"Liz, I’ll be fine… it’s not that hard and I don’t mind at all. You and Michael have a good time okay?" Maria said

"Thanks Ria. Make sure of the back door though… Remember it’s broken so don’t go out of it or you’ll be locked in" Liz said as she left and joined Michael in the car outside.

Maria went behind the counter and went into the washroom to change out of the washroom. She came back out in a matter of no time. Just then she heard the door shut and Kyle bumped into her.

"Hey Maria… sorry… I had left my notebook here" He said

"Kyle??? Tell me you did not just walk in through the back door!?!?!" Maria asked

"Ahhh… ya… I did so what?" Kyle asked clueless.

"So we are locked in until Liz comes back now!" Maria said franticly

"Maria… why didn’t anyone tell me I couldn’t use that door?" Kyle asked

"Oh ya… like we thought of that right away" Maria said sarcastically

"Well it can’t be that bad… It’s only me… I’m sure we can pass the time somehow," He said

"Ya.. okay…. Ummm… how have you been lately?" Maria asked

"Good, I mean I’m okay… how are you holding up? I mean with the Liz & Michael situation?" He asked

Maria was silent.

"I’m sorry. That wasn’t the best thing to say I guess…." He said

"It’s okay, it’s not your fault" Maria said.

"So… don’t take this the wrong way but I’m glad my dad and your mom aren’t dating anymore…" He said with a laugh

"Oh! Me too! That is so disgusting… Them together I mean" She said

They both laughed about it.

In no time they were sitting at the both talking about when they were little and growing up.

"You remember when I always used to call you chia-head in the fifth grade… we like hated each other back then" Maria said with a laugh

"Ya.. And what did everyone call you back then, ummm… Hurricane DeLuca? Ya that was it" Kyle said with a laugh

"Ya but that was only cause back then I could beat up you and your friends" Maria said with another giggle.

"Hey I wasn’t as tough as I am now back then… give me a break…" He said

"You know I never hated you" Maria said breaking the laughter

"Me either… I mean I never hated you… actually I had a crush on you back then…" Kyle said

"Really?" Maria asked

"Ya… I did… I’ll admit it" Kyle said

"Cause I sort of had a crush you too" Maria said

They both laughed at the same time…

"It’s hard to believe that we thought that the other hated us." Maria said

"I know…" Kyle said

"So…." Maria said as she started fidgeting.

"I, uh, think we just had our first official weird moment." Kyle commented scratching the back of his neck.

Maria nodded. "Ya I think your right"

"Anyway… I’m hungry. Do you want to go back there and see if we can make something?" Maria asked

"Yes, I'm hungry. I'm always hungry," Kyle said standing up. "And I've got a question for you."

"Okay... what is it?" Maria asked standing up so she was eye level with him

"How the hell did you come up with calling me chia-head?"

Maria laughed, "Don't you remember what your hair looked like back then? I mean when did you get that hair cut?"

"It's the same haircut I have now! I've had the same haircut for the past thirteen years. I guess it just looks better now," He said, beginning to grin a little

Maria laughed "Well it grew on you, I dunno it looked weird back then... but maybe it was just me" She said grinning back

"It wouldn't surprise me in the least if everything looked weird to you." He replied seriously

Maria punched him in the arm "Not funny" She said

"Ow. I never expected you to have an arm...and well, I thought it was funny," Kyle said, clutching his shoulder.

"Oh please.... that did not hurt you. Let’s just go and get something to eat" Maria said as she went into the back room

"I'm going to have a bruise tomorrow, you just wait and see. Either that or I'm a...wuss...and don't comment. You going to fire up some burgers in the back room?"

"No, I'm getting supplies" She said as if was the most obvious thing in the world

"Let’s see what we have back here." Maria said

She found some flour and decided to start a good old flour fight. She grinned deviously as she thought of getting Kyle back for making fun of her 'quirkiness'.

Kyle gave her a long look, "Okay, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ohhh… I was just thinking...." She said as she grabbed and hand full of flour behind her back. She walked up towards him "Of how cute you would look with flour on your face" She said laughing as she threw the flour all over him

His body stiffened as flour ran down his face. "Oh man, DeLuca, are you going to pay for that." He walked over to where the flour was and grabbed a handful of the flour himself and tossed it at her.

She grabbed more flour almost ripping the bag in the process and threw it all over the place. By the time they were done with the fight they had been covered in flour from head to toe and it was all over the ground. Maria had been laughing the whole time.

"Oh my god, I haven't been in a flour fight since I was six years old. And even that wasn't this much fun."

"Well I always have fun, you should know that by now" Maria said matter-of-factly

"Of course, how could I have forgotten? What I want to know is how I'm going to get all of this flour of out my hair." He said, beginning to dust himself off.

"Wash it out. I'll help you but your gonna have to help me wash all of it outta my hair too" Maria told him

"I have the shampoo in the back for just in case kinda thing"

"You keep shampoo around just in case you happen to get locked in, get into a flour fight and need to wash it out of your hair?"

"Kyle sometimes you can be so clueless. Hello, ever think of a food fight? Or something happens to get in our hair? Gotta be prepared for anything," Maria said

"Oh, of course. That should have been my first thought. Okay, so where is the mythical shampoo?" Kyle asked, standing up. He extended his hand to her.

"Liz brought it down. Baby shampoo, i'm afraid but hey it'll get it out" Maria said as she held his hand to get up. She felt a little electric shock, at least that's sorta what it felt like but it wasn't a static eletricity kind it was comming from the heart... "Ahhh.... Shampoo right" Maria said

He gave a breathless nod, "Right, shampoo."

"Ya..." Maria said as she walked into the kitchen and got the shampoo. They went by the sink. "Okay put your head in the sink..." Maria said softly

Ky;e stuck his head under the faucet, "You're not going to burn my scalp with scalding water, now are you?" He said, trying to joke, attempting to break the suddenly tense mood.

"No.... i'll be a good girl" She teased. She ran her fingers through his hair and put the shampoo in. She gently worked the shampoo into his hair, and then washed it out. "There was that so bad?" Maria said

He pulled his head out of the sink, "Nah, actually, it was kind of nice. Of course I'm dripping now."

Maria laughed and went under the sink and grabbed a towel. "There. Now you won't be"

"My turn" She said as she put her head in the sink

"Okay, you have a lot more hair than I do. I'm only guessing on the amount of shampoo to use," Kyle said, as he poured shamppo onto her hair. He took a few minutes working the shampoo through all of her hair, and then took an even longer time rinsiging it out, "I think I used too much..."

"Oh well... it'll just get my hair cleaner" She said with a smile. She loved the feel of his fingers in her hair... As he was washing her hair she looked at him and she felt an attration to him, greater then she had ever felt with Michael. She couldn't help feeling that way.

Kyle noticed a definate turn in the vibes in the room. "Um, okay, you're done." He stuttered, handing her a towel.

"Thanks" Maria said as she grabbed the towel and dried her hair

"So..." She said

"Yeah really. We have the flour fight out of the way, cleaning it up...what else is there to do around here, anyway? Oh that's right, we were going to eat."

Maria laughed "I kinda forgot all about that" She said

He grinned, "In that case, let's find something." He held out his arm, "My lady?"

"My Lord" Maria nodded with a big grin on her face as she took his arm and went off to find something to eat

"This may be, oh say, the ulitmate male comment, but I can't cook, so you're going to have to."

"Ya... okay" Maria said

"I've never thought about it before," Kyle said, looking around the kitchen, "But really, do you just sell a bunch of burgers dressed up differently?"

Maria took out the burgers and started cooking them. "Basiclly...? Ya"

He laughed, "That's what I guessed." He reached up on a shelf, "Aha, a radio. Since the muzsk is turned off. It's too quiet in here. What station you listen to?" He asked, plugging it in.

"Doesn't matter. If I can sing it, it's good'

"Okay, that nukes my station. You usually can't understand the words on the first listen." He flashed her a grin. "I suppose we'll find something." He starting flipping through the stations, "You find something you like, tell me to stop."

"Stop" Maria said well he came to a station she liked. She finished the bugers and they sat down listening to music and eating.

"You make a mean burger," Kyle commented after a few minutes. "Don't know why they don't have you back there instead of Guerin. All of my burgers have been crap since he started."

Maria blushed and laughed. "thanks" she said

Just then a slow song came on. "You wanna dance?" She asked

He smiled, "Yeah."

Maria stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck and started to dance with him.

"This is nice," Kyle said.

"Ya... it is...." Maria said

"Kyle?" Maria said

"Yeah?"

"I think ummm...." Maria paused "I think have feelings for you" She said slowly

"As in more then friends feelings"

Kyle swallowed, "Well, that's sort of ironic because I was wondering if maybe I felt the same way about you."

'Well what should we do about this? I mean us?"

"Well, long term, I don't know, but right now I want to kiss you." He said quickly.

Maria smiled softly and leaned in to kiss him.

He smiled too, and he kissed her, while trying to keep his lips from trembling.

"That was wow...." Maria said

He nodded, "You can say that again."

"I'm not going to say anything" She said as she leant in again

Just then Liz & Michael walked in and caught them kissing.

"Looks like you two are getting along fine" Michael said flatly.

Kyle jerked his head away from Maria's. "Aw, crap."

"Great timing Guerin" Maria muttered under her breathe.

Liz laughed. "it's ok... we'll leave you two alone" She said as her and Michael went to the back

"Surprisingly that went down better then I thought it would" She said

Kyle nodded, amazed, "It did."

"Well do you want to get outta here now that we can?" Maria asked

He grinned, "yeah."

"Okay" Maria said as she took his hand and walked out.

He grinned, "yeah."

"tonight has been really interesting," Kyle said, "Where from here?"

"Wherever are feet take us I guess, unless there is somewhere you want to go?"

He smiled, "Truth be told, I'm happy right here."

She smiled back. "Then we can stay here...." She said