David's slumber was abruptly interrupted by the annoyance of a cell phone that was ringing somewhere in the bedroom. He hauled the pillow out from under his head and covered his face, cursing whoever was tempting their fate by calling.
Wendy stirred a moment later, in response to the actions of the man lying next to her. "That sounds like my phone!" She sat up listening for the sound, trying to figure out where she dropped it. The two were so into each other earlier on, that total regard for the others' belongs, as they got tossed to the floor, was the last thing on their minds. Spotting the cell on the floor near the dresser, she was quick to her feet, wrapping a loose bed sheet around her body, and scuffed over to retrieve it. David groaned, and rolled over, as she opened the phone, placing it to her ear to acknowledge herself to the caller. "Simms!"
"Yeah Hodges, did you..?" The male voice paused for a moment in confusion, before continuing. "Wendy?"
Wendy pulled the phone away from her ear in a panic, looking at it, realizing that she had just answered David's phone. She recognized the voice as being Greg Sanders. 'Oh no!' She thought, quickly trying to think up an excuse as to why she had answered 'Hodges' phone.
Again Greg asked, "Wendy? Umm...what are you, Hodges personal secre -- are you with him now? She heard him cover the mouth piece, to laugh. After a moment or so, he managed to stifle his laughter, and spoke in a more serious yet teasing tone. "Wendy, how could you do this to me? I thought we had a thing?"
Wendy hurried out of the room, and out of ear shot of David. "What are you talking about Greg?" She laughed nervously, hoping he wouldn't pick up on it. "Me with Hodges? You know me better then that!" She felt guilty lying, but knew it was the only way to get Greg off her case. "Besides, you called me, not him."
Greg laughed again, and looked at his phone to double check the number he had dialed. "Tsk-tsk! Wendy, now you wouldn't be lying to me, would you?" He inquired innocently enough.
Wendy bit her lip as Greg began to interrogate her, feeling embarrassed about the whole situation. The last thing she wanted was her co-workers to know that she was spending time, let alone intimately, with David Hodges, the egotistical trace technician, that no one seemed to like. "W-why would you think I'd be lying to you?"
"Oh, I don't know, perhaps it's because his name and telephone number are displayed here on my phone, yet you answered the call!" Greg's words were spoken with assurance, as the young CSI pressed the issue.
Wendy sat on the couch in silence, trying to figure out how she was going to explain herself out of this awkward situation. "I must have picked up his cell phone by accident while at the diner this morning, meaning, he must have mine." The excuse still indicated that she had spent time with him after shift, but at least it would direct Greg's thought process off in a different direction from that of the sexual conclusions he was probably heading toward.
Greg let out a sigh followed by a rather lengthy pause, before speaking again. "Does that mean you two had a breakfast date together?" He asked inquisitively, thinking back to the exit the two made. "You two DID seem pretty cozy with the other this morning, as you left work. Is there something you're not telling me Simms?"
The tone in Greg's voice annoyed Wendy. "I thought the guy could use a friend at breakfast, to congratulate him on his keen eye in the unsolved miniature murder case. I figured that he deserved that much at least." She giggled. "Greg Sanders, are you jealous of Dav - Hodges?"
"No!" He snapped. "It's just, I can't see how anyone can tolerate that guy for more than a few minutes at a time. He's cynical, he's a pompous bastard and since when did you start calling him by his first name?"
"I know the man can be a real asshole, even cynical and a pompous bastard, like you said, but you have to admit, he's not as bad as he used to be. At least he's more tolerable nowadays." 'People can change, even Hodges!' She thought. 'I know I have.'
Greg laughed again. "The last person I expected to defend the guy, would be you, after all the things you've said about him in the past."
"I am not defending the guy!" Wendy had to stop, sensing that her voice was rising out of frustration with Greg and she didn't want David overhearing. She cleared her throat, and calmed herself down before proceeding. "So I never spoke too highly of him before, who had? Those past conversations and comments we've had about Hodges are between you and me, and you and me alone!"
Though Wendy couldn't see Greg, he was grinning. "I didn't know Hodges' was such a touchy subject with you as of late. If I didn't know any better..." He stopped for a moment, hesitating before asking his next question. "Are you sleeping with him?"
"Oh my god, no! Where would you get the crazy idea that I would sleep with him?" Wendy let out an annoying sigh. "Okay listen, if you're finished, I'll talk to you at work." She hurried Greg off the phone by closing it before he could respond, only to look up, seeing David leaning against the door frame with folded arms and sporting, what Wendy felt to be, an icy glare. The man, who earlier expressed a rare side of his personality with her, now stood expressionless. She smiled at him nervously, wondering just how long was he standing there and how much of the conversation she had just had, with Greg, he had heard.
She stood up and approached David cautiously, reaching her hands out to slip them around his waist, but instead of welcoming her this time, he withdrew himself from her. Wishing her conversation with Greg had never happened at that point, she spoke in desperation, feeling a lump, grow, in the back of her throat. "David?"
David put his hand up, to stop her, as he backed away. "You forgot inconsiderate, egotistical, and callous Simms! Unfortunately, I've heard them all before."
Wendy could see the hurt creep into those green eyes of his, as he fixed them intently on her. Hiding the pain with furrowed brows, he tried to comprehend the demeanor of the young lady that stood before him.
"You know, I'd expect something like this from some of the others in the lab, but I actually thought you were different from the rest of them. I didn't think you, of all people, would be the type to talk so degrading toward others behind their backs. Boy, did I misjudge you!" He dropped his head in disappointment, more so at himself for allowing her to become involved in his personal life. 'Why didn't I listen to myself?' He questioned, scolding himself. 'I did exactly what I said I would never do, and look what happened...burned again! Typical! I might as well just give up all together.'
Without thinking, Wendy grabbed David by the arm as he made the motion to move passed her, turning him around to come face to face with her. "Let me explain, please!" She pleaded, following his stare to where her hand was on his arm.
"I think you've said enough, already!" He snarled interrupting her, pulling his arm from her grip with a little aggression, catching Wendy by surprise.
Wendy followed him into the kitchen, irritated by the stubbornness of the man at this point. "Damnit Hodges, would you just listen to me for a moment. I answered your phone by accident. It was Greg! He began asking all sorts of questions as to why I answered your phone...I panicked! It all happened so fast. He started asking questions about you, me, us, and I didn't know what to say, so I played it as if nothing had happened." Wendy paused for a breath as she stepped up behind David, allowing her hands to slowly inch around his waist, and up against his chest. "Besides, our relationship is no one else's business but our own."
David stood motionless and rolled his eyes, feeling the warmth of Wendy's body, as she pressed up against him. He was finding it difficult to stay mad at her, the way she was working her hands against his chest. Her words made sense, yet he couldn't shake the idea that at some point over the past couple of years, she and Greg shared some negative and degrading conversations, where he was the subject!
"You asked me earlier if I was capable of telling the truth, perhaps the question should be redirected to you. Are you capable of telling me the truth?" David knew his choice of words were likely to spark an argument between the two, but felt he needed to know where the young lady stood with this supposed relationship they were getting themselves into.
Wendy stepped back from the trace tech in shock. "What the hell do you mean by that?" Her tone was that of being insulted as the anger began to build. She grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around to face her. "Where do you get off asking me such a question like that?"
David glared back, expressionless, except for the slightest hint of his patented snark-like grin. "Oh I don't know, perhaps from the conversation you just had on the phone that I just happened to accidently overhear. Let's start with that! What else did you have to say about me? Were you ashamed to admit that you were here with me? Did you lose a bet with Sanders and the repercussions of the loss was having to sleep with me? Or was it just a dare!"
The involuntary reaction was Wendy's hand slapping David's face. "How dare you even phantom the notion? I don't know if I should be angry at you for even thinking up such absurd ideas, or feel bad for you for even thinking so lowly of yourself."
David narrowed his eyes at her after unwillingly accepting the rather rude gesture from her. "Don't avoid the questions, Simms!" Not bothered by the stinging on the left side of his face, he folded his arms, and leaned against the counter, waiting for her to respond.
She huffed in disgust, feeling the emotions build up inside. She was trying her best not to let him get the better of her, yet it was beginning to prove otherwise. "I can't believe you. If I didn't want to be here or was repulsed by your very being, I, sure as hell wouldn't be here with you now, let alone, sleep with you. Yet here I am, trying to straighten this mess out, because I believe we have something special between the two of us. Now tell me you didn't feel it. If you didn't, then you ARE a cold-hearted bastard. If you did, then get off this supposed power trip you are on and do something about it!"
With that, Wendy turned on her heal and headed toward the bedroom, collecting her clothing along the way, leaving David to think about what she had just stated. He couldn't remember ever having a woman speak to him the way Wendy did. Confused yet impressed, deep down he really didn't want her to leave. He felt the spark they had, and was afraid of losing it, though he'd probably never openly admit to it unless it involved a lot of alcohol.
After several minutes, Wendy reappeared, dressed to leave. She paused long enough to look at the confused man still standing in the kitchen, before motioning toward the door. She shook her head and muttered. "Typical!"
"Ah, where are you going, Simms?" Finally cluing in, that she was attempting to leave, he motioned after her as she exited his apartment. Never in a thousand years did he think that he'd be chasing after a woman, pleading with her to stay, nor would he normally. But there was something about Wendy he just couldn't afford to lose.
"Well, until you figure out what you want, for yourself and from me, I'll be home." The young DNA tech spoke as she continued down the hall toward the elevator.
"Wendy, wait, please!" David followed her to the elevator, still in his boxers only, but didn't care at that moment. He just wanted to stop Wendy before making, probably the biggest mistake of his life and regretting it. He worked his body between her and the elevator doors. "I can't let you leave like this." Taking in a long breath before continuing. "Besides, how are you planning on getting home?"
Wendy looked at the man standing in front of her, and couldn't help but giggle at the fact he was standing in front of her and the elevator, practically naked. For someone who was supposedly modest about his appearance, it really didn't concern him at that moment. "What am I waiting for, David?"
David looked down at his bare feet, as the elevator rang up, and the doors opened. A middle-aged woman stepped out and around him, unable to redirect her eyes from him. With annoyance and sarcasm, he glared at the woman. "Would you like to take a picture so you can see what you're missing out on?"
The stranger quickly looked away and muttered something under her breath, as Wendy gave him a shove. "DAVE!" She couldn't help but laugh. "Be nice! That's your neighbor."
He looked back into Wendy's eyes and smiled. "She's an ol' busy-body. Can't leave things well enough alone!"
"That's no reason to be rude to her. What did she ever do to you?" Wendy questioned, as David's eyes furrowed and his gaze drifted back toward the older lady.
He smirked, refocusing his full attention on Wendy. "You wouldn't want to know." Hearing the doors of the elevator shut behind him, he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. "Well, it looks like you missed your chance. How about a little breakfast?"
"I'm still mad at you, and you still need to figure out what you want." She poked him in the chest.
"I am standing in front of the elevator, in my boxers, in the middle of the day, in a public hallway, trying to prevent you from leaving. What do you think I want?" He raised a brow seeing her blush, yet trying to hide it at the same time. "It's not just anyone I will chase after, in boxers, so think your self special missy."
"So what are you trying to say then?" Wendy smiled. She thought herself to be a little sadistic at that moment, watching the man squirm and fumble over his words, getting him to admit to things, he probably would never admit to otherwise.
David let out an annoying sigh, looking down toward his feet again. "Let's forget about this and start over, clean slate. I'm willing to if you're willing."
Wendy stepped closer, placing her hands up on his chest and smiled. "I accept your apology David." She smiled when he looked up at her confused. She placed a finger up to his lips to prevent him from speaking. "Yes, I know you agree. Let's leave it at that." Wendy giggled as she took David's hand, and headed back toward his apartment.