Next Door Neighbor

CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

SPENCER'S POV:

I'm so grateful that Hotch gave us a day off. I woke up late, around noon, feeling rested and refreshed. I can't wait to spend the day relaxing. I change out of my clothes from yesterday and put on a white button down and my beige jeans, my typical outfit. I brush my teeth and hair, then I go to see what I have in the fridge for breakfast. Unfortunately, all I have to eat is a jug of expired milk, a moldy apple, and some stale bread. Not great. I'll have to run to the store later. I'm puzzling over what to do for breakfast when I hear a knock on the door.

I open it to see Stephanie, dressed in a pink top and jeans, holding a plate of muffins. "Morning, Spencer. I just wanted to thank you for helping out last night, so I made you some muffins." She hands them to me and I give her a smile. They smell heavenly. I realize I'm being rude by just standing there, so I invite her in. "Do you want some coffee or anything?" I ask. I feel flustered, walking around picking up things around the apartment, trying to make it look neater. I don't know why I'm so nervous all of a sudden. She's just a new neighbor.

"That would be great." She says. I run to the kitchen and make two cups of coffee. I bring them out to the little dining room table I have and place them next to the muffins. I grab the sugar and pour a ton of it into my coffee, the way I usually do. I expect Stephanie to be grossed out like everyone else, but she just giggles a bit. "I see we both hate bitter coffee." she says, pouring the same amount of sugar into her cup. "I don't think I've ever met someone who puts in as much sugar as I do." I joke. I feel my stomach rumble and my eyes land on the muffins.

I grab a muffin and take a bite. The muffin is amazing, one of the best I've ever tasted. "These are so good!" I exclaim. "Thanks. I'm glad you like them." Stephanie says, taking a sip of her coffee. "So, where'd you move from?" I ask, trying to make small talk. "I just moved from Ohio. I got a job as an editor." she tells me. "That's cool. I work at the BAU, the behavioral analysis unit, a branch of the FBI." I reply. Her eyes go wide. "Like you work for the FBI? That's awesome!" she's so excited by this.

"So, tell me about yourself." Stephanie says, leaning her head on her hand. "Uh, I have an IQ of 187 and can read 20,000 words per minute and I have an eidetic memory." I tell her. Her eyes widen at this. "So you're a super genius?" she asks. "I guess you could say that." I say, reaching up to run a nervous hand through my hair. "What about you?" I ask. "Well, I love books and writing, I grew up in Ohio, I love baking, and my favorite show is Dr. Who." She tells me. "I love Dr. Who too! Who's your favorite doctor?" I question. "David Tennant, by far." She says. "He's totally the best doctor. No doubt about it," I reply. We chat for a while longer, talking over this and that. Stephanie is really pretty. I find myself watching her as she talks, her eyes alight with joy.

"So did you move here with your boyfriend?" I ask. After I say it, I realize how awkward that sounded. I internally cringe. Nice move, Spencer. However, Stephanie seems unfazed. "Nah, I moved here on my own." The fact that she moved here from Ohio on her own is impressive. "I had to move everything here myself. I have to do the unpacking myself too." she frowns at this. I hesitate a moment. I don't want to sound weird, but she could use the help. "I could help you unpack if you want." I tell her. "I couldn't ask you to do that, but thank you." she says. "I have nothing else to do today, and I wouldn't mind getting to know my new neighbor better." Stephanie blushes at this. "I mean, if you really want to, I wouldn't mind the help." she mumbles. "Let's get to work then." I say, smiling. I can't wait to get to know her better.