7.
"Want to tell me what's wrong?"
"Mhm?" Sara's attention got back to Doug.
"Do you want to tell me what's wrong with you? You're somewhere else with your thoughts, since we are here, your mind is somewhere else. And these thoughts you have, aren't nice ones, I can see it in your face. What is wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Oh come on, you know you can't lie to me. It has something to so with these two people we saw. Who are they?"
"Not important."
"Sara." He took her hand. "It is important, it bothers you. To me they looked like a couple in a conversation, but there must be more. Otherwise you wouldn't react like this. Did they do anything to you?"
"No."
"But?"
"Nothing. Let it go."
"No, no I won't let it go. Tell me what they did to you and we work something out to make them pay."
"Thanks. But no thanks." She smiled. He wanted to support her, of course, he always supported her. She could always rely on him, he had never let her down. Why again did they split? He never cheated on her, never deceived her. Unlike Grissom. Yes it had been Grissom, her husband, whom she saw in the café with…yeah, with whom else than Lady Heather? Pardon, Doctor Kessler was it now.
"I don't believe it!" He looked with wide opened eyes at him, realizing it, like he read her thoughts. "He is your husband! That was Doctor Grissom. He told you he is in South America while in reality he is in Las Vegas and…drinks coffee with another woman. One, who is not half as beautiful as you are."
"Thanks." Her voice was bitter.
"I don't get it. You don't marry an idiots, at least I was sure about this until today. What's wrong with this man? He lied to you. Or lies, I bet he hasn't told you, he's here. How can he prefer to be with somebody else than with you? Especially after you haven't seen each other in a while. When you come home, the first stop should be at home, see your wife, tell her, you love her."
"Doug…please…just let go."
"Why? You can't let go of it neither. Come on, he is married to a beautiful and smart woman, what else can a man want? A woman, who waits for him, is faithful, believes in him. Only a fool risks this."
"How do you know I was faithful while he was away?"
"Oh come on, Sara, I know you. You don't cheat on your partner, you've been hurt by idiots, who did this to you, you know how painful it is and you don't want other people to suffer as much as you did." He squeezed her hand softly.
"You know too much about me."
"No, I don't. I know a few things about you, things, you told me and you like the fact, I know you. You don't have to explain yourself to me, never had."
"True."
"So, what are we doing? Go there and tell him, he's an asshole? And this woman, whoever it is, not as good as you are?"
"She's…she used to be a dominatrix, he met her during a case years ago and they…they were more than friends…or friends with benefits, however you want to call it."
"Before you were in Las Vegas?"
"No, while I was here. He knew about my feelings, I was sure he felt the same, but he didn't give into his feelings. It was too risky, could cost him his job, so he preferred to stay work colleagues for five years. During this time he and Heather…he never told me what exactly happened, but he spent more than one night at her place."
"Asshole and idiot."
"I guess, Heather has more style than I have."
"A dominatrix? Come on, you can't be serious."
"She's a doctor now. Doctor of psychology. A sex therapist. Maybe he has a session with her."
"I've no idea how sex therapy works, but shouldn't your partner be with you? At least when you're interested in solving the problem."
"At this moment, I've no idea about anything."
"We could go there and ask him. What did he tell you about where he is?"
"Busy, soon back home with a surprise."
"Yeah, it was a surprise, but not a nice one. I wonder since when he is here."
"Or when he plans to tell me he's here."
"We can go there and ask. I'm sure you know where she lives, don't you?"
She nodded first and then shook her head. "To be honest, I don't feel like hearing excuses and explanations right now. I saw enough and didn't like it, no need to add explanations, I might not like."
"Maybe he has a good explanation, one you want to hear. One, that explains everything, it might have something to do with the surprise he promised you. Maybe she helped him organizing it."
"Are you defending him?" Sara asked surprised. She thought he would take the chance and use what she told him.
"Well, I don't know him, what you told me sounds not good for him, but in dubio pro reo, right?"
"I'm not a judge, I'm a wife, whose husband lied to her. Why wasn't he home? If he wants to surprise me, he knows what times I work, he could have been home, surprise me there, tell me he is back. No, instead he meets Heather and…God only knows where he stays. Maybe he has been here for a day or two, spent the time with her."
"Which doesn't mean he did anything wrong."
"Sure, he stayed in an extra room and didn't call me because his surprise is so big, he needs more time to prepare. And Heather helps him because he knows how much I like her." Sara said cynical.
"Okay, you're right, there is no good explanation. What now? What's your plan?"
"Switch off my private cell phone, go to work and by tomorrow I should have decided what to do next. Maybe I surprise him myself, change the locks. The plan was I pick him up from the airport, no need to tell him about the new lock."
"Need some help…no, let me rephrase this: want me to join you? You don't need help to change a lock, you know how to do that, better than I do. We can do it together and after that I invite you to breakfast."
"Why? My mood won't be good."
"So? I'm the one who makes you smile, even when you're in a bad mood. And I can be your punching ball, I don't care. Swear at me, tell how horrible men are, I won't complain." He grinned and made Sara smile. He was right, he always made her smile. While Grissom made her sad; at least at the moment.
