Garcia had gone back inside the hotel while Alex stayed out by the pool to collect her thoughts before going back in and facing Hotch.
She walked past a wall of shrubs and stopped to take a seat on the brick bench with her back toward the greenery. "Spencer, do you want to tell me why you are hiding in a bush?"
Reid's eyes peered out through the leaves. "Uh, I saw Aimee so I ducked in here."
Alex continued to keep her back towards him and let out a chuckle. "You have come face-to-face with some of the most horrific criminals in this world and you are afraid of a girl with a crush on you?"
"You are taking this whole thing out of context," Reid tried to explain.
Alex stood up, "I'm sorry, I can't have a conversation with you while you look like Wolfgang from Laugh-In."
"Very interesting," Reid replied with a German accent.
Alex snorted, "that's it, this is just too stupid." She walked back into the hotel.
Alex stood in front of her hotel room door, and was afraid of entering. She quickly shook her head, pulled out her keycard and entered.
She looked around and noticed that the room was empty. The to-go containers of food were still left on the entry table, untouched. She picked up one and sat on the bed.
Alex took a few bites out of the cold waffle then looked up as the door opened. Hotch gave her a meager smirk as walked in.
"I can offer you some, cold eggs, mushy pancakes, or a hard waffle," Alex grinned.
"They all sound wonderful, I don't know where to start." Hotch replied as he sat down next to her.
The tension flooded the room until Alex let out a deep breath, "I'm sorry."
"Me, too," Hotch replied. "You were right, I was treating you like I was your boss, and I shouldn't have."
"We've both made mistakes," Alex agreed.
They sat on the edge of the bed, eating the less-than-desirable breakfast in silence.
Reid slicked back his hair into a stylish pompadour. He finished buttoning his crisp white shirt then tucked into his blue tuxedo pants. He pulled out the blue and white striped bowtie with matching pocket square as he added the finishing touch.
Reid blew out a breath of air, "let's see what we have in store for tonight." He looked confidently back at himself.
The music from the gala could be heard for miles. Visitors had flown in specifically to attend this event. The party was already in full swing and hadn't even begun.
Garcia had been preparing for this moment for weeks and the time had finally come for her to shine. She stepped into the underwater paradise wearing a tight iridescent green dress and a dayglow red wig that draped down to the middle of her back.
"You are one hot mama," Morgan announced as he looked Garcia over.
"You aren't so bad yourself, chocolate Johnny Cash," she smirked as she acknowledged his black tuxedo, black shirt and black tie.
"How did you find heels with real seashells on them?" He was caught off guard, but not completely surprised.
"A fashionista never reveals her secrets," she moved past him scouring the people in the room. "Have you seen my ripper Australian?"
"Oh, I see how it is, no more love for yours truly," he feigned hurt feelings.
"Don't worry, my hunky-dunky, you are always my main man, but tonight I am on a mission to broker peace and relations between our two countries. A lot of relations, if you know what I mean," she giggled.
Morgan shook his head, "at least save a dance for me."
"You know I will," Garcia replied as she noticed her date and rushed to him.
Hotch and Alex entered the ballroom holding hands, yet they were miles apart. They each took a glass of champagne as it was offered and gulped it down while facing opposite directions. The couple awkwardly stood next to each other, unsure of how to get through the evening together.
Hotch cleared his throat as he looked to his date. "I neglected to tell you how stunning you are."
Alex blushed, "thank you." She looked down at her black mermaid-style dress with teal sparkles and embellishments that shimmered like water.
Their attention was then turned to Rossi who made his grand entrance to the gala with a young gorgeous brunette on his arm. Hotch and Alex kept their eyes on them as they walked by.
Alex leaned into Hotch, "how old would you say she is?"
Hotch tilted his head, "she could be his daughter."
Alex let out a tiny snort, "more like his granddaughter."
Hotch smirked, not wanting to agree. "Come on, we need to show everyone how much in love we are."
"How could they not see that we already are? Especially with that attitude," Alex grinned.
Hotch shook his head, "just take my arm."
Morgan adjusted his bowtie in the hotel lobby mirror before heading back toward the party.
"It doesn't matter how much you adjust it, you are still going to have that same dopey grin on your face," Prentiss stood behind him with her arms crossed.
"Miss Emily Prentiss, you are breathtaking," Morgan beamed.
"Why thank you."
"I am pretty sure your date is inside," he informed. "Garcia was already sucked into their gravitational pull."
"Well, then you can do the honors," Prentiss suggested.
"I would like that." Morgan held out his arm for her. They stepped outside to the throng of guests arriving.
"That didn't take long," Prentiss spoke softly.
"What?" Morgan questioned.
"Sloane." Prentiss announced.
They both watched as he walked in the opposite direction of the arrivals.
"Where is he going?" Morgan was curious.
"Perhaps his date is arriving in one of the cars." Prentiss offered since he headed out to the line of vehicles.
The two walked after him. He headed past the cars and around the dark side of the hotel. Prentiss and Morgan remained vigilant now that they were off the beaten path and away from the rest of the guests.
"Is that the guy from the dock?" Prentiss asked as they saw Sloane approach someone in the shadows.
"It looks like it to me," Morgan agreed.
The men continued to talk yet the agents were unable to hear them. The large man started to walk away then Sloane called out, "And it needs to be done tonight!"
"I think we need to follow this guy," Morgan suggested.
"Count me in."