An award

Jake didn't mind Laila's clear sarcasm and just replied by saying, "Well laugh all you want but in the end you will see, that what he has done is indeed what we should consider to be a heinous crime. If you let me inside, I will be happy to tell you all about it."

Laila really didn't feel like inviting Jake into the house where she and Noah lived. She had no patience for his story that she already knew but for now she needed to play along and thus she did. With an air of reluctance Laila said, "You have five minutes but Garry will stay in the room with me. So, don't get any ideas." Laila then turned to Garry and said, "I'm sorry Garry. I know you are busy but I will need to take up some of your time." Garry made a light bow and said, "Not at all madam. I will be happy to assist."

Laila actually wanted Maria there with her but at the moment she is supposed to still be at odds with her. So, it would make no sense for Laila to require her to be present during a conversation between herself and Steve. As Jake made his way into her and Noah's house, taking it all in while he looked around. They were standing in the hall when Jake made another comment. "Are you not even going to invite me in? Do I have to talk to you out here. In the hallway? Where is your sense of hospitality to someone who has come all this way to tell you something out of concern for your wellbeing."

Though Garry did not know Jake, it didn't take long for him to dislike Jake. In fact, this single interaction with Laila was enough for him to know to ward him in the future. Laila rolled her eyes and let out a sigh before saying, "Fine. Have it your way." and impatiently walked him into the living room and offered him a seat. Maria had by now relocated herself to the other in-between and had her ear glued to the door to listen in on the conversation between Laila and Jake.

Once they were both sitting down, Laila turned to Jake and asked him, "Do you want something to drink or will this be over before you need anything." Jake of course wanted to drag this moment on for as long as he could and happily accepted Laila's offer for a drink. "I'll have a coffee if you are offering." After that, he resumed his scouting of Laila and Noah's place, looking for something to make a comment on. In the end, after Garry had given his order to one of the people walking by, Jake said to Laila, "You two have it pretty good out here it seems. The decorating must be your doing. I can see your sense of style all throughout this place. But I know that if you had chosen me, our home would have been even better. At the very least, I know I would have been able to give you a bigger, grander home. Something Noah will probably never be able to do."

Laila rolled her eyes and said a bit impatiently, "Cut the nonsense. I didn't let you in to bring up old matters that have been closed. Besides, I have no desire to live in a bigger home. This is as big as I can handle and provides enough space for our children, friends and family. So, whether Noah can afford to give me that, is a matter of no importance. And most of all, they are of no importance to you."

Jake held up his hands in front of him and said, "Hey, I was simply stating facts. What you do with them, that is up to you. I come here as a former friend and as a person who you dated and could have married if things had gone differently. That brings me to the matter why I came here today. I need to tell you what I saw because it isn't pretty and it might make you rethink all those words you said."

By now the drinks had arrived and Jake was taking a sip of his coffee to add some dramatic effect, while Laila was working hard to cling onto whatever patience was left in her to let Jake finish what he had to say. After the sip had been taken and the drink had been swallowed, Jake made a comment about the coffee before finally resuming what he had to say, "Well, what I saw was Noah having dinner with another woman."

Maria, who was watching it all through a small opening between the door and the wall, felt that Laila deserved an award for her acting. Because despite this all being information that she knew, Laila managed to react the way she would have, had she heard it all for the first time today. She first showed shock and followed it up with a stubborn face of denial, where she tried to dismiss his words as being nothing. Much like she had done many times in the past for Jake's indiscretions. With Jake's back facing her, Maria didn't need to hide herself completely and boy was she happy about that, because this was a show she didn't want to miss.