Sara was walking into her living room after finally being satisfied with her appearance when she heard the knock on her door. She suddenly felt her confidence from earlier start to wane. Her heart started beating faster, her thoughts a complete jumble. She couldn't remember ever feeling so nervous. Taking one last glance at herself in the small mirror on her refrigerator, she reached out and opened the door.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Grissom stood on her porch wearing a black suit with a stark white shirt, not quite buttoned at the top. It looked like it would have been a tux except that he didn't have a bowtie. His hair was short and neatly cropped, his beard trimmed. In his hand he held a single yellow rose.
For a moment neither of them said anything, as they took in each other's appearance.
She was glad she'd chosen to wear the maroon cocktail dress, which clung to her curves without looking too inviting, giving her a classy yet sexy appearance. She smiled a little, mentally congratulating herself. She had chosen this dress in the event that Grissom might just be asking her to a "friendly" dinner. In this dress she doubted it would stay friendly.
Finding her voice, Sara said softly, "You look great Grissom."
He blinked several times before responding. "Sara, you…you're beautiful." He held out the flower to her.
"Thank you." She said as she took the rose and grabbed her small black purse from the kitchen counter.
"You're welcome." Grissom replied. "Are you ready?"
"Yes I am." She said as she reached in her purse for her house keys.
Grissom offered her his arm as she closed and locked the door.
Her legs felt wobbly as she walked down the stairs. She gripped the handrail with one hand, her other gripped his arm.
"You okay?" he asked with concern.
"Yeah. I'm just not used to heels."
"Well you look great in them."
Sara smiled as she got used to the awkward rhythm. If they made her legs look longer and got Grissom's attention, they were worth the pain and awkwardness.
When they got to the parking lot she expected to see his car or maybe one of the Denalis, she didn't expect to see a stretch black limo, lights on, door open waiting for them.
"Wow." Sara stared at the limo, her mouth open, her eyes wide.
Grissom just grinned and placed his hand on the small of her back, gently leading her to the passenger door.
Sara felt the heat of his hand on her bare flesh and mentally thanked her inner stylist for picking an open back dress. His touch was doing wonderful things to her already frayed nerve endings.
"So when are you going to tell me where we are going?" she asked as she settled into the plush interior.
Grissom sat next to her and replied, "All in good time."
The ride through the streets of Vegas was a silent affair. No words needed to be spoken as they sat together in the back of the luxurious limousine, both enjoying the nearness of each other.
Grissom had moved a little closer to Sara in the process of settling in, his thigh now touching hers. He wanted to reach out and touch her, lay his hand on her exposed knee, but every time he raised his hand to do so, he would pull it back, unsure of how she would respond. He didn't want to come across as moving too fast.
Gil never thought this evening would happen. He feared that he had made one too many mistakes, pushed her away one too many times. He had expected her to refuse his invitation to dinner, telling him he was too late, but she didn't and now here she was.
Staring out the window at the passing lights, she was heaven. Her long brown hair was hanging down past her shoulders, curled just the way he loved it, reminding him of that day years ago when he first met her. It seemed so long ago, when her hand was waving eagerly from the front row. Her eyes full of questions, her smile infectious as it brightened the room.
He smiled to himself as he remembered her smile, the one that seemed to appear when he really needed it. The many times that Conrad would drive him to the brink, all he needed was to see her smile. The case where he couldn't find the body that he knew was there, she had come out on the back porch to check on him, wipe plaster from his face and smile when he vented his frustrations.
She turned her head and smiled at him again. He felt his heart stop beating for a split second. In that moment he knew. He knew what do to about 'this'. And nothing would stop him this time. Not work, not his insecure mind, nor his fearful heart. He smiled back as the limousine pulled up to the Bellagio.
Sara had never been inside the Bellagio unless it was to work a case. The interior was classy and elegant. Light colors and flower bouquets adorned the walls. Plush, cream colored sofas and chairs were clustered in the lobby. Down the middle of the spacious entrance hall there was a row of slot machines, their metallic symphonies ringing in time with the winners joyous shrieks.
Grissom slowly led her through the maze of people until they reached what she assumed was their destination.
"Light" nightclub was one of the most exclusive nightclubs in Vegas. The waiting list was as bad or worse than some of the more trendy clubs in Hollywood and New York. Most nights it featured Jazz artists from all over the world. The interior was dim, decorated in dark earth tones.
Sara stared in awe at the stage and small tables set up around it. Each table had flowers, glasses and candles sitting atop maroon tables cloths. There was a band set up on the stage next to the bar. The sounds of instruments being tuned added to the atmosphere.
The hostess led them to a small table set in a shadowed alcove, a red "reserved" sign sitting on it.
"Well I am impressed. This place is beautiful." Sara commented as she sat on the coffee colored booth.
Grissom slipped the hostess a twenty dollar bill and settled into his booth. "I'm glad you like it. I had a friend who owed me a favor."
"You really do look handsome tonight. This light brings out your eyes." She said, not being able to help herself.
Grissom fidgeted and picked up the wine menu. "Thank you."
Sara smiled. He was even cuter when he was embarrassed.
She was perusing the small menu when he spoke in a soft tone.
"I'm really glad you're here tonight Sara." He said as he set the wine list down. "I thought you'd say no."
She noticed how he fidgeted with the corner of the menu when he said the last part, like he couldn't believe she was here with him.
"Grissom, can I ask you something?"
He looked up, a small smile starting at the corner of his mouth. "If you call me Gil."
Smiling, Sara twirled her glass of water. "Why did you ask me to dinner?"
His smile faltered, his expression turning contemplative.
"There are a few reasons."
Sara wasn't sure if that was the answer she expected or not. She stayed silent hoping he would elaborate, yet at the same time knowing he wouldn't.
He looked at her, his mouth falling open as if he was about to reveal his reasons. The waiter took that moment to ask if they wanted anything to drink.
Grissom ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and gestured to Sara.
"I'll take a glass of your house wine please."
The waiter left with their drink orders, leaving the both of them in silence.
"You know I always pegged you for a scotch kind of guy."
"There's a lot about me that may surprise you Sara." Grissom said, staring at her from behind his glasses.
Sara felt a chill go down her spine at his tone of voice and the heat in his gaze. She twisted her napkin in her hands to hide the fact they were shaking. She couldn't believe that she was finally on a date with Gil Grissom. The man she had worked with for nearly six years, the man she had left San Francisco for, the man she had slowly fallen for. The more she thought about it, the more she feared she was reading too much into all of this. Granted the limo, rose and intimate dinner just screamed "more than friends", but Sara was used to over thinking things when it came to the enigmatic man sitting across from her.
Her inner musings were disturbed by his soft laugh.
"What?" she asked.
"You really want to know don't you?"
"I'm just always assuming way too much when it comes to you. I don't want to presume that this is more than a friendly dinner if it's not." Sara said, at once wondering what had possessed her to say all of that.
For the second time that night the waiter decided to take the opportunity to interrupt by bringing their drinks. He was defiantly not getting a tip.
After the waiter left, Sara took a sip of the red wine and noticed Grissoms's amused expression.
"You look about ready to kill the waiter."
Sara's only response was a wry grin.
"Sara, this dinner…it's not just a 'friendly dinner'." Grissom said before taking a sip of his drink.
Ignoring the completely juvenile urge to squeal with delight, she decided to just wait and let him fully explain himself.
"I've come to a few realizations in the last twenty four hours. One of those is that I can't go on living like I've been living anymore. I go home every night and look over old case files, never grasping the fact that my home feels empty." The words seemed to come to him easier than they ever had. "I used to think that all I'd ever need was work. I let it conceal the fact that I was…lonely."
Sara sat back in shock. This was the most she had ever heard from him in regards to his feelings. She took a sip of her wine, a lack of anything to say causing her to become voiceless.
"I realize I have made so many mistakes when it has come to relationships. I just didn't want to ruin something that didn't have a chance to start." Grissom said, taking another sip of his drink.
Sara sighed and set her wine glass down. "What makes you think you would ruin it?"
Removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed wearily. "I'm pushing fifty Sara. You have so many opportunities ahead of you. I always thought I would be a hindrance."
"When are you going to recognize that I don't see you as a nearly fifty year old man?" She asked, reaching across the table, lightly laying her hand atop of his.
"What do you see me as then?"
"I see you as someone who deeply intrigues me, someone who I want to know better. I don't see your age, I see you." Sara couldn't believe they were having this conversation.
His hand felt warm and smooth under hers, making her wish they were someplace a little more private. Thinking of somewhere like that caused her to remember the state her room was in at the moment. She had torn through her wardrobe trying to find something to wear and now there were clothes strewn all over the place.
"Are you hungry? His voice and his hand curling around her own brought her back to the present.
She was hungry for something, but she doubted that the menu had what she wanted.
"Not really."
"Me either."
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until a voice broke the relative silence to announce a special guest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a special guest. Marc Cohn."
The announcer stepped aside as an older man with a black acoustic guitar took the stage.
Sara didn't even notice Grissom stand up until he was right next to her, holding his hand out.
"Dance with me?"