Unbelievably Unbearable

Unbelievably Unbearable
Chapter 8

Tuesday had rolled around much quicker than Grissom had anticipated. When he

arrived home that morning he had called and got reservations at his favorite

seafood restaurant on Lake Mead. He knew he had seen Sara eating a tuna

sandwich last week but he was quick to ask the restaurant if they offered vegetarian

fare as well. He was pleased to find that they did indeed. He made the reservations for

9:00 PM. The later the better since they would both be up all night anyway. One of the

hardest things about working midnights was the fact that the rest of the world just

refused to live on your schedule. But 9:00 was good he mused. It would give him

time to pick up the things he needed before their date. And if Sara was interested

they could still catch a midnight movie somewhere. Grissom had never really seen

himself as a diner and a movie kinda guy, but despite what the rest of the world

thought there wasn't much to do in Vegas after midnight if you weren't a drunk or

a gambler.


He slept the morning and most of the afternoon away. 4:00 PM found him at the mall.

A place that he was not all that unfamiliar with. Borders, his favorite bookstore was located

in this mall, so he found himself there more often than even he liked to admit. Sometimes

he wandered into the mall proper, sometimes he just spent an afternoon leisurly perusing the

new releases at the bookstore. Today, he planned on going into the mall to try and find Sara

something. He wanted to get her a gift. Nothing grand, just a small gesture to let her know

that he was serious about trying at a relationship.


Grissom was thankful that there wasn't a huge crowd at the mall. It was Tuesday and mercifully

not the holiday season. There were very few teenagers in sight. Mostly middle aged women and

a few young mothers with strollers. Grissom stopped at the Auntie Anne's pretzel kiosk and ordered

a bottled water and an unsalted pretzel. His doctor had placed him on a fairly strict diet regimine

a couple of years back. The doctor had told him if he didn't de-stress his life and lose some weight,

he was on a fast track to a heart attack. Grissom had luckily been able to shed some of the pounds

but as for de-stressing his life. Well, that certainly hadn't been as fruitful an endeavor.


Grissom munched on his pretzel as he window shopped. He glanced into Victoria's Secret but decided

he would let Sara pick her own underwear, for now. He passed Lady Footlocker. He didn't think a new

pair of sneakers carried the sentiment he was trying to convey. A jewlrey store was nestled into a corner shop

but Grissom knew they weren't quite there yet. Finding a trash can, he tossed his pretzel wrapper and empty

water bottle inside. He still couldn't help but peek at the sparkling rings in

the display case as he passed the store to enter the mega department store that signified the end to

the wing.


Maureen, a fifty-something sales lady, approached Grissom as he looked through the assorted scarves

on display.

"May I help you with something, sir?"

"Yes, Maureen is it?" Grissom asked as he noted her nametag.

Maureen nodded for him to continue.

"Do you have a silk scarf with butterflies or dragonflys? Really any insect will do as long as it flies? Oh
and I need two, a matching pair?"

The sales lady gave Grissom an odd look before she answered, "These are our scarves with designs on
them, and these are our muliticolored or patterned scarves and over here you will find our monochromatic
selections."

"Thank you," Grissom had said but didn't point out that he had already figured out their system for himself.

He continued to look through the scraps of cloth before decideing to go with solid pink. They shimmered

and he thought Sara had always looked good in pink, although she didn't wear it that often.


After paying for the scarves he headed to the Hallmark store. He quickly found a blank card with butterflies

on the cover. He picked up a bookmark before heading to the aromatherapy candle selection. He grabbed

two of the candles labeled sensuous. Last on his Hallmark list was some sort of gift for Sara. He didn't

want to bring flowers, they only died. He wanted to give her something that said, 'I intend to make this work.

I want to be there for you.'


He spotted the little animals on a rack near the register. They had little heart shaped tags and were really

quite adorable. He knew they had been all the rage a few years back but wasn't sure that they were still

being produced. He walked over and began looking through the various animals. Kittens, puppies, and

even an octopus were among the collection. He looked at the heart shaped tag and realized that it opened.

He began reading the little sentiments that went with each animal. Finally, he settled on a bear named

Curls.

Curls reminded Grissom of himself in that he was covered with downy soft curls. He hoped Sara would notice

this too. But it was the sentiment that had prompted Grissom's decision. The little tag read:


If you're feeling sad or blue
I know something you can do
With just one little hug from me
You'll feel better instantly !


It was perfect!

He paid the teenage sales clerk and headed for the bookstore.


Grissom sat the bags on his breakfast bar as he came home. He had spent far more time in the bookstore

than he had anticipated. It was already after seven and he still had to shower, get ready, and wrap Sara's gift.

He went into his bedroom and began to lay out his clothes when he realized that he hadn't told Sara the dress

code for the restaurant. He needed to call her and tell her that her usual jeans and casual top wouldn't do.

He knew at the very least that she had her court suits she could rely on. He picked up his bedside phone and

punched in her number.


Sara had just stepped out of the shower as she heard the phone ringing. She hoped it wasn't Grissom calling

to back out. She didn't know if she should answer it. If she didn't answer it at least he wouldn't hear the hurt in

her voice when he let her down. But maybe if she did answer it, it would be harder for him to tell her he had decided

to cancel. It was always easier to give bad news to the machine. It was on its fourth ring, she would have to decide

now. "Sorry, I am not home," her voice blared at her accusingly. She couldn't do it. She had to pick up.

"Hello," she said cutting the machine off half way through its spiel.

"Oh, you're there, good, glad I caught you," Grissom said.

He didn't sound like he wanted to back out.

"Yeah, I just got out of the shower," she realized that this was problem under the category 'Too Much Info' after

she had already blurted it out.

Grissom had to clear is throat. He was never going to get through this conversation. His powerful imagination

inundated his brain with all sorts of lusty images. He fantasized that she was wrapped in a white terry cloth

towel on the other end of the line. Her hair was wet and dripping onto her shoulders and down into the valley

between her breasts.

"I -uh- hmm- I just called to let you know that the place we are going to is a little upscale. Not quite evening

gown material but it is still classy. No jeans. Is that okay? I mean I don't know anything about your wardrobe.

I should have asked."

"No, Griss, its fine. I have something I can wear. Something you've never seen."

"Well, I can't wait then. I will be there at 8:15 that is in about an hour will you be ready?"

"Yeah, I just have to blow dry my hair, put on a little make up, oh and I can't wear this towel?"

"What color is it?"

"What color is what, my dress?"

"No, the towel," he responded.

"White, why?"

"No reason," he lied. His cock twitched in his pants as he realized that the image his brain had settled on

was personified on the other end of the phone.

"Okay, Griss, I need to get off, so I can get ready."

"Okay, see you in a bit," he left out that he fully intended for her to get off. He just didn't know if things

would get that far tonight.