Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciated them!
Disclaimer: I don't own CSI, only Aida is my creation..
Chapter 2
One week had passed. Greg was almost convinced that the girl he had seen in the break room, which seemed to be so familiar with Grissom, was actually his supervisor's girlfriend. He had analysed all the evidence: she couldn't be involved with any case, he should have at least heard about her from any other horny male at the lab, or she should have showed up other times, and she was definitely not the type of person who slips away unnoticed; moreover, Grissom's natural reserve had become even sharper, and when Greg asked him about 'the girl he was talking to the other day', all that he got was a 'none of your business' reply.
However, the most relevant clue had been given by Sara. One night, after shift, she had invited him to go to the Police Charity Ball with her. He had been very surprised, he hadn't expected it, even if it was something he had secretly waited for for a long time. He had asked her why she had preferred him to Grissom, but she replied, with an annoyed look on her face, that she had been turned down by the man, who had claimed to have already someone to go with. Greg had guessed who that mysterious person was, even if he couldn't figure out why such a stunning beauty could ever date someone so… someone like Grissom.
Greg had promptly accepted Sara's invitation, even though that was not supposed to be a date, he had just been her second choice; he wouldn't lose, however, the chance to stay with such a brilliant and beautiful woman; especially, if that brilliant and beautiful woman would wear an evening dress.
Aida was waiting for Grissom to fetch her to go to the Ball. She knew he hated those kinds of formal events, mere opportunities for hotshots to put on airs, with their bully and superior attitude. She knew very well this sort of things, she had experimented it for the past two years.
Anyway, it was something Grissom couldn't avoid; as a CSI, as the supervisor of the night shift, he had been 'gently persuaded' to take part in the event.
She wondered if the guy she had seen some days before would show up, too. He was definitely not the type of guy she usually dated, but he intrigued her somehow.
She heard a knock on the door, then Grissom's voice calling her. She grabbed her purse, gave a quick look at her reflection in the mirror, then got out.
The annual Police Charity Ball aimed at raising fund for charitable institutions; that year, the lucky one was an foundation helping homeless people. The event took place at the Bellagio Casino. Partakers belonged to the police force, but there were also judges, lawyers and managers, all eager to show how generous they were.
Greg and Sara entered the hall and joined the group formed by Catherine, Warrick, Nick and Sophia.
The women looked amazing in their evening dresses, and the men were extremely elegant; they felt, though, the falseness and the hypocrisy of the people surrounding them, all acting as friends, generous and magnanimous, the idyllic façade of the posh Las Vegas high society. They missed, somehow, the honesty, the frankness, even the melancholy of the labcoats and of the uniforms they wore at work.
Ecklie approached the group. His expression was even slimier than usual; he asked the CSI whether Grissom had arrived. When Catherine replied he hadn't, his grin faded, his face assuming an annoyed look.
At that exact moment, though, his jaw dropped, breathless, his eyes staring at the two people who had just entered the hall. He hadn't expected a man like Grissom, bashful, reserved, almost misanthropic, to be accompanied by such a gorgeous and dazzling woman. He watched the two come near, admired the elegance of the girl, the waves in her red hair bouncing as she walked, her green dress enhancing her curves. Then, he suddenly came back to reality, as Grissom greeted him. He had unconsciously approached the two.
Ecklie introduced himself to the girl with the slimiest look on his face he was able to produce. Aida found him disgustingly ridiculous, with his conceited gestures and poses. She introduced herself in the kindest and nicest way she could, because that man had said he was the Assistant Director of the Crime Lab, his position superior to that of her uncle. She had understood Ecklie liked her, and she didn't want Grissom to be damaged because of her impolite behaviour.
Ecklie then began to smother Aida with questions about her life, her relationship with Gil, her work.. when she replied she was a musician, he insisted she played the piano in front of the crowd. Before she could refuse, she was saved by a haughty hotshot who wanted to talk to Ecklie.
Grissom gave her an apologetic and merciful look, then moved with her towards his colleagues, introducing them to Aida.
"I'm a little disappointed your real name isn't Ginger…it suited you" said a man with dark blond, spiky hair, a broad grin on his face.
She returned the smile. "And I'm curious about your name... I'm pretty sure it is not Bart.."
"You're right, it's Greg. Greg Sanders." The two smiled at each other, then another interrogation began.
"So, you're not from Las Vegas, right?" said a reddish-blond-haired woman. Aida remembered her introducing as Catherine Willows.
"No, I'm not. I've just moved here from Milan, Italy."
"Oh, and how do you know Grissom? Are you, maybe, a scientist? He has never told us about you.." a tall brunette had spoken. Aida could feel her ice cold stare on her. If look could kill, she would have been the victim of one of the cases Grissom investigated on. She decided, however, to behave as naturally as she could.
"Well, I don't think Gil likes talking about me to his colleagues.. you wouldn't find the subject very interesting. I'm not a scientist, actually.. I was so bad at science and physics in high school!"
"So, why then do you know each other? I mean, which is your relationship? You lived in two different continents until yesterday, and now you're acting as if you were lovers all along!" she exclaimed, irritated by the smiling girl in front of her, trying to ignore the angry look Grissom had given her. She knew she was acting like a real bitch, but she couldn't really help it. She had been waited for a date with her superior for such a long time, and now that her hopes seemed to fulfil, everything was thrown away because of a red-haired bimbo? She couldn't stand it.
On the other hand, at the word 'lovers', Aidahad nearly spat out the champagne she was drinking. Did they really make this impression?
"Hey, wait! We're not lovers, we're not married, we're not partners, we're not dating, we are not! I'm his niece!" She hastened to explain.
Sara felt so stupid. She had misunderstood everything. She felt her face blush with shame.
Grissom was torn between the flattery he got from Sara's jealousy and the disappointment at the disgust he had read on Aida's face at the thought of their possible love affair.He actuallyhad a secret, romantic view of himself: he considered himself as a desirable middle-aged man, capable of loving and of receiving love, like an old Prince Charming.
Greg could define the sensation he felt in his stomach as a mixture of relief, happiness and.. hope.
The others were definitely relieved that Grissom hadn't tried to recover from his middle age crisis by dating a woman who could easily have been his daughter, no matter how beautiful she looked.
And this was only the beginning of the night.