Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 22
Monday – October 3, 2005
PF Chang's
8:45 pm
"Grissom, party of two!" the hostess called into the crowded lobby.
"Right here!" Sara raised her hand. "My husband just stepped into the restroom to answer a phone call, so can you give us a minute?"
"Sure."
"Hey, Sara," Vartann warmly greeted his co-worker. "I guess you and Grissom had the same idea, huh?"
"Hey, what a coincidence. Where's the wife?"
"Ladies Room." He glanced at his watch. "I didn't think it would be this crowded, how long is the wait?"
Gwen, the hostess answered, "Thirty minutes, but your friend's table seats four, so maybe you could join her party. Is that okay, Mrs. Grissom?"
No! The last thing I want to do is make small talk. "Uh…"
"Sara!" Becca waved as she fought her way through the crowd to join her husband. "This place is a zoo. Tony and I were supposed to have dinner at home, but the maid left a voice mail saying she accidentally knocked the crock pot off the counter, soooooooo here we are." Taking her husband's hand, she huffed, "How long is the wait, Honey? I'm starving."
Gwen reiterated the details, "It will be zero if your friend Sara lets you join her party, if not, you're looking at thirty minimum, actually maybe forty."
Becca threw her arm around her colleague, "You'll let us join your party, right, Sara? It will give us an opportunity to get to know each other beyond the walls of BPAC."
Sara smiled at the evil hostess. Even though my husband and I wanted a quiet evening together and dining with the FAB is the last thing I'd ever want to do, since you have made it impossible to say no without looking like a bitch, I'll eat dinner with this crazy woman I have nothing in common with, who will probably irritate the crap out of me with talk of manicured nails and Manolos. Thanks! And I'll have to pay for the privilege too…perfect. "Party of four it is."
"Oh…hello," Gil flashed a courtesy smile. People I know…great. I hope our table's ready so we don't have to talk.
"Right this way!" Gwen announced in her peppy UNLV cheerleader voice.
"Wait, are you speaking to us or them?" Gil queried when he saw both Sara and Becca follow the hostess.
"All of us," Sara replied in a sunny tone she knew her husband would see right through. "The hostess suggested we invite our friends to join us because the wait is so long and I knew you wouldn't mind." Not.
"Oh." Dammit. "Great." He took Sara's hand and gave it a scolding squeeze as they traipsed through the bustling restaurant. "This will be…nice." I can't imagine a way to make dinner more annoying than to dine with Becca.
"Is that Gil Grissom!" Heather declared from her table where she was dining with Jim and Ellie.
"Why yes it is," Jim chuckled, knowing his friend wished he had selected a different dining establishment. "The Grissoms are here with the Vartanns?" he said with genuine surprise. "
Heather displayed her wine glass and her best smirk. "Hmm…are you and the wife out for business or pleasure with the Grissoms, Detective Vartann?"
"Business." When Tony felt the heat of Becca's stare, he leaned in for a nuzzle and whispered, "Honey, I know what you're wondering and I'm begging you to not bring up anything personal in front of that woman."
"Let's sit together!" Ellie suggested, just to make trouble. "Can we, Hostess with the Mostest? These two tables can be pushed together, right? Lady Heather, wouldn't you love to dine with the Grissoms and their friends!"
"Uh, I'll have to check, because I was taking them to that booth, and I'm not sure if this table is being assigned as I speak."
Sara scrambled for an excuse, "Actually, we're…"
"That's okay." When he saw his friend's eyes widen to saucers, Jim rescued Gil, "You're here on BPAC business, right?"
"Right," Gil and Tony answered, both grateful for the save.
"Another time." Sara played the gracious acquaintance, "It was nice seeing you Ellie…and Heather, enjoy your dinner. Day off tomorrow, but we'll see you at the office on Wednesday, Jim."
When the foursome finally arrived at their booth, Becca slipped into her spot mumbling, it be anymore obvious that the three of you don't like the Dominatrix chick? Hoj told me all about her." As soon as her husband was next to her she whispered, "Did you sleep with her in a previous life!"
"Uh, no, I wouldn't slip it to that skank. No offense to my buddy Jim, but that woman is a freak and God knows where she's been."
Gil's pulse jumped to forty points. If I had pretended to like Sara's cooking I'd be home, happy to be on the toilet with stomach cramps instead of here.
"Then why was there a vibe?" Becca probed. "Because she definitely had some kind of 'I know all about you' tone."
"Becks…" Knowing his wife would stay fixated, Tony gave up and explained to Becca and the Grissoms, "For my birthday, my Ex bought me a house call with Lady Heather for a two hour domination lesson. I returned the gift because that kind of kink isn't my style. I'm a good Catholic boy who loves his mother and doesn't get off by hog tying my wife and forcing her to lick peanut butter off my toes while I crack a riding crop across her ass…or whatever the hell was included for the ridiculous price she was charging." Unfolding the menu he very cheerily said, "Now that we all know that the whip-wielding whackjob looked at me funny because she thinks I'm a prude, how about we drop it and eat rice?"
"I like rice," Gil robotically replied as he digested the shocking amount of personal information just shared.
"Dropping!" With the tone of a hippie on a stellar acid-trip, Becca informed her husband, "I love the honest vibe we have going on. It's spectacular…spiritual actually." Then she looked at the Grissoms. "Can you feel the energy radiating off us?"
"It's electric," Sara dead panned.
"Ooh!" Becca rejoiced, "I just realized we have something in common. "As of today, we all have the same therapist! Hoj told me you both go to Dr. M too."
"I don't have a therapist," Tony quickly set the record straight. "I will only be going in support of my wife. There's absolutely nothing wrong with my head. I'm normal to a fault, just ask my ex-wife."
"Don't you love, Dr. M, Sara and Gris!" Becca excitedly asked her BPAC colleagues. "You know…I really need a different name for you, Sara. Gris is fun, but Sara is sooooooooo boring, it's right up there with Mary or Jane. Let's think of something else. What's your middle name!"
"I don't have one." Sara gripped her menu, wishing she was allergic to shrimp so she could use anaphylactic shock as an excuse to end the torture session.
"That's boring too, hmm."
Tony caressed his wife's back. "I've heard Nick call her Boom Boom a few times."
Ha!" Becca clapped. "That's perfect. Boom Boom!"
Sara glared at her co-worker. "Do the words 'killed by friendly fire' mean anything to you, Detective?"
"Good Evening!" the energetic waiter welcomed his customers. "My name is Chad. Can I start you off with a cocktail?"
"I wish," Sara droned. "But I'm pregnant and have to abstain."
"Ha!" Becca laughed, "If you were into abstaining you wouldn't be knocked up. Ooh! I can't wait to have Tony's baby!"
"You're pregnant?" Gil asked in panic over the insane being allowed to breed.
"Not yet." Becca cuddled her husband who was busy ordering a cocktail. "We're in negotiations. Between Tony's fertility issue and my mental problems, it will be a bit complicated."
Sara couldn't stop the words from tumbling, "And some people may think waiting would be good a good idea because you married each other only a month ago and you were strangers at the time."
"Make that a double," Tony informed the waiter.
Gil smiled at the waiter, "I'll have what he's having."
Becca pouted at her husband, "Can I have a glass of wine? Just one little one? Pleeeeeeease?"
"Only if you haven't taken any Xanax today."
"Nope," Becca proudly answered, "and I managed to stay totally calm for Hoj during the Tawny drama!"
Tawny's Apartment.
9:00 pm
Fifteen minutes after arriving on the front patio, Greg finally found the strength to ring the doorbell.
"Hi!" Tawny answered in a frenzy. She had caught a glimpse of Greg walking up the sidewalk and had been praying her emotionally devastated husband would press the bell instead of turning to flee. "Thank you, thank you so much for coming here and giving me a chance, I mean…if that's why you came here." Panic seeping into her voice she asked, "Why did you come here?" His swollen eyes set off a new round of guilt pangs. "What's in the bag you're holding?"
When his wife's red swollen eyes were too painful to look at he took a break and moved his gaze to her right shoulder. "I didn't come to scream at you, or ask for a divorce, or for any bad reason." After a deep breath, he opened the white paper bag. "All that's in this bag is a protein smoothie. It's strawberry…your favorite." Reconnecting with her eyes he explained, "I ran out of the house this morning without giving you the cash you asked for, and consequently you couldn't buy breakfast on the way to work." Presenting the drink with a trembling hand, Greg felt his heart pounding a dent in his chest. "That was completely thoughtless and irresponsible, I was totally focused on myself, not my family and that was wrong. I don't blame you for feeling insecure with me when I'm so insecure about myself that I had to rush off to tell my buddies about my frat boy weekend that happened eight years late. I'm thirty, married, broke, and have babies on the way. Having a drunken Saturday night lust-fest should really be the last thing on my mind." When tears spilled out of Tawny's eyes, he cut to the bottom line. "I behaved like an ass this weekend at the club, and in front of Vartann. I paraded you around on my arm and exploited you to pump my ego. That was incredibly disrespectful and I'm sure it made you feel awful. I hope you'll forgive my bad judgment and immature behavior." Taking her hand, he put the smoothie in it. "I'm very sorry for any pain or discomfort I caused you in the process."
"You…you're sorry?" Thrown off balance by the unexpected words, Tawny stammered. "I…that's really the last thing I was expecting to hear from you."
"Here's something else you probably didn't expect to hear." Swallowing his last ounce of pride, Greg said, "We've been on a rollercoaster full of ups and downs and twists for the past three months when neither of us was really up for the ride. Every minute has been either heaven or insanity, but never normal. It's left us shaken and scared and when we look into the future we feel a twinge of excitement, but a ton of fear. We can't have all this baggage and stress with us when the babies arrive, so…if it's okay with you…as of this minute, I'd like to us to put everything negative that we've ever done to each other behind us."
"Really?" Tawny clutched the smoothie in her hand. "Even…"
"Yes, because that weekend in San Marino when I got high with Becca, I wanted to kiss her for closure too, and I would have if she hadn't refused because she didn't want to cheat on Tony. A spade is a spade. I know I don't want Becca anymore, not that I could have her anyway because she's madly in love with Tony, but what about Drew? A little birdie told me he's filing for divorce tomorrow."
"Greg…" She lurched forward, grabbing his hand. "If you could have seen what happened immediately after the kiss you'd know I don't want him more than you." She tearfully explained, "I told him never to touch me again because I love you. I felt so terrible about the kiss that I puked twice and fainted too, but don't worry! I went and got checked out and the babies are great. I wish you had been with me to see them, instead of Drew."
The tender caress of Tawny's thumb on the back of his hand warming his entire body, Greg whispered, "Me too."
"My honest answer about Drew is…" She stopped herself from lying and took a chance with the truth. "If you had come here asking for a divorce then yes, I would have gone running to Drew to save me. I would have thrown myself in his arms and if asked…I would have fallen into his bed too. I'm that pathetic. It wouldn't have been bad either. I like Drew. He takes good care of me whenever I'm with him, and there's no denying he has a killer smile and great bod. The sex would have been fantastic, because it always was. I'm done lying to you Greg, that kiss you saw today was as hot as it looked and yes, he's better at sex up against the wall." When she felt Greg couldn't take another humiliating detail, she switched gears, "But Drew's also the kind of guy who makes fun of fat girls and loses his patience with slow people. He tells horrible gay jokes even when he knows there's a gay guy in the room. He doesn't feel bad when he sees someone having a rough day and he would never stop what he's focused on to think of a way to cheer them up. He's not a compassionate man…like you. He wouldn't help the Daniels or Beccas of this world when there was nothing personal to gain from the effort. And he's not a good father. He didn't think twice about spending his free time fooling around with a stripper half his age while his kids were asking why isn't Daddy going to be home again this weekend? I know you'd never do that to our girls." Fighting to get the words out through her tears, Tawny said, "When I lost you today, my heart ached like it hasn't since my father died. A girl only gets one daddy and…one soulmate. You're my soulmate, Greg. I thought that before, but I know it now. If you're asking me to choose between you and Drew, then I choose you hands down, because I'd have to be crazy to want Coq au Vin at the best restaurant in town while the nanny snuggles my kids, when…I could be home with my loving, faithful husband and adorable daughters having a blast enjoying a carpet picnic of frozen waffles on paper plates."
"I love that answer!" Greg rejoiced, "I know it's real, because it was full of a bunch of stuff I didn't want to hear!"
PF Chang's
9:31 pm
"Listen to this, Sara! I was a vegetarian for a while too." Becca dabbed her lips with a napkin and continued her twelfth story of the evening, "Freshman year of college I did a project that required me to research and practice twenty-five 'isms'. Capitalism, Hedonism, Epicureanism, Fatalism and Cynicism were the easiest of course. I think Vegetarianism was number fourteen, right after Agnosticism."
"Ah, college…" His lips curving into a nostalgic smile, Gil waxed on, "The perfect place to expand the mind. I can fondly recall many eye-opening discussions with my professors." Patting Sara's thigh, he said, "I look forward to watching our child going through the university experience." When I'm seventy. I swear that frightens me more every time I think it.
Ignoring her husband, who she was certain was obsessing about his age, Sara grinned at Becca, "You did that '-ism project' because you wanted to sleep with your Philosophy professor, right?"
"Duh! But it wasn't working." Becca laughed. "It wasn't until I presented my findings on Lesbianism that Professor Damonlin finally invited me to his home for a more intimate project discussion. Of course he told me to bring a girlfriend so it wouldn't look improper for a female student to spend quality time with him behind closed doors. After demonstrating my findings for him, with the help of my friend Tammy, he gave me an A for the course." Lifting her wine glass, she giggled, "I'm not ashamed to admit I slept my way through Stanford. Poor Hoj, he actually had to show up for class."
"There's something else we have in common, Honey." Tony kissed his wife's cheek. "I slept my way through college too."
"With professors?" Becca said in surprise.
"No, with cheerleaders, which explains my C average."
Testing out his new friendship with Vartann, Gil took his best shot at a joke, "A C average, huh. That had to put you at the top of your class at ASU."
"Look who's bringin' the funny!" Becca cheered. "Go Gris! Maybe we should go out dancing after dinner and really loosen you up."
To freak out her husband, Sara played along, "What a great idea, Becks!"
"Okay," Gil replied, matching his wife's fake excitement to a tee. Just as he was about to explain he was kidding and would rather have root canal, Lady Heather breezed by on her way to the restroom.
Sliding out of the booth, Becca assured her husband, "Don't worry, I'm going to set her straight about you."
"Becks, you don't…." Tony placed his hand over his face, regretting the decision to buy his wife a second glass of wine. "…have to do that."
Sara chuckled sweetly, "She really is nuts…about you."
"Yeah." Tony pointed toward the Ladies Room. "And I don't want her clawed to death in a cat fight, so please do me a favor and run interference."
"Me?"
"Well, Gil might get a few odd looks headin' into the Ladies Room, so yeah, I thought you were the right woman for the job."
To prevent exposing her own reasons for disliking Heather, Sara stood and tossed her napkin on the chair. "Sure, no problem."
Gil watched the nightmare play out in slow motion.
"Thanks, Sara." Once he was alone with Grissom, Tony laughed, "Did you just screw her once while working a case? Or did you have a relationship with Heather?"
"What?" Gil clutched his fork for dear life.
"Jesus Christ, do you think only CSIs are intuitive? I'm a detective…I detected the truth about the two of you at first glance." Tony enjoyed the shock on Grissom's face. "Don't panic, I won't tell Becca. You probably haven't noticed, but she's a bit of a talker and tends to overshare, especially when she gets excited."
The Townhouse
9:41 pm
"Dad!" Greg excitedly yelled upon walking through the front door. "Dad!"
"Huh?" Scott hurried from the kitchen where he was packing the last of their things. "How did you get…" When he saw Greg holding a suitcase and standing next to Tawny he flooded with an odd combination of relief and trepidation.
"I got a ride." Greg set down the suitcase. "We had a great talk, Dad, and I'm happy to say, we won't be calling it quits. Your granddaughters won't be growing up in a broken home."
Tawny looked Scott in the eyes and nervously said, "I'm really sorry for the drama I caused. After everything you've done for me, I feel awful. "
With everything that Greg had told him about their mutual issues, Scott wasn't about to hold a grudge. "You're forgiven, Sweetheart." Then he looked at his son. "But you're not. You specifically told me Dr. Myers was adamant that you and Tawny don't live and sleep together while you're sorting things out."
"We're not going to live together or get physical…we haven't even kissed tonight, Dad, I swear." With great pride, Greg informed his father, "I want Tawny to have the nice house and the loving father who makes great pancakes instead of me, so I asked her to switch places and let me live alone in the apartment while we attend therapy and start over."
"That was very thoughtful of you, Son." Scott gave his boy a hug.
"But I'll still stop by and do stuff around the house whenever I have free time. I worked it out with Nick that I can maximum my overtime every pay-period and he'll work with me to find a part-time job that complies with LVPD guidelines. That way I figure I'll have a bunch saved by the time the babies arrive."
"He has it all figured out on paper too," Tawny beamed.
"I'm going to grab some stuff for tonight." Greg rushed toward the bedroom. "We'll sort out everything else tomorrow with the movers."
As Greg hurried off, Tawny's eyes welled, "I promise I'll never hurt him again, Da..." It seemed wrong to use the term after the heartache she caused the man's son.
"It's okay, Honey." Scott took the troubled girl in his arms. "You're still like a daughter to me, and you're still carrying my granddaughters, so you better believe I'll be pampering you with healthy breakfasts and protein shakes."
"Thanks for the hug," she sniffled.
"Have you eaten?"
"Just the shake Greg brought me." Patting her belly she confessed, "Now that I'm not sick to death worrying I've lost Greg, I am kind of hungry."
"Come on." He took her by the hand. "Let me make you something."
PF Chang's Ladies Room
Five minutes earlier…
"Let me tell you something." Becca thrust her hands on her hips and postured in front of Lady Heather. "There's nothing wrong with my husband."
"I never said there was," Heather calmly replied while washing her hands. "There's nothing wrong with Sara's husband either," she added when she saw Mrs. Grissom slip into the ladies room. "I find both men perfectly agreeable."
"Oh." Becca glanced at Sara as she backed off Heather. "Did Tony send you in here to check on me?"
"No, I'm ten weeks pregnant and have to go all the time." Sara slipped into a stall, fully prepared to hang out there until her nemesis was gone.
"Except…" Heather left her mouth hanging open for a few seconds for effect then said, "Nevermind."
"Except what?" Becca prodded.
"It's nothing, pure speculation."
"What!"
"I was merely going to say I got a vibe from your husband."
"A vibe?" Becca parroted. "What kind of vibe."
"A homosexual vibe. I think he's repressed and deeply closeted."
"What!" Becca was too stunned to speak.
Sara's laughter on the other hand, filled the room. "If there's one person in this world that I know isn't gay, it's Tony."
"Yes, but we both know I'm better at reading people than you, Sara." After blotting her lips Heather added, "Don't take this the wrong way, but…have you forgotten that I figured out your husband while you were chasing after him like a puppy?"
"Tony's mother was a Home Economics teacher and she taught all of her sons to be great cooks! His brother's cooking is legendary at his fire house in San Diego." Becca shot daggers at the woman, "I think this is all about Tony refusing to hogtie his wife and force her to eat peanut butter off his toes."
"What!" Heather couldn't remember the last time she laughed so hard. "Is that what you think I have men do who are unable to satisfy their wives in bed? That's absurd. You're as delusional as Sara when it comes to what the Dominion is really about. I was brought in by his wife to save their marriage, but it was obvious very quickly that he wasn't interested in working on his issues or his marriage."
She had to go and bring me into this, I knew it! Sara emerged from the stall ready to set the record straight. "As I recall, we very maturely agreed to disagree and leave it at that."
"Forgive me, Sara." Heather capped her lipstick and smiled, "I was testing you. When you both conveniently popped in here, I believed it was an ambush."
"No." Sara stepped to the sink and flicked on the faucet. "Sorry to disappoint you." Yes! I took the high road. "Come on, Becks." Not wanting to tempt fate, she grabbed her by the elbow. "Let's go, I want dessert."
The Blakes
10:00 pm
"Carrie! I can't believe you!" Wendy scolded into the phone as she frosted cupcakes for McKenna to bring to school the next day. "You can't do this to me. You know I can't have Ryan sleep here with Celine in the house, and it's a school night. It's a school night, he should be at home in bed, and until he's gone, Celine and Sean aren't sleeping either."
"I know, but Nicky rushed off to the station with Drew and I'm here watching the kids because Nanny Marta is sick, so I can't leave to pick him up. Since it's too late for Ryan to walk over here, can Paul bring him? If not, I'll have to wait until Nicky's back from the station."
"Paul's still out with your father," Wendy grumbled as she reached for the sprinkles. "Some poker tournament at Treasure Island. I knew this would happen if he moved here. Paul rarely went to the casinos, but then all of a sudden this week your father has convinced him to go three times."
"Is Paul playing or watching?" Carrie asked with concern.
"Don't worry, he'll never run up the family credit card again, Carrie." Wendy gently shook the sprinkle bottle, perfectly coating the first cupcake. "He says he's been watching your father watch the VIPs to learn their tells."
"So it won't be long before your kids have more money in their college funds," Carrie laughed.
"Dammit!" Wendy exclaimed when she dropped the new bottle of sprinkles she just opened. "I'll call you back."
"I'll help you, Mom!"
"Thanks, Sean," the frustrated mother sighed without looking at her son.
"It's Ryan." He waved. "Jeez, I've only been gone four days and you're forgetting I exist."
Watching her usually lazy son return with the dustpan she smiled, "Sorry, Sweetie, I just assumed it was Sean offering to help because you…"
"Never help." Ryan quickly swept up the sprinkles. "How long do you think Celine is going to live here?
"Is life at The Beef Palace not quite what you thought it was going to be?"
"Not exactly," he admitted. "Honestly, I feel like Cinderfella. They have me slaving away from the time I get up until the time I go to bed! Mow the lawn, load the dishwasher, make your bed, don't put your elbows on the table, walk the dog, put the toilet seat cover down every time you flush, the cheese has to go in the dairy compartment of the fridge, the cans can't be on the same shelf with the boxes, fix the cushions on the couch when you get up!'. It sucks! I'd much rather eat tofu and listen to Ashley cry, and I kinda…" his eyes drifted to the floor, "…miss you guys."
It's about damn time you realized how good you had it here! Wendy walked over and hugged her boy. "I've missed you too."
"And don't tell him I said this but…I even miss Sean."
"I heard that!" Sean said from the doorway.
"Dammit!" Ryan instinctively reached into his pocket for a dollar.
"What's that for?" Wendy asked as she watched Sean dance around the kitchen singing 'He misses me, I knew he would!'
"Oh." He promptly shoved the 'fine jar cash' back in his pocket. "Nothing."
"He misses me! I knew he would!" Sean jubilated.
"Who wants a cupcake!" Wendy asked as she held up one of the sugary treats. "I even used real frosting."
"Me!" both boys exclaimed as they rushed forward.
"You can have two each," Wendy said on the way to the door. "I'll tell Celine to join you. Then , I'm going to soak in the tub for a while because I'm caked in flour and have had a long day. It's going to be a little while until Nick can pick you up, Ryan."
"That's okay!" Ryan replied with a mouth full of frosting. When his mother was gone, he informed his brother, "I don't really miss you, I was just sucking up."
"Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!"
"Dude…guys stop saying that when they're five." Ryan reached for his second cupcake.
"I'm going to see if Lindsay's window is open, and if it is, I'll invite her for cupcakes too!"
"Whoa…" Ryan laughed at his brother running for the back door. "Try to get rid of that hard-on before you see her, Bro!"
"I hope you saved one for me!" Celine yelled as she raced into the kitchen.
"Come and get it." Ryan held it up high.
"Is that a dollar on the floor?" Celine pointed. And when Ryan looked down, she grabbed a cupcake from the tray behind him. "You're so desperate for fine-jar cash, I knew that would work."
"Doh!" He laughed at himself.
"Ryan…" Celine glanced around to make sure no one was around. "I've been waiting all night to ask you something."
"Yeah?" His mind raced with possibilities.
"I have a big secret and I need your help."
LVPD
10:13 pm
"Thanks for your help, Castillo." Nick nodded at the cop he'd worked with for years and then returned to Drew. "I don't believe it."
"What?"
"You know that pig lawyer I told you about, Don Schultz, the one representing Mike Rodgers who talked shit about me?"
"Yeah?"
"He met with Lissa, offering her representation."
"What?" Drew couldn't believe the drama could get stranger. "How the hell would he know happened so fast?"
Glancing around, Nick watched the room full of potential spies. "That's the question we've all be dying to answer."
"Are they bringing her out to discuss the terms of the offer?"
"Yeah, it'll be about ten minutes." Nick pointed to the waiting area. "Have a seat while I make a couple of phone calls."
Treasure Island Parking Lot - Ken Blake's Mercedes
10:20 pm
Closing his cell phone, Ken informed his son, "The drop's in fifteen minutes."
"Where?"
"About five minutes from here, and you don't need to know more than that."
"Dad…"
"No, this is the end of the road for you." Ken leaned over and opened the passenger door. "You go back inside and play some cards with the money I gave you. When I'm done, I'll meet you inside and we'll play a few hands together."
"It's my family and…"
"Exactly, you have a family who needs you. I've lived my life already, son. If I get caught, I can go to jail and not be leaving a wife and small children behind." He pointed to the open door. "Go. You're rusty. Practice with my money and when you're winning again, you can dabble with your own."
"Just be careful." Paul leaned over and gave his father a bear hug. "I know I haven't said this in…well, I don't how long, but…I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Son." Ken patted him hard on the back. "I'll see you in less than an hour."
Outside of PF Chang's
10:24 pm
Checking his watch as they were strolling toward Indigo, a posh wine bar, Gil said, "Wow, I didn't realize how late it was. You must be beat, Sara."
Taking her husband's hand, Becca teased, "Sounds like the Grissoms are going to poop out on us, Honey. I knew they would."
"First trimester is hell," Sara explained. "When I'm not peeing, or nauseous, I'm yawning."
"I can't wait! Becca said as she slipped her arm around her husband's waist.
"But you will be waiting," Tony reminded his impatient wife who had grown even more fixated on a baby after spending their evening with an expectant mother.
"Come on Grissoms!" Becca pleaded, "I haven't been out with friends since I moved to this town and I'm having fun. I used to go out four times a week in California."
"It's on me," Tony offered, wanting to see his wife happy.
The use of the words 'friends' touched Sara's once reclusive heart and she headed for the club's door. "Just one boring non-alcoholic cocktail, that's it."
"Yay!" Becca rushed her husband through the door. "Ooh, good, I see a table, Sara! In the far left corner, where that blonde with the big tits shoved into a slutty red dress is standing!"
Gil and Tony responded to the description by craning their necks to see the described woman.
"Oh shit." Tony lunged forward for his wife's hand, but a couple stepped in front of him, blocking the way.
"What's wrong?" Gil asked.
"The blonde is my ex-wife."
LVPD
10:30 pm
"What now?" the soon to be ex-wife barked at her husband.
"I've come to make you a final offer and bail your ass out of jail," Drew curtly replied as he handed over a stack of papers. "That offer reduces to zero if I walk out of here without your signature."
Staring at the legal documents, Lissa said, "You're takin' advantage of me when I'm vulnerable."
"I'm bein' generous when I don't have to be."
As hard as it was, Nick remained in the corner of the room with Officer Castillo.
"C'mon, Lissa…you know it's a good deal," Drew pushed and played to his wife's weaknesses. "How many times have you regretted not goin' to design school when you had the chance? That's a full ride to a top school plus all expenses and plenty of cash to set yourself up nice. I'll continue to pay for therapy as long as you need it, and when you can prove you won't damage the kids, then I'll up the visitation. That's ten times the deal you thought you'd be getting and a hell of a lot more than you deserve, so what's it gonna be? You sign those dotted lines and your charges go away. If you don't…then take your chances in court and kiss the cash, your design dreams, and your kids, goodbye."
"I hate you."
"The feeling's mutual."
Shooting daggers at Nick, Lissa snarled, "You must be lovin' every minute of this, because you hated me from the git go."
Nick gulped and thought of Cassie sobbing in Carrie's arms, "I would be lovin' it, if it weren't for the innocent girl about to be torn to shreds."
Meanwhile at Indigo…
"Run a tab please!" Becca handed over her credit card.
Checking the card and the rock on the customer's finger, the cocktail waitress enthused, "Sure, Mrs.Vartann. What can I get you?"
"Mrs. Vartann!" Amy whirled around and eyed the two brunettes, wondering if it was the gap-toothed one in dumpy clothes with mediocre breasts, or the twig in the designer dress. Deciding her husband wouldn't cozy up to a flat-chested girl, she stepped in front of the dikey looking woman. "Mrs. Vartann?"
"No." Sara pointed to Becca. "That's Mrs. Vartann and…" Suddenly she recognized the woman from the Department newsletter published after the last charity event. "I forgot I left Flash outside." She grabbed Becca's hand. "Let's…"
"Amy!" Trista called out. "What are you doing? Get your ass over here! These guys want to buy us drinks!"
"Oh!" Becca finally realized who was sneering at her. "You're the psycho ex!"
Concerned about a brawl, Sara stepped between the two women. "We're not going to have a problem here, right? Because Amy, you're LVPD and…"
"Of course not," Amy smiled at her replacement while seething on the inside.
Tony wrapped his arms around Becca from behind. "Everything okay, here?"
Ken Blake's Mercedes
10:36 pm
"Are we all set then?" Ken asked the contact.
"We're good." The thirty-eight year old man wearing a dark black suit pocketed the envelope of cash.
"When will it happen?"
"Before nine am. I'll give you a call as soon as I get confirmation."
"Thank you." Ken breathed a little easier already. "I'll be counting the minutes until this nightmare is over."
Indigo
10:40 pm
Sitting three tables away from Amy, Tony checked his watch. "How long do we have to stay here, Becks?" She insisted they not leave because it would look bad.
"We can go as soon as we dance the most incredibly passionate dance to our song."
"I didn't know we had a song," Tony commented as he lifted his beer in Grissom's direction. "Here's to you being thrilled you're not me at the moment, Gris."
"I'll drink to that." Gil clanked his scotch glass against the bottle.
"We don't have a song," Becca said as she sipped her Chardonnay and watched Amy out of the corner of her eye. "I'm trying to think of one to tell the DJ."
"Our song is Come Be with Me by Amy Grant and Keb Mo," Sara blurted in an uncharacteristic overshare.
"I'll see if he has that one to play for you guys!" Becca announced as she hurried away from the table, ready to bribe the DJ with a hundred dollar bill.
"No," Gil answered before his wife asked. "Not in our hometown. Not in front of all these people. Not in front of our coworker."
Stunned by the answer, Vartann asked, "Are you serious? You'd deny your wife a dance to your song just because I'm here. That's so…"
"Insulting!" Sara teased her husband. "Not to mention unromantic and boring. How would you like it if I didn't want people to see me carrying your baby in public, huh? Yeah, that would hurt, wouldn't it? You're dancing with your wife, pal. Or Flash is getting your spot in our bed."
Vartann flagged the waitress. "My buddy Gil needs a double, thanks!"
"Uh oh." Sara pointed toward Becca, who was walking back from the DJ booth. "Someone is about to make a move."
The Blakes
10:45 pm
"Mom's sound asleep!" Ryan rejoiced when he entered the tree house where his brother and the two girls were waiting.
"And no one will be looking for me," Lindsay shared. She had just returned from her house with a six pack of Coke. "The sex music is playing in my parents' room. That means they'll be getting it on for at least an hour and then it will be shower or bath time."
"Your parents do it for an hour?" Ryan snickered. "Our mom and dad are done in fifteen or less."
"Okay, let's play!" Celine cracked open a can of soda. "Truth or dare, Sean."
"Uh, I don't exactly know how to play," the socially inexperienced boy confessed.
Ryan gave him the condensed version. "If you pick 'truth' then she can ask you anything and you have to answer honestly. If you pick 'dare' then you have to do whatever she says like, 'go find a spider and pick it up with your bare hands'."
Scared to death of telling the truth, the geek picked the far more enjoyable task of spider collection, "Dare!"
"Kiss Lindsay on the lips!" Celine ordered.
"Wh…what!" Sean's heart skipped two beats. "But my brother said I'd have to pick up a spider!"
"That was just an example, Dude." Pointing to Lindsay, Ryan said, "Don't you want her?"
Indigo…
When Tony saw an inebriated stud grab his wife's hand, he jumped from his seat. "Be right back."
Sara raised her cranberry juice cocktail. "A good bar fight is all that's missing from this spontaneous evening."
"That and a lusty kiss."
"You are not going to kiss me in public."
"You think I won't?" he asked, inching closer to his wife's mouth.
"I know you won't." Licking her lips she enticed him. "I dare you."
The Blake Treehouse…
"Looks like someone is chickening out," Ryan snickered while loving every second of his brother's discomfort. "And poor Lindsay, how insulting is it that Sean would rather pick up a gross spider than kiss you?"
"That's not true!" Sean panicked when he saw Lindsay's smile disappear. "I…it's not that…I just..." Then, faster than a dog racing for a juicy bone, the terrified teen lunged his tightly locked lips forward and bumped them against Lindsay's slightly parted ones.
"Woo hoo!" Ryan cheered as his brother pulled away. "I didn't think you had it in you, Bro!"
Even though it was only a millisecond of contact, the lightning-quick kiss sent Sean's body and mind reeling.
"Okay, Sean," Celine instructed, "your turn to ask 'truth' or 'dare'."
"Truth or dare, Lindsay," Sean asked in a quivering voice.
"Truth," she sweetly replied, knowing he was flustered.
"Uh…" His mind still jumbled from the lip contact, Sean glanced around the room looking for a question. Finally, when he saw the cans of Coke he asked, "Are you thirsty!"
Indigo…
"Let me buy you a drink, Sweetheart," the twenty-nine year old lawyer and club regular asked the newbie.
"Married!" Becca flashed the rock on her left hand.
Stunned by the glint of diamonds, Trista elbowed Amy, "Check out the rock on your replacement!"
"Oh!" Amy's ire soared when she saw it was twice the size of her old engagement ring. "Now I hate the bitch even more."
The drunken stud slipped his arm around the object of his desire, "I won't tell your husband if you don't."
"Too late, "Tony informed the man. "He already knows. Now take your hand off my wife before I drag your ass out back and give you a couple of black eyes to go with the headache you're already gonna have tomorrow."
Amy watched from the sidelines as her ex-husband came to rescue his woman. It only made it worse that she didn't have someone watching over her anymore.
"I can't believe that's who he chose over taking you back," Trista commented in between sips of her Appletini.
"Shut up!" Amy regretted telling her best friend about her emotional plea to Tony in the LVPD parking lot recently. "You just wait until I have my new man with me next week. You'll be so jealous, girlfriend. Mmm hmm." She was counting the minutes until Mike was released from prison.
Ely State Prison
11:00 pm
On his cot, Hawk had been waiting for the delivery that would confirm the plan was on. Then, just as he was ready to doze, believing it wasn't going down after all, he heard something fall to the floor by his cell door.
"Oh, yeah," he whispered, excited he'd get the chance to do something so many in his block had wanted to accomplish for months.
Slipping out of bed, Hawk stealthily grabbed the delivered goods. At first glance it appeared to be a crumpled piece of newspaper, but when he unwrapped it, the shiny object caught his eye and brought a smile to his lips. It wasn't a half-ass shank, it was a knife made with quality steel, a blade long enough to plunge deep into a man's gut and end his life within minutes.
Hiding the weapon, Hawk knew he wouldn't sleep a wink that night. Tomorrow's judgment day Saint Mike. You'll finally get to meet that God you've been pretending to pray to, and then he'll send your ass straight to hell.
Treasure Island
11:05 pm
"Everything's a go," Ken Blake told his son as he took a seat at the roulette table and spoke freely on the noisy casino floor. "Now all we have to do is wait for the good news."
"This is going to be the longest night of my life." Paul swallowed the lump building in his throat, "May God have mercy on our souls."
"Are you kidding?" Ken broke into an easy laugh as he reached for his wallet. "Do you think God really would let another little girl get tortured, or allow another woman to be raped and murdered if he could stop it?" The smiling father placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "God doesn't want the bad guys to win. He's just short-handed because the devil has more players on his side." Tossing a hundred dollar bill on the low-stakes table he was unaccustomed to playing at, Ken cryptically said, "Aside from your kids' college funds, what do you think I've been doing with all that money I win? I'll give you a hint, it's not all being invested in IRAs."
Paul turned, until he met his father's gleaming eyes.
"Surprise! I'm a crime-fighting superhero disguised as a mild-mannered grandpa." He winked. "Not all of us wear tights and cape."
As Paul stood trying to absorb the fact his father just confessed to orchestrating who knows how many 'justifiable' homicides, the dealer called, "Place your bets."
"Time to ante up, Son." Sliding all his chips across the table, Ken serenely said, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling lucky."
Author's Notes:
I hoped you liked Greg's plan…he incorporated a little Scott, Nick and Dr. M and came up with his own workable solution.
Wouldn't Cath be proud of Gris for being so spontaneous! I hope you enjoyed the fluff mixing in with the other stuff including Ken Blake's secret hobby.
Soooooooooo….will Amy's boyfriend survive long enough to have that limo ride they planned, or is he not going to survive the next 24 hours? A
Thanks KJT for helping me corral all the plot bunnies!
Next Chapter: The night's just getting started… Posting: Wednesday, September 27
Thanks for reading!