Blood and Battle | Criminal Minds (gxg)

Chapter 27

The chill of the bar stool seeps through my jeans. My jacket sits around my elbows, my shoulders exposed by my sleeveless shirt. It's the first week of November and the weather is crisp. It's perfect.

The bartender comes over to me and leans on her side of the counter. A messy, dirty-blonde bun tops her head, a dark green t-shirt tucked into her jeans. "What can I get you?"

My eyes glance over her body. "A beer would be great," I say with a slight smile.

"Preference?"

"Your favorite."

She smiles and pulls a bottle of beer from the drinks behind her, cracking it open.

I take it from her hands and she watches me as I take an exaggerated sip. I lick my lips. "You've got good taste."

She laughs and turns to help another customer. My eyes follow her as she walks away.

---

Not more than ten minutes later a guy comes over. I noticed his eyes on me five minutes ago.

"This seat taken?" he leans towards me.

"Open bar." I keep my eyes forward.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

I glance sideways at him. He has short, curly brown hair and brown eyes. I smile. "I just started this one."

"Oh, yeah, uh, true," he stutters.

I glance past him to see the bartender watching the conversation from a few feet away, an amused expression on her face. I turn my attention back towards the man in front of me.

"Tell you what. The brunette at the end of the bar?" I toss my head in the direction of a brown-haired girl sitting on the last stool. "She just finished her drink. And she looks like she could use another one."

The guy glances at the other girl, then back to me, confused. "Thanks?" He says it like a question.

I smirk. "You're welcome."

He walks to the end of the bar and the girl happily accepts his offer.

The bartender comes back towards me, glancing in their direction. "That was nice of you," she smirks.

I simply smile as she goes back to work.

---

After another twenty minutes of smiling at the bartender as she pours drinks, she walks back to me. "You want another beer?"

"Nah, I'm good for now, but thank you."

"Just a heads up, there's a group of guys in the corner that keep looking at you." She gestures to my right.

"How many?" I can't help the profiler in me from asking.

"Four. Blonde, Scrawny, Shorty, and Frat Boy."

I give a light laugh. "What?"

She shrugs with a smile on her face. I toss my hair over my shoulder, glancing in the direction she indicated. Sure enough, a group of four guys stands across the room, the one in the middle (Frat Boy I'm guessing) with his eyes on me.

The bartender follows my gaze. "Here he comes."

"Wait–" I cut myself off as she walks away.

Frat Boy sits beside to me, leaning closer than I'd like. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Guys need to learn better pickup lines. "I'm good, thanks."

"Want some food?" he offers instead.

I sigh. "Look, man, I don't want to waste your time. Why don't you go ask some other girl?"

"What, you got a boyfriend?" His voice turns defensive.

I roll my eyes, annoyed. "No, I'm just not interested."

He glares at me, angry and confused. "Whatever, bitch." He walks back to his friends and the group leaves the bar a minute later.

The bartender comes back over to me. "You good?"

"Guys don't usually like it when I say no," I tell her, the corners of my mouth turning up.

"Why did you say no?" Her head tilts to the side, a cautious smile on her lips.

"Interested in something else."

Her smile widens and she walks away to help the customer beside her.

---

Another ten minutes and she's in front of me again. "I'm taking my break in five, so last call for another beer."

I examine the empty bottle in front of me. "I wouldn't mind," I smile at her.

"Another beer?"

"You spending your break with me."

A blush climbs into her cheeks. Five minutes later, she's sitting on a stool on her side of the bar.

"I still don't know your name," she realizes.

"Carli." I put my hand out.

"Riley." She takes it, squeezing my hand.

"So what are you doing here on a Friday night if you're not looking for a guy?"

I sigh, my fingers tapping my empty beer bottle. "Long day at work." 

It really was. I closed three cases today I've worked on all week. And everything with Elle... it was just a long day.

"So why are you here and not home?" she teases.

"I don't have any beer at home," I smile, "or cute bartenders."

She blushes again. "What do you do for work?"

My eyes flicker away for a moment. "You know what? I don't want to talk about work."

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

I meet her forest green eyes and bite my lip. "You."

She laughs, the sound bright and cheerful.

We spend the next twenty minutes together, talking about where we grew up. She's originally from Virginia but moved to D.C. for college and stayed afterwards. She's worked here for a while now, looking around for something more permanent, she tells me.

We're both laughing at something I said when my phone rings. I close my eyes and sigh. Friday night? Seriously?

I take the phone from my pocket and the prefix code confirms my suspicions–it's a government number. I watch Riley as I answer, unable to hide my job any longer.

"SSA D'angelo."

It's JJ. "Hey, C, I'm sorry, but we've got another one."

I press the fingers of my free hand to my temple. "It couldn't have waited, I don't know, another nine minutes?"

Riley smiles at me.

"You with someone?" JJ question, curiosity in her voice.

I smile back at Riley, ignoring the question. "I'll be there in 15 minutes."

I hang up the phone, Riley regarding me with interest. 

"You're FBI."

"Yeah. And I have to go. I'm sorry."

She nods in understanding as I put my jacket on.

I pause before walking away and smile as I reach across the bar, pulling a Sharpie from a pocket in her apron. I take her hand and push her sleeve up to expose her forearm. Uncapping the marker, I write my number on the inside of her wrist.

"I'll see you again."I hand her the pen and walk away.

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a/n
sorry this one is kinda long lol i didn't want to split it
also.... Elle who??
:)