"Hey Jane, what's up" Frost asked from the other side of the phone.
"I'm gonna head home today since we're not busy but call me when you need me." Her nerves were starting to get the best of her and she was starting to regret calling him.
"Yeah alright, everything ok?"
"Uh, not really. Would you mind meeting me at Joes American Grill in ten minutes?" Jane took out her keys, crossed the parking lot and unlocked her car door. Hopping in she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel while biting her lip.
"Sure Rizzoli. See ya there." She listened until the line went dead then hung up. I hope I'm doing the right thing by going to him for advice.
She drove in silence contemplating whether or not she should do what she was planning on doing. On the way to the restaurant her mind kept telling her to turn around three times and she almost did, but she knew she had to talk to someone.
A few minutes later Jane was parked and headed into Joes. The place was kind of packed for a Tuesday and all Jane could do was notice the pretty women that stared at her and checked her out, so she thought. Are these women checking me out. Oh God, they must think I'm a lesbian. Do I smell like one or something, it's like they have some type of Gaydar that they use to prey on fresh lesbians. Wait, I'm not a lesbian, I'm just over thinking like always.
Upon entering and getting herself situated, a waitress walked up to Jane and asked her, her order. "Is there anything I can get you beautiful? We have the house special today, get a free drink when you order the large Barbeque Ribs? "
She blushed. Did she just wink at me? "Uhm no thanks, I'll just have a cup of coffee. Thank you." The waitress took the order and walked away the same time Frost entered. "Over here."
"Hey, so whatcha gotta talk to me about?"
Chuckling lightly, "You just cut right to the chase don't you?"
"I do when my friend needs my help." He winked and opened up a menu. "What's good here?"
"Why is everyone winking at me?" She mumbled to herself
"What?" Asked Frost. Before she could answer the waitress was headed their way once again with cup of coffee in hand.
"Here you go, sweetheart. Cream and three spoons of sugar just how you like." The woman handed Jane her cup and looked to Barry, "Hi handsome is there anything I can get you. We have the house special today, get a free drink when you order the large Barbeque Ribs?" Repeating her earlier question.
"Yeah, I would like that. I'll take the ribs and a coffee with one spoon of sugar. Jane here is a sugar junky." He playfully accused, turning to look at Jane who was chewing at her thumb nail. "See she's feigning right now!" They laughed and the subject of his joke glared at him playfully.
"Shut up, Barrold."
The waitress, whose name tag read, Jessica, jotted down Frost's order and walked away smiling.
"Now what were you grousing about a few minutes ago?"
Face flushed she began, "I dunno, nvm. It's just me being paranoid." Jane turned her head to the side to avoid her friend's intense stare.
"Jane, I came cause I wanted to help you. I don't care if you've been dreaming about midget clowns and you think they're coming after you. I wanna know so I can help. You can tell me." A smile that reached his eyes showed how sincere his words were and that was all the reassuring Jane needed to open up.
"Well I was just wondering why everyone was winking at me today." She said finally meeting Barry's gaze
"Wanna tell me who winked at you besides me."
"The waitress, Jessica, did when she took my order and I kinda flipped out on the inside."
Frost tilted his head to the side in confusion as to why that would upset his partner. "But women hit on you all the time and you never seemed to have a problem with it. Why now?"
"I know, and I think it has something to do with the comment Korsak made earlier."
"Rizzoli, you know you can't take Korsak's jokes seriously, the old man watches puppy and kitten videos on his past time, and thinks its a sport!" This got Jane to smile. She knew she made the right decision to talk to Frost because God knows she couldn't go to her ma. There'd be a lecture about how she wouldn't get her grandbabies and a good Catholic woman should find a good Catholic husband and be truly happy. And Jane was not prepared to be served her ma's guilt trip special.
"You're right, but he did make me consider something..."
Noticing his partner's slight hesitation he pushed, "And..."
"Everybody in Boston already knows my track record with men isn't the best, hell its not even average. I haven't gotten laid since Casey was back in town, that was six months ago and before that it was almost a year." In the middle of her rambling Jessica returned with Frost's order.
"Here you go, The House Special. Anything else I can get you?"
"No thank you." He returned her smile.
"Ok, enjoy the meal." Part of Jane wanted to tell the waitress to stop interrupting and let her get what she needed off of her chest, but that would have been rude and it wasn't Jessica's fault she couldn't just come right out and say what she came here to say. Sighing and running her hand through her hair she asked, "Do you still have my profile open on that dating website?" I better ask now while I still remember what I needed to say.
"Uhm, the lesbian one?" Eyes big as saucers she panicked and begins to shush her loud mouthed friend. "Damn Barry, keep quiet, this is a conversation between me and you not the whole fucking restaurant!" Frost made a face that meant "sorry I didn't mean to"
"I didn't mean to be loud, but yeah it's still up, you want the password?" He whispered.
"Uhmm, yeah thanks." There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted a few minutes. "How come you didn't ask why I wanted to know if the profile was still up?" Picking up his knife and cutting off a bone of meat he replied, happy that Jane had broken the tension that was in the air. "Because I knew you'd tell me when you were ready." He smiled with a little sauce on his lips. "And I kinda know what's going on?"
"You do?" She didn't know whether he was serious or not but she was gonna let him tell her to see if he really did have the right idea. "Yeah, you mentioned something about Korsak's comment has you thinking. Then you ask about the dating website. And I kinda of figured it out." Looking up at Jane he smiled realizing he was on the right track by the "omg" expression she had on her face. "So that's lead me to believe that the comment you're referring to is the "girlfriend" thing Korsak said and now you think that dating a woman wouldn't be so bad."
If Jane thought she had a good partner before, she now knew she had a great partner. She reached across the table and touched Frost's hand and said, "Thanks for understanding."
"No problem, and I'll email you the password when we get back to the precinct. Fifteen minutes later Frost was finishing up and they were paying for their orders on their way out. Jane couldn't help but think how could someone know her so well. Someone that wouldnt judge her for her decisions. Someone other than Maura.
Maura.
That name that belonged to a certain medical examiner was also someone that had a part in this and Jane knew she should tell Frost about what happened down in the morgue but that could wait.