Author's Note: Thanks for all your great reviews! I've decided to continue because of all the support I'm getting. This chapter is dedicated to nickysbabygirl and Sheila for all your help.
Also, I am changing when this is set. It is now set in Season 6, no spoilers…yet.
You get two chapters today if somebody guesses what restaurant they're eating in. I'll give you a hint: Season Three.
Disclaimer: I own neither CSI or George. Boohoo.
Neither Nick nor Sara paid too much attention to the meal, nor did they really converse all that much. They were perfectly content in watching each other eat, but not in that creepy stalker sort of way. Nick watched as Sara's hands handled the silverware perfectly, like a dance, and wondered if she'd ever had formal etiquette training.
Sara noticed his attention to her hands, and almost as though she could tell what he was thinking, she said, "When I was fifteen, I was forced into a weekend finishing school. It was the most ridiculous thing ever, so I played hooky and took self-defence classes instead."
Nick chuckled at the thought, glancing down at his plate. That was just like her. Sara was so headstrong, and he admired that she knew what she wanted and went for it. He wished he could be more like that, instead of always trying to impress people like Grissom, his father, his brother.
When he looked up, so did she, and their eyes locked intensely. Her chocolate brown eyes searched his equally dark brown eyes as though the answers to the universe could be found. When the stare grew to be too intimate (and a bit creepy), they looked away at the same time.
Now Sara noticed the way Nick was eating. His strong hands held the fork and knife tightly, making deliberate movements. He'd ordered a vegetarian meal tonight, probably to please Sara. She knew how much the Texan liked his steak and how hard it likely was not to order one from this five-star restaurant. He wolfed his food down, but not rudely. Unlike many other men she'd dated, he chewed with his mouth closed and didn't talk with food in his mouth. She appreciated it, knowing that he was being polite. He was always polite around ladies.
Without even looking up, Nick said, "I have five sisters. You think I didn't learn to eat politely? No, they educated me in…shall we say, many ways." He grimaced at the memories, provoking a chuckle from Sara. He was still scarred from the time his mother and five sisters had all sat him down to teach him about the birds and the bees.
They spent the rest of the meal in silence; just being with each other was enough to make them content.
When the bill came, Nick wouldn't let Sara see. He snatched it quickly off of the tray and held it with his credit card until the waiter came back. She had pulled out her wallet and started to protest, but Nick wouldn't have any of that. He was old-fashioned. He believed that dates were the guy's job to pay for, and that the girl should never have to do anything about it. Especially not on the date that he proposed on. He loved Sara, and wanted to give her everything she ever wanted.
Nick and Sara walked slowly to Nick's Denali, fingers intertwined. Somehow they manage to make what should have been a thirty second walk take over five minutes, stopping every few yards to share a long and lingering kiss.
When they finally reached the Denali, Nick came around to Sara's side and opened her door for her. She took his hand and gave him a gentle closed-mouthed smile. He returned it and helped her up into the Denali. She tripped on the hem of her dress and fell backwards onto him, so now he was holding her like they were ready to dance, but her feet were still up in the car.
Nick whispered gently, "Do you want to dance with me?"
Confused, Sara said, "But there's no music."
Pulling her closer, he whispered even more quietly than before, "George Carlin once said, 'Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music'".
Feigning contemplation, Sara answered, "Well, nobody's really sure if I'm insane or not, so I wouldn't want to give them any ammo."
Nick's heart fell at this, reflected in his face. "Okay, then."
Sara, noticing his disappointment, answered, "But I'm insanely in love with you."
He smiled and pulled her down out of the Denali.
They danced to no music for almost ten minutes, Sara's head against Nick's strong chest, his cheek resting on her head.
Author's Note: More reviews? Pretty please? Remember, if someone guesses what restaurant they're eating at, you all get two chapters today. (Of course, I'm positively giddy about the next chapter, which I've already written, that I might just post Chapter Three today anyway!)