Alex straightened, trying to get the kink out of her back.
"Are you okay?" Reid asked, voice concerned.
"I'm fine," Alex said, shifting a little bit more.
Reid stepped forward. "You look like you've got some sort of sprain," he said helpfully.
"I slept wrong," Alex admitted. "And I can't...there's this kink. I can't get it."
Reid again stepped forward, hesitantly reaching out. "I took a class once," he said. "It wasn't very good, the instructor was a flake, but the book was good."
"You're the person who doesn't like touching people," Alex hedged.
"You're in pain, Alex," he said flatly, and reached out, feeling her back. "Okay. Yeah, there's a definite spasm here." He placed his hand on her shoulder, bracing it, and with his other hand pushed on the spot mid back.
Alex almost shrieked in pain. "What the hell, Reid?"
"Just let me know how it feels," Reid said immediately, placing his hands up as in self defense.
"It feels like you just..." Alex broke off. "It's almost gone. It is gone." She raised an eyebrow at Reid. "Wow. That actually worked. I thought you killed me and it worked."
"Don't doubt the master," Reid said. "You slept wrong?"
"Yeah," Alex said, nodding emphatically, remembering the previous night. "Really wrong. I don't know what happened."
To be honest, though, she did. She knew exactly why her back had been killing her, and exactly why she'd slept wrong. She could think of about five solid reasons why, and one of them was about to walk through the door to the conference room.
Reid had drifted back to the board, bending to grab a book.
"Hey, Hotch," Alex said, drawing the word out.
"I have to apologize," Hotch said, walking quickly forward. "I don't know what the hotel management will say, but we can say it was my room all along."
"Hotch," Alex repeated, holding up her hand.
"I didn't mean to wreck the bed, Alex," Hotch said, scraping a hand through his hair. "I don't know what came over me."
"Hotch," Alex repeated, her cheeks flushed.
"But maybe I do," he said softly. "Your hair looks really good today, Alex."
Behind him, a book clapped to the floor.
Hotch whirled around, one hand going to his gun hip, and his face turned a rather odd color when he saw Reid standing there; the genius's face had a matching pallor.
"Um," Reid said. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear this conversation."
"Please do," Hotch said, in a rather strangled tone. "I...didn't realize we weren't alone. Not for your lack of trying, Alex."
He looked around him, a bit lost. "I need to call JJ and ask how she and Morgan are doing on that interview," he finally muttered, leaving the room.
Reid stared at Alex, mouth working. "So. Still no idea why you slept funny last night?"
Alex bit her lip. "Um."
"The linguist with nothing to say," Reid chuckled. "Though I have to admit, if I got a certain someone alone in a hotel room, I'm not sure the bed would survive it either."
"Who?" Alex gasped.
"Profile it," Reid said slyly, picked up a book and left.