CLANDESTINE : Spencer Reid

48

When Caro finally leaves, after we talk for thirty minutes about the ceremony and my role and how excited we both are, I turn back to Reid. I shake my head at him.

"You're worse than Estelle," I shake my head.

He laughs, "she's the one I called. I wanted Stéphane's number, but she told me she'd handle it. She asked for our location and told us not to leave. I can abstain from asking her for advice in the future, if it bothers you. I was only trying to help."

Of course, this is all Estelle's doing. I imagine some collusion on Stéphane's behalf, because I cannot otherwise fathom how she got a hold of Caro on tonight of all nights.

I try to open the driver's side door, but Reid doesn't move.

"What now?"

"You're tired," he says. "Let me drive."

I furrow my brow, "you have a license?"

"Yes," he answers. This time, he opens the driver's side door and climbs in. "I learned to drive when I was fourteen. I have my own car too."

"And you had me pay for this rental," I roll my eyes as I move over to the passenger side.

"The breaks need to be replaced and I haven't been able to bring it in since we've been so busy this month. If you'd like, you can return this car first thing in the morning and I can drive us up in my car tomorrow," he offers.

"I'm not getting in a car crash on the morning of Caro's wedding," I say once I'm in the car and buckled in. "She'll accuse me of planning the whole thing."

He smiles, just a bit. Then, he pulls us off the side of the road. I try to stay awake for the ride. Conversation with him is easy anyway, and that keeps me up. We talk about his car, the apartment tours he's been doing, and his upcoming seminar at Georgetown.

It even drifts over to my family. He likes them, even though it's small.

"It took me a minute to realize Bastian's full name is Sebastian," Reid offers. "Although, I don't think he knows my name is Spencer."

"We're big on nicknames," I explain, not bothering to correct how he pronounces Sébastien. Honestly, I think the syllabus are too complicated for him to get. "Stéphane hates Stef though. He seems really mellow but call him Stef and all the fury that guy has in him gets released."

Reid yawns, "Cletus seems... well, he's not quite as bad as you made him seem. He held your sisters hand throughout most of the night, even when it made it harder for him to eat his food."

"Don't give him too much credit," I explain. "He's still homophobic."

"That..." Reid trails off. I glance over, watching his brow crease. "I wasn't aware of that. I did notice some slightly homophobic undertones when the officiant was speaking. Perhaps I should have extrapolated that he shared those beliefs."

"Speak more complex words funny man," I try to keep my eyes open.

Reid chuckles. His hands seem firm on the steering wheel. Maybe it's because we are in the office so much, but I forget that he's strong. He had to pass the same physicals I did, but he's long and lanky. He glances over at me.

"Eyes on the road," I whisper.

"Sorry," he manages. "I was going to check my blind spot."

"That's a lie," I manage.

He shrugs, "you have no proof of that. You've made it very clear that you lack strong profiling skills."