Chapter 37
Scarlett paid for the round of drinks at the bar, carrying the tray over to the table with the ease of a veteran waitress.
"I don't know why I let you talk me into dragging everyone out to this dive, Cooper," she gave her friends an apologetic glance as she scanned the bar. "It's actually worse than I remember," she stated.
"Hey, no downing Mack's," Cooper grinned. "We keep this place running…" he said, referring to the other Chicago PD officers and detectives who lined the bar. He lifted his shot to hers, knocking back the tequila quickly and grabbed his beer.
"Besides, you still owe me a dance," he teased. "And your team is heading back tomorrow… I didn't want to miss the chance to show them some of Chicago's nightlife…"
JJ grinned as someone turned on the jukebox over at the wall, feeding it with money, blaring out tunes into the small bar. Some people moved out onto the makeshift dance floor, grinding to the latest choices.
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I swear to you, we have better bars…"
Rossi saluted her with his whiskey. "But I'm sure none of them have this ambiance," he winked.
"Nope- this place has been around since my dad was on the force," Cooper added, waving at another man who'd yelled his name across the room. "It's a good place," he said, leaving the table to talk to some other people.
"It certainly has to be one of the safest bars in the area," Penelope added as another uniform walked in the door.
Hotch grinned in agreement with her. "I think the clientele is exclusive to the shield," he stated.
"Pretty much," Derek added. "My dad had some stories about this place too," he winked at Penny.
Scarlett watched as Spencer edged forward, away from the crowded dance floor. She reached over for his hand, indicating he pull his chair closer to hers.
"You're better off just moving to this side, Spence," she warned him. "The floor will just get more packed as the night goes on…"
He looked around the room, thinking it had to already be at max occupancy and met her eyes with a look.
"Yeah," she agreed with his unspoken words, giving a laugh. "It can get worse…"
Cooper came back over to the table carrying a bottle of tequila. He set it down in front of Scarlett, his eyes full of challenge.
"So, are you still able to drink me under the table, Red… or have you really gone over to the land of minivans and soccer moms?"
Scarlett raised her brow to him, giving him a cold stare. "Please… I can drink you under the table and still take the minivan to soccer practice, lightweight…" she snarked, pouring the shots again.
"Uh-oh…" Penelope grinned over at Reid. "I think you may be carrying her in tonight."
Spencer returned her smile, raising his own glass of soda. "That's why I'm the DD," he offered, nodding towards Derek as he also took a shot.
"Awww, come on, Mr. Responsibility… lighten up a little," Cooper teased, reaching over to loosen Reid's tie. "Take a cab home…" he poured another shot and handed the glass to Spencer.
Reid resisted the urge to scowl at Cooper, straightening his tie instead. When he met his eyes, he only grinned.
"Nope," he said with a slight shrug. "I still may have to carry my wife up the stairs… a cab won't take care of that," he stated, making the comment sound off hand. He felt a petty bit of pleasure when Cooper scowled.
JJ noticed the by-play, and the shuttered look that crossed her friend's face. She didn't know much about Cooper, but she knew how to read Spence like a book.
Something was going on between the two men. She stood up, taking her purse from the table and catching Scarlett and Garcia's eyes with quick look.
"You gals want to go freshen up with me?" she asked. Reid pulled out her chair for her and before he could do the same for Scarlett, Cooper stepped up, giving him a smirk.
Wow, JJ thought, reaching up to rub Spencer's arm. "Thanks, Spence," she said lightly. He nodded and shrugged, seeing her look in Cooper's direction.
Scarlett followed JJ into the ladies room, and stepped back when her friend flicked her in the forehead with her finger and her thumb.
"Oww!" Scarlett hollered, looking at JJ while she rubbed her head. "What the hell, Jay?" she asked, scowling at her friend.
Penelope had followed right behind, seeing JJ's move. "Cool… why are we flicking Scarlett, and when is it my turn?" she giggled, earning her a stare from narrowed green eyes.
"I'm not quite sure," Scarlett frowned, meeting JJ's eyes. "I'd like to know… what happened?"
"Your friend Cooper has been ragging on Spencer since we got here…" she informed Scarlett. "And you haven't even noticed…"
"What?" Scarlett stopped rubbing the spot to stare at JJ. "Oh, geez…" she rolled her eyes. "That's just Coop. He can be an ass- Spence knows that."
Penelope moved over by the mirror, reapplying her lipstick. "I don't know, bunny… Cooper is laying it on a little thick…" she mentioned to Scarlett.
"But I don't think it deserved the thwacking, though," she told JJ, in Scarlett's defense.
"Coop is a world class jack-off when he's drinking," Scarlett's brow furrowed as she tried to remember if she noticed anything. "But I haven't seen anything worse than usual…"
JJ sighed. "Maybe I rushed the flick, but he's upsetting Spence…"
Penny grinned. "Well, to be fair, JJ… Reid is getting a few good digs in himself," she reminded her. Scarlett's frown deepened.
"Am I at a different table? Why haven't I noticed any of this?" she asked them.
"They're kinda doing it behind your back, sweets…" Penny replied. "It's like watching a tennis match… I keep waiting for Rossi to start calling points…" she laughed at Scarlett's groan.
"Dave noticed?! I'm going to kill Cooper…"
JJ smiled, adding to her discomfort.
"And Hotch… it was sort of funny, in the beginning…" she teased.
"Scratch that, I'm killing them both…" Scarlett growled. When she started to stalk through the door, JJ grabbed her arm.
"Wait, wait a sec, there Killer…" Jennifer tugged her back. "Maybe I was reading it all wrong, what with Spencer saying Cooper was in love with you…"
"What?!" Scarlett shrieked.
"Not tonight… nevermind! What I meant to say was just watch them- judge for yourself…" JJ tried to smooth things over.
Penelope put away her cosmetics bag in her purse, using a bit of tissue to blot her lips. "Then you can decide who to kill… winner takes you home," she giggled seeing Scarlett turn red.
"Ha! You're blushing!" she laughed, wrapping her arm over her friend's neck and giving her a kiss and leaving a lip print against her cheek. "Isn't love grand?"
"Shut up, Pens…" Scarlett smirked slightly, shoving Garcia's face away from her. She swiped at the lipstick stain on her face.
"Spencer wins, every time. He should know that… Cooper should too- the dumb ass…"
"Maybe you have to prove that point, then," JJ said with a wink as she straightened her own make up.
Scarlett chuckled, leaning back against the countertop. "It'd serve them both right. Spencer would be ready to crawl under the table if I went all PDA on him. And Coop can kiss my ass…"
"Don't offer that to him," JJ warned, slipping her lipstick back into her bag. "We ready then?" she asked the girls.
"Yeah," Scarlett looked at their reflections in the mirror. "Maybe I'll show them both and just start flirting with everyone else in the bar…" she grinned evilly.
"That would really hurt Reid," Penny frowned. "Then I will have to flick you myself," she warned her.
"Oh, poo," Scarlett stuck her tongue out at her image and rolled her eyes at Penny. "You say that as if everyone out there would be receptive… God!"
She shook her hair out over her shoulders and left the bathroom in a huff.
"She really has no idea, does she?" JJ looked over at Garcia.
Penelope sighed. "No, sweetie. She doesn't have an arrogant bone in her body…"
JJ held the door open. "Shall we watch the fun?"
"I think I am going to start keeping a tally," Penny giggled.
Reid saw Cooper start to reach for Scarlett's chair as she came back to the table, but when he did she tipped her head slightly and narrowed her eyes.
Uh-oh... Spencer thought to himself.
Scarlett moved past her seat, choosing to slide onto Spencer's lap instead.
"Hello, boy…" she smirked.
"Hello, girl…" he responded, meeting her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer. "You feeling okay?" he asked, watching her mood carefully.
"Yup," she grinned, turning in his arms back towards the table. When he started to move his hands off her hips, Scarlett stilled him with a touch, telling him without words that she wanted him to continue holding her. She reached for the tequila bottle, pouring more shots between her and Cooper.
"You ready to be schooled, big guy?" she asked him.
"Bring it Red… it's your hangover," he smiled, lifting the glass and tossing it back.
"What's the record?" Rossi asked, watching them turn over their glasses.
"Between her and Cooper? Maybe thirty shots…" Morgan shrugged. "Carter used to give her more of a challenge…"
Penelope scoffed. "She put back almost that by herself at my place that one night…"
"Thirty?" Spencer looked over at Garcia.
"How many shots are in a bottle?" she asked.
"What size bottle?" Reid questioned.
Penny looked thoughtful. "A fifth- I think…"
"About seventeen- the standard shot glass is one point five ounces and a fifth is seven hundred and fifty milliliters… so with forty four point thirty six milliliters in each one and a half shot…" he stopped when Scarlett turned in his lap, catching his mouth under hers.
"No math, Reid…" she stated, giving him a sultry look. "It drives me almost as crazy as your damn glasses…" she warned him, patting his face lightly after seeing his shocked look.
Cooper laughed out loud at her comment.
"You are one weird chick, Red…" he teased.
Scarlett eyed up Cooper. "Spence uses math for interesting reasons," she said, wrapping her arm around Reid's shoulder, leaning into him. "Hearing it makes me think of those reasons…" she winked down at Spencer as he choked on his soda.
"Katy, you have absolutely no filter," he blushed, shaking his head in disbelief, hoping the others hadn't heard her comment. Everyone else seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, easing his discomfort a little.
Cooper rolled his eyes, pouring again. "Alright, alright- I don't wanna hear about your sex life, Red-bird," he shot back at her. "And no breaks… or you lose, you know the rules…" Cooper warned her, dropping another shot in front of her.
"I'm not asking for a break, stud…" she looked over her shoulder, grabbed her drink and slammed it down, turning back to Spencer with a grin. He tasted the tequila on her lips when she bit lightly at his mouth and he could feel the blush start to burn his ears as she deepened the kiss.
"Too much?" Scarlett asked him a bit more quietly, seeing the pink tingeing his cheeks.
"I haven't called for mercy, yet," he responded, enjoying her attention in spite of the embarrassment. He saw the slow smile spread across her lips.
"Oh, but you will," she teased, wiggling her butt against his lap. He tightened his hands over her hips, stilling her.
Cooper snorted, still overhearing the conversation from his position. "What'd'ya have a safe word or somethin'?" he snickered, starting to slur his words as he poured another round. Morgan had graciously brought over a second bottle and Cooper tried to open it.
Scarlett giggled. "Everyone gets a 'safe word' with me, Coop," she joked, leaning over to take the bottle from his hands. When she opened it easily and poured the next two, Cooper looked at her cross-eyed.
"Oh, yeah? What's my safe word then, Red?" he asked. When she gave him a sidelong glance, he grinned.
"You said 'everyone'…" he reminded her, lifting his glass.
"FUBAR… As in, 'You'd be totally FUBAR if had to deal with me, Cooper," Scarlett laughed as he choked on the shot, slamming her empty glass upside down.
Spencer scowled slightly, looking over at JJ. "What's a fubar?" he asked her.
JJ laughed, leaning closer to Reid. "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition… Basically, your wife is telling Coop he couldn't handle her," she said with a grin.
Spencer hid his smile. "Accurate…"