MEDICINE ➤ SPENCER REID

THREE

Passing the latte back to him, he blushed and looked down to the floor. Louise felt her heart thud against her ribcage like a drum, yet she pushed the nervousness away.

"Thanks," he smiled widely while looking at the cup nervously, pushing some of his deep brown hair behind his ear, to which Louise nodded, "enjoy," with a soft grin.

All of a sudden, he walked away - a small limp playing at his legs and his cane steadying him as he exited. Louise placed both her hands on the counter, admiring the tall man as he left in what seemed to be a rush.

Her eyes did not leave him until he was completely gone.

"Hellooo?" Georgie waved her hand in Louise's view, distracting the woman's gaze.
"Hm?" Louise shook her head, stuffing her hands into her apron pockets. But, Georgie laughed; her smile expanding as she watched Louise's face turn as red as a tomato.

"What was all that about?" Georgie chuckled, seeing as a handful of their other colleagues noticed the interaction between Louise and the customer. But, Louise shrugged sheepishly and heaved a small cough. She bit down at her lip and nervously played with the marker pen in her hand.
"I..." Louise trailed off, "it's a long story, Georgie," her voice sported a tone of worry and regret. She slumped her shoulders. But Georgie only laughed harder, "you willingly gave him your number!"

Louise looked down, heavily embarrassed; feeling her cheeks burn red. She felt Georgie tap her shoulder, "who is this?" Georgie joked, "Louise never asks out hot guys."
"Look!" Louise stammered, "I feel like an idiot now," her voice differed in pitch, "I shouldn't of done that-"

"Why did you do that?" Georgie interjected, untying her apron - noticing that it were their lunch break. Louise followed the action, reaching behind her back to untie the strings that wrapped around her waist. She sighed and huffed a strand of hair out from her face.

"It's hard to explain," Louise hung her apron on a hanger while passing through the small staff room, reaching for her bag along the way. Georgie kept up to pace with her, tugging her backpack around her shoulders as they made way for the exit.

"I got time for you to explain," Georgie smirked, "we can always go to the bakery down the road?"
Louise felt the fresh air hit her face like a wall of bricks as they exited the coffee shop, feeling her long hair flutter in the wind graciously.
"Ugh," Louise scrunched up her face, "you're not gonna' stop nagging, aren't you?"

Georgie shook her head with a laugh.

After reaching the bakery just along the street, the pair sat down at a table for two just beside a large, open window. Louise gripped at the coffee mug in front of her, eyes wandering beside her, looking at people passing by and living their normal life.

Georgie leaned back in her chair and picked at the croissant in her grip, "who was that guy?"
Louise snapped out of her trance and faced Georgie, a nervous chuckle hitching at her throat.
"I met him at the hospital," she explained quietly, "we talked in an elevator, and I felt as if we just, uh, I don't know," Louise sipped her coffee, "as if we clicked."

"That was, what, about a few weeks ago?" Louise told Georgie, "and I never saw him again."
The girl opposite smiled, "and today was the first time you've seen him since?"

Louise nodded, slowly and gently.
"I regret giving him my number."

"Why?" Georgie chuckled with parts of food in her mouth, finishing her croissant, "it was cute."
"Cute?!" Louise almost choked on her coffee, "if anything, it was creepy."

"It sounds to me like my best friend is in," Georgie faltered, "in love!"
Louise swatted her hands around, "shhh!" she silenced Georgie in a rush, "I am not in love-" her voice differed in pitch, "it was just a surprise seeing him again," she stated with a warm smile, "he was... really sweet in the elevator."

"Sweet just like his coffee, eh?" Georgie chuckled, "five sugars!"
Louise giggled, resting her cheek in her palm.

"He told me an interesting fact about caffeine, that I can't even remember," Louise remarked, "it was something smart, put it that way."
Georgie rested her chin in both of her hands, her elbows pressing against the tabletop, intrigued.

"I told him that I spent most of my childhood in hospital," Louise sighed, looking down, "he seemed really sympathetic."
"I bet he was," Georgie chimed in, "I mean, what you have to deal with absolutely sucks."

"Yeah," Louise chuckled in a sad and flat tone, "it sucks."