Coffee, Tea // Spencer Reid

Chapter 12 - Quiproquo

Spencer

The doctor held his breath as he placed a foot into Lilith's workplace.

"How can I help you?" The lady behind the counter asked. Spencer assumed she was the receptionist.

"Is Lilith Park here? She left this at my house the other day, and I couldn't reach her since she never gave me her number." He said, showing her previously coffee stained shirt in his hands. The receptionist (Ezra Thompson, as her label read) seemed to recognise the shirt, and her eyes grew wide.

"A-Aren't you the agent from a few days ago?"

"Yeah, Doctor Reid."

"And why do you have that shirt?"

"I spilled coffee on it, so she changed shirts and forgot to pack this one." He said, simply.

"What was she doing at your place?"

"Lilith? She slept over." He replied nonchalantly.

"So, you're on a first name basis with Lilith..?" Ezra asked, with a malicious tone.

"I think so?" Spencer shrugged, not realising what conclusions the receptionist was jumping to. She looked impressed for an instant.

"Doc? What are you doing here?" Lilith had appeared in the corridor.

Ezra shot a playful look at her friend.

"Well, I should probably leave the two of you some privacy..."

Standing up from her chair and winking at the pair, she left the room.

"Oh God." Lilith laughed as she put her face in her palms. Although he was confused for a moment, Spencer was hit with realisation.

"Does she think we..?"

"I'm afraid to say that yes, she probably does."

They shared a laugh.

"Why did you come here, by the way?" Lilith seemed confused.

"I wanted to bring you this." He placed her light blue shirt in her hands.

"Thanks!" She smiled at the fact that he came to her work just to give her back her shirt.

Suddenly, a loud rumble was heard, emanating from Spencer's stomach.

"That kind of sounded like the Kraken. I'm impressed." She grinned.

"Yeah, I kind of skipped lunch today?"

Lilith looked at him, as if she was reflecting over something. She looked back at him, took on a fake serious voice, and said,

"I, secret Agent Park, will share with you some sealed information. If you happen to reveal this state secret..." She mimed a knife slitting her throat.

"Loud and clear m'am." Spencer imitated the military salute.

"Then follow me, padawan."

He walked alongside her out of the office, before asking,

"So where are we going exactly, Lilith? It felt weird for him to use her name for the first time.

"The best noodle restaurant in America."

Lilith

As they took seats in the lively place, Lilith glanced at Spencer. Although he seemed happy, there seemed to be something bothering him. After a few moments, she understood.

"You're a germaphobe?"

Reid looked at her, then back at the table.

"I mean, it's not that big of a deal."

"Of course it is, and I understand. Some restaurants aren't very good in terms of hygiene. But I can tell you that while I was a doctor in a hospital, I made hygiene checks at different places. This restaurant is one of the best in terms of cleanliness, that's why I keep eating here."

At her words, Spencer seemed to relax. He never really had anyone care about his germaphobia.

"What do you recommend for me to eat?" Reid asked, still hesitant.

"Close your eyes, and say a random number."

"1729." Spencer said almost immediately.

"Interesting. The smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of two cubes in two different ways." She replied.

The young man opened his eyes and looked at Lilith, baffled.

"Unfortunately, you'll have to pick a more boring number, between 0 and 38."

"Twenty three, then."

"Good choice." She smirked, and looked at the menu to find the corresponding meal, and said, "Well, Doc, looks like you're getting good ol' beef ramen. I'll have the same, in sign of solidarity."

"Sounds good."