Author's Note: Yeah, I know. It's less that 24 hours since I posted the first chapter, but I felt like I just had to get this one out of my system before it went bad in my brain. Don't expect this kind of hurried updating all the time. Thanks to everyone who's already favorited this story just hours after its birth. I love you all! Review please!!

This part takes place just before "52 Pickup"

--*---*---*--

The next day…

Dr. Reid sat at his desk, lazily going through the pile of paperwork on his desk. They had just finished a case yesterday, but there was always paperwork waiting to be done. Cases needed consulting; reports needed done, fan mail needed replies… Okay there was no fan mail, but it would be a nice change from all of this boring stuff. He thought absent mindedly about the case they had yesterday.

The unsub had been a fan of Reid and he even attended the presentation yesterday. Reid sighed. Why can't I have any normal fans? But his next thought brought him a smile. He thought of the girl at the presentation: Anna. She had seemed to be interested in Reid. Alright, she was interested in the Bureau, but she got his lame joke and that was something. He sat as his desk with that goofy smile as his thoughts wandered to the Marxism joke she told him. His thoughts were interrupted when the tall, dark and handsome Derek Morgan spoke to him.

"What are you smiling about Reid? Have you finally gone crazy, or did you get some honey last night?"

Derek sported a suggestive smile as Reid felt a little warmth go to his cheeks. "What?! No. Why does everything have to be about sex with you Morgan?"

Derek sat on Reid's desk and crossed his arms. "Because there are few things that make a man smile like that, and the majority of those things have to do with females."

Reid shook his head and went back to pretending he was getting some work done. "Well I wasn't thinking about a girl. I was thinking of a joke I heard the other day." His tone was slightly defensive.

Derek chuckled and smiled. "Whatever man." He got up off of Reid's desk and went back to his own. Reid gave himself a little secret smile before putting his fingers to the keyboard and actually getting some work done.

An hour or so later Reid sat up and stretched. He both loved and hated slow days in the bureau. If it was slow that meant there was more mind numbing paperwork to do, but it also meant that there were less killers to apprehend, less bodies to look at, less puzzles to solve. The pros outweighed the cons. Suddenly JJ stepped out of her office with a mischievous smile on her face. After only looking at her for a moment, he knew she was up to no good. She made her way to Reid's desk.

"So I just redirected a call from someone named Anna to a Dr. Spencer Reid." She couldn't have smiled any bigger if she were the Cheshire cat himself.

Reid's eyes widened and his mouth failed him. "Wh- what did you say? What did she want?" He suddenly felt like a fourteen year old.

"She asked to be patched through to you specifically, but I wanted to make sure you actually knew this girl. Judging by your nervous stutter and your red cheeks, that's a yes."

As if summoned by some magical force, Derek appeared behind JJ. "Ha ha! So I was right. You are chasing some girl."

Just as Spencer thought his cheeks couldn't get any redder, the color deepened to a maroon. "She's just some girl I met yesterday at the presentation." He tried to downplay it all, but his nervousness clearly showed.

JJ picked up the phone at Reid's desk and dialed. Before Reid could protest, JJ was holding the phone out to Reid. "You better talk, it's ringing."

Reid snatched the phone out of her hand as quick as he could without dropping it. The phone made that digitalized ringing sound and Reid took a moment to take a breath. Why am I so nervous? She probably just has some questions about joining the FBI. Yeah, that's it. There was a clicking noise and he heard a breath on the other end of the phone, and then her voice.

"Hello?" She said hello like she was asking a question. Why do people do that?

"Um... Hi. It's Dr. Reid from the FBI. Um… I'm returning your call." He tried to will his voice to sound less nervous, but it wasn't working very well. He finally closed his eyes, took a breath and thought of the first three random statistics he could recall.

Every year about 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced

In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.

The average person makes about 1,140 telephone calls each year.

He suddenly felt better and approached the situation a little calmer.

Anna's voice came through the other end of the phone. "Yeah. You know, for a semi-famous FBI agent, you're a tough man to get a hold of. Especially when you don't give out a card or anything." Her tone was light and happy. He could almost hear her smiling. Derek and JJ sat like two kids watching their favorite movie. Derek gave Reid a thumbs up as they tried to hold in their excitement that their nerdy little friend was finally talking to a girl.

Reid chuckled. "Only semi-famous?"

Anna's laughter was pure and sweet like peppermint candy. "Well I didn't see any paparazzi trailing you at campus. Unless you've got paparazzi, you're only semi-famous. But you're lucky I'm a smart cookie, else I wouldn't have found you at all. Apparently the front desk doesn't connect calls to the BAU unless it's business or a family emergency. So if they ask, I'm your sister Michelle and our Uncle Jessie is very sick."

Spencer laughed and glanced at David Rossi who had also joined in on watching the show. He leaned in close to Derek and JJ and spoke quietly. "Who's he talking to?"

JJ and Derek spoke in the same mocking tone. "Anna."

Rossi thought for a moment. "Anna? College presentation Anna?" Reid waved a hand in their direction telling them to go away, but they carried on like they hadn't seen it.

"You've seen her? Is she cute? What's she like." JJ instantly hounded Rossi with questions. Rossi shook his head.

Spencer ignored them and spoke to Anna. "Yeah. I guess I'm not as famous as I thought." He chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry; is there a reason you called or are you just trying to bruise my ego?"

Anna sighed. "Actually I was wondering if you have taken your lunch break yet."

Spencer was puzzled. "Why?"

Anna sounded amused. "Because I'm taking a survey about the lunch times of semi-famous FBI agents." Her sarcasm was evident, but she laughed anyways. "Because I want to have lunch with you, genius."

Again, confusion draped over his face. "Why?"

Anna sighed. "Because I'm running out of lame philosophy jokes, and you seemed like a perfectly nice guy with lame philosophy jokes."

Spencer smiled from ear to ear, completely tuning out the quiet laughter of his friends and colleagues. "S-sure! Um… Where do you want to meet?" He quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil, forgetting momentarily that he had an eidetic memory.

Anna told him, "There's this little diner next door to the library on main. If you're half the nerd I think you are, you should know where that library is." She didn't say nerd like other people said it. Other people said 'nerd' like they were saying 'vomit'. She said it like it was a compliment. Spencer wasn't used to that.

"Yeah, I know where it is. Give me-"

Spencer was cut off in his moment of glee when Aaron Hotchner, unit chief, stood in front of his office and called over the group around Reid's desk. "C'mon guys. We've got a new case. We're briefing on the plane. Wheels up in thirty."

There was a collective groan from JJ and Derek. Rossi just shrugged. The smile dropped instantly from his face and he groaned a little.

"Spencer? You still there?" Anna sounded slightly concerned.

He sighed. "Yes, I'm still here. We just got called out for a case. Any way we can do this once I'm back?" Spencer prayed in his head that he hadn't just blown it with the only girl to ask him out… ever.

There was a pause on the other line and Spencer held his breath. "Yeah, we'll take a rain check. But now you owe me two lame jokes."

Spencer let out the breath he had been holding and laughed nervously. "Do they have to be philosophy jokes?"

She chuckled. "No. Any equally lame content will be quite fine. Grab a pen and paper and I'll give you my number." Spencer listened as she gave him those magical 10 numbers and wrote them down.

"Great. Great. I'll call you when I get back." A wave of joy washed over him and it must have showed because he could hear JJ giggle.

"Can't wait. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Spencer could barely hide his enthusiasm. "Bye." The phone clicked and Anna was gone.

Spencer carefully put down the phone on the receiver and looked at the shining faces of Derek and JJ. Rossi had left some time ago. Derek was the first to speak. "My man! You've got yourself a date." JJ just smiled and let out a small laugh.

Spencer leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. "Yeah, I guess I do." He let out a shaky laugh.

Derek smiled and patted Spencer on the shoulder before walking away. JJ got up and put a hand on Spencer's head and ruffled his hair in that big-sisterly type way before walking back to her office. Spencer smiled and looked down at the number written on the piece of paper. Astonishment mixed in with joy flooded through his chest.

I've got a date.