"I didn't think I'd see the day Boss Man would flirt with someone! I think I'm gonna mark this in my calendar!" Garcia shrieked at the team and consequently in Reid's ear as they watched Hotch chat to a red head at the bar of a place the genius hadn't been told the name of.
"I didn't think he had it in him. Always thought his ties were too tight." Morgan laughed good-naturedly making the team chuckle in agreement. All except Spencer who couldn't take his eyes off the pair. The scene was giving him a knot in his stomach that he couldn't shake and didn't like it. He took a swig of his umpteenth drink of the night in the hopes that it would numb the bitter feeling he had.
"Spence, you okay? You're looking a little pale." Jennifer's voice filtered through the alcohol induced fog.
"Fine, JJ. Just dandy." Reid knew his response was clipped and somewhat harsh and the taken-aback looks pasted across the faces of his teammates just confirmed what he already knew. He chanced a glance down, sighing when he realised his glass was almost empty.
"Rossi, maybe you should go over there and take over drink-buying duties. It doesn't look like Hotch is in a hurry." Prentiss commented waving her empty beer bottle in the general direction of their boss and effectively reminding the genius of his own predicament.
"If one of us goes over there he might become his stuffy self and stop talking to her and I'd rather sober up than have Aaron lose out on a night of having fun for once." Rossi admitted to his colleagues.
"As weird as it is, I almost feel like we're setting him up and then watching how it turns out… Like parents." Jennifer mused eliciting a snort from Morgan.
"Speak for yourself; I've got my eye on a hot little Mrs over in the corner who's been eyeing me for a while so if you don't mind." With a wink a wave he left them and sauntered over to a small table of two attractive women.
- . - . - . - . - . - . - .
Reid started at the unexpected buzzer going off. He found that he only had the energy to muster up mild concern over the fact that he'd managed to doze off whilst he had food in the oven. The memory he had – Hotch and the attractive red head – it made him feel ill. It made his stomach twist but the look on JJ's face when he was standoffish to her hurt him too. She was considerate of him and he had been awful to her.
Pulling the food out of the oven and dishing onto a plate, Spencer sat at the breakfast bar and slowly began to eat. In-between bites he analysed his behaviour – what he could have done differently, when he should have stopped drinking and how certain situations could have been avoided. Next to him his phone buzzed with an incoming text.
We need to talk.
Hotch. The genius pushed his plate away, face pale. Rationally, he knew he wouldn't have been able to escape a conversation with the man but he had hoped to delay it or at least prepare. He knew his intellect wasn't getting him out of it and despite his lack of belief in any god, he prayed silently – for mercy, for time, for anything.
I'm outside. Open the door.
Reid checked his phone and cursed.