disclaimer: check chapter one

Ha! ha! got my laptop back! thank you for all your kind reviews!

I watch her as she slowly walks away from me. She slightly turns her head, I still can see she's smiling. I'm trying to figure what this all means. Is she teasing me? No, it can't be. Hell, as much as I want to believe it, it's still hard to believe. Believe the unbelievable. Now that didn't make any sense to me. Not one thing tonight is making sense. Geez... nothing makes sense anymore. From her sudden friendship to this. It doesn't make sense.

God, look at her go. Am I imagining it or is there more hip swaying with the way she walks? I need to shake my head to make sure everything is real. Okay, she is just plain ding dong sexy. There's no other way to put it. Catherine Willows and the word sexy goes hand in hand.

The sexy ever glowin' Catherine Willows. Wow! I think I just made up another stanza for the Willow tune that's in my head.

She suddenly stops halfway, turns around and puts her hands on her hips. She looks at me, "Sara, are you coming or not? Come on now!"

I half smile as I slowly walk towards her. She smiles back at me and extends her hand waiting for me to take it. I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath as I take her hand. It is still warm and soft as it was before. I suddenly felt the same feeling I had earlier: comfort.

We walk hand in hand going in. And as we were nearing our table, she leans over and whispers to me, "I just didn't want to loose you in this crowd again." My grin widens. And I see Nick flashes his pearly whites, too.

'Hey, Catherine, care for one last dance before I go?"

"Maybe next time, Warrick. I just want to rest for awhile."

"Okay. Hey, Sara, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I am. Thanks for asking, Warrick."

"Well, I better head home now. Got an early shift to do."

"I'm coming with you, bro. Greg's over there. I call him."

"Nah, he's still making cutie pie talk with that blond. He can take care of himself, Nick."

"Alright then. Ladies, it's been a pleasure being with you two out here. See you tonight, Catherine?"

"I'm off, Nicky. I'll hang for awhile."

"Uh, I guess I can ride with you guys then."

"You're staying with me, Sara. I know you're off tonight."

Okay. That wasn't a statement, it was a command. I have no choice. Besides it's hard to say 'no' to Catherine. I know I've mentioned that somewhere earlier. Anyway, this is good for me, at least I'll be alone with her. Being alone with Catherine in a bar with fifty or so people is better than nothing. I'm glad Warrick is leaving, I'm glad she turned him down for another dance. I'm glad that...wait a minute. How did she know I'll be off tonight? Does she check my schedule, too? If she did, wow! She's checking me out! Or maybe she needs someone to drive her home just in case she drinks a little bit more. The latter does seem logical now. She's giggling more while drinking. So she's getting there. Oh, well, spending time watching Catherine slowly get drunk is better than spending time with a beer bottle watching reruns in my apartment.

God, she's beautiful. Sure wish it were my lips touching her lips instead of that beer. She could take a swig of me anytime. She could down me like a straight shot I would not complain. She could drink me dry I would not complain. She could drum her fingers on my body like she's doing now with that bottle. Damn, I'm getting hot just watching her take a simple swig!

"I might melt, you know."

"Huh?"

"With you staring at me like that."

"I didn't mean to stare again. It's just..uh...hmmm..."

"Sara, I really don't mind."

"...of me staring?"

"I'm used to it."

"You're used to it?"

"Are you surprised?"

"Very."

"Well, I'm used to people staring at me."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Uh...yes.'Oh'."

"Can I ask you a personal question, Sara?"

"How personal?"

"Personal."

"Umm. I'm not too comfortable with..."

"Sara, I just want a straight answer from you. Are you..."

"You want another beer? I'm getting another beer. You want? I'll get two. That okay? One for me and one for you. Need peanuts? I'll grab a bag. I'll ..."

"Okay, I'm not going to ask you now, Sara. So calm down."

"I'm calm as calm can be."

"You're rambling, Sara. It's too cute."

There she goes again. Cute. She finds it cute when I'm rambling. She finds it cute when I pout. What else does she find 'cute'? What's her definition of 'cute'?
"So when you say 'cute' you mean..." I take a swig of my beer.

"I mean adorable." Catherine winks at me. I cough and almost choke on my beer.

"I'm sorry." I wipe my mouth and chin with the back of my hand. She takes a napkin and offers it to me. I mumble a lame 'thanks' and wipe my mouth and parts of the table where I coughed up beer. Another point for being a clutz, putz- however you want to call it. She tosses her head back and laughs some more. I think she's drunk.

"Sara, you are priceless! I am so glad it's just us now. Maybe we can..."

"Hey, girls!" Damn. Here comes Greg grinning ear to ear like an idiot. Why didn't they just take Greg home? Why is he still here? Can he see me and Catherine are having a conversation? Actually it seems more like a comedy of errors. But hell, can't he see I'm being busy being cute, funny and rambling adorably towards Catherine? Oh, add clutz and putz...

"Hey, Greg! So where's the blond you were fawning on?" Catherine slaps his arm as she slides my way so Greg can sit. This is how close she is to me: our elbows are touching. Touching! So we're pretty close. Okay, Greg's coming over gets a few brownie points. I still want him gone. Out. Disappear.

If I lean a bit towards her I can smell her conditioner. I wonder what she uses? Hmmm... smells so sweet. I could fill my entire lungs with this!

"Sara? Sara. Hey, Sara!" Actually it was Greg's snapping of his fingers infront of my face that brought me out of my trance. Now both of them are smirking at me. Great, Sara. Just great. I have now upped my status as being the bar idiot. Hope both of them are drunk enough to forget this.

Shout it out...I'm up for a sermon anyway.