Work Text:
“I'm heading to Kansas for work.”
“Heading there?”
“I'm on a flight right now.”
“You're on a cell phone on an airplane?” Beth asked. “Where are you, hiding in the bathroom?”
“I'm not in the bathroom.” He laughed some. “But I am in a quiet corner.”
“You must be a pretty powerful guy to be able to use a cell phone on a plane. Next time I fly, you're coming with me.”
“I'm sorry about having to cancel out on Tuesday.” He said. “I was looking forward to seeing you again.”
“I was looking forward to it too. Work is important though.” she said. “I'm actually out of town Wednesday to Sunday so even if you get back here I’ll be gone.”
“Are you leaving town for work?” Hotch asked.
“Mmm hmm. I've got a fundraiser in Philly on Thursday night and a birthday party in New York on Saturday. Are you going to be able to get any training done while you're gone?”
“Not even a little. My job is…all consuming.”
“I bet. I'm not allowed to ask about it, am I?”
“You're allowed to ask.” He said.
“OK,” she laughed. “You're not allowed to tell me about it, are you?”
“Its probably best if I don’t. There are many more compelling things we can talk about.”
“Well I could tell you all about my Pennsylvania Association of Dentists fundraiser for the Appalachian Tooth Project.” Beth said. “But I don’t want you to start snoring in my ear.”
“Don’t worry…I don’t snore.” He replied. “And that sounds intriguing.”
“I’ll make sure I get a nice picture of me in my party dress. I can send it to your phone.”
“I’d like that.”
“So date #3 is on ice for the time being?” she asked.
“Yes. But we can definitely bike ride next Saturday if we’re both in town. No, wait, you'll be gone. What about the Saturday after next?”
“Should I pull out a calendar?”
“I'm just so busy.” He hated to have to say it but it was true. “And my job can call me away at any time.”
“I understand.” She said.
“Do you?”
“Yes. You work for the U.S. Justice Department; I can only imagine how much you’ve got on your plate. I didn’t expect travel to be so heavily involved but I figured it wasn’t a nine to five gig. I bet you can't imagine just how insane the life of an event coordinator can get.”
“You have three cell phones.” Hotch replied laughing some. “I think I can.”
“So…can a Fed and a party girl find some middle ground to stand on?” Beth asked.
“I'm really hoping so. And you're more than a party girl.”
“Yeah but that makes it all sound so cool. It’s like Parker Posey will play me in the movie. And I think I just dated myself by shouting out Parker Posey.” She laughed.
“Hotch,” Morgan called from the cabin. “We've got Garcia on the line. You need to hear this.”
“I'm coming.” He called back. “I have to go. I’ll call you when I get back to town.”
“We’ll plan date #3 then.”
“Maybe if I need a little breathing room, I can call while I'm in Kansas. I don’t want to interrupt you while you're working though.”
“You can text me.” she replied. “It might be simpler.”
“I just got good at that.” Hotch said. “It’s my sister-in-law’s main mode of communication these days.”
“Stick with me…you'll get better.”
“Alright.” He was smiling and felt as if he shouldn’t be. Hotch didn’t smile on a case. “I have to go.”
“I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”
“Bye.”
He put the phone back in the holder on his hip and joined his team to discuss the case. Someone was killing couples in Lawrence, KS and the BAU needed to help the police catch a killer. Since the couples were different ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds their jobs weren't going to be easy. This wasn’t like TV…the killer wasn’t always found in 45 minutes plus commercials. Hotch couldn’t let anything distract him from what was going on right in front of him.
He didn’t like it but he had to put Beth in the back of his mind for the moment. Somewhere, hopefully, he would find time for romance. Right now on the jet wasn’t it. There were crime scene photos and victimology to go over. That would definitely kill his slightly romantic mood.
“What did I miss?” he asked, sitting down beside Dave.
“What did we miss?” Morgan countered. “I don’t think you’ve made a phone call from the jet since 2007. Something you want to tell us?”
“No there isn’t.” he replied in most serious Unit Chief tone of voice. “Get me up to speed please.”
***
It probably wasn’t the best idea to bring the MacGruder file copies and crime scene photos back to his hotel room. Hotch studied them, read over statements, and then studied them some more. Something was there; they all thought so. They just didn’t know what it was yet. He also munched on a grilled chicken salad from the local takeout place.
Hotch couldn’t stop looking at his phone even as he concentrated on the case. It was after nine in Lawrence, which meant it was after ten in DC. Was that too late to call her? Maybe he would send a text and if he didn’t hear back he would give up. She was a busy woman; she needed her sleep.
Unable to help himself, Hotch typed out a quick, to the point text. Then he put his phone down and read over the potential eyewitness statements once more. He was halfway through when a message popped up. It was a picture and when Hotch opened it he was surprised to see Beth in a pair of pajamas.
She wore pigtails just like the first day they met. Her pajamas were lime green pajama pants and a white Hanes tee shirt. ‘You caught me just before bed. Lucky you…lucky me. What’s up?’ He smiled as he typed out a message.
‘Have you ever needed to be distracted from work?’ –Aaron
‘Absolutely. Shall I tell you a joke? I heard a great one tonight about a rabbi and a redhead in a bar. Then an alligator shows up.’ –Beth
‘That sounds complicated.’ –Aaron
‘It was. But it got funny.’ –Beth
‘Are you terribly busy?’ –Aaron
‘I was busy but I then I met up with an old college friend for cocktail hour. I deserved it after 90 minutes at the pool.’ –Beth
‘Is that going well?’ –Aaron
‘The good news is that I won't drown.’ –Beth
‘I'm glad to hear it.’ –Aaron
‘I bet your day was super busy.’ –Beth
‘I'm just having a little dinner. No cocktails over here.’ –Aaron
‘Well what can I do to distract you?’ –Beth
‘It’s sweet of you to offer.’ –Aaron
‘That’s why you're texting isn’t it? You should call if you can…my voice is much more distracting.’ –Beth
Surprisingly, Hotch didn’t think twice as he dialed her number. It rang only once before she picked up.
“I won't keep you too long.” He said instead of hello.
“I don’t mind at all.” Beth said. “I enjoy talking to you.”
“I just don’t want you up too late trying to entertain me.”
“What do you do to relax, Aaron?” she asked.
“I don't know how to answer that.”
“Ahh, I think we’ve come to the problem. We need to implement relaxation in your diet. I sometimes go dancing to let go of all the stress. Date #3 could be dancing.”
“I can't dance.” He replied.
“Can’t or won't?” Beth asked.
“It’s a combination of both. I've been avoiding it nicely for most of my life. What kind of dancing do you enjoy?”
“I've taken different classes over the years. As long as we’re close, I promise not to be too picky about it.”
“That sounds good to me.” Hotch said.
“Yeah?”
He noticed her voice took on a different tone, more lush and womanly. It made him want to kiss her again. Kissing her had been a very nice experience. As he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, he could remember how she smelled that night. It was the perfect combination of rain and her perfume. He didn’t know what it was called but Hotch was sure he’d know it again when he smelled it. If he was lucky that would be soon.
“Being close definitely sounds good to me.”
“Sometimes you know how to say exactly the right thing.” Beth replied.
“Please…don’t get used to that.”
She laughed. It was melodic, genuine, and a little manic. Hotch really liked it. He liked her but had no idea how in the world they would get to know each other better. They had crazy schedules, busy lives, and he tried to be with Jack as much as he could. How did people date in their 40s?
Was this really dating or was this two people deciding to be together? Was it too soon to ask those kinds of questions? Was Beth chasing down other men in the park and handing cards to them too? Hotch didn’t even know how to begin to ask all he wanted to know.
What about sex? What about sleepovers? What about STD tests and the condom conversation? Whoa, whoa, whoa…he was definitely thinking too far ahead. Wasn’t he? Hotch had to sit up again because he was feeling dizzy.
“Dancing might not be so bad. Dinner would be good too though.”
“I can cook as a matter of fact.” Beth said. “I've got nothing on my mom, and Dad was even better, but I do alright. I’ll cook for us.”
“I’ll bring the wine.” Hotch said.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll eat, drink, talk, and maybe even dance. I know a few moves…I can teach you if you'd like.”
He liked it alright but Hotch didn’t know how to say so. He didn’t know if starting up with the flirting and entendres was a good idea. Just the fact that he wanted to excited him. Beth excited him.
“I’ll call you when I get back to DC.” He replied.
“Alright. Goodnight, Aaron.”
“Goodnight.”
Hanging up, Hotch took a deep breath. He inhaled through his nose and slowly exhaled through his lips almost whistling. Looking back at the case file, he decided that was enough for the night. There was plenty to work on tomorrow and the team would work it. Tonight he was done. Hotch stood, did a head to toe stretch, and knew it was time for a hot shower.
Before he did that, he grabbed his phone, took a picture of his smiling face, and then sent a text. ‘Tired but this is how I feel after we talk’. It took a few minutes but Hotch finally figured out how to properly send a picture message. He didn’t know what this was; hanging out, dating, or a little bit more. He just knew how he felt in this exact moment. He thought that Beth should know as well.
***