The true you

Though most of what Olivia had said was old news, Jake coming to this town and being in business with what was most likely Harold Richardson was very new and very useful information. In order to not tip Olivia off, they both tried to not let their surprise show on their faces. If they gave Olivia any feeling that knowing this was useful to them in any way or if she thought that him coming here would cause problems for them, she might tell him and make him accelerate his plans. They had enough to deal with, even without his coming here. So, any extra troubles they could keep away, was worth hiding a few of their emotions.

While Laila tried to find an explanation that could satisfy Olivia's thirst for trouble, without causing her to feel the need to bring more trouble her and Noah's way, Maria and Steve were enjoying themselves to the fullest at their date. Somehow now that Maria had accepted her feelings, she was a lot more open towards Steve. She no longer shied away from the slightest touch or compliment, which gave Steve a lot of his initial confidence back.

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Steve had crossed his arm over the table and was holding Maria's hand. He had been holding her hand for a while now and so far Maria had not pulled her hand away once or slapped his away. Even as he stared deep into her eyes, not once did she turn away from him. She was laughing freely in front of him and even when he placed a kiss on the back of her hand, she kept her hand right where it was, carefully placed in his.

Her not having pulled away her hand yet, seemed like a miracle to Steve considering her reactions not too long ago over much smaller things. But he was happy and he wasn't about to potentially ruin things by asking stupid questions. Instead he figured that as the evening progressed he would just take small steps forward and see where Maria's boundaries currently were. Of course up to a certain limit as he too had his boundaries in terms of how he felt a woman should be treated on a first date. Especially one that he planned on having a long-term relationship with. Over on the other side of the table Maria was a bit surprised herself.

She was surprised to see the date going so well. She was still feeling butterflies, of course she was feeling butterflies, but her feelings were no longer making her unable to speak normally. She had expected that by now her nervousness or bashful side would get her to say something stupid again but so far things were going great. She hadn't said any mean things. She wasn't trying to hide her feelings. She was just being her normal self and accepting all that Steve was throwing at her. So, this had her feeling pretty proud of herself and hoped Steve was feeling the same.

Considering that Steve had fallen for her when she was doing all of those things, she imagined that her current behaviour was making him not only feel proud of her progress but that it was making his feelings for her grow even more. At least she hoped so because if all he liked was her indifference and her pushing him away, then that only showed that he liked the chase more than the actual prize. If he didn't like her as she was, then there was no happiness for them in the long run. Because she had tried to change herself for a guy once before and she promised herself that she would never do anything like that again.

Fortunately her moment of worry and doubt would not last long because as if Steve could read her mind, he said the following to her. "I know I have said this before but I have to say it again that I can't tell you how happy I am you organized this for us. This evening, this meal, just everything you have done and are doing, is making me feel like I am on cloud nine. To think that after such a short time you were able to accept your feelings and feel comfortable enough to show me the true you." With a chuckle he added, "Or at least what I think is the true you."

As he stroked the back of Maria's hand, which he was still holding tightly for the irrational fear that if he let go he would not have another chance to hold it like this, he continued to make her hopes and unspoken words come true. "I am enjoying seeing this Maria out in the open very much and in fact, I think it has made me fall in love with you all over again. Somewhere deep in side I knew you had this side in you and at times it was like I was able to see this Maria, in the shadows, whispering to me. But seeing you embrace that Maria so fully. Seeing you become that Maria right before me. That mesmerized me completely to a point where I am unable to pull my eyes away from you."