The Loophole

Chapter 8

Deep down, Sara had always known it wouldn't last. Their personalities were too strong, the age difference too great. Maintaining their workplace relationship was too hard. Whatever the reason, she knew it would come.

But she never would have suspected that Grissom would cheat. He had too much respect for her, and he was a better man than that. So when the evidence mounted against him, she was completely blindsided.

It started right after their six-month anniversary. She would wake to an empty bed. Sometimes she'd find him huddled in the corner of the living room, whispering into his cell phone. Other times, he was just gone, after only a few hours' sleep. She'd call and ask where he was, but his answers were vague. Usually he'd say he'd gone shopping, but he'd come home empty-handed.

Then came the smirks. She'd walk down the halls of the lab, and people would hide their smiles and whisper to each other, staring at her. Every time she came upon a hushed conversation it would stop, and the others would glance at each other uncomfortably. After a while she started wearing headphones to work, listening to music to avoid further embarrassment. But the smirks persisted, and she caught every one.

Still, though, the evidence was circumstantial. So what if she'd caught Sofia sitting on the edge of Grissom's desk, whispering in his ear? It could have been something related to a case, or a complaint about a coworker. There was no need to assume the worst.

So even with her suspicions, even with her doubts, her heart broke when she heard it. He'd gotten out of their bed in the middle of the afternoon, moving stealthily so as not to wake her. He hadn't realized that she hardly slept anymore. She'd followed him out to the living room, and caught a snippet of his conversation.

"Tell her I'll pick her up at five-thirty on Friday, and I can't wait to see her. and tell her I love her."

There was nowhere to hide from him. If she lay in bed, he was sure to return and snuggle up against her to dream of his mystery woman. If she got in the shower, he might join her. There was nowhere to let the hot tears fall, so she lay still, trembling as the words replayed in her head, over and over. It wasn't a fling. Grissom loved this woman. He loved her.

Eventually he got back into bed. "You cold?" he whispered, wrapping a thick arm around her. She shook her head.

"Hey Griss?"

"Mmm?"

"I was thinking. we haven't been on a roller coaster in months. How about we stop by an amusement park Friday before work?"

He stiffened slightly, but she felt it. "Oh. I don't think I can," he said slowly. "I've got to go to a, um. a thing for work."

"A thing?"

"Yeah, a seminar, on. insects."

"Oh, cool. can I come?"

"No," he said a little too sharply. "I mean. you have to have registered for it."

It was lucky that she was facing away from him, so he couldn't see the tear trailing down her nose. Lucky.

"Okay," she murmured finally.

"We can go ride roller coasters on Saturday," he suggested.

"Saturday's that reception for the new sheriff," she said dully.

"Right. Sunday then. Or next week sometime."

She'd been stupid to think that vows made in an all-night Las Vegas chapel could mean anything.

"Do you think this makes me look too slutty?" Catherine spun around slowly, checking herself out in the long mirror.

"You don't want me to answer that," Sara grumbled. She'd been sitting on a hard wooden bench for forty-five minutes, watching Catherine model dress after low-cut dress. "It looks fine, just buy it and we'll go."

"I don't know," Catherine said, fingering the material. "It's pretty expensive for one night of kissing up to the new sheriff. I'll be right back, I'm going to grab some more to try on."

Sara glanced at the clock. Five-thirty. Grissom was off with the woman he loved. She felt sick to her stomach.

Catherine returned with an armful of gowns, and threw a couple at Sara. "Here, try these."

"I'm wearing one of my old dresses," Sara scowled. "I'm just here for moral support, remember?"

"Look, I got tonight off so we could have fun and be girly," Catherine snapped, irritated. "Just humor me and try on the goddamn dresses."

Rolling her eyes, Sara stomped into the dressing room, dumping the gowns on a chair. Stripping out of her jeans and tank top, she pulled on the top dress. It was a cream-colored satin, so long that it touched the tops of her feet. It was beautiful. The tears came before she knew it.

Catherine popped her head in. "Oh, god, you look so-" She stopped when she saw Sara's face. "What's the matter? You look amazing!"

"This is a wedding dress, Cath."

"It is not. I mean, it could be, but white dresses are perfectly appropriate at other occasions. And that one was made for you." She shook her head. "Grissom's going to flip when he sees you in this."

"No he won't."

"Of course he will! He's-"

"He's having an affair."

Catherine blinked. "What?"

"He leaves all the time and lies about where he's been," Sara blurted out. "Sofia's been sitting on his desk, and people are whispering about me, and on Tuesday I heard him telling some woman that he loves her and would pick her up tonight. But he told me he was going to some seminar. He's having an affair, Cath."

"Oh, kiddo." Catherine's voice was soft, her eyes wide and sympathetic. "He's not."

"He is," Sara replied. She thought it should have relieved some of the pressure on her chest to say the words aloud, but the pain was sharper than ever.

"Sara, what do you think I value most in my life?"

"Your boobs?"

Catherine tried to glare at her. "No."

"Lindsey?"

She nodded, smoothing down Sara's hair. "Sweetie, I promise you, I swear on my own daughter, that Grissom is not having an affair."

Sara wanted to argue, to explain that Grissom wouldn't confide such a thing in Catherine. But she was too tired to fight anymore. She let Catherine bring the dress up to the register with great fanfare, as if it mattered. A dress wouldn't win back her husband's heart.