Brazenly

While Maria was still floating on cloud nine, she entered the dining room where Laila was smiling for her own reasons. When their eyes met, Maria said, "I take it that the conversation with Noah went well?" Laila chuckled and said, "It did and something tells me that you faired well on your talk with Steve." Maria looked a little surprised that Laila knew she had left the room to call Steve but there was no way for her not to know. Maria's thoughts, and the resulting actions, could not be clearer and more easy to read for Laila than if she shouted her thoughts out before acting on them.

Maria had responded to Laila's words by saying, "What makes you think I was talking with Steve? I just left the room to let you and Noah talk in peace without having to worry about what I might hear." However, Maria was being so obvious for a friend as close as Laila yet at the same time so blissfully unaware when it came to herself. Seeing the surprised look on Maria's face, caused Laila to chuckle and Maria's following question turned that chuckle into a full blown laugh. Resulting into even more confusion on Maria's part.

After Laila was done laughing, she only answered Maria's question by dismissing it. "Stop trying to fool me or yourself for that matter with those silly excuses, because you aren't fooling anyone at the moment. Just own it and enjoy it." Though Maria wanted to sulk and was feeling a bit embarrassed for being seen through so easily, she was a woman with a mission for today and that took precedence over her feelings of embarrassment. So, she didn't argue with Laila, instead she said, "Well, since the cat is out of the bag anyways I wanted to run something by you. As you know, Noah will be out with Olivia, leaving just you and me behind at the mansion. Steve has lost his dining buddy over this whole affair as well and asked me what he should do for dinner. Come here or have his dinner outside."

Saying all her words in one breath, not wanting Laila to interrupt her in the middle, Maria continued to relay Steve's message, while also playing his advocate. Making him seem like a good man overall and a good companion for the evening. "He wanted to come over and join us but he didn't want to be insensitive towards you. He said he could imagine that you might not want him here if things get tough but at the same time he could pose as another source of distraction. I would think we can use all the distraction we can get but in the end it is not my matter. I am not married and not the one whose husband is out with another woman. Which is why I can't judge the situation nor fully grasp what you might be feeling. So, I will not have an opinion on the matter and I leave it to you to decide what you would prefer."

Laila had a pretty good idea what Maria was trying to do but she didn't want to spoil the fun so soon. So, instead she decided to play a little and make Maria earn what she actually wanted. Because, although the situation was tough mentally, she didn't care if Steve was or wasn't here. Or better said, she didn't mind him being here. He hadn't done anything wrong and in fact had even done a lot to help them. Especially over the past few days.

So, in Laila's book, he was most welcome to join them if he had no other place to be for dinner. But since she didn't have much of a preference, being fine either way, she wanted Maria to at least show that she did prefer one situation over the other. Only then would the balance for Laila shift as well to her preferring to have Steve here over him being elsewhere, if only for the sake of seeing her friend happy and witnessing the blooming of her love from up close and in person, rather than having to find out about it all through stories from Maria.

"Well, I'm not sure. I mean, in a way I don't mind, but do you want him here?" Maria had by now admitted her own feelings to herself and knew that she much preferred having Steve here with her. She was still in the early stages of a relationship with Steve. So early that they hadn't even put a name on things yet. So, the more time she got to spend with him, the more their feelings could grow. But admitting it to herself so brazenly, did not mean that she was comfortable enough to do the same when it considered others. Even if that 'other' was her own best friend. What she did do, was play the fool. "What do you mean, do I want him here. He is a good guy, he is kind, after all he organized a high-tea for us, and he has managed to make both of us laugh at more than one occasion. Because of this I didn't say no right way when he asked and instead came to you to see if that is something you are up for or not."

After saying this, Maria nervously waited for Laila's response. Hoping that it would be a positive one and give her something to look forward to. She at least knew that Laila wasn't the type who didn't want others to not have happiness, just because she was lacking some for a bit.