Because it had been her idea to go out on a date, Maura had insisted she be the one to plan it, and knowing Maura as well as Jane did meant that this date could be anything, anywhere. Which is why Jane's bedroom now looked like a hurricane had danced though it. She had no idea what to wear and that alone made her kind of grumpy. Jane had always cared about how she looked on a date but never this much. She wanted to pick just the right thing because this wasn't just some random date with some random guy; this was the first real date with the person she loved, her first date with Maura. Falling backwards onto her bed, which was covered in dresses, tops and slacks, Jane groaned. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move and she jumped. If she'd been near her gun she'd have pulled it, but the closest thing at hand was a high heel, which she held over her head until a furry head poked out from under a pile of rejected outfits. "Damn it, Jo."
"This is ridiculous." Jane huffed as she flopped back onto the bed beside her dog. "Maura and I have gone out together lots of times." She paused while Jo gave her cheek a tiny lick of reassurance. "But this isn't just hanging out with my best friend, it's a date, with my girlfriend." That brought a smile to Jane's face. Maura was her girlfriend. Jane laughed at how weird her life had become and yet it finally felt like it was on the right track. Until a few weeks ago she never would have pictured herself with a girlfriend. She'd been so deeply rooted in the closest search and rescue dogs wouldn't have been able to find her. Damn good thing Maura was an expert when it came to closets.
Getting to her feet Jane went back to her mission. She was just about to get really cranky when her phone chimed with a text message. It was from Maura and read simply, fun causal but not Jane casual. Jane casual? What the hell was that suppose to mean? Jane casual as opposed to what, Maura casual? Oh, well, yes there was a difference there. Jane bit her lip and looked at the pile of clothes on her bed as a second text came through. Jane raised an eyebrow and smirked. Something sexy? Ok, she could do causal sexy.
Maura had put a lot of thought into this date, too much thought actually. She'd tried to think of something they'd both enjoy but something they hadn't done before. That hadn't been easy because they did just about everything together. After doing a little research Maura finally decided on something that would hopefully be fun, something she'd always wanted to do, and she hoped Jane would enjoy too. At eight o'clock Maura knocked on Jane's door, biting her lip. When Jane opened the door she couldn't help but smile. Jane had on a pair of black leather pants, black-silver metallic draped halter-top, and a pair of heels that Maura had no idea she even owned. Her naturally curly long dark hair was done so that her curls were even bouncer and looked like spun silk as they cascaded over her shoulders. Maura didn't even hide the fact that she was letting her eyes slowly roam over Jane's body before finally meeting her date's dark, sparkling eyes. "You're gorgeous, Jane."
"Wow." Jane said in a whispered growl as she took in the tight black jeans and black and red laced tank top. Maura's hair was straight and a little darker then normal and she was wearing a pair of what Jane could only call come-fuck-me heels. It took several minutes for Maura's words to finally click and Jane blinked. "Huh? Oh. Thanks." She said with a sheepish smirk. "God Maura you look… Wow."
"You like it?" Maura asked as she looked down at her outfit. It wasn't something she would have normally worn but it seemed appropriate for what she had in mind.
"Like it?" Jane asked. "Maura, I can't think straight."
Maura smirked in a playful way as she said, "Jane, we're two women about to go out on a date. I don't want you thinking straight."
It took a moment for Jane to realize Maura had made a joke. A huge smile broke out on her face as she said, "Oh that was good."
A light blush colored Maura's cheeks as she smiled. "Are you ready to go?"
Jane nodded. She grabbed her handbag and locked up her apartment. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see." Maura said as she led Jane to the car.
"You rented a town car?" Jane asked as a driver opened the back door of a black sedan.
Maura smiled. "I plan on enjoying myself tonight and didn't want either of us worrying about driving."
Jane couldn't help but laugh as she climbed into the backseat. "Planning on getting drunk off your ass, Dr. Isles?"
"Maybe." Maura flirted. "Or maybe you're the one I plan on getting drunk."
The smirk on Jane's face made her eyes light up. "I think I like this new side of you, Maura."
Their first stop was a hot new sushi bar that had the kind of buzz to it that said it was the place to start a Friday night in Boston. It was the kind of place that screamed hot and sexy but in an upscale classy way. Though they were doing something they did often this time it was different. They sat closer together, the causal touches lingered a little longer, Maura's smile was flirtier, and Jane's gazes were no longer secretive. Jane didn't hide the fact that when Maura leaned in close to whisper something in her ear the warmth of her breath on her skin, the smell of her so close, made Jane's eyes flutter close and her breath hitch. Maura didn't turn her head to hide the fact that her eyes darkened when Jane slid her hand onto her thigh. There was a new air of freedom and excitement between them, and instead of clouding the ease they felt with each other it seemed to enhance it. Sure each woman was nervous, each had her insecurities and concerns, but they were building this new relationship on the foundation of a very solid friendship and that helped them embrace these new things and enjoy the moments.
Their second stop was one of the hottest dance clubs in Boston. As she stepped out of the car Jane looked up at the building, a line of people waiting to get in already starting and was already down the block and around the corner. "Really?"
Maura smiled, her hazel eyes sparkling, as she took Jane's hand. "Yes, really."
Jane's jaw dropped as Maura bypassed the line and walked right up to the bouncer. She leaned in close and whispered something to him. He smiled, gave her a nod, and then let them right in. "Ok," Jane said as they were given VIP passes. "What kind of clout does the M.E.'s office have that you just did that?"
"None." Maura said honestly. "I called and paid in advance."
"Go clubbing a lot do you?" Jane teased.
Maura shook her head. "First time." At the look Jane was giving her she explained, "Certain lessons from my upbringing are universal, knowing how to get into the best places is one of them."
Jane just smiled and shook her head as Maura led her to the VIP lounge for drinks.
No one knew this but Maura Isles loved to dance. Alone with no risk of interruption she would turn on the music and just dance around. She had always wanted to go to a dance club, and Europe had some of the best, but she had never had the social conformability to go. She was feeling darling these days and thought that now would be the perfect time. In the lounge they found a couch in the corner of the room and sat, sipping their drinks, and just talked for a while. Once the DJ started and the club started filling up Maura took Jane by the hand and smiled. "Dance with me, Jane."
The dance floor was crowded so their bodies were close which Jane didn't mind. She hadn't known what to expect, Maura didn't seem the club music sort, but she certainly hadn't expected this. Maura had closed her eyes for a few moments as the music began to swell around them. Her body began to move slowly, as if it were feeling out the rhythm and beat of the song. Then those beautiful hazel eyes opened, Maura smiled, and her body began to move in ways that had Jane transfixed. Maura swayed and rolled her hips while her hand touched her torso in ways that Jane was envious of. She'd never liked Justin Timberlake but Sexyback was quickly becoming one of her favorite songs. Jane was to busy watching Maura to dance herself. She was to preoccupied with the way Maura's ass looked and the way she bounced when she raised her arms up over her head. It wasn't until she felt Maura's hands on her own hips that she snapped out of it. Jane blushed as she looked into Maura's eyes knowing she'd been busted but all Maura did was smile, press her body closer and start to move Jane's hips in rhythm with her own and the music.
They danced for a while, both getting lost in each other as if they were alone on the dance floor. When Maura finally led Jane away they were both covered in a sheen of sweat so they made their way through the throng of bodies to the ladies room. The music was lower in the bathroom, which made it easier to talk. "Are you enjoying yourself, Jane?"
"You have no idea how much." Jane said as she moved closer to Maura, backing her up against the wall. Until now Maura had been making most of the first advances. Maura had come to her apartment and told her she was in love with her. Maura had started the conversation on her couch about their feelings. Maura had come up with and planed out this whole date thing. It was about time Jane took some insinuative in this romance. With Maura pressed against the wall, her right hand pressed against the wall near Maura's head, and her left on Maura's hit, Jane asked, "Where did you learn to dance like that? Cause that wasn't Russian ballet."
Maura licked her lips as she looked into dark brown eyes that were nearly black with desire. She smirked as she answered, "My mother stopped picking my dance classes a long time ago."
"And what kind of classes have you been picking?" Jane asked while inching her face closer to Maura's.
Their lips were nearly touching as Maura replied. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
A soft growl tickled the back of Jane's throat as she pressed her lips to Maura's. When she felt the shorter woman wrap her arms around her neck Jane deepened the kiss. Maura's lips were soft, she tasted like the vodka and cranberry she'd had at the bar, and Jane found herself sinking into that kiss in a way she'd never felt before. When the kiss came to an end, both women in need of air, Jane was left lightheaded. She pressed her forehead to Maura's as she filled her chest with air. "All these years, as close as we are; there's still so much we don't know about each other."
Maura smiled, her own chest rising and falling with a slight pant. "Yes, but now we can discover it all together."
Jane nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."
After forcing themselves away from each other they freshened up and then returned to the VIP lounge. In their corner of the room they had a couple more drinks. Maura sat close, so close her body was pressed up against Jane's. Jane had her arm around Maura, her head dipped close so they could talk in an inmate way. Neither was sure which was more intoxicating, their drinks or the other's closeness. They danced some more, drank a little more, and by the time they left they were both slightly drunk and starving, so they ended their night out at Denny's, Jane's choice of course.
It was the wee hours of the morning by the time they made it to Jane's apartment and once again Maura found herself pressed against a wall as she and Jane explored each other's mouths and bodies for several wonderful minutes. "Jane." Maura panted at the end of a particularly passionate kiss. "I need to go."
"Why?" Jane asked in a husky voice so low it made Maura weak in the knees.
It took several seconds for Maura to remember why. "It's our first date."
"We've wanted this for a long time, Maura." Jane replied.
"I know." Maura said as she captured Jane's face in her hands. "But we agreed to go slow."
Jane growled but nodded in agreement. This time when she kissed Maura it was slower, sweeter. "I love you."
Maura's smile was radiant. "I love you too. I'll call you tomorrow."
"You mean later today?" Jane asked with a smirk.
Maura chuckled. "Yes."
"Night Maura." Jane whispered before reluctantly letting her go.
"Good night, Jane." Maura replied. She kissed Jane one more time and then left the apartment.
When they woke up later that day both women realized they were way to old to close out a club like that, but both also felt that it was totally worth it. Maura was beyond thrilled that the date had been a success. They spent the evening at their own homes but they were on the phone until Maura fell asleep on her sofa, letting her phone clunk to the floor. Jane laughed softly when she realized the noise coming over the line was Bass nipping at the strange object on the floor with his beak.
Jane took on their second date, Sunday dinner with her mother didn't count as dates she'd informed Maura the Sunday after their first, and she'd wanted to do something for Maura to make it special so she thought about all the things Maura had said she'd never gotten to do as a kid. Jane also wanted to put some of Maura's concerns at ease. The blonde still worried about how their new relationship would effect Jane socially, so Jane decided to show Maura that she was happy with the way things were turning out. She was able to accomplish both of her goals by taking Maura to the St. Francis' Italian street festival.
"We'd spend the whole weekend here every year." Jane told Maura as they walked through the stalls of carnival games. "We'd ride all the rides over and over, play the games over and over, and eat until we had to be rolled home."
Maura looked like a little kid taking it all in for the first time. It meant so much to her that Jane had brought her here. "When urban places like cities and large towns and villages began being populated with people of different backgrounds fairs like this became a way of connecting with people who were alike."
Jane just smirked while she listened to Maura Google-speak. When her girlfriend, she liked that, she liked thinking of Maura as her girlfriend, stopped for air Jane cut in. "What do you want to do first? A ride, a game, or food?"
"Hmm." Maura replied as she looked around. "Rides."
"Good choice." Jane said as she went to buy ride tickets. Their first ride was Jane's favorite, the tilt-a-whirl. She'd loved the fast spinning ride as a kid and watching the way Maura's eyes sparkled, hearing the way she giggled, made it her favorite ride as an adult too. The rides weren't big, they weren't amusement park caliber, but they were still fun and watching Maura's enjoyment made them even better. After they'd done a complete circuit of the rides, with an extra turn on the tilt-a-whirl, Jane asked, "Ready for food?"
"I'm starving." Maura said with a nod.
Jane smiled brightly as she took Maura's hand and led her to the sausage and peppers stand. "You're going to love this." Walking up to the woman in the stall Jane ordered two sausage and peppers and two lemonades. Then she carried them, with Maura at her side, to the tented sitting area. Before taking a bite of her own she watched Maura.
Picking up the bun Maura looked over the Italian sausage smothered in green peppers and grilled onions carefully before taking a bite. Her eyes went huge and then fluttered half closed. "Oh my god that's good." She mumbled.
"I told you." Jane said with a smug smirk.
After they finished lunch they started walking through the game stalls. Jane was standing by the milk bottle stall throwing baseballs when she heard the familiar and unwelcome voice.
"Hey you two." Giovanni called out as he approached Jane and Maura. "You two are lookin' hot."
Jane groaned. "Yeah, Giovanni thanks."
"Wow." He said, as he looked them both over, his eyes lingering on jean clad rear-ends, t-shirt swaddled breasts, and Maura's cleavage. "You two still together?"
Normally it was Jane who replied because Maura couldn't lie but their answer was no longer a lie so she happily said, "Yes Giovanni. We are together."
"You've been together for a long time." Giovanni said as he continued checking them out. "You two thinkin' babies yet? Casue ya know if you need a little help…"
"Oh! Oh! Stop!" Jane said while making a face that showed how grossed out she was at the idea of Giovanni "helping" them that way. "No, we're not at that stage yet so just stop talking."
"It was a lovely offer, Giovanni." Maura said politely. "But Jane's right. We're not ready to go there just yet."
Giovanni nodded. "Ok, but if yous change your minds, I'd be happy to help. It would be a while lotta fun."
"Eww." Jane said shaking her head. "Stop, just stop. Do not finish that thought." Jane shook her herself as if shaking off something nasty. "Don't you have a grease pole to climb or something?"
Giovanni smiled. "Yeah, I do. You two gonna stick around and watch?"
Jane nodded. "Wouldn't be right to leave before it. So you should go like prepare or something."
"Yeah, ok, good idea." Giovanni said with a nod. "See ya round." He gave them another once over and then said, "So hot."
After watching Giovanni walk away Maura turned to Jane and asked, "Grease pole?"
Jane smirked. "It's a tradition better seen then explained."
At dusk a crowd of people started to gather around what looked like a telephone pole that had been erected in the middle of the parking lot. The pole was coated in thick black grease and there were several men of various ages and builds in white t-shirts gathering at that bottom. Jane pulled Maura through the crowd until they had a good spot. "You don't want to get to close. The grease falls off." She had a huge grin on her face as she waved over her head. "Frankie! Tommy!"
"Are they participating?" Maura asked as she stood on her tie toes to see.
Jane nodded. "Every year since they were sixteen."
"What's the desired out come of this activity?" Maura asked.
Jane looked at her with a raised brow. "Did you just ask what's the point?"
Maura chuckled. "I suppose I did, yes."
"There are teams of five." Jane explained. "First team to grab the flag at the top wins the cash prize. They've always done it, since like the 1920's, it has roots or something similar, in Italy. No one really knows the real history behind it. Some say it's symbolic of struggling against hunger because they use to hang meats and stuff at the top. Some say it goes as far back as the pagans and it's a fertility thing. Some say it represents the dreams of Italian immigrants. In Sicily the pole is horizontal and it's placed over water… What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Maura had been staring at Jane with a huge smile and a slightly smug look. "You're Google-speaking!"
"I am not!" Jane protested.
"You are too!" Maura said as she burst into laughter.
Jane just huffed. "Turn around and watch the grease monkeys."
Maura just giggled as Jane put her hands on her upper arms and turned her to face the pole. She watched the teams and cheered the loudest for the team Frankie and Tommy were on. When their team won, she and Jane went over to congratulate them. The boys were covered in thick black grease. Tommy just nodded and walked off. He was still feeling stung by Maura's rejection. But Frankie got this mischievous smile on his face as he looked at Maura. She started to back up as he inched closer. "Don't Frankie." She warned as he opened his arms as if to hug her and came closer. "Frankie!" She squeaked.
Jane just laughed as Frankie tried to hug Maura who was now hiding behind her. Jane let Frankie tease Maura a little longer before finally saying, "Alright you big grease monkey leave her alone. Go get cleaned up and we'll have dinner together."
"Aww that's sweet Sis." Frankie said with a smirk. "Gonna share your date with me?"
"No." Jane snorted. "And I'm not sharing my food with you either but I'll let you sit at the same table." While she'd been teasing Frankie, Maura had been watching Tommy. When Jane turned to look at her girlfriend she saw the concerned look on the blonde's face. "He'll be ok."
Maura turned her head to look at Jane. "Are you sure?"
Jane nodded. "His ego's a little bruised and he's still feeling kind of embarrassed. Let him deal with the fact that his big sister got the girl and then he'll be fine."
"I hope so Jane." Maura replied. Causing a rift with her family had been one of the reasons Maura had been afraid of telling Jane how she felt about her.
Reaching up Jane caressed Maura's cheek and gave her a reassuring smile before taking her hand. "Come on. Lets see if we can pull Ma out of the casino long enough to eat something. Then after dinner we'll ditch my family and find a very inappropriate place to make out."
"Jane." Maura said with a slightly scolding tone and a roll of her eyes.
Jane smirked. "Well if you don't want to make out."
"I didn't say that." Maura replied with a giggle.
Jane smirked. "That's what I thought."