Thanks to FoxRox2 and Little Tussi for reviewing, and to anyone else who read it. Here's the next installment...if you think you've pegged the pairings, you probably haven't. I assure you, there are several more twists to come. Anyway, hope this is enjoyable...
He wanted some peace and quiet; he wanted to gather his thoughts.
Chapter 2
Asked Out
'How could I be so stupid?' Sara thought to herself for what must have been the millionth time since she'd made her ill-fated phone call. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she walked through the door to the CSI lab. It was time for her shift to begin, time to interact with the same people she saw everyday. And if that included Nick, then so be it.
"So, Sara…" Greg said as he poured his expensive coffee. "Let's go out some time, shall we? I can see it now—you, me, good music, good food, a good time. What do you say?" It was a bit of a ritual. He asked every day, and every day Sara laughed him off. But today…
"OK." The reply was soft, barely audible. There was no response. Sara looked up slowly, meeting Greg's gaze.
"Seriously?" Greg exclaimed, his voice cracking.
Sara swallowed. "Yes. Let's do it."
"Great!" Greg said, still not believing his luck's sudden change for the better. "I'll, um, I'll make reservations and get back to you. OK?"
Sara nodded, just as Grissom walked in the door to hand out the day's assignments. As it happened, Sara was assigned to a simple break-in; she'd be working alone. This was a good thing; she needed to think. What was she doing? And, perhaps more importantly, why? Because she'd had a sudden change of heart? To get back at Nick? Nick didn't even know…that didn't make any sense. Maybe she just wanted to have a little fun. There was nothing wrong with that, was there? In any case, she'd taken the plunge, and she'd have a date that weekend. So what if it was her second choice?
Sara took her time gathering the evidence at the scene. She was glad to be alone. She wanted some peace and quiet; she wanted to gather her thoughts.