Maura's response to Jane's statement was enthusiastic, to say the least. Tears formed in her eyes, but before they could fall, she shook herself and laughed. Jane seemed cautiously optimistic at her response,
"Do you like it?"
Instead of answering the question verbally, Maura placed her hands on Jane's shoulders and pressed her (rather roughly) against the door.
"I love it," she whispered, before kissing Jane deeply. Jane tensed up at first, but quickly melted into the embrace. The thought that the door could open at any second passed briefly through her head, but she ignored it in favor of losing herself in the kiss.
Her hands tangled in Maura's hair, then slowly migrated across her shoulders, down to the small of her back, until they reached—
"Come on in, Detective Rizzoli; I unlocked the door! Everything's been arranged exactly the way you asked."
A loud, old man voice floated through the intercom, effectively killing the mood.
Maura pulled away from Jane, grinning sheepishly, and Jane, a bit dazed from the kiss, just stared at her with hazy eyes.
"I think we better go in, Jane. I assume you have more planned for the evening than just making out against a door."
They stood in relative silence in the apartment elevator. The disembodied voice they had heard on the speaker turned out to be a real person; an elderly gentleman who introduced himself in a warm, Irish accent as Owen.
"Detective Rizzoli here cleared me an' my establishment of any wrongdoin' when that Lawson girl got herself killed. A shame, it was, but I knew she'd gotten herself mixed up with the wrong folk. I could hardly believe it meself, when Detective Rizzoli showed me her badge—such a pretty gal and so handy wi' that piece," he jabbered on in that vein, oblivious to the amusement in Maura's eyes and the mild irritation in Jane's.
"Yeah, well…thank you Mr. Connolly. I really appreciate you letting us up here tonight."
"Think nothin' of it. Anything fer you and your lady, here," he winked at Maura, who finally let out the giggles she had been holding in since she had met the man.
"Mr. Connolly-" Maura began.
"Call me Owen."
"Owen. Why exactly are we in the elevator? Is there a restaurant in the building?" She lowered her voice and whispered conspiratorially, "Jane refuses to tell me what we're doing, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind letting me in on the secret."
Jane pinched Maura gently in the side. "We're almost there, Maur! You're going to know everything in like, two seconds."
Owen winked again, "I'm afraid your dear one is right, Dr. Isles. In fact, here we are!"
The elevator announced their arrival with a sharp 'ding'.
As the doors opened, Jane glanced at Maura and tried to gauge her reaction.
"Oh my…" Maura breathed.
They were on the roof of the apartment building. A table for two sat about twenty yards from where they stood, right next to the concrete ledge of the roof. Yellow Christmas lights illuminated the square enclosure, creating a soft, romantic glow.
Unable to speak, Maura grabbed Jane's hand and squeezed it. Owen Connolly, suddenly aware that he was intruding on a moment, reentered the elevator. As the doors closed, he heard Jane ask nervously,
"Do you like it?" unwittingly repeating the question she had asked when they reached the building.
He smiled and the corners of his eyes creased. He had asked that same question of his dear Sylvia more than forty years ago. He had a feeling that Maura would know how to answer it.
Jane and Maura held hands across the table and looked out across the ledge. Boston sparkled beneath them, full of life and love.
"How did you arrange all of this, Jane?" Maura wanted to know, of course, because she was in the business of knowing the truth.
"Are you sure you want me to tell you? Don't you like the mystery of it all?" Jane teased.
"I think you know the answer to that," Maura drawled, stroking Jane's hands lightly.
"Well, I remembered seeing you for the first time here on this roof, even though you don't remember me—"
"That's not strictly-" Maura tried to protest, but was cut off.
"The first time you noticed me, you thought I was a hooker, Maura. Admit it!"
"Fine, you have a point."
"Thank you. Anyway, so, I decided it would be nice if we had dinner here, at the place I first laid eyes on you. Romantic, I mean, for our first real date." Jane kind of mumbled the last part, suddenly shy about her reasons for bringing Maura to this spot.
Maura smiled widely; Jane was too cute when she was being a hopeless romantic.
"I love everything about our first real date, Jane," she said sincerely, "It's perfect."
"You haven't even tried the food, yet! You might hate it…"
"I highly doubt that."
"Oh yeah? And why is that?"
Jane's question came out a bit snarkier than she had anticipated, but Maura answered evenly, "Because I'm eating it with you, Jane. That's why."
Ma's gnocchi had never tasted so good.
They savored the meal and the conversation. Maura was pleasantly surprised by the choice of wine (a pinot grigio that Korsak had helped Jane pick out especially for the occasion) and by the attention paid to detail (Jane pulled a blanket from under the table when she noticed Maura shivering slightly from the rooftop breeze).
They had finished eating when Maura decided to voice a question that had been floating loosely in her mind since they had decided to go on a first date.
"Do you have plans for after dinner, Jane?"
Jane wiggled her eyebrows mischievously, "Well, I had been hoping for a good night kiss, but other than that, I got nothin'."
Maura laughed softly, "And what makes you think you're getting a kiss at the end of the night, Detective?"
"I've been told that I'm irresistible, Doctor Isles," Jane joked, before adding more seriously, "For real though, Maur, I don't have any plans after this. I thought we could play it by ear, so if you have something you want to do…"
"I do have something I would like to do, actually. But I think I'll keep it to myself for now," Maura said the words primly, but there was a glint in her eye.
"What?! You have to tell me! I mean come on! How do I know you're not gonna take advantage of me?" Jane sounded equal parts outraged and entertained.
"Well as they say, payback's an ass."
"A bitch, Maura. Payback's a bitch."
A/N: Hmm, I wonder what Maura's plans for this date are...*wiggles eyebrows* Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows. They are appreciated!