Feasibility Study
Written by: Ms Maggs / Edited by: KJT
Chapter 98: Getting It Back – Part 9
August 26, 2005 (Day 126)
The Grissoms
11:02 a.m.
Sitting in his favorite chair in the living room, Gil stared at his wife in disbelief. "We're really having dinner with Lady Heather and Jim?"
Sara broke into a relaxed smile. "I think it's about time you drop the 'Lady' title, don't you? It's her working name, and I think we both know she really isn't…" She caught herself before saying a lady. "…that formal."
Gil tilted his head and smirked. "You were going to say she really isn't a lady."
"I was not." She turned so he couldn't read her. "Tonight she'll be Heather and you'll be Gil, not Mr. Grissom." Sara thought she did a great job hiding her disdain for the way Heather tauntingly said Mr. Grissom.
"I heard the disdain in your voice, Sara." Gil clutched his forensics journal tighter. "Heather is an excellent reader of people. You'll need to cover up your true feelings a little better than that if you want to pull off this act of yours."
When she turned to face him she was chuckling. "I said it that way on purpose and there is no act. I sincerely hope this evening will put all of this behind us once and for all."
"I'm sure it will," He replied with no demonstrable confidence." Watching her cross the room into the kitchen, Gil saw her grab her purse. "Where are you going?"
"Clothes shopping." Standing there with her hands on her hips she waited for him to mention she almost always bought her clothes online.
"You always buy clothes online."
"Our double date was so last minute I didn't have time to shop."
A double date? He'd never been on one in his life and he couldn't believe his first would be with Lady Heather and Jim Brass. Although he had known they were seeing each other for a while, when he observed them physically together outside The Fitness Den on Monday, it was a bit unnerving. "Is that what we're officially calling this exercise in discomfort? A double date?"
While she inspected the contents of her purse Sara factually replied, "We're a couple, they're a couple and we'll both be out dining together. In my book, that's the definition of a double date. What would you call it?"
Gil tossed on his glasses and lifted his journal. "Believe me…I have a few names for it."
Lady Heather's Dominion
11:11 a.m.
"Yes, Jim." Heather held her cell to her ear as she completed her daily dominion inspection. "I promise…no name calling. I will be on my best behavior."
"Thanks, Sweetheart."
When she noticed Classroom A hadn't been stocked with chalk as she requested earlier, Heather huffed, "Hold on please, Jim." Lowering the phone, she turned to Molly, who was accompanying her for the tour. "I thought I told you to put a fresh box of white and a fresh box of colored chalk in here? Mr. O'Brien is scheduled in this room and he likes to get punished for breaking fresh pieces of chalk. He's paying a steep price for us to beat his ass therefore, we're required to make it as pleasurable as possible for him. It's Customer Service 101."
"Yes, you did tell me about the chalk, Lady Heather." The new girl cowered. "But there wasn't any in the supply closet so I didn't know what to do."
Trying to keep her frustration in check she educated the girl. "I told you…if you don't know what to do, then you have to pipe up and ask someone. The only time you're expected to keep quiet unless spoken to is when you're working as a submissive. When you're not working, you are expected to use your mind and speak it. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Lady Heather."
"Now, the correct thing to do should a similar situation arise in the future is this…you go to Mrs. Hilden in the front office for petty cash, and then to the Target Superstore on Leonard Street to buy what is needed. Upon return you give the receipt and any unused cash to Mrs. Hilden. That procedure is outlined in procedure manual you received during employee orientation." Frustrated, she shook her head. "This is exactly why I provide high school and college classes to you uneducated, brain dead girls. You need to learn to think outside the box, Molly. Actually, now that you don't have a man in your life bossing you around and doing your thinking for you…you need to learn to think period."
"Yes, Lady Heather." Molly nodded vigorously and repeated the mantra she had been given upon arrival. "I'm not just a dumb girl from the farm who's only good for putting out, cooking pot pies, and making babies. I can be whoever I want to be if I don't get knocked up, strung out or caught up in prostitution. If I get an education and save up my money, I can be an independent woman who doesn't need a man to survive. What I'm here to do is find my untapped girl power, channel it and use it to better myself."
"Excellent. Next time, say it with a tad more conviction."
The girl relaxed. "Yes, Lady Heather."
Heather smiled momentarily then pointed down the hall. "Now get your ass to Target so Christina will be able to beat Mr. O'Brien's ass later when he starts snapping chalk."
"Yes, Lady Heather!" Molly took off running down the hall.
Returning the phone to her ear she apologized, "Forgive me, Jim. Molly is proving to be quite a challenge."
"Mr. O'Brien likes to get punished for snapping chalk, huh? That's a new one."
Grinning, she moved onto the next room. "Mr. O'Brien is a computer programmer locked in a 4x4 cubicle day after day. This is his release. Come on…even the most seemingly conservative people have something silly that gets them giddy with pleasure."
Nick's Xterra
En route to the Grand Canyon
11:21 a.m.
Pointing to the large billboard advertising The Flintstones Bedrock City Theme Park and Diner, Nick squealed with delight, "Yabba Dabba Doo! I've found our tacky roadside attraction, Baby! And it's only ten miles away."
Carrie clapped in the passenger seat. "I'm starving. Do you think they have Bronto Burgers?"
"I'm bettin' they do." Nick applied a little more force to the gas pedal and winked at his girl. "And since I worked up a Mammoth appetite with you back in the room, Darlin', I think I'll order two."
With a Cheshire grin dominating her face, Carrie stared out the window rejoicing that her official 'positions tried' number, thanks to the knowledgeable man seated to her left, had jumped from four to eight in an hour's time. After their arduous romp, as they lay in bed twined together locking their eyes as tightly as their bodies, they realized the climatic end left them exactly as Nick had predicted. But with one breathtaking addition…they were hot, sweaty, exhaustedand more captivated with one another than ever.
When Carrie fell silent in the car, Nick followed suit, quickly losing himself in the drive and the contentment he felt, the most he had felt in years…maybe ever. His restlessness was gone and he knew without a doubt, everything he needed to be happy forever was within arm's reach. For a guy who was constantly obsessed with not failing, the relief of knowing with absolutely certainty that he had found the perfect mate, removed significant weight from his overburdened shoulders.
"Nicky?"
"Huh?" He glanced over for a moment then returned his eyes to the rode. "Sorry, Darlin' did you ask me something?"
Carrie pointed to the left. "Fred's parking lot is coming up and you'll speed by it if you don't use your feet to slow your car."
Chuckling at the reference to the cartoon, he eased on the brake and turned into the crowded lot, selecting a space in the far corner.
In a playful mood, Carrie decided to tease her carb-conscious man. "Are you going to order your Bronto Burgers bunless?"
Turning off the car he replied, "They didn't have evil white flour to make buns back in the Stone Age, Pebbles."
"If I'm Pebbles, I guess that makes you Bam-Bam." Giggling, Carrie climbed out of the Xterra. "As a kid it didn't bother me but, as grown woman I find that name really perverse for a child."
"Think of poor Pebbles." Reaching out he took Carrie's hand. "You know when she hit puberty they teased her saying her name was in reference to her mosquito bite boobs."
"Hey!" She tugged so hard on his hand she nearly knocked him off his feet. "You just called me Pebbles."
"That was before we were referring to it in the context of breast size. I was just looking for somethin' cute to call you that fit in with the theme." Knowing how sensitive she was about her bitty B's, he scrambled for a better explanation. "I couldn't call you Wilma because she was a nag, which you're not. And I couldn't call you Betty because she was submissive, which you certainly aren't." In his best aw shucks voice while making puppy dog eyes he confessed, "So I picked Pebbles because she was adorable, sweet and cuddly…like you."
Rolling her eyes she tugged him towards the diner. "Smoooooth Stokes…not."
Snapping her close to him he laughed lightly. "We've established your Two-Step is still weak, but how's your Bedrock Twitch?"
"Oh my god…" She froze in horror. "Please tell me you're not going to do that here!" When they were in Dallas he had performed it for his nieces and nephews, upon request. And while it was hilarious on the private back patio of the Stokes ranch over beers, and surrounded by people obligated to love Nick, she didn't want to see him perform it in this crowded parking lot.
In that moment, it was apparent to Nick that while Carrie had made enormous strides relaxing in the bedroom, she still had a long way to go in public. And like his sexual reticence with her, he finally realized how, for her benefit, he had significantly cut back on loosening up when away from the pressures of work.
Suddenly he was reminded of Sofia's recent words…You used to be a fun guy, Stokes. What happened? And his somber reply, I grew up. The process started the day he found out that he was responsible for setting up Sara with murderous Mike Rodgers. That day, alone in his apartment, he soberly reflected on his Peter Pan lifestyle. His introspection led to a vow to stop partying and direct all of his energy into his job. He kept his promise. Seven months later, on the day of Mike's conviction, he met Carrie and took on a whole new set of serious responsibilities. Only now did he understand it was taken to an unnecessary extreme.
Out of the blue, a conversation with Greg infiltrated his analytical mind…
"It must be exhausting being you, Nick.
"Most of the time. More now than ever."
"Why?"
"Because of Carrie."
"Do you ever worry that you and Carrie have such similar high-strung personalities, that most likely the two of you will...I don't know…corner the market on Maalox and give your kids ulcers by the time they're four?"
Releasing his fiancée's hand, Nick decided to recapture a little of what had been missing for a while. A therapist might refer to it as his inner-child, but Nick thought of it as his inner-Greg. With flair he started strumming his air guitar. "There's a town I know where the hipsters go, they call it Bedrock. Twitch! Twitch! And when you get an itch to do the Twitch in Bedrock…" When he saw Carrie cringing, he prompted, "You know the words. Sing it with me, Honey."
"What? No way!" She glanced around to see who was watching. "This is really embarrassing."
Provoking his publicly uptight fiancée he murmured in her ear, "Sweetheart, how can youpossibly be inhibited about anything after what we just did back in the hotel?"
"Nicky!" Covering her face with her hands her cheeks flashed to red. "We can't talk about that stuff in Flintstone land! This place is based on a kid's show."
"Oh! But you could force me to have an intimate discussion at a wholesome ballpark?" He bellowed. "Respond to that point, Counselor!"
"Ugh." She knew he had her.
"In addition to you being a hypocrite, you have your facts wrong. The Flintstones, although a cartoon, was actually an adult show mimicking The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy." Cracking up at the topic and her discomfort he forged on. "Sweetheart…this isn't about sex. It's about you needing to get a little silly once in a while." Swinging her hand he said, "You can do this. You can learn to loosen up in public without drinking or pretending you're someone else. My boss gave me fifty bucks to buy a bottle of wine to relax you, what does that tell you?"
"Nicky…" She whimpered while watching various families goofing around in the parking lot full of larger than life dinosaurs and pre-historic vehicles.
Appealing to her familial nature he craftily stated, "If you don't learn to lighten up, you'll be the only one in our family not wearing a silly hat when we go to Disneyland. Now what kind of message will that send to little Garrett or Megan? And what will my family say when they see you looking different in the Stokes Family Christmas newsletter?"
"Oh! Invoking our future children's names to argue your point is really manipulative."
He chuckled. "I'm the son of a cutthroat Public Defender, it's in my blood."
"I'm too hungry to do something outrageous right now," She pleaded.
"Sweetheart…" Nestling her in his arms he tenderly whispered, "What happened when you took a chance in bed earlier? When you let go of your inhibitions and tried something new, even though my suggestion made you uncomfortable at first?"
"I really enjoyed it."
"You trusted me about that…" His lips brushed a kiss against her flushed cheek. "…trust me about this. It's a different issue but, the approach is the same."
"Okay…okay. I see your point," She conceded.
Thrilled he successfully made his case to the skilled attorney in his arms, Nick filled with pride. "So after lunch you'll do something a little wild and crazy?"
"Like what?" She shuddered, wondering what he'd come up with.
Nick glanced around and saw a sign advertising, You too can yell Yabba Dabba Doo and slide down a dinosaur's tail just like Fred! "Don't worry, Honey…" Keeping her close, they walked toward the entrance. "…I'll think of something."
Your Heart's Desire Book Shoppe
11:43 a.m.
As Greg focused on the woman hiding in the corner of the romance novel specialty bookstore and tea room, he heatedly whispered in Tawny's ear, "What the hell were you thinking?" Tawny had brought him there to meet a woman, named Celeste Monroe, who she claimed would be perfect for his often callous co-worker.
Greg was expecting a stripper for hire, not a plain, slightly plump woman who looked like she couldn't hurt a fly and obviously wore her lonely heart on her sleeve. "That woman doesn't deserve to be subjected to Hodges."
"You'll see."
"That I'm right." He watched the woman speed reading a copy of My Rugged and Royal Dream and cringed. "If she were reading, My Wimpy and Offensive Nightmare I'd be more inclined to say Hodges' was her ideal mate."
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Why do you think people look at me funny when I say I adore your hair? Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
About a year ago, Tawny happened upon the bookshop and instantly fell in love with its escapist feel. With lacy curtains, velvet furniture, assorted greenery, and chirping birds in gilded cages, it was like stepping into a blissful fairytale. The tranquil place quickly became her favorite retreat because it was the antithesis of the loud, sexually charged strip club she gyrated in nightly.
A month after first discovering this Sin City oasis, Tawny joined their book club and met Celeste, who had been a member since its inception two years prior. Unlike regular book clubs where setting, plot and symbolism were hashed over, at Your Hearts Desire, the book was merely a formality and it was matters of the heart that were discussed openly. Consequently, she knew exactly what Celeste wanted in a man. "She's a really nice person."
"That's my point!" Greg was thoroughly confused. "If Celeste is such a nice person, why do you want her to go out with Hodges? Most of the time he's a social toxin. I assumed we'd pay one of your dancer friends to go out with him for a couple of hours. You know…like an extended lap dance but without her having to actually sit on his lap, and she gets dinner."
"What would be the point in doing that? First of all, it's dishonest." Tawny griped, "Secondly, we're supposed to be finding someone for Hodges to connect with long term. Hell, why not drive him out to The Bunny Ranch and legally pay for real action if giving one good night is all you had in mind?"
"No, because that place just makes you feel like a desperate loser once you sober up and figure out you're out six hundred bucks because you couldn't score the normal way." When Greg realized he had indeed said it out loud he added, "Or so I've been told…by um…Grissom."
Tawny sighed in the face of her blurt-prone Prince. "I'm sorry…I was distracted by the birds chirping and wasn't listening to a thing you said, Sweetie."
"Thank you."
"Moving on." Taking him by the hand she led him to Celeste's table. "Hey there, girlfriend," Tawny cheerily greeted.
"Tawny?" Celeste dropped her book, put on her glasses and smiled brightly. "It is you. I was worried something bad happened to you because you haven't been at Book Club since mid-July."
"Sorry for making you worry. Actually…" Gushing with excitement, she presented Greg. "Something great happened to me…his name is Greg Sanders, he works for the Crime Lab and he's the love of my life. It really happened for me, Celeste! Just like in Her Sweet Dreams - Volume Ten!"
"Oh my goodness…" Celeste read that one thrice. "You mean…you accidentally got pregnant? Then, just when you thought the world couldn't get any crueler, the baby's father said he'd stand by you and suggested you move into his place so he could support you during the pregnancy. However, after a brief platonic relationship…true love bloomed?"
"Yes!" Tawny jumped up and down in place.
Celeste stood and shouted, "Tawny found her Prince!"
Greg heard various women blurting…
"There's a man in the store!"
"Of course Tawny found her Prince, she has a ten thousand dollar boob job."
"I bet she's pregnant."
"There he is!"
"He's not rugged, but he's cute."
"Are we sure he's not just her stylist?"
"He looks much different than the dream man she used to describe."
"What's with the clown shoes?"
A minute later Greg knew exactly how it felt to wake up on an alien planet inhabited only by women. "Hi…um…everyone." They had him cornered. "Wow…why didn't I know about this place when I was single and sitting home alone? You should advertise more."
Nordstrom Department Store
12:03 p.m.
The Ad in that day's paper had said this store's vast collection of summer dresses were on sale, so Sara decided it would be the right spot to find her 'I'm not uptight' dream dress for this evening's double date.
So far, every run in with Heather ended up making Sara feel, among other things, bland. It was that old Miranda-induced feeling. Thinking back to the surprise meeting of Miranda in San Francisco a few months ago, Sara recalled how shocked the boyfriend-stealing tramp was to find her dressed in a vibrant color and displaying her feminine wiles. Sara was looking for the same effect tonight.
"Hello there, welcome to Nordstrom. My name is Susan." The top personal shopper for the store greeted her newest customer with a sunny smile. "Is there something I can assist you with today?"
"Actually, yes." Sara's eyes took in the sea of dresses surrounding her. "I need a dress for a dinner date tonight."
"Where will you be dining?"
"Macaluso's."
"Ah…lovely restaurant. Wonderful ambiance." Susan flagged her customer to follow. "Our collection of little black cocktail dresses is over here."
"It can't be black," Sara announced. "It's a double date, and most likely, the other…lady…will wear black."
"Did you have a particular look in mind?"
"Um…" Sara knew exactly what she wanted…what Greg would pick if he were a woman. "Something bold…sexy…and very colorful…a dress that screams, the woman wearing me is not uptight and burdened with Victorian stuffiness. She's not only highly intelligent, but she's fun and adventurous too. Just look at how thrilled her husband is to have this dazzling woman on his arm tonight."
"Hmm…" Susan wrinkled her nose and said, "The other woman slept with your husband before you were with him, huh."
"You got that from I said?"
"I'm very good at my job…and I have a Master's in Psychology." Susan took a step back and studied her customer from head to toe. "We definitely want to accent those long, lean legs and your flat midsection. And you'll need something that gives you a boost on top."
"Sounds perfect." Sara relaxed, knowing she was in competent hands. Then she remembered to utter the words Carrie would be proud to hear. "I'll need shoes too."
Bedrock
12:09 p.m.
Walking from the diner to the theme park entrance Nick remarked, "You would have hated the prehistoric age, Darlin'." Grinning, he pointed to the giant replica of Wilma at the entrance. "They didn't wear shoes."
"HA!" She eyed the giant plastic woman. "I'm sure I would have fixated on bone hair accessories instead."
"Okay, this is your challenge to overcome. Check it out." Nick pointed at the enormous green dinosaur in the distance. "It's a slide and you're going down and I want to hear one really passionate Yabba Dabba Doo."
Just as she was about to beg for something less noticeable than sitting on top of the tallest object in the park and shouting, Carrie heard an announcement over the loudspeaker...
"Hey all you Bedrock Hipsters! Our next Bedrock Twist Contest will start in ten minutes. Line up in front of the Brontosaurus on a Spit if you want to…everybody sing it with me…TWIST! TWIST!"
Carrie took one look at the ecstatic expression on Nick's face and ran for the dinosaur slide. "You picked and you can't change it!" Over her shoulder she saw him catching up. "I'm not twisting!"
"Relax. I'm not going to make you twist." Retrieving the digital camera from his pocket he turned it on.
Carrie joined the short line of children and parents with children. "Nicky! Would you look at this…I'm the only adult without a kid."
Luckily, a second later a fifty year old man sans child and wearing a t-shirt that said, Fred Flintstone Is My Hero, stood behind Carrie.
Nick snapped a picture of Carrie's frustrated expression. "You wanna go barefoot so you get the full prehistoric feel?"
The man standing behind Carrie kicked off his flip flops. "Great idea."
Nick suggested, "Maybe you should let him go first and be your role model, Pebbles." Then he pretended he had a phone call. "Oh…let me step over here to get this call." But in actuality he was making a call out to Greg. "Greggo! I'm calling to check up on you bro? How are you?"
"Hey! Thanks for checking on me. I still have some stuff to deal with, but I'm doing much better. What about you?"
"About the same here. Carrie and I are having a great time and you'll be happy to know, I've reconnected with my inner-Greggo…I mean child." Then he noticed the background noise. "Why do I hear harps and birds? Where the hell are you?"
"Oh, you won't believe this…I'm at a romance novel bookstore and tea room. Tawny wanted me to meet a friend of hers. Wait…why do I hear the Flintstone theme coming through the phone?"
Nick realized he was standing directly under a speaker. "We're staying in Flag but right now, Greg Sanderstone…I'm in Bedrock!"
"Twist! Twist!" Greg chuckled. "You mean the place on the way to the Grand Canyon, right? I've been there. That place rocks!"
"That's the place." He glanced over his shoulder and saw Carrie only had to wait for two more people to slide. "Here's the other reason I was calling. You're always dogging Carrie about being too stiff. Well, she's about to take a slide down the dinosaur tail yelling Yabba Dabba Doo at the top of her lungs and I knew you wouldn't believe me so, I wanted you to hear it first hand. Listen up." Running closer he discretely hid the phone. "Let's hear it, Baby!"
After adjusting her khaki hiking shorts and anxiously scanning the area, Carrie took a deep breath and proved she could yell as loud as Fred himself. "YABBA DABBA DOOOOOOO!"
Beaming with pride Nick returned the phone to his ear. "See…you were wrong. That's the future Mrs. Stokes cutting loose on vacation. Turns out Carrie's a party animal when she's able to get out of the office and forget about work for a while. I can barely keep up."
"Did she lose a bet?" Greg asked, incredulous that Carrie was capable of doing something so silly in public. "Is she drunk?"
"No, we're just doing a little non-traditional therapy now, so we don't have to buy quite as much Maalox later or put our kids in therapy in the future."
"Speaking of therapy…I've got my second session in less than a half hour so I need to bolt. Have fun, which means do lots of stuff I would do. We'll catch up at the BBQ on Sunday."
"Sounds good, Bro. See you then."
Carrie hurried over. "That wasn't so bad."
"See." Taking her hand he led her toward the Brontosaurus on a Spit. "Now you can watch me twist."
"Can I pretend I don't know you?" She teased.
Two minutes later Nick was standing in the crowd of twist contestants waiting for the music to start and Carrie was on the sidelines with the camera.
The woman standing next to her gregariously asked, "Which kid is yours?"
Carrie's lips curved upward. "The overgrown one wearing the LVPD cap and grinning like a fool."
"Honeymooners?" The woman sweetly asked.
"Our wedding date is February 11th. This is practice for when we do have kids. Which child is yours?"
The woman pointed to two platinum blonde children. "Bailey…she's seven, and Connor…he's five." Then she groaned. "I hope you realize how lucky you are that your fiancé likes to have fun at these places, mine's on his cell closing a deal when we're supposed to be on a family vacation. This is just like being home…he's gone all the time."
"Your children are beautiful." Carrie winked at Nick. "And yes…I definitely realize I'm very lucky."
Over the microphone the theme park worker yelled, "Listen up, Hipsters!"
"Wait!" Carrie dashed over to stand next to Nick. "I want to do it too."
Nick pecked her lips and then declared, "Baby…I'm so proud of you."
Next, the theme park worker came over and took Carrie's hand. "The last person to join in has to do it on stage with me."
"What!" Carrie's litigious nature came shining through as the clown-like man tugged her over to the stage. "Is that in writing somewhere? Because if it's not in writing and clearly posted for patrons to read and agree to the terms, then it's not enforceable! I never entered into a verbal or written contract to twist on stage." Now on the stage she nervously eyed the crowd. That's when she saw Nick sitting on the ground in tears from laughing so hard. Considering only days ago he was mentally hanging on by a thread, she suddenly didn't mind being the joke. Upon shifting her gaze to the theme park worker, she read his name tag and yelled, "What are we waiting for Bob! I'm dying to TWIST TWIST!"
Lady Heather's Dominion
12:21 p.m.
Sitting at her desk Heather listened to what Veronica, her top assistant, had to say then replied, "You'll have to tell Mr. Wilmington that his request is too twisted even for us and that we suggest he try a particular area of Hong Kong the next time he's there on business."
"Yes, Lady Heather." She hustled toward the door.
"Veronica…" Heather, outfitted in her finest leather, stood. "I'll be dining in an elegant restaurant tonight and I need to look…hmm…how can I say this politely?" She thought of Sara and said the first word that came to mind. "Bland. What would you suggest I wear?"
"You? Look bland?"
"Just answer the question."
"Uh…plain black pants, a simple ivory sweater, minimal jewelry..." Snickering she added, "…and black leather shoes, so there's a little of the real you in the mix."
Your Heart's Desire Book Shoppe
12:24 p.m.
Celeste hid behind her floral tea cup. "Oh no. No. I couldn't possibly go on a date."
"Why not?" Tawny asked after she swallowed her sip of raspberry tea.
"Because I still have thirty pounds to lose!" Panic rioting within her, Celeste set down her china cup for fear she'd drop it.
"Sweetie…" Tawny reached out and gently laid her hand on top of the petrified woman's trembling one. "You've been talking about losing those same thirty pounds since I met you almost a year ago. Have you ever considered that you may be intentionally not losing the weight so you can use it as an excuse not to put yourself back out there in the dating game?"
Celeste hung her head. "I heard the same thing on Dr. Phil last week."
"I know it was devastating to be left at the altar in the middle of your wedding, but that was five years ago, Sweetie. You need to start living again." Smiling brightly Tawny boosted the woman's confidence. "You're beautiful. You're hiding your beauty on purpose…baggy clothes, unstyled hair, big glasses, no make up. With a few changes you'd be a knockout."
"You really think so?"
"Definitely!" Standing up, Tawny said, "It's your day off from the Pathology Lab at the hospital, right?"
"Yes."
Tawny grabbed her friend's hand. "I'm meeting someone at home at three-thirty but until then…I'm your personal style consultant. You're getting an Extreme Makeover, on me."
"What?" Celeste protested. "No, I couldn't let you do that."
"Greg's mom did it for me and now I'm going to do it for you. I'm paying it forward." Tawny wouldn't take no for an answer. "It'll be a blast, trust me."
Secretly hoping Tawny was right, Celeste gave in and let Tawny lead her out of the store. "So tell me about the guy…David Hodges."
"He's a friend of Greg's."
"A close friend?" She wanted to be sure it wasn't just an acquaintance.
Tawny giggled to herself, recalling the infamous kiss story. "He and Greg have been very close."
"Describe him in three words."
"Intelligent." While that one was easy, Tawny was at a loss for two more positive ones. "Oh, look! There's a designer eyewear store across the street. Let's go see if they can make you some new sexy frames."
"Wait…what about the other two words?" Celeste stood on the corner waiting for the reply.
"Passionate," She stated with conviction, but without saying it was in reference to his work or strong opinions. "And…sensitive." She didn't bother clarifying he was sensitive to certain foods.
"Really?" Celeste pieced it all together. "David Hodges is an intelligent, passionate and sensitive man?"
When she heard it all together, Tawny choked on the mint in her mouth. "Yes. I'm sure everyone would agree." That I'm nuts!
Dr. Myers Office
12:30 p.m.
As Greg perused the candy selections the doctor had placed on her desk he grinned. "I see what you're doing here. All of these have nuts so there's no way I can choose something that would reflect me having my sanity."
"If you were truly insane you wouldn't have figured that out." Opening her drawer she retrieved a few more selections. "I'm cutting you off at two so you don't get fidgety."
After selecting two packs of M&Ms he took a seat. "As the son of a dentist I feel compelled to tell you that you're promoting tooth decay. My father would have a problem with this."
"Are you sure?" She chuckled. "Dr. Garson in suite 102 loves me for that very reason." Dr. Myers took a seat in the chair across from Greg. "Do you have anything else that you want to say about your father?"
"No." He emptied the bag of M&Ms in his mouth and chomped.
"I see you brought your own book today." She held out her hand and waited for Greg to place it there. "Her Sweet Dreams – Volume 10. I've not read this one." The cover depicted a young blonde woman with a man caressing her pregnant belly and smiling at her side.
"Apparently my reality is the stuff modern romance novels are made of. Tawny read that book before she met me."
The doctor skimmed through the pages. "Does that concern you?" When she didn't get a response she prompted, "Are you worried she used this as a how-to guide?"
"I don't know why I bought it to show you." He took the book back. "It just made me feel weird."
Watching her patient stare at the cover the doctor asked, "Have you ever leafed through a porn magazine?"
Upon hearing the question Greg snapped his neck up to look at the doctor. "Are we changing topics?"
"No."
Shifting in the chair he answered, "I'm a red blooded male. Of course I've perused porn…and enjoyed it."
"Did your enjoyment include fantasies of the people in the magazines?"
Greg answered the purposely vague question with a direct answer. "Yes, I fantasized about the women in the magazines."
The doctor smiled. "You know how this works, Greg…I can't make assumptions. So, you enjoyed looking at porn and fantasizing about the women in the magazines. Give me an example of a fantasy."
Greg's nervous laughter filled the room. "Okay…um…really it was the same one every time. The hot girl wants me, we get it on, she makes it clear I'm the best that throws me over the top, end of story."
The doctor couldn't have been more pleased. "How different is that from what actually happened in reality with you and Tawny…who I think we both know would fill a centerfold quite nicely?"
"Wow…you're good."
"Thank you." Grinning, Dr. Myers held up the book. "Men are visual creatures and one picture is worth a thousand words. Women on the other hand…need the thousand words. Tawny is your fantasy come true and if this book is her fantasy, then you are her fantasy come true. Do you still feel there's a problem?"
"Are you kidding?" Greg broke into a wide smile as he sat a little taller in the chair. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I get to marry my porn fantasy and keep her for the rest of my life!"
Laughing with him she remarked, "Congratulations."
The Grand Canyon
2:14 p.m.
Carrie was still high from her Bedrock Twist contest win, when Nick pulled his truck into a scenic overlook in a remote section of the national park.
"Check out the view," Nick said as he turned off the engine and took in the spectacular scenery. They couldn't have asked for better weather. The canyon's remarkable features popped under the soft sunlight and fluffy white clouds.
"It's more amazing than I remember when I was here as a little girl." Opening her door she slipped off the seat and filled her lungs with fresh air. "Usually everything seems smaller when you see it again as an adult. Like when I went to Disneyland with Paul, Wendy and the kids. I couldn't believe how tiny the castle seemed. But this…this seems bigger than ever." Falling silent she savored the panoramic vista.
From behind, Nick slipped his arms around Carrie's waist. "I'm having the best day."
"Me too." Sighing, she relaxed back against his chest, fiddling with the souvenir bone necklace he bought her after her victories…winning the twist contest and losing her deeply rooted fear of loosening up in public. "We got here so late we can probably only hike down a couple of miles, huh? I'm sorry. Are you bummed?"
"Sweetheart…after those incredible feelings we shared making love this morning and then this afternoon, acting like two kids without a care in the world…" Snuggling her close he said, "…we've accomplished so much today, even hiking The Grand Canyon will seem insignificant afterwards."
"I know what you mean." Turning, she gazed into his eyes and raised herself to meet his tender kiss. "I feel renewed."
"I'm renewed in so many ways," He whispered while holding her tight. "I love how you trusted me to help you move out of your comfort zone today. I know you're going to help me next week with what's coming up with my mom and the steps we take from there."
"You know it." She caressed his cheek as their lips drew closer. "Together, there's nothing we can't overcome."
There, on the edge of one of the natural wonders of the world, they lost themselves in a wondrous kiss.
The Townhouse
4:17 p.m.
After a marathon session with Dr. Myers, a quick visit to Desert Springs Hospital to bring Mrs. Hughes a vase of cheery flowers, a call to his mom, and an impromptu shopping trip, Greg burst through the front door of the townhouse dying for a kiss. He also couldn't wait to give Tawny the surprise gift he had purchased.
On his way down the hall, Greg heard romantic music wafting through the air and his lips spread into an easy smile. Obviously, Tawny was looking for a kiss just as badly as him. The anticipation made his heart thump faster.
Just as he was about to round the corner, he was stunned to hear Tawny's trademark giggle followed by a shocking statement. "Now you're holding me right."
Flattening against the wall he froze. Who was holding her right! His mind raced as he clutched the petite gold velvet box in his hand.
Shaking off the evil thoughts barging into his head, Greg scrambled for an innocent explanation for the words. Not surprisingly, it didn't take long for his creative mind to think of one. Obviously Tawny was giving timid Celeste romance lessons.
He took a moment to laugh at his paranoid assumption. And while he did, he heard a man's voice say, "I feel bad. Are you sure I didn't hurt you, Tawny?"
Greg clutched his chest. It wasn't Celeste. It was a man with Tawny and his voice sounded familiar.
Tawny's giggle drowned out the music. "I'm fine and don't worry…Greg was a lot worse the first time."
"I've wanted to do this for months, but I didn't have the courage."
"I'm glad you finally worked up the nerve to ask me."
"Are you sure I can't pay you?"
Having heard enough, Greg hurried around the corner. "What the hell do you think you're…" When he saw exactly whose arms were clamped around his woman, he gasped. "Grissom!"
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading! And thanks krysalys for your comments on the last chapters. I really appreciate you taking the time :-)
Next Chapter: Getting It Back - Part 10
Teaser: Double - double dates and Carrie stuns Nick when she wants to do something even he's never tried before.
Posting: Hopefully Saturday
Maggs