The Bartender-- On hiatus

The One Where They Meet

Whew, okay, new story. I said I wasn't going to post until it was completed. But I think it almost is. I'm only going to update this once a week to give me the time to finish it anyway. 

This story doesn't follow the show. There's no particular season it takes place in. But I'd say Spencer is around 28 years old.

This is a shorter story than my other CM story. Just an idea I wanted to write. I hope you guys will enjoy it and let me know what you think. 

The next update might be sooner because this is so short.

Words: 984

Going out for drinks after a successful case is basically tradition within the BAU. Although it isn't always that they got everyone out at the same time. Nor did they frequent the same place.

Tonight was a rare night that everyone - sans Hotch - on the team finds themselves gathered around a table in a decently crowded bar. Music plays just a little too loudly in the background, the chatter of the other patrons flows throughout the building.

"Okay, okay," Penelope shouts over the noise to the people around her, a big smile stretched across her face. "Shots!"

"No," Rossi immediately shakes his head with a low groan. "I am passed those days, I'm good with this." He twirls his amber drink around in his glass, sitting back in his seat.

"Fine." Garcia easily gives in as the others laugh. "But everyone else!"

"Okay, okay." Morgan chuckles, waving his hands. He and the others knew it was futile to argue with the blonde. "Reid." The man smiles at the youngest team member, volunteering him to go get the drinks.

Raising his hands in defeat, Spencer stands and makes his way over to the bar. This way he could order one less drink. He was on Rossi's side tonight.

Waving to the bartender, Spencer waits until the young woman approaches him before ordering, raising his voice over the noise loud enough for her to hear. She had dark hair pulled back into a bun, a few strands escaping it to frame her diamond-shaped face.

"That's a big party, you guys celebrating something?" She asks him while pouring their drinks, an easy smile gracing her lips.

"Uh, no." Spencer shakes his head, eyes watching her movements carefully. "Just, after-work drinks."

"Hm, you mind if I ask what you do?" She looks up at him as she asks, her grey eyes, encompassed by dark makeup, meeting his soft brown ones.

"Uh," Spencer stutters, unsure. He supposes it's just her job, but he wonders why she seems so interested. "We work for the FBI."

"Ooh, that's interesting." She didn't seem surprised but intrigued. "Can I ask your name?"

"Why?" He hadn't meant to asks but the word pushed itself out of his mouth before he could stop it. But the woman behind the counter only chuckles.

"I'd just like to know the cute guy's name whom I'm serving drinks to." She shrugs, her fingers lightly gripping the bottom edge of the bar now that her hands were free.

Spencer is glad for the low lighting in the room when heat rises in his cheeks. He had not been expecting her to call him cute. People didn't call him cute, it just didn't happen. "Uh, i-it's Spencer."

"Well, Spencer, it's very nice to meet you." She nods to him once, her smile lighting up her face. "I'm Robin."

"N-nice to meet you too." Clearing his throat, Spencer breaks her gaze and instead looks down at the bar. He was a profiler for the FBI, he deals with deadly criminals on a daily basis, but he can't get through a conversation with a girl without stuttering.

"I count six people but only four shots." Robin observes when Spencer doesn't make a move to leave.

"I'm not much of a drinker." Spencer tells her, looking back up again. Rossi also wasn't doing a shot, but he didn't feel like talking about the older agent right now.

"Well, look at that, I have something in common with an FBI agent." Robin hums a quiet laugh. "It's ironic, I know. A bartender who doesn't like alcohol. But, it pays the bills. I'm what I think people call a starving artist."

"You're an artist?" Reid asks, interest piqued.

"Uh, I play a few instruments, dabble in drawing." Robin turns her head side to side with a thoughtful look. "And, now don't tell anyone, but I've been trying my hand at writing songs."

"Really?"

"It's a working progress." She shrugs with another quiet laugh. "You're actually the first person I've told."

"I feel honored." Spencer smiles, slowly becoming more comfortable.

"You should." Robin tries to say with a serious expression but ends up laughing anyway. "I think I'm scared to tell anyone because if I do, I'll be held to unrealistic expectations."

"Yeah, I understand that." Spencer nods, tapping his hand on the bar right as someone appears next to him.

"Hey, pretty boy, what's the hold up?" Morgan questions his friend, looking between him and the girl behind the bar.

"That would be my fault, I apologize, I've been talking his ear off." Robin quickly cuts in, barely sparing the newcomer a glance, instead, she keeps her eyes locked with Spencers'. "It was nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah, you too." Spencer nods, ignoring Derek's raised brow.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer." She says softly, voice still raised enough for him to hear over the background noise. "Have a good night. And don't forget your napkin."

Confused, Spencer takes the paper from the girl's hand when she passes it to him without question. Morgan had just turned his back, drinks in hand, so he didn't see the interaction, for which the young genius is thankful for when he looks down to see a phone number neatly scrawled onto the white surface.

Looking back up in surprise, Spencer catches Robin's eyes just as she goes to move away, the woman sending him a wink before turning back to work.

It was safe to say this wasn't how Spencer saw his night going. But the young man couldn't keep the smile off his face as he rejoins his friends.

Short, I know. Next chapter should be up sooner because of that. But after that it'll be a week between so I can complete this story and you guys don't have to wait months between updates.

And uh, yeah, I think that's all. If you haven't, feel free to check out my other story Boy Meets Girl. It's still a working progress but yeah.

Thanks for reading!

'-'