‹ Prequel: Feed the Fire
Sequel: Rekindle the Flame

Kiss the Flame

Southern Raised Boy and a New York Girl

I want to walk through life instead of being dragged through it. - Alanis Morissette

The sun streamed through the white gauzy curtains and filled the room with its bright light. The bed was tousled and Sabrina stretched out much like a cat waking up from a nap. She smiled to herself as she woke up and remembered the night before.

“A true southern gentlemen,” she murmured to no one. Sabrina took a deep breath and thought about last night. A smile came across her features as she remembered standing by her car and feeling the heat radiating from George’s body. She drew her lip between her teeth as her body flooded with feeling as he gently kissed her mouth.
Sabrina’s body started to get warm all over as her mind ran through the events leading up to the here and now. She could almost feel his hand cupping her cheek as he deepened the kiss.

She closed her eyes and stretched again as she thought about how the evening ended. They separated from the kiss each breathing a bit more heavily. The laugh lines crinkled around George’s eyes as he smiled at Sabrina.

“I need to stop now or I won’t be able to stop later.”

“Who says I want you to stop?” she murmured.

“Well I don’t feel right going so fast. I want to get to know you first before jumping in the sack with you. I want to know your personality before I know you sexually.” He took a step back and took her hand in his. Bringing it up to his lips he smiled again, “I had a wonderful time Sabrina and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow on set.” Dropping her hand he turned from her and looked over his shoulder, “Have a nice night.”

Shaking her head Sabrina brought herself to the present and for the first time in a while… hell she couldn’t even remember when she actually looked forward to the day.

Upstate from where Sabrina was Beth was already awake and sitting on porch that came out from the bedroom. She was curled up in a chair and holding the hot mug within her two hands. She paused to blow gently across the rim before bringing the mug to her lips to take a small sip and grimace from the heat of said tea. A guitar and notebook laid atop a small table to Beth’s left and she felt the instrument calling to her but for some reason she didn’t; no couldn’t she corrected herself in her mind. Shrugging her shoulders she settled back into the chair.

It was early and Beth watched the world around her wake up. The sun was starting to warm up the air and birds were nosily chirping as they went about their day. She closed her eyes lazily as she hear a dog barking somewhere in the neighborhood.

“God I need some sleep…” Beth muttered to herself. “I hate not being able to get a full nights sleep… damn record.”

“Why are you damning the record?” asked a deep male voice from the doorway to the bedroom. “If you damn it then you might jinx yourself.” Mike took a few steps and sunk into the chair next to Beth. Taking a moment to stretch out fully; he turned to look at the woman near him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Beth muttered as she kept her gaze into the mug of tea. She absently swirled the mug and watching the liquid circle lazily around.

“Nothing my ass.”

Beth looked sharply at Mike. “You know… I don’t remember asking you to join me out here. Get the drift.”

“Why do you always attack when you have to feel or discuss anything?”

“None of your fucking business rock star. Fuck I don’t know why I’m even doing this. I mean who am I kidding…” She paused and looked back into her mug. “I mean really… all I am is just a karaoke singer from upstate New York.”

“What is your problem Beth? I mean you know you have more talent than just being a karaoke singer…” Mike stopped speaking as he realized what he had said and how it came out. “Wait…. I didn’t mean it that way,” he stuttered.

Suddenly his face felt like it was on fire as Beth showered him with the contents of her mug. “Fuck you asshole. Know I see what you really think of me. You are sooo good Mr Rockstar and all I am is a little itty bitty peon. Well just let me kneel right down at the altar of Mike.”

Mike heard the crash of ceramic against concrete and felt the reverberation of the door slamming in the bedroom. He sighed as the liquid finally cooled down enough to stop burning him. He got up and went into the bedroom to clean up being careful not to step on any broken mug pieces.

Sabrina pulled into the studio lot and parked her car. She was met by Toby coming out of her trailer. “Hey Boss how was your…”Toby stopped speaking as he observed Sabrina’s demeanor. She felt herself blush under Toby’s direct gaze. “Oh my god… you got yourself some last night!” he screamed.

Rolling her eyes at her manager she grabbed his arm and jerked him forward into her trailer. “Shut up… could have said that any louder?”

“You DID get some,” he replied.

“No I didn’t ‘get some’, I slept alone last night.”

“Yea maybe after you went home were alone but before that…”

“No Tobe… I was alone since I left the bar last night.”

“Oh my god… you did it in a car?”

Letting herself fall into a seat she placed her arms on the table top and hid her head; shaking it ruefully. “Jesus Tobe what do you take me for… a slut?”

Pausing to look at his charge he cocked his head sideways and looked intently at her. “Well someone happened last night and you might as well tell me since I’ll dog you until you do spill the beans.”

Sighing deeply Sabrina looked up at Toby. “It was the fact that nothing happened last night.”

“I don’t get it. Didn’t you have a date with George?”

“Yes… we went to this little dive bar and ate wings and drank and talked.”

“Anddddd?”

“And he walked me to my car and kissed me…”

“Anddddd?”

“And he said he had a great night and enjoyed himself and looked forward to seeing me on set.”

“He blew you off?” Toby asked incredulously.

“No. He wanted to get to know me before we did anything.” She paused and looked at her nails. “I actually felt better not sleeping with him then if I did.” Looking out the window she continued, “For the first time I didn’t feel like a piece of meat.”

Toby sat down in the seat across from Sabrina. “You’ve felt like a piece a meat before this?”

“Well yes… ever since TJ was born I have felt like just a piece of ass to anyone? You know the good enough to bang but not good enough to keep around syndrome. It wasn’t like that with George last night. I felt like I was something, like I meant something. I can’t remember feeling like that in a long time. I mean he does want me in that way but that’s not only what he is after. He wants to get to know me.”

“Wow, I think you got a good one there Sab.”

A knock at the door with a PA stating, “We need Ms Sanders in hair and makeup.”

Getting up as a tandem Sabrina felt herself enveloped in a hug from Toby. “I am happy to see you feeling like this… it’s been a long time coming.”

An hour later Sabrina left hair and makeup following a PA and made her way to the sound stage; as she walked through the door she left the real world and entered the world of CSI. It was surreal walking through the corridors of what makes up the CSI lab and offices. The PA led her through the maze of sets until they ended up at a generic casino floor. There awaiting her was arrival was her fellow cast mates; Paul Guilfoyle who plays Jim Brass, Marg Helgenberger who plays Catherine Willows and George who plays Nick Stokes. Smiling at the three stars she stopped in front of them when the PA turned around.

“Ms Sanders,” she began.

“No please call me Sabrina. Ms Sanders is too formal.”

“Okay,” the woman said. “Umm the scene is where Brass, Willows and Stokes are questioning you about what you did when you came across the crime scene. You’re head of security for this casino so you are in charge.”

Sabrina nodded her head as various light and camera men tested light levels and camera angles. She glanced quickly at George who smiled back at her. The others took in the smile as they practiced their scene together. Soon everyone was ready and the director yelled action and away they went.

Four hours and three scenes later Sabrina made her way back to her trailer followed by Toby. The two were weary since shooting scenes was always a ‘hurry up and wait’ process. The woman sagged onto a couch and let her head roll back and closed her eyes.

“Jesus Toby… we still have 3 more scenes to shoot before the end of day. I’m getting too old for this.”

“Naw. You’re fine… hell you’re doing really good. There is a chemistry between you and George and it shows up in the film and everyone is happy with that. It helps the storyline along.”

Sabrina just nodded as she dozed off the time until her next scene.

Beth was perched on a stool next to a piano where Billie Joe was seated. They had been there for a few hours ever since Beth arrived at his house asking for help. Billie led her down to his home studio where a full band setup was including said piano which they were working on. A notebook was opened up and some barely legible scribbles were written across the page. Billie was tapping the pencil he held in his hand against the piano as Beth spoke words to the rhythm of his tapping.

Suddenly she stopped speaking and chucked the notebook across the room. Not missing a beat Billie blinked slowly, “What did that book ever do to you to deserve being bashed against a wall?”

Rolling her eyes Beth exhaled sharply, “I don’t know Billie. I mean I really don’t know what to do. I feel like I’ve hit a roadblock in my mind and nothing is really getting through,” she sighed.

“Well it sounds like you need to get laid. I’m surprised that Dirnt hasn’t kept you busy in the bedroom,” Billie chuckled. He laughed out loud when Beth’s fist connected with his arm. “Well…”

“Shut up Armstrong. We are fine in the bedroom… infact that is the only place where we are good.” Beth hung her head, “I just can’t seem to trust him even though he hasn’t done anything to deserve that… I just can’t help it.”

Billie raised an eyebrow at Beth’s confession wondering why she decided he was to be her confession victim. He knew he wasn’t her favorite person but he knew that she would choose him over Tre. Billie leaned back into his chair crossing his arms and looking expectantly at Beth waiting for her to continue.

“I just…” she started. “I just can’t trust him and the funny thing is he is being damned for another person’s sins and not his own. Shit I don’t think he even has any sins.” Beth signed again, “Billie I don’t know what to do. I’m scared to let him in but I think I’ll lose him if I don’t.” She paused again before barely finishing off quietly, “And I don’t want him to go.”

A couple hours later George and Sabrina were once again in some dive bar eating greasy bar food and drinking beer and wine coolers. The two talked about every subject that they came across. To those not knowing any better they sounded like an old married couple who have known each other forever rather than two people on their second date. And date it was. Sabrina still couldn’t get over that George held open doors for her, was polite in every way, and acting like a true gentleman.

Suddenly a slow song came on the jukebox… some nameless Patty Loveless tune and Sabrina started in surprise when George rose and held his hand out to her. “Care to dance?”

Nodding her agreement Sabrina placed her hand in his and rose up to stand next to the man. Leading her to the dance floor he swirled her into his arms and placed his hands against hers and slowly led her around the wooden floor. Sabrina got lost in the moment wishing it would never end. She felt safe and wanted and she needed that to stay in her life.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry this is short but better than nothing