Hi again! This is my second Maggie/OA ficlet. It was inspired by Maggie and OA's conversations about Mona and salt treatments in episode 2x06. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading!
"Mona, what are you doing here?"
It didn't surprise OA anymore to see his beautiful lady friend step off the elevator in 26 Fed, but she didn't usually bring good news. There was probably a new criminal on the loose and it meant that OA wouldn't be off duty for a while.
"Omar. Hi." Mona gave him a bright smile and handed him what appeared to be a brochure and two tickets. "I just wanted to give these to you."
OA glanced at the brochure and gave her a puzzled look. "Diamond Springs Spa?"
"It's an absolutely gorgeous place just outside the city," Mona explained. "It's not quite Miami South Beach, but it's still luxuriously relaxing. I booked two salt treatments for you this weekend."
OA eyed her a little nervously upon hearing those words again. Salt treatments.
"Mona, I thought you wanted to stay in the city this weekend?"
"Oh, I do," she assured him. "This is for you and Maggie."
OA's breath caught. "Maggie?"
Mona laughed and lifted a finger under his chin to close his stunned jaw. "The two of you did such great work on that last case. Without you, the prosecution wouldn't have such solid evidence against this guy. So this is thank you."
She gently pulled OA forward and gave him a light kiss. "So you and Maggie? This weekend?"
"Uh…yeah." Somehow OA managed to find his voice again. "Yeah. I'm just not sure she'll want to go."
~*~o~*~
"So why do I want to go to this place again?"
Maggie sat in the passenger seat of her partner's car, pulling her loose brown hair back into its usual ponytail and still wondering why OA had insisted on picking her up so early on Saturday morning in something other than the black federal SUV.
"Mona wanted to say thank you," OA explained, keeping his eyes on the unusually heavy weekend traffic but motioning to the center console. "The brochure's in there."
Maggie reached over and curiously opened the bright, glossy brochure. "Diamond Springs Spa. An invigorating experience to cleanse your mind and body," she read. "The salt treatments in our private saunas can be used to soothe the skin, clear the lungs, detoxify the body, and achieve a state of pure relaxation. OA, is this place for real?"
~*~o~*~
It was real all right.
Even OA and Maggie found themselves admiring such a grandiose place. The perfectly manicured lawn stretched for several acres and the buildings were modern and well-maintained. Even the parking lot seemed to ooze money with a secure electronic gate and engraved stone signs directing visitors to their destination.
"Is that a crystal chandelier?" Maggie asked in disbelief, motioning to the massive light fixture on the ceiling as they entered the main office.
"Yeah, and a marble floor," OA observed.
The main office was kept in pristine condition and the dark red cherry front desk was occupied by a young receptionist with an overly cheery voice.
"Hi! Welcome to Diamond Springs Spa. My name is Olivia. May I have your name, please, sir?"
"Omar Zidan."
"Oh, of course! Welcome, Mr. Zidan. We're so happy to have you here this morning. The salt room is all set up for your 8:00 AM appointment." She turned to Maggie with a big smile. "And welcome to you, too, Mrs. Zidan."
As a long-time federal agent, not very much surprised Maggie anymore, but those two simple words did.
"Oh, I'm not…he's not…uh, we're not…"
OA had to stifle a laugh at the expression on his partner's face. To save her from speaking – or stuttering – any further, he turned to Olivia and said, "Why don't you just show us the room?"
"Of course, Mr. Zidan. Right this way."
Olivia led them out of the main office and down a decorative brick pathway, winding through one of the manicured lawns and past an ornamental fountain that had both OA and Maggie wondering if it was real gold.
She stopped at one of the buildings on the far edge of the property, unlocking the door and motioning for them to step inside what appeared to be a small foyer with the same marble floor. Just ahead, there was another short flight of steps leading up to an enclosed room with a glass door.
"The room is reserved for the two of you for one hour," Olivia explained. "The steam and the salts have already been activated. There are terry cloth robes in the closet, although the salt won't damage your clothes. Also, the room will be locked and completely private, so please feel free to remove your clothing if you wish."
Maggie and OA shared a brief look, both of them silently agreeing that would not be happening.
"There's also a phone if you need to reach the main office for anything. And that's about it." Olivia backed out the door with a small wave. "Thank you and enjoy!"
As her partner motioned for her to go first, Maggie climbed the stairs and opened the door to the salt room. OA followed, automatically flanking Maggie as he often did while chasing suspects, but this time the only thing chasing them was warm, salty steam. It smelled strongly of lavender and other essential oils known for their relaxing, healing qualities and as they made their way further into the room, they discovered two lavish lounge chairs placed next to two small pools of bubbling water.
"So this is what it's like to live on something other than an FBI salary," Maggie mused, sitting down on one of the chairs and bouncing lightly as if to test the cushions.
OA shook his head as he sat down in the other chair across from her. "If I had that kind of money, I'm not sure this is what I would spend it on."
Maggie pretended to be shocked. "Oh, so you don't want the soft, smooth skin and the cleansing of mind and body that we're going to have after this?"
OA chuckled. "That's Mona's world, not mine," he said. "I told you, Maggie, I feel like a poor kid from Queens when I'm with her. I mean, come on, this place is a thousand times more expensive than anything you and I could ever afford. I just feel like maybe I'm not in her league. Maybe I'm not good enough. Sometimes…sometimes I just wonder…"
"OA!"
"Yeah?"
"You're supposed to be cleansing your mind."
Maggie's voice sounded oddly calm and distant, and OA twisted in his chair to sneak a glance at her. His partner had reclined completely, almost hidden from view as she sunk into the plush cushions, and he heard her inhale slowly and deeply.
With a heavy sigh, OA settled back in his chair and absently watched the jets of salty steam swirl through the air above him. As sweet and generous as Mona was, he simply could not shake his uneasiness about being with her.
But the direction he was going with his previous thoughts scared him even more, and maybe it was better that Maggie had interrupted him.
Because sometimes he just wondered if he was happier being with a small town gal from Indiana.