Chapter 8: hanging out
Spencer wasn't sure where to sit, so he waited until she was on the couch. He sat on the arm chair across from her so she wouldn't think he was crowding her. For a moment he wished he was more like Morgan. Derek would be on the couch, his arm around her, saying something that would make her laugh. If he was Derek he and J.J. would be dating, he was sure of it. The way women reacted to Morgan always made Spencer jealous, but when he was teasing J.J. he didn't hesitate to touch her, tickle her, flip her hair, and it drove Spencer insane. She was happily flipping through the channels and drinking her wine oblivious to the deep state of mind he was obviously in.
Spencer picked up a book and began to work on a crossword puzzle. J.J. eyed him for a moment before she spoke. "Why don't you drink Spencer?" "What?" "Why don't you drink? You nursed the same glass of wine all night and now, to unwind at the end of what I am sure has been a stressful day for you, you drink a glass of water?" Spencer thought about it. "Well, when I started college I was 12, and by the time I was at an age where social drinking was appropriate all of my peers were serious doctoral candidates. And, alcohol certainly doesn't enhance our ability to do the job we do." "OK, but what about now? I mean, all of us were here, and all of us were drinking, and you bought the alcohol, yet you nursed one glass all night. So, maybe you were nervous and wanted to be at the top of your game earlier, but why not now? Why would you make me drink alone?" She giggled at the last part, and he noticed she had moved the end of the couch very close to him. He could smell her perfume, see the slight shimmer of her eye shadow, and a vein in her neck that ran past the delicate chain of her necklace. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess I have no excuse." Spencer got up, headed to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of merlot.
When Spencer returned to the living room she had kicked off her heels and was curled up on one end of the couch. He sat in his chair and held up his glass to her in a toast. He had brought the bottle, and offered her a refill. "Thanks." Her smile was intoxicating; alcohol was not a good idea. "Spencer, I was thinking about what you said about not getting a chance to drink in college. What else did you miss out on?" Spencer thought for a moment. He wasn't sure how to answer, but he knew he had to continue to be honest with her. "I learned a lot. I know that is the primary objective of higher education. Still, I am aware that I missed out on certain aspects of 'college life' because of my dedication to my degrees. I didn't date much, I never went to parties…wait! I did go to a party once!" "Oh yeah? Tell me all about it!" J.J.'s face lit up, and her smile begged for more. "Not to disappoint you, but I only stayed a few minutes. Just as I walked in the door a woman threw up on me, and I ran home." J.J. laughed at him and he couldn't help but laugh with her.
Just then, J.J.'s phone rang. "Hello? Yeah, hey Garcia! You and Morgan are blocking me in at Spencer's. Are you guys leaving the bar? Yes, I am still here. No, it is just the two of us, but I did finally get him drinking. Please. See you soon." Spencer was smiling, but he was sad that their night was about to end. He knew she would leave as soon as she could, and he was just getting comfortable with her sitting so close. "My heroes are on their way. She sounded so drunk." "Should they be driving anywhere? When they get here I can drive them home." J.J. smiled at his concern, and sipped her wine. Spencer knew he had approximately 20 minutes left with J.J. and all the conversations he had rehearsed somehow seemed inappropriate. She was looking at the TV again, apparently content with silence, so Spencer decided to be content to look at her over his puzzle, and he went back to work on it.