There are things in life you remember with vivid clarity; the way mom looked on her wedding day, your first hot meal with friends at that new stylish apartment you'd been dreaming about or the way your nails looked the day you smacked your EX-boyfriend in front of the entire club after you found his cheating ass behind the stage with a former coworker. The brain was funny like that, only remembering those deep emotional moments.

That's why October 9 2011 didn't stick out so much. If I looked back at the calender then I would know it was a Friday. I was probably at the cafe working from noon to dusk and walked straight home after my shift. Like every Friday before, I thought nothing of it. A means to an end, or the ends towards someone else's means to which the week would end with another meaningless encounter with strange customers.

As you can probably see where this might be going, I must remind you that I remarked this day did not stick out so much. And here I am four months later failing to recall that specific date because indeed nothing happened. So why pick that day? Because it was the birthday of the man I've suddenly found myself admiring in the living room of a mere acquaintance.

My reason for coming was my lack of a social life, and even now I find myself to have faded into the general grouping of guests, but my reason for staying happened to be the lanky Dr. Reid who had picked up his cup of coffee after completely killing the buzz of conversation with a roguishly handsome fellow whose name might've begun with a "D" for all I knew. The "Genius" man had not made eye contact with me once and I was positive he didn't even realize my presence. What for? Well I was to blame for that, sitting at the edge of the couch beside two much flashier (and more developed) women whose laughs seemed to attract attention away from my quieter water-sipping demeanor.

A boisterous and slightly chubby redhead flashed me a smile from across the room to which I held back a grimace, before she turned back the host of the party. My friend Athena had dragged me to the wonderfully contemporary, albeit weird, apartment of her newest client Penelope Garcia. Aside from a part-time job at the same cafe, Athena had recently graduated cosmetology school and any client she could get was like a shining badge of freshly shampooed honor. So if that new client invited her to a party there was no possible reason not to go. Plus bringing me along meant she could down whatever and still get home safe.

Briefly my eyes found the clock. 12:28 am. I didn't have work the next day, but I had never been one for staying up late with people around. I purr-furred the company of my two cats in the comfort of my nightie with a bowl of ice cream in my own house.

I waited for a particular peak in the conversation around me before slipping into the cooler kitchen. One forgets how much body heat has an affect on the entirety of a room. I let the coolness of the counter counter my sweaty palms when a small "ehem" brought my eyes to the doorway. My throat went a bit dry, I didn't expect Reid and as that follows I didn't get him. Instead the more muscular form of D-something or other leaned against the frame.

"You don't seem like one for party's huh?"

The question was more of an observation as if he was making light of my social incompetence. I just nodded failing to see exactly what was making him smirk like that. I was right to describe him as roguish before, the look in his eyes made my teeth clench and vaguely I remembered something about him breaking up with a girlfriend not too long ago. The emptiness of the kitchen began to gnaw at my skull and I forced myself not to step away when he took a stride to grab the drink I had left beside me, lightly brushing my hand as he did.

"Water?"

He chuckled as if my choice didn't surprise him. If I didn't know any better I would've said he read into my character traits. Again I nodded and let my eyes wander to the the now open walkway where Athena was giving me the eyebrow raise of "oh he's attractive". I flashed her a "save me" but she just smiled and turned away.

"So what brings you here? Friend of Garcia's?"

I was amazed he still continued conversation and debated giving out a few more hints that I didn't want interaction. Instead I sucked it up.

"No, my friend Athena brought me. She's going to need a ride home later."

I tried for an objective tone, nobody ever wants to appear the complainer even if the person they're talking to isn't of interest.

He seemed to weigh my answer with a crossing of his arms, having put down my drink without notice.

"So her names Athena...and yours?"

The question came up so casually I almost didn't notice I was answering.

"Herring."

Shit. SHIT. shit.

The awkward silence followed, not that the conversation was even worth saving, but I frantically sought some sort of filler.

"Uh my parents were...creative."

He chuckled, laughing not at me but as if we shared some private joke. If I had a thing for muscly-gym-friendly men then maybe I would've fallen for him.

"I'll remember that one." He let out another chuckle before rejoining the others and I breathed out comfortably before snaking my out of the now warm kitchen and towards the door.

My purse hung where I left it on the coat rack and I made sure to unlock the door before I slipped out into the night air. A quick smoke while nobody was around wouldn't hurt right? Well my lungs might disagree but as I slipped the deathstick between my lips there was no room to care. I puffed into the cool night air waiting for the party to end. What I certainly didn't expect was to see Reid, dressed to leave, appear beside me.

He nodded lightly, taking in my small shivering form.

"Six minutes."

"Death is but crossing-" I froze midway through my response.

Maybe my eyes widened in shock when I realized I hadn't processed my words before answering. For a brief moment it felt like a normal conversation with Athena, though that seemed silly since he had only said two words. My intention wasn't to stubbornly find some outlet of contradiction with this man who was basically a stranger. I anticipated silence, hopefully he hadn't made any connections with what I had been about to say.

"Were you about to quote William Penn?"

I shifted some snow with my foot and bit my tongue.

"Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal."

This time I met his gaze.

"You just tried to use a quote by William Penn to justify smoking."

He seemed incredulous and a smile played at his lips. On the other hand I was completely embarrassed. This time I tried a more honest approach.

"If you don't actually know the quote it works much better."

"So you've used it for such purpose before?" He didn't seem to want to let this one go. I tried brushing it off with a shrug.

"If they couldn't figure out what the quote meant then I'm not the one with the problem."

"No I think in this case both parties are subject to fault. One for ignorance and the other fallacy."

I squished my cigarette against the snow and held the dying embers between my fingers gingerly as I glanced back at him. He didn't look angry but rather smug as if a winner in some sense since his words had conducted a small battle of attrition against my stubbornly bad habit. It grated on me.

"You know logical fallacies are used most often in persuasion."

"What is your name, you didn't say much inside."

Maybe I was shocked by the abrupt change in conversation, or by the fact that he had noticed my existence earlier but I replied without thought again.

"Herring Lee."

I tried to cover myself, holding my hands out like I could physically stop any sort of reaction to my name even after his eyes widened in surprise.

"My mother was a huge fan of Van Gogh, she's a painter herself although she keeps her canvas's out of sight, and one of her favorite paintings is of two herring. I don't know why it wasn't a very well-known...and anyways he didn't even use the word 'Herring' in the title. I suspect it has something to do with my dad, he had a copy of that painting I guess. I mean I never really met him but you know how that works and I...um"

I shut up, to put it plainly.

The air stilled and my fingers itched to stuff that nicotine in my mouth and forget everything. Instead I remained motionless and the silence stretched on. He shuffled a bit most likely due the tense air but I could pretend he was just a bit cold. Without looking my way he adjusted the strap to his bag, it reminded me of that of a professor.

"I can't say I've heard of that particular piece. Although I do commend your mother on her more creative pursuits." His eyes chuckled as though there were some hidden joke. Can eyes actually chuckle? Why was I looking at his eyes again?

"My name is Spencer Reid and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Lee."

I gingerly shuffled and started to nod but my lips were faster.

"Likewise Dr. Reid."

In the dark under the light pollution cast around us, I think we both smiled.