Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks to my beta and your reviews.

As promised, Reid was waiting outside the main entrance. He smiled when he saw Cooper approaching, and admired Coopers short, curly brown hair, black eyes, and his build.

"So, Dr. Reid, where are we going to eat?" asked Cooper.

"I know a diner a few miles away. It's better than the cafeteria food, but I don't have my car today," Reid replied. He didn't want to run into his team. Not because he was ashamed, but because he wanted some privacy.

"I have mine, but I just moved in DC. You'll have to show me the way."

After ten minutes of driving, Cooper parked his car in front of the restaurant. It was a small diner where Reid and his team occasionally went to eat, when they had time to spare.

Inside the restaurant, the waitress showed them to a quiet booth, and handed them two menus.

To break the silence, Cooper asked, "What do you suggest?"

"Their steak is great. In fact, everything here is good," Reid replied.

"I hope I didn't offend you when I asked you out, this morning," Cooper said once they placed their order.

"Why would I be offended?"

"Because usually guys don't like when other guys hit on them, unless they're gay; and I still don't know if you're interesting in me, or if this lunch is just your way of apologizing for my shirt."

Reid appreciated Cooper's concern. Smiling, he replied, "No, I wasn't offended. Actually your invitation came at just the right time. And concerning my sexuality, I don't put labels on it. I've dated men and women in the past."

"Good to know. Personally, I'm 100% gay. What are you a doctor of, Dr. Reid?"

The waitress brought their food, and they continued chatting. Reid said, "You can call me Reid, or Spencer."

"In that case, you can call me Cooper."

"Ok, and to answer your question, I have three doctorates: mathematics, chemistry and engineering."

"Wow, you're a genius."

Reid wondered how he should reply. He didn't want to sound arrogant, or scare off Cooper; which was the usual reaction when he told people his I.Q. So, he said, "You could say that. You said that it was your first day at work?"

"Yeah, I'm from San Francisco. I moved to DC about a month ago. I'm Section Chief Strauss's assistant. This is my first full-time job, and it's a lot of responsibility."

Damn, I invited Strauss's assistant to lunch, Reid thought. Out of all the men and women who worked in his building, he had chosen the assistant to his boss's boss.

"Is this a problem? Technically, she's your boss, too," Cooper replied, feeling a little worried.

"No, it's not a problem. It's just that my team and I don't have the best track record with her."

Reid respected his Section Chief, but it bothered him (a little) the thought of dating or hanging out with someone close to her entourage. Cooper seemed to be a nice guy. Even though he works for Strauss, Reid still wanted to get to know him better.

Cooper drove them back to work, and parked his car in the parking lot. Before Reid opened the passenger door, Cooper asked, "Do you like Sci-Fi movies? The Ghostbusters marathon starts playing today. Would you care to join me?"

"I'd be happy to," replied Reid, without hesitation.

"Great. I'll call you later, Spencer," smiled Cooper.

At 5:30 pm, Reid left work and went straight home. He took a quick shower and changed into something more casual. He still felt a little conflicted by the fact that Cooper was working for Strauss, but he decided to give Cooper a chance. Reid's job had taught him that life was short, and that whenever he could, he had to take his chances to be happy.

Reid met Cooper in front of the theater. They decided that Cooper would pay for the tickets, and that Reid would buy the popcorn and sodas. They enjoyed the movie. When it was over, Reid admitted to himself that he'd had a very good night. Using his profiling skills, Reid built a quick profile of Cooper: Cooper was smart. He liked to talk, but he was also a great listener. And more importantly for Reid, Cooper treated him like an equal.

"Are you hungry? I know a great place. I hope you like Caribbean food ?" said Cooper, smiling.

Reid hadn't eaten much, beside the popcorn he ate in the theater. His stomach felt empty. He didn't usually eat exotic foods, but he wanted to try it. Since he and Cooper had barely spoken during the movie, it would be a perfect occasion to talk more. Reid said, "I've never tasted it before, but I'm starving."

When they arrived at the restaurant, the owner came to greet them. He was a black man in his mid thirties. Reid watched Cooper greet his best friend and they exchanged a few words in Portuguese. Then Cooper made the introductions, "Spencer, this is my best friend Tiago. Tiago, this is Spencer." The two men shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Spencer," Tiago said. He spoke with a brazilian accent.

"Likewise," Reid replied.

After Cooper said something else in Portuguese, Tiago showed them to a table. Once they were seated, Tiago headed back to his kitchen.

"Tiago is going to cook for us his specialty. So, I told him to go easy on the spice because even after 20 years in the US, he still doesn't know that his cuisine is too hot for the average American," Cooper laughed.

While they were eating, Reid and Cooper spoke about their respective lives. Nothing too personal or deep, but enough to make dinner interesting. After dinner, Cooper drove Reid home.

When Cooper had finished parking the car, Reid did something unusual. He kissed Cooper. Not a soft and gentle kiss, but a passionate one. He was glad that Cooper returned the kiss with the same intensity.

When the kiss ended, Reid asked, "Do you want to come in?"

Reid didn't usually ask guys to come in, but he wanted to spent the rest of night with Cooper. Strauss' assistant seemed a nice guy, and if they slept together, he was sure that he would be very attentive to his needs.

Before Cooper answered, he bite his lip. He was trying to figure out the best way to refuse to Reid's invitation nicely. Finally he said, "I'd love to, but... "

"But you realize that I'm not your type," Reid snapped, a little disappointed by this rejection.

Cooper looked into Reid's eyes and said, "No, actually, you're totally my type. You're a smart, interesting, handsome, and sexy man. I really enjoyed this date, but tonight I have the feeling that you're trying to forget something or someone and I don't want a one-night stand. Not with you."

Reid was touched by Cooper's honesty, and decided to be honest, too. He said, "You're right. Recently I was betrayed by someone whom I deeply cared about. That's why I accepted this date, but I want to spent the night with you, because I like you. The funny thing is … I'm not a one-night stand kind of guy. I'm looking for a real relationship. Let's just forget my stupid invitation, and start all over. What about a movie and dinner this Saturday?"

"Ok, that sounds great!" Cooper replied, grinning.

They kissed each other goodnight, and Reid climbed out of Cooper's car. Waving goodbye, Reid entered his building. He took a quick shower, then climbed into bed. He fell asleep easily, and for the first time in weeks, Reid slept very well.