Running in Circles

Chapter One

Kinsley Hayes walked into the bookstore she owned and looked around for her assistant, Alice. She spotted her stocking shelves over to the right of the shop and ran over.

"Hey, I'm glad you're here. I have to pop out for a bit. Can you keep it up here while I'm gone?" Kinsley asked in her posh-sounding British accent.

Alice furrowed her brow at her boss. "You just got here? And besides, you're already late."

"I know, I know. I stopped to get coffee since our machine is on the fritz and I had a slight klutz moment. I had to go and change." Kinsley smiled, laughing.

"You live in an infinite klutz moment, Kins."

"Oh, do shut up." Kinsley laughed. "Do you remember me talking about that guy I've heard speak at lectures a few times?"

"Oh, you mean the genius dude you're obsessed with? What about him?"

"I'm not obsessed with him! He's just… Incredibly smart and that is very, very sexy." Kinsley laughed. "Anyways, I accidentally bumped into him at the coffee shop and spilled both of our coffees all over each other. He dropped something as he was leaving and I want to return it to him."

"Uh-huh. You 'accidentally' bumped it to him. I got you." Alice laughed. "Go ahead. It's slow right now. Obviously."

Kinsley hugged her friend and laughed. "You're my favorite. I'll be back soon!" She said, rushing out the door.

Kinsley walked nervously into the BAU office looking around for a familiar face. A dark-skinned man smiled at her and approached.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked.

"I'm looking for, uh, Spencer Reid? I'm the reason he might have been late this morning." She replied. "We had a mishap at the coffee shop."

"Sure thing. I know just where he's at." Derek Morgan walked back out of the room and found Spencer at the coffee pot. "There's a hot, British chick asking for you up front." He winked.

"Really?" Spencer asked, pouring coffee into his personal mug.

"Oh, yeah. Redheaded and really sexy. You know her?"

"Maybe. I'll be right out."

Derek walked back out and smiled again at Kinsley. "He's coming."

"Thank you." She smiled as Spencer made his way up to her with a look in his eye that said he was trying to remember her. "Coffee shop this morning? I ran into you and spilled our drinks all over the both of us?"

"Oh, yeah. I had to go and change. Can I help you with something?"

Kinsley held out a cup of coffee. "I promise that I'm not a stalker, first off. But I figured I owed you for spilling your drink."

Spencer took the cup from her and sat it down. "How did you find me?"

Kinsley started digging in her bag and produced a notebook. "You dropped this when I knocked into you. I knew you looked familiar, but I just couldn't place you. I opened to the front page to see if there was a name. I've been to a couple lectures that you've spoken at and I've seen you on the news before." She handed the notebook over with a smile. "And I'm kind of good with computers, so I found you." She paused. "That sounds a little stalkerish."

Spencer took the notebook and smiled back. "Thank you. You really didn't have to track me down." He took a good look at the woman while he waited for her to answer.

Kinsley had long red hair, bright blue eyes, and a mischievous smile. She was wearing a Marvel superhero tank top, strappy gladiator sandals, and high-waisted shorts. Her hair was in a loose side braid and she was wearing minimal make-up. She had a few tattoos, a Monroe piercing, and her ears were gauged. Spencer couldn't help but think that she was beautiful. He picked up his coffee mug to take a drink and her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry… Is that a TARDIS mug?"

Spencer nodded. "You know Doctor Who?"

"I'm British, Dr. Reid." Kinsley laughed. "It's almost illegal to not like it over there. I just- I think that's the same one I have at work and at home."

"Who's your favorite Doctor?" Spencer asked, skeptical, setting his cup down and resisting the urge to smile.

"Oh, do you always ask the tough questions right off the bat?" Kinsley laughed. "It's probably a tie between Four and Nine. A little dark, a little humorous, you know."

"Really?" Spencer cracked a smile.

"My Gran is probably the biggest Whovian I know. She had introduced me to Classic Who way before New Who even began." Kinsley smiled.

Spencer looked at his watch. "I'm sorry, is this keeping you from getting to work?"

"I'm actually self-employed, but my boss does get a bit tetchy if I'm late." Kinsley laughed and winked.

"What do you do?" Spencer leaned against his desk and crossed his arms, looking interested.

"I own a bookstore." Kinsley smiled as Spencer's eyes lit up. "I like to say that I specialize in rare and unusual books, but I don't have quite as many as I would like." She thought for a second. "But I do have one book that is bound in human skin. That one's not for sale, it's just my selling point to try and get people to come in."

"I would love to see that, actually. They're incredibly rare."

"As long as you don't ask how I acquired it, I would love to show you. How about… How about we go out for coffee sometime and I'll bring you to the shop and show you?"

Spencer blushed. "That- that sounds great."

"Okay." Kinsley smiled. "Give me your number and I'll call you. I'd say that I'd give you my number instead, but I already know what I'm going to say when I call you. I figure you'd probably stress over calling me for a week, work up to it, and then stress for another week about what to say." Kinsley smiled.

Spencer fumbled around his desk, slightly embarrassed that she had read him so well in just a few minutes, looking for a pen and paper while his forgotten coworkers looked on. He quickly copied down his cell phone number and handed over the paper. "I don't think I got your name."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's Kinsley. It was very nice to actually meet you. But I have to run." She took the paper from Spencer and smiled. "I'll get ahold of you soon." She turned to walk out the door and paused to look back at Spencer and wave.

"Reid?" Derek snapped Spencer out of his daze as the door shut behind Kinsley.

"Yeah?" Spencer answered, staring at the door.

"Marry that girl."

"I'm going to." Spencer quickly replied, causing everyone to chuckle. He sat down at his computer and a few minutes later, his text alert went off.

Hey, it's Kinsley. Hoping you didn't give me a fake number. ;)

Of course I didn't. I didn't expect you to text me so quickly.

Just testing it out and making sure I got it right.

"Did she text you already?" Derek asked, when he noticed Spencer typing away on his phone.

"Actually, she did." Spencer looked back at his phone.

"Dude, she wants it. Bad." Derek chuckled.

"Wants what?" Spencer furrowed his brow in confusion.

"You, my man. She wants you."

So, how about tomorrow around noon? Same coffee shop? I promise to not spill any drinks on you.

"She just asked me out tomorrow at noon."

"Told you." Derek patted Spencer on the shoulder. "Don't freak out. It's just a date."

"I-I'm not freaking out. Why would I be freaking out?"

Derek chuckled. "She's just another person, Reid. Just don't scare her away with all of your random facts."

"What if she likes the random facts? She did say that she's sat in on lectures that I've spoken at."

"Okay, big shot. Whatever you say." Derek laughed and began to walk off.

"I gave her my number in Roman numerals. It took her less than 15 minutes to text me." Spencer looked a little smug at the fact.

"What did you say the last time you tried that? If she gets it, she's worth a shot?" Derek smiled.

That sounds great. I'll meet you there.

"I'm gonna give it a shot. I said yes."

"Like I said, player. Marry her." Derek clapped Spencer on the shoulder.

A/N: So, this is my first attempt at CM… If anyone seems a little OOC, let me know and I will do my best to fix it! I don't own anything except the plot, Kinsley, Alice, and the bookstore. :)