The evening passed in a flurry of loud music, squashed toes and skirt flourishes, but Jane had to admit, she’d enjoyed herself immensely. Sipping her beer, she sighed happily as she watched Maura head towards the bathrooms.
“You’re all kinds of gangly.” The voice smashed into the quiet, making Jane jump. “You’d think you’d be more graceful.” The woman took the seat Maura had just vacated and stared hard at Jane.
“Can I help you?” Jane snapped.
“Oh honey, you’re so pretty.” It was a shrieked statement and Jane immediately knew why Tag had warned her about this woman.
“Lana Logue.” Jane sighed.
“Oh honey, you know me?” It was disguised as a question yet she left Jane no time in which to respond. “My son would just adore you!” she squeezed Jane’s hands in her own. “He’s a nurse you know.”
“Very nice….” Jane tried to extricate herself and was surprised by the strength that held her in place.
“No wedding ring.” Lana noticed. “Let me give you my son’s number.”
Lana pulled back, rummaging in her purse.
“Actually, I’m seeing someone.” Jane drank deeply from her glass, hoping that Maura would return soon. She knew that no amount of running from people like this would work. Besides, she didn’t want to miss Maura’s return.
“Oh but honey.” Lana waved the information away with a shovel sized hand. “My Richard, he’s a nurse.”
Jane glanced over her shoulder, grinning as Maura emerged from the crowd.
Seeing Jane had company, Maura almost turned and ran. That however, would be unfair. To Jane but especially to Lana. After all, she knew the venom that Jane could produce and after her, albeit brief encounter with Lana, she knew that Jane would have it in spades.
“He can take good care of you.” Lana seemed oblivious to Jane’s discomfort and thrust a scrap of paper into her hands.
“Firstly madam.” Jane got to her feet, her patience wearing more than a little thin. “I am not a houseplant. I do not need someone to take care of me. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and anyone else who comes along.”
Maura approached carefully, her hand finding home around Jane’s waist. Jane mirrored her action, pausing only to kiss Maura fully on the lips, much to Lana’s obvious horror.
“Secondly, this is my partner, she’s a doctor!” Jane beamed with pride.
“But you’re both so pretty.” Lana stumbled away from the couple, wiping her hands with a napkin.
“You might want to bleach that hand.” Maura offered sweetly. “We can’t have you catching gay now, can we?”
Lana looked genuinely mortified, rubbing roughly at her skin, her mouth flapping open and closed like a fish out of water.
“Doctors’ orders!” Jane agreed, barely supressing the laugh that bubbled within her.
Turning quickly, or as quickly as her 400lb bulk would allow, Lana waddled off to seek solace with more like minded folks, complaining all the way about having to see a doctor.
“Come on.” Maura nuzzled gently into Jane, their bodies melting together perfectly. “Let’s get out of here before you have us thrown overboard.”
Jane laughed. “As if I’d do such a thing.”
-/-
“So son.” Robert Michaels studied his heir carefully, glancing up as he nodded and smiled at a couple who walked past them, the taller one offering a small wave. “Have you met any interesting people?”
Tag smiled. He was so glad to see Jane and her partner so happy. From their conversation, he wasn’t sure she wasn’t fighting a losing battle but seeing them, so obviously in love, warmed his young heart.
“Sorry, what?” he returned his attention to his parents. They had insisted on sitting down in the bar and watching the dance contest.
“Have you met any interesting people?” Robert repeated, glancing over his shoulder at the women who had just passed them.
“Oh, that’s Jane.” Tag stated simply. “We met when we docked.” He chuckled as his father clearly approved. “It’s not like that!”
“They’re very pretty.” Tag’s mother jumped in before the conversation took a dive to the gutter. “Which one is Jane?”
“The taller one.” Tag replied, sipping his drink slowly. “She’s in the police force. A lieutenant with Boston PD.”
His parents nodded, both turning in time to see Jane and Maura turning and disappearing from view.
“In homicide.” Tag finished, laughing as both his parents jaws dropped.
“That woman does not investigate murders?” His mother was clearly stunned.
“Yep.” Tag nodded, dropping his gaze as his father took a long drink of scotch. “Her partner is the M.E.”
Unable to supress his laughter, Tag wiped his face with a napkin as his father took a literal spit take. Whiskey shooting across the table and his son.
“I see they were cornered by that awful Logue woman.” Mrs Michaels continued, ignoring her husband’s outburst. “She really is dreadful.” Both men nodded their agreement.
Silence settled over the small table and Tag smiled. Maybe his parents weren’t so bad after all. He watched them as his mother wiped at his father’s tie and, as usual, he sighed heavily, batting her away gently. They always did this. His father would drop sauce or dessert on every single tie he ever had and his mother would always baby him. Tag had found it embarrassing, especially in the expensive restaurants they often frequented, but now he saw it for what it was. They were in love and while their rarely held hands or anything else in public; this was how they displayed their affections. His mother would fuss at his father and his father, in return, would feign irritation at her.
“I love you guys.” He said suddenly.
“We love you too.” His mother, always the overly emotional one, teared up almost instantly.
Getting to his feet, Tag nodded as his mother slipped her hand into her husbands under the table.
“I’m going to my cabin.” Tag told them, kissing each of his parents on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
“Goodnight son.” Robert hugged his son fiercely, knocking the wind from the young man.
“G’night dad.”