Title: That's Amore
By: Manigault
Note: This is my answer to the PWF "A Night at the Movies" fanfiction challenge. It is all in fun and I had a good time with Grissom and Sara.
Side Note: Thanks to Donna for beta reading this one!
Disclaimer: They are so not mine. They are much fun, however they belong to CBS, Anthony Zuiker, and Alliance-Atlantic.
Sara released a heavy sigh. Placing a hand firmly on each hip she shook her head in disgust. Feeling a presence at her left elbow she was only slightly surprised when a deep gravely voice vibrated inside her left ear.
"What's the problem, Sara?" Grissom asked with genuine concern. All evening she had been distant and unresponsive to his teasing, and now she looked irritated. He inspected the break room for anything that was not where it belonged, and his eyes landed on the small white refrigerator.
"Did I leave something in the fridge that you think I shouldn't have?" Grissom did a mental inventory of his experiments.
Sara grinned in response and raised her eyebrows. "You always leave some experiment in the fridge, Grissom. No, that's not what's troubling me."
Grissom circled around Sara until he was facing her and he waited for her explanation. When she just looked at him in amusement, he had to ask. "So, why the melodramatic sighs?"
Sara shook her head at his use of descriptive terminology. She was anything but melodramatic. "It's nothing, Grissom. I just remembered something that I have to do tonight."
"Oh." Grissom tilted his head as he studied the frown lines on her forehead. "Clean your house? Wash your dogs?" Grissom prodded.
Sara narrowed her eyes in amused suspicion. "I don't have dogs, Gris."
She walked around him to pick up a newspaper that was lying on the table. Settling onto the sofa, she quickly opened it and flipped pages until she found what she was looking for.
Grissom stared at her with a thoughtful look. Casually he walked around the sofa until he was standing directly behind it, where he could get a good look at what she found so interesting.
Sara suppressed a grin. She knew what was coming and she anticipated his curiosity correctly when he spoke.
"The movie section, Sara?" Grissom could not hide his disbelief. He thought she would be reading the most recent news or checking out the crossword puzzle section. But the movie section? That could only mean one thing. Sara had a date. With whom?
"It looks like it Gris." Sara scanned the page until she found the theater she wanted. She bit her lip to keep the laughter from spilling over. Grissom shuffled behind her, shifting his weight from one leg to the other while he craned to see what she was looking at.
Pretending to ignore him, Sara folded the page over several times and brought it closer to her face.
"Your eyesight going bad, Sara?" Grissom asked when she effectively blocked his pursuits.
"No." Sara scowled in mock irritation.
"You remembered that you had to see a movie tonight?" Grissom could not help but sound baffled.
"That's right." Sara clutched the paper and waited. Would he ask?
"By yourself?" Grissom ventured.
Sara relaxed and released her breath. "Not necessarily." She kept her eyes on the movie section. "You could always go with me." She did not need to turn around to feel his surprise.
"Okay." Grissom spoke the word almost without giving it a thought. Images of Sara meeting some other man had been swirling through his mind ever since he saw the movie section. He had responded out of sheer relief.
"Uhm, Sara---." Grissom started to back paddle when Sara stood abruptly, offering him a wide smile.
"You can pick me up at seven o'clock. See you then!" Sara left the room before he could formulate his thoughts and back out. Whether or not he showed up would be another matter all together. Did he know where she lived?
~~~~*~~~~
Grissom paced inside his town home. He was not going. Picking up the phone he hit the speed dial that connected him with Sara's cell phone. After the tenth ring, he tried her home phone and let it ring ten times before returning it to its base.
Staring at a butterfly display in his den, he wondered if Sara would turn off her answering machine. He picked up his phone and dialed her pager. He would wait for her to call and let her know that he could not go with her to a movie. His eyes strayed to the clock above his sink. Five o'clock. Maybe she was sleeping. With a frown, he pulled a beer from his refrigerator and twisted the top off before taking a sip. One sip and he was staring at his phone. By five sips he was glaring at it as if it was holding Sara's return call in its depths.
"I'm not going to a movie with you, Sara." Grissom spoke to the phone. With numb fingers he adjusted the collar of his loosely buttoned blue shirt and ran a hand over the curls at the side of his head. "I'll just have to tell you in person."
~~~~*~~~~
Sara wrapped a towel around her body and glanced towards her ringing phone. She would not answer it. Grissom would have to either stand her up and face her tomorrow, or he could turn her down face to face.
The pager was practically bouncing off the nightstand in agitation when she picked it up and stared at the number.
"I'm not calling you Grissom." She shut off the offending machine and returned it to her dresser.
~~~~*~~~~
Grissom paced outside of Sara's doorway. He glanced at his watch and winced. It was only 5:45 pm. Was he that really early?
Sara pulled a close fitting dark blue short sleeved dress over her head. Quickly she pulled it back off and reached for a pair of jeans. Staring at the faded denim she looked back into her closet. Casual dressy or casual casual? The doorbell interrupted her reverie and she grabbed a t-shirt that proclaimed 'Bug Squad' along the front. Who would be ringing her door bell?
"Who is it?" Sara called as she approached the peephole.
"Um, Grissom."
"What?" Sara spun wildly towards the clock above her sink and proclaimed in a loud voice. "It's not seven!"
"Noooo. It's five forty five. Sara, will you open the door?"
Sara quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open. The sight of Grissom on the other side was almost more than she could have hoped. He wore tan slacks, a dark navy shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck and his hair appeared to have undergone some intensive smoothing. In a word he looked fine. Very fine. And he was staring at her with an expression of shock.
Glancing at her own bare legs, Sara's chin snapped back up and her eyes met and locked with Grissom's glazed eyes. He was actually turned on by her lack of attire. Maybe she should wear this t-shirt and nothing else. Sara suppressed a grin and stepped back to motion him inside her apartment.
"I'll be ready in ten minutes. We could always grab a bite to eat before the movie."
Grissom appeared to snap out of his daze. "That's why I came by, Sara." He sent her an accusatory look. "You don't appear to be answering your phone or your pager."
Narrowing her eyes, Sara shook her head. "Grissom. I promise that I won't jump your bones if you go with me to this movie. Okay? It's a movie, that's it."
"And dinner." Grissom added, before a wince transformed his face. Did he just say that?
Grinning, Sara ducked into her bedroom to change clothes. Choosing the blue dress was easy now. Slipping it over her head she smiled thinking about how Grissom's defenses were wearing thin. Twisting her brown hair into a loose knot on the back of her head she allowed several tendrils to play alongside her face. She avoided the bathroom and decided against refreshing her makeup, choosing the natural approach.
Slipping dark blue low slung shoes on, she stepped back into the den and watched Grissom, who was studiously perusing her CD collection.
Grissom sensed her presence and spun half way around to catch her gaze. His own eyes traced her outline from the curve of her face to the hard curves of her calves.
"Are you ready to go?" Sara presented him with the wide smile that she reserved for rare occasions and for him.
With the briefest of hesitations Grissom resigned himself to the fact that he was going to this movie with Sara and oddly enough was excited by the prospect. He told himself to watch his step or he could be in so deep by the end of the evening he would need the rest of the team to find him.
"What are we going to see?" Grissom quizzed as he waited for Sara to lock the door.
"It's called The Summer Fling." Sara informed him as she led the way to his car. A grunt greeted her in response.
"You ever heard of it, Gris?"
"No." Grissom admitted.
Sara laughed softly. They reached Grissom's car in comfortable silence and she was pleasantly surprised to find him opening the door for her before walking around to the driver's side.
"It's a romantic comedy." Sara added.
"I didn't know that you liked those types of movies."
"What do you think that I would like, Grissom?" She swiveled in her seat to face him. When he did not respond she teased. "I suppose you like silent movies."
Grissom quirked an eyebrow. "Of course. You should come with me to see one sometime." Why was he saying this? "We could go see it tonight instead of that romantic comedy."
Sara was tempted to take him up on his proposition. Spending several hours in a silent movie with Grissom was strangely exciting to her.
"I can't." Sara sighed. "I told Stephen that I would see this movie."
"Stephen." Grissom felt a jab of jealousy as he repeated the name. "Why would this man care if you saw this particular movie?"
"Grissom." Sara briefly thought about allowing him to think whatever he wanted in regards to Stephen.
"I mean why ask me to come with you if you are meeting some other man?"
"Wha---What?" Sara's tone was sharp and her face mirrored her ire. "No, you did not just say that Gil Grissom."
Grissom risked a glance in her direction. Would Sara ask him out only to meet some other man? He did not think she would be so thoughtless.
"Who is Stephen?" Grissom asked with genuine curiosity.
"Someone that I made a promise to years ago." Sara said with an evasive air. She was not elaborating after his accusation. She wondered if she had pushed him too far and if he would back out of their dinner plans. His next comment settled that question.
"I think we should just go to this movie and see if an earlier one is playing." Grissom gripped the steering wheel as he spoke and glanced at Sara who looked more disappointed now than angry.
"We could grab dinner afterwards and not have to rush." Grissom suggested on a whim. He did not say that, did he? Grissom shot a quick look at Sara who was shooting him a stunned look of her own.
"Ohhhkay." Sara said at last as an easier mood settled around her shoulders and she resumed looking forward to seeing a movie with him.
~~~~*~~~~
The line outside the theater was not long and they quickly found themselves in the lobby.
"Popcorn?" Sara questioned with a nod towards the concession stand.
"No, thanks." Grissom ambled away from her and spoke over his shoulder. "I'll find a seat."
Sara watched him saunter off and could only shake her head. She hoped that included a seat for her as well.
Loaded with popcorn and a large Diet Coke she made her way into the almost empty theater and spotted Grissom's curly gray head with ease.
"I almost didn't spot you in the crowd." Sara joked.
"You could have paged me." Grissom retorted with a smirk.
"Mind if I sit here?" Sara aimed for lightness as she nodded to the seat beside him. "Or would you rather I sit somewhere else?"
Grissom bit back the grin that was threatening to turn his mood positive. "You should grab a seat now before the crowds pour in." He held the seat down until she could maneuver herself into it, balancing the popcorn and drink without spilling a drop. "Popular movie."
"It will be." Sara mumbled. "I hope that it will be." She added with an odd note that caused Grissom to stare hard at her profile.
Sara settled the large Diet Coke inside the drink holder on the chair arm to her right. That left the arm between her and Grissom upright and she wondered if he would lower it. Settling the popcorn container on her lap she took one kernel and placed it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
She felt Grissom move restlessly beside her and tried to imagine what was going through his mind. All of the years that she had come to movies alone-- - or worse with someone like Hank---and wished that Grissom was sitting beside her played through her own mind. Now here she was and here he was beside her and she knew he wanted to bolt. Sara glanced at him before holding out the tub. He shook his head.
"I don't want to ruin my appetite." Grissom said with a smile.
Sara wondered if he was being serious. She decided he was not and she could play his game. "You planning on taking me to a burger joint after the movie?"
"Nothing so elaborate." Grissom knew that was playing with fire, but the words flowed freely. "I can cook a pretty good vegetarian lasagna."
Sara leaned into him and smiled. "You're inviting me back to your place?"
"No!" Grissom wiped his brow at the near miss. He had not intended to offer to cook her dinner. "The movie's starting, Sara." He kept his eyes on the screen as the lights dimmed.
"Previews." She shifted back into her seat with a grin.
Picking up another piece of popcorn she bit into it. Watching her, Grissom leaned over and said softly, "At the rate you are going you won't be halfway through that tub by the end of the movie."
"Are you telling me how to eat popcorn?" Sara teased.
In answer Grissom reached over and took a handful of the buttery concoction. "This is how you eat popcorn, Sara." With that he crunched into half a dozen pieces at once.
Sara rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
"Maybe in your world, macho man. I like to take it slow and enjoy every sensation."
Grissom cleared his throat and propped his left ankle over his right knee. Feeling a sudden thirst he motioned to Sara's drink.
"May I have a sip?"
"Sure." When Sara made no move to hand him the drink he weighed his options. He could ask her to hand it to him or he could reach over and take it. He chose the latter. His arm brushed her breast as he reached over her and he was pleased to hear her catch her breath.
Slowly he pulled back and brought the straw to his lips and took a big sip. Sputtering, he puckered his face in disgust as the liquid spewed from his mouth.
"That's Diet Coke!" He exclaimed, brushing off the wet fluid as it settled on his arm.
Sara laughed at him. It served him right after giving her mixed signals. One minute he was teasing her in his usual flirty manner and in the next he was pulling away.
"Don't drink it if you don't like it. You have time to buy a regular Coke."
Grissom shook his head and leaned back over her to replace the drink in her holder. He was more careful this time not to touch her breast as he leaned back.
"The movie is about to begin it looks like." He stared at the screen and Sara turned her attention to the opening credits. She wondered how long it would take Grissom to guess her secret.
"This is subtitled!" Grissom exclaimed with alarm. Some stranger in a seat behind them sent out a loud quaff. Ignoring the stranger he turned accusing eyes to Sara and whispered. "You didn't warn me that it was subtitled."
"I didn't hear you?" Sara whispered back loudly. "Could you repeat that?"
Grissom leaned towards her and whispered directly into her left ear. "I said that you didn't warn me that this movie was subtitled."
"No, I didn't." Sara enjoyed the feel of his warm breath on her eardrum and when he leaned back she followed him to return the whisper in his ear. "Grissom, this movie is subtitled. Didn't I tell you?"
She laughed softly and picked up the drink to take a sip of the cold beverage. She felt his eyes boring into her but she concentrated her attention on the movie screen.
Grissom locked his jaw and turned back to the screen. Two could play this game. He happened to like subtitles and as he watched the actors begin to interact he gave a little smile. He also liked Italian. They watched the story unfold and soon found themselves engrossed in the characters and their fallacies. If he did not know better he would say the lady was somewhat like Sara. Strong. Beautiful. And hard to resist.
He reached for a handful of popcorn and felt a warm hand reaching in at the same time. Drawing his hand back he glanced sideways and noticed that Sara had not withdrawn her hand from the tub. When she did bring her long fingers from the bucket she held several pieces of popcorn as she turned to look at him with a twinkle in her eyes. Holding the popcorn towards him she waited to see if he would take it from her or ignore her outstretched hand. Telling himself to ignore her gesture, he reacted in a terribly uncharacteristic manner for him. He wrapped his own fingers around her wrist and brought her hand towards him, where he allowed her to place the popcorn in his mouth.
He held her hand for a second longer than he should have and risked another look at her face. The teasing light was gone, replaced by some other emotion that he was afraid to examine too closely. What was he doing? Grissom released her hand and turned back towards the screen in time to see the main characters gazing at one another with looks of adoration. The male character swept the lady off her feet and whispered Italian words of love into her ear as she rubbed his back gently. In that second he felt Sara shift closer to him and hold the drink towards him so that he could take a sip. Without taking the drink in his hand he leaned forward and allowed her to hold the paper cup as he took a long sip of the bitter liquid. She replaced the cup in its holder and started to move away from him when he moved his right hand to her knee in a bold move. Her eyes flicked to his and a flash of awareness raced through each of their veins. Her left hand slipped beneath his fingers and within a heartbeat he was holding Sara's hand in his own.
This was the reason he did not want to go to a movie with Sara. He had known better. He was being swept off his feet with her proximity and the amorous scenes on the screen. It was not fair of her to do this to him when all he could dream about when he slept was what she would feel like, how she would taste. Now within the space of this evening he would know the answer to these questions. He knew that as sure as he knew that Sara was counting on the evening turning out in this manner. If only they could have this night and then return to their old patterns of flirtation without commitment. He frowned at this thought. Was that what he wanted from Sara? No commitment? He did not think that was what he wanted from Sara. He felt a nudge on his arm and he looked to his side to see Sara nodding to the screen.
"Stephen." Sara was saying as the credits rolled. Grissom saw the words producer roll past with the name Stephen Sidle next to it.
"A relative?" Grissom questioned with surprise.
"My brother." Sara told him with that amused smile. "He moved to Italy fifteen years ago to study film. He married an Italian woman and they have little Italian children." Sara kept her hand in his own as she told him about her brother and his dreams.
"I promised him that when he produced his first film I would go see it the night it premiered. My parents are watching it some place in San Francisco." Sara rubbed the top of his hand with her other hand.
"Thank you for coming with me, Grissom. I didn't want to see this alone and it meant more to me than you could know."
"You could have just told me from the beginning, Sara. I would have come with you." Grissom was not certain it would have changed his feelings but he liked to think that it would have.
Sara wrapped both of her hands around the one that she still held in her grasp. "It was more fun to talk you into it this way."
They stared at one another for several seconds before Sara released his hand and stood abruptly.
"You're free now, Gris." She avoided his eyes as she reached for the drink and the almost empty popcorn container. "I'm letting you out of that dinner." She did not want him to feel obligated into taking her to dinner, not when she had practically manipulated him into coming with her to see this movie.
Grissom locked his jaw and pulled his hand back onto his own lap. "That's it? You use me and then you send me on my way?"
Sara narrowed her eyes and stared at him as the lights in the theater brightened. His blue eyes held mirth as he let them roam over her tense figure. Relaxing, she held out her hand to him.
"Does that mean that dinner is still on?" Sara asked.
Grissom put his leg down on the cement and stood until he was facing her. He reached out a steady hand and touched her hair.
"On one condition." Grissom told her with a grin.
"Oh, what's that?"
"I cook."
Sara grabbed his hand to lead him from the theater. Grissom started to follow her when he suddenly groaned and muttered an obscenity beneath his breath.
Spinning back, Sara questioned him with her eyes and then burst into laugher. Grissom had planted his left foot firmly in a wad of bubble gum and it now spread across the width of his shoe.
"No problem, Gris. You don't need shoes for what I have planned."
Putting his foot back firmly on the ground, Grissom lifted his brow.
"Pi? che le parole persuadano gli esempi." Grissom grinned as Sara's brows shot up and she pulled him towards the door.
"Well I always say," Sara said with a smile. "Quando la pera è matura, casca da sè."
The End.
Note: I hope that I didn't butcher the Italian language.
Translated---
Grissom: "Actions speak louder than words."
Sara: "All things happen in their own good time."
By: Manigault
Note: This is my answer to the PWF "A Night at the Movies" fanfiction challenge. It is all in fun and I had a good time with Grissom and Sara.
Side Note: Thanks to Donna for beta reading this one!
Disclaimer: They are so not mine. They are much fun, however they belong to CBS, Anthony Zuiker, and Alliance-Atlantic.
Sara released a heavy sigh. Placing a hand firmly on each hip she shook her head in disgust. Feeling a presence at her left elbow she was only slightly surprised when a deep gravely voice vibrated inside her left ear.
"What's the problem, Sara?" Grissom asked with genuine concern. All evening she had been distant and unresponsive to his teasing, and now she looked irritated. He inspected the break room for anything that was not where it belonged, and his eyes landed on the small white refrigerator.
"Did I leave something in the fridge that you think I shouldn't have?" Grissom did a mental inventory of his experiments.
Sara grinned in response and raised her eyebrows. "You always leave some experiment in the fridge, Grissom. No, that's not what's troubling me."
Grissom circled around Sara until he was facing her and he waited for her explanation. When she just looked at him in amusement, he had to ask. "So, why the melodramatic sighs?"
Sara shook her head at his use of descriptive terminology. She was anything but melodramatic. "It's nothing, Grissom. I just remembered something that I have to do tonight."
"Oh." Grissom tilted his head as he studied the frown lines on her forehead. "Clean your house? Wash your dogs?" Grissom prodded.
Sara narrowed her eyes in amused suspicion. "I don't have dogs, Gris."
She walked around him to pick up a newspaper that was lying on the table. Settling onto the sofa, she quickly opened it and flipped pages until she found what she was looking for.
Grissom stared at her with a thoughtful look. Casually he walked around the sofa until he was standing directly behind it, where he could get a good look at what she found so interesting.
Sara suppressed a grin. She knew what was coming and she anticipated his curiosity correctly when he spoke.
"The movie section, Sara?" Grissom could not hide his disbelief. He thought she would be reading the most recent news or checking out the crossword puzzle section. But the movie section? That could only mean one thing. Sara had a date. With whom?
"It looks like it Gris." Sara scanned the page until she found the theater she wanted. She bit her lip to keep the laughter from spilling over. Grissom shuffled behind her, shifting his weight from one leg to the other while he craned to see what she was looking at.
Pretending to ignore him, Sara folded the page over several times and brought it closer to her face.
"Your eyesight going bad, Sara?" Grissom asked when she effectively blocked his pursuits.
"No." Sara scowled in mock irritation.
"You remembered that you had to see a movie tonight?" Grissom could not help but sound baffled.
"That's right." Sara clutched the paper and waited. Would he ask?
"By yourself?" Grissom ventured.
Sara relaxed and released her breath. "Not necessarily." She kept her eyes on the movie section. "You could always go with me." She did not need to turn around to feel his surprise.
"Okay." Grissom spoke the word almost without giving it a thought. Images of Sara meeting some other man had been swirling through his mind ever since he saw the movie section. He had responded out of sheer relief.
"Uhm, Sara---." Grissom started to back paddle when Sara stood abruptly, offering him a wide smile.
"You can pick me up at seven o'clock. See you then!" Sara left the room before he could formulate his thoughts and back out. Whether or not he showed up would be another matter all together. Did he know where she lived?
~~~~*~~~~
Grissom paced inside his town home. He was not going. Picking up the phone he hit the speed dial that connected him with Sara's cell phone. After the tenth ring, he tried her home phone and let it ring ten times before returning it to its base.
Staring at a butterfly display in his den, he wondered if Sara would turn off her answering machine. He picked up his phone and dialed her pager. He would wait for her to call and let her know that he could not go with her to a movie. His eyes strayed to the clock above his sink. Five o'clock. Maybe she was sleeping. With a frown, he pulled a beer from his refrigerator and twisted the top off before taking a sip. One sip and he was staring at his phone. By five sips he was glaring at it as if it was holding Sara's return call in its depths.
"I'm not going to a movie with you, Sara." Grissom spoke to the phone. With numb fingers he adjusted the collar of his loosely buttoned blue shirt and ran a hand over the curls at the side of his head. "I'll just have to tell you in person."
~~~~*~~~~
Sara wrapped a towel around her body and glanced towards her ringing phone. She would not answer it. Grissom would have to either stand her up and face her tomorrow, or he could turn her down face to face.
The pager was practically bouncing off the nightstand in agitation when she picked it up and stared at the number.
"I'm not calling you Grissom." She shut off the offending machine and returned it to her dresser.
~~~~*~~~~
Grissom paced outside of Sara's doorway. He glanced at his watch and winced. It was only 5:45 pm. Was he that really early?
Sara pulled a close fitting dark blue short sleeved dress over her head. Quickly she pulled it back off and reached for a pair of jeans. Staring at the faded denim she looked back into her closet. Casual dressy or casual casual? The doorbell interrupted her reverie and she grabbed a t-shirt that proclaimed 'Bug Squad' along the front. Who would be ringing her door bell?
"Who is it?" Sara called as she approached the peephole.
"Um, Grissom."
"What?" Sara spun wildly towards the clock above her sink and proclaimed in a loud voice. "It's not seven!"
"Noooo. It's five forty five. Sara, will you open the door?"
Sara quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open. The sight of Grissom on the other side was almost more than she could have hoped. He wore tan slacks, a dark navy shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck and his hair appeared to have undergone some intensive smoothing. In a word he looked fine. Very fine. And he was staring at her with an expression of shock.
Glancing at her own bare legs, Sara's chin snapped back up and her eyes met and locked with Grissom's glazed eyes. He was actually turned on by her lack of attire. Maybe she should wear this t-shirt and nothing else. Sara suppressed a grin and stepped back to motion him inside her apartment.
"I'll be ready in ten minutes. We could always grab a bite to eat before the movie."
Grissom appeared to snap out of his daze. "That's why I came by, Sara." He sent her an accusatory look. "You don't appear to be answering your phone or your pager."
Narrowing her eyes, Sara shook her head. "Grissom. I promise that I won't jump your bones if you go with me to this movie. Okay? It's a movie, that's it."
"And dinner." Grissom added, before a wince transformed his face. Did he just say that?
Grinning, Sara ducked into her bedroom to change clothes. Choosing the blue dress was easy now. Slipping it over her head she smiled thinking about how Grissom's defenses were wearing thin. Twisting her brown hair into a loose knot on the back of her head she allowed several tendrils to play alongside her face. She avoided the bathroom and decided against refreshing her makeup, choosing the natural approach.
Slipping dark blue low slung shoes on, she stepped back into the den and watched Grissom, who was studiously perusing her CD collection.
Grissom sensed her presence and spun half way around to catch her gaze. His own eyes traced her outline from the curve of her face to the hard curves of her calves.
"Are you ready to go?" Sara presented him with the wide smile that she reserved for rare occasions and for him.
With the briefest of hesitations Grissom resigned himself to the fact that he was going to this movie with Sara and oddly enough was excited by the prospect. He told himself to watch his step or he could be in so deep by the end of the evening he would need the rest of the team to find him.
"What are we going to see?" Grissom quizzed as he waited for Sara to lock the door.
"It's called The Summer Fling." Sara informed him as she led the way to his car. A grunt greeted her in response.
"You ever heard of it, Gris?"
"No." Grissom admitted.
Sara laughed softly. They reached Grissom's car in comfortable silence and she was pleasantly surprised to find him opening the door for her before walking around to the driver's side.
"It's a romantic comedy." Sara added.
"I didn't know that you liked those types of movies."
"What do you think that I would like, Grissom?" She swiveled in her seat to face him. When he did not respond she teased. "I suppose you like silent movies."
Grissom quirked an eyebrow. "Of course. You should come with me to see one sometime." Why was he saying this? "We could go see it tonight instead of that romantic comedy."
Sara was tempted to take him up on his proposition. Spending several hours in a silent movie with Grissom was strangely exciting to her.
"I can't." Sara sighed. "I told Stephen that I would see this movie."
"Stephen." Grissom felt a jab of jealousy as he repeated the name. "Why would this man care if you saw this particular movie?"
"Grissom." Sara briefly thought about allowing him to think whatever he wanted in regards to Stephen.
"I mean why ask me to come with you if you are meeting some other man?"
"Wha---What?" Sara's tone was sharp and her face mirrored her ire. "No, you did not just say that Gil Grissom."
Grissom risked a glance in her direction. Would Sara ask him out only to meet some other man? He did not think she would be so thoughtless.
"Who is Stephen?" Grissom asked with genuine curiosity.
"Someone that I made a promise to years ago." Sara said with an evasive air. She was not elaborating after his accusation. She wondered if she had pushed him too far and if he would back out of their dinner plans. His next comment settled that question.
"I think we should just go to this movie and see if an earlier one is playing." Grissom gripped the steering wheel as he spoke and glanced at Sara who looked more disappointed now than angry.
"We could grab dinner afterwards and not have to rush." Grissom suggested on a whim. He did not say that, did he? Grissom shot a quick look at Sara who was shooting him a stunned look of her own.
"Ohhhkay." Sara said at last as an easier mood settled around her shoulders and she resumed looking forward to seeing a movie with him.
~~~~*~~~~
The line outside the theater was not long and they quickly found themselves in the lobby.
"Popcorn?" Sara questioned with a nod towards the concession stand.
"No, thanks." Grissom ambled away from her and spoke over his shoulder. "I'll find a seat."
Sara watched him saunter off and could only shake her head. She hoped that included a seat for her as well.
Loaded with popcorn and a large Diet Coke she made her way into the almost empty theater and spotted Grissom's curly gray head with ease.
"I almost didn't spot you in the crowd." Sara joked.
"You could have paged me." Grissom retorted with a smirk.
"Mind if I sit here?" Sara aimed for lightness as she nodded to the seat beside him. "Or would you rather I sit somewhere else?"
Grissom bit back the grin that was threatening to turn his mood positive. "You should grab a seat now before the crowds pour in." He held the seat down until she could maneuver herself into it, balancing the popcorn and drink without spilling a drop. "Popular movie."
"It will be." Sara mumbled. "I hope that it will be." She added with an odd note that caused Grissom to stare hard at her profile.
Sara settled the large Diet Coke inside the drink holder on the chair arm to her right. That left the arm between her and Grissom upright and she wondered if he would lower it. Settling the popcorn container on her lap she took one kernel and placed it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
She felt Grissom move restlessly beside her and tried to imagine what was going through his mind. All of the years that she had come to movies alone-- - or worse with someone like Hank---and wished that Grissom was sitting beside her played through her own mind. Now here she was and here he was beside her and she knew he wanted to bolt. Sara glanced at him before holding out the tub. He shook his head.
"I don't want to ruin my appetite." Grissom said with a smile.
Sara wondered if he was being serious. She decided he was not and she could play his game. "You planning on taking me to a burger joint after the movie?"
"Nothing so elaborate." Grissom knew that was playing with fire, but the words flowed freely. "I can cook a pretty good vegetarian lasagna."
Sara leaned into him and smiled. "You're inviting me back to your place?"
"No!" Grissom wiped his brow at the near miss. He had not intended to offer to cook her dinner. "The movie's starting, Sara." He kept his eyes on the screen as the lights dimmed.
"Previews." She shifted back into her seat with a grin.
Picking up another piece of popcorn she bit into it. Watching her, Grissom leaned over and said softly, "At the rate you are going you won't be halfway through that tub by the end of the movie."
"Are you telling me how to eat popcorn?" Sara teased.
In answer Grissom reached over and took a handful of the buttery concoction. "This is how you eat popcorn, Sara." With that he crunched into half a dozen pieces at once.
Sara rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
"Maybe in your world, macho man. I like to take it slow and enjoy every sensation."
Grissom cleared his throat and propped his left ankle over his right knee. Feeling a sudden thirst he motioned to Sara's drink.
"May I have a sip?"
"Sure." When Sara made no move to hand him the drink he weighed his options. He could ask her to hand it to him or he could reach over and take it. He chose the latter. His arm brushed her breast as he reached over her and he was pleased to hear her catch her breath.
Slowly he pulled back and brought the straw to his lips and took a big sip. Sputtering, he puckered his face in disgust as the liquid spewed from his mouth.
"That's Diet Coke!" He exclaimed, brushing off the wet fluid as it settled on his arm.
Sara laughed at him. It served him right after giving her mixed signals. One minute he was teasing her in his usual flirty manner and in the next he was pulling away.
"Don't drink it if you don't like it. You have time to buy a regular Coke."
Grissom shook his head and leaned back over her to replace the drink in her holder. He was more careful this time not to touch her breast as he leaned back.
"The movie is about to begin it looks like." He stared at the screen and Sara turned her attention to the opening credits. She wondered how long it would take Grissom to guess her secret.
"This is subtitled!" Grissom exclaimed with alarm. Some stranger in a seat behind them sent out a loud quaff. Ignoring the stranger he turned accusing eyes to Sara and whispered. "You didn't warn me that it was subtitled."
"I didn't hear you?" Sara whispered back loudly. "Could you repeat that?"
Grissom leaned towards her and whispered directly into her left ear. "I said that you didn't warn me that this movie was subtitled."
"No, I didn't." Sara enjoyed the feel of his warm breath on her eardrum and when he leaned back she followed him to return the whisper in his ear. "Grissom, this movie is subtitled. Didn't I tell you?"
She laughed softly and picked up the drink to take a sip of the cold beverage. She felt his eyes boring into her but she concentrated her attention on the movie screen.
Grissom locked his jaw and turned back to the screen. Two could play this game. He happened to like subtitles and as he watched the actors begin to interact he gave a little smile. He also liked Italian. They watched the story unfold and soon found themselves engrossed in the characters and their fallacies. If he did not know better he would say the lady was somewhat like Sara. Strong. Beautiful. And hard to resist.
He reached for a handful of popcorn and felt a warm hand reaching in at the same time. Drawing his hand back he glanced sideways and noticed that Sara had not withdrawn her hand from the tub. When she did bring her long fingers from the bucket she held several pieces of popcorn as she turned to look at him with a twinkle in her eyes. Holding the popcorn towards him she waited to see if he would take it from her or ignore her outstretched hand. Telling himself to ignore her gesture, he reacted in a terribly uncharacteristic manner for him. He wrapped his own fingers around her wrist and brought her hand towards him, where he allowed her to place the popcorn in his mouth.
He held her hand for a second longer than he should have and risked another look at her face. The teasing light was gone, replaced by some other emotion that he was afraid to examine too closely. What was he doing? Grissom released her hand and turned back towards the screen in time to see the main characters gazing at one another with looks of adoration. The male character swept the lady off her feet and whispered Italian words of love into her ear as she rubbed his back gently. In that second he felt Sara shift closer to him and hold the drink towards him so that he could take a sip. Without taking the drink in his hand he leaned forward and allowed her to hold the paper cup as he took a long sip of the bitter liquid. She replaced the cup in its holder and started to move away from him when he moved his right hand to her knee in a bold move. Her eyes flicked to his and a flash of awareness raced through each of their veins. Her left hand slipped beneath his fingers and within a heartbeat he was holding Sara's hand in his own.
This was the reason he did not want to go to a movie with Sara. He had known better. He was being swept off his feet with her proximity and the amorous scenes on the screen. It was not fair of her to do this to him when all he could dream about when he slept was what she would feel like, how she would taste. Now within the space of this evening he would know the answer to these questions. He knew that as sure as he knew that Sara was counting on the evening turning out in this manner. If only they could have this night and then return to their old patterns of flirtation without commitment. He frowned at this thought. Was that what he wanted from Sara? No commitment? He did not think that was what he wanted from Sara. He felt a nudge on his arm and he looked to his side to see Sara nodding to the screen.
"Stephen." Sara was saying as the credits rolled. Grissom saw the words producer roll past with the name Stephen Sidle next to it.
"A relative?" Grissom questioned with surprise.
"My brother." Sara told him with that amused smile. "He moved to Italy fifteen years ago to study film. He married an Italian woman and they have little Italian children." Sara kept her hand in his own as she told him about her brother and his dreams.
"I promised him that when he produced his first film I would go see it the night it premiered. My parents are watching it some place in San Francisco." Sara rubbed the top of his hand with her other hand.
"Thank you for coming with me, Grissom. I didn't want to see this alone and it meant more to me than you could know."
"You could have just told me from the beginning, Sara. I would have come with you." Grissom was not certain it would have changed his feelings but he liked to think that it would have.
Sara wrapped both of her hands around the one that she still held in her grasp. "It was more fun to talk you into it this way."
They stared at one another for several seconds before Sara released his hand and stood abruptly.
"You're free now, Gris." She avoided his eyes as she reached for the drink and the almost empty popcorn container. "I'm letting you out of that dinner." She did not want him to feel obligated into taking her to dinner, not when she had practically manipulated him into coming with her to see this movie.
Grissom locked his jaw and pulled his hand back onto his own lap. "That's it? You use me and then you send me on my way?"
Sara narrowed her eyes and stared at him as the lights in the theater brightened. His blue eyes held mirth as he let them roam over her tense figure. Relaxing, she held out her hand to him.
"Does that mean that dinner is still on?" Sara asked.
Grissom put his leg down on the cement and stood until he was facing her. He reached out a steady hand and touched her hair.
"On one condition." Grissom told her with a grin.
"Oh, what's that?"
"I cook."
Sara grabbed his hand to lead him from the theater. Grissom started to follow her when he suddenly groaned and muttered an obscenity beneath his breath.
Spinning back, Sara questioned him with her eyes and then burst into laugher. Grissom had planted his left foot firmly in a wad of bubble gum and it now spread across the width of his shoe.
"No problem, Gris. You don't need shoes for what I have planned."
Putting his foot back firmly on the ground, Grissom lifted his brow.
"Pi? che le parole persuadano gli esempi." Grissom grinned as Sara's brows shot up and she pulled him towards the door.
"Well I always say," Sara said with a smile. "Quando la pera è matura, casca da sè."
The End.
Note: I hope that I didn't butcher the Italian language.
Translated---
Grissom: "Actions speak louder than words."
Sara: "All things happen in their own good time."