The next day, Jane's phone woke her up. It was Frost.
"Hey partner," he greeted. "Just thought you'd want to know that Maura Isles picked up her order this morning."
Jane sat bolt upright in bed.
"What?" she asked, surprised, and unable to quell the disappointment she felt.
"Yeah," Frost sounded slightly uncertain. "She just left. Why?"
"I uh," Jane swallowed. "I… Nothing. Thanks. I'm gonna catch a little more shut-eye, if that's ok with you."
"No problem," Frost answered. "See you tomorrow."
Jane hung up and flopped dramatically back against the bed. She looked at the clock on her phone and groaned.
It was nearly three.
"Damn jet-lag," she cursed aloud. "Shit!"
She hopped into the shower and dressed in jeans and a white oxford, rolling the sleeves up against the heat. Letting her hair dry in the wind from her jeep, she headed to the beach.
Parking in the same spot as where she'd taken Maura's photos, she rolled up her pants legs and began walking.
What the hell was she doing?
Maura was straight.
And rich, famous, pregnant!
And straight.
Jane didn't like her.
Certainly didn't love her.
This weird feeling she had towards the enigmatic woman was just… something else.
Maura's immaculately washed Tupperware container was sitting in the passenger seat of Jane's jeep. When she returned to her car, she felt no better than before.
Pulling out her phone, she decided to just take the leap.
If you're going to burn, she figured, might as well make it a raging inferno.
Dialing Maura's number, she waited with her breath held as it rang.
It went to voicemail and she hung up, embarrassed.
Fuck.
She banged the phone against her forehead a few times, nearly dropping it out of surprise when it rang.
Maura's number.
"Hello?" she greeted.
"Hello?" came the reply.
"It's Jane," Jane offered.
"Oh," Maura's voice softened. "Hello Jane."
Some of the comfort and familiarity from before was gone, and Jane instantly missed it.
Maybe she had imagined everything.
"I was just uh," she swallowed some of her nervousness. "I just got back from out of town and realized I still had your container. I was thinking I could, uh, drop it off… or something."
"You were out of town?" Maura asked.
"Yes," Jane replied. "I was in Italy, actually."
"I love Italy," Maura sighed. There was a long pause. "I thought perhaps you just didn't want to see me again. I acted rather strangely, I know. I was just…"
"No, I wanted to," Jane interrupted awkwardly. She silently berated herself for the way she sounded like a nervous teenager.
"I'm glad," Maura either didn't sense it or chose to ignore it. "I'd like to see you again as well. I've got an engagement this afternoon but perhaps you'd like to have dinner with me tonight?"
"Yes," Jane didn't hesitate, her words nearly on top of Maura's. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, I'd like to have dinner with you."
"My place?" Maura asked. "Seven o'clock?"
"I'll be there," Jane replied. "See you then."
"See you tonight," Maura said softly, and then the line disconnected.
Jane held the receiver to her ear a moment longer.
She was worried- terrified, but something was pulling her towards this woman like gravity.
Jane drove the long way home, snaking along the coast and letting the salty air and whipping wind lull her mind into a state of relaxation.
At home, she appraised her wardrobe with a scrutinizing eye she'd never before cared to use. Nothing seemed good enough.
With a groan of resignation, she knew she'd either have to settle for something here or… shop.
Rifling through everything, she finally settled on a pair of dark, expensive jeans Angela had forced her to buy for dates. She'd claimed she would never wear them but she sent a silent thanks for them as she laid them out on the bed.
On top she selected a crimson, sleeveless blouse that showed off her arms and her deeply olive skin, partially a result of her time in Italy. She swept her hair into a messy ponytail and at the last minute settled impulsively on her favorite black boots.
The drive to Maura's was a bit further from her own home but she still had almost an hour to kill. Stopping off for a bottle of wine, she realized that she was approaching the evening like a date when in reality she had no idea what she was getting in to.
Not one to ask for suggestions, Jane was surprised when she heard herself asking for a recommendation and spent twice as much as she usually would for wine.
At the end of the long, winding driveway up to Maura's home, Jane stopped the car and rested her head against the steering wheel.
She was again swamped with self-doubt, with concern, with fear.
What the hell was she doing?
Looking up, the softly lit bungalow called to her, and before she was even consciously aware of action she was driving up the small lane.
This time, as she drove the butterflies in her stomach grew exponentially more agitated. By the time she reached the doorway, Tupperware in one hand and wine bottle in the other, she thought she might be sick.
Maura opened the door and Jane almost fled, the desire churning through her gut was so overwhelming.
In faded jeans and an emerald, scoop neck blouse, her hair impeccably styled and her make-up flawless, Maura looked like a mirage.
She mistook Jane's staring and blushed, moving aside to allow Jane to enter.
"I'm not usually so casually dressed," she apologized. "But I haven't been shopping in a while and a number of my dresses no longer fit."
"You look amazing," Jane blurted. She looked away, but not before catching the way Maura blushed.
It surprised Jane, emboldened her.
"Do you not know that?" she asked.
Maura looked at her curiously.
"How gorgeous you look," Jane elaborated. "Because you're… beautiful."
Maura again blushed, averting her gaze.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Jane held out the wine.
"I brought something," she offered dumbly.
"That's lovely, thank you" Maura soothed, accepting it. "It will go wonderfully with dinner. Do you like salmon?"
"Sounds good," Jane agreed, despite it being outside her usual meat and potatoes repertoire.
"I also have your container," she followed Maura into the kitchen, placing the object on the counter. "Thanks for that, by the way. It was fantastic."
"Thank you," Maura blushed. "I dreamt about being a chef when I was younger."
"Really?" Jane couldn't hide her surprise. "If the smell is any indication your dream might have come true."
Maura smiled, bright and genuine, and Jane wanted to make her do it again- every minute of every day for the rest of her life.
"I don't know about that," Maura allowed. "But it is a hobby I greatly enjoy."
They fell into a natural, easy rhythm and Jane nearly forgot they'd only met once before. She did forget that Maura was rich, famous, way out of her league.
Well, maybe not that last part.
She was acutely aware that Maura was out of her league. It would have been impossible to forget.
Jane was just beginning to relax, taking a slow sip of her wine, when she began internally berating herself. Maura hadn't poured herself a glass of wine.
She was pregnant.
Shit, Jane cursed internally. How could she be so fucking insensitive? How could she have forgotten? How could she have not noticed?
Maura sensed the shift, or maybe she just noticed that Jane was clearly no longer listening.
"Jane?" she queried, her voice soft.
"Sorry," Jane put her glass down with a groan. "I just realized I brought fucking wine to a pregnant woman."
Maura's lips formed a grim line.
"It's alright," she shrugged. "It's flattering that you brought something at all."
"It's not alright," Jane shook her head. "It was insensitive. I'm really sorry. I just didn't want to come empty handed and I was nervous and it seemed like the obvious thing to bring to dinner and I wasn't sure what to expect and -"
Maura cut off her rambling by placing a cool, soft hand over hers on the table.
"It was very considerate," she soothed.
Jane wondered what it would be like to have that calming, comforting voice around all the time.
"Why were you nervous?" Maura asked.
Jane knew her surprise was showing and she tried to hide it as quickly as possible.
"Seriously?" she snorted. "You're… you! You're rich and famous and gorgeous and I'm… not."
Maura looked hurt and Jane couldn't figure out why. Before she got a chance to ask, Maura pulled her hand away and stood, began clearing the dishes.
Her withdrawal made Jane feel oddly bereft.
Jane stood and brought her own dish to the sink, wondering what she had done to upset the other woman.
She didn't have to wait long. When the last dish was cleared from the table, Maura turned to face her, arms crossed protectively over herself.
"Those things don't matter to me," she said softly, but with a clear conviction.
"What things?" Jane's brow furrowed.
"The money," Maura elaborated. "The fame and the power and whatever else it is that you think makes me… they don't matter. I invited you here because I thought you… I was wrong, I guess. It wouldn't be the first time."
"You weren't wrong," Jane interjected hesitantly. She wasn't entirely sure what Maura was saying, thinking, feeling, but she knew it mirrored her own struggle.
"It's fine-" Maura began.
"I didn't mean to insult you," Jane took a hesitant step towards Maura without realizing she was moving. "I don't think those things matter to you. And I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, make it seem like they do. I'm very glad you invited me."
Maura appraised her intently for a minute before she deflated slightly.
"Would you like some dessert?" she offered.
Jane released the breath she'd been holding. It seemed they would move past the moment but the air around them had shifted, and the distance injected by the argument was palpable.
"I'm still pretty full from dinner," she admitted. "How about a walk?"
Surprised delight flashed through Maura's eyes and she nodded her assent. Jane let Maura lead her out the back and down a winding pathway to the private beach.
"This is really beautiful," Jane gushed, closing her eyes for a moment.
Maura stood beside her and Jane opened one eye to peek at her. Maura's posture mirrored her own- turned to the ocean, face into the cool breeze, eyes closed, expression relaxed.
"You like it?" Maura asked.
"Yes," Jane agreed emphatically. "It's perfect. I'd kill for something like this."
"I'm glad you like it," Maura breathed. "You're my first houseguest."
Jane turned to her, shocked.
"Really?" she scoffed. It was hard to believe. This was a woman known for throwing the most elaborate parties, charity events, publicity balls…
"I needed some quiet," Maura shrugged. "Some privacy. When I bought the house, I knew I didn't want to stain it with strangers."
Jane wanted to ask, why me?
She bit her tongue.
"It's incredible," she replied softly instead. She impulsively grabbed Maura's hand, intending a brief squeeze to reflect her gratitude.
Maura didn't let go.
Instead, she began walking, pulling Jane gently along beside her.
Jane's heart stayed in her throat the entire walk.
Maura's perfume met her nose, the warmth from her body radiated towards Jane, her palm was smooth against Jane's.
Jane had been skydiving once and it paled in comparison.
They walked in silence for nearly an hour before turning back. Darkness settled around them during the walk and the mood once again shifted, but this time to something that made Jane feel vaguely uneasy.
Where before, Jane had felt mostly comfortable, knowing that the evening was drawing to a close was making her nervous.
She wanted to kiss Maura, but that seemed wildly inappropriate given the circumstances.
Right?
No, of course it was.
This wasn't a date.
This was… something else.
But it was difficult to categorize this as a friendly dinner.
They were holding hands, walking on the beach, sharing intimate details of their lives… it felt like a date.
Really, it felt like a dream.
They reached the end of the pathway up to the house and Jane felt nerves begin to engulf her. For some reason, there seemed more finality to the moment than just the end of the evening.
She was plagued with self-doubt.
What did Maura want from her?
What could she possibly offer her?
But in her heart, she admitted that it didn't matter- she'd give Maura anything, everything, that she asked for.
No matter the personal cost to Jane.
She cursed internally.
How had she managed to let herself fall in love with a stranger. And after only two fleeting meetings?
But part of her felt consoled by the fact that what she was feeling was well beyond her control. This was far more than anything she'd imagined could exist in the world.
This, she admitted begrudgingly, was why people believed in fate.
Kismet.
Destiny.
Soul mates.
It terrified her and she simultaneously acknowledged that Maura would never recognize that love. Never see it.
Jane would do her best to hide it.
Maura deserved better- the best. Surely she could find a man, someone with wealth and status and…
A bout of nausea swept through her at just the idea of someone else with Maura.
Glancing over, Jane appraised Maura's profile. She too seemed deep in thought, a look of intense concern shadowing her face.
Jane wanted to wipe that look away, to ease her mind, but she didn't know how- or if it would be welcomed.
"He wants me to get rid of the baby," Maura whispered.
It caught Jane completely off-guard. She stopped walking abruptly, jerking Maura's arm accidentally.
"Sorry," she mumbled, then louder, "what?"
"Brandon," Maura didn't look at Jane. "He doesn't want the baby. He said she'll interfere with his career."
Jane clenched her jaw against the fierce rage that unexpectedly coursed through her. She wanted to seek Brandon out, bury him alive.
It startled her.
"Do you," she rasped, swallowed harshly. "Want to keep her?"
Maura sighed, almost longingly, and nodded minutely.
"That's good," Jane whispered.
Maura turned to face her. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, her lip quivered ever-so-slightly.
Without thinking, Jane leaned down, one hand under Maura's chin, and tilted her head up to press a quick, chaste kiss to Maura's lips. It stopped them from trembling.
She felt oddly proud of that fact.
"You'll make an amazing mother," Jane breathed when she pulled back.
There was something dark in Maura's eyes that made Jane's gut clench.
Feeling the intensity build beyond what she could handle, Jane pulled herself away from the moment. She slipped her hand out of Maura's, placing it instead on the small of her back to guide her up into the house.
"How about some dessert?" Maura offered when they were safely back inside.
"Uh, sure," Jane allowed.
Maura clearly needed something to do to busy her hands. Jane couldn't blame her
Part of her was overcome every few seconds by how surreal this all was. How strange.
At any moment she was likely to wake up and find it had all been an illusion, a mirage, a dream.
Maura dished up the desserts and brewed a cup of decaf coffee as Jane sat on a barstool watching from the kitchen island.
She was struck once again by just how radiant Maura was. How effortlessly sensual, breathtaking.
Jane could never compare.
She still wasn't quite sure what she could offer the strange, ethereal woman.
But she was reminded once again when Maura turned to face her with a tentative smile that she was in way over her head.