Breaking Barriers - S.R.

8

I don't know why I'm nervous.

I stared at myself in the mirror, running my hands over the black, formfitting dress with a lace overlay.

It's just Spencer. We see each other all the time.

I slipped on my black heels before grabbing my small purse and jacket off the bed.

There's literally no reason to be nervous.

At exactly seven o'clock on the dot, Spencer knocked on my door. When I opened it, he was standing there, dressed in a suit like usual, only holding a bouquet of flowers this time. His relaxed smile tensed up quickly when he saw me.

"Hey, come in." I stated, gesturing for him to do so.

He stepped inside, handing me the bouquet. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look nice, too." I smiled, walking into the kitchen to grab a vase.

"I look the same as I normally do." He deadpanned. "You're usually in sweats or jeans when we're together."

"Well, this place has a dress code. I didn't have much of a choice tonight." I smirked.

His eyes widened a little like he had offended me. "Do you want to go somewhere else? We can always--"

"Spence, I'm joking." I laughed. "I love the place you chose."

"If you're sure." He nodded, sending me a tight lipped smile.

"I'm actually excited to dress up." I laughed, holding the vase under the faucet. "I wouldn't want to look this good too often though, people might start expecting it."

He smiled. "I think you always look beautiful."

I shook my head in amusement as if it would remove the blush from my cheeks. "You're really pulling out all the stops tonight, huh?" I teased, placing the flowers in water. "Thank you for these. They're lovely."

"First date impressions are important." He grinned.

"You've already made quite the impression on me, Spencer Reid."

He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded and he helped me slip on my jacket before we headed out the door.

Spencer made every effort to be a gentleman tonight, from the flowers to opening the car door for me. However, I was particularly surprised when he reached for my hand as we were walking into the restaurant. It was warm and comforting and I knew it was probably a foreign gesture for him, but I appreciated it more than he knew. I was surprised that he didn't say anything about germs.

We were seated in a small booth towards the back of the dimly lit restaurant, offering us enough privacy that we didn't feel uncomfortable or exposed. The waiter greeted us almost immediately, filling our water glasses and offering us wine. We both declined and he wandered off, leaving us to go over the menu.

"How's work going?" I asked, as if it wasn't something we talked about every day.

He looked up at me from the menu he was holding, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You want to talk about work on a date?"

"What else do you suggest we talk about?" I shrugged. "It's not like we don't know each other."

"True. I suppose I just didn't expect you to be so...casual." He muttered..

I raised an eyebrow as I stared at him, before a slow grin stretched across my lips. "Are you nervous, Spencer?"

He looked back up at me from the menu again. "Aren't you?"