Author's note: thank you very for all your reviews and suggestions!
Chapter Eleven: How To Appreciate Family
"You are going to wake them up... Pass me the salt. Do you need more flour?"
Jane opened an eye, certain of having heard Amy's voice somewhere in the background.
She gasped while realizing how close she was to Maura's face and decided to roll on her back to take a required distance to avoid bumping into her forehead.
Bad move.
"Ha!" She landed on the floor loudly, hitting the coffee table in the process and waking up Maura as well. Rubbing her shoulder, she growled then sat up with difficulty. "What the hell..."
And then she noticed her surroundings. She was not in their bedroom but in the living-room, facing half of her family as well as Maura's relatives being silently active in the kitchen. She blinked as a rather nervous laugh passed her lips to hit the air a bit too loudly to her taste.
"Hungover much?" Smirking, Amy stepped out of the kitchen area to walk to the living-room where she helped Jane to stand back up as the brunette had somewhat managed to get trapped between the couch and the coffee table in her fall.
The Italian smiled back but didn't reply. The truth was that she was not suffering at all from any sort of alcohol abuse. She was perfectly fine – a bit sore for having slept on the couch maybe – but quite surprised to actually see five Rizzolis being quiet in a kitchen. This was almost frightening.
"What time is it?"
A bowl of flour in hand, Apolline smiled at Maura and checked her watch. She looked joyful if not just amused by the scene.
"Almost 1pm. Sorry... We didn't want to wake you up, therefore the reason why we tried to remain quiet."
Maura widened her eyes in sudden panic. They had completely overslept. On the couch. Thankfully all dressed. She jumped on her feet and straightened her clothes before going to hug everyone with a fake casualness. Their respective families must have been witnessing them sleeping for at least a couple of hours. This was slightly embarrassing.
"You should have woken us... It is way too late."
Aunt Deirdre rolled her eyes – shook her head at Maura – and smiled before focusing back on what looked like small croissants. Twenty of them.
"You two need your beauty sleep. However, make sure that you don't miss your spa appointment. At what time is it, Angela?"
"3pm." The Italian matriarch winked at Maura. She walked to the oven and opened it to check large lasagna dishes.
"What are you all doing in the kitchen?" Her voice still hoarse, the medical examiner frowned at the scene; barely hiding her incomprehension. Even her mother was there; although she hadn't touched a single thing. Everything had its limits.
Constance was not a cook. However, she surely knew how to supervize kitchen tasks.
"Since we haven't found a new caterer for Saturday, we have come to the conclusion that we would all prepare something. Fifteen people in a kitchen... Enough for a wedding catering!" Giulia, one of Jane's cousins winked at Maura. "French, Italian, Irish and Scottish dishes! Might not be what you had wished for in the first place but we nonetheless hope you'll like it."
Speechless – touched by the gesture – Jane blinked and exchanged a confused look with Maura. It was the first time that both families met each other and in the most perfect silence to not wake them up, all had decided to work together to save the wedding delicate situation. She hadn't expected that from anyone.
"Where... Where are the guys?" Not that she wanted to make a sexist remark but the kitchen didn't count a single man.
"They went to order the wine. See, everything will be ready by tonight so now all you have to do is relax and enjoy your waxing session. If someone can actually ever enjoy that."
Amy's comment made the whole kitchen burst out laughing.
"Just a question, though... Why were you two sleeping on the couch? Too intoxicated to make it to your bedroom last night?" Apolline raised an eyebrow as her voice betrayed curiosity.
Maura looked at Jane then at her mother and peacefully shook her head.
"No. We came back late and had a little talk on the couch. I suppose we simply fell asleep after it."
She had arrived around midnight only to find Jane sipping on a tea in the kitchen.
She hadn't waited and had told her everything; all these words she had previously shared with her mother at the hotel. The brunette had felt reassured, touched as well. End of the misunderstanding.
...
"Gosh, Maur'... You know me, now. Do you really need to have me hairless, this weekend?" Making a face before the wax options – wrapped in a smooth bathrobe – Jane sighed heavily.
Sweet scents seemed to float around as candles had been lit everywhere and zen music was playing in the background. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Boston spread under their feet. The view was breathtaking.
Way more tempting than being waxed.
"I don't mind at all." Focused on her very own programme, Maura shrugged and patted gently Jane's hand.
"Really?!" The Italian blinked and looked with perplexity at the honey blonde. She bit her lips in concentration then shook her head. "Nah. I'll go for it. It's okay. It's supposed to be a special day and all. I don't see why I wouldn't wax when I usually do."
"Many women neither wax nor shave, you know."
"Yes, but I'm not French." Jane smiled and winked. "As much as this is probably a cliché. I did not notice anything special the last time I went to Paris, to be honest."
This time, Maura looked up from the brochure and turned around to face her lover. She squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose in false disapproval. The flame of amusement in her eyes giving her too easily away.
"Are you telling me that – when you were in France – you checked out women's legs and armpits?"
Maura's question got welcomed by a long silence. Jane bit her lower lip – scanned the room in the hope that an esthetician would show up to take her away from all this – but had to face reality and its loneliness instead.
"It was in the summer. Many women wore dresses and skirts. I'm not a perv!"
"There is nothing wrong in appreciating the body, you know. I do it myself from time to time. This doesn't mean more than – for instance – enjoying a painting. Any piece of art. Body is art."
Astounded, Jane remained quiet for long seconds then finally burst out laughing. A couple of other customers turned around to look at her. She waved an apologetic hand at them.
"Nice way to tell me you like checking out girls."
A grin appeared on Maura's lips. She cast a glance at the large room then leaned over to murmur to Jane's ear; her hot breath brushing the Italian's skin.
"Although there is only one I want in the end: you."
Jane swallowed hard. She hadn't missed the mischievous tone, even less the way Maura's hand had remained a bit longer than necessary on her thigh; squeezing it tightly. She moved on her armchair – out of nervousness – and repressed a smile. This was not the right place to play this kind of game. Not the right time.
Although so typical from Maura to break the rules and heat things up at the most unexpected moment.
"Can't we just start – instead of the waxing – by this hot tub thing? You know the rose petal bath?"
Not missing Jane's implicit wish to find the nearest place where they would be left together – alone for an hour – Maura nonetheless decided to come back to scientific facts in spite of ruining way too suddenly the mood she had just settled.
"The bath is supposed to come at the end to make your skin rest after the different treatments. There is a reason why they put all these in a certain order, you know."
Jane gasped and tightened her grip on her bathrobe as if to suddenly cover herself. She pursed her lips and shook her head before hissing at the medical examiner.
"Maura Dorthea Isles Rizzoli-to-be, you are being cruel. How dare you start flirting with me if it's to announce three seconds after that nothing will happen before at least three hours? This is mean."
The honey blonde smiled at the remark. She knew that Jane was only joking and – truth to be told – she was glad to see her relax enough to give into that. She had missed it the past couple of days. A lot. It was now time for the two of them to enjoy what was left of this page of their life before starting a new one.
"Ahem..."
A voice made them both look up. An esthetician was standing in front of them and by the embarrassed smile that played on her lips, it seemed evident that she had had enough time to overhear most of the conversation.
"Jane? I will be in charge of your waxing. Will you please come with me?"
The Italian nodded - stood up - and began to follow the woman before turning around to point out the employee's legs at Maura.
"Great ones!" She winked, her murmur passing unnoticed to everyone but the scientist who burst out laughing.