Chapter Five: First Date?
"What's your favourite colour?" Greg asked sat across the booth from Nick, fiddling with the straw in his coffee.
"Um... red I guess. You?"
"Chartreuse."
Nick frowned at him curiously. "What's that?"
"Green." He sweetly giggled, lowering his police uniform shirt to reveal the bright green t-shirt underneath. "What's your biggest fear?"
"Biggest . . . Um... bein' buried alive . . . again. What about you?"
"Spiders." Greg cringed as he said it. "I can't stand them. They're all small and hairy. And what do they need so many legs for anyway?" He shivered again as Nick laughed slightly. "It's not funny. As soon as I see a spider I turn into a five year old girl."
"I find that hard to believe." Nick laughed louder, alerting the attention of a few officers as no one in here ever really laughed.
"It's true." Greg giggled, revealing the widest, cutest smile Nick had ever seen. "What about... What's your favourite drink?"
Nick licked his lips trying to think. "Um... it's a tie between Heineken and Stella Artois."
"Yum." Greg licked his lips, cheekily grinning in Nick's direction. "Favourite place to eat?"
"Cheese Cake Factory."
"Ooo, good choice. Favourite cheese cake?" Nick chuckled shaking his head. "What?" Greg asked confused.
"Nothin', is this twenty questions or somethin'?"
"Sorry, I get jittery when I drink too much coffee. We can stop if you want?"
"No, that's okay. I don't mind." Nick smiled up at him. "I like the chocolate one layered with fudge and vanilla with another coat of chocolate..."
"Ooo, the Chocolate Tuxedo Cheese Cake." Greg licked his lips again as he thought about the taste of it. Greg twirled the straw around in his fingers, looking into Nick's dark chocolate brown eyes. They were so open and soulful looking, making Greg just want to stare deep into them for hours on end. "So tell me CSI Stokes, are you a workaholic?"
Nick sighed heavily as he nodded slightly. "How can yah tell?"
"You look a little preoccupied."
"I'm stuck on one of those impossible cases that doesn't have enough evidence to link a killer." Nick looked down into his empty coffee cup, thinking he should get back to work on it, but he didn't want to leave Greg.
"Do you have any hobbies?" Greg asked as he was finishing his coffee. Nick thought about it a moment then shook his head. "Nothing at all?"
"Not really . . . I never really have time. I like to draw . . . but I haven't done it in a while." Nick leant back in the booth, trying to think of anything else he liked to do, but he came up with nothing. "What about you?"
"Tons. I love going to the movies, ice skating, clubbing. I'm not down with the whole drug scene if that's what you're thinking. But standing in a room crowded with people," Nick watched as Greg slid his palm across his chest. "I love to feel the beat of the music against my chest. Plus dancing, best physical contact with another person. Other than sex of course." He grinned watching Nick's cheeks lightly flushing. Oh and I love surfing."
"You can't surf in Vegas." Nick chortled.
"True, I like diving and water sports too."
"Why'd you pick Vegas then?" Nick asked confused.
"I like the city." He smiled up at him. Nick grinned back, glad that Greg did decide to move to this city. "You ever gone sky diving?" Greg asked curiously.
"Nope, I've been paraglidin' though."
"Oh, that's fun." Grinning widely, Greg watched as Nick nervously looked out the window beside him. "Did you wonna get back to work then?"
"No, I'm good here . . . unless you wonna home?"
"I could walk yah." Before Nick could answer Greg was already standing up, pulling his jacket on.
"Okay." Nick pulled his jacket on, straightening his collar as he followed Greg out the front door. "Didn't you drive here?"
"Nope, I walked. You?"
"Sara drove me. My trucks still at the lab." Nick shoved his hands deep into his pockets, following Greg out the parking lot. He led the way off up the road, nervously trying to think of something to say. But luckily, Greg spoke for him again.
"You ever been speed dating?" Greg asked, turning to face him slightly.
"Once with a buddy of mine from college." Nick nodded.
Greg suddenly pulled his sleeve up slightly to look at his watch. "I'll time yah. Tell me anything you want about yourself in two minutes." Nick laughed at the adorable smile across Greg's face. "Okay . . . Go."
"Um..." Nick suddenly tensed up with nerves. "I er... I speak fluent Spanish. I once got kicked out of a car by my girlfriend for accidentally tellin' her that her hair didn't look so great." Greg burst out laughing. "I've never smoked a cigarette . . . or done drugs. I hate peanut butter."
"How can someone hate peanut butter?" Greg chortled. "I love it. Especially PB and J."
"Ew." Nick cringed. "I can't stand peanut butter. Um... I'd consider myself an outgoin' and friendly person. I like to watch Animal Planet and the Discovery channel. I also read a lot of geographic magazines." He bit his lip trying to think of something else. "I've had a gun pulled to my head twice, but I've never been shot . . . and I've had trouble sleepin' since I was buried alive."
"Who wouldn't?" Greg spoke softly. "I think you're really brave for getting on with your life. Times up." Greg smiled back at him.
"So how'd I do?"
"Well you don't like to reveal too much of yourself, but I feel I know yah better."
"Really." Nick smiled in his direction.
Greg nodded then gave him another adorable grin. "But if I was your date, I'd definitely be wanting a call back." He cheekily winked in his direction as he slowly slid his tongue across his lower lip.
"Thanks." Nick nervously answered then pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch. "Your turn."
"You sure you want me to do this? I can talk for hours and hours non-stop." Greg warned him.
"Sure, two minutes . . . start now."
"I'm from California; my full name is Gregory Hojem Sanders. I'm from Norwegian decent on my Papa and Nana Olaf's side. My natural hair colour is dark brown." Nick smiled looking at the bleached streaks through Greg's sandy brown hair. "I have 20/20 vision; I've never broken a bone. I don't always wear a police uniform. I like ripped jeans, sneakers or bowling shoes and colourful t-shirts. I'm an only child. My mom's super overprotective so I never got to play sports in school. I couldn't ride a bike until I was ten. I used to go sailing with my dad on his boat all the time as a kid. I love Blue Hawaiian coffee, 40 bucks a pound. I used to smoke and do drugs in New York, haven't touched the stuff for years though." He promised as Nick looked over at him surprised. "I was captain of my Highschool Chess Team, on the bowling team too. Only sports I ever got into..."
"You can't count chess as a sport." Nick chuckled.
"I can too. I was the Captain of the team." He chortled back. "My Papa Olaf left me his coin collection after he passed, which I still collect and go to conventions and things."
"They have coin conventions?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I love cars, movies, Marilyn Manson and computer games . . . how much time I got left?" Nick looked at his watched realising it had been four minutes, but he was enjoying listening to Greg talking so he didn't stop him. "Want me to keep going?"
"If you insist." Nick nodded. "What kinda movies do you like?"
"Romance ones aren't so bad. I love a good action movie. Horrors are the best though. Big George Romero flick fan. I love comedies..."
"So pretty much any genre?" Nick laughed.
"Exactly. Want me to keep talking?" Nick nodded, watching the adorable grin spread across Greg's face again. "Okay . . . I don't have any allergies. I've always wanted a dog, but I've never had a pet. I've never been in a serious relationship. Never got anyone pregnant . . . as far as I know." He smirked making Nick laugh. "I stole a car when I was twelve."
"Twelve? Whaddya steal?" Nick asked shocked.
"My Papa Olaf's car. I drove it round the block twice then parked it back in perfect condition." He chuckled. "I also consider myself open minded when it comes to relationships." He subtly added, looking at Nick as he started to blush. "I'm not seeing anyone and ever since I met this gorgeous CSI who kicked this guys ass . . . I haven't been able to get him out of my mind."
"The CSI or the other guy?" Nick asked even though he was sure he knew the answer.
"What do you think?" Greg grinned then changed the subject as he watched Nick blushing for the hundredth time. "So what's the most unusual case you've ever worked?"
"Um... probably the Casino Boss Bruce Eiger," was the first case that came to his mind. "He had a Paraphilic infantilism." He told him, still walking with him on the early morning streets of Las Vegas still coated in darkness.
"Oh Yeah, I saw that on the news." Greg remembered, turning to face him. "They never said he was a DL though."
"DL?" Nick questioned.
"Diaper Lover." He laughed softly. "So a DL is the weirdest case you ever came across?"
"No, one of the weirdest for me though coz I never heard of it before we worked it."
"What if I told you I was a DL?" Greg asked, glancing up into Nick's eyes. "Would you think I was weird?"
"No." Nick gulped as he shook his head. "Another case was this Plushies and Furries convention, people dressing up as animals to get sexually involved with each other. We found one guy in a racoon suit that was our original DB; we thought he was road kill at first." Nick nervously tried to change the subject in case Greg was being serious about the Diaper Lover thing.
"Huh, strange." Greg snickered. "You ever been involved with a case yourself?"
"Yep, a couple." Nick nodded, not sure whether it was appropriate to reveal that he was once accused of murdering someone he slept with on what seemed to be a first date experience with Greg. So he picked the next one that came to his mind that he was also trying to forget. "I had his crazy stalker sleepin' in my attic once." Greg raised his eyebrows surprised. "He tossed me out of second story window too."
"Ouch. That had to hurt."
"Yep, I broke two ribs, got five stitches in my head." He indicated to the scar on his forehead. "And I got a concussion . . . then he tried to kill me again at my house. He wore my clothes too which really crept me out. I moved house, installed a new advanced security system and bought a load of new clothes." Nick cringed as he thought about it again.
"Creepy." Greg whispered softly, feeling a shiver run up his spine as they continued to walk together. "So where you from?"
"Texas, Dallas. You're from California didn't cha say?"
"Yep, San Gabriel." Nick was beginning to feel as though this was really a first date from the questions they were asking each other and Greg's subtle flirtatious smiles and comments. So far he was beginning to like it, enjoying Greg's company too.
"So where'd you go to college?" Greg queried.
"Texas A&M University, you?"
"Stanford." Greg sweetly smiled at him. "What's your date of birth?" He asked curiously.
"Why would you need to know that?" Nick asked, turning slightly to face him.
"Humour me."
"18th of August, 1971."
"Thirty three, huh? And a Leo." Greg smiled round at him again. "Did you know Leo's are born fortunate, charismatic and positive thinking? They attract not only an abundance of friends and opportunities, but manage to survive life's stormy times. They're also very devoted and faithful too." Greg added, cheekily licking his lips.
"You know a lot about Leo's, huh?" Nick smiled at him, trying not to blush as that sounded a lot like him. "What's your sign?"
"Taurus. Apparently that means underneath my hard exterior I'm cool, calm and collected. In love we're regarded as extreme sensual beings too." He rasped, watching Nick trying to hide his blush. "So how'd you become a CSI?" He asked changing the subject for him again.
"I spent my first three years out of college as a policeman for the Dallas Police force. I then transferred to the lab there workin' as a hair and fibres analyst. I got promoted to a CSI level one there before I decided to get away from the Stokes name."
"Whaddya parents do?"
"My dad's a Texas State Supreme Court Judge and my mom's a public defender."
"They want you to live up to their expectations?" Nick nodded. "I know that feeling all too well." Greg said with a smirk. "You got brothers or sisters?"
"One brother, five sisters."
"Wow. So you're the youngest of seven."
"How'd yah know I was the youngest?" Nick asked curiously.
"Youngest is usually the rebel and you're too young to be the oldest." He chuckled sweetly. "So what made you move two states away from your family?"
"Well my brother and sisters kinda followed in my parents lead with the high powered careers, married with a handful kids, complete with the family pets. I was the only one that enjoyed science out of them all, so I picked a career where I could do my own thing and still live up to their expectations." Nick nervously started to ramble. "I wanted to lay down my own roots and establish my own identity, yah know." Greg nodded as he understood that too. "So I choose Vegas, where I worked in the DNA lab a few years before I started to work in the field." Nick explained.
"Do you prefer the field?"
"Definitely . . . in the lab you just get to check over the evidence everyone else is bringing in. They're the ones solvin' the cases, even if you do your part . . . I didn't feel like it was enough, yah know."
"What was the first case you worked?" Greg asked curiously.
"I'm beginning to feel like I'm on an interview here Sanders." He nervously laughed. "My hands are startin' to sweat."
"Sorry." Greg giggled softly. "So which way?" He asked as they stopped at the next junction.
Nick pointed ahead, taking the lead. "What was the question?"
"First case?"
"Right . . . my first case was a B it turned out to be staged so the owner could collect the insurance money."
"Huh." Greg nodded, looking deep into Nick's eyes.
"So what got you into wantin' to be a CSI?" Nick asked, turning the line of questioning over to Greg.
"Well I interned for two semesters as an entry level tech for the San Francisco Police Department. I always wanted to be a scientist as a kid too. My dad told me science was for geeks and the romantically challenged, but that didn't stop me; science club in Highschool then I majored in chemistry in college and I know you think I'm a total geek." He nervously laughed.
"No I'm not thinkin' that; I woulda loved to join the science club in Highschool instead of havin' to live up to my father's expectations of joinin' the football team." Nick smiled at him. "What did yah do after college?"
"Joined the Crime Lab in New York for a year before a position opened up in the DNA lab in the Los Angeles Crime Lab where my dad works as a Detective. Now I'm here on my pursuit to become a field CSI like you."
"Why didn't you try in LA?" Nick couldn't let on that he spoke to Greg's father while he was there, he'd seem like some crazy stalker or something.
"I did try. That's the trouble with having very overprotective parents. My mom used to take me to the emergency room if I had the slightest nose bleed or headache. They completely freaked when there was a lab explosion..."
"Jeez, you were involved in a lab explosion?" Nick gasped shocked.
"Yep, I got these scars all over my back to prove it. You'd think they were hideous if you saw em." Greg smiled up at him. Nick looked into Greg's gorgeous sparkling brown eyes that perfectly reflected the moonlight in them, thinking there wasn't a single thing in the world that could make Greg look hideous to him.
They walked a little further up the street in complete silence, until they arrived outside of Nick's house. "Well here we are." Nick broke the silence pointing to his house. "You want me to give you a lift to your place? Or... did you wonna maybe come in?" Nick awkwardly suggested.
Greg looked up at Nick's place then looked deeply into Nick's chocolate brown eyes trying to think straight. "Um... could we maybe take a rain check?" He asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets, showing his first signs of insecurities since they started talking.
"Sure." Nick nodded, looking down at the keys in his hands, slightly disappointed, but slightly relieved at the same time.
"Thanks for the walk and talk." Greg smiled sweetly at him again making Nick's heart melt for the thousandth time that night. "Maybe we can do it again sometime?" He hoped.
"Sure." Nick nodded, trying to contain an excited grin from spreading across his lips. "I can give you my number." Nick pulled his card from his wallet, handing it over to Greg. "Maybe we could talk again sometime?"
"Okay . . . I'll see yah later, CSI Stokes." He grinned widely.
"You too, Officer Sanders." Greg waved back to him as he walked off down the street.
Nick sighed heavenly as he watched him go. He slowly turned around heading for his front door to get a couple hours of sleep before he headed into work again to get on with his case. He didn't know how much Greg was into him, but he was really starting to have strong feelings for him; feelings he had never felt before he laid eyes on Greg Sanders. He felt like he'd known him for years from all the things they discussed. They shared so much of themselves on what appeared to be a first date.
Nick had never done that before.
Nick dropped his keys on the side, heading round to his kitchen to grab a beer from his fridge. For the first time since he was rescued from the coffin he felt alive. The long walk and talk back home with Greg really did help him, even if they did only talk about the basics of work and how they got into their careers; it was the best conversation of his life with a man he was slowly beginning to fall for. He didn't understand his feelings as he had never felt them for a man before, but so far he liked these feelings beginning to build up inside of him. They were new and exciting and he wanted to explore them further.
Nick jumped as his phone started to ring. He was hoping that he wasn't being called back into work yet as he was really tired and he had only just got home.
Nick looked at the number he didn't recognise on his screen, slowly snapping it open. "Stokes." He answered professionally.
"Just wanted to check I had the right number." Greg's voice echoed through the phone, immediately putting a wide smile on Nick's face. "You know most people give out false numbers as a way of blowing off people."
"Well I can't imagine anyone ever doin' that to you." Nick replied, finding it strange that he was actually being flirtatious towards him.
"So what are yah doing for dinner tomorrow?" Greg asked him as if he was asking him out on another date.
Nick nervously bit his lip a moment in deep thought. "Um... probably a microwaved burrito."
"Do you wonna maybe go out for dinner with me?" Greg suggested. "Unless you're really looking forward to your burrito."
Nick chuckled shaking his head as he sat on the arm on his sofa, trying to think straight. For what seemed like an endless moment he listened to the younger mans breathing, trying to make up his mind. "Sure . . . okay that sounds good."
"So what time?" Greg excitedly asked.
Nick clenched his teeth together as he tried to think. "Um... how about I call yah when I get off work. I never know what time I'm gonna finish."
"Okay, see yah later CSI Stokes. Sleep tight."
"You too . . . bye Sanders."
"Bye." Nick snapped his cell phone shut, dropping heavily onto the sofa beneath him. He was both excited and terrified of what was going to happen.
"Good morning." Sandra smiled as she entered her father's bedroom with a breakfast tray of scrambled eggs and toast. She was once again greeted by the young man's smile and brightly shinning green eyes. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes thank you. No nightmares and I didn't wake up in pain for the first time." He reported, leaning against the headrest as she set the tray down on his lap. "Thank you Sandy."
"You're welcome." She sat on the edge of the bed to watch him eating again, still wondering who this strange man was and what his recent memories about the man telling him to kill meant.
"Mmmm, thank you. That was delicious." He smiled widely at her, licking his lips.
"You're welcome . . . so do you remember anything new today?"
"No . . . sorry Sandy. I don't remember anything."
"That's okay. It'll come back . . . just give it time." She assured him. "You can stay with us as long as you like. I mean if you want to?"
"Course I will." He chuckled. "You're the only people I know."
"That's true." She joined him in a laugh, picking up the breakfast tray from his lap. "I'll be back in a minute to change your bandages for you."
"Thanks." He smiled, watching her leaving. Sandra walked downstairs to the kitchen where her father was waiting for her.
"Morning Dad. What's up?"
He shook his head at her, looking at the glow in her eyes. "Nothing sweetheart. How's he doing?"
"Okay . . . he still doesn't know who he is."
"That's probably for the best." He muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Sandra to hear.
"Do you know who he is?" She confronted him, setting the tray down on the side.
"He's not a good guy sweetheart." He tried to tell her before she got too attached to him. On the most part he had tried to keep his nineteen year old daughter away from all men to keep her innocence intact. He couldn't let her fall all gooey eyed over one of his experiments.
"Then why's he in our house?"
"He was wounded . . . I couldn't just leave him to die. I need you to do me a favour and keep him upstairs. We can't let him out of here. I'm working on something down in the lab that will help him."
"Help him do what?"
"Erase his mind." Her father simply said, disappearing out the back door to return to his lab.
Sandra leant against the sink in front of her in total confusion. She didn't understand how he could be dangerous; he was so nice to her. Why was her father going to erase his mind? The mind of the only friend she's made since her mother died.
Please Review. I hope you enjoyed the first date banter. I had great fun writing it.
First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010