Back from my honeymoon with my amazing wife and I was re-energized to continue this story. Please leave me comments about what you like and don't like and where you might like to see our ladies go from here! So without further ado, here is Chapter 4!
**I do not own these characters. I'm just playing with them for a little bit!**
Jane arrived at the Dirty Robber a little after eleven, ready to put her plan into action. She spent the better part of the morning on the phone with the manager, working out the logistics of her lunch date with Maura. The rest of her time was reserved for finding the right outfit. She knew that Maura would look breathtaking no matter what she arrived in and Jane wanted to impress her just as much. She had decided on a light gray pants suit that showed off her tall, thin, yet muscular frame, paired with a teal shirt that had a dangerously deep v-neck. She smiled as she pulled it on thinking how nicely it would match with Maura's eyes.
Once at the Robber, Jane set out to make this a lunch date that Maura would never forget because this is a place that she would never forget…the place she fell in love with Dr. Maura Isles.
She headed straight to "their table" and placed a beautiful purple lilac in the middle. She knew that its message would not be lost on Maura, as it was the flower that symbolizes the first emotions of love. She then ran to the bar, ordered her favorite beer and Maura's favorite wine, and placed them on their table. Her next stop was to the DJ booth where she handed her iPod to the bartender cued to the song that he was to play on Jane's cue. She also slipped him a twenty just to make sure that he would be paying extra close attention to her.
Jane looked down at her watch. "11:52!" Jane knew that Maura believed that if you were any later than five minutes early you were considered late for your engagement. And with that, Jane bolted outside and stood on the curb, anxious to see Maura arrive. Jane checked her watch as each minute ticked by. 11:53. 11:54. 11:55. Jane began to get nervous when her watch ticked to 11:56. "She's late," she thought to herself. 11:57. 11:58. 11:59. 12:00. 12:01. "Now she's actually late." 12:02. "Where is she? I hope I didn't freak her out last night." 12:03. Just as Jane was about to pull out her cell phone to call Maura, she caught a glimpse of her Prius coming around the corner. The car pulled to a stop in front of her and Maura quickly emerged from the driver's side.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," Maura stammered, as she struggled to escape from the car.
"I was beginning to wor-" Jane trailed off, as Maura came into full view. As Jane predicted, Maura was breathtaking in a simple blue cocktail dress with a plummeting neckline that made Jane's breath hitch in her throat and a killer pair of nude pumps that accentuated her already defined legs. Jane gulped. "Worry," she finished, as she began to blush. "You look beautiful, Maura," she said, almost reverently, grasping Maura's hands. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Maura's lips.
Maura smiled. "Thank you, Jane," she replied, coyly. "I'm so sorry I was late. It took me forever to pick out something to where. It's not every day your best friend courts you."
Jane chuckled at Maura's small joke and added, "Same here. You like?" Jane spun around, playfully, allowing Maura to take in all that was Jane. It was moments like these that reminded Jane of why she fell in love with Maura. Things were just so easy between them. They could just be.
"Very much so," Maura replied, grabbing Jane's hand and pulling her in for another chaste kiss. "You look beautiful, too."
Jane grimaced. "Can we find another word besides beautiful? You're beautiful. Not me."
"Yes, yes you are, Jane. I wish you could see that. But if that word makes you uncomfortable, we can certainly find another one." Maura paused as she catalogued every word she could think of as a synonym for beautiful and smiled when she had just the right one to describe Jane. "Stunning. Jane, you look stunning."
Jane smiled. "I can live with that one." Grabbing Maura's hand, she said, "Let's get this date started." She walked to the door for Maura, opened it, and held it open, letting her date enter before her. Jane knew how to be a gentleman, having grown up with two brothers. Her mother constantly reminded them to hold the door open for any woman. However, Jane's gentlemanly intentions gave way to her more baser instincts when she was greeted by Maura's bare back. The cocktail dress with the dangerously low neckline had an even more daringly low scoop in the back. Jane found herself frozen in place as she watched Maura walk, no saunter, to their table; the skin on her back teasing Jane to caress her; the sashaying of her ass, accentuated by the low cut, tantalizing Jane to grab her.
Maura, sensing Jane's absence behind her, smiled, knowing the dress she had chosen had her desired effect on the detective. Glancing flirtatiously over her shoulder, Maura smiled and asked, "Are you coming, Jane?"
Jane instantly blushed and choked out a yes, as she quickly closed the distance between her and Maura. Maura took her usual spot in the booth. Jane was just about to do the same, but instead, she grabbed her beer and slid into the booth next to Maura. "Is this ok?" she asked.
Noting the presence of the purple lilac, a symbol of love, in the middle of the table, Maura smiled and placed her hand on Jane's leg. "I was hoping you would sit next to me, Jane." Such simple words and Jane was nearly unraveled. She couldn't think straight. Being this close to Maura in THAT dress, letting go of all the subtext that had carried on between them for years, finally admitting her true feelings to herself and the fact that she was about to confess them to Maura was weighing on Jane. She grabbed her beer and guzzled half of it to calm herself down. Maura watched, curious as to why Jane was so nervous.
"Jane? Are you okay?" Maura asked, punctuating her curiosity with a slight tilt of her head.
"Uh, yeah, Maur. Just a lil nervous," Jane replied, honestly.
"Why?" Maura could not understand why Jane was so nervous. They had been quite physical the night before and she was sure Jane knew that she was beyond attracted to her.
"It's just-" Jane began to peel the sticker off her beer bottle. "It's just…this is pretty huge for us, Maur."
"I know, Jane. Taking our relationship to the next level is a big step. But it's one that I know I'm ready for. Aren't you ready?" Maura asked.
"You have no idea how ready," Jane whispered. She took a deep breath. "Maur, do you know why I brought you here? Of all the places in Boston to take a woman on a first date, do you know why I brought you here? To the Robber?"
Maura sat for a moment, thinking. She did find it somewhat peculiar that Jane had invited her to the Dirty Robber for their first date, but this was a very "Jane place" and so she had just went with it. "No, not really. I just figured you liked it here."
"Maur, I don't like it here for a date. I come here…we come here…all the time…because this is our place," Jane replied, hoping Maura was getting her point.
"No, it's not. It's his place," Maura replied, pointing to the owner.
Jane sighed. "Not as in we own it Maura. But that this is our place. This place is important to us. Do you know why?" Maura shook her head and waited for Jane to continue. "I didn't really know why either until this morning. Anytime I come here without you Maura it doesn't feel right. It's only right when I'm here with you. Because this is the place that I…" Jane paused, searching Maura's eyes for some assurance. What she saw put her at ease…a silent plea to continue, to say what she knew Jane was about to say, to validate her guess on the meaning of the purple lilac, to finally say what had been building between them for a long time. "The place that I fell in love with you, Maur." Jane smiled and tucked an errant strand of hair behind Maura's ear. As she did so, a single tear fell from Maura's eye and Jane softly wiped it away. "Is that ok to say? Because it's true. I'm in love with you Maura."
Maura nodded and pulled Jane into a kiss, not trusting her voice at the moment. She had hypothesized that she was in love with the detective, but in that moment, her hypothesis was validated. She was in fact in love with Jane Rizzoli. Both needing air, they parted and Maura whispered, "I love you too, Jane. So much."
Jane placed a kiss gently on Maura's lips. "You do?"
"I do," Maura replied simply. "I thought I might. These feelings and reactions that I've been having towards you…the only hypothesis that made any sense was that I loved you. And then when you told me you loved me, it just all made sense. I knew in that moment that I was so deeply in love with you." Jane smiled and kissed Maura sweetly. "When did you figure out you loved me?" Maura asked.
"It's funny you should ask," Jane replied with a smirk. She turned and signaled the bartender who flipped the song to the one cued on Jane's iPod. "This morning, while I was getting ready, this song came on my playlist. Do you know it?"
Maura sat, listening for a moment. "No, I don't think I do. What is it?"
"It's called A Thousand Years. I want you to listen to the lyrics because they describe perfectly how I feel about you." Jane leaned in and kissed Maura again. Just millimeters from her lips, Jane asked, "Dance with me?"
The refrain began as Maura nodded.
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
Jane stood from the booth and offered her hand to Maura.
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
Taking it, Maura follows Jane to the dance floor, where the chorus began and Jane wraps her love into her arms.
One step closer
Maura places her head against Jane's chest and they begin to sway to the music.
I have died every day waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid
I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
Maura lifts her head from Jane's shoulder, eyes shimmering with tears, touched by the sentiment of the song and the depth of Jane's love. Jane dips her head and kisses her adoringly.
Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this
"Maura," Jane whispers.
One step closer
Jane looks at Maura, who places her hand on Jane's cheek. Just as Jane is about to speak, Maura places a searing kiss on her lips. Their kiss deepens, as the song falls away. "Take me home, Jane," Maura breathes against Jane's lips.