The part about campus security being used for security for the show<em>was</em>music to Maria’s ears. As incompetent as New Lyonesse’s Not-So-Finest was in general, she knew enough to know that a certain competent red haired detective was assigned art and high end item theft in the city. The kind of competent that would actually be aghast at the lousy security measures Maria had manipulated Diana into supplying. And if Diana had gone to private security there was the chance she may actually get people who knew what the fuck they were doing.<br/><br/>Still, Maria couldn’t exactly take the victory lap she felt like doing. Sure she had feelings for Diana, way deeper than she should have, but the point of this exercise was that it was kept hidden away. She felt Diana’s hand cover hers after she finished her veal. Maria didn’t need to do much acting on just how badly it was tugging at her heart strings.<br/><br/>“You’re just too sweet Diana. You’re going to give me a cavity one of these days.” Maria gently lifted Diana’s hand off of the table and clasped it with her other before she leaned forward across the table. Diana took the hint and the lips of the two women met softly a moment later. In truth, kissing Diana was probably more pleasurable than sex with her. She was so innocent, so willing, so desperate to please, so<em>precious</em>. It was the sort of connection one could only feel with a gentle kiss after dinner at a stylish, but still humble, restaurant in a park on a sparklingly beautiful spring night. Maria found her other hand reaching up to caress Diana’s neck gently…<br/><br/>The feeling of the emerald necklace Maria had given her seemed to drag Maria back to Earth. As much as Maria tried to separate her mission and the growing feelings she had for Diana, as much as she wanted the two to be mutually exclusive, the touch of the expensive jewelry brought the memory of her ultimate goal returning like a punch in the gut. She separated from her and kept the sparkle of romance in her eyes as she leaned back into her chair as they shared a tender moment.<br/><br/>“Well,” Maria said, doing her best not to sound awkward. “Speaking of sweet, how about dessert hm? Now I know how you are about calories but they have this tirmasu here…” She knew Diana wouldn’t say not to her. That was what made Maria’s young girlfriend so adorable.<br/><br/>And so useful.<br/><hr/>It was sixty plus degrees when they left the restaurant into the clear star and moon lit Gwenhwyfar Park. By some miracle it was nearly the end of April and still relatively warm even at night. Diana took the opportunity to hold hands almost the instant the two had cleared the restaurant door. It was everything Maria had not to giggle. “Looks like you want a little walk to put off all those extra tiramisu calories huh? It was worth it though wasn’t it?”<br/><br/>The two laughed and walked down the paved path towards the lit statue of Gwenhwyfar and Lancelot embracing. Maria couldn’t help herself as they approached. “Say, do you know why this park and statue refers to Gwenhwyfar and not Guinevere?” Excited Maria expounded on the history of Welsh settlers and their leader being enamored with John Dryden and Richard Blackmore and the history of Britian etc etc etc. If Diana didn’t know better she<em>might</em>think that Maria was talking about art history as a way to delay talking about something else.<br/><br/>Maria did end up catching herself and gave her cutest “aw shucks I’m so embarrassed” smile. “I’m sorry. I am the art historian aren’t I? Well I figure if anyone would appreciate it, it’s you.” She turned to face Diana hooking some of the college student’s long silky flawless brunette locks away from that beautiful face. “I just…Like you said the best thing that’s happened to me since…well in a long time is meeting you. And, you know, seeing all of this and spending time with you. It just makes me feel so lucky. I…” The pause wasn’t dramatic but Maria’s glance to the ground and her slow embrace of Diana made it clear she had something important to say.<br/><br/>“It’s nothing. Never mind I…” Maria’s eyes met Diana’s and, even if she was looking for something besides warm love, she wouldn’t have found it. “I just wanted you to know I love you. That’s all.”