disclaimers: see previous

spoilers: nope

Wednesday, midshift

Gil, Greg and Warrick had left the lab in order to find something to eat. They went to the local dinner that all of them ate at on a regular basis. The food was good, the service quick and friendly and the music from the jukebox varied. It was your typical roadside diner, cheesy roadkill posters on the wall, local artwork in the display boxes and a waitress straight out of that old series, "Alice," who was named, ironically enough, Alice. They had quickly settled into their regular booth. Alice brought them their drinks and took their orders.

"Warrick, do you have plans Saturday?" asked Gil. Both Warrick and Greg nearly choked on their food. Grissom never asked about anyone's plans.

"Thinking about having diner with my grandmother. You?"

"Nothing here, maybe doing some paperwork."

"On a Saturday night? The universal party night?" Greg said, not believing that someone would truly do something other than party on a Saturday night. Grissom just rolled his eyes.

"Any chance you'd want to change those plans?" Warrick stirred his food, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"If you need me to cover shift, then I'm sorry I'm promised my grandmother I'd be there."

"I need you to go out with someone."

Warrick stopped mid-bite, "Gris, sorry man. I do not do blind dates."

"Warrick, please. I'm desperate."

"Hey, Grissom, I'll do it," Greg chimed in.

"NO!" Grissom practically shouted. No way was he putting Catherine through an evening with Greg. But then again, he trusted Greg to treat Catherine like she should be treated. Greg had always had a boyish crush on her. Greg was even entertaining at times. And Catherine could squash him in an instant if he actually grew balls enough to make a move on her. "Sorry I snapped at you Greg. You're a little young for her."

"Oh, an older lady. Is she sexy?"

"Very."

"Intriguing." Images of The Graduate flashed through Greg's mind. "So, what does she look like?"

"Like Catherine." Gil took another bite of his hotdog.

'

"Oh man, Catherine has a doppelganger?" The whole visual of Mrs. Robinson looking like Catherine was almost more than Greg could bear. Gris, I swear I'll pay you to let me take her out."

"Greg, it IS Catherine. And, no, you are not taking her out." Both Greg and Warrick sat there staring at Grissom, completely stunned. Warrick was the first to speak.

"Why are you trying to find a date for Catherine?"

"She asked me to. And I've only got one more day to find her a date." Warrick shook his head, laughing. Damn, Cath was good. He knew she had been pissed at Grissom for a while, but he wasn't really sure why. She was obviously making him pay for whatever it was by doing this. Grissom looked uncomfortable, but this was too good not to laugh at.

"Why not just take her out yourself?" Greg asked, thinking that that is what he would do if he were in Grissom's shoes. Oh, how Greg wished he were in his shoes. Meanwhile, Warrick, who was trying not to laugh, was choking on his burger.

"She asked me to FIND her a date, not BE her date," grimaced Grissom.

"But did she specifically say you COULDN'T be her date? Semantics, I know, but it would solve your problem," said Greg, wondering why on earth he was making this harder than it actually was.

Warrick sat there laughing to himself. The whole situation was ridiculous, Cath asking Grissom to find her a date, Grissom actually looking for one and Greg's solution to the problem. He looked at Grissom who looked like he was ready to kill Greg. What he wouldn't give to have a camcorder on him at the moment.

"Grissom, what about that guy at the bar? He's alone, he could probably use a date," chimed Greg.

"Hey, Greggo, lay off for a few," said Warrick. "Gris is not going to fix her up with a total stranger. Cath would kill him."

Realizing he was loosing control of the situation Grissom spoke, "Greg, she will go out with whomever I pick. Whether it is someone I know, someone we both know or a perfect stranger is irrelevant." Grissom crumpled his napkin and threw it in his plate. "We need to get back to the lab. I expect both of you to keep your mouth's shut—GREG!"

Warrick and Greg walked back out to the Denali, Grissom stayed behind to pay the tab. While waiting at the counter for Alice he started checking out the lone man at the bar. He wasn't the best looking man in the world but he was alone. No wedding ring on his finger and no tan line either. The man was tall, slender and clean-shaven. He was most likely a salesman. No, he couldn't do this to her. Or could he? He was quickly running out of time.

"Can I help you?" said the guy at the bar, wondering why this man was looking at him.

"Um, nothing. It's just…well, are you married?"

"Hey, listen buddy, I do not swing that way so just get the hell out of…" The man stood suddenly, he was much taller than he appeared to be when he was sitting down. Grissom took a couple of steps away from him.

"No, no. I'm not coming on to you," Grissom blushed. "It's just, I have this friend and she wants me to find a date for her. And I'm having a little trouble finding someone for her."

"You're kidding me?" Oh, this was too good to be true. He had just broken up with his girlfriend and now someone was throwing a woman in his lap.

"I'm quite serious. She's gorgeous, intelligent, sexy, witty, a great dancer…"

"Sounds promising." He was actually thinking "who cares! If she's going on a blind date she's desperate and I need to get laid pretty badly." To Gil he said "When do you want me to meet her?"

"Saturday night, but before you do I need some information."

"Information?"

"I'm not sending her out with a complete stranger without knowing something about him. All you have to do is give me your name and license number so I can check you out."

"Oh, hell no! How do I know you aren't going to steel my identity?" The man was not liking where this was going. He was two years behind on his child support and DHS was after him. One inquiry in any system and it was off to jail.

"I'm a criminalist with the Las Vegas Crime Lab, this is my ID. I just want to make sure you don't have a record."

"Thanks, but no thanks. Not worth it." And with that the stranger placed a ten on the counter and left.

Alice chose this moment to reappear.

"Grissom, driving off my customers cuts into my tips, ya know," she said as she was gathering up the stranger's dishes.

"Sorry about that. Maybe this will help." Grissom gave her an extra ten and left before he embarrassed himself further.