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You can't Win for Losing

By eleven am the next morning, Reid had had enough of Morgan and Garcia trying to get the details of his date. Garcia knew the outcome because Megan had called her, but Morgan didn't and he was trying to get it out of both of them. Fortunately, Garcia knew what to say to keep Morgan in his office, but it still bothered Reid that everyone knew about his disastrous date. If only he'd stood his ground and had never let Garcia talk him into it in the first place. Well, he'd know better next time.

His head was full of these thoughts as he rounded the corner from a trip to the men's room and nearly collided with JJ.

"Hey Spence," her cobalt blue eyes smiled as brightly as her mouth.

"Sorry JJ, wasn't looking where I was going."

He noticed another woman with wavy, copper hair and brilliant green eyes stood next to JJ. She was a few inches taller than his friend and wore a very conservative navy blue suit with matching shoes.

"It's okay, Jana and I were just on our way back from lunch. She's an old friend from school that just moved down here."

"Oh, um, nice to meet you," he gave her one of his little waves.

"This is Dr. Spencer Reid."

Her eyebrows went up. "It's nice to meet you Dr. Reid. Jennifer talks about you all the time."

"She does?"

"Not as much as Jana says," JJ disagreed, but her smile widened a bit. "As a matter of fact, I was just saying that we should get together and do something tonight. Garcia and Kevin are joining us and I don't want Jana to be the fifth wheel. Why don't you come with us Spence?"

Both the women were staring at him as he gulped. "I don't think so. I really don't -"

"Come on, it'll be fun. We'll go see a movie or something. I haven't been to a movie theater in forever."

"JJ, don't pressure him if he doesn't want to go. I'm fine on my own."

Reid decided that he liked this Jana for saying what he wanted to say. She was his new best friend, in fact.

"Don't give him an excuse. He never gets out."

"JJ!"

"I'm sorry Spence; I just want you to have some fun for a change. Come on, I promise we'll all have a good time together."

He noticed that Jana had given JJ an odd look and against his better judgment, he decided that going out on another blind date might not be so bad. He was fairly sure that Jana didn't have an ex husband hanging about to interrupt and she posed a mystery to him that he needed to explore.

"Alright, I'll go with you guys."

JJ winked at her friend and they all continued down the hallway to the bank of elevators. They passed by Anderson and Reid almost laughed at the way the other agent gaped at JJ's beautiful friend. In a way he sort of wished that Morgan was here to see Jana.

"Hey Spence," JJ was saying.

"Sorry, what?"

"You'll have to excuse him," she directed to her friend. "He tends to get lost in his head every once in a while."

"That's okay. I'll bet your job consumes all your concentration."

He felt his face getting hot. He pulled at the edge of his sleeve. "I wasn't thinking about work. I was just wondering how JJ talked me into this blind date."

It was JJ's turn to go pink in the cheeks. "Come on Spence, you know I'd never put you in a position to -"

He stopped and held up his hand to cut off her explanation. "I know you'd never hurt me unless it was for the good of someone else like Emily."

"Spence…"

He liked seeing her so uncomfortable, even if it was petty. "I know JJ, don't worry about me. I'm not mad at you anymore. We're fine." He left her standing there with her friend and hurried back to work.

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The next thing Reid knew he was sitting in a theater auditorium with brand new blue plaid seats that tilted back. He wondered why anyone wanted to tilt back in a theater with a movie playing. It's not like you would deliberately go to sleep.

"Are you sure this movie's okay with you?" Kevin was saying to all of them.

"It's fine… I like Sherlock Holmes." Garcia said as she took his hand and squeezed it tight.

"Me too," Will said, winding his arm around JJ's shoulders. "I've been looking forward to this for a few months."

JJ laughed, "He loves all the Conan Doyle books."

"Well, this is a bit of a different take on Holmes and Watson, but I like it," he drawled.

Jana looked over at Reid who sat between her and JJ. He nudged the huge pail of popcorn he'd bought in her direction. She shook her head, "I'll wait until movie starts."

He shrugged and reached in for a handful. He set the tub down on the floor between them and thought hard for something to say. He knew what he wanted to ask her, but he was trying hard these days not to just blurt out what he thought to anyone.

"Thanks for joining us." Jana said softly as the rest of their group chatted while the before the movie entertainment played out on the screen.

"It's okay, I understand." He cut his eyes over to JJ and then looked back at Jana.

Jana flicked her eyes away and began pulling off the black coat she'd put on over a gold sweater, and black jeans. Her wavy red hair was fluffed out around her face that reminded him of roses and cream.

She laid her coat on top of his on the empty chair next to her and finally looked back at JJ again, then met his eyes. He could see she wanted to deny what he already knew, but she couldn't say the words.

"How did you know?" She said very quietly.

"I'm a profiler, it's my job and most of the time I have a terrible time shutting it off."

"You're not mad at me."

He shook his head. "The girls think they're so clever trying to set me up with someone, but honestly -"

He threw up his hands unable to say what he really wanted. Jana grinned at him. "I understand now why JJ says you're easy to confide in and why she made you Henry's godfather. You're sweet and you're in love with someone else."

"Are you sure you're not a profiler too," he giggled.

"No, I just know what it's like to love someone you can't have."

The lights suddenly went down and JJ grabbed his arm. "Stop whispering you two. The movie's about to start."

He sat back and watched the previews begin to run. His eyes flicked over to Jana who was staring straight ahead at the screen. She was right about one thing. He wished that someone else sat next to him.

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Reid followed Jana into one of DC's newest clubs named "Echo." They'd left the others behind and Reid supposed that they were all speculating on what was happening now, but he didn't care.

He pulled off his coat and scarf as they scanned the huge open room for a place to sit. A large, golden chandelier with electric candles dominated the room done in gold and jade tones. The long, cedar wood bar formed a u-shape at one side of the room and left the platform for the grand piano in the center of the room. The tables carried the green and gold theme with velvet upholstered chairs and table cloths with matching napkins. Booths lined the northern walls and were lit with art deco style gold fixtures in the shape of sea shells.

They took one of the booths near the front window that took up most of the southern side of the room only broken by the entrance doors set at the exact center of the wall. The black of night pressed in on them, but Reid thought it was beautiful because at least it wasn't snowing.

"So, what do you think your friends are saying about us now?" Jana asked.

"I'm sure they're speculating that we can't wait to be alone together."

"Well, they are right in one regard. I can't wait to ask you how in the world you knew that I… well I can't say I'm used to saying it out loud."

A waitress approached wearing a white shirt a jade vest, matching skirt and high heeled black shoes. Reid ordered a beer, but Jana only shook her head and asked for a mineral water.

"Have you told anyone?" He probed gently.

"Yes, my parents know and they are fully supportive, but the advertising firm I work for doesn't know. I guess I'm afraid of the reaction."

"Don't be, most places have rules against discrimination for sexual orientation?"

"You work for the FBI. You tell me?"

He sighed. "You're right. I guess I just can't understand why people aren't more tolerant in this day and age."

She smiled a sarcastic smirk. "Don't get me started. I just want to know how you know."

He smiled back. "I saw how you looked at her."

Jana began to play with the silver ring on her right hand; its oval purple stone reflected the light as she twisted it on her finger. "I should be more careful. It's not easy to admit that you're a fool."

His eyebrows went up. "I'm the king of fools." He said gently, "and you're not a fool. Years ago when I started at the BAU I had a terrible crush on her."

"You're over it."

He nodded. "I grew up and realized that she wasn't this perfect goddess I needed to worship."

Jana stopped playing with her ring. "I know she hurt you. She told me as much as she could and I know she's sorry."

"I know she is to," he said. "We didn't come here to talk about me though."

She sighed. "What am I going to do Spencer? She's completely committed to Will and she's Henry's mother and yet I can't stop loving her."

He shook his head. "You're asking the wrong person for advice Jana. All I can say is be her friend and don't close your eyes to other possibilities."

Jana narrowed her eyes at him. "How's that working for you?"

He shrugged his shoulders as the waitress brought them their drinks. "It's not working, but I keep trying. It's why I let the girls set me up. Maybe I'm hoping I'll meet someone that'll wipe her right out of my mind."

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck."

He lifted his beer. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Thanks for listening to me moan. You're a good friend Spencer."

He glanced around the room, his eyes landing of the ebony wood piano. Someone sat at the bench and had begun to play a tune he recognized but didn't know the name of so he just hummed along for a minute.

He looked over again to see that Jana had taken a card from her wallet and was writing on the back. "Here's my number and my email address. Let me know how your search goes."

He took the card. "I will," he put it in his pocket and lifted his beer.

She picked up her water and he said. "Here's to hopeless causes and unrequited love."