Notes: Sorry I didn't get this up earlier. I have been very busy lately; we had a death in the family, and on top of that, my grandma had some kind of heart trouble that left her in the hospital. Thankfully, she is going to be out in a couple days. I have also been venturing into another fascinating world--the Tammy/Jonathan relationship from Guiding Light. I actually think that it's quite ridiculous that I am so hooked on a soap opera. It's all my cousin's fault. I blame it all on her for making me watch an episode. (Okay, so it was more like she was watching it, and I went to her house to baby-sit. But still...) Don't worry, though. My GC addiction is much stronger and far from over. Anyway, enough with the excuses; here's the next chapter!

--JD Chapter Six: Of towels and boxers--

I felt my mouth drop open, and the air leave my lungs.

From his expression, he was as shocked to see me as I was to see him.

My eyes swept over his body, all the way from the top of his still wet head to the tips of his toes, taking in the sheen of the still damp skin, and surprisingly firm looking muscles of his stomach and arms. My mouth suddenly felt dry, and I forgot what I was going to say.

What was I doing? I was Catherine Willows. He was Gil Grissom, my best friend. I should not be this effected by the site of him in a towel.

Oh, but I was. Most definitely.

His cheeks had flushed bright red, and I realized that I was still staring.

"Err, sorry. I, um, wanted to borrow your shower. Mine wasn't working. I tried for several minutes, and it still didn't want to work. I can come beck in the morning if you want me to, and-"

"Catherine." He looked amused now, the blush seemed to have faded, and he seemed completely at ease.

"What?"

"You're rambling."

"No, I wasn't. I was explaining."

"Okay, if you say so. Well, as you can see, I am finished now, so the shower is open."

Why on earth was I getting the feeling that I was more uncomfortable than he was? I mean, he was the one parading around in a towel, not me. Although I was the one gawking rather obviously, so I suppose that could be why.

Gil had always struck me as a man who would be embarassed easily. But aside from his first reaction, which could have been mostly shock, he didn't seem to behave that much differently at all.

Unfortunately, I couldn't say as much for myself.

I was having trouble just thinking about this, much less carrying on a conversation, which he seemed to be handling just fine.

"Catherine? Was there something else you needed?"

Hell yes. You, for instance.

Woah. Where did that thought come from?

"Er, no. Sorry, I'm just a little tired."

Okay, so my thoughts and what I said contradicted just a little.

I came to my senses, and left him to dress in private. Much as I would have liked to stay, I really didn't think he would appreciate it.

I entered the bathroom, still steamy from his shower, and the slight tang of his soap still hung in the air. I shut the door behind me, and inhaled a long, deep breath. I really loved the scent of him, and in here, I could sniff to my hearts content.

Okay, so I was slightly pathetic.

Thankfully, there was still plenty of hot water left for me. I made a mental note as I dried off with a fluffy white hotel towel, identical to the one Gil had been wearing, to inform Miss Flirt at the desk that mine wasn't working. I would do it in the morning, though. I didn't feel like bothering tonight. I didn't know why, but I still couldn't let that little flirting episode out of my mind. It was constantly bugging me. And I didn't even know why. I mean, Gil's an attractive guy. Any woman with eyes--yes, including myself-- can see that. She wasn't the first woman to ever take an obvious interest in him.

I mean, Sara had done enough over the last couple years that I should be used to it by now.

Although she has seemed to stop doing it so much lately. I think she is finally getting the message. It was about time. It was pretty obvious he wasn't interested in her. He had made that clear from the beginning.

Thank God.

I didn't know what I would do if he fell in love with Sara.

Ick, that made me shudder just thinking about it.

I suppose Sara's alright, but she's not the type of woman that Gil needs. He needs someone who is outgoing, who loves people; someone who can make up for his shortcomings when it comes to social skills, among other things.

Someone like me.

Not the female version of him. That would be too boring, not to mention just...wrong.

Okay, so I might be just a little biased.

After all, I did want Gil for myself.

A knock on the door brought me out of my reverie.

"Catherine? Are you alright in there?"

A slightly sleepy, though worried sounding voice filtered through the thin wood and paint of the door.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I realized that the air in the bathroom was already cooling, I had been standing there for so long. My skin was about raw from all of the rubbing I had been doing.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute."

I hung the towel over the shower bar, and threw on my bathrobe, smiling wryly at myself.

When I opened the door, I found that he had gotten dressed, sort of, and was wearing his version of pajamas. Navy blue boxers, and a white t-shirt that hugged his torso.

And I wasn't so sure that they were any less disturbing than when he had been wearing only a towel. Not that I was really inspecting his attire very thoroughly, I was simply observing.

Never mind if my inspection was slightly more detailed than necessary.

He was sitting on the bed closest to the bathroom, and only looking slightly less worried than he had sounded a few minutes before.

There were two beds, I realized. We could have just shared a room.

I didn't realize I had expressed my thoughts out loud until he answered.

"Well, we didn't know they had two beds when we checked in. It wouldn't have worked if there had only been one."

Oh, it would have. I just wouldn't have been able to sleep a wink.

"Why?"

Why! I knew why. What had possessed me to ask that? It seemed to just pop out of my mouth; the first thing that come to my mind to break the silence of the room.

Maybe I just liked watching him squirm. That was a possibility too, I suppose.

"Why do you think?"

What had my big mouth just gotten me into?

"Hey! Isn't it supposed to be the woman who answers a question with a question?"

"Isn't that what you just did?"

Erg, I hated it when he did that! Okay, I didn't really hate it, but you know what I mean. I really should get out of there, and be in bed. We were both tired, and had alot of work to be done tomorrow. Make that today, I thought as I glanced at the clock.

"Maybe. But you still didn't answer me."

"Ah, but you didn't answer me either."

Something dangerous was in the room, circling, looking for just the right moment to reach out and grab us. I wanted to escape it, yet I wanted to stay.

But my cowardly side won, and I decided to leave before I could say something that could affect our friendship negatively.

Then again, it could impact it in a good way, but tonight, I wasn't up to taking that risk.

Maybe in the morning.

But a little voice in the back of my head whispered that I wouldn't do it then, either.

Unfortunately, I knew that it was probably true.

"Well. I'm tired. I think I'm going to head to bed."

I could tell that he knew I was evading him. After all, he was a CSI; he notices everything.

Everything, that is, except the one secret I still hide from him.

But that is okay. I enjoy our friendship.

He nodded, apparently letting out prior conversation go.

I turned to go back to my own when his voice startled me.

"Because if I was ever in the same bed with you, I would be entirely too tempted for my own good."

What did he just say?

TBC...