe tequila-induced mood swings in college to recognize the makings of a downward spiral. And Nick definitely had the frat-boy personality to do it well. "Let's uh…try to calm down, buddy."
Greg's request only incited him more. "Calm down? Shit, Sanders, you have no idea what it feels like to be a kid and have someone force themselves on you…to feel that powerless. Have you ever asked Tawny how that felt? And she was a teenager. Carrie was eight. Eight!" In the heat of the moment and never realizing what he was saying, Nick switched from talking about Carrie and spoke with a personal edge. "You have no idea what it feels like to be a scared kid and not be able to stop what's happening to you even though it's killing you. Or what it's like to walk around keeping that kind of secret."
Sitting quietly, Greg began observing as if he were sitting in the interrogation room listening to a suspect.
"All you want is someone to take away the pain, but every time you try to get the words out they get caught in your throat because you feel like if you say them nothing will ever be the same. See…that's exactly what happened to Carrie. In order to stop the abuse she had to tell the truth and almost destroy her whole family in the process. Then she had to live with that guilt on top of what that bastard already did to her mind and her body. That's why some people never tell their families once it's over, not even years later. Haven't you ever wondered about that when working cases? I'll shed some light. It's a choice…you can keep your mouth shut and keep the victim count in your family at one, or you can tell the truth and watch your whole family suffer…and once they know, they'll never look at you the same. Hell of a choice, huh?" Grabbing his beer, he spoke into the rim of the bottle. "First you suffer because you were denied a choice in the matter and then you're faced with making a choice that can destroy people your love…pretty screwed up situation for a kid. Yeah…sometimes I hate choices as much as I hate being denied one."
Realizing now there was more behind Nick's snap than Carrie's abuse history, Greg decided it was best to let him keep venting unless he started really getting out of control. And as he absorbed the information in silence, he began considering new explanations for Nick's controlling personality, his womanizing, and his immediate and intense attraction to Carrie.
After a brief pause to polish off his beer, Nick continued with the story. "When Carrie finally got the courage to tell her big brother he went nuts, blaming himself for not noticing…he was with her at swim practices …he thought he should have caught it. He didn't understand that these sick freaks know how to hide it real well. He does now though. That's why Paul is so overprotective of Wendy and the kids…shit, if something happened to one of them, I don't know what he'd do. And Carrie's dad…hell, it almost killed him. At least they got some justice when the scumbag got convicted…after going through the tortures of a trial of course." Shaking his head, he lamented, "They were all in therapy for years. Her dad still can't deal sometimes…that's why he can't watch her handling these types of court cases. Deep down I know he wishes he could have strangled the air out of that bastard. I know how he feels too. I just want to protect her from ever feeling pain again." His voice turned icy. "And if anyone ever lays a hand on her while I'm alive…they're never seeing the inside of a courtroom. Not a chance. And you know I have the skills and the knowledge to get away with it."
"Okay, uh…" Trying to think of a way to bring Nick back from the darkness, Greg commented, "I'm really glad Tawny has Carrie in her life. She's a great role model for her because Tawny still lets her baggage influence the way she thinks about herself…like she believes she deserves to be abused or not have hope for the future." He thought it would be enough of a hook because it centered around the one thing most important to Nick.
"Don't worry…Carrie will get her to drop the victim-think." Breathing deep, he ran his wet hands over his hair and worked to lower his blood pressure. "Yeah…she's really good at that. I love her for that." After climbing out of the water, he relaxed in a deck chair. "And she likes Tawny...more than she likes you, man. Sorry…although I must say, you're doing a decent job of winning her over, which is no small feat. Really it's my fault she has a problem with you, because I told her some of the ugly stuff you said about Tawny and then the whole baby thing happened…"
After a deep breath, Greg asked his burning question. "Straight up, tell me if you can ever get past what I said about Tawny and see her as something more than…"
"It's ancient history as far as I'm concerned." He could tell Greg was beating himself up over the issue. "You know what I really think when I hear Tawny's story? I think her story could have been Carrie's if she didn't have parents and a brother who supported her through her nightmare. Hell, look at Sara. She's lucky she got in the foster system and had a decent experience after she didn't have any place to go, or Tawny's story could have been hers too. And regardless of how you and Tawny hooked up, I'm glad she has you takin' care of her now because you're a good guy, Greg and that's what she deserves after all the shit she's been through. You know I'm being honest because I'm too hammered to lie. And sorry…I didn't mean to get so heavy about Carrie's past. It sets me off."
"No problem. Totally understandable. After all, I almost lost my job for punching Hodges over what he said about Tawny, right?"
"Right."
"So don't worry that you got worked up, you're in the company of a friend." Realizing his pal had indirectly confessed a hell of a lot of deeply personal information without knowing he did, Greg didn't reveal he figured it out. Instead, he mentally filed the information and moved on. "It was the tequila…it's legal truth serum. But you know me, I think it's good for the soul to get a little out of control every once in a while." Hoping to get some levity back, he dangled the bottle. "But it hurts like hell in the morning."
"Exactly. We're not twenty anymore and used to doing this every weekend …we're gonna be dying tomorrow. Which means tonight when I get home I need to fit in as much fun as possible." Feeling a sudden turn, he laughed, "Although I know my controlling fiancée is going to get my ass up to go to church. Maybe I can tell her Bad Boys don't go to church on Sundays and she'll cut me some slack."
"You're going to church every Sunday?" He queried in surprise as he stepped out of the water and took a seat in the chair across from Nick.
"We have to keep up appearances because we want to get married there. Actually, Carrie likes going with her brother's family, so I do it for her…see I'm not that controlling." He laughed at himself. "Yeah well, maybe a little…I was apparently a bad influence on her and she only stopped going when we started staying up late on Saturday nights…talking."
"Talking…right. Tawny and I prefer passing the time playing Boggle." They shared the laugh that time. "Hey, about the church thing…my mother threatened me that I can't marry Tawny in a drive-thru chapel. But my parents aren't religious, so I'm not sure what she's looking for. The beach? A city park? What?"
"You're jumping the gun there, aren't ya? Not to mention, Tawny, not your mother, should pick the spot, don't you think? You're such a mama's boy, Sanders. Have you even looked at rings yet? I can help you with that…unless you think I'll be too controlling."
And while Nick and Greg were talking in the Jacuzzi, two other guys were busy with a discussion of their own…
Sitting in the two leather reading chairs in the library, Gil and Jim each clutched a tumbler of a scotch.
"I had to deflect her question tonight, Jim and I'm not happy about it." Gil shook his head. "I didn't do it to save your ass either, I did it so I wouldn't ruin her good time."
"We're having lunch next week and I'm telling her then." He paused for a sip. "It will give me a little time to think of my approach."
"What the hell have you being doing all this time? You think on your feet every day, Jim." He wasn't happy. "This takes you weeks?"
"It's like going up against the firing squad…you don't want to rush into the experience." He swirled the whisky in his glass. "How the hell did I get in this deep with Heather anyway? She makes life incredibly complicated for me."
"Is that rhetorical or are you expecting an empathetic response?" Feeling loose from the booze, he spoke without filtering. "Why didn't you just buy a sports car?"
"Finally!" Raising his glass he exclaimed, "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to throw that pan of hypocrisy pie in my face. The suspense was killing me." Reaching over he clinked his glass to Gil's. "Thanks for stepping up to the plate."
"It's usually not my style but, I'm feeling a little mischievous." He snickered into his glass. "That's why I hope all you nice people get the hell out of my house soon so I can be alone with my wife."
Twenty minutes later…
Having listened to Carrie and Tawny ramble on and on about proposals, weddings and honeymoons long enough, Sara was ready to spend some quality time with her husband. Standing up she announced, "Hey, while I'm in the bathroom, why don't you two go see where your guys are. We've been talking a long time and I bet they miss you, don't you think?"
Being a former party girl, Tawny recognized last-call when she heard it and she turned to Carrie to translate. "Mrs. Grissom's horny. We need to go."
"Hey! It's not like I'm insatiable," Sara laughed. "I'm not the one who already saw action in the pool house. Speaking of which…Carrie, aren't you dying to go home and don your spurs before that righteous wine buzz wears off and you lose your sexual superpowers?" Although she was joking, she was glad Carrie finally managed to break out of her box…even if it was at the expense of her couch pillows.
"Sara's right!" Taking Tawny's hand, Carrie leapt off the couch. "Let's go."
As soon as they were out the back door, Sara hurried to find her man.
After knocking on the library door, she entered smiling. "Hey there, Honey." She crossed the room and stood next to her husband. "It's getting late. The others are getting ready to leave."
Standing up, Jim placed his tumbler on the desk. "This sounds like a booty call to me, Boom Boom. And since you spent a great time at the Lunar Lounge telling Sanders and me just how nuts you get when you're in the mood and your man is unavailable, I'll fear for my life if I don't take off ASAP."
Sara didn't dignify the truthful comment with a lie. "I bet Tawny wouldn't mind giving you a lift so you don't have to wait for a cab."
"Jesus, Gil!" Brass laughed, "I hope you're up for what she has planned. She's practically throwing my ass on the street."
Finishing his drink, Gil thought…no, that'll be next week when you drop the bomb.
And while Sara was expulsing the guest in the library, Tawny and Carrie were in the back yard standing next to the empty Jacuzzi which was surrounded by three empty bottles…two beer, one tequila.
Perplexed by their absence and more so by the two piles of clothes Nick and Greg had been wearing, Carrie asked, "Where do you think they are?"
Tawny casually replied, "Foolin' around in the pool house."
"HA!" Carrie cracked up. "Okay, Greg might swing both ways but Nick…never. Plus, he's engaged."
"You think so, huh?" Tawny cracked up and headed for the small building. "Well the pool house is where the laughter's coming from so I'm guessing that's where I'll find Chuckles."
Together they hurried down the path toward the pool house and when they opened the door they saw Nick and Greg using an ALS in the darkened room.
"What are you doing?" Carrie asked before noticing Greg wearing his Abercrombie red boxer shorts with large white polka-dots. "Chuckles really wears clown underwear!" And the fit of laughter began.
"She's toasted," Tawny informed the guys while stealthily sneaking a peek at Nick in wet navy blue boxer-briefs, which she couldn't help notice were plastered against his body. Her curiosity piqued, she decided to have a little fun. "Nick, we need to get your woman home. You know…she's really ready to go to bed. That's all she was talking about in the living room…how much she wanted to fall into bed. Just look at her, Nick. She's totally out of control. She's WILD with emotion. You should have heard her discussing honeymoon plans…and all the things she wants to do with you. Gee, I hope you can handle her in this passionate state." Her mouth curved into a smile when her work was done and her suspicions confirmed…Greg had at least an inch on him.
Greg threw his pal a pool towel. "Down boy! Not in front of the lady and baby."
Carrie was already sitting on the floor consumed with laughter but that threw her into the abyss.
Tawny asked her favorite clown, "What are you really doing in here?"
Turning the ALS on again, he explained as if it were completely normal, "We knew Sara would be out here in the morning checking for evidence so we broke into Grissom's supplies and grabbed his ALS to come out here and cover Nick and Carrie's tracks." Shining the light on the couch he said, "See…no more evidence. But just when we thought we were done, I happened to shine the light over here." He pointed the light to the floor, under the opposite wall. With Sherlock Holmes intensity he informed her, "Someone else visited the pool house tonight."
With the towel wrapped firmly around his waist, Nick announced, "I think it was Roxie and Brass. We swabbed it, Greggo's gonna test it on Monday. Then we'll have something to hold over the boss's head. HA!" He pointed to Greg. "I said…"
"Good one, Beavis!"
"Beavis!" Carrie choked on the name. "That's a nickname with no role play potential at all."
In that enjoyable position of being the only sober one in a room full of idiots, Tawny took the light out of Greg's hand and clicked it off. "Sorry to disappoint you sick pups, but it's not Brass and Roxie. It was Warrick and Catherine."
"Well that's no fun!" Nick exclaimed. "Everyone knows they have sex anytime, anywhere."
"Ah!" Greg was able to see an angle. "But when Sara busted you, Warrick pretended to be disgusted by your behavior. He even made a crack."
"That's right!" Tawny helped out her man's challenged memory. "He said…the nerve of some people. Oh, he's going down!"
"Butthead! Your future wife just said…oh shit…I meant girlfriend."
Greg smothered Tawny's lips with a kiss then said, "I love how you're willing to ignore what Nick blurted and pretend that you don't know what I talked to him about in a drunken stupor."
"Any time, Baby." She took his hand. "Okay, Nick, scrape your future wife off the floor and fulfill your inner-Neanderthal fantasy by throwing her over your shoulder and carrying her inside. Greg and I will collect your clothes and meet you there."
Five minutes later…
Sara watched Nick, swaddled in a pool towel, drop Carrie on the couch. "Again with Carrie in the pool house!"
"What?" He noted that she was referring to the towel. "No, I was with Sanders in the pool house this time."
"OH!" Brass smacked his hands together. "Gil, that's twenty you owe me!"
Gil yanked out his wallet. "Damn, I can't get lucky tonight."
Sara softly whispered in his ear, "I see a change in your immediate future."
Just then, Greg returned and tossed Nick his clothes stating, "I'm spent. Get dressed so we can get out of here quickly."
"OH!" Brass covered one ear and one eye. "That is a line straight out of a nightmare I once had about the two of you."
Sara nudged The Brass Man. "I had that one once or twice myself."
Greg chimed in, "So did my dad."
"Enough already," Nick grumbled as he headed for the bathroom. "I'm not dropping the towel and showing my skivvies with you perverts watching."
When Greg saw Tawny grab her purse, he held out his hand. "Gris, I've got one more present for you." He took the CD Tawny was extending. "Since neither you nor Sara would tell me your song, I had to pick one. Don't play it until we're gone."
"Now I'm concerned," Gil revealed as he accepted the CD.
Greg pulled him aside, "Nah…you'll catch my drift a minute into the song. This CD…" He tapped it in Grissom's hand. "…it's not a push-push pool house bump…it's totally classy. Trust me, I haven't gotten one wrong tonight, have I? So, here's the deal. You have five minutes of light instrumental jazz to give you time to get wherever you want to be and set the mood. Then your song plays…at first it will blend with the instrumental jazz but 45 seconds in…lyrics start. It's four minutes long…total slow-danceable should you be so inclined. After that you've got a sophisticated mojo-inspiring mix to give you all the time that you need…or up to sixty minutes, whichever comes first. HA! Sorry."
"Sounds perfect, thank you." Grissom grinned approvingly while plotting the right locale for his foray. Unfortunately, Greg kept yapping.
"Gris…don't waste that CD though…I mean…you can always save it for another night. Because, I'm a little worried about you… you drank a hell of a lot of scotch tonight. Don't play the CD unless you can um…live up to its potential. Because personally…after the hefty quantity of tequila and beer I guzzled, I know I'm sitting out of the game tonight. Which is actually fine by me because tonight isn't about sex for me…it's about making Tawny feel sweet and loved."
Gaping at the music-man, Grissom shook his head, "Thanks for your concern. Sorry to hear about your problem, but I really can't empathize." Breaking into a grin reflective of the possibilities coursing through his over-stimulated brain, Gil said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of my house. This is why I don't like guests…they interrupt spontaneity. I don't want to wait. I want to see what happens when I play the song right now."