Chapter Ten

"Oh, Dr Isles, that new tea you asked about? I got it," Angela called out as Maura wandered past the café. Phone in hand, she was grinning to herself about the latest text message from Jane. Things were going well; they'd been seeing each other for over a month now, and Angela was none the wiser. It had actually been quite fun, sneaking around, like lovestruck teenagers.

Maura turned to find herself the subject of a different Rizzoli grin. "Angela, I have told you, it's Maura," she said, grinning and wandering inside the café area. "I can't believe you got it so quickly. I guess I'd best have one."

"Oh, you better believe it, once I set my mind to something…have you seen Jane this morning?" she asked, suddenly changing topics. Maura was amazed at how easily both Rizzoli women could do that. At times she hadn't managed to keep up and would be left confused by the entire conversation, but she was gradually getting used to it.

"Uh, I did." Of course she had seen Jane this morning. In bed while they made love, the shower afterwards, the car on the way into work, in her office for kisses before work.

"Did she look happy to you?" Angela asked as she went about making the tea, "Because, I think she looks happy and she's been like that for a while now, it's not normal. She hasn't shouted at me for days," she continued to say over her shoulder as she watched the tea steep.

"Oh, uh, well yes I suppose she did look happy." Maura's phone pinged a new text and she briefly looked down to see Jane's name appear along with the first half of the text: you look so hot when you…

Angela was now facing her, pushing the takeaway cup across the counter towards her. "She's seeing someone."

Maura gulped. A hot flush burned her cheeks and she was sure Angela would notice. Maybe she knew, had they been that obvious? Jane had said that Detective Korsak had worked it out. "Uh, you think so?" She barely stammered a reply under the intense gaze from Angela.

The brunette nodded. "Pretty sure of it, she gets like that when she's seeing someone. I dunno why she hides it, it's not like I'd disapprove."

"Well I am sure when she's ready to tell you, I mean, if she is…uh, seeing someone." She took a sip of her drink to try and hide behind it. The liquid was hot, too hot, and she burnt her lip.

"I guess…anyway, what about you? Love on the horizon?"

Maura coughed, the hot water now burning her tongue. "I, uh…yes." God, why couldn't she just lie? It would be so much easier, but the thought of going vasovagal right now just didn't bear thinking about. And she liked Angela, she didn't want to outright lie to her.

"Oh really? Another doctor? Is he hot?" She winked.

Maura was about to inform Angela that actually it was a woman, but her phone rang. She looked down to see Jane's name and smiled. "I'm sorry, I need to take this." She flicked the answer button and placed the phone to her ear, turning on her heels as she answered, "Hello,"

"I see my mother has you pinned down," Jane's gruff voice said quietly through the speaker. "This is your escape call."

Maura grinned and walked towards the exit. "Where are you?"

"Somewhere my mother can't see." Jane chuckled as Maura looked around. "Higher." Jane's clue had Maura look up. At the top of the staircase she saw her lover crouched down, looking through the railings. "Hi."

"Hi," Maura stopped walking and just enjoyed looking up at the view. "She thinks you're seeing someone." She didn't need to hear the groan from Jane to know it had happened. The eye roll was obvious, even from this distance. "She asked if I was seeing someone."

"And?"

"I couldn't lie."

"Maura!" Jane stood and began to descend the stairs. "She is going to pester you for details." Maura watched her move, sleek like a feline. Her long mane, hanging loose today, hid her face a little as she dodged other people.

"I know." She kept the phone to her ear and listened to Jane's breathing. It calmed her a little. Everything about Jane calmed her. She still had the phone held against her ear when Jane was standing right in front of her, eyebrow raised. She dropped the hand that held the phone and thrust it back into her pocket. "I can just avoid the café."

"Really? After she went all out to get you those fancy teas you love so much?"

Maura grimaced. "I know, she's just too kind and caring."

"This is my mother we're talking about, right?" Jane screwed up her face in confusion. Maura playfully slapped her arm. "Ow, that hurt."

"No, it didn't." Maura grinned.

"Meet me for lunch?"

"Actual lunch…or?" Maura licked her lips slowly, and Jane couldn't stop her eyes from following her tongue. "I'll take that as…or…" She chuckled and walked away, leaving Jane to think about that.

"Not fair, Maura!" she called out over her shoulder. "So not fair," she mumbled to herself as she turned and watched Maura's backside sway.