"Since you walked in, things don't look the same
How about sticking around?"
Chapter one: Prologue
Friendship: noun – the state of being a friend, association as friends; a friendly relation or intimacy; friendly feeling or disposition.
As she felt the singular sensation on her lips, Maura realized that it had been a while since she had worn lipstick. Sure she had used gloss – which was an essential in her basics – but lately, she had not had time for more. And even less a reason to.
But tonight, it is going to change...
She had met Bradley at the opening of an art gallery. Six feet two, in his early forties. No sign of any wedding ring, no children either. Anthropologist. And the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. Was he really material? Hard to say. If she had had to be honest, something had bothered her since the very beginning but after what had appeared as the thousandth analysis of the situation, she had had to come to the evident conclusion that she had no reason to not date him. If only once. To see.
Perfume embraced her neck delicately. She put on her stilettos – winning a few inches – and looked at herself in the mirror. Yes, she was ready.
If the evening went well, perhaps she would tell him more about herself; starting with her job. It might have sounded stupid but for the past few months, she had grown reluctant in openly saying to her dates that she was a medical examiner. It was everything but glamorous and tended to scare the person on the other side of the table.
If they just didn't call her "Miss Frankenstein" at all, in a nervous attempt to make a joke.
It was a point in common she shared with Jane; probably even the reason of their celibacy if she had to think about it. Or what else? They were young – or so – attractive, smart and funny. Their incapacity to have a long relationship was a complete mystery to most of people or at least it had to be; if it weren't for their respective jobs.
Yes. It must be it.
The honey blonde shook her thoughts away. It was not the right time to lose herself in such wonders or she could say goodbye to her semblance of self-confidence for the rest of the evening. Then it would ruin her date and soon enough she would regret to not have stayed home to watch some documentary; wrapped up in a blanket, alone on her couch.
Jane. Suddenly, Maura thought about her friend. Where was she, right now? It was Friday night and too absorbed in the perspective of her very own date, she hadn't asked the detective if she had plans herself.
Very quickly, her brain scanned the conversations they had shared today. No. Nothing indicated that the brunette was seeing someone.
A bit distressed, Maura stepped into her kitchen and looked by the window. The guest house was in the dark as well. Angela wasn't around. A mother/daughter evening out at the restaurant? Hmm. She shook her head.
If Jane had got such a plan for tonight, Maura was sure that she would have heard about it. A whole series of complains and rolling eyes from the detective who would never admit – even if it were true – that she had actually enjoyed it.
An alarm on her cell phone took her out of her daydreams. Quickly, she reached for the item she had previously abandoned by the door and put an abrupt end to the melody playing. If she wanted to be on time – with the required five-minute delay – she had to leave now. Grabbing her umbrella and putting her trench coat on, Maura cast a last glance at her house before going out.
She had preferred to meet Bradley downtown instead of him picking her up at her place. Never in her right mind would she give her address on a first date. Not that it meant that she wouldn't come back a bit later with him but all in all, she preferred to not disclose the place where she lived before being sure that she wanted more from a date.
Red light. Maura stopped her car and grabbed her cell phone to compose a message. She had to. If she didn't, then it would bother her all evening long and that would ruin her date; which was the last thing she wanted to happen in the end. It had been a while since her last date. Too long if she had to be a tad honest.
"Are you around?"
She parked easily by the restaurant – checked herself a very last time in a mirror – and finally stepped out of her car under the thin rain of a typical Boston fall.
She had let Bradley choose the place if only to test him a little bit and see if she could check one more point on her "Perfect Date List". The anthropologist had opted for French cuisine. See. He's just the perfect guy around. As she entered the place, a smell of homemade bread wrapped her up. The room was cozy; elegant without being too high maintenance for a first date. Yes, she had to recognize that so far, Bradley knew about the rules of dating.
Waving nicely at him, Maura put a polite smile on her face and went to join her date. It's going to be alright, don't be worried. He's nice.
"I hope you haven't been waiting for me for too long..."
The five-minute delay always worked. Always. Bradley shook his head. He looked happy to finally see her there. With him. As he opened his mouth to reply, Maura felt her cell phone vibrate in her purse. A hand in the air to apologize, she grabbed the item and couldn't help but flash a bright smile that didn't pass unnoticed to the anthropologist.
"Good news?"
Not bothering to look at Bradley, Maura shook her head; shrugged. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, reading Jane's message while her brain was already formulating a reply. She wrote it – sent the missive – and put the phone down on the table; her hand over it. Waiting impatiently for the next time it would vibrate.
"Just a friend of mine..."