Plausible Deniability **EDITED**

Part Five

     "Evan?" I reached out and didn't feel her next to me, her side of the bed empty. I looked over at my clock and saw the white glow of '6:58 AM', two minutes before my alarm was set to go off. I rubbed my eyes and reset my clock for tomorrow, listening for any sign that she was still here. By the time I finished up in the bathroom and made it to the kitchen, I realized that I was alone. I smiled at the flashing memories of the previous night and started my coffee, making a quick breakfast that I ate while leaning against the counter. I went through my normal morning routine and was about to grab my suit-jacket off of the rack when I noticed a leather jacket wadded up on my couch.

     "Shit," I laughed to myself and slung it over my arm, but not before burying my face in the collar and smelling her stale perfume.

     I made my way to work and through the long hallways of offices and floors of elevators until I finally made it to my little corner, immediately sighing as I turned on the light and saw the piles of papers that should have been finished last night. I put my things away and got to work, only getting distracted a few times when I allowed my mind wander. I caught myself smiling off into the distance and shook my concentration back on the papers. I checked my watch and knew I had at least another hour of sifting though and sorting all of unfinished reports before I had to come up with a better reason for why I seemed so distracted.

     "Aaron?" I jumped and re-checked my watch when I heard Dave's voice at my door, wondering how long I had been zoning out that time. "You okay?"

     "Yeah, I'm – what is it?" I tried to look busy and hide my sudden aberration.

     "Just wanted to see how you were holding up," I saw his eyebrows raise and suddenly felt a panic in my stomach. "I heard there was some commotion last night."

     "Last night?" I played dumb and quickly tried to think of an excuse for whatever it was he was about to say. There's no way he knew.

     "The team told me you went out with them for drinks. You danced?" he chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

     "Oh," I sighed into a laugh of relief, "yeah, I guess I did."

     "I shouldn't have left early! I would have paid to see that!"

     "It really wasn't that great," I played down my own excitement, even though I was still proud of myself. "You know I can't dance."

  "That's not what Morgan said," he shook his head, "he said you and Evan really cut a rug."

     I raised a brow, "Morgan said 'cut a rug'?"

     "You know what I mean," he rolled his eyes, "Just be careful, Aaron."

     "What? What do you mean?" I panicked again.

     "You and I, we aren't spring chickens anymore. Just take it easy."

     "I know you didn't just lump me into your age group."

     "What are you talking about, I'm spry!" he shook his shoulders and walked to his office, his laugh following him.

     "Shut up, Derek!"

     I smiled to myself and all but ran to my little window to see Evan slapping Morgan's bald head with a file,

     "Office violence!" Reid laughed and drew attention to their playful squabble.

     "Don't make me report you two!" JJ laughed and got in on their conversation, snatching the file away from Evan.

     I chuckled and grabbed the pile of papers that needed to be finished and headed down the stairs,

     "How it do, Boss?" Morgan laughed as I approached them. "Hungover?"