It was 7:00 p.m. the following Tuesday evening, and Hotch and Beth were attending an art exhibit of student works sponsored by the University's Art Department. As they wandered from one piece of artwork to another, with Hotch listening to Beth's observations, she suddenly paused.
"Isn't that Reid over there – With a woman?" she asked, nodding her head toward the far end of the gallery.
Hotch stretched to see over the crowd. "Oh, yes – That's Christine. I think I told you about her – At The Institute?" he asked.
"They make a cute couple, and I love her top," Beth observed. "We should go over and say 'Hi!' "
Hotch took a deep breath. "She is a bit of a chameleon. She looks good with Rossi, too," was his comment.
"Both Reid and Rossi?" Beth was surprised. "This is a lady I have to meet!"
As they began walking across the room Christine turned, saw them, and smiled. She said something to Reid who also turned. His expression was harder to read.
"Aaron – How good to see you again!" Christine greeted him. After a brief hesitation as they exchanged glances, she gave him a hug.
"It's good to see you too," Hotch smiled down at her. "I would like you to meet my friend, Beth," he continued.
Christine turned to Beth. "I've heard the name – Now I have a face to put with it. Nice to finally meet you!"
"And, Beth, of course, you know Reid," Hotch added unnecessarily.
Reid gave Beth a small wave. "Hi - Nice to see you again."
Hotch looked at Reid. "I must say, I am kind of surprised to see you here," he commented.
Christine smiled at him. "Tuesday is my day to come in, meet with my Thesis Advisor, and attend her weekly seminar," she explained. "I wanted to see what the Art Department students have been doing this semester, and asked Spencer if he would like to come with me."
She turned to Beth. "Have you seen anything you want to snap up for the gallery?" she asked.
"Not quite," Beth told her. "Although, there are several pieces that I find rather interesting."
"Probably that painting on the left wall in the second room," Reid observed. "The one where there appears to be a snail crawling across the bottom of it."
Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. "Christine mentioned it," he admitted.
"It reminded me of a Joan Miro – Not so much the content as the overall feel," she explained.
Beth looked at Christine. "You know, you're right," she exclaimed. "I had a feeling about it. Would you like to go take another look?"
As the women started toward the other room, Hotch turned to Reid. "Joan Miro?" he asked.
"A Catalan painter known for his style of painting known as Surrealism," Reid explained as they hurried to catch up. "He is also known as a sculpture and ceramicist. Some of his public sculptures are – Ah, you really don't want to know all of this, do you?" he asked.
Hotchner looked pained. "Actually – I do. I don't know a whole lot about art and with Beth – " his comment trailed off.
"Well, I can tell you all about what the experts say about the established artists and their work," Reid told him. "But as for what is good and what isn't, I really don't know. I just know what won't give me nightmares."
By the time Hotch and Reid had reached the second room, Beth and Christine were in front of the painting examining it.
"I see what you mean," Beth observed. "That Surrealism feeling and the colors, it definitely evokes Miro's earlier paintings. Does this student have anything else in the show?"
Christine turned around and scanned the other walls. "Not that I saw," she said. "Of course, I didn't look too closely at the labels; I was mostly looking at the various works."
"No. You're right," Reid told her. "There wasn't anything else." He shrugged and explained, "I did read the labels."
Hotch glanced at his watch and then at Beth. "Is anyone hungry?" he asked. "Beth and I were planning on getting something to eat after we were done here. Would you care to join us?"
Christine looked at Reid. "We really hadn't discussed doing anything after we were finished here," Christine replied. "But, I haven't eaten and with all the running around I've done today I would welcome a chance to sit down for a while."
She picked up Reid's wrist and checked his watch. The move was surprisingly intimate, particularly for Reid, and Hotch noted that while he flinched slightly at first, he didn't seem to object to her familiarity.
Christine smiled at Hotch. "I do have some time before I have to catch the last train out," she confirmed.
"What do you have in mind?" Reid chimed in. "There is a great Indian place right around the corner."
