AN: Thank you to those who have reviewed - means a lot to hear your input and I thank you so much for your kind words. It helps keep the inspiration going. Glad you guys have seemed to enjoy the pleasant beginning...now onto the rest of the story ;)
Hope everyone is doing well.
Take care and enjoy.
CHAPTER 6
"It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody."
English Proverb
CATHERINE POV
Arriving at work the next morning after our trip I am so exhausted I can barely keep myself upright, but I cannot for the life of me wipe the silly grin I have off my face.
I don't think I've ever had a better time than the last two days I got to spend with two of my favorite people in this entire planet. Even if now it means I am somewhat sleep deprived heading back to work.
Coming to a dead stop in my office doorway, I feel Sara, also a bit out of it this morning, slam right into my back.
"Sorry…" I mumble to her, my eyes wide as I take in the sight before me.
Stepping around to see what I am looking at, Sara comes to my side and promptly bursts out laughing.
My eyes are still wide in horror, my mouth hanging open when I feel her pat me on the shoulder.
"Good luck with that," she chuckles in amusement, stepping away, her laughter trailing after her down the hall as she heads to the locker room.
Finally crossing over the threshold, I move warily to my desk, curiously wondering how the hell it's possible to generate this much paperwork in two days. I also wonder if there are any trees left in the continental United States.
Groaning at the stack of files threatening to topple off onto my floor, I drop myself into my chair.
Shaking my head, I grab a pen, amazed that, even after seeing the work I have ahead of me, my goofy smile returns itself promptly to my lips.
CATHERINE POV
"You mad that Nick is going to get a better birthday celebration than you?" Sara questions after we have left the lab for the night, making a left turn as the light turns green.
Smiling, I watch the cars as we pass them by.
Nick and I have birthdays very close together, and we usually end up celebrating them together for practicality. But not this year, I remind myself with a smile.
"Very," I tell her, trying to keep my voice serious. "A night of drinks at a bar after work versus two glorious days at a resort in the mountains of Utah."
Turning to face her, I shrug, "Nick clearly got the better deal."
Smiling, Sara merges into traffic. "Clearly."
Reaching out, I run my hand through Sara's soft hair, my fingers trailing down her neck towards her shoulder.
Making a right, Sara chances a glance at me when she completes her turn.
"You okay?" she questions softly, taking in my expression before turning her attention back to the road.
Smiling, I let out a breath before removing my hand.
"Yeah," I sigh. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."
Sara smiles, "Yeah, don't tell Nick what we did for your birthday as opposed to his. He may develop a complex."
Smiling as well, I shake my head before returning my gaze to the woman sitting next to me.
"I was thinking more about how lucky I am to have you."
Smile dropping from her face, Sara grows serious, her eyes meeting mine briefly as she switches lanes.
A few moments of silence pass, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Without a word, Sara reaches over and takes my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together.
Neither one of us speaks for the rest of the ride. Neither one of us has to.
Turning into the parking lot of Spurs, a Texas themed bar that is Nick's favorite place to drink the night away, Sara picks a spot near the back.
Quirking my brow at her, she shrugs.
"Statistically, this is the safest location in a parking lot."
I have no clue whether she is being serious or completely messing with me, but I decide that in the end I really don't care. I'm happy to have the extra moments alone with Sara that it takes to walk into the bar.
It's weird, because even though we have just spent the last two days together, I hate the thought of not having the night to ourselves tonight. Of not getting to spend the evening curled up with her and Mesa on the couch, reading a book or watching some corny movie on television. The last two days have spoiled me, and I hate transitioning back to the real world where our time together is a gift and not a given.
Coming to a stop at the door, we both pause.
Without a word, Sara turns to me, placing a soft kiss against my hair.
"I love you," she says quietly.
Smiling, I tuck her dark hair behind her ear.
"I love you too."
Heading inside, I spot Nick, Greg, Sophia and Brass sitting at a booth near the back. Joining them, we joke around for a couple minutes before I offer to buy the first round of drinks.
Walking up to the bartender, I place my order of tequila shots and beers when my attention is drawn to a man sitting a couple seats down.
Looking at him, I realize he grabbed my attention because he's staring at me intently. When he notices that I've caught him, he immediately straightens up and his cheeks turn a bit red around the edges.
"I'm sorry, miss, I didn't mean to stare," he states pleasantly.
Looking him over, I see that he is nicely dressed in a business suit, likely a lawyer at the firm down the street or some other office worker catching a drink on their way home. Satisfied that he isn't drunk or creepy, I send him a smile.
"It's alright," I tell him, turning my attention back to the bartender as he prepares my drinks.
Realizing that the man is still looking at me, I turn to him and place my hand on my hip in silent question.
Clearing his throat, he shakes his head.
"Sorry, it's just…gosh, I don't know how to say this, I mean, it's really none of my business even…" he starts to trail off.
Finally collecting his thoughts, and his courage, he takes a breath.
"That woman you came in with, are you two dating?"
Instantly, I feel my defenses rise. Granted, most of the bars in Vegas are pretty accepting of openly gay relationships, but this is a Texas themed bar.
Not to stereotype, but if there were to be a problem with being seeing in public with Sara at any bar in the city, a Texan bar would not be a complete stretch of the imagination for which to find problems.
Facing him square on, I cross my arms across my chest.
"Yes, I certainly am."
Seeing my expression, he instantly pales.
"Oh, no, I wasn't asking because I have a problem with it or anything, love is love. I just…uh…look, she gets around, okay? I just thought you should know."
Furrowing my brow, I turn my gaze towards Sara to be sure that we are talking about the same person.
"Sara?" I question. "The brunette over there?"
Following my gaze, he points to where Sara is joking with Greg.
"Yeah, the skinny brunette laughing with the young man with the crazy hair."
It's clear that he is talking about Sara.
"What do you mean 'she gets around'?" I ask, still convinced that he is somehow confused.
"I saw her here a couple times with another woman that definitely wasn't you," he states.
"Look," he says, drawing in a breath. "I know it's none of my business, but I just found out that my wife of ten years has been cheating on me behind my back. I wish to the heavens someone would've told me. I mean, it was going on for years before I found out. Turns out, all my friends knew and none of them could figure out how to tell me."
He sighs, "I'm sorry, I just thought you should know."
I nod in sudden understanding and relief.
"I appreciate your good intentions," I tell him, sending him a warm smile. "But I know that Sara comes here sometimes with another woman. Especially because that woman is my sister, who also happens to be Sara's best friend."
Instantly, the man's face relaxes and he lets out a good hearted laugh.
"Oh man, seriously?" he groans. "I'm so sorry. God, this is embarrassing," he mutters, shaking his head.
"No problem," I tell him, "I appreciate your looking out for me. My ex-husband was a bastard and a cheater, and I'd have given anything for someone like you to have warned me about his philandering ways back then."
Sending him a smile, I gather up the drinks the bartender placed on the bar for me.
Chuckling, he gestures to the drinks, "I'm really sorry, tell your friends the next round's on me."
I smile, offering him my thanks.
"You do look a bit like her now that I think about it," he says with a smile just as I have turned to head back to our table.
Turning back around in puzzlement he clarifies.
"Your sister," he says, "Well, as long as you ignore the fact that she has black hair, of course."
Sending me a final warm smile, he returns his attention to his drink.
Feeling my stomach sink to my feet and the smile slide from my face, I turn back to face Sara who is now talking with Brass.
Nancy most definitely does not have black hair.
The whole night, all I can think about is what that man at the bar said to me.
I want to think of the myriad of ways that he could be mistaken, the myriad of reasons why Sara would be at a bar with another woman. Reasons that don't involve her cheating on me.
The idea of Sara cheating simply does not fit in my mind.
Sara is a lot of things, most of them good, and the one thing she definitely is not is a cheater.
There is no way.
Still, it's disconcerting, and I know that Sara has picked up on my troubled mood.
Sending me her thirtieth concerned glance of the night, she gestures to the back door of the bar. Catching the hint, I nod, downing the last of my drink for some extra courage.
Allowing Sara to take my hand, we make our way through the crowd and out into the night air.
Once we are outside, Sara lets go and turns to me with concerned eyes.
"Are you alright, Catherine? Was that guy at the bar hassling you?" she asks.
The expression on her face is worried, anxious to find out what has me so bothered so she can figure out how to be of help.
"No, he wasn't."
I pause, here goes.
"He told me he's seen you here with another woman," I tell her. "A woman with dark hair, so don't even try to tell me it was Nancy."
I hate how accusatory my voice sounds. I don't believe that Sara would cheat on me for a second, but somehow that doesn't stop the accusations and hurt from seeping into my words.
"What?" Sara questions, her face contorted in confusion.
I respond only with my silence.
Sara pauses, taking in my posture, my expression, her body growing eerily still.
Then, she finally seems to take in my words.
The meaning behind my words.
"Catherine, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" she questions quietly in disbelief.
I nod solemnly, "Yes, Sara, I think I am."
Instantly, Sara takes a step away from me, concern melting from her features and quickly being replaced with something much different.
Something much more heartbreaking to see in the eyes of the woman that I love.
Pain.
"I wasn't ever here with anyone other than Nancy," she states, her voice low and firm.
"Are you sure?" I press, hating that I am even entertaining the notion of Sara fooling around on me.
"Yes, Catherine, I'm sure," she forces out, looking at me like I just told her Mesa ran out into the street and got hit by a car.
Looking at me like I have betrayed her in the worst of ways.
And, I think maybe I have.
Shaking my head, I soften my voice.
"I know, I'm sorry," I breathe out. "God, Sara, I don't know why I even considered it. You're the most loyal person I've ever met. You'd die before you ever cheated on someone."
Sara closes her eyes for a moment, and when she opens them I cannot sort out all the emotions they hold.
"Can we go back inside and forget I ever said anything?" I ask her, desperately hoping that we can just move on.
This conversation is one that we never should have had.
I know that now, and I knew it before.
I can't believe what I just accused the woman that I love of doing.
I can't believe what I just accused Sara, the woman who has gone through absolute hell for me and my family, of doing.
I am ashamed.
Nodding, Sara takes a breath.
"Yeah," she responds. "I'm going to grab a cigarette, but I'll meet you back in there in a minute."
"Okay," I say, understanding that Sara needs a moment alone to collect herself.
Turning as I reach the door, I bring my eyes to hers.
"Sara, I really am sorry."
Nodding, Sara tries hard to bring a smile to her face.
"I know," she tells me. "It's fine."
I nod, reentering the bar with a sigh.
Sara returns a couple minutes later, sending me a small smile as she takes her seat across from me.
I know that, although she is trying gallantly to hide it, she is not alright after our conversation in the alley.
Heart clenching, I try to pay attention to the story that Greg is sharing when all I can think about is the brunette sitting across from me.
And, I am horrified to admit, I find my thoughts also drifting to the phantom raven haired woman mentioned by the man at the bar.
AN: Oh dear. As always, would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading.
