5
Grissom woke the next morning to find the television off, the coffee cups not on the table and Sara humming in his kitchen. He didn't know if he could face her. He was just glad she didn't leave. But all his fears slipped away when he saw she wasn't wearing his robe, only his t-shirt.
"Good morning, Sara."
"Good morning. I know we're going to breakfast, but I thought we might need coffee to go."
"Okay. Is, uh, this payback for not wearing a shirt last night?"
Sara looked down and felt her cheeks turn red. All she was wearing was Grissom's shirt, which hung dangerously high on her thighs. "Uh…I …uh…am used to living alone. I don't think of what I'm wearing when I roll out of bed. I'll, uh, go get dressed." She walked toward the bedroom, very conscious of the fact that he was probably staring at her behind.
"Sara?"
Could she handle this again? Without turning, "Yeah?"
"You're saying 'uh' a lot this morning."
Sara smirked as she walked into the bedroom to change. Ten minutes later, she walked out of the room to find Grissom reading the paper and drinking his coffee at the table. "I just need to wash my face and I'm all set."
"Okay, no rush. We've still got a half hour."
When she came out, she peeked over the paper, "Ready."
"Okay." He folded the paper on the table and they headed for the door. On the way out, he picked up a bag that was by the door. "Sara, do we need to talk?"
"Aren't we always talking?"
"No, I mean, about last night."
"Yes, I think we should."
"Okay…I guess…"
"It was very nice."
"Oh! That's it?"
"Do you want me to describe it in detail?"
"No…I don't think so. I just wanted to make sure you weren't upset."
"Grissom, if I'm ever upset, you'll know it. Until then, just keep being you."
"I can do that."
After they got in the car, "So, about breakfast…are we…or aren't we?"
"What?"
"Answering questions about us if they come up."
"Well…I'm not comfortable lying, but I do value my privacy."
"I know; that's why I'm asking."
"Well, minus last night, we're two friends that have been spending a lot of time together during our vacation, right?"
"Yes."
"Let's go with that. The rest is none of their business."
"Good."
When they got to breakfast, the gang was glad to see both of them. Everyone exchanged Thanksgiving stories and Sara and Grissom got wide-eyed stares when they told them they'd eaten together.
Catherine was the first one to ask, "So, what else have you guys been up to?"
Sara looked to Grissom to answer, "We've been enjoying our time off together. We ate out a few times, we played chess and we watched poker on television."
Nick got his two cents in, "Who cooked dinner?"
Sara decided she could handle this one, "Grissom. Actually, I totally forgot it was Thanksgiving until I showed up to eat."
The questions eventually stopped and everyone finally got up to leave, promising they'd all be there next week. If anyone noticed Grissom's hand on the small of Sara's back on the way out, no one said anything.
When they got in the car, Grissom took I-95 North. "Do I get to know where we're going yet?"
"Nope!"
About 25 minutes later, they pulled into Mt. Charleston Hotel. "You're taking me to a hotel?"
Grissom laughed, "Yep."
"Grissom…I …"
"Sara, we're here to ice skate, not to get a room."
"Oh! I knew that! I knew that!"
"Of course you did."
Grissom went around to open Sara's door and grabbed the bag from the back seat. "I brought you a sweater, a scarf and a pair of gloves. I hope you don't mind."
"I knew there had to be a reason why you didn't go by my apartment. And, no, I don't mind. As long as you don't mind teaching me to ice skate."
"I don't mind teaching you anything. I'm sure there will come a time when you'll have to teach me things also. Ready?"
"Yep."
After they rented their skates, they each put on sweaters, scarves and gloves. Grissom helped Sara to the rink. She was surprisingly steady for never having skated before. The day was perfect. He spent the first part of the day teaching her to skate. It was a great excuse to have his hands around her waist all day. After an hour or so, she could skate on her own. They spent the rest of the day holding hands, drinking hot chocolate and skating around the small rink.
When they were finally both wore out, they returned their skates and drove back home. "This was a wonderful idea, Grissom."
"I'm glad you had a good time. Are you hungry?"
"Yes."
"Uh, could I drop you off at home to get changed and then pick you up in an hour or so?"
"Sure. I could probably use a shower. Where are we going?"
"I was thinking the Eiffel Tower."
Sara was sure that that was one of the most expensive restaurants in Vegas. "Are you sure that's where you want to go?"
"Yes, I've already made reservations for six o'clock."
"I guess that settles that. Why don't you just drive to your apartment? I can drive home from there, then you can come pick me up."
"Okay."