David leaned against the small counter in the corner of the break room of the Criminalistics Bureau, skimming the headlines of the daily newspaper, and sipping on yet another questionable cup of coffee that managed to find it's way into the coffee pot. Although, he didn't really care at that point, caffeine was caffeine. He was tired and would take anything he could get his hands on. He looked up a moment later to take notice, as two of his colleagues entered the break room. A smug grin crept to the corner of his lips as his eyes met the brown eyes of Wendy, the young lady he could now consider his girlfriend. 'That had a nice ring to it.' he thought, as she matched his grin with a smile of her own, then turned her attention back to her friend and fellow labrat, Mandy Webster, prints analyst.
Mandy had been working in the Lab a couple of years before David transferred to Vegas from LA. When Wendy came on the scene a few years after his arrival, Mandy decided to take it upon herself to befriend her, and opened her home to new technician in a strange and unforgiving city. Since then, they've been close friends and to this day, still shared an apartment.
David set his empty cup down on the counter, and opened the newspaper as the two girls collected a couple bottles of water from the fridge and proceeded over to the couch, continuing their conversation as though David wasn't even there.
"I just can't figure it out, where and when did you even find the time to meet a guy, let alone the time to have sex?" Mandy inquired in amazement as she settled into a comfortable position on the couch and looked at her friend, wanting to know all the juicy details Wendy was willing to dish out.
Wendy giggled at her nosy friend as she took a mouthful of her water, replacing the cap on top. "Well, I kind of knew him a while, just we never really hooked up until sometime after shift this morning."
"So?" Mandy smiled "What was the sex like? You plan on seeing him again? Gosh, I'm so jealous!" The girls laughed liked two young teenagers.
Wendy let out a satisfying sigh, as she took a moment to think back over the past twelve hours. She then glanced over in the direction of the trace tech, who seemed to be fully engrossed in the paper. "If he plays his cards right, I am sure he'll get a second chance!"
Mandy's eyes followed the direction to where Wendy was looking. "I don't think Hodges is interested in our girly conversation." She commented as she waved her hand in David's direction, and smiled as Wendy looked back at her. "So he's worthy of a second date?"
"Most definitely!" Wendy leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Mandy, the last twelve hours were absolutely amazing. If we, if I didn't have to go to work, I am sure we would have stayed in bed, if you know what I mean."
The smile Mandy sported, dropped from her mouth. "Wow, it's been that long since I've had sex, I'd probably wouldn't remember what to do. I could probably even prove the theory of a 'born again virgin'."
The two girls laughed once again, as Mandy reached up and pulled back a loose strain of hair, sitting it behind her ear. "I am so happy for you Wendy." She leaned over and gave her friend a quick hug. "So when do I get to meet him? Does he have a single brother?"
"I dunno!" Wendy giggled. "I don't know him THAT well yet, but one thing I do know is that he makes me happy and he's an incredible lover."
Behind the newspaper, David's smile widened after hearing that comment. 'I told her I never disappoint' The cocky man thought to himself.
At that moment, the young, dirty blond haired CSI, Greg Sanders hurried into the break room as though with a purpose, after spotting the two female technicians sitting on the couch. "Wendy!" He blurted out, breaking up the conversation between the two girls.
David dropped the paper slighty and did a double take at the sound of Greg's voice. He knew something was up by the tone in which he said her name, and figured it probably had something to do with this so called conversation she and Greg had earlier on. A conversation that resulted in an argument between the lab tech's, followed by a settling of differences and of course make-up sex. The part David selfishly liked the best, but who wouldn't, in all honestly.
A part of him wanted to stay to hear what Greg had to say to the young DNA tech, yet a part of him wanted nothing to do with the conversation that was about to take place, but his fate was quickly decided as his pager went off. "That would be mine!" He commented as the others went silent, and looked to their respected pieces of technology. He looked down at it and recognized the page as being Grissom, one person he hated to keep waiting. He folded up the paper, and placed it on the table, tossing his empty paper cup into the trash can. He gave a quick look in Wendy's direction, then left without saying another word.
Greg looked over his shoulder at David as he left, then pulled out a chair, sitting back on so he could rest his arms on the back rest. "Ok, so what's really going on here?" He redirected his attention back to the girls.
"We're talking!" Mandy answered his question. "But you're the CSI here!" She giggled.
Greg smiled at her, then looked back to Wendy. "So, did you give Hodges his phone back?"
"Huh?" Wendy looked a little confused at the young man. "Oh yeah, yes, yes I did. What's it to you? I've already explained it once, which is more then I needed too. I shouldn't have to explain myself or my business with anyone." She looked at Greg with annoyance. "What I do outside of work is no one else's business but my own, unless I decide to share it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work." With that, Wendy stood up and walked past Greg, leaving him and Mandy staring at one another.
"Did I miss something?" Mandy asked innocently enough.
"I think there's something going on between those two."
Mandy started to laugh. "Are you referring to Wendy and Hodges?" She continued to laugh. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all day." She removed her glasses from her face to wipe her eyes. "She is so out of Hodges League."
Greg nodded in agreement but decided to fill her in on the exit the two made after shift earlier that morning, and how she answered his cell phone and made up excuse after excuse, which just didn't add up in the end.
"You know, she didn't come home after work this morning. Not that I was concerned seeing I was dropping tired myself, but she did mention to me that she hooked up with someone she sort of knew for a while, after work, and spent her time off with him. I don't know! Why do you even care anyway?" Mandy placed her glasses back on the bridge of her nose and looked at Greg, absorbing all the new information she had just learned about her friend, as Warrick slipped into the room.
"Let's go Greg-O. We've got a 419 out on Fairmont!" Warrick smiled at Mandy, then waved for Greg to go. "I'll be in the Denali!" As quickly as Warrick appeared, he was gone again.
"I didn't until I called Hodges this morning on his cell and she picked up!" Greg stood up and returned the chair to its original position under the table.
Mandy couldn't help but giggle at the young man, whom she found rather attractive. "She answered his phone?" She inquired as Greg nodded his head. "Well, if I find anything out, I'll be sure to fill you in." With that she stood up, and flashed a flirtatious smile toward Greg as they both exited the break room and went their separate ways.
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Meanwhile, the moment Wendy had a chance to duck across the hall while no one around, she did, startling the trace tech who happened to be back on to the entrance of the lab and in his own little world. "Psst, Dav...Hodges, we've got a problem!" She whispered loudly, which in turn, didn't really make any sense to him.
"Whisper, to speak softly with little or no vibration of the vocal cords especially to avoid being overheard. What the hell was that?" He turned on his stool to look at her with raised brows, mildly amused.
Wendy just looked back at him with little expression. "This is no time to be a smart ASS, Hodges, I'm serious!"
"All right, all right my little Damsel in distress," He began, as he laid his pen down and proceeded in taking off the latex gloves that covered his hands. "What is this so called crisis you're referring to?" He took a quick look around to see if anyone was around, then reached out to wrap a hand around her slender fingers.
"Are you mocking me mister?" David could see the annoyance in her big brown eyes.
"Never!" He flashed his patented grin, pulling her close to whisper in her ear. "But remember, I do have a certain reputation to uphold around here and I intend on keeping it that way!" He let her hand go and stood up. He moved slowly passed her, then stopped looking down at her with an inquisitive, yet seductive smirk on his face. "Miss Simms, I am sensing that you've been a very naughty girl recently."
Wendy could feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, as the warmth of his breath brushed up against the back of her ear, his body...his body to close for her own good, and it was like he knew too. 'The bastard' she thought. "David..." She began, before he interrupted.
"Are you wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday Simms? I'd hardly call that professional." He flicked the collar of her blouse with his finger before motioning toward the printer, to retrieve results, and place it in a folder labeled with Catherine's name on it. "That is so, unlike you. So who's this lucky guy or do I suffer the same fate as the lovely Miss Webster, by being left in the dark. But then, why would you tell someone like me, I'm an ASS after all." David chuckled, walking back, as he continued to mock her.
Wendy shoved him in the chest, forcing him to take a step back as he laughed at her. "If you're not going to be mature about this, then screw you..."
"I believe you have, three times already!" He smiled that snarkyand folded his arms with satisfaction.
Wendy huffed. "Seriously Dave, we've gotta talk about this."
David walked over behind the table, and reached for the next folder on the pile. "I'm not stopping you!"
She gave David a look of frustration, as she placed her hands firmly on the table across from him. "Greg is still nosing around. He's thinks there's something going on between us."
David pulled out another pair of gloves and slipped them on. "There is? How come I didn't know about this!" His smile dropped from his face, when he looked back up at the aggravated expression on Wendy. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh. "Since when did I ever care about what that little punk, Greg Sanders thinks?"
"I left him in the break room with Mandy, and I am sure he's got her all worked up over this." Wendy motioned back and forth between her and David, as she sensed her voice raising. She paused for a second breath to calm herself, before she continued. "Now I don't know about you, but I don't particularly want this relationship or whatever you want to call it, out in the open for all unwanted busy-bodies to know. Personally, I would like to keep my private life, private."
"If that's the way you want it dear, then mums the word!" He smiled at her sweetly. "Now if you don't mind, I have trace to run, and your contaminating the work space."
"That's it? Aren't you just a little concerned over this whole situation?"
"I'm agreeing with you, what else do you want?" David groaned and muttered as he opened the file folder in front of him to read up on his next task. "Jesus Christ, I thought women liked that, wanted it, expected it." He then reached over to retreive a tray of steril test tubes from the table behind, placing them next to the folder which was sitting in front of him.
"I do like it, but do you really have to make it seem like such an effort?" She frowned, wondering if there was any hope for the snarky trace tech that sat on the opposite side of the table.
David just shrugged, as he sorted through the papers that belonged to the folder. At this point, Wendy realized she was fighting a losing battle, and decided to give up. As she headed toward the door, she decided to stop. Without looking back, she began tracing her fingers slowly down the door frame in a suggestive manner knowing David was watching. "Oh..." She paused for a moment, as she watched someone pass the entrance to the Lab, "Mandy is working a double tonight if you're interested in, oh I don't know, coming over for a cooked meal. Maybe even a little dessert if you know what I mean." She giggled at the sound of glass shattering on the floor as David dropped one of the test tubes. 'That got his attention' she thought, as she then proceeded across the hallway to her own lab, with a sly grin on her face.
For the next several hours, Davids' mind kept drifting away from his work, wondering what the feisty DNA tech had up her sleeve. He even caught himself sneaking a peak through the glass walls of the lab, just to catch a glimpse of her...working! "What the hell is wrong with me?" He muttered, scolding himself about how unimpressed he was with himself and his whole demeanor when it came to Wendy.
"Do you want it alphabetically, or shall I just give it to you in jot note form?"
David looked up with a sour look, only to see Greg standing in the doorway sporting a smug grin. "Nice one Sanders! Did you graduate, top of your class of lame come-back lines, with that one?"
"I figured you'd still be riding your high after this little so called 'breakfast' date you had with Wendy." Greg tucked his hands in his jeans pockets and strolled into the lab.
David rolled his eyes, and looked back down into the microscope. "You're worse then my mother, Sanders, sticking your nose into places it don't belong! If you don't have a legitimate reason for being here, which I hardly doubt that you do, get out of my lab."
Greg raised his hands, "Relax Hodges, just making a mere comment on an earlier observation. Does it really look like I care what you do outside of work?"
David glared at Greg, not convinced. "Apparently you seem to care what Wendy does. I heard about you acting like a jackass to her, interrogating her on the telephone, then earlier tonight in the break room."
"Since when did YOU start 'caring' about anyone?" Greg chuckled at the very thought of his comment. "I mean, is it even possible for a cold-hearted bastard, such as yourself, to even phamtom up such feelings for anyone else?" He grinned widely, satisfied with his little dig at the trace tech.
Without looking up, David pointed toward the door.
"I need this processed." Greg changed the conversation as he passed a small baggie with a 1x1 inch fibre square in it. It belongs.." Greg stopped as he watched David, point blankly, paper clip the baggie inside the folder Greg had laid on the table, and slip it under the back log pile that was labeled low priority. "What are you doing?" He pointed to the pile.
"What?" David looked up at the young, inquiring CSI.
"That's priority!"
"So!"
"So? Aren't you going to bump it up?"
"No!" Both men stared at the other for a moment, before David spoke again. "I'll page you when I get it processed!" One of many phrases', David used when he wanted people to leave his lair, and Greg took the hint, but not without grumbling something under his breath. Probably something about him, but David really didn't care what he thought.
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The next time David had the opportunity to look up at the clock, he'd realized he had worked straight through his lunch break. He let out an exhausted breath as he began to massage his temples, feeling the emptiness creep into the pit of his stomach. It was nights like this that really made this kind of work, long, tedious, and stressful. The only thing keeping him going was the curiosity of what Wendy was up to. He'd settle for just having the time to lie down in bed, with her in his arms and have a good sleep. But by the actions of the young lady earlier, he knew he wouldn't be getting much of that, though relished the thoughts of having a day off after shifts end, so he'd find time at some point to catch a little snooze.
He decided to take a stroll outside the lab for a change of scenery and to gather some fresh air into his lungs. The back entrance to the building held the responsibility of two jobs. Serving as an emergency exit, and a spot for the smokers of the lab to congregate. Seeing he worked the graveyard shifts, there was a skeleton crew working in the lab over night, meaning those who worked there that smoked were next to none, surprisingly enough, but a welcome relief. On his way out, he'd ducked into the break room after catching the faint aroma of Greg's Blue Hawaiian coffee, brewing in the pot for a welcome shot of caffeine.
He sat on a nearby bench with a renewed sense of contentment. Something he'd hadn't experienced in quite a long time, for it had been that long since felt comfortable enough to let his guard down around anyone and just be who he really was, especially around a woman. He thought about how all his interactions with the DNA tech over the past couple of years had brought him to this moment in time. He finally managed to move past the 'I like you as a friend' stage from various girls in his past, to reach the, well, all that had transpired between shifts with the young feisty brunette. David stared off into the distance, thinking of how amazing the past 24 hours had been, bringing a rare smile to his face while at work, though he did wonder what she really seen in him.
"I hope it's thoughts of me bringing that handsome smile to your face!" David jumped, turning to see Wendy standing just outside the door.
"And if I said it wasn't?"
Wendy giggled as she walked over to take a seat next to him. "I'd say you were lying!"
David took a quick scan around the dimly lit area before allowing his hand to slide along the base of her cheek bone, caressing her cheek with his thumb. He leaned in until he felt his lips touch hers. She responded with a pleasant moan as she allowed him to work his lips over hers for a brief moment, before breaking away again. She smiled, gently touching his lips with her fingers. "You'll have to wait buddy!" She giggled once again, raising an eyebrow. "So what possessed you to come out here?"
David just shrugged. "Nothing. Why? You think I have an ulterior motive?"
"I put nothing past you Daivd. You usually have a reason for all the things you do and say. Mind you, I don't agree with a lot of them, but then, I also don't mind putting you in your place when your wrong or it's needed." Wendy smiled at the confused look on the mans face, then patted his knee. She leaned over to steal a quick kiss then stood up. As she motioned toward the door, she looked down at her watch. "Only a couple of hours, then you'll be all mine!" With that, she opened the door and disappeared through the doorway.
David shook his head and laughed to himself. 'Put me in my place. Yeah, she's funny!' He thought, as he decided to get up and walk around to the front of the building, suddenly feeling rejuvenated as he sipped on some delicious Blue Hawaiian.