CLANDESTINE : Spencer Reid

42

By the beginning of April, I am finally curled up in a blanket around a fire in Shenandoah park. The campgrounds have been open for a few weeks and park ranger privileges but it's still too cold for most campers to come out. I can hear all sorts of crickets in the woods. The fire crackles. It's the kind of smoke I don't mind smelling.

I take a sip from the thermos, drinking in the soup. It's briny, sweet too, and I honestly can't get enough of it. The flavour is a bit of a surprise since Stéphane's always liked more plain foods. This must be another thing he is trying, btu I hope he doesn't give up this new hobby. I tilt my head to the side, cracking my neck. It's such a lovely evening, though it is a cold one. Stéphane and I fall into silence so well with each other. We've chitchatted about work, but mostly, we're content just to drink our soup and bathe in the quiet outdoors.

Maybe it's not for me, but I get why he likes it here.

I was going to run my speech by him, but I'm barely done. I really need to keep working, because I'm not good at bullshitting. I was going to something sappy and silly about how she's really good at finding beauty in everything, and I try to appreciate life more because of it. Cletus is an artist too. Make a joke about her liking a little do-it-yourself project, but I don't think I can get away with it.

"Caro says you're seeing someone," Stéphane smirks to himself.

I groan, audibly. I close the thermos, "I'm not."

"I know," he shakes his head, looking over at me from beneath the bundle of blankets on him. "I just wanted to make sure you're aware she thinks you are."

I reach over for my water bottle and sip it. The liquid is warm too, and I swallow it down with a sour expression.

Stéphane's eyes widen, "you're lying to her?"

I start to chug the water.

Stéphane waits and waits, and the water keeps going. Until I'm at the bottom of the water bottle and I've got nothing else to chug. Already, I feel bloated.

"Is it the guy who I met at the pub?"

I drop the water bottle back into the dirt. At least with the only lightening besides the stars before us red, my blush is hidden, "yes. Dr. Reid."

"Does he know you're lying to her?"

I shrug, "he will. We're supposed to meet up Sunday night for some wedding prep."

Of course, I don't tell Stéphane I'm not sure what the prep is. It's probably buying an outfit for him or something, since he's already asked me what is appropriate to where. I had to give him my phone number so he'd stop slipping me notes at work. I told him it's just two nights, the rehearsal and the wedding itself.

Fucking JJ's roommate with her complicated dress codes has set me up for failure in convincing Reid it's more casual than he's expecting.

"I'm seeing someone," he points out.

My jaw drops, "shut up."

He grabs his water bottle and makes a big show of chugging it. I shake my head, staring at him, and he doesn't relent.

"Is it another park ranger?" I ask.

He keeps chugging.

"I can ask one of them, if you'd like."

Stéphane spits out his water. It blows over the fire. He starts coughing, laughing, and I do too.

"It's not a co-worker," he tells me, finally coming to himself. He shifts in his chair. "She's a park regular. We've only been on two dates, and it's kind of frowned upon to date regulars so we're keeping it on the down low."