The doctor glanced up at Jane several times on their way through security, out of the building, and back to the car, realizing with a little thrill that her faith in their friendship had not been unfounded. Jane had been offered on a silver platter a prime opportunity to ditch her, and had not done so. Then guilt set in. Someone else had been rejected. Maura knew how that felt. Worry nagged at her. As the two of them turned onto the freeway, she asked softly, "I know you don't like being reminded of Hoyt, but is that the only reason you turned down Gabriel tonight?"
Jane sighed and reached over to place a hand on top of her friend's that was resting on the armrest. "No. I said I wanted to spend the evening with you, and I meant it. Why would I change my mind for Dean? He's fine, but he's not my friend, and I don't like his company half as much as I like yours." She gave Maura's hand a little squeeze. "Besides, he makes me feel really… uncomfortable, not like you." The detective gave a small shrug. "I'd just rather be with you, Maura. Is that okay? Or, did you want to spend quality time alone with Bass and Joe tonight?" There was a light teasing in Jane's voice and a smile played at the corners of her lips.
Hazel eyes regarded Jane from beneath long lashes as Maura returned the hand squeeze. "As much as I do like Bass and Joe Friday, no, I'd rather have you there. Of course, that was before I realized that you were suffering from some sort of psychological malady." She paused just long enough, then allowed the teasing smile to show. "You must be, because you're the only person who's ever said or implied that I don't make them uncomfortable. For the record, though, you don't make me uncomfortable either… most of the time."
"Most of the time?" Jane snorted. "You know, it's really stupid that people get so hung up on your smarts and money and stuff. I mean, you're not hung up on it, so why should I be?" She shrugged as she turned into Maura's drive. "Sure, you're a little goofy, but that's just part of your charm. People can be such jackasses sometimes."
"You're sweet to say so," Maura demurred.
Jane turned the car off, hopped out, and sprinted around to the other side to help Maura out. With a lopsided smirk, she offered the shorter woman her arm. "M'lady?" She gave an over-the-top bow from the waist as she waited for Maura to take her arm. "Your chicken awaits." She chuckled at her own joke.
Having already begun to open the car door as usual, Maura was taken slightly, but pleasantly, aback by the sudden change in routine. Nevertheless, she understood immediately that Jane had changed the rules, and, what was more, she understood the new-for-Jane rules as being the old-hat-for-herself rules that she'd been reared to observe. Effortlessly, she glided into 'lady' mode as if she'd never spent a second away from the high society in which she'd lived for most of her life, taking Jane's arm with a light hand and allowing herself to be escorted in style back to her door. Even so, there was a little doubt in her mind, which she expressed in the quietly nervous tone which was so common for her. "Jane, I know we've planned that I'm going to cook and we're going to discuss our cases and whatever else comes to mind...?"
Jane used her key to open Maura's door and then held it to allow the doctor to enter first. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to the dinner. I'm starving." She closed the door behind them. "I'm not really feeling it for the cases, though. I think I'm starting to burn out." She strolled into the kitchen, pulling her blazer off and throwing it on the back of the sofa on her way. "I think I need to take some vacation time. This rehash on Hoyt is really messing with me. I get so tired of just hearing his name, you know?" She continued to call out as she stuck her head in the fridge to pull out the bag of groceries and a beer. "Hey, maybe you and I could run off to a different state for a while? Take a mini vacation? I've always wanted to go south." She plopped the bag on the counter and started unpacking it, taking small breaks to sip on her beer.
Her phone buzzed on her hip and she let out a string of curses as she pulled it to her ear. "Rizzoli." She walked away from the counter to wander aimlessly around the kitchen as she spoke. "No, I told you I'm busy tonight. Yeah, I get that, but I already have plans and… Hey! You know what? You're the one who decided to go to DC for your career. I didn't stop you. We weren't dating, Grant. It's not like it was some sort of sacrifice for us that you decided to come back here." Jane's jaw flexed as her irritation increased with the increasing length of the call. "Yeah, well, that's your problem, isn't it? You said you wanted to grab a beer. I'm all for beer, but I'm not going to just go running into your arms because you decided to come back to Boston. You want to find a girl to date, look online. There might have been a chance, but, buddy, you just blew it. I can't believe you'd try to force me to choose… yeah? Well, I'm not going to walk out on her for some guy that decided he wanted back in, so you can just bite me."
"Jane," Maura chided softly in the background, "be nice."
With that, Jane hung up and clipped the phone back on her hip. "God, I can't believe him." She stomped back to the counter to finish unpacking. "Bastard."
Annoyance at the phone call turned to relief as Jane neatly circumvented her concern - how to jokingly invite the ersatz 'gentleman' inside as earlier plans dictated, without it sounding like a sexual advance - causing the doctor to smile as she picked up the investigator's coat and hung it neatly in the closet, followed by her own.
While Jane talked with Grant, Maura seasoned the chicken and vegetables and put them in the stove, eavesdropping on the conversation without subtlety. Her smile grew, then faded into guilt, then rapidly shifted to cheerfulness as Jane hung up the phone. "Language," she chastised gently, then asked, "How far south?" Maura headed back for the kitchen to start preparing dinner, one hand trailing across Jane's shoulders along the way. "New Orleans is a lovely, of course, or Atlanta. But if you'd like to go further, there are some gorgeous destinations in Costa Rica, Brazil, the Caymans. Or maybe not south, but east? Greece is gorgeous, and I have a friend who owns a resort on Santorini. It's off-season now, but still quite beautiful." Pause. "You know, you didn't have to turn down Grant for my sake. I'd have understood."
Jane shot a side glance at Maura as she started pulling the salad together. "Grant can kiss my ass. He was an annoying boy and he's still an annoying boy. I don't know what I was thinking, honestly. I think he just hit me in a moment of weakness." She wiped her hands on a towel as she turned to the doctor, placing a now dry hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Maura, I already told you… I'd rather spend time with you. Okay? Stop trying to push me off on Dean and Grant. Grant's an ass and Dean's just… no." She quirked an eyebrow. "Got it?" With a sigh, she dropped her hand and went back to the salad. "I don't know what a Santa-whatever is and I don't know anything about South America. I was thinking south like Savannah or San Antonio or Key West or something like that. I've never been outside the US." Jane was starting to ramble slightly as she helped prepare the food. "I bet Greece is pretty. I've always wanted to go to Paris." She chuckled to herself as some internal joke. "But, I'm on a budget, so I think Europe is out of the question. I'm talking a beer budget vacation here."
A finely sculpted brow arched as, facing the countertop and not Jane, the doctor mouthed, Paris. "Mmhm," mused the coroner as she dissected a pint of cherry tomatoes, filleted and disassembled a cucumber and a scallion, then drizzled the bowl with olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, salt, and pepper. "Well, those are all beautiful places too, if you'd rather go there. But Jane, please remember that when I ask you out to dinner at a restaurant I know is beyond your means, I pay for dinner. I know what a homicide detective earns. I wouldn't make a suggestion like that, and then expect you to pay for it." Selecting a slotted spoon, she stirred the salad and set it in the refrigerator to marinate, then removed a bottle of wine to let it come up to room temperature.
"Regarding Dean and Grant, I understand why you don't want Dean, and I won't say any more about him. I can see why Grant would get on your nerves, too. I won't suggest them again, since it upsets you so." The blonde stretched forth a hand towards Jane's, warm and smooth and comforting. "I'll try not to exactly mimic your mother, who means well, and whose affection is clearly demonstrated by her desire to see that you're happy, but who apparently misplaces her attempts. You must admit, what your mother does is only what she thinks will eventually result in your happiness. And as annoying as I know you find it, don't you think that she may be a little bit right? You're such a loving, warm person, Jane. Don't you want to have someone in your life who can appreciate all that?"
Jane rolled her eyes. "First of all, I don't expect you to pay for me Maura. You're my friend. I'm not keeping you around for your bank account." She picked up her beer and walked around the island to get out of Maura's way. "Second of all, I never accused you of being my mother. But, now that you mention it, you are about as pushy." She gave Maura a teasing smile. "Third of all, I am happy, and I already have all that stuff with someone. You. I don't need a guy to make me happy, Maur." She shrugged. "I don't get why everyone is always trying to hook me up. What? Do I walk around looking like someone's been kicking my puppy all the time or something? Just because I'm not dating someone doesn't mean I'm not happy." She tossed her empty bottle in the recycling bin under the island. "What about Hot Springs?"
Maura lowered her face in pointed submission to Jane's wishes. She took a half-step towards following after the detective, but then caught herself and returned to the kitchen to wipe the vegetable juices from the countertop as she thought things through. "All right," she decided as she rinsed the cleaning cloth and dropped it into a bleach bucket beneath the sink. "Some people don't want marriage, and at least you know yourself well, so you're not just deciding to forego it because you don't want to make the effort. I concede and accept defeat: You don't need a guy to make you happy. I just... think you should be open to the possibilities of life, so that if something could make you happy... happier... you'll recognize it if you see it. Okay?"
So saying, Maura took a deep breath and changed the subject. "Now, about the trip. Hot Springs is a very good option, as are Savannah and so on, but they aren't the only options that are available. Can you just dream for a moment? I know we're friends," she left the kitchen and came to stand beside Jane and take her hand once more, "and you don't just talk to me because I have money. I just... Look, Jane, what is money for? It's for spending, isn't it? Come on. Just for a minute, dream a little. And if that doesn't work, think of my needs." She played the selfish card shamelessly, hazel eyes pleading. "Don't you think I'd love to go somewhere that I could actually use some of the swimsuits that have been sitting in my drawer for ages? Get a little sunshine on my skin? Of course, I could always go by myself, but it wouldn't be as much fun as it would be with you."
Jane scrunched her nose up as she thought about it. "I don't know." In an absentminded gesture, she threaded her fingers through Maura's. "You really want to take me somewhere? I mean, what if I embarrass you? You know, I'm good at that when it comes to 'high class'. Remember the fish incident?" She rolled her eyes. "Swimsuits, huh? This time of the year, I guess it'd have to be south of the border." She pursed her lips in thought as she ran her thumb over the top of Maura's hand. "When I was in college, I almost went to Cancun, but then I completely bombed a poli sci class and had to stay over spring break to fix my gpa. I wouldn't mind trying to go there again. I got my passport for the trip and everything. I keep it up." She shrugged. "You just never know."
Jane chewed on her bottom lip. "I bet Ma would watch Joe and Bass for us." With a snort of amusement, she pulled her hand free and walked to the bottle of wine. "Is this ready to pop?" She pointed to the bottle on the counter. "Cuz, I just drank the last beer."
"I've accepted a little embarrassment," replied Maura with a smile as she reached over the countertop for the corkscrew and glasses. "Hold, please," she directed with a nod towards the bottle, and when Jane braced the bottle, she commenced with the bottle opening.
"Don't worry about whether you know the exact utensil to use," Maura said with a tone of confident reassurance. "I'll be right there to tell you, or show you, just like you're always there to show me how to properly drink a beer or eat a spuckie or cheer for the Red Sox. If I can do new things with you, then you can do new things with me. Besides, your faux pas always happen with such style. You never do anything halfway. That's one of the things I like best about you. There might be a few stiff-shirts in Cancun or Paris who will judge," she got the idiom wrong, but not too wrong to recognize where it was meant to go, "But they'll be people we'll never see again anyway, so who cares what they think? They aren't my best friend, so their opinions are immaterial to me."
With a grunt, Jane managed to keep the bottle steady as Maura pulled the cork out. "Paris?" She set the bottle back on the counter. "Are you offering to take me to Paris?" She couldn't help but put a little extra flirtation in her voice. It wasn't everyday someone offered to take her to Paris.
Maura's capable hands twisted poured two glasses and handed one to Jane. The taller woman's tone caused her to pause for a moment, still holding the glass, and search Jane's face for some indication of what the change in vocal tone signified. "Yes, if you want to go. It won't be warm there, but cold and rainy. Paris also has its attractions. If we go to one of my favorite hotels, there'll be a roaring fire in the fireplace, beautiful warm food... We can walk to Cafe le Dome for breakfast, find a crepe stand for lunch, maybe the Marais for dinner and a visit to a jazz club… Walk along the Seine? Winters in Paris are beautiful, if you like rain, which I do."
Jane leaned back against the island as she considered the possibility of going to Paris with Maura. She slowly swirled the wine in her glass as she watched the blonde talk about everything they could do together. "I bet you speak French, don't you?" She smiled gently at the other woman.
"Un petit peu," Maura confessed with a smile as she let herself be moved towards the stool and hopped up to sit on it. "Which is to say, English speakers tend to think I'm fluent, but Parisians think I'm giving it a really good try. Still, I did go to boarding school in France." Her sip of wine left a tiny drop on her bottom lip, which her tongue tip snuck out to reclaim.
"Would this trip to Paris include a shopping expedition for appropriate clothes? I'm willing to bet you think I don't have a thing to wear." Jane gave Maura a gently nudge on her way to the stool she normally occupied while Maura was cooking. "You'd probably be aghast if I wore my worn jeans and a t-shirt, huh?"
"We could shop if you like, or not shop if you'd prefer. I do think you could have clothing that's more suited to the cold, wet climate there than what you currently have... but to tell you the truth, I like you in jeans and T-shirts, too. It took me a while to get used to thinking in a different aesthetic, but I've realized lately that you're more emotionally comfortable in your own style than you'd ever be in mine. If we go, and if we shop, it'll be entirely up to you what you should buy."
"That so?" Jane stepped closer the seated doctor. "I thought you liked dressing me up?" She raised an eyebrow as she set her glass on the counter next to them and crossed her arms.
Maura's lips dropped open momentarily in confusion. Just what was Jane asking her? "I... w-well, yes," she began, then was cut off. She seemed grateful for the interruption, though, and let it slide.
Jane smirked. "To tell you the truth, I like me in t-shirts and jeans, too, but I think people from Paris don't really like Americans, and I think wearing my normal thing would probably put up a few warning signs that I was from here." She stared down at the blonde. "How about we hold off on Paris? After we go, all I'm going to want to do is make bad references to Casablanca anyway." She gave Maura a nudge with knee. "You know, 'We'll always have Paris.'?" She leaned over so they were eye level. "Let's go to Florida and visit the Mouse." There was twinkle in her eye. "You know, he's got some really nice resorts."
Relief, mild but subtle, fell on Maura like a gauzy veil. "I don't know what most of that means, but I heard the word 'resort,' and I do like those. Florida's lovely in the winter. Of course, we're slightly more likely to encounter people that know my family if we visit a resort in the States. Not that that's a bad thing, but when you feel self-conscious, you don't enjoy yourself as much, and my former cohorts tend to make you nervous."
Jane stood up and sat down next to Maura. "I'm talking about Disney. They have this really nice resort at their main park down there that I've been wanting to go to for a while now. I was going to go with… a friend. But, that plan fell through a few years ago. So, I think we should go. They've got everything from mud baths and saunas to horseback riding. Plus, we could go to the parks. It'd be a lot of fun. Don't tell me you've never wanted to go to Disney!"
"Oh, that mouse! Yes, actually," Maura admitted, cheeks turning a bit rosy. "When I was a little girl, I always wanted to visit EPCOT Center. The Disney Imagineers have made amazing advances in sciences, especially considering that most of the time their primary goal is entertainment and education, rather than research and advancement for the sake of advancement."
Jane's voice held that whining tone she sometimes had when she thought it might be hard to talk Maura into something. She turned her body on the stool to face the blonde and took Maura's hands in her own, forcing the doctor to turn toward her. "Come on… please? We could be out of here in three days." She laced their fingers together. "Think about it… massages, nice places to eat, fun places to go, and no murders, death, Dean or Grant." She gave her best reassuring smile. "Besides, if you run into someone, you can just pretend not to know them, or I can run them off by being myself. What do you say?"
Maura's smaller fingers laced through Jane's longer ones, and, as was only natural, her body leaned forward into the idea and nearer to her friend. "It does sound lovely. I do love a massage and a mud bath. Or a salt rub. Or any kind of rub, really. I think we'd both really enjoy it there… Especially the warmth. Just tell me, will they let me wear my swimsuit there? I don't want to scandalize a bunch of children or incur parental wrath."
Jane gave a few blinks before letting her laughter rumble from her lips. "Yeah… yeah, Maura, I think they'll let you wear a swimsuit." The brunette shook her head. Standing up, she leaned down to place a quick peck on Maura's cheek. "You always take me by surprise, you know that? I love that. Anyway, I'm going to take Joe for a walk while you check on the chicken, okay?"
With that, Jane pulled her blazer from the closet, gathered up Joe, and left the house. She was still chuckling as the door closed behind her.
Maura watched Jane leave, smiling but still puzzled. "What surprise?" she wondered aloud, then got up to check on the chicken.
You know how much I love my crack, right?
