Author's note: Thank you very much for all your reviews and messages!
Chapter 7:
Maura couldn't believe her eyes. The American house was packed with athletes who were dancing and drinking beer or even making out roughly while the rock band played on stage.
"The things I've missed..."
"What?!"
Of course Jane hadn't heard her whisper. The music was too loud and the band actually was pretty good even to Maura's unusual tastes. Maura offered Jane an apologetic smile to dismiss her very own remark and she took the hockey player's hand to drag her towards the bar.
Tonight, Maura wouldn't think about the Olympics. She would forget that these were her last Games and that the ice dance competition started within four days. She would put aside any kind of pressure she felt so she could enjoy her time with Jane.
Tonight was about fun and pleasure.
Maura locked her hazel eyes with Jane's brown ones as both girls reached the bar. A mischievous smile played on her lips. Enough with the quiet conversations on the beach: it now was time for some more adult things.
"What do you want to drink? This is on me." Maura slightly leaned against the counter to offer Jane a better view of her cleavage. "What's your favorite drink?"
"Oh, I'm a beer kind of girl actually."
If Maura had made an effort of presentation for their second date, Jane had made an effort too. Both had ditched their official olympic clothes for something more personal, something closer to their personality. And the more Maura thought about it, the more it was obvious to her that Jane actually was pretty.
Jane didn't need makeup nor heels. She looked perfect in a pair of jeans and a v-neck shirt with her hair tied up in a ponytail. Or at least Maura liked her that way.
"A beer it is then."
"What about you? What's your favorite drink?"
Maura held back a sigh. Too many convenient questions: she and Jane had to reach the next level at some point and the sooner the better.
"Oh... Wine. I like wine."
They cheered – their eyes locked – and Maura was about to make the first move towards Jane – or at least something suggestive enough - when someone ran a finger along her nape. The unexpected gesture made her start with surprise. She turned around. Ella was standing there with Megan, another Canadian ice-figure skater.
"Hey..." Maura hugged her. "What are the two of you doing here? Spying on your dear American neighbors?"
Ella burst out laughing.
"Are you kidding me? This is the best music venue of the week. Everyone's here! I mean... Even you! That's a first. Maura Isles is breaking the rules in PyeongChang."
Maura blushed. Ella was right though.
"We just wanted to..." Maura turned around to include Jane in the conversation but she found herself facing an empty spot instead. Jane was gone and she was nowhere to be seen. However she had left her jacket on top of the counter. "What..."
"What's wrong?"
Maura looked at Ella and Megan again.
"Jane... Jane was here like 5 seconds ago. Where has she gone to?!"
"Maybe to the bathroom?" Ella shrugged. "Anyway have fun and see you tomorrow at the arena!"
...
Maura stopped pacing her apartment. She crossed her arms against her chest and she blankly stared at Jane's jacket that was now hanging on one of the chairs of the room.
The first 15 minutes had been okay. Maura had assumed that Jane was waiting in line in the bathroom just as Ella had suggested but once the clock had reached 20 minutes of Jane's absence, Maura had understood that the hockey player had left without telling her.
Retrospectively Maura thought that her own attitude had been stupid because after these 20 minutes, she had stayed at the concert for an hour just in case Jane would return. The truth was that she hadn't known what to do. She had felt lost and confused. Abandoned even.
Why would have Jane left? Everything was going smoothly. The evening had just started. None of this made sense.
Finally after an hour waiting at the bar and three text messages to Jane that had remained unanswered, Maura had walked back to her room.
Reluctantly.
And that room now was growing on her nerves.
It was late and she should have gone to bed because she and Tommy had a practice scheduled at 10am the next morning but she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep. Besides, what if something had happened to Jane? It was improbable but not impossible.
Maura grabbed her keys. She opened the door and was about to go for a tea in the lounge room when she almost bumped into Jane who was peacefully walking down the hallway.
"There you are!"
Jane had no choice but to stop. She loudly sighed. Hands in the pockets of her jeans, she barely looked at Maura.
"Since when do you care?"
The remark made Maura frown. Sometimes, she just didn't understand Jane's reactions. They didn't make sense. Maura wasn't good at conversing with people nor at handling situations that implied social interaction but she knew that Jane's remarks weren't fair. There was something wrong, something that she didn't get.
"What do you mean? Come in, I have your jacket."
But Maura hated conflicts so she didn't insist. She didn't rise her voice. She opened the door of her room to let Jane walk in instead.
Jane did.
She grabbed her jacket almost angrily.
"Why do you even do that?"
"Do what?"
Maura was standing by the door that she had closed. She looked at Jane timidly but with great curiosity. She needed to understand what was going on because it was too frustrating.
Jane rolled her eyes.
"Oh c'mon! You're all over me and the next second you start flirting with Ella. In front of me. What's your plan? Are the two of you looking for a third mate? Because if so, I'm sorry to tell you that it's so not my stuff. I'm not into three ways. Maybe I should have been more specific right from the start, I don't know..."
"What?! But... Ella and I are not... It's not..."
"What, Maura? What? What's Elle for you? What do you want? Just tell me for god's sake!"
Jane's attitude couldn't have been more different than Maura's. If the argument left the ice dancer unable to speak, it gave fuel to Jane who couldn't stop anymore. It made her feel stronger and yet terribly upset too.
But the whole situation was stupid. A complete misunderstanding.
Instead of rising her voice for absolutely nothing, Maura just rolled her eyes at Jane and she closed the distance that separated her from the hockey player.
"It's not Ella I want. It's you. I... I want you."
Maura's voice flinched as the last words passed her lips but she didn't run away because she didn't want to. She always felt fearless in those moments; fearless and invulnerable.
She slid her hand along Jane's nape – her fingertips brushing Jane's warm skin there – then she leaned over for a kiss.
At last. There they were: Maura rarely had wanted something so badly.
Their lips were barely an inch apart when an alarm set off and it made them start with surprise. Maura looked all around in disbelief. What was going on, now?!
