2. Gratitude and Eggs Benedict ("Judgment")
"What's good here?"
"That won't work, Mr. Reese."
"What won't?"
"Your interrogation technique."
"'What's good here'? It's an innocent question."
"No question is ever innocent from you."
Reese had kept a carefully maintained façade through that conversation, though Finch had seen the flicker of surprise in his eyes when he declared the question an interrogation technique, and proceeded to recite what he mentally called the "flow chart of discovery" – meal recommendations leading to frequency of visits leading to probability of a nearby place of residence.
Finch had anticipated the fact that Reese would try to discover as much about him as possible, partially because that was the innate tendency of anyone working in espionage, but mostly because he had already been through the routine with Dillinger.
He'd had a conversation with Dillinger – in this very restaurant, in fact – that had started with that very question. At the time, Finch hadn't seen the harm in the question, and thus didn't recognize it for what it was until he was well within the conversational trap. Luckily, Dillinger's subtlety had slipped just enough at just the right time that Finch figured it out and put an end to their discussion before revealing anything too telling, but he suffered no shortage of embarrassment and self-loathing that he'd been naïve enough to fall for it in the first place. He did have a nearby safe house, only about a block away; after his run-in with Dillinger, it was dismantled and abandoned within the week.
Finch still enjoyed coming to the Lyric Diner, even though it was no longer convenient to any of his residences. Perhaps that inconvenience was for the best anyway; being away from the areas he called home made it a more ideal place to meet.
His second meeting with Reese at the Lyric had been no less tense than the first one had been. To his credit, at least Reese didn't try any more interrogation techniques now that he knew Finch could see through it, though their conversation about Judge Gates had included a not-so-subtle reminder that Reese could still "read between the lines".
"Thank you."
"I beg your pardon?"
"For giving me a job."
Finch initially bristled at that, remembering Dillinger's parting words – "Thanks for the job. Don't try to follow me." – and the sarcastic tone and hateful glare that had accompanied them. But when he looked up at Reese, he was startled to see a genuine look of gratitude, with absolutely no sarcasm or hidden motives in his expression.
He felt a little ashamed of himself to have immediately associated Reese's thanks with Dillinger. Despite the similar skill sets, Finch constantly had to remind himself that Reese ultimately was nothing like Dillinger. Dillinger had only cared about himself and his pay. Reese cared about other people; the fact that he was earning a salary was secondary to being able to help those in need. And unlike Dillinger, Reese actually appreciated Finch, not for the paycheck but for the purpose.
Unfortunately, Finch couldn't easily offer an apology without explaining why he felt the need to apologize, so he decided to try the next best thing. He slid the menu toward Reese, and – dear heavens, I hope I'm not making a mistake with this – quietly said, "Try the Eggs Benedict, Mr. Reese. I've had them many times."
It was both an apology and a "You're welcome" wrapped up in one. Finch left before it could lead to further questioning.