Two and a half hours later, both couples were still sitting at a table in the Indian restaurant, laughing and talking.
"You have got to be kidding!" Beth exclaimed to Christina. "That really happened?"
"It certainly did," Christine assured her. "Everyone has a funky first car, it's just that mine was funkier than most!"
"I remember my first car," Hotch smiled at the memory. "The front windows would go down, but then the motor that operated them would stick. Unless I opened up inside panel of the offending door and manually turned it off, the motor would keep running until it killed the battery. However, that car was a really hot red color!"
"Mine had a defective speedometer," Beth remembered fondly. "And, as hard as I tried to travel slightly slower than the other traffic, I never quite succeeded. I just kept getting more tickets!"
Christine picked up Reid's wrist, and squinted at his watch.
"If I am reading this right," she said, twisting her head to get a better look, "I have to run or I'll miss my train."
She stood up and started gathering her packages. "It has been really great talking with you!" she told Hotch and Beth.
Beth smiled at her. "It has been super!" she agreed. "We'll have to get together again sometime."
Hotch stood up and moved to the other side of the table to give Christine a hug. "Christine, it has been good seeing you again. Hopefully, Reid will bring you to our next team outing."
"That sounds great. I look forward to it," Christine told him. She glanced around by her chair. "I think I have everything. If you find something I left behind, let me know. Bye!"
Reid walked her as far as the restaurant door and, after opening the door for her, returned to the table, and sat down.
Beth looked up at him with a smile. "Spencer, she is great! Where did you say you met her?" she asked.
Reid shifted in his seat uncomfortably and glanced over at Hotch.
"She was part of an investigation we ran at a private training center several weeks back," Hotch took over the explanation. "She worked with Rossi. Did a really good job, too. She and Reid are the ones who figured out how the poison was being administered."
"I'm impressed! Beth exclaimed. "A scholar and a sleuth. Spencer, that sounds like a winning combination to me!"
"That remains to be seen," was Reid's non-committal response. "It's about time I left, too. What do I owe you, Hotch?" He started reaching for his wallet.
Hotch held up his hand. "Forget about it. You can get it next time," he told the young agent. "See you at the office tomorrow."
"Okay, if you're sure," Reid replied as he stood up. He gave a small wave to Beth. "Nice to see you again."
"I really enjoyed seeing you again, too" Beth smiled at him. "Take care."
As Reid left the restaurant, Beth turned to Hotch. "Reid seems awfully reticent to talk about Christine," she observed.
"You know Reid," Hotch replied. "He likes to keep his private life private."
"Yes, but he just walked her as far as the door," Beth observed. "He didn't walk her to the Metro stop. He didn't hug her, or kiss her good night, or even shake her hand."
"That's just Reid," Hotch told her. "He's a little socially awkward."
As he and Beth continued talking on their way home, Hotch had a fleeting thought that maybe Reid was being secretive about his relationship because he didn't know what Christine really did at The Institute. However, the thought quickly slipped his mind as he continued enjoying his evening with Beth.
FINI
I would like to thank everyone who has stayed with this story through to the end. I hope you enjoyed it and I appreciate both your patience and your feedback!
