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#2
All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.
~Leo Tolstoy
Mike Sorel moaned as he stared through his binoculars for the fifth time in the day.
"When is this guy going to make a move?"
Dorian Loker was reading The Pickwick Papers.
"What, do you have a hot date?"
"No, a football game to watch," he said. "I am winning in my fantasy league."
"I hear they invented something called a DVR," she said without looking up.
Sorel took a seat next her. "How about you? Are you still seeing that BAU guy?"
Loker looked up from her book. "We get coffee and discuss books. That is all."
"Haven't you considered something more with the guy?"
"I don't think I'm his type," she said.
Sorel leaned. "Is he your type?"
Loker snapped her book shut. "It's almost dinner time. The Kenny should be meeting with someone now."
"You're avoiding the question."
"I am not discussing my personal life with you Mike."
"Whatever you say Dorian."
…
"So did you enjoy the part where Pickwick went to prison for refusing to pay Mrs. Bardell and her lawyers?" Reid asked during their monthly coffee session.
"Yes I thought it had an interesting description of Fleet Prison," Loker said.
"It is one of the few pieces of genuine satire in the collection and the story is an indication of the darker themes he'll use in his books to follow."
"Yeah I noticed that," she said.
There was a lull in the conversation as they drank their coffee. Loker finished her coffee first.
"Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" she said abruptly.
It took Reid by surprise.
"Um, sure," he said uncertainly.
"When is a good time for you?" she asked sounding almost business-like.
"Any day I guess so long as you're not doing surveillance and I am not out of town on a case."
"So how about this Thursday at Cappelo's?"
"That sounds good, I make a reservation," he said quickly. "How about seven o'clock?"
"That sounds great I'll meet you there then," she said and got up to leave. "Bye."
"Bye," he said waving slightly while still sitting there.
…
The team was called out to consult on a case in Galveston on Monday. It involved serial killers taking the left thumbs of their victims and dropping them off at various newspaper offices. They believe it might be an angry laid-off or fired employee.
After they broke down the case Hotch suggested they take the time to rest as the window between kills was short between sundown and sunrise. Reid was trying to read a book but he was having hard time concentrating.
Morgan was sitting across from.
"Okay out with it genius, what's on your mind?"
"Nothing important," he said with a slight tremor.
Rossi looked up from his iPad. "It has to be something big as you're usually half-way through a book that size by now."
"It's not a big deal," he said sounding even less convincing.
J.J. looked up from the file. "Spence, now we're all intrigued."
Reid put his book down.
"Dorian Loker asked me out on a date."
"Please tell me you said yes," J.J. said with a smile.
"How could I not? Did you know that men are still more like to initiate—"
"Forget the science kid," Morgan said. "If you don't act fast enough the girl will go for it."
"But I'm not sure if I like her that way," he said nervously.
"Are sure it's not fear that holding you back," Rossi said. "It can be hard to get back on the horse after a while."
"I don't know," he said honestly. "I like Dorian but her job has a certain amount of risk—"
"That sounds like an excuse buddy," Morgan said.
"I don't want to lose something I never had to begin with."
Hotch walked over and took a seat next to Reid.
"Reid listen to me and listen closely," he said. "When Haley died I had endless nightmares of hearing the gunshot. Eventually they faded and I almost missed them because it was the last moment of her life. Then I remembered all the good memories I had of her to cherish for the rest of my life. It made me realize I still had so much to live for outside my work and family. It is okay to move on from Maeve, Reid and I'm sure she'd love to see you love again."
There were small tears forming in Reid's eyes. "It sounds like a good idea Hotch."
"I hope so now, there is work to be done okay?"
"Yeah."
There were smiles all around the plane until it was time to get off.
…
Loker was sipping her first glass of wine to settle her nerves when Reid arrived in a handsome suite and tie.
"Sorry I'm late," he said quickly. "The case ran late and then there was trouble with the weather which is unusual for Galveston this time of the—"
She raised a hand. "Relax Spencer, I know how hectic jobs can be. I'm an agent too you know."
"Yes I know, sorry," he said. "You look lovely tonight. Not that you don't always look nice it's just—"
"I know what you mean Spencer. You look good too. Why don't you take a seat so we can order dinner?"
"Sure, sorry," he said and took his seat across from her.
"And stop saying sorry, you're doing fine," she said.
"Sor—okay," Reid said and looked at the menu.
"I take it you haven't gone done a lot of dating recently," she said with a smile.
"N-no, I just," he sighed. "It's complicated."
"Life is complicated," Loker said.
"It's a kind of sad story too."
She tipped his menu down with her right hand.
"Then let's start a happy story tonight."
Reid smiled for the first time that night.
"I think that sounds great."