No point in denying

After some teasing and laughing, Steve was talking to Noah about what the three anxious men had told him and about their pleading, while Laila were in whispering amongst themselves in the other corner of the couch. "Don't worry. Laila already talked to me about it and I have decided to forgive them since they were forthright about their mistake and asked for help instead of making matters worse by struggling on their own." Steve smiled and patted Noah on the shoulder. "I'm glad to hear that man. Even I was feeling a bit bad for them after the talking-to you gave them. They felt so sorry and they were so worried, thinking they might have ruined it with you forever. Though I would have understood and supported you if you felt that this was bad enough to end their employment, I am glad to see that you are still the kind one among the two of us."

Noah scoffed and said, "You are plenty kind yourself. You are just too selective in who you show it to. Though that works out well for me. So, I won't complain." Steve chuckled and said, "As long as we keep our balance, we should be able to continue like this for years to come. So, there is no need to worry or look for change where it isn't needed. But it is good to know that you don't mind my selectiveness, just as I don't mind your forgiving nature that you hide behind that cold look of yours." Noah relaxed a bit more and leaned back as he replied with a smile, "Just as you hide your cold nature behind a kind and easy going smile.", to which Steve let out another chuckle as it was something he could not deny.

Meanwhile, Laila and Maria were discussing the talks they had each had with the two men in the room. After Laila had filled Maria in on what she had told Noah and thanked her for giving them some privacy at that moment, she turned the conversation to her and Steve. With a mischievous smile and using only her chin and eyebrows to gesture at the involved parties, Laila said, "But enough about me and Noah. What I am much more interested in is what happened here between you two."

Maria averted her eyes and started playing with the edges of the empty ice cream cup that she was holding in her hands. While trying to sound as oblivious as possible, Maria asked, "W-what do you mean?" Closing the distance between the two of them and widening her smile even more, Laila said, "Oh I think you know very well what I mean." This was Maria finally looked up from the cup and into Laila's eyes. With bright cheeks she continued to insist that nothing had happened. "Like I told you before, I was just sitting here eating my ice cream in order not to disturb you and Noah." But Laila wasn't one to give up easily. "Hmm, I see. And while you were both sitting here nothing happened between you two? Nothing at all? Before you answer me, I think you should know that there is no point in denying things as I was just behind that door from the moment you walked in."

Maria's already bright cheeks turned even brighter as realized that Laila and Noah had been a witness to everything that had taken place between her and Steve. Though it was true that nothing much had happened between them, it was enough for her to feel embarrassed by. Especially the thought of Noah being present for it all, caused her to feel a new level of embarrassment. "Do you mean to tell me that you and Noah were eavesdropping on our conversation?!" Laila shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well not necessarily because we wanted to, but how else were we to know when we could come in without disturbing you in your little bubble together." Maria gasped and said in a heated tone, "I was NOT in a bubble with that man!"

Laila rolled her eyes after Maria's words and with a look that screamed, 'Really?!' she said, "Oh come on. By now we both know better than that right? There is no use in you trying to pretend you don't like Steve by referring to him by 'that man'. The only one you are fooling with that is yourself and maybe not even that. If you heard yourself with him, you too wouldn't believe your words."

Seeing that her words were indeed not fooling anyone and she would be telling Laila sooner or later, she let out a sigh and said, "Alright, I'll tell you. Just keep your voice down. Even though it wasn't true that nothing happened, there also wasn't all that much going on. It is just that I have started to admit to myself that I might like-" Before Maria finished that sentence she nervously looked around to see if no one was within listening distance and the guys were still busy with their own discussion. Only when she was sure only Laila would be able to hear her, she whispered the rest of her sentence, adding a little chin pointing of her own '-'him' more than I was willing to admit so far." This one sentence pushed Laila to her limit as she fought to hold in the squeal she desperately wanted to let out. With a wide grin and her hands clasped together, she forced herself to hold back and let her friend continue to tell her story.