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Reid surveyed the roundtable room and the mess they'd made with his birthday party. The taste of chocolate cake and cloyingly sweet punch lingered on his tongue, and he felt a little giddy from the sugar load as he wondered how he'd get all his gifts from work to his apartment.
"What're you thinking," Emily asked.
Reid shrugged and the slight feeling of annoyance he'd managed to hide at this impromptu and in his opinion – unnecessary gathering – shot through his blood like an adrenaline rush. "How I'm going to carry all of this," He gestured to the table covered with gifts, torn wrapping paper, and crumbs from the cake.
"Do not worry, my lamb," said Garcia as she entered with the largest gift bag Reid had ever seen. In less than a minute, she and Emily gathered up the gifts, placed them in the bag and handed it to him. "See, problem solved."
"Thank you," Reid said, sincerely, because the feeling of annoyance abated back to the depths of his subconscious and he felt the influence of the happy chemicals found in chocolate.
"You're welcome." Garcia hugged him. "I can't believe we forgot your birthday."
"It's okay. You know I don't care about birthdays."
"We'll debate it later. Come on, it's late, and Hotch wants us to rest," Emily said.
Reid glanced out the window overlooking the bullpen and saw that everyone had gone for the night. He sighed and shook his head. "There is a stack of mail on my desk that I need to deal with before I go."
"Can't it wait," Emily asked. "You look beat."
"No," Reid said rather sharply. "Sorry, Emily. I've ignored it for a week now, and I need to sort through it, at the very least."
"All right, but don't stay here all night."
"I won't," Reid promised her.
"Want to go for a quick drink," Emily asked Garcia.
"You read my mind."
Reid smiled until they both left the room and then he let his face drift into more subdued lines as he hurried down to his desk.
Flicking through his mail showed him several pieces that could be ignored for now due to their contents. One envelope caught his attention because of the return address. Mendel University. He removed the contents out of curiosity and found a letter from a Dr. Maeve Donovan, a researcher in the university's genetics program.
Dr. Maeve Donovan? Yes, of course, he knew her name. Mendel University scheduled her as a guest lecturer at UVA. Reid had decided to take a class in genetics at UVA on a whim, and for a new challenge.
His eyes dashed over the letter and he smiled with real feeling, for the first time in days. It was a compliment letter regarding his latest article in the New England Journal of Medicine. She used words like insightful and well written and researched, exciting. She liked his unique approach to genetics and the unstable mind.
Two hours later, he sat hunched and read her published thesis. It was so intriguing that he slowed his reading pace to half its usual speed. His legs were beginning to ache from sitting so long in his uncomfortable chair, and his eyes were burning, but he couldn't stop reading about Dr. Donovan. Another hour passed before he realized that it was almost midnight and if he didn't hurry he'd miss the last train out of the Quantico station.
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The day had finally arrived, Reid thought as he hurried up the steps to the entrance that led to his genetics lecture theater. It had been the longest three days of his life, between trying to hide his excitement from the team and trying to find out all he could about Dr. Donovan. She was a rock star in her field, that much was a fact, but he wanted to know more for a reason he didn't understand.
His thoughts scattered at the entrance of his professor and the woman that accompanied her. Reid swallowed hard when the woman took a chair near the lectern to wait for her introduction. If Reid believed in angels, he'd believe this woman to be one, fallen from heaven or on some earthly mission to save the world. Her cheeks were white, her lips the color of pale pink rose petals and her eyes made him think of the ocean on a clear blue summer day. Her wavy brown hair fell below her shoulders, and over her light blue sweater worn with white shirt and navy slacks. He saw she wore flat shoes and smiled shyly at the audience in a way he recognized from his attempts at public speaking.
"Everyone," said his professor. "I hope you all read your assignment from last class. Today, we'll be going over the material with our guest lecturer, Dr. Maeve Donovan."
Murmurs and some clapping arose in the lecture hall. Reid clapped enthusiastically, and for a moment he felt the urge to whistle as he'd seen some spectators do when he'd taken JJ on their Ill-fated date. He hadn't understood the urge to make such a fuss over another human being, until this moment. He looked around in embarrassment but realized that no one watched him.
When Dr. Donovan began her topic after a moment of shuffling through her notes, he watched in amazement. He failed to realize that she completely mesmerized him for forty-five minutes until she ended her lecture and he realized that the other students were gathering their belongings and rising from their seats. Reid dropped back in his seat and didn't move until everyone had left, and Dr. Donovan gathered her notes. He suddenly realized that she was about to leave the room and he leaped to his feet. He hurried down the stairs and then stopped at the bottom.
What to say?
"Dr. Donovan?" Reid heard himself squeak and he wished for the floor to open beneath his feet when she looked at him with her sea blue eyes.
"Yes."
"Um, I ah – wanted to say I enjoyed your presentation."
"Thank you." Dr. Donovan began to turn and then she stopped. "Wait. I know you. Your face is familiar.
"My name Is Dr. Spencer Reid. Ah, you wrote –"
"A letter about your article on genetics and the unstable mind. Wow, I can't believe it's you."
Reid's heart swelled in his chest and began to compromise his ability to breath as Dr. Donovan studied him with curiosity and something else that he'd never seen directed at him. Interest!
"Thank you," he managed to say without stuttering. "You're very kind."
"I believe in giving credit where it's due, Dr. Reid."
"Um," he fisted his hands in his pockets and said. "Well, I suppose you're busy. I should go…"
"No, please don't go. Perhaps we could have a cup of coffee and talk."
"I'd like that," Reid said and led her from the room.
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Reid and Dr. Donovan sat in one corner of the university's cafeteria. As it was mid-morning, only a few students and faculty enjoyed a late breakfast or coffee.
"So," Reid squeaked and wished again that he'd disappear instead of having to face such a beautiful and intelligent woman after resembling a frightened mouse. "You're a researcher at Mendel University."
He wanted to drop into the floor again. Seriously, Spencer, way to state the obvious.
"Yes. I've worked there for about two years now."
"I read your thesis," Reid blurted out and felt his face begin to heat.
"I read all three of yours," Dr. Donovan responded.
"You did," he squeaked again.
"Yes, I wanted to know more about you, and I was thoroughly impressed. It's not every day you meet someone with three PhDs."
"Most people think I'm overeducated or a know it all if they don't think I weird or that I think I'm better than everyone around me."
Dr. Donovan nodded. "I know what you mean I don't have three PhDs but I was awkward and unpopular in school. I spent more time with my microscope than any one person.
"I think you're nice and beautiful."
Again, he wished for a way to disappear from her sight. If he could only stop saying everything that came into his head.
"Thank you."
They were silent for so long, Reid began to think that he'd blown it for good. "Um, Spencer." Maeve suddenly blushed bright red. "Um, sorry, may I call you that?"
"Yes," he breathed.
"Good, and please call me Maeve. Um, I'm not sure if this is the right thing to say because I barely know you, but would you like to get together again, maybe for dinner this time."
"Yes," he said so sharply, he began to blush. Again! Maeve was going to think him a complete idiot.
Amazingly, she smiled at him, and it lit up her face. "Great, ah when do you think we can go to dinner."
"Oh, well, I don't think I told you, but I'm an FBI agent."
Maeve smiled again. "I know, remember. I looked into you."
"Oh right."
She began to giggle like a little girl, and he smiled back uncertainly. "I must've talked about you too much to my friend, Jade. She sent me a link from the news regarding your last case with the Zodiac copy-cat. I truly enjoyed the way you put that glory seeker in his place."
"Oh, that was – well, I was a bit irritated by the case and some other stuff in my life, and I let him get the better of me."
Maeve narrowed her eyes. "Why? I read most of the comments with the link, and for the most part, people thought what you did was hilarious and right on the mark. People are tired of others trying to take the spotlight for their own fifteen minutes of fame. I think you were completely right because people were dying. I can't believe someone would try to take advantage of that kind of waste and pain."
Reid smiled with genuine happiness. "Thanks, that's what I was thinking."
They stayed talking until more people began to file into the cafeteria and Reid noticed that his watch said the time was twelve twenty-seven.
"I should go," Maeve said. "I'm in the middle of accepting and rejecting thesis applications. "It's slow going."
"I don't envy you," Reid shuddered. "I read enough as a teaching assistant, and I don't want to do that again."
"Well, I'll see you later."
"Ah, wait." He dug into his bag and gave her a half crumpled business card. "Sorry," he stammered. "I tend not to worry about the condition my cards. I'll let you decide when we should get together. You can call me anytime."
"You don't want my number."
"Oh sure, if you like. I don't want you to think you have to provide it. We barely know each other."
"You're sweet, Spencer, but I do want you to have it, okay."
Maeve removed a considerably less crumpled card from her wallet and handed to him. "Call me anytime," she echoed his exhortation to her.
"Thanks, I will. Um, it was nice to meet you, Maeve."
"You too, Spencer.
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"Hey, sweet cheeks."
Reid looked up to see Garcia at his desk with a steaming mug of tea. "Hi, Garcia."
"You okay," she asked from behind her scarlet eyeglasses.
"Yeah, um just finishing some consults."
"You sure, because you've been awfully quiet these last three days."
"I'm fine," he assured her. "I'm busy with school and work."
"Hey, all work and no play make Spencer a dull boy," Morgan spoke up. "What are you doing this weekend, pretty boy."
"Nothing that's your business," Reid shot back, proud that he could speak without blushing at the thought of a dinner date with Maeve.
Morgan held up his hands in surrender. "All right, kid. "I'm just asking."
"You can ask, but I don't have to answer, right."
"Sure."
JJ entered the bullpen with her phone in one hand and a stack of files clutched in her left hand. "Can't believe all this work to do. Hey, Spence. You still on for brunch on Sunday."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Well, that was partially true. Reid was looking forward to spending time with Henry, but JJ was another story. He sighed quietly and wondered if he'd ever find a way to trust her fully.
"Good, because Henry keeps asking for you and Will is making his specialty."
"Oh," Spencer said, and his eyebrows went up. "You remind him to cut down on the Cajun spices. I had heartburn for a week after last time."
"I think you are exaggerating," JJ teased. "Don't worry; I told him to back off the spices. He rolled his eyes when I told him and said he'd try."
"That's all I ask."
Reid looked at his watch and began to gather his belongings. "Um, I'm leaving early, JJ. I'll see you on Sunday, okay."
"Where're you off to in such a hurry," Morgan asked.
"Yeah," Garcia wondered.
"Hotch said I could take the afternoon off if I caught up with my work and I'm caught up. See you, Monday unless we get called in.
He mentally crossed his fingers that they didn't get called in because he was meeting Maeve that evening.
"Where you off to?" Emily said as she returned from more paperwork in HR. Coming back from the dead was taking much more time and paperwork than she'd anticipated. It was easier in her opinion, to win the lottery than it was to return to life.
"Afternoon off," he repeated and hurried from the bullpen to the elevators.
Fortunately, no one followed him, and he sighed with relief as he rode the elevator to the parking garage. He'd decided to drive that day and now was glad he had brought the car as he had an errand he wanted to make before he met Maeve for dinner. He climbed into the car and looked at his reflection in the mirror. For the first time in years, he had a date, and this time he'd make sure it went well.