Chapter 7: And Pub Nights
"We can change before we go out, right?" Jane asked as she tugged on her dress.
"Yes, Jane. We can change," Maura said, trying not to laugh at her friend. They were on their way back to their room after dinner and had about 45 minutes before they were meeting Maura's cousins to go into town.
Jane decided on dark skinny jeans, with black knee-high boots (something Maura had talked her into purchasing), a deep red v-neck loose-fit tank top, and a leather jacket. Of course, she was ready well before Maura, so she decided to call her mom. They chatted briefly about the trip so far, and Jane told her mom about baking cookies with Maura and Constance and about playing in the snow with the kids.
Jane had already hung up the phone by the time she heard Maura come out of the bathroom. She turned to tell Maura that her mother said hi, but her words got caught in her throat when she saw her friend. Maura's make-up was darker than she usually wore. She was wearing black skinny jeans with patent black stiletto heels and a loose-fit cream top with flowing sleeves that came to just past her elbows. When Maura turned to put on her jewelry, Jane saw that the top had almost no back, with only a few flimsy strips of fabric crisscrossing across her back.
Maura had been planning on wearing a different jacket, but when she saw what Jane was wearing, she decided to go with the red patent leather jacket she had thrown in her bag at the last minute. She couldn't help but be pleased at how their outfits complemented each other.
After putting on her jacket, Maura turned to find Jane staring at her, but when Maura smiled at her, Jane seemed to come out of her reverie.
"Ready?" Jane asked as she stood up.
"Yes, I am," Maura said. "You look nice."
"So do you," Jane admitted quietly.
They walked together to meet Maura's cousins by the front door. Margaret had already set up a number of cars to take them into town, so Maura and Jane climbed into one of the waiting cars with Adaliza, Ben, and Joseph. Jane and Joseph climbed into the back row, while Maura and Adaliza sat in the middle row; Ben sat up front with the driver. Jane hadn't had a chance to talk to Joseph yet, so they talked quietly in the back seat during the drive. Jane was impressed to learn that Joseph was currently getting his doctoral degree in sociology at the University of Kent.
It didn't take long for them to get to the pub. Margaret and Sarah had already procured a number of tables for their group. Ben and Joseph went up to the bar to order drinks for the five of them who had just arrived. Jane decided to try a new beer that was brewed locally, and Maura ordered a wine that Jane would never be able to pronounce, even if her life depended on it (maybe she could if Maura's life depended on it though).
After their second round of drinks, Ben asked if anyone would like to play a game of darts. Sarah, Joseph, Maura, and Jane decided to join him.
"I'm not the best at this game," Maura whispered to Jane while Joseph took the first shot. "Can you help me?"
"Sure," Jane said. "First, why don't you watch me while I go."
"Okay," Maura replied as Jane stepped forward and aimed at the board.
"First, you line up so that your dominant foot is right behind the line," Jane said, pointing to the line on the ground. "You will want to put most of your weight on your front foot and hold your arm up at a 90-degree angle," Jane continued as she demonstrated the stance. She felt a little self-conscious as she felt Maura look her up and down. Even though Jane knew Maura was just trying to memorize her position, Jane couldn't help but blush. "Try to throw using only your hand and forearm. The movement should come from bending your elbow," Jane said as she threw her first dart, hitting the double 16. "Make sure you follow through on the throw," Jane added. She went ahead and threw her next two darts with Maura watching her intensely. Jane was usually better at darts than her current turn indicated, but it was hard to keep her concentration with her friend watching her so intently.
Jane stepped back from the line, and Sarah and Ben took their turns.
When it was Maura's turn, she stepped up to the line, but she kept shifting her feet trying to fix her stance. "Will you help me?" she whispered to Jane.
"Yeah," Jane said as she stepped up behind Maura. Putting her hands on Maura's hips, she pushed Maura's right foot forward with her own foot and tapped her left hip to get her to shift her left foot back. Once Jane thought Maura's stance was right, she took Maura's right hand in her own and showed her how to move the dart back and forth, telling her when to release the dart. She was embarrassed at how much she enjoyed the feeling of being pressed up against Maura's back as she showed her how to throw the dart. When she stepped back to allow Maura to throw, her body felt cold from the loss of contact.
"Not bad for your first time," Jane said as Maura finished her turn. Maura turned to give Jane a glowing smile.
"Thanks for your help," she said.
"Anytime," Jane replied.
What Jane couldn't see was Sarah and Margaret trying to stifle their laughter from where they were standing behind Jane and Maura. When Jane went to take her turn, Sarah grabbed Maura's elbow and pulled her back towards them.
"What was that?" Sarah asked, her voice full of the laughter she was trying to hide.
"What was what?" Maura asked, trying to act innocent, but the deep blush that overtook her chest and face gave her away.
"Nice try," Margaret said. "You've known how to play darts since you were a teen."
"Not only do you know how to play, but you're really good," Sarah added.
"Shhh," Maura chastised as Jane finished her turn. Neither Sarah nor Margaret wanted to give away Maura's ploy, so they stayed quiet until Jane's next turn.
However, as soon as Jane was up again, they started back on Maura. "I thought you couldn't lie?" Sarah asked, smirking.
"I still can't," Maura said. "I didn't say that I don't know how to play. I just asked for help."
Margaret snorted, causing both her cousins to turn and look at her. "We know what you're doing," Margaret said.
Maura groaned, "I forgot who we were here with. Please don't say anything."
"We won't," Sarah assured her. "I'm impressed with your flirting skills, though."
Maura just rolled her eyes. She wanted to deny that she was flirting, but that would be a lie, and she would definitely end up with hives.
The rest of the game passed uneventfully with Joseph barely beating Jane for first place. Maura came in last, much to Sarah and Margaret's amusement.
Maura and Jane decided to return to their table when a new game started; Margaret and Mark taking their place. With a fresh round of drinks, they fell into easy conversation with Adaliza, who was facing the door.
Suddenly recognizing the people walking through the door, she waved and called out to them, "Hey, Tom, Annabelle, Izzy, Steven, come join us."
One of the men waved back and called, "Let us order drinks and we'll be right over."
Jane, who had turned to look at the people Adaliza was talking to, turned back to Maura and Adaliza intending to ask who the people were who had just walked through the door. However, when she saw the look on Maura's face, her words got caught in her throat. Maura looked like she wanted to run, but Jane couldn't quite tell if it was from anger, fear, or something else.
Before Jane could decide what to ask her friend, the two women had walked over to join their table, presumably while the men waited for their drinks. Jane noticed that Maura had instantly put on her polite "mask" – the one she wore when she interacted with her high society "friends" and at work. Jane wasn't sure whether Adaliza had even noticed the look Maura had had on her face a few moments before.
"Jane, this is Annabelle," Adaliza said indicating the tall brunette with bright green eyes and long, straight, dark hair. "And this is Izzy," Adaliza added, shifting her attention to the shorter woman with light blue eyes and shoulder length light brown hair. "Annabelle, Izzy, and Steven are family friends; their parents Anne and Paul Johnston are close friends with Constance and Arthur. They've grown up coming to these fancy family events," she added with a laugh.
"Tom also grew up coming to the Christmas Eve party," the woman called Izzy said. "He's my husband. It's nice to meet you Jane," she said politely. "Are you Maura's girlfriend?"
"No, we're not together," Maura said quickly, finally finding her voice. Despite the fact that both Jane and Maura had said this sentence many, many times, for some reason, it hurt Jane a little more this time to hear how quickly Maura answered.
"We're just friends," Jane said.
"Oh, sorry," Izzy said. "I shouldn't have assumed. Are either of you here with anyone?"
"No, we're both single," Jane said.
"Are either of you here with anyone?" Maura asked Annabelle and Steven.
"No, I'm alone; like always," Annabelle said, giving Maura a knowing smile that bothered Jane. Jane had to keep telling herself that these people had known Maura a lot longer than she had, so of course they would have past knowledge and experiences with each other.
"Same," Steven said. "I'm in the middle of a messy divorce. My soon-to-be ex-wife got the kids for Christmas this year."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Maura said. They talked briefly about Steven's family, and Maura seemed to relax a bit as the conversation went on.
When the conversation started to shift, Jane leaned over to whisper to Maura, "I'm going to get a water from the bar. Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you," Maura said.
"Okay," Jane said before adding, "Are you okay?"
Maura nodded, "Yes, I'm fine." She tried to give Jane a reassuring smile, but she wasn't sure whether or not Jane bought it.
When Jane got back to the table, Annabelle had shifted into the seat Jane had previously been sitting in to talk to Maura. Jane desperately wanted to tell her that that was her seat, but she knew that would be petty. She should let Maura catch up with old friends, so she took an open seat on Adaliza's other side just as the rest of their group were returning from playing darts. Jane started talking to Margaret and Sarah, but she couldn't keep herself from glancing back at Maura and Annabelle more than was probably normal.
As the night wore on, most of the group was getting more and more intoxicated. Jane had cut herself off and had switched to water and Diet Coke. While she had been known to get drunk at home with friends, she never allowed herself to get past tipsy when she was out with people she didn't know well. Maura, on the other hand, was drinking more than Jane had ever seen her drink. Jane didn't mind, and she was happy that Maura seemed to be enjoying herself. She knew that she would make sure Maura stayed safe, and she knew that Maura knew that Jane would keep her safe.
Eventually, most of the group started to dance, but Jane hated to dance, so she convinced them to let her hold their table and watch over their belongings. After a while, Joseph came back to join her at the table.
"Not a big dancer?" he asked.
Jane laughed, "Definitely not."
"How is it again that you and Maura know each other?" Joseph asked.
"We work together," Jane said. "I'm a detective in homicide and she's the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth, so we work a lot of cases together. After a while, we started hanging out outside of work, too." She was trying to stay engaged in the conversation, but she was very distracted watching Maura dance; something Joseph noticed.
Looking back and forth between Maura and Jane, he asked Jane, "You flew halfway around the world to spend Christmas with your work friend's family?" He asked this with no malice or ill-intent, but that didn't stop Jane from bristling.
"We're more than work friends," Jane said, finally fully turning her attention to Joseph. "She's my best friend. She's my family."
Jane turned back to watch the dance floor just as Steven passed Maura off to dance with Annabelle. Everyone was dancing with everyone else, taking turns pairing off, so Jane didn't think much of it until she watched Annabelle lean in closer to Maura. Jane noticed the mistletoe just seconds before Annabelle and Maura were underneath it. As though she was watching a movie in slow motion, she saw Annabelle move her hand up to thread her fingers into Maura's hair and lean the rest of the way in as she captured Maura's lips in what was clearly not a playful friendly kiss.
Jane was up and on her feet so fast that she didn't hear Joseph calling for her. Maura pushed Annabelle back before she even noticed Jane coming towards her, and Jane could tell that Maura hadn't wanted the kiss. However, just as Jane was about to yank Annabelle back, she heard Annabelle say desperately to Maura, "I've never stopped loving you. I know we haven't been together since we were teenagers, but seeing you here after so many years, I knew I had to say something. Please tell me you feel it too." This confession caused both Jane and Maura to freeze. Despite the fact that Jane still wanted to punch Annabelle, she also needed to hear Maura's answer. No matter how much her brain told her feet to move, she stayed frozen on the spot.
Maura still hadn't noticed Jane; her eyes were glued on Annabelle as though she was still trying to figure out what was happening. Finally, finding her voice, Maura confessed, "I don't. Annabelle, I'm so sorry, but I don't feel the same way. I…I…I'm in love with someone else."
Annabelle pulled back from Maura, grabbed her sister, and left the bar. That is when Maura finally noticed Jane standing a few feet away, and Jane watched as her face moved from anguish to terror instantly.
"Jane…" she breathed. "I…I didn't know you were there."
"Are you okay?" Jane asked, and Maura could hear the care and concern in her voice; it nearly broke her.
"I don't know," Maura said honestly. "Can we leave?" Maura wasn't sure what Jane saw or heard, nor what she was thinking, but all Maura knew was that she had to get out of there.
"Yeah, let's go," Jane said as she grabbed Maura's hand, pulling her back to the table.
"We're gonna head out," Jane said to the table at large, picking up their jackets and Maura's purse as she spoke.
"We're going to join you," Sarah said. Internally, Jane cringed. She liked Sarah and Mark, but right now she just wanted to be alone with Maura.
The four of them found one of the waiting cars outside. They sat in complete silence as they rode back to Maura's parents house, only speaking when saying goodnight to each other outside Sarah and Mark's bedroom.
As soon as Jane shut the door behind them, Maura ran to the bathroom and threw up. Jane followed her and pulled her hair back for her. When she seemed done, Jane helped her sit back against the tub, and found an empty glass, which she filled with water and handed to Maura.
"Are you okay?" Jane asked.
Maura just nodded as she swished the water in her mouth, spit it out into the toilet, and flushed. She sat back and slowly drank the water. "I feel a bit better now," Maura admitted. "I shouldn't have had so much to drink."
Jane shrugged, "It's not like you do that often or really ever. It's okay to have fun, sometimes."
Maura nodded again, "And I knew I was safe because you were there."
Jane slowly nodded. She felt like she had let Maura down by not protecting her from Annabelle, who appeared to be Maura's ex-girlfriend. Jane really wanted to ask Maura about her, but now wasn't the time. Standing up, she took Maura's glass and refilled it. As she handed the water back to Maura, she said, "Sit here and drink this for a few more minutes. I'll go get your pajamas."
"I think I need to take a shower," Maura said.
"Okay but give it a few minutes. I'll start the shower when I get back with your pajamas." Jane returned a few minutes later with clean pajamas and underwear for Maura to find her friend in the same position next to the toilet.
"You sure you're okay?" Jane asked again. "I don't want you to throw up in your parents' million-dollar bathtub," she teased.
This made Maura laugh, which had been Jane's goal. "The tub did not cost a million dollars," she said.
"I'm still willing to bet it costs more than anything I own," Jane said as she turned on the shower and set it to the appropriate temperature.
"Probably," Maura admitted as she took Jane's outstretched hand to stand up.
"Call me if you need me? Okay?" Jane said and Maura nodded.
Jane closed the door behind her as she left the bathroom. She also wanted to rinse off in the shower before getting in bed to get the smoke and alcohol smell off her body, so she just took off her shoes and jacket. She found clean pajamas and underwear for herself just as she heard the shower turn off.
When Maura came out of the bathroom in clean pajamas and with her teeth brushed, Jane could tell she had been crying in the shower. "Maura, are you…" Jane started.
"I'm fine. You can use the bathroom if you'd like," Maura cut her off, effectively letting Jane know she didn't want to talk tonight.
"Okay," Jane acquiesced, but she couldn't help giving her friend's arm a squeeze as she walked past her.
By the time Jane returned to the bedroom, Maura was sound asleep, snoring slightly.
Tuesday, December 24
Maura groaned as she woke up. Her head was pounding, and every part of her body hurt. She wasn't sure when the last time she had been this hung-over had been, but she vowed that this would be the last time.
Barely opening her eyes, she looked next to her to see that Jane's side of the bed was empty. She reached out to see if it was still warm, but it was cold and the silence in the room told her that Jane wasn't here at all. As she laid there, willing herself to get up to find her phone, memories from the night before flooded her brain. She wasn't sure exactly what Jane knew, but she definitely knew now that Maura had dated women, or at least one woman. She was also sure that Jane had met her ex-girlfriend. Annabelle had been her first serious girlfriend (well, her first significant other, period). Their parents had been friends since before they were born, and Annabelle had started attending the same boarding school as Maura when she was 14. They dated their last two years of school but broke up when Maura decided to return to the U.S. for college. She had cared about Annabelle, of course, but she had never been in love with her. Annabelle's confession from the night before had been completely unexpected.
Maura felt bad about disappointing Annabelle, but right now she was significantly more worried about Jane. Where was Jane, she wondered. Is she avoiding me? And if so, where would she go? It's not like Jane could just leave Switzerland. Oh no, what if Jane wanted to go home? Maura felt tears spring to her eyes as that last thought crossed her mind, but she didn't have time to dwell on it as she heard the door open.
Maura sat up slowly so that she didn't make her head feel worse; she squinted to the door to see Jane coming in with a tray.
"Hey! You're up," Jane whispered. She walked to the other side of the bed and put the tray down next to Maura before sitting on the other side. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts," Maura said, leaning back against the headboard.
"Yeah, I imagine it does," Jane said with a laugh. "Here," she added as she handed Maura two aspirin and a glass of water. "Start with this."
"Thank you," Maura said gratefully. She finished the full glass of water, knowing dehydration was her biggest problem. Turning back to Jane, she asked, "What else did you bring?"
"Well, coffee, obviously," Jane said, pointing unnecessarily to the coffee made just the way Maura likes it. Maura picked up the coffee as Jane continued, "I also brought breakfast. I know you probably don't feel like eating, but trust me, it will help. I made it as bland as possible, just toast, eggs, and a spinach and strawberry salad with a small amount of vinaigrette. And this," Jane picked up a green drink that looked like the most unappetizing smoothie ever made, "is the ultimate hangover cure."
"What is it?" Maura asked, scrunching her nose.
"It's a green tea smoothie with ginger, kale, coconut water, and a shot of espresso. It's disgusting, but it works. I promise," Jane said. "You have to start with this before eating. Coats your stomach or something; I don't know," Jane said as she handed the drink to Maura.
Maura took the drink. She wasn't in a state to correct Jane's reasoning, but based on what was in it, she thought it couldn't hurt to try. "Egh!" Maura gagged as she took a sip. "This is truly disgusting."
Jane laughed. "You don't have to drink it, but it will help. And it's better fresh," she said.
Maura plugged her nose between her thumb and finger and drank the disgusting concoction as quickly as she could without vomiting. "I hate you a little bit, right now," Maura said as she handed the glass back to Jane.
Jane laughed again. "Yeah, I know. Sorry," she said.
Maura picked up the plate. She didn't feel like eating, but she knew it would help. Plus, she had to get the taste from Jane's smoothie out of her mouth.
While Maura was eating, Jane turned and leaned against the headboard next to her friend. They sat in silence for a while before Jane couldn't hold back anymore. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes. I think so," Maura said, setting the empty plate down. "How much did you hear?" Maura wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, but at least Jane was still sitting here.
"I don't know for sure, but I think I heard almost everything," Jane admitted.
"I'm really sorry, Jane," Maura said.
"Why?" Jane said, clearly surprised. "She kissed you and even if you had been the one who kissed her, you wouldn't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just worried about whether or not you're okay."
Maura looked away. "I'm sorry I never told you," she said so quietly that Jane almost missed it.
"I mean, I guess maybe you could have told me we might run into one or more of your exes, but you didn't have to. I never thought I knew every person you've dated, so I'm not sure why you feel like you need to apologize."
"But I never told you that I date women. I've never told you that I identify as bisexual," Maura said.
Jane laughed out loud before realizing that was the complete wrong response. Clapping her hand over her mouth, she said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed. I'm really sorry. I just…well, I don't know. Did you really think I didn't know?"
"What?" Maura asked surprised.
"Maura, you're my best friend. I may not know everything about you, but I do think I know you pretty well. I've known for years," Jane said.
"But I never told you," Maura said. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Jane shrugged, "Honestly, I didn't say anything because it's not really my business. I figured you'd tell me when you wanted to, but I also kinda assumed you knew that I knew. I don't know; I didn't want to make a big deal out of it if you didn't."
"But…" Maura started, but she didn't know what she wanted to say.
"Did you think I would be upset, or treat you differently, or I don't know…did you think I would care? I mean…wait, that didn't come out right. I care because I care about you and if your sexual orientation matters to you, then it matters to me. What I meant was that whatever your sexual orientation is, it doesn't matter to me. You're still Maura. You're still my best friend," Jane finished.
Maura sighed. This was not how she anticipated this conversation going. "I never thought it would bother you, per se. I know you're not homophobic, but I guess I worried that if you knew, maybe you wouldn't want to be as close as we are – not because it bothers you, but because you don't want to send the wrong signals," Maura said.
"I don't really know what that means," Jane admitted.
"In my head, it made sense, but it's not coming out right. My brain is still recovering from the excessive amount of alcohol I drank last night," Maura said. "I promise I'll try to explain later."
"Okay," Jane said.
"How did you know?" Maura couldn't help but ask.
Jane shrugged. "Honestly, I don't really have a memory of 'finding out'" Jane said the last two words while making air quotes with her fingers. "But you're a terrible liar."
"I never lied to you," Maura said quickly. "And I never would have. Had you ever asked me directly, I would have told you the truth. I'm not ashamed of who I am."
"I know," Jane assured her, placing her hand on the blankets above Maura's thigh. "I know you didn't lie and that you wouldn't lie about that. What I meant was that I noticed when you would sometimes have a date and avoid pronouns when talking about the person and other things like that. I never thought you were ashamed. I did worry that you thought it would bother me or that I would treat you differently, but like I said, it wasn't for me to bring up. Everyone has different experiences coming out or telling their family and friends about their sexual or gender identities. You don't owe anyone an explanation, not even your best friend."
Maura felt tears come to her eyes again, but this time she couldn't stop them. She leaned over and pulled Jane into a hug, whispering, "Thank you," in her ear as she did so.
Leaning back, Maura said, "I've been relatively lucky in that regard. My family knows and has always been supportive. My schools and places of work, as well as my social circles, have been relatively liberal. While I'm still careful about who I tell, I've never experienced significant verbal, physical, or emotional attacks as a result of my sexual identity."
"I'm really glad," Jane said, squeezing Maura's hand with her own.
"Thank you for breakfast and the multiple drinks," Maura said. "I should wash up."
As Maura started to get up, Jane grabbed her hand. "Wait," she called.
Maura sat back down, looking at Jane expectantly. She was surprised to see that Jane looked terrified. "Are you okay?" she asked Jane.
Jane's eyes darted around the room, trying to find something to focus on. "I should…" Jane started before trailing off. Maura waited patiently for Jane to continue. "Why didn't you tell me?" Jane asked weakly.
"Jane," Maura said sadly.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that," Jane said quickly.
"Why do you look so afraid?" Maura asked softly.
Jane finally turned and met Maura's eyes. "There's something I should tell you, too," she whispered.
"Jane, whatever it is, you can tell me. You can tell me anything; I would never judge you, but you also don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," Maura said.
Jane nodded. "I've never dated a woman, I've never kissed a woman, and I've never slept with a woman. The world I grew up in…working for BPD…I tried to protect myself from…I don't know. I guess I was trying to protect myself from the stereotypes and from the inevitable backlash that I would receive if I came out. I always promised myself that I would come out if I ever found someone that was worth it; I wouldn't hide who I am if it was hurting another person."
Maura had taken Jane's hand in hers and was rubbing comforting patterns back and forth across her knuckles. There was so much she wanted to say, but she knew she had to let Jane finish first.
"I found someone that's worth the risk," Jane admitted, and Maura pulled her into a hug, mostly to comfort Jane but also a little bit to hide her own pain. It hurt to hear that Jane loved another woman, even if she knew that was selfish.
"Did you love Annabelle?" Jane asked.
"No," Maura said. "I cared about her a lot, but I was never in love with her."
"But you are in love with someone?" Jane asked, trying to look Maura in the eyes. "Ian?"
Maura couldn't meet Jane's eyes. "No, I'm not in love with Ian. I used to think I was, but I think I was just in love with the idea of being in love. I projected my desires onto him because I knew it was impossible. But, yes, I am in love with someone, and it wasn't until I really truly fell in love that I knew that everything that came before paled in comparison to the real thing."
Jane knew that what came next would define their relationship going forward. She could be reading the situation completely wrong and ruin the best relationship she's ever had, or she could take a chance and have everything she's ever wanted. She decided Maura was worth the risk.
"Maura," Jane said quietly. "You're who's worth the risk."
Jane's statement floated in the air between them while Maura's brain tried to catch up to what was happening. "Jane," was all Maura could get out.
Jane sat up and scooched closed to her friend. "Maura, look at me, please." Maura finally raised her eyes to meet Jane's gaze. "You are the person who is worth all the risk in the world. I love you, Maura Isles, more than anything in the world. I'm in love with you, and I have been for years."
At this point, to Jane's horror, Maura burst into tears. All Jane could do is pull Maura into a hug and whisper, "I'm sorry," into her hair as she cried.
Finally, Maura got ahold of herself and sat back up.
"I'm sorry," Jane said again, more loudly this time, but Maura shook her head.
"Please don't be sorry," Maura said. "I love you too, Jane. You're the person I was talking about too. I didn't mean to lose control of my lacrimal glands, I just…" but what Maura was would have to wait because Jane pulled her in for a passionate kiss. It took Maura a few seconds to respond, but once she did, both women instantly knew they would never want to kiss anyone else for the rest of their lives.
Finally needing to breath, Maura was the first to pull away. "I really wish I would have brushed my teeth first," Maura whispered.
Jane burst into laughter, and Maura soon joined her. They were both keeled over laughing on the bed. When Jane finally caught her breath, she said, "Only you would say something like that after our first kiss."
Maura scrunched her face as she alternated between amusement at Jane and slight frustration with herself. Jane rolled towards her, intending to pull her into another kiss, but Maura leaned away from her. "Please?" Maura asked.
Jane laughed but released her. "Fine but hurry, please," she said as Maura jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth.