Say My Name

Chapter Ten: Take the Key

So far, Catherine appeared to be the only one who knew that Sara had moved in with Hank, since, well, Sara had told the blond herself. She had also told her coworker not to share the information with anyone else, making up some lame excuse about privacy and the fact that if Greg found out, she would never be able to live it down. Sara was happy that Catherine had been true to her word of not telling a soul and since Hank never socialized with her coworkers and they never socialized with him, everyone would be kept under wraps and Sara would be safe.

This false security of privacy lasted for about a week until the receptionist passed on a message that Hank had left her. The blonde who was cracking her gum, a tiny piece of paper in her hand, asked if Sara cared if she read it aloud. The answer was that she didn’t mind since it was only Warrick and Catherine in the break room with her.

“ ‘Sara, the people from Sleep Country left a message this morning saying they would be able to drop the bed off at five thirty. I won’t be home until eight so hopefully you’ll be there to answer the door for them. Love you and see you back at our place – Hank.’”

The blonde looked up from the piece of white paper in her hand before passing it to Sara who took it while she blushed a little. Sara barely heard the door closing behind the woman as she left. She was too busy trying to not notice the questioning look Warrick was giving her. Catherine sat there, continuing to read yesterday’s paper while she sipped at her water.

“ ‘Our place’?” he wondered aloud. “Since when was there a communal place between the two of you?”

“About three weeks ago.”

“When were you planning on telling us this?” Warrick said casually, smiling faintly as he watched how she squirmed beneath the questions and his pinning stare.

“Telling us what?” chimed in Nick, striding into the room and heading straight for the coffee pot that was thankfully still steaming.

“Oh, you know, the usual,” smirked Warrick, glancing over his shoulder so he could gauge Nick’s reaction, “Sara moving in with Hank.”

It was a bad time for Warrick to say the words since Nick had just brought the lip of the mug to his mouth, sipping at the hot contents that were suddenly spewed out. Catherine looked up slowly from her paper, a look of horror on her face as she wiped off the coffee that Nick had unintentionally spat in her direction.

“You’re supposed to drink it,” muttered Catherine, drying herself off with the paper towel that Warrick passed her.

“How long have you been living there?” Nick demanded.

He was trying desperately to not sound jealously or perturbed but it was extremely hard for him, not when he thought that things were going on quite well between him and Sara. In fact, for the past few days he had been thinking about breaking up with Natalie and asking Sara if she would consider breaking it off with Hank. Apparently, Sara did not share the same feelings that he did. She just wanted the promised sex between the two of them and Nick wasn’t so sure if he could live on that alone.

“About three weeks,” she murmured again.

She was unable to meet his eyes and at that moment, she was sure that any guilt and shame she had felt in the past immediately paled in comparison to how she was feeling now. She wasn’t completely sure why she felt as if it was Nick she was cheating on instead of Hank but she felt it all the same. When she did chance a look up at him, bracing himself with his hand on the counter, gripping at the edge of it so hard that his fingers were white, Sara saw the hurt etched into his face and how the pain settled in his chestnut eyes. They demanded of her so many questions that she could almost hear him asking and she didn’t know if she knew the answers to them.

“Well, I’m happy for you that you found someone who cares about,” he bit out, practically seething but more consumed by surprise than hate.

“No, you’re not,” she whispered and she wasn’t sure if anyone heard it but apparently Nick had.

Warrick and Catherine suddenly felt rather uncomfortable sitting there at the table with Sara. The two of them both found it rather odd how Nick was expressing such unexplained jealousy and how Sara was displaying such uncalled for shame. Catherine and Warrick both knew that had always been something between their friends but they both doubted the possibility of them acting upon their feelings for one another, especially because of the minor inconvenience of girlfriends and boyfriends.

They were finally saved when Catherine’s pager went off. Sara wasn’t sure she had ever seen two people bolt out of their chairs and out the door so fast before in her life. She could tell that they were uncomfortable sitting there silently while Nick stared incredulously at her and Sara sat in her chair, guilt-ridden.

“Why wouldn’t I be happy for you?” he whispered, leaning against the counter now instead of holding onto it for dear life.

“I don’t know,” she responded stupidly. “You definitely don’t look happy.”

“It’s unexpected, I’ll admit.”

“That’s shock for you?” she commented disbelievingly. “You look more irate than anything.”

“Why would I be? It’s not like we’re in a relationship or anything. It’s all about sex, right?” he stated.

He spoke the words casually but the intention of malice and spite hit home with her. It was apparent then that Nick wanted more but Sara wasn’t sure she could acknowledge it quite just yet. She could barely grasp the idea of herself sleeping with Nick let alone him wanting more than that.

“When are we going to have that by the way?” he wondered, folding his arms over his chest.

This was undoubtedly a side of him that she was not used to seeing but it didn’t really bother her. For the last week he was showing a completely new side of him, starting with him and his rather NC-17 PDA in the layout room with her.

“Sex?” she wondered, making sure that they were discussing the same thing.

“Yes, Sara. Sex.”

“I don’t know. I mean,” she blushed a little and he smirked at her as he sipped at his coffee.

He didn’t care at all that the mood of their conversation had utterly changed. He would rather be lusting off her than getting jealous any day.

“Well, probably not tonight since my new bed is coming tonight.”

“You got to break it in some time,” he grinned at her.

“Though I’ll probably need your help.”

He raised an eyebrow, gazing at her over the rim of his black mug that was pressed to his mouth.

“They’re just dropping it off. They’re not bringing it in or anything.”

“You were planning on moving it by yourself?”

“A queen size bed? I don’t think so. I have you for that,” she smiled sweetly. “We probably won’t have time for sex, unfortunately.”

“We’ll make time.”

“Unless you want to be there when Hank comes home.”

“Yeah, sure I’ll be there lying naked with you on top of me in your new bed when Hank comes home,” he drawled.

She snorted and chuckled a little. “Don’t get any ideas, Stokes.”

“What are you talking about?” he said, feigning innocence.

“You’ll be on top of me.”

“I see that we both have a superiority complex,” he commented. “However, I noticed that you didn’t seem to mind Hank coming home and finding us like that bothersome.”

“Because it’s not going to happen,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“What if it does?”

“It won’t, Nick.”

He nodded understandingly. “When do you want me over to help you break in the bed?”

“We’re moving it. That’s all.”

“You’re such a tease.”

“They’re coming at five thirty.”

He could have made a rather lewd comment about ‘coming’ but chose not to, keeping his tongue in his cheek.

“I’ll be there,” he said.

“Good.”

“And I’ll bring the condoms.”