CLANDESTINE : Spencer Reid

50

Bastien dances with Caro. She cries, and beside me so does Stéphane. I try not to laugh at them. The dancefloor opens up to everyone when they are done. Stéphane is the first one out there, hugging Caro. I trail behind, apparently not fast enough because Bastien bolts to me and drags me along. We nearly slam into Stéphane, just barely avoiding tripping on Caro's train and damaging it. Caro huffs out a sigh, one that is more forced than anything I've seen from her in the past twenty-four hours. Bastien cannot resist ribbing them immediately, with their tear faces.

"It's just..." Bastien mocks sobbing, like Stéphane. "My baby sister is all grown up!"

"You're the baby," Caro rolls her eyes. "My little Sebbie."

We laugh at him and Bastien glares, "you're lucky I don't have red wine on hand."

Soon enough, more people are joining the dancefloor, and we're flooded with bodies and musk and floral notes and I wish I smelled citrus and the smoke of cedarwood. I manage to slip out of my siblings grasp, looking over the tops of heads to find one just a bit taller than many of the other guests.

Finally, I find him. Reid and I nearly collide into each other.

"Sorry," I manage. We haven't been able to talk to each other in well over six hours, maybe even closer to eight. The morning was so busy I didn't really have time to take him in.

His suit is navy blue. He didn't drive up in it, so I didn't notice the colour until now. His tie matches my dress, raspberry, and I think I must have mentioned the colour to him or there's been some sort of strange series of coincidences that led us here.

"Sorry? Why are you apologizing?"

I blink, looking back up at his face. He doesn't look tired now. I'm sure that even beneath all the make-up I'm wearing my face is red. If not from the heat of all these bodies in this barn in May, then from the two glasses of wine I had with the dinner. I blink again. Focusing on him. My eyes must be tired. I haven't been looking at my computer screen all day though.

"You were stuck with my brothers' dates all day," I explain my insistence on feeling guilty about something.

He shrugs, "Mylène speaks more English than I expected. Khadija also isn't your brother's girlfriend, I don't think. She was flirting with a groomsman before the wedding. She said she met your brother through her brother, Tahir, who's also in the military."

I purse my lips and nod, "I'm not surprised. I mean, it could have been his girlfriend, but there was a fifty-fifty chance she was lying. Don't ask. And don't tell either."

Reid opens his mouth and then closes it.

If my suspicions are correct, then both my brothers have secret partners hiding out somewhere. Unlike Bastien, my secret date doesn't hide a real date somewhere behind it. At least, I don't think it does.

"Well, they were both kind people to spend most of the day beside," Reid offers the smallest of smiles. "And your speech went very well. From what the others at my table said, Caro seemed to really enjoy it. I should have paid more attention to her expressions."

"Reid, distracted?" I furrow my brow. "I can hardly picture it."

He opens his mouth to speak but then doesn't finish his sentence.

The song switches, and then people start to shout. It's some popular square-dancing song I don't know. Reid doesn't either, even with that entire vast memory of his. We get caught up in the crowd, trying to copy the people in front of us. Reid is slow and not very dexterous despite his dance training. I can't stop laughing as he tries to dance. I catch on eventually, but he's still slow on the uptake. Then the song switches and we dance, and then we dance again and again. Not slowly and properly like we were taught, but at least with some quicker moves. Only the occasional touch when he takes my hand and guides me through a pirouette. Lost in the crowd it is easier to smile and laugh. It goes on for hours, into cake cutting and Caro's bathroom runs. I'm only dragged away by duty. That is, until I'm so thirsty that the dizziness is from spinning and dehydration rather than liquor. I go over to the bar to get us more drinks after what feels like eons.