Chapter 38
Spencer laughed as he watched Scarlett turn with Emily in a spin on the dance floor. The fact that the two of them hit it off right away brought a smile to his face. He'd also noted how Scarlett had been surely nudging Cooper towards Emily, which surprisingly enough seemed to be working. Even now, Cooper watched Prentiss from the table.
"Are you going to let your wife dance all by herself all night?" Coop prodded Reid with his elbow. "Or am I going to dance with both of them?" he teased as a slow song came over the speakers.
Spencer didn't feel his usual irritation with Cooper's taunt, since he could tell that their friend had hoped that he could use the opportunity to grab a dance with Emily. He grinned over at the man.
"You're going to use me taking my wife away from her friends as a chance to snag some time with Emily…" he teased back. He was surprised when he saw John blush slightly.
"Am I being that obvious?" Cooper asked.
Spencer grinned. "No, not at all…" he joked. "But if it means anything to you, it seems like Em is slightly interested…"
Cooper's look brightened. "Ya think?" he asked. Reid laughed.
"Yeah, maybe a little," he said, leading Cooper out to the floor. He took Scarlett by the hand.
"May I have this dance?" he asked her with a slight grin. When she nodded, he kissed her knuckles, pulling her close. Someone had chosen Adele's 'Make you Feel my Love' and the floor was quickly filling up with couples.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Cooper asking Emily if she would to dance with him.
When the rain is blowing in your face, When the evening shadows and the stars appear,
And the whole world is on your case,
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love.
And there is no one there to dry your tears,
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet, I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue, The storms are raging on the rolling sea I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.
But I will never do you wrong.
I've known it from the moment that we met,
No doubt in my mind where you belong.
And I'd go crawling down the avenue.
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love.
And on the highway of regret.
The winds of change are blowing wild and free,
You ain't seen nothing like me yet.
Nothing that I wouldn't do.
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,
To make you feel my love
To make you feel my love
"I think having you around is rubbing off on Coop," Scarlett said, looking up into Spencer's face as the song ended and another began. She grinned. "He was almost smooth…" she giggled.
"I'm sure Cooper has much smoother moves than me," Reid rolled his eyes, tucking her in closer to his chest.
"Ummm, yeah- no… Cooper is a giant, loud affable bear. He lumbers. Smooth is not in his vocabulary. He's watching you, to see how to impress Emily," she told him.
Spencer pulled back a bit to look down at Scarlett. "You are joking…"
She shook her head. "No, farm boy, I am not. I can believe you haven't noticed Cooper mimicking what you do for me- like pulling out my seat… and then doing it for Prentiss."
Reid looked confused. "That's just common courtesy," he stated.
"Common for you, boy. Not so much for other men… Chivalry is hard to find," she commented.
She noted his frown. "Well, that's just depressing," he told her, leaning her into a slight dip and kissing her nose. Scarlett sighed as she snuggled back into his arms.
"Mmm-hmm, but I'm one of the lucky ones. I found you…" she smiled as she pressed her ear back over his heart.
Spencer held her close, stroking a hand down her hair. Leaning closer, he breathed in her scent.
"I'm the lucky one," he told her, leaning closer to whisper the words against her ear. Scarlett felt his breath touch her neck and shivered.
"You're going to 'get lucky', later…" she gave him an impish grin as she spun away from him under his arm and then back. She saw the blush start up his neck.
"Stop," he warned her. "Or I'll call it an early night and take you home now…" he only half teased.
Scarlett ran her hand up under the back of his shirt, touching his skin lightly.
"Maybe I am feeling a little worn out…" she mused. "Nobody would blame us if we left now…"
Spencer looked from her face to his wristwatch. "We have been here awhile…" he agreed with a lopsided grin.
Taking his hand as the slower songs ended, she tugged him back towards the table where the others were sitting.
"I think we're going to head home, guys," Scarlett announced, squeezing Reid's fingers with hers.
Cooper raised a brow towards her as he led Prentiss back to the table behind them.
"Already?" he looked over at a clock that read just before midnight. "You turning into a pumpkin or somethin' Cinderella?" he teased.
"I think it's more the 'or something'," Penelope piped up, having noticed the looks Scarlett and Spencer had been trading on the dance floor.
Emily laughed at Reid's blush.
"At least some things haven't changed," she teased, patting his cheek when he leaned over to give her a hug. "You are still the world's champ in blushing…"
"Yeah…" he grimaced slightly.
"We still on for tomorrow?" Emily turned to Scarlett.
"You bet," she smiled at her newest friend. "How about noon? The worst of the morning sickness is usually passed by then…"
"Sounds good…" Emily spoke at the same time as Cooper.
"You girls going to get your nails done, Red?" he poked at Scarlett.
She rolled her eyes and caught Prentiss' nod. Emily gave Cooper a sidelong glance, which Scarlett understood meant she wouldn't mind seeing him again.
"Actually, JJ, Emily and I were going to hit the range, if you girls want to try to keep up," Scarlett said, indicating Cooper, Morgan and Reid.
Spencer shrugged. "I'm up for it," he said as he wrapped an arm around Scarlett's shoulders.
Emily couldn't cover the look of shock on her face. "This, I have to see…"
JJ laughed. "Spence has actually gotten quite good," she told her.
"I had a good teacher," Spencer shrugged off the teasing with a grin. He kissed Scarlett's temple lightly, nudging her towards the exit.
"Alright, alright," she laughed, nudging him back. "I'll talk to you guys tomorrow…" she gave them all a slight wave as they walked out of the bar arm in arm.
Emily caught JJ's eyes. "If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it…" she said.
"I told you- she's brought him out of his shell…"
"But he agreed to go to the range? Without even a flinch or serious arm twisting?"
Cooper laughed. "If that surprises you, you probably wouldn't believe me when I tell you I've seen him take down a guy my size- without a gun…" Emily's eyes rounded as she turned to John.
"Seriously?"
"Yup. Guy got the drop on me and Red. Reid flattened him. I thought he was going to kill him bare handed, had him in a solid choke hold and was ready to crush him- but Scarlett talked him down. When the perp picked up a gun and winged me, the kid put a bullet between his eyes…"
Prentiss looked between her other friends for verification. JJ nodded along with Garcia.
"We are talking about Reid, right? Tall, lanky kid with shaggy hair?" she took a sip of her drink, wanting to hear more.
Morgan chuckled. "One and the same. Our boy has grown up," he pretended to wipe a tear from the side of his eyes and Penelope smacked his arm as she laughed.
"Truth is, he's changed, but he hasn't… ya know what I mean?" Penny added. "It's like all the stuff that was just underneath the surface has come out and grown- between the two of them. Not just Reid. Scarlett has grown too- she's a different person than from even when I'd first met her…"
"Amen to that," Cooper said. "I wasn't sure if the changes were a good thing," he shrugged as he admitted that. "But between the two of them, they make each other better…"
Emily digested all this information as she listened to them talk. She held up her drink.
"Here's to those who make each other better," she said. Cooper grinned as he toasted with her.