The Talk (Spencer & Morgan)

(takes place near the end of Chapter 26 of Shudder and Burn)

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"Reid, can I talk to you...?" Standing by the sliding glass doors, with his hands on his hips, Morgan tilted his head, gesturing to the backyard.

"Sure. We can talk while I put a few things away." They went out while Susan and Penelope talked about Betty's technical issues in the kitchen. Spencer leaned over the bench as he reached under the table, unplugging the heaters, one by one, letting them cool off. "What's on your mind?"

"I gotta ask... are you sure you know what you're doing? The last time I talked to Emily, she said you were dating a woman named Max."

Spencer stopped and exhaled slowly. "Max was six months ago… two coffee dates, totaling an hour… and thirty-four minutes. There was no third date. She ghosted me, after the case with Cat Adams."

Morgan chuckled. "Yeah, I heard about that, too. So, just out of curiosity, how long have you two been dating?"

"Mmm, two weeks?" Spencer grinned at the look of disbelief on Morgan's face. "But we emailed back and forth for longer."

"Are you out of your damn mind?" He took a deep breath, held up a hand, and spoke slowly. "Have you given any serious thought about what you're getting yourself into?"

"I have, actually… at length. Keep in mind Susan and I have known about each other since 2006 and Dave has told her a lot about me… about all of us. Do you remember several years ago when you showed me how to hit a baseball?"

Morgan nodded. "Yeah. I remember. I told you to feel it and not overthink it. And why are you changing the subject?"

"I'm not." Spencer chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm trying to tell you with Susan, I feel it. I'm absolutely sure about her."

"I don't mean feel it… as in below the belt, Kid."

Spencer grinned. "I'm not either... although that's nice too." His expression softened as he grew solemn. "No, it's like being sure the sun's going to rise in the morning. I know it." He nodded, slowly, as his smile widened.

"Speaking of…"

"I'm sure I don't need any pointers. We're good." Spencer's eyebrows arched. "Why... do you think I need advice?"

"Alright, stand down, Junior." Morgan held his hands up in mock surrender. "Look, I'm just trying to help."

"Can I ask you something, in all seriousness?"

"Sure, Kid." Morgan stood, hooking his thumbs in his pockets, watching Spencer wind the cord on the first heater. "What do you want to know?"

"When you and Savannah were dating, did you ever sit and just talk... for hours?" Spencer wound the cords around the other heaters, and they each carried two to the deck. He put them back underneath the bar, then picked up the plastic crates and set those on the table.

"About what?" Morgan took the empty wine bottles from the table and set them in the recycle bin behind the bar, then slid the glasses into the first crate, moving it to the bench.

He shrugged. "Anything. Everything. After her class, we talked for the first twenty hours… for the most part." Spencer pursed his lips, trying not to smile. "Susan told me all about herself, her family, her involvement with the community center, even her financial… situation." He pulled the tablecloths off, folded them haphazardly, stacking them on top of the table.

"Okay, I get it. Savannah and I talked... a lot." He grinned, folding his arms over his chest.

"And how many dates in before things got... physical?" Spencer set the cloth napkins on top of the tablecloths and looked up.

"Since you asked, the second date. But I've been with enough women to know Savannah was special… early on." His eyebrows twisted. "So you two have…" He gestured, sweeping his hand back and forth in front of him, between Spencer and the house.

"Oh… yeah." He nodded. "Trust me when I say, I could tell Susan was different that first day. Even without the shaking, I knew she was special. She makes me feel... I don't know how else to describe it... normal, like any man, worthy of love and affection. Let me ask you something else. What's your favorite ice cream?"

Morgan shook his head, smiling. "Now what the hell does that have to do with this?"

Spencer rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Just answer the damn question."

"Okay, uh… Butter Pecan. I don't eat ice cream very often, but when I do, I have that. What's your point?" He leaned against the pergola post. "Where are you going with this?"

"So, think back to the first time you had it. Remember the way it tasted? And did that make you want more?"

"I thought it was delicious, and yes, I wanted more… and I think I see where you're going. Susan is your ice cream?"

"Exactly. I can't stop wanting more of her. At times I can distract myself temporarily, by focusing on something, then thoughts of her sneak in and she's all I can think about."

"Oh, Pretty Boy, you… are… in… love." He set his hand on Spencer's shoulder. "That's called The Honeymoon Phase. You can't seem to get close enough, or get enough of her, or spend enough time with her. Am I right?"

"Mm-hmm. True." Spencer closed his eyes for a long moment and let out his breath as he opened them. "I know all the physiological reasons why sex feels so… incredible… but I wanted to spend more time with her even before… that." He cleared his throat. "I feel comfortable here… with her like I belong… and when she's near me… I can't get enough of her." His hand absently went to a spot a few inches under his ribs. "It's like this deep… hunger."

Morgan mussed Spencer's hair. "Hmph. You've got it bad, Kid." He looked around. "This place is seriously tricked out. No doubt it comes with a hefty price tag. You said, her financial situation? Let me guess, she's one of those high-maintenance types? You know, brand name clothes, shoes and purses, spends more than she makes? I mean, she's a beautiful lady…"

"High maintenance?" Spencer chuckled. "No, actually the opposite. In her closet, she has nine pairs of shoes. As for the house, it's hers, free and clear, so no price tag… at all, except for the normal maintenance and taxes. Her grandfather built it, and she bought out her brother's share after their mother died. Susan's self-sufficient and lives well below her income. And she loves me, as much as I love her. Of that, I'm also sure. The way she looks at me… is the way other women look at you."

Morgan chuckled. "That's all I need to know, then. I do trust you. I'm serious, man. His voice softened and his smile widened. He put his hand out. "I'm happy for you, Spencer."

He laughed as he shook Morgan's hand. "You must be serious. Normally you call me Kid or Pretty Boy."

"I am. Now, show me around some more. This place is off the hook…" He turned to the jungle gym and then back at Spencer. "… and something for kids."

"That was originally put in for her nephews, but yeah..." He took Morgan over to the entertainment shed and they closed it, then showed him the greenhouse behind the garage and the outdoor fireplace behind the pool. "Betty, turn the flames on?" The flames turned on, with the fire pits and the waterfalls going on each side.

"This is nice… very nice."

Spencer asked Betty to turn off the flames as they walked around the pool and the hot tub to the outdoor kitchen. "I'm happier than I ever thought I could be." He shrugged. "Happier than I ever thought I deserved."

"I can see that… Pretty Boy. You haven't stopped smiling all night. I'm happy for you and you do deserve to be happy." He hooked his arm around Spencer's neck. Are you sure you don't need any pointers? I'm not gonna ask you to kiss and tell, but damn, she's… ooh. You sure you got all the bases covered?"

Pursing his lips, Spencer tried not to grin, and he nodded; his hands gesturing vaguely, as he spoke. "We're good. No… great. All the bases are… covered… quite well." He stuck his fingers in his pockets and grinned wider.

/

While the guys were outside, Penelope and Susan were talking in the kitchen as they finished loading the dishwasher.

"There are only a couple of issues, but one stumps me. Last week, every time I thought I had found a way in, I ended up on a website for 'Bandra Tyres' in Mumbai, India, then my computer shut down."

Susan smiled. "Oh, good. That's what it's supposed to do, without the access code. It's harmless." Grinning, she told Penelope a sequence of numbers. "1953-06-02."

"What's that? A date?"

"The date of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, June 2nd, 1953. Few people know Betty is named after her."

"Ooh, lovely," Garcia said with a British accent. "Was that your idea?"

"The code, yes, but my grandfather named the house. Any other issues? Oh, did you find any reason why Betty won't play Dave's music?"

Penelope went over that and a minor issue, plus a fix for it. "Now… I want to see the Du Massier prints. When Reid and I came in earlier, I forgot all about those after he told me he had proposed."

She followed Susan out of the kitchen and into the library. As they walked in, Susan turned the lights on and they found Aaron and Emily leaning against the wall, near the prints, kissing passionately, with their arms around each other. Penelope gasped, startling the couple.

Susan chuckled, pulling Penelope by the arm, out of the room, apologizing to the pair. They ran out to the backyard, to tell Spencer and Derek.

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A/N This is a chapter of my 2nd book, Side Stories. There were stories that needed to be told.
I'll post where these stories fit in Shudder and Burn.

I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know your thoughts after reading this and if you want to read more.

LW