LAUGHTER LINES, spencer reid.

chapter six

LAUGHTER LINES.
chapter six.

Reid stood awkwardly in the New Orleans dance studio. The wedding party was getting some basic dance lessons. It was something that the Bordeaux family insisted on. When the reception came, they wanted a full dance floor. Anything less would be unacceptable.

The studio itself was relatively simple. There were mirrors along the back wall, and the dark wood floors were scuffed and scrapped after several years of use. Dance competitions were advertised on some bright, colorful posters and there were several framed photos of the instructor dancing.

Reid stood in his normal light weight slacks and button up, short sleeve shirt. His hands were stuffed in his pockets as he pushed his foot into a chipped section of wood. He stared at the ground as the dance instructor babbled on about some of the dances they would be covering in the three hour class.

Reid decided to glance around at the people in the studio. Ethan's groomsmen were standing on the other side of the room as they tried to hit on Rania and the remaining bridesmaid. Ethan has his arms wrapped around Marisa's waist. As they listened, he would whisper in her ear and make her laugh. The bride's parents had their eyes glued to the instructor. Looking around, he noticed that someone was missing from the group.

Where was Gwen?

"Miss me?" Gwen asked, popping up behind him a minute later. Her breath tickled his ear and he jumped slightly. Gwen giggled and moved so that she was standing beside him. "Sorry."

Reid sighed as he tried to calm his heart down. "Where were you?" he whispered. He didn't want to draw attention to himself.

"Was the good doctor worried about me?" Gwen winked as she looked Reid over.

"No," Reid stated quickly.

Gwen's curly curly blonde hair had been straightened and pulled into a manageable ponytail. She was in an orange graphic t-shirt and black shorts that stopped mid-thigh. Like Reid, she wore a pair of comfortable Chuck Taylors.

"I'm just joshing with you, Dr. Reid. Relax a little," Gwen laughed. "Mary Lou wanted me to take a check over to the florist. We need to pay before the wedding so everything is in order."

Reid nodded. There was a lot to do when it came to making the wedding the perfect event for Ethan and Marisa. From the looks of it, Winston was putting out all the stops for his baby girl's big day, and nothing was slowing him down. Gwen was probably helping out with some of the arrangement because of her relationship with the Bordeaux family. It was always good to have someone run the errands.

"What kind of flowers are going to be in the wedding?" Reid asked. Some flowers made him sneeze and others were so vibrant in color that it was hard to imagine them in a wedding. Marisa seemed like the girl who would favor lilies over roses.

"That's a secret," Gwen grinned.

The dance instructor clapped his hand and caused Reid to jump again. Gwen laughed lightly and shook her head. Apparently, she wasn't the only one capable of startling the genius. She backed up and sat down on a bench that had been set up for any tired dancers. She wasn't a dancer herself. She was clumsy, and she preferred to watch other people dance. They made great subjects for photos.

Reid joined her on the bench. He didn't dance. It brought back too many painful childhood memories that involved tripping and laughter. Dances never ended well for the doctor. That much was certain.