Chapter 23
When Selina got to the apartment Grissom was awake and dressed. She had been excited to spend a little time with him, but the space around him was filled with vibrations that told her not to stand too close.
He tried, hugging her, his body more rigid than he had intended. Opening the cartons of Chinese she had told him she was bringing "home" and he used chopsticks to transfer the food inside to black china plates. Selina reached across him to help but knocked over his iced tea instead. Clean up resulted in a debate over the use of paper towels (his choice, no bacteria living inside) or a sponge (her choice, more ecologically friendly). There were no sponges in the kitchen so Grissom emerged victorious.
While they ate she talked through her nerves, telling him more details than he needed about her sister's condition and what the doctors thought would be best. She skirted the issue of bringing her home until she had two glasses of wine in her.
Selina took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "They're releasing her tomorrow. The thing is, I don't know where to go with her."
There it was. The most frightening decision of her life was in his hands. He'd been alternately distant and welcoming since her arrival but now the offer was on the table. All he had to do was ask her to stay in Vegas. He'd been asking for at least a decade, but somehow things felt different now.
"If you both want to stay here for a few days I can go…"He began, knowing it wasn't what she was waiting to hear. He was surprised himself. If you had told him a week ago that he would have the opportunity to have her back in his life he'd have jumped at it.
"We'll get a hotel, for a few days anyway."
They looked at each other for a long moment.
XXX
A few miles away a beautiful woman shared a table with coworkers she'd met once or twice. She nearly choked on her vegetable curry laughing at wordplay only a science geek would understand. Comfortable in both her skin and peer group Sara was the vibrant center of her own universe. There was no box of gold starred papers under he bed, but this moment got filed away just the same. A memory she could call up later of being enough, alone, in a group, and not lonely.
The fun was short-lived. Eight beepers went off in unison around the table, only one person bothering to pick up their phone and read the text message on the screen aloud to the others:
ALL HANDS. ALL SHIFTS. REPORT TO CONFERENCE ROOM C.
XXX
His eyes left hers to follow the sound. His cell phone was on the bookshelf by the window.
"Don't you ever shut that thing off?" Selina groaned.
"Lina, my work is important to me." He left the table to retrieve the phone.
"Your LIFE should be important to you, Gil."
"Most days it's hard to tell the difference. I have to go. I'll call you later and we can discuss this further."
He was out the door before she had a chance to tell him not to bother.