You Are Such A Girl
Disclaimer: Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli belong to Tess Gerritsen and TNT. I thank them for allowing me to take them out and play with them, because I do not own them.
Chapter One
"Maura, come on! If you're going to play you need to get serious!" Jane yelled over at Maura. Jane was so frustrated she stomped her foot into the ground.
"Maura, last call! You're up!" Maura turned to face Jane with a hurt look on her face. "I'm coming, Jane, just relax. I was putting my ball glove on."
"It's a batting glove, Maura."
"Yeah, I wanted everything to be perfect," Maura smiled at her best friend. She was so glad Jane gave her this opportunity to play for the homicide department's softball team. She was looking for something new outside of work to enjoy with Jane and softball seemed to be so much fun. At least, it would be if Jane could relax and just enjoy the play of the game and not get so caught up in who won or lost.
Maura grabbed the bat and walked to the plate. Jane walked up behind her and started whispering in her ear. "Maura, can you bunt? If you can, bunt the second pitch you're thrown. Frost will be breaking for the plate and we can get a suicide."
"Jane! A suicide? Really? And what about the poor unfortunate individual?"
"No, Maura, it's called a suicide squeeze play. It's standard baseball. Just do as I ask, ok?" Jane whispered.
"You're the boss, Jane," Maura replied. Jane's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Ignoring the blush running up her cheeks Jane returned to the dugout.
Sure enough, on the second pitch Maura laid down the perfect bunt. Frost left third base with the pitch and crossed home plate while the catcher was still trying to find the ball. The homicide team met at home plate and congratulated both Frost and Maura.
"I feel like I hit a home run," Maura said to Jane. Jane looked at the perfectly dressed Maura, not a hair out of place and began to laugh.
"You, hit a home run? That's a good one, Maura." Jane couldn't stop laughing.
"Why not, Jane? Just because I didn't play team sports growing up doesn't mean I can't be good at them," Maura was hurt, listening to Jane laugh. She didn't like being laughed at.
"Maura, ballet and fencing aren't sports. You are such a girl."
"Ballet and fencing make great sports," another voice spoke up behind Maura. She turned around and saw one of the women outfielders for the other team smiling at her.
"Hi, my name's Kelly. That was a great play."
"Thank you. I'm Maura and this is Jane." Jane was still laughing softly.
"Nice to meet you," Kelly said to Jane. She looked back at Maura. "I wanted to ask if you'd like to join me for a drink? Sometimes the guys get a little too rowdy so I usually go alone." Maura was surprised. She didn't know what to say. She looked over at Jane who was still giggling a little. Maura decided to make Jane jealous, if she could.
"Sure, I'd like that, Kelly. Let me get my stuff."
"Here, let me help you with your things, I can carry anything heavy." Kelly walked off behind Maura. Jane quit laughing and stared after Maura.
"Hey, Maura, where are you-" Jane started to ask but noticed Maura was not paying her any attention. Jane found herself watching Maura walk away with Kelly.
"You like pizza, Maura?" Kelly was asking. Maura nodded.
"Sometimes. Did you know pizza originated in the city of Naples? It was a street food but the King of Italy toured his kingdom with his wife, Margherita.. She enjoyed the pizza so much she asked a chef from Naples to come to the palace and make pizza for her. Italians were so in love with tomatoes they put tomatoes on her new pizza and that's how the Margherita pizza was born. Oh, sorry, sometimes my 'google' mouth gets going. Jane kind of shuts me up," Maura was embarrassed with Kelly. But the other woman just smiled.
"Don't worry about it, Maura. I think it's cute." Maura smiled back.
"Come on. North End Pizza is the best, in my book. Care to join me?" Kelly asked. "Sounds good to me," Maura replied.
The two women enjoyed a pizza with the works and a bottle of wine. Maura was surprised Kelly didn't want to order a pitcher of beer, since that always seemed to be the favorite beverage for any outings after a softball game. In fact, Kelly was apologetic when she ordered a bottle of wine instead of the beer.
"I hope you don't mind. The guys tease me but I prefer wine to beer."
"No problem, Kelly. I'm the same. Jane's always trying to get me to try her beer but I never liked the taste." Maura liked the easy way Kelly always seemed to be smiling. A complete opposite to Jane, who could get so caught up in the moment of her cases she almost seemed to explode with anger at the perps.
"Speaking of Jane, what is the deal with you two?" Kelly asked.
"Deal? Do you mean, are we together?" Kelly nodded.
"I saw how close the two of were during the game, I wanted to make sure I wasn't stepping on any toes by asking you to join me." Kelly had watched Maura during the game and knew she was attracted to the woman but never liked moving in on anyone's territory.
"No, we're just friends. We are best friends, so that may explain the closeness."
Kelly swallowed her wine and studied Maura. She found it a little disconcerting sometimes trying to see if she could ask another woman for a date but felt Maura was worth the risk.
"Then would you go out with me sometime? Preferably tomorrow night."
"You mean, like a date?" Maura clarified.
"Yes. I'm attracted to you, Maura, and I'd like to get to know you better." Maura was surprised. Although she never defined her sexuality in any particular manner Maura hadn't dated a lot of women. If pressed she said she was bisexual. She considered Kelly's request then smiled up at the redhead.
"I'd like to go out with you, Kelly, and tomorrow night is good."
"Great. I'll pick you up at seven, if that's good for you. Dinner first, then the classic film series over on Cambridge."
"You like classic films?" Maura couldn't believe her ears. Jane never wanted to see a classic film from the 30s or 40s, Maura's favorite timeframe for movies and was never able to get her to go to the film fest.
"Yep. The thirties, forties and fifties are my favorites. Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, etc., are 'my guys'. I've seen 'Casablanca' so many times I can quote it," Kelly laughed. It pleased her to realize they had something in common.
"I use to ask Jane to go with me to see the film festivals for the 30s and 40s but she'd kind of whine, "Come on, Maura, I don't like those films" so I quit asking."
Her loss, Kelly thought.
They finished their pizza and wine and left just as the waiter was locking up. Maura didn't realize how much time had passed. "Let me follow you home, make sure you get there okay," Kelly said as they climbed into her car. Maura smiled.
Jane sat in her car, outside Maura's home, wondering where the medical examiner was. She remembered Maura leaving the softball field with Kelly Garrison but didn't know the two women went out for something to eat. Jane had called Maura asking about their weekly movie night and became concerned when Maura hadn't answered. After seven phone calls over the following three hours Jane became concerned for Maura's safety and drove to the doctor's home.
"Come on, Maura, where are you?" Jane muttered to herself just as she saw two sets of headlights pull into Maura's driveway. She recognized Maura's sedan but not the other car. Jane watched as Kelly went over and opened Maura's door for her. Kelly reached in and assisted Maura out of the car then walked Maura to her door. Maura stopped, faced Kelly, put her hand on Kelly's cheek then said something that made Kelly laugh. Maura was smiling, Jane knew. She could see the wattage of Maura's smile all the way to her car.
"Well, I'll be damned," Jane said. She waited until Maura went inside and Kelly drove off. Jane sat in her car, confused. She didn't like this turn of events. Maura had a new friend.
TBC
