Jane and Frankie stepped out of the elevator and headed towards Jane's office, still silent in horror.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Jane flopped down in her chair and stared at her brother. "What the hell are we going to do?"
Frankie considered it for a moment. "Well, I guess we have two options," he said morosely. "We can either go looking for dates, or we can each ask a friend to help us fake it."
"Ma will see right through that," Jane said, more than a hint of irritation in her tone. "But I guess it's worth a try," she said, a moment later. "I'd rather be caught out faking it than subject a prospective boyfriend to our mother."
They looked at each other in silence for a moment.
"Who the hell would go with me, though?" Jane exclaimed miserably, just as Barry Frost walked in the door.
"Go with you where?" Frost asked.
"My mother is making me and Frankie bring dates to her Thanksgiving dinner. But we've decided to fake it and bring friends posing as dates instead," she added quickly, as Frost raised his eyebrows. "If anyone is crazy enough to subject themselves to that," she completed morosely.
"I'll go with you," Frost offered.
Stunned into silence, Jane looked at Frankie. He shrugged.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "You know my mother," she trailed off.
Frost shrugged. "If the dinner itself is anything like that chicken pot pie of hers, I think I'll be able to handle her interrogating me." He smiled. "I'll have my mouth stuffed too full to answer, most of the time."
"You're on," Jane said immediately. "And what's more," she said, looking at Frankie, "I think I have an idea for your 'date,' too." She got up and headed for the door. "I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder.
As she shut the door behind her, Frankie looked at Frost. "You sure, bro? You know my mother... And, for that matter, you know Jane, too," he added sheepishly.
"Oh, I don't mind," Frost said diffidently. "It sure beats spending Thanksgiving alone."
Jane burst into Maura's office. "Maura, I have a huge favour to ask," she said, breathing quickly from having run from the elevator.
"Ask away."
"Will you pretend to be Frankie's date and come to our mother's Thanksgiving dinner with him and me?"
Maura raised her eyebrows. "I'm not even going to ask why, but all right."
"Thank you," Jane said gratefully. "Frankie and I owe you one."
As she turned to leave, Maura called to her, "is your mother making you bring someone, too?"
Jane paused on her way out and replied, "yeah. Frost is coming with me." She frowned. "Why?"
"Just curious," Maura replied.
A/N: So what do you guys think so far? I'd really appreciate a review or two!