"So, that's the whole story?' Stan said as he took a swig of his coffee.
"Yes, that's everything I know to tell you," Maria answered.
"You never told me if you loved him, did you?" Stan questioned.
"I did then," Maria said fumbling with the lip of her cup.
"What about now?" Stan asked with raised eyebrows. He found Maria to be very secretive and yet at the same time willing to pour her heart out. He found her easy on the eyes as well, her hair was blonde and in a short boyish haircut that most women he knew couldn't pull off as beautifully as she did. Now figuring out why Georg was looking for her so solidly he wanted to be apart of it. He wanted to be the one to bring Maria to Georg.
"Now I believe you're just prying, Sir," Maria said with a smile.
"Well… You have told me your past and now I would like to hear about your present," said Stan in a matter of fact tone.
Maria started to fidget with her hands and occasionally stirring her tea. Not knowing what to tell the man in front of her. She usually knew what to say, it usually just came blurting out. But, this time she hit a dilemma. She knew the answer she wanted to give him but she didn't know how she would explain her actions in the past, she didn't know how to explain 'yes'.
Stan could see the stress in her face along with her constant fidgeting and said, "I may be able to help you with your future, depending on your answer of course."
Maria was considering his words thoroughly. Forcing her hands to be still and her eyes to make eye contact with his she whispered, "Yes." Shyly smiling she said it again louder. Stan gave her big grin as his plan was taking place. "I loved him the first time I saw him," Maria began to remember the first time they met. When he caught her curtsying to no one in the ballroom remembering how embarrassed she felt as she hurriedly came out of the room at his request. She noticed Stan smirking at her and it agitated her a bit and she inquired why he was making such a face to her.
"I think I can help you out is all," Stan said with his grin growing even larger.
"How so?" Maria was not confused and didn't know what to think at the moment.
"What would you say being a surprise guest on my show tomorrow?" Stan questioned leaning back in his seat still staring a Maria with a keen eye.
"Oh, no! I couldn't do that!" Maria said looking away from him.
"Why not?" He was getting aggravated this reunion of two long lost lovers would get him the best ratings he ever had. "I'm going to get you to go with me one way or another. It's just the matter of how I'm going to get you to say yes to me," with saying this Stan gave Maria a cocky smile. "And… Might I add…" he paused as he started digging in his pockets.
"Add what?" Maria asked with slanted eyes.
"Want a smoke?" Stan said pulling out a silver case with five cigarettes neatly in a row. He pulled one out for himself, stuck it in his mouth and held out his hand with the silver case of cigarettes to Maria. She waved her hand out in front of her declining his offer.
"What was it that you wanted to add?" Maria asked again.
"Oh yes," he pulled out a gold lighter from his pocket and lit his cigarette. "Like I was saying, you still love him, he still loves you…" He held his hands up in a scale like manner as if weighing out his reasoning's for her to be on his broadcast. Stan noticed her light up when he said that Georg still loved her. He found this amusing, "My dear! How can you not know that he still loves you? It's been seven years and he's still looking for you, very Cinderella like if you ask me. What do you say we give him a foot for his glass slipper?" He gave Maria a wink and then leaned back proudly from his previous tense position and he could tell that his words had a large effect on Maria. He sat in his spot proud of himself.
Maria fumbled with the lip of her cup thinking. Nodding her head in agreement to her decision she had made for her self, she then asked, "When and where do you want me?"
Stan beamed with as much as his half smile would allow him to then grabbing a pin from his breast pocket and a napkin he wrote down the address to the studio and which door she was supposed to go in from so her presence there would be unknown. A surprise guest is what Stan told her she would be. Maria wasn't sure if she enjoyed the idea of surprise but she agreed that she would go along with it.
"Well, it seems as though tomorrows going to be a big day for everyone," Stan commented when he finished all his instructions. He started to put his coat on then said jokingly, "I should head back to the studio they said they needed me back by four and you ma'am have made me late."
"I'm going to stay here for awhile," Maria said.
"Are you sure?" Stan said with a caring voice. "I can take you home."
"No, that's quite alright, I don't live far from here anyways."
"Suit yourself," he burned his cigarette out in the ash tray on the table. "It has been a pleasure talking with you," he stuck his hand out to her and shook it graciously.
"God bless." Maria graced.
And he went out the door in long strides. Maria watched him leave as she thought what a brash chap he was. The waitress came to her table and offered her more tea and Maria told her yes. Pouring more tea in Maria's cup the waitress had shaky hands and some of Maria's tea spilled over. The waitress apologized as she grabbed a napkin and started to wipe the table clean. Maria gasped as the spot on the table turned black. The waitress held the napkin with all of Maria's instructions written on it.