Author Note: Day one of my week off work (not including the weekend because I was busy) and I've already tidied/reorganised my bedroom, written the start of a new story and watched a load of TV. I think I'm winning? So, I know I have other stories that need attention. I will attend to them soon. I just can't get this out of my head. We'll see what happens. I don't really have a plan, just a concept.
The bar was filled with beautiful women. Busty blondes with their midriff on show. A red haired woman with tortoiseshell glasses who sat at the bar with a book. Half a dozen black women surrounding a tall, muscular man with his shirt off. Some had men hanging off their arms; others stared longingly at the man they were most interested in.
In the centre of the small dance floor, a woman danced with her arms in the air, her long, dark, curled hair hung loose around her shoulders. Her dark grey vest showed off the off-white top she wore beneath it. The cuff of her jeans tucked half into her short cut boots showing off the natural curve of her body.
Maura Isles had to stop herself from staring. The woman moved to the beat of the weekend DJ, rocking her body back and forth, grinding against a man in a blue shirt. The mere act of dancing sent Maura's own body into an aroused state. She ran her hands down the sides of her figure hugging dress, her bottom lip tucked behind her teeth.
"Can I get a beer?" a man shouted over the music. Maura grunted a response, her eyes never faltering from the woman's body. She shook her head and smiled her toothiest grin. She fluttered her eyelashes and handed over the man's drink. "Aren't you something special?"
She raised an eyebrow, catching another glimpse at the woman over his shoulder. She leant against the bar, her cheekbones ached from the forced smile. "Like what you see?"
He reached forward to pick up his beer, his hands moved past the glass, colliding with the nape of her neck. She shivered, his cold fingers sent distaste through her whole body, which only spurred him on. He pulled out a handful of notes and handed her two tens. "Keep the change."
"Thank you, Sir," she said, putting on her most seductive voice. He winked at her, the arousal of his body evident as he backed away from the bar. When he turned, she rolled her eyes.
"Don't you hate that?" someone asked. Maura turned her attention to her next customer, and nearly choked on thin air. "You alright there?"
"Yes." She cleared her throat and poured herself a glass of water, forcing composure. "Hazard of the job, I suppose. What can I get you?"
"Two beers. Blue moon."
"Oh." Maura coughed to disguise the disappointment in her voice. She knew she could look but not touch. That was the rule. She was there to serve the customers, not to take home a prize. "Coming right up."
She grabbed two bottles from the fridge and cracked open the lids, placing them in front of the woman. The bar was hot, as it was most weekends. But she felt like she was overheating. She tugged at the front of the corset part of her dress.
"You hot?"
"Pardon?" she asked, mishearing the words, at least she assumed the woman wasn't calling her attractive.
"It's hot in here," she said, making it clear her words were not what Maura desired. She leaned over the bar and held out a twenty. Her lips curved at the edges, her smile stretched all the way up to her eyes. "I couldn't do what you do."
"It's not my day job."
"Couldn't even do it on the side."
"I'm Maura," she said, causing the woman's eyebrows to crease together. She cleared her throat again and glanced across at the man she'd been dancing with. "If you ever need assistance."
"No need to break it," Jane said, placing the note in the space between Maura's breasts.
The woman's eyes lingered a moment longer than she expected on the note, leaving Maura gasping for breath. She nodded, regretful at her inability to form a word of thanks before the woman swayed her body back across the dancefloor.
Several dozen customers later, Maura searched the crowd for sign of the woman. The seductress, who was doing nothing but enjoying her evening, unaware that she was provoking such a reaction from the female bartender, who flirted with every man to get tips. Across the room, she waved her hands around animatedly, the man's mouth opened and closed repeatedly at the same time as her own. Maura had seen it time and time again. They were arguing. She turned away for a second to serve a couple who were practically fornicating on the bar stool, and when she turned back, the man was gone.
The woman returned to the bar, and much to Maura's disappointment, was served by the new guy who didn't know how to get tips even if they were handed to him on a plate. She watched, regretfully, as he served her four shots, which she lined up and drank one after the other.
"Thanks," the woman said, her voice raspy. She glanced up at Maura, who was still watching her, and waved a hand. "Hey, Mara."
"It's Maura," she shouted back, but the woman had already returned to the dancefloor.
Her hips swayed as she joined the group of black women, becoming the centre of attention until they headed for the bar. Maura became distracted once more with a long list of cocktails to be made.
The next chance she had to look for the woman; she was nowhere to be seen. She walked around the bar and out onto the dancefloor. The group of women were sat down in a booth, supping cocktails and cackling loudly over the music.
"I'm taking a break," Maura said, making a beeline for their table. "You finished with these?"
A tall woman with legs longer than Maura had ever seen, and a dress that cut so high she could tell she didn't have any underwear under it, stared at her. "You want something honey?"
"The woman you were dancing with," she said, picking up the empty glasses, conscious of the pairs of eyes all staring at her. "You see where she went?"
"Dunno. Outside maybe."
"Not to the restroom?"
She shrugged. "Anyone see where curly sue went?"
"Curly Sue?" Maura narrowed her eyes.
"Outside," several people muttered, before it was reaffirmed by the woman with the legs.
"Thanks." She waved a hand in appreciation, took the glasses to the bar, and headed for the exit.
The cool night air teased her hot skin, sending her body temperature down a few degrees. She wrapped her hands around her arms and rubbed them gently. She glanced down the line of people waiting to get in, and in the opposite direction. On the edge of the sidewalk, the woman sat with her head in her hands.
"Hey, Curly Sue," she said, repeating the name the woman had called her. "You okay?"
"Curly what?" she asked, barely glancing up.
"It's a nineties film." She lowered herself down beside her. "If she were an adult now, I imagine she'd have hair like yours."
"That's not my name," she said, sniffling and swiping the back of her hand across her eyes. "Don't call me that."
"Sorry." Maura rested a hand on her lower arm. "You okay?"
"Fine." She didn't sound fine. She didn't look fine. She must have known because she continued. "It's nothing."
"Doesn't look like nothing."
"Bad breakup," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Maura's hand didn't move from her lower arm, and the woman didn't attempt to remove it either. Her eyes landed on her fingers, her manicured nails dug lightly into her skin. "Why you touching me?"
"You looked like you could use a friend."
"A friend, or a lover?"
"Pardon?" Maura cleared her throat.
"I've seen the way you've been looking at me." The woman finally looked into her eyes, holding her gaze for longer than Maura was usually comfortable with. "All night. You can't take your eyes off me. You some kind of pervert?"
"I think you're beautiful," Maura said, the words falling from her lips before she could stop herself. Her cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so forward."
"It's fine." She shook her head. "I'm not into women."
"Okay." The woman sighed. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." She forged a subtle smile and pushed Maura's hand away. "It's Jane. My name."
"It's nice to meet you, Jane," she said, tucking her hands underneath her thighs. "That guy earlier break up with you?"
"Nah. He's a nobody. Thought I might go home with him, didn't seem to like it when I told him it was just a bit of fun. I'd rather take you home."
Maura coughed, choking on thin air. "Excuse me?"
"When you've had as much to drink as I have. When you've lost the love of your life that you were with for six years, because he couldn't get over himself, you'd rather take a beautiful girl home instead of a sleazy sex-obsessed man. Wouldn't you?"
"Yeah." Maura closed her eyes and breathed slowly. A long silence was filled by the distant sounds of the Boston bar scene. She pushed herself up off the curb. "My break's almost over. Take care of yourself."
"Thanks, Maura," she said, smiling up at her. "Maybe next time just say hi, instead of staring."
"I," Maura opened her mouth to respond, but she could think of nothing worthwhile to say. "We won't serve you anymore alcohol, if you decide to come back in."
"Wasn't gonna anyway," Jane said, pushing herself up on the curb and standing up. She headed in the direction of the cab line and lifted her hand up in farewell.