Author: Taya Johnston (tjsmklvr)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer:  “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and the characters of Lee and Amanda are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Enterprises.  The story belongs to me and is for entertainment purposes only.  Please do not redistribute or reproduce without my permission.  Excerpts used from “The First Time” written by Eugenie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner.  Excerpts used from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” written by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. 

Timeline: September-October 1983.  Completely AU.  If you don’t enjoy Alternate Universe stories, stop reading now.  What are you doing?  I said stop!  Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you. J

Feedback: Yes, please, on list or off.

Summary:  Will Lee win or lose when he bets on love?

Author’s Notes: A heartfelt “thank you” to my beta team (Barb, Cheryl and Rita).  Thank you all, so much for all your hard work in fixing my mistakes and in-turn making this a much better story.  Also, thanks to Chanda for helping me flesh this story out in the early stages.

“How To Get A Girl In 10 Days”

Day One

“Don’t get us wrong, Amanda.  It’s just that you’ve been divorced for over a year now.  You need to get out and let yourself experience life…as a single woman.”  Amanda looked around the crowded Georgetown bar and shook her head at her friends, sitting at the round wooden table.  How had this night become about her personal life? 

“I have two boys at home who need me.  I don’t have the luxury of living a single life, Mary Ann.  Besides…I’ve dated.”

“Now, Amanda, a few platonic dates with the local weatherman doesn’t count.  We’re not saying you should start dating every man you meet, just that perhaps it’s time to let loose a bit, enjoy life.  You’re so young yet.  Have you ever even had a one-night stand?” 

All eyes were on her--Amanda King--and she started to squirm.  But they were right.  She was a newly divorced woman, with two small boys and a live-in mother.  Between running the boys back and forth to their extracurricular activities and helping her mother with the daily duties of running a house, she barely had time to breathe, let alone have time for herself.

After the divorce, she’d closed herself off from the opposite sex.  Amanda had thought she and Joe would always be married and raising their two sons together.  When it didn’t happen, she’d never felt so much like a failure.  Unfortunately, Joe had other ideas, other dreams that didn’t include her, or their then very young sons.  She had always dreamed of becoming a wife and mother.  Granted, that dream had come true, albeit for a short time.  But how could she have a fling?  Feeling the tense stares upon her, she pulled herself from thoughts of the past. 

“A one-night stand?  You’re kidding, right?” she asked, incredulously.  The look on her friends’ faces told her they weren’t.  “How could I just go home with some stranger?  You’ve all done this?”  Looking around the table at the exuberant nods, she couldn’t believe these women, these fellow den mothers, neighbors, and close friends.  Had she known them at all? 

“Amanda, just try it once.  We’re not advising you to do it every week.  Just let go for one night.  You’d be amazed at how exciting it can be.”  Did that really come from Suzanne?  The same Suzanne who was crying on her shoulder, just barely a year ago, over her failed marriage? 

“I get enough excitement playing taxi to Phillip and Jamie and listening to my mother’s latest escapades.  Going home with a man I just met is not the kind of excitement I’m looking for, Suzanne.”  Amanda needed a break from the onslaught of advice.  “I’m gonna go buy the next round.  I’ll be right back.”    Seeing the look of pity on her friends’ faces, she rose and made her way toward the bar.  I’m perfectly happy with the way my life is going.  I have two beautiful children and a wonderful mother.  Sure, I get lonely sometimes, but who doesn’t?   

She was almost to the bar when she bumped into a man sitting at a table with two other men.  “Oh, excuse me.”  The man jumped up, grabbed her forearms, and braced her. 

“I’m sorry.  Are you okay?”  Their eyes met for a brief moment, before she felt the heat rise in her cheeks and lowered her head. 

“Yes, I’m fine.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t see your chair there.”  She pivoted and hastened toward the bar, feeling the warmth of a flush still burning her cheeks.

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He observed her every move as she walked toward the bar.  The woman’s brown hair was swept up on top of her head, with small tendrils gracing her slender neck.  She wore a white silk blouse and black slacks, which accentuated her slim figure.  She wasn’t dressed provocatively like most women who attracted him.  There was something about her eyes.  They were dark and intriguing.  At first, he didn’t even hear his friends calling to him.

“Earth to Lee!”  Mark and Fred were laughing and shaking their heads, apparently at how distracted Lee could become by the mere sight of an attractive woman. 

“See, that is exactly my point.”  Mark said, emphatically. 

Gathering his faculties, Lee turned to meet the grins on his co-workers’ faces.  “What point?”

“You!  I bet you couldn’t last two weeks in a real relationship.  You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself, if you actually had to speak to a date the next morning.”

“You’re crazy, Mark! I’ve had serious relationships before.  Haven’t I, Fred?”  Looking to his buddy for support, he was greeted with a snicker. 

“When?  In 1978?” 

“Ha ha!  Very funny, Fred.  I could be in a relationship, if I wanted to.  I just prefer to have a bit of variety.” 

“Variety is dating one or two ladies at a time.  You date a new woman every night.  That isn’t variety, my friend, that’s being afraid of commitment.”  Mark pinned Lee with a pointed stare. 

“We’re just giving you a hard time, buddy.”  Fred appeared to be feeling sorry for him. 

“I could do it.”

“Uh-huh, put your money where your mouth is.” 

“Oh, boy.”  Fred apparently didn’t like where this conversation was going. 

“What do you mean?  Like a real bet?”  Lee raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, why not?  I bet you a hundred dollars that you couldn’t last a month in a committed relationship.”

“Guys, we’re just here to have a good time.  We don’t need to be betting like this.  Lee works hard for his money.  I’d hate to see him lose it on something so trivial.”

“So, you don’t think I can do it either, eh, Fred?”  Fred shrugged his shoulders and seemed to find the stain on the table mesmerizing.  “Okay, you’re on, Mark.  But let’s make it a real bet.  Say, five hundred dollars?” 

“Your loss!  Okay, five hundred dollars that you can’t commit to a serious relationship for a month.  Now, it’s got to be with a new woman, no old girlfriends, Stetson.  We’ll give you…say, ten days to find the ‘right’ woman.”

“Fine.”

“Lee, we’re just giving you a hard time.  You don’t need to do this.” 

Lee took a gulp of his beer and realized he was due for a refill.  “Yeah, yeah!  I’m a good sport; I’ll even buy the next round.”  He grabbed the empty pitcher and headed for the bar. 

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Amanda stood at the corner of the bar.  She’d been waiting for the bartender to take her order for the past ten minutes.   But they were extremely busy, so she waited, content with the time away from her misguided friends. 

She remembered what Mary Ann had said.  ‘You’d be amazed at how exciting it can be.’  “Maybe I could use a bit of excitement,” she murmured. 

“Careful what you wish for.  It’s not always all it’s cracked up to be.”

She turned at the sound of the deep baritone voice behind her.  As their eyes met, her breath caught in her throat.  It was the man she had bumped into just minutes before. 

“Excuse me?”  Was he talking to her? 

“I’m sorry for the wait.  What can I get you?” the bartender asked.  

Whirling around to face the impatient bartender, her voice cracked when she replied.  “Wha…oh, um, yes.  Could we have another round over at that table?”  She pointed toward her friends.  

“Another round of Margaritas?”

“Right.  Thanks.”

“And for you, sir?”  He looked just beyond Amanda’s right shoulder.  

Amanda stole a quick glance at the tall gentleman holding the empty pitcher.  Beautiful eyes and great hair…I’m sure he knows it too.  That type usually has the arrogance to go along with the whole package.

He caught her staring at him and smiled, keeping his gaze on her, while he replied to the bartender.  “Yeah.  Can I get another pitcher, please?”  He handed the empty pitcher to the man. 

She politely smiled and suddenly found something compelling about her feet.  She didn’t dare look back up into those eyes, lest he see her embarrassment.  Where is that bartender with those drinks?  What was taking him so long?

“So, you’re looking for some excitement, huh?  Would you care to dance?”  He offered her his hand.

She glanced at the bartender, then her friends.  They appeared to be dishing out more advice to poor Sara, who was having problems in her marriage.  ‘At least it’s not me,’ she thought.

He seemed to sense her unspoken question.  “I’ll have the bartender deliver the drinks to your table, okay?” 

Looking back at the handsome stranger, she smiled shyly and took his hand.  “Okay, thanks.”

“Can you have those delivered to those two tables?”  He pointed to his and Amanda’s table of friends and placed a twenty-dollar bill on the counter.

He turned to face her again, then led her to the small dance floor in the corner and pulled her close.  “My name’s Lee Stetson.” 

She drew back from his embrace and looked into his eyes.  “Amanda King.  Nice to meet you, Mr. Stetson.”

“Please, call me Lee.  And I assure you, Amanda, the pleasure is mine.”  He pulled her to him once again.  “So, you’re here with friends, I take it?”  He nodded in the women’s general direction. 

“Yes.  We have a friend who is going through a bit of a rough spot in her marriage, so we thought we’d take her out to get her mind off things.  But it seems they had an ulterior motive.” 

“Oh?  How so?”

“Hmm?  Oh, nothing really.  Their focus just seems to have turned to me tonight, rather than Sara.  She’s the one with the actual problem.”  She shook her head as she glimpsed her friends still ‘advising’ the poor woman.

“Yeah, that seems to be going around tonight.”  Lee’s eyes darted to his supposed friends, who were giving him knowing looks.  His thoughts turned to what they had said earlier.  ‘You couldn’t last two weeks in a real relationship!’  What did they know?  He could be in a committed relationship if he wanted to.   He looked down at the woman in his arms and smiled.  She seemed the complete opposite of the type of women he normally dated.  Maybe she was exactly what he needed to win this bet.  Time to turn on the charm, Stetson.  

After the song ended, he guided her to a small table in the corner of the bar.  “Would you like a drink?” 

“Oh, um…I think I better just have a water, thank you.”

He called a waitress over and ordered two waters.  “So, Amanda...” She looked at him questioningly.  “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, what would you like to know?”

“Everything!”  At the sound of her laughter, he added, “Why don’t you start with the basics?”

“Okay, I’m a divorced mother of two boys, Phillip and Jamie.  Phillip is ten, and Jamie is eight.  We live in Arlington with my mother.  She moved in shortly after the divorce to help me out.  If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I’d ever have made it through the past year.”

He couldn’t believe how much she could say in one breath.  Did she just say kids?  Well, it’s only for a month.  “Do you work, Amanda?” 

“Actually, I’m looking for work.  I have an interview at Honeycutt Typewriter week after next.”

“That’s great.”  The loud banging of the band setting up across the room startled him.  The sound of the musicians tuning their instruments made it difficult to hear her. 

“Hey, what do you say we go to a quiet café for some coffee?  It’s getting difficult to have a conversation in here.”

She seemed as if she was about to decline, but then glanced at her friends, looked into his eyes, and silently nodded. 

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Amanda weaved around the tables and returned to her friends.  “I’m going to go have some coffee…with Lee.”  She pointed to the devastatingly handsome man standing by the door.  “I’ll get a ride back to my car from him.  Unless you don’t think it’s a good idea?”  She was torn between needing their approval and wanting to avoid another intervention.   Judging by their silence and surprised expressions, she’d rendered them speechless. 

“GO!”  They all yelled and laughed. 

As she grabbed her purse and walked toward the door, she smiled, overhearing their shocked words.  Evidently they were amazed she would actually take them up on their advice.  Not that she planned to go home with the man, but the thought of getting to know him sent a shiver of excitement throughout her body. 

He held the door open for her.  “All set?” 

“Yep.”

After leaving the bar, he escorted her to his car and opened the door for her.  Once she was seated, he closed the door, walked around the back of the car, and slid into the driver’s seat.  

“I know this little place on M Street that’s usually pretty quiet this time of night.”

“Sounds great.”

The rest of the drive was spent in silence.

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After they were seated in a dimly lit corner of the room, he ordered coffee, sat back, and relaxed.    The soft sound of jazz could be heard throughout the establishment, adding to the ambiance. 

They talked, for what seemed like hours, about her children and mother, his work as a film director, anything and everything.  He’d never felt so at ease with another person before.  They didn’t seem to run out of things to say.  When there was silence between them, it was comfortable, not awkward.  Not like some of his dates, when, after the sex, there didn’t seem to be anything else to say.  For a brief moment, he wondered what it was he found attractive in those women. 

Their waitress returned to fill their cups and left.  Amanda smiled at him, and he realized again that she was very different from the typical women he dated.  Sure, they were beautiful and sophisticated, but Amanda was a classic beauty.  The other women always worried about how they would be seen and by whom.  She didn’t try to act like someone she wasn’t.  She was able to laugh at herself.  She was genuine.  Something he wasn’t used to.  He looked up from stirring his coffee to find her big brown eyes looking at him expectantly.  “I’m sorry, did you say something?”  He was embarrassed to be caught daydreaming. 

“I was just saying that I think they want to close.”  She nodded toward the wait staff that was obviously anxious for them to leave. 

“Oh.”  He looked at his watch--a little after midnight.   How time flies….

He got up and threw some money on the table, then offered Amanda his hand and helped her out of her chair.    They walked out of the cafe, hand in hand.  When had he taken her hand?  Apparently she hadn't noticed the action, either.  Somehow, it seemed so natural.  He felt a sense of warmth radiating between them.  Perhaps she felt it, too

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“I guess I should get you home, Cinderella.”  He smiled, showing his hidden dimples as they strolled toward his car.  She merely nodded, fascinated by those dimples. 

When they reached his car, she leaned against the passenger door.  Looking up into his hazel eyes, she licked her lips, silently requesting him to kiss her.  He complied.  The kiss was soft and sweet.  And seemed to end just as quickly as it began.  But the moment their lips touched, she felt that same jolt of electricity she’d felt earlier course through her body.

She no longer felt like Phillip and Jamie’s mother, nor did she feel like Dotty’s daughter, or Joe’s ex-wife.  She was Amanda King--a vibrant, young woman with needs and wants, just like everyone else.  It was time she put her needs ahead of everyone else’s, even if it was only for one night.  She thought of what her friends had told her earlier.  Why shouldn’t I have a little excitement?  I’m thirty-four years old; it’s time I lived.  With new resolve, she looked him in the eye and whispered, “Or we could go back to your place.” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, she couldn’t believe she had said them.   The blood pounded in her ears, and she again found her shoes intriguing.  Should she tell him she was kidding?

He tilted her chin and gazed into her eyes.  “That sounds like a wonderful idea,” he whispered, leaving a soft kiss behind her ear.  She gave him a small smile as he opened the car door and helped her in.  The engine came to life moments later, and they made the short trip to his apartment in Georgetown.   

To Be Continued…

As they walked up the sidewalk toward the tall building, she realized she was fidgeting with her hands, a sure sign of her nervousness.  Was it fear or anticipation?  She wasn’t quite sure, perhaps a bit of both.  On the one hand, she was a single woman who had desires, but, on the other hand, she was a mother who needed to set a good example for her children.  Sure, the boys were at a sleepover and her mother was staying with a friend who was recuperating from surgery, but what if they found out?  She would be mortified.  Looking into her companion’s eyes, she realized the mortification might just be worth it. 

She felt his hand on the small of her back, guiding her into the elevator.  He looked down at her, and she smiled shyly.  Again, she questioned not only her motives, but his as well.  They had a nice, leisurely conversation back at the café, and he seemed very sincere.  When she had first bumped into him back at the bar, she was struck dumbfounded by his enchanting eyes.  Maybe, just maybe, this was her one time in life to be adventurous, the one time to throw caution to the wind.  With renewed determination, she smiled up at Lee and allowed him to lead her out of the elevator. 

“I’m just down the hall here.”  He motioned toward the door, while he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. 

“Okay.”  She was sure her voice gave away the falsity of her nonchalant attitude. 

As he slid the key into the lock and opened the door, she took a deep breath.  She preceded him inside; hoping the intake of breath would help calm her nerves.  When he flipped on the light, she took a moment to acclimate herself.  From the look of things, he had been a bachelor for a very long time.  The living room had a comfortable feeling to it.  The desk in the corner seemed to be a bottomless pit of paper.  There was no woman’s touch anywhere.  Funny, she was actually pleased about that.  But she wasn’t looking for ‘Mr. Right’; she was only looking for ‘Mr. Right Now.’  Right?  She mentally shook her head to clear her thoughts. 

“Can I get you some wine?”  His voice came from the kitchen. 

“Yes, I’d love some.  Thanks.  You have a nice place here, Lee.”  She raised her voice so he could hear her and flipped through the albums lined neatly on the shelves.  He had good taste in music, too.  He had all her favorites, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, among others. 

“Thanks.” He handed her a glass of wine over her shoulder. 

“Oh my gosh!  Don’t do that!  You nearly scared me to death.”  She let out a sigh and took the proffered glass. 

“Sorry.”  He laughed.  “I didn’t mean to scare you.  Habit, I guess.”

She walked over to the sofa and sat down.  “What kind of habit, exactly?”  She was curious now. 

“Oh, you know…” He rifled through his records and selected one.  After starting the music, he sat next to her on the couch and sipped his wine. 

The sound of Miles Davis drifted through the room.  She knew all the old bands, since her parents were into them.  For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and let the music take her away.   

“Amanda?”

“Hmmm?”

“Where were you just now?” 

“Oh, forgive me.  The music just brought me back to my childhood.  I practically teethed on these records.”  She looked up to see him staring at her.  “Silly, I guess.”

“No, it’s not silly at all.  My parents listened to them a lot before they died.  I guess that’s why I enjoy them so much now.” 

“I’m sorry, Lee.”  She brushed her hand over his to comfort him. 

“Ah, it’s okay.  It was a long time ago.”  She saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke of his parents.  It must be a touchy subject, and she didn’t want to push.  He looked around the room, perhaps searching for a distraction.  He obviously wasn’t ready to talk about those feelings.

“Would you care to dance?”  When she nodded, he grasped her hand, pulled her from the sofa, and led her to the middle of the room. 

He twirled her around once, before drawing her to him.  Placing his hand around her waist, he brought her hand to his chest.  Resting her head against his, she felt his eyes close as his lashes brushed against her cheek.  “You’re a great dancer, so graceful,” he whispered in her ear. 

“Thank you.  You aren’t so bad yourself,” she teased. 

Her thoughts drifted to her first impression of the man holding her.  Earlier at the bar, she pegged him for a womanizer--the type who dated a different woman every night of the week.    What she found, as the night progressed, was a sweet, caring man who just happened to be drop-dead gorgeous.  He was not only intelligent and worldly, but also very attentive.  He seemed to really be interested in what she had to say.  Perhaps her first impression of him was incorrect.  Maybe he was the whole package…minus the ego. 

He wasn’t the typical type of man she dated.  She was used to the divorced P.T.A. dads at the boys’ school.  ‘Once burned, twice shy.’  Where the topic of conversation seemed to always revolve around their children.  What were the odds she would go out with friends and meet a really great guy?

I thought you were only looking for a fling?  Her inner voice chastised.  A one-night stand.  Excitement.  The words seemed to mock her.  Who are you kidding?  Amanda King?   Have a one-night encounter with a stranger?  She pulled him closer.  Well, he’s not really a stranger anymore.  She countered.  Was he?  She drew back from his embrace and looked into his eyes.

He smiled down at her, once again showing his dimples, then his eyes drifted to her lips.  Her tongue flicked out of its own volition to moisten her lips.  He lowered his head, and his mouth acknowledged her silent invitation.  Her heart raced while his soft lips consumed her. She felt herself relax in his embrace.  The dizzying effect the kiss had on her was surprising.  A fair share of men had kissed her, but none had affected her this way.  Not even her ex-husband, Joe.  Lee’s lips were so soft and tender.  As their lips hungrily danced, she lost control of all rational thought.     

“Wait!”  She placed her hand on his chest.  “Let’s not go too fast.”

“Yeah.”  He sighed and pulled her back to him. 

She felt his warm breath against her neck and ear.  Looking into his eyes seemed to derail her train of thought.  She trailed a finger over his lips and found herself initiating another kiss with the tall psuedo-stranger.  Soon after, she felt him pull back. 

“We’re moving too fast.  You’re right, it’s too fast.” 

“Okay.”  She was certain her voice lacked the determination she intended to project.  He smiled.  Perhaps he had heard the same lack of confidence.  When his lips devoured hers again, that thought was confirmed. 

With his arms still holding her tightly to him and their tongues still dancing, they moved to the couch.  Miraculously, they made it without breaking the kiss or bumping into anything.  He laid her down onto the couch, careful not to crush her with his weight.   The kiss had become fiercer.  Hands roamed soothingly over each other’s bodies, as if they had done this dance a lifetime over.

They both stopped abruptly.  “Too fast!”  They said, in unison. 

Amanda was still laughing from their simultaneous outburst, when he cupped her head in his hands and rained butterfly kisses over her eyelids.  “I just want you to respect me,” she whispered.

“I do.  And I want your respect.”

“I respect you for respecting me,” she added, biting back a laugh. 

“I can respect that,” he said, in a half whisper, half laugh, as he raised himself off her with obvious reluctance.  He pulled her up next to him and handed her the wineglass.

“What do you say I put on another record, and we just talk?” 

“Sounds wonderful.”  She smiled, hoping to convey her appreciation for his willingness to slow things down.  Although it was her idea to go back to his place, once things heated up, she became uneasy with the speed at which they happened.  What had possessed her to think she could actually have a one-nighter?  My supposed friends, she mentally quipped.  She was a mother of two!   He is a sexy guy, and, if I were going to have a one-nighter, he’d be the one I’d pick.  She silently berated herself for her impure thoughts.  

After placing another record on the turntable, Lee returned to the couch with the bottle of wine.  Once he’d refilled their glasses, he sat down next to Amanda and pulled her closer to him.  She felt quite content to sit there and listen to him breathe.  Moments later, she heard his breathing pattern slow and knew he had fallen asleep.  Her eyes drifted shut.

To Be Continued…

Amanda awoke suddenly to the sound of light tapping on a door.  Was it her mother?  Had she overslept?  She quickly realized she wasn’t in her bed, she wasn’t even on her own couch, and she certainly wasn’t alone.  The strong arm draped over her was a sure sign of that.  Within moments, the previous night’s events flooded her mind.  She groaned inwardly.  What must he think of her, spending the night at the home of a man she just met the night before?  There it was again, the light tapping.  She eased from under his arm and crept to the front door. 

When she opened the door, a petite woman, who appeared to be in her mid-sixties, greeted Amanda.  “Hello,” she said, trying to be as friendly as possible at the crack of dawn, while also trying not to wake Lee. 

“Oh…hello,” the woman replied and rolled her eyes.

She didn’t seem surprised to see someone other than Lee answer the door.  Amanda suddenly felt embarrassed.  It was clear what this woman was implying with her looks. 

“I don’t mean to disturb you, but I wanted to give this to Mr. Stetson.  It was delivered to my apartment by mistake.”  She handed the envelope to Amanda, and then pulled it away from her grasp.  “You will be sure to give it to him?  The last time I left something with one of his ‘lady friends’ he never received it.  Of course, it didn’t help that I couldn’t remember which one I had left it with.  He has so many of you coming and going, it would be a full-time job keeping track of you all.”   Amanda felt her jaw drop, and the woman rushed on.  “Well, here it is.  Thank you.”  She shuffled back down the hall to her apartment. 

“Oh my gosh!  What am I doing here?” she muttered.  When she turned to head back inside, she caught movement on the couch.  A quick escape was for the best.  She obviously misjudged the man.    Apparently she was right on target with her first impression of him; he was a player.  And she nearly fell for his line--hook, line, and sinker.

She placed the mail on his desk, grabbed her things, and flew out the door.   As the elevator doors closed, she saw that same nosey neighbor shaking her head in apparent disapproval and regretted waiting to put her shoes on in the elevator.    Amanda squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head in shame.  “What that woman must think of me,” she whispered, as she jabbed the lobby button.

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Lee awoke to the sound of the phone ringing.  Why was he sleeping on the couch?  Then he smelled the light, airy perfume lingering on his clothes and remembered.  He and Amanda had fallen asleep talking.  Amanda.  Where was she?  He remembered waking up in the middle of the night wrapped snuggly around her small frame.  He had never enjoyed the cuddling that came in the late night hours of sleeping with any of his lady friends.   But the way he felt when holding her last night seemed to calm him in a way he had never experienced. 

She was a contradiction in terms; she was beautiful, sexy, and vivacious, but she was also wholesome and down-to-earth.  She seemed so easy to please, unlike the other women he dated, who expected to be wined and dined.  He imagined Amanda would be just as happy to spend an evening at home watching a movie and snuggling on the couch as attending a fancy party.  Why did the mere thought of her bring a smile to his face?  The clicking of the answering machine interrupted Lee’s thoughts.  He pushed himself off the couch, stretching to work the kinks out of his back and shoulders.  The couch may be comfortable to sit on, but sleeping on it was another matter entirely. 

Playing back the message, he realized he’d missed Billy Melrose’s call.  His Section Chief only called him at home when something big was coming down.  He picked up the handset and dialed the familiar number.  When he reached Billy, he was told he was needed in the office and would be briefed there.  It was no doubt about his current case involving unexplained agent killings.  There was only one way to find out for sure.  He would head into the agency as soon as he called Amanda and grabbed a hot shower.

‘Why did she leave so early and without even saying goodbye?’  He was disappointed that she wasn’t there, which was somewhat disturbing, but he quickly shook the thought from his mind. ‘ I’ve got to get her to stick around for at least a month, otherwise, Mark and Fred will win the bet, and I’ll be five hundred dollars lighter.’  It wasn’t so much the money as it was the idea that he would prove them right.  So what if he was drawn to this woman?  It was all for a bet--nothing less, nothing more. 

He grabbed the phone again.  After calling information, he dialed the number and waited for her to answer.   He was about to hang up after the fourth ring when he heard her sweet voice.  “Hi, Amanda!  It’s…” He stopped when he realized he was listening to her machine.  Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, he cleared his throat and tried to think of something to say.  At the machine’s prompt, he began.  “Hi, Amanda.  It’s Lee…Lee Stetson.  I just wanted to make sure you made it home safely and to…uh…to make sure you were okay.  I really enjoyed spending time with you last night.  My number is 555-7631.  Bye.”

He replaced the receiver and smacked his hand to his forehead.  “Smooth, Stetson.  Real smooth.  You sounded like an idiot.”  How did she do this to him after only one night?  He was used to making women swoon at his feet.  All he knew was that he wanted to get to know Amanda King better.  ‘No, this is just about the bet, Stetson, nothing else.’  With that, he headed to the shower. 

       SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Amanda pulled into her driveway just before seven, hoping beyond all hope that she’d beaten her mother home.  She had taken a taxi from Lee’s apartment to the bar where she had left her car.  Amanda silently entered the seemingly quiet house and eased the door closed.  She stood in the entryway, listening for any signs that her mother was home.   When she realized she had indeed beaten her, she let out a small sigh.  ‘Thank goodness, no early morning inquisitions,’ she thought, as she made her way into the kitchen.  She stopped dead in her tracks.   Her mother sat at the kitchen table, reading the paper and drinking her coffee.  She bit her lower lip and groaned inwardly, mentally preparing for the onslaught of questions. 

“Mother!  You’re home awfully early.  How is Mrs. Topping feeling?”  Amanda grabbed a coffee mug and poured herself a cup of the hot beverage. 

“Amanda, darling.  Where have you been?  I was worried when I arrived home and your car was missing.  And Mrs. Topping is doing much better.”    Her mother pulled a corner of the paper down and looked at her expectantly over the rim of her glasses.  Suddenly, Amanda felt sixteen-years-old again, caught breaking her curfew. 

She forged ahead.  “Yes, well, it was so late I spent the night at Mary Ann’s.  I’m sorry I worried you.”  She fumbled with the cream and sugar, hoping her mother didn’t press her any further.  Amanda hated lying to her, but what choice did she have?  She couldn’t tell her that she had spent the wee hours of the morning snuggling with a man she met the night before at a bar.  What would she think? 

“Oh, that was a good idea.  You know how I feel about you driving so late at night.  It’s just too dangerous!”

Glad to see her mother wasn’t going to press the issue, she grabbed her coffee and hurried toward the stairs.  “Well, Mother, I think I’ll head upstairs and take a quick shower.”   

“Oh, Amanda, dear?  You have a message on the machine from a Mr. Stetson.  Apparently he enjoyed the time you spent together last night and wants to see you again.” 

She halted at the foot of the staircase.  Her shoulders slumping, she headed back into the kitchen.  Amanda saw the determined look on her mother’s face and flushed.  “Oh, okay.  Thank you, Mother.”  She stared at the machine in utter shock. 

“Well, I’m going to go upstairs and gather up the laundry.”  With a knowing smirk, she added, “You enjoy your shower, dear.”  She patted Amanda’s arm.   

At the faint sound of her mother snickering, Amanda closed her eyes tightly.  “I would’ve been better off telling her the truth.  Now she thinks I’m having a ‘thing’.”  She moved to the answering machine on the counter and pressed the play button. 

The sound of his voice reminded her of their late night talk and how comfortable she had felt.  Their conversation seemed to flow naturally, as if they’d always known each other.   The machine’s beeping reminded her of the reality of the situation.  Her thoughts shifted to her conversation with Lee’s neighbor earlier that morning.  She could almost hear the older woman’s words.  ‘He has so many of you coming and going, it would be a full-time job keeping track of you all.’  

As she realized she was just another one of his many conquests, anger threatened to overwhelm her.  Perhaps the only reason he had called was because he’d failed to bed her the night before.  She pressed the delete button with a flourish and headed up the stairs to shower.     

To Be Continued…

“Germany?  Why the hell am I being sent there?” 

“What’s going on with you, Scarecrow?  You’ve never squabbled about being sent overseas before.  In fact, you’re usually the first one to volunteer.  What’s the matter?  Got a hot date planned?”  Billy Melrose chuckled.  Sure, Lee Stetson was a ladies man, but he was also a professional--one to always put his personal life on hold for his career.   He could always count on Scarecrow to get the job done.  

“Oh, come on, Billy.  I just don’t see how going to Germany is going to help us solve the murders of two of our agents here in the states.”  

His best agent raked his fingers through his hair--a telltale sign something was going on.   

“We received a tip that the contracted killer who murdered Miller and Tyson is from Germany.  I want you to see if you can get a line on him and possibly trace him back here.  You think you can do that?” 

“Yeah, yeah, sure.  When do I leave?”  He grabbed the folder Billy extended to him.

Billy looked at his watch.  “Your flight leaves in less than two hours.  Get packed and over to Dulles ASAP.  I don’t want you missing your flight…again.” 

“Nothing like an overseas trip on short notice.”  Lee’s voice dripped sarcasm as he stood, shaking his head.     

“Ah, the joys of being a counter-intelligence operative.” 

“Yeah, just one of the many perks,” Lee added, in a snide tone.

 Billy laughed as Lee stalked out of the office and into the Bullpen.  

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

Once he was seated on the plane, he took a moment to catch his breath.  He’d hurried through the terminal, but had to pick up speed when he saw the flight attendant closing the door to the plane.  He smiled, shaking his head in disbelief at what a few well-phrased words could do to a woman.  A guy’s got to do whatever it takes, he thought.  There was no way he could sit through another one of his Section Chief’s lectures on the finer points of punctuality.  If he had to do a bit of flirting with a flight attendant to ensure that, he would.

He wouldn’t have had to rush if it wasn’t for his busybody neighbor stopping him just outside his door on his way out.  She had asked if he received his mail from his ‘new lady friend’ this morning.  He’d just stared at her, until he realized she must have spoken to Amanda.  As she filled him in on their conversation, he realized why Amanda had left so abruptly.  She assumed she was to be just another notch on his bedpost.  That thought did not sit well with Lee.  He wasn’t sure why he felt so differently about her, but the truth was, he did.  He was certain of one thing; he wanted to get to know her better, bet or no bet.

He grabbed the magazine from the back of the seat in front of him and flipped through the pages.  He felt anxious.  He’d been feeling that way all morning, but why?  It wasn’t this new assignment.  He could do it with his eyes closed.  It was a typical seek-and-find mission.  Find out everything about the subject and pick up his trail, following it wherever it led.  No, it wasn’t the mission.  Deep down, he knew who distracted him.    She had long legs and big brown eyes he could get lost in.  Looking up from his magazine, he spotted the phone located in front of the seat next to him.  He pulled out his calling card and punched in the series of numbers before entering her number.

Amanda--the object of his distraction. 

Lee Stetson wasn’t used to being unsure of him self, especially when it came to the opposite sex.  He felt somehow thrown off balance when he was with her, in a way that was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time.  He instinctively knew he needed to treat her more delicately than any of the other women he had dated.  Somehow, he knew that she was different from all the others.  She was not only beautiful, but also classy.  She didn’t need to dress provocatively or wear a lot of make-up to draw a man’s attention.  She had a natural beauty that shown from the inside out. 

He wasn’t sure how long the phone had been ringing while he allowed his thoughts to wander, but it was obvious no one was home.  Maybe he should hang up before the machine picked up.   But he’d be gone for who knows how long.  No telling when he’d get another opportunity.

With the decision made, he waited for the beep and left his message.  “Amanda, hi, it’s Lee again.  Lee Stetson.  I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been called out of the country unexpectedly on business for a few days.  I hope we can get together when I return.  Give me a call when you get a moment…if you’d like.  I’ll be checking my messages frequently.  Okay, well, take care.  Bye.” 

SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK SMK

“Thank you for the ride, dear.  I didn’t want to have to take the bus in all that rain.  But I promised Lillian I would pick up that yarn she wanted me to send her.  Now, are you sure you won’t be able to join the boys and I at the movies tonight?”

“I’m afraid not, Mother.  I need to work on getting my resume together, before my interview with Honeycutt Typewriter.  Plus, I wanted to get the boys summer clothes put away in the attic.”  She had hoped they would have an Indian summer, but it never came. 

“I thought they called and rescheduled for the following week?”

“They did, but you know how I like to be prepared.”

“Well, we’ll miss you, but I’m sure you know what’s best.” 

“Yes, Mother.”  She sighed.  Her mother knew just what to say to bring on the guilt.  She honestly did need to get her resume together.  Okay, so she wouldn’t mind spending a few hours in a quiet house, without being pulled in several directions.  Time alone was foreign but welcome. 

“Well, let me put this away, and then we can start dinner.” 

Amanda absently nodded as she read through the mail.  She was so absorbed in what she was reading she didn’t even notice her mother had returned--until she heard the deep baritone voice of the man she’d spent the prior evening with.     She stiffened and starred blankly at the letter from her ex-husband, who was currently working abroad.  When she felt her mother’s eyes on her, she tried harder to concentrate on the letter, feigning disinterest in the message being played. 

“Amanda?”

“Yes, Mother?”  Her voice cracked.

“Who is this man who keeps calling you?  He sounds absolutely heavenly.  I mean, that voice.”  She sighed.

“Mo-th-er!  He’s just a man I met last night.” 

“I thought you went out with the girls last night?”

“I did.  I met him at the bar we were at.  We just--.”  She was cut off by her mother’s sharp intake of breath. 

“Oh, Amanda!  A bar?  You know you’ll never meet a decent man at a place like that!” 

She cursed herself for providing her mother a window of opportunity to lecture her on the finer points of finding a man.  “Well, he wasn’t your typical barfly.”  She sighed and mumbled to her self,  “At least, I didn’t think so.”   

“So, what does this man do?” 

“He’s a filmmaker.” 

“Oh!  I wonder if he knows any celebrities?  Wouldn’t that be exciting, dear?”

“No, Mother, he makes documentaries.  I doubt very much he deals with any famous people.  It’s more like ‘The Mating of the Wildebeest.’  You know, like we saw on PBS the other night?”

“Oh, well, it’s still exciting.  Do you think you’ll see him again?”

“I don’t think so, Mother.  I’m not exactly his type.”  Amanda picked up the letter and tried to re-focus.  She would just need to call Mr. Stetson back and explain that she wasn’t exactly herself last night; she should’ve never gone home with him; she had acted impulsively and was not the type of girl he was looking for. 

“Not his type?  How could you not be his type?”

“Oh, Mother!  I love you!”  She kissed her mother’s cheek and headed upstairs to finish reading Joe’s letter.  Then she’d call Lee and let him know where they stood. 

To Be Continued…

dddddddddddddddddd

Lee stumbled into his room after returning from his meeting with his contact at the Hoffbrauhaus.  The meeting had quickly proven to be a waste of his time, providing nothing he or the Agency didn’t already know.  His frustration only grew when he found himself declining the offer to have a beer with an attractive, fair-haired waitress, once her shift ended.  Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to mix a little pleasure with business, but, for some reason, he just wasn’t interested.  He was more interested in getting back to his room and checking his messages.  That feeling only confused him more and made him more impatient with everyone around him. 

Having kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the couch, he grabbed the phone off the side table and dialed the number to retrieve his messages.  He made quick work of deleting those from his usual admirers.  He was on a mission.  Only one message left, and still nothing from her.  Was she upset by what his nosey neighbor had said to her?  Of course, she was upset.  How do you think a woman like Amanda would feel about being associated with all your other women?

Then he heard the sweet, tentative voice.    “Hi, Lee…um…this is Amanda King.  Look, I had a great time last night talking with you, but I just don’t think I’m what you’re looking for.  I’m not usually like that.  What I mean is, I normally wouldn’t go back to a stranger’s apartment after just meeting him.  Not that you’re really a stranger now.  But, well, it just wouldn’t work.  Take care.”

He groaned inwardly, hearing the disappointment in her voice.    And he knew he was disappointed.  Should he respect her wishes and leave her alone?  Should he call her and set the record straight?  The record is straight, Stetson!  She has you pegged for exactly what you are--a womanizer, a cad.  There’s nothing to say.  He stood and paced the small room, running his fingers through his hair.   Sitting back down on the couch, he lifted the handset off its cradle and dialed a series of numbers.  He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say, but he was determined not to let her just walk out of his life without so much as a phone call.  I have a bet to win.  That’s all there is to it.

“Hello?”

“Yes, may I speak to Amanda King, please?”

“May I ask who’s calling?”

He cleared his throat nervously.  “Lee Stetson.”  

“Oh, one moment, please.”

He heard the muffled words of who he assumed was her mother, calling her to the phone, and then a click, as if someone picked up another extension.

“I have it, Mother.  Thanks.”  He heard her clear her throat.  “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Lee.”

“Hi.  I guess you didn’t get my message yet.  I left it on your machine at home, since I didn’t have your number in…where is it that you are?”

He smiled.  Once again, he was amazed at how much she could say in one breath.  “I did get your message, that’s why I’m calling.  And I’m in Germany, Munich to be exact.”

“Oh my gosh.  You didn’t have to call me from there.  Do you know how much it costs for an overseas call?”

He laughed.  “It’s okay, Amanda.  I don’t mind.  Besides, I wanted to talk to you about your message.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not too late to call, is it?”

“No, but isn’t it really late there?”

“Yeah, but this was important.  Look, I know you had a conversation with old Mrs. Meyer this morning.  I just wanted you to know that what she said was true.  I do date a lot, but I never found anyone I was interested in seeing on a permanent basis.  I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t ready.  I never felt a real connection with anyone.  You know?  But I felt it with you, Amanda.  I’m not saying I know what’s going to happen between us, but I do know I want to get to know you better.”

His voice caught in his throat.  Why was it so easy to say those words to her?  He reminded himself that he was only saying them to keep her around for the bet.

“But I’m not what you think I am.  I would normally never act the way I did.  I just let my friends’ advice get to me and--”

“I know exactly who and what you are.  You’re a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman, Amanda.  That’s why, if you’ll let me, I’d like to see you again.”

He heard nothing but silence on the other end of the line. 

“Are you there?”

“Yeah.  I was thinking.”

“Oh, and are you done thinking?”  He laughed.  How did this woman get to him so easily?  She was a challenge; something he hadn’t expected, or wanted.  Or did he?

“Yes.”  He heard her muffled laugh.  “I would very much like to see you again.”

“Great!  I’ll take you out for a night out on the town as soon as I get back.  Which will hopefully be in a few days, but it could be up to a week.”

“Sounds good.”

“Amanda?”

“Yes?”

“Would it be okay if I called you again tomorrow?”  Watch it Stetson.  Don’t forget this is just about the bet!   He was only interested in seeing her again so he could prove his friends wrong.  Yeah, yeah!  If it helps you sleep at night.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Till then.  Goodnight.”

“G’night”

dddddddddddddddddd

Amanda watched her mother wash the last of the dinner dishes, waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.   Mother was anything but subtle, and, from the look on her face, she had something she wanted to discuss.  As she picked up another plate from the dish rack, she heard her clear her throat.  Here it comes.

“I can finish these up so you can get ready for your phone call, dear.”

Amanda sighed, before responding to her transparent mother.  “What phone call, Mother?”

“The same phone call you’ve been receiving for the past three nights.  He always calls at the same time every night, seven o’clock sharp.  You talk for hours on end.  About what, I don’t know?”

“Mo-th-er!”  She rolled her eyes as she threw the dishtowel over her shoulder.  Here it was.  The inquisition.  She’d been expecting it for days.  At least, the shoe had finally dropped.   Thank goodness for small favors.

“I just don’t understand why you are being so secretive.  You were never a secretive child, Amanda.  Well, except for that one time with Debby Ann McCabe--”

“Mo-th-er!” 

“All I’m saying, dear, is that for not being his type, he sure seems smitten with you.  I mean, two and three-hour phone calls three times already this week!  You are most certainly his type!  What I don’t understand is why you two only talk on the phone? To my knowledge, you haven’t seen each other since last weekend…”  She stopped abruptly.  “Oh, Amanda!  He isn’t married, is he?” 

“No, of course not, Mother.  Do you honestly think I’d be seeing a married man?  And we aren’t even seeing each other.  We’re just talking on the phone.  Besides, he’s in Germany on business.” 

“He must make pretty good money to afford all those lengthy calls.”

“Oh, Mother!”  Amanda shook her head and placed the last dish in the cupboard.  “I’m going to head upstairs.  If the phone rings…I’ll get it.”  She made it to the top of the stairs, before she heard her mother’s sarcastic reply. 

“I’m sure you will, dear.”

ddddddddddddddddd

Lee sat down on the bed in his small hotel room and dialed the newly memorized phone number.  He tried to tell himself calling her every night was only to ensure that he’d win the bet, but, deep down, he knew it was much more than that.  He’d never felt so comfortable talking with anyone. 

“Hi, there.”  Her voice was warm and welcoming.

“Am I getting that predictable?”

“Oh, I don’t know…but my mother sure seems to think so.”

“Yeah?”  He quickly felt at ease with her.  He didn’t feel the need to sweep her off her feet, pretend to be someone he wasn’t.  She seemed to like him for who he was deep down.  There was no need for the ‘Scarecrow’ façade that he had erected so long ago.  He could simply be Lee Stetson, the man. 

“Uh-huh.  She was giving me the third degree, just before you called.”

“Sorry.” 

“Don’t be.  I’m used to it.  So, how are you?  Things going well with your movie?”

“My movie?” 

“I thought that’s what you were doing over there.”

“Oh, right.  The movie.  It’s going well.  Uh, we had some…lighting issues, but they’ve been resolved.” 

“Good.”

“How is your family?  Did Phillip get his science project done in time?”

“Yeah, it was a tight finish, but we managed.  Thanks for all your help.  We were having such a time trying to come up with the right project for him to do.  When Phillip told his teacher what he was working on, she told him ‘although it was imaginative, there is no possible way it would work using only a circuit board, wiring, paperclips, and a battery.’”

“It does too work.  I made one in Grenada!” he stated, incredulously.

“Well, that’s what Phillip told her.  After being proven wrong, she gave him an ‘A-’.  She took away five points, stating he had to have had help with it.”  She sighed.  “When were you in Grenada?  And why did you need to make a short-wave radio?” 

“Huh?  Oh, um…we were filming a movie?”  The words came out more like a question.  He’d have to start watching what he said.  It was just so easy to open up to her. He couldn’t tell her his real profession, but, for some reason, he felt compelled to tell her the truth.  “So, your mother was grilling you about me, huh?”  He hoped she wouldn’t notice the abrupt change of subject. 

“Yeah.  She couldn’t figure out why we were only talking on the phone.  I told her that you were away on business.  That seemed to pacify her.”

“Good.  I’d hate to think of you being interrogated all because of me.”  He laughed.

“So?”  Her voice held a slight annoyance.

“So, what?”  He wasn’t sure what she was trying to get at.

“You promised me last night that you would tell me something about your childhood if I told you about mine, remember?”

“Oh, right.  I was kinda hoping you’d forget about that.”

“Come on, Lee.  It’s only fair.  I told you all about my life.  I hardly know anything about you.”

“Okay, okay.  A story about my childhood, huh?”

“Yep.”

Lee began enlightening her as to the high jinks of a certain young man living on several Air Force bases across the globe.  She couldn’t seem to get enough.  Since she found them so compelling, he embellished his stories just a tad.  He’d do anything to hear the soft timbre of her laugh.  When he allowed the conversation to briefly drift to his parents, he surprised himself.  He told her how they had died and how he had gone to live with his uncle shortly thereafter.  Somehow, it seemed only natural to talk about them with Amanda. 

Time seemed to go by so quickly.  When he heard her yawn, he looked at his watch, not realizing how late it was, especially for him--six hours ahead.    “Amanda, I hate to end this, but I have a very busy day ahead of me.  In fact, I won’t be able to call you tomorrow, and most likely not until I return to D.C.”

“Oh?” 

Was that disappointment he heard?  He smiled at the thought that she was enjoying their talks just as much as he was.  “Yeah, I have a meet…I mean, I need to drive to Frankfurt to meet someone about this documentary, and then I should be headed back to the states.” 

“That’s great.  And you don’t need to apologize for having to go.  We’ve been on the phone for nearly two hours.  I know you have work to do, and you need your sleep.”  If she only knew how little sleep he was going on. 

“I’ll call you when I get back, okay?”  He held his breath as he waited for her answer. 

“I’d like that.”  He thought he could almost hear her smile.

“Goodnight, Amanda.”

“G’night, Lee.”

To Be Continued…

ddddddddddddddddd

Lee shivered from the cold, as he stood huddled in the doorway of the building, waiting to meet his contact.  A small canopy provided the only cover from the wet drizzle that fell from the moonless sky.  He snapped to attention when he spotted the short, balding man rushing toward him and looking over his shoulder, as if someone was following him.  His contact.    “Here we go,” he mumbled, as he placed his hand on his gun holster.

Within seconds, the man collided with Lee, shoving a small piece of paper into his hand.  “Excuse me,” he said, loudly enough to be heard by passersby.

“Quite all right.”  Lee brushed his hand over his coat, slipping the paper into his pocket.

“It’s not safe.  I’m being watched,” the man whispered, and then darted down the dark alley.  

Lee scanned the area and noted the furtive-looking man leaning against the building down the street.  Blending into the horde of people, he used the rambunctious crowd in the Sachsenhausen district to his advantage.  He was confident he’d be able to lose his tail in the busiest section of Frankfurt, at least on a Saturday night.  The club scene here was always hopping, and tonight was no exception.

The sound of his dress shoes hitting the cobblestone alleyways ricocheted off the buildings.  When he tried to turn the tables on his would-be pursuer, he was almost caught.  Luckily, he saw the man holding the small pistol before he saw him.  He dodged in and out of the bars and clubs lining the streets.  This guy must be a real amateur; it was much too easy to lose him.  But the chase was enough to get the adrenaline pumping through his veins.  He covertly made his way back to his hotel room, making sure to circle around several times, just in case. 

When he finally returned to his hotel room, without his would-be escort, he headed to the phone to call his supervisor.  He ran his hand through his wet hair, and then pinched the bridge of his nose, while he waited for the operator to patch him through to Billy.  

“Melrose.”

“Yeah, Billy, it’s Scarecrow.”

“It’s nearly two o’clock in the morning there, Scarecrow.  Aren’t you supposed to be carousing, or, at the very least, sleeping?”

“Knock it off, will ya, Billy?  I just had a close call after my meet with Schmidt.  Someone knows I’m here.”

“Were you able to get to Schmidt before they did?”  His superior’s voice had lost the playfulness it had held only moments before, concern taking its place.

“He was able to slip me a note, before my shadow caught up with me.”

“What did the message say?”

“It was coded, but it appears to be an invitation to a party tomorrow.  The address is in Georgetown.”

“Looks like you’re going to a party, Scarecrow.” 

“Right.  I’ll catch the first flight back in the morning.  Look, do me a favor, Billy--“

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you in, just give me the address.”  Lee smiled and relayed the information to his boss. 

After hanging up the phone, he flopped onto the bed and dialed the front desk for a seven o’clock wake up call.  “Köennte ich bitte fuer morgan frueh sieben einen Weckruf haben?  Danke.”  He had barely returned the phone to its cradle before he drifted off to sleep.

ddddddddddddddddd

Lee was right.  It was an invitation to a party encoded on the message from his contact in Germany--a toga party to be exact.  Thank God Billy was able to get him in under the ruse of waiter rather than party attendee.   Spending the evening covered only in a thin sheet would not do much for his ego.  No, he was much more at home in a tuxedo; no matter that it was part of his uniform.  ‘A tux is a tux,’ he thought. 

When he saw a man rushing down the stairs just off the balcony, he was jolted from his thoughts.  He followed closely behind, pretending to deliver a drink to an errant partygoer.  To further his cover, he asked passersby if they ordered a “Tom Collins.”  When he made it to the bottom of the stairs and out of the view of the guests, he left his tray on a nearby pedestal.  A man he recognized as Warner handed him a small, square box wrapped in brown paper.  Warner was a runner for the agency, not exactly a field agent, but not a civilian either. 

“Here, take this back to headquarters.” 

Hearing footsteps coming toward him, Lee took the package and ran, briefly stopping when he heard a man yell, followed by the distinct sound of gunfire. 

“That’s him!” 

Lee caught a glimpse of Warner sinking to the ground by a nearby tree.  He had no choice but to leave him there and get the package back to the Agency.  Whatever was inside might help plug the leak.  He hated to leave a man down.  But Warner would have made the same choice.   

In the distance, he could hear two men speaking in Russian. 

“He’s dead.” 

“Where’s the package?”

“The waiter’s got it!”

Damn!  There was nothing he could do for Warner now.  No time to identify the men.  He had to get out of here. 

To Be Continued…

ddddddddddddddddd

“Come on, fellas!  The bus’ll be here in ten minutes.  You need to eat your breakfast.”  Amanda yelled up the stairs.  Mornings were always hectic.  No matter how much they prepared the night before, they always seemed to be running late.  Today was no exception.

“They need to wake up earlier, if you ask me,” Mother said.  Her gaze was fixed on the small portable television on the island as she ran her hands around the mixture in the bowl in front of her.   

Amanda glanced at the TV and shook her head.  Cooking lessons.  Mother could get engrossed in anything.  The boys stampeded into the kitchen, and she guided them to the table.    “Have a seat, fellas.”   

“We don’t have time!”  Phillip whined. 

“We can’t be late.   I’m supposed to help Mrs. Farmer at the crosswalk today.”

“You’re such a brownnoser!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Boys, enough.  No name-calling, Phillip.  Now, eat your cereal.  The bus will be here any minute.”  As she headed for the coffeepot, the phone rang. 

“Hello?”

“Oh.  Hi, Dean.”  Noting her mother’s raised eyebrow, she turned her back.  “I’m sorry, what was that about rain?  Wow, thirty-five percent chance of rain, huh?  Yes, I know how you hate to leave your car out in the rain.”  She rolled her eyes.  Times like these she was glad she kept their relationship platonic.  He was just too…too…normal!  “Um, sure.  I can take you to the station.  No, no trouble at all.  Right, I’ll be by to pick you up in twenty minutes.” 

After hanging up the phone, she rushed up the stairs to the front closet and grabbed her coat, pulling it on as she hurried back to the kitchen.  She took the fresh cup of coffee from Jamie and kissed the top of his head. 

“You’re going out like that?”

“I’m just taking Dean to the train station.  He needed a ride at the last minute, something about rain.”

“I thought you two were just friends?”

“We are, Mother.  Friends can do favors for each other.”  She grabbed her umbrella and purse and headed out the back door.  “Mother?”

“I’ll see the boys off, don’t worry.”

“Thank you.  Be good, boys, and have a good day!”   

“Bye, mom!” 

“See ya, mom!”  

ddddddddddddddddd

As the sun came up, Lee ran toward the train station, hoping to blend into the crowd and lose his Russian counterparts before handing off the package.  When he’d temporarily lost the Russians earlier, he had telephoned the Agency for assistance.  He’d been ordered to make the exchange with Special Agent Guthrie, who he’d find on the New York bound train and wearing a red hat.  Nice and easy hand off.  Now, if he could only lose these guys. 

After dodging under several train cars, he made his way to the platform.  Hell!  The Russians were still with him.  How could he get the package to Guthrie with  “Tweedledee ” and “Tweedledum ” on his tail?  He’d have to think of something and fast.   Spotting the train, he remembered Munich in ‘81.   When he was rendered incapacitated, he’d used a civilian to make the exchange.  It had worked then; so, why wouldn’t it work now?  He tried to straighten his appearance and searched for just the right person.    

Suddenly, he caught sight of her.  She looked wonderful, her face devoid of makeup, so fresh and young looking.  What was she doing here?  Was she wearing her nightgown?  He shouldn’t involve her in this.   But what choice did he have? 

ddddddddddddddddd

“Whoa!  Excuse me!”  She felt strong arms grab her and turn her around, forcing her to walk in the opposite direction.  Was she being mugged in early morning rush hour? 

“Just walk with me!”

“I certainly will not…” She ducked her head and pulled away from this crazy person.

“Please!  I’m in trouble.”

Why did that voice sound so familiar?   She looked up into his eyes.  “LEE!  What on earth are you doing here?  You scared me to death!”

“I’m sorry, Amanda.  If I had any other choice…”

“What are you talking about?  How did you know I’d be here?  Did you call the house?”

“Listen, Amanda.  Just take this.  Get on the train.  It’s a matter of life and death!”  She stared at him in disbelief.  “Hand it to the man in the red hat.” 

“Is this for real?”

“Just get on the train, hand it to the man in a red hat.  You can get off at the next stop.  I’ll call you later.”

Seeing his serious expression, she boarded the train, but watched him from the steps.  As she looked on in horror, two large men in suits chased him down and tackled him onto a luggage cart.    The two goons pummeled him, and she silently cheered when he was able to get in a few good jabs.  When he was no longer in view, she climbed the steps of the passenger car, repeating what he’d told her, as if it were a mantra.  “Man in the red hat.  Man in the red hat.” 

“Tickets!”  The conductor’s voice reverberated in her ears. 

‘Oh my gosh!’

ddddddddddddddddd

“I’ll get it!”  Amanda yelled up to her mother.  “Hello?”

“You didn’t do what I told you!”

“There were twenty-five men with red hats on that train!” she said, in a harsh whisper, glancing toward the stairs. 

“So, where is it?”

“I still have it.  What are you involved with, Lee?”  A million ideas flooded her mind, all involving illegal activities. 

“Meet me at the Potomac Plaza in one hour.  Can you do that?”

“Yes, see you then.”

“Bye.”

“G’bye.”

ddddddddddddddddd

Amanda pulled up to the hotel and handed her keys to the valet, as he opened the door for her.   He handed her a parking slip, and she nodded politely. 

Walking into the beautiful entryway, she was astounded by the elegance of the room and the chic people milling about.  There must be some sort of costume party going on.  She could think of no other explanation why adults would be wearing such strange get-ups.  Why hadn’t he told her to dress accordingly?

Just then, a lady stopped and took her coat.  “I’ll take that.”

Amanda nodded, took the plastic chip, and thanked her. 

As the woman ushered her coat away, she heard her name called from the staircase to her left.  Looking up, she saw the devilishly handsome Lee Stetson in a tailored black tuxedo.  No man should be allowed to look that good.  “Hello, Lee.”

He took her arm and led her into the ballroom.  “I thought this would be a nice change of pace from our usual encounters. Anyway, we're among friends, so it's a safe place to talk.”

Amanda stared at the many strange costumes--women with antennae on their heads wearing ball gowns, men in tuxedoes wearing knight’s helmets and rabbit heads.    “These are your friends?”

He nodded and guided her over to the refreshment table.  “Would you care for some pâté?”

”No, no.  I'm not hungry.  No, no. No, thank you.”  

A tall, beautiful woman sauntered up to them, wearing silver, bobbing antennae.  “Hi, Lee.”

“Celeste.”

“Want to dance?”

”No, I'm sorry.  Um, I'd like you to meet Amanda King.  Celeste van Kreswinkle.”

“Hello.”

“Oh, that's marvelous. You came dressed as a housewife. Oh, that's nutty.”

Amanda smiled politely at the woman and then looked to Lee to rescue her.

“Would you like to dance?”

“Yes.”   Amanda breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Lee to lead her to the middle of the dance floor.

“How did you know I’d be at the train station this morning?” she whispered into his ear, as they danced.

“We have our ways.”

She laughed.  “I thought only Nazis and spies said that?”

“Well, I’m not a Nazi.”

To Be Continued…

Hurrying to keep up, she followed him downstairs from the hotel lobby into what appeared to be a parking structure.  He was obviously upset with her.  He hadn’t said a word since she told him she’d left the package at home. 

“You knew I wanted the package!  Why didn't you bring it with you?”

“Insurance!  I figured if you were a gangster, you couldn't kill me if you needed me to get to it!”  She thought that was pretty logical thinking on her part.  She had learned a few things watching old movies on television. 

“That's how your mind works?  Most people would have been happy to get rid of something like that!”

The more she tried to explain herself, the more upset he became.  Well, she could understand his frustration, but what could she do? 

“Most people wouldn't have taken the damn thing in the first place!  Most people wouldn't have met you at some dumb party, a party for which I was hideously underdressed, so would you mind not yelling at me?”  She stopped abruptly, looking around.  “Where are we?”

“We are in the garage.  Do you think that I would let those valets park my car, a car that happens to be a classic 1963 Porsche nine--” He stopped and took a deep breath, apparently trying to regain control of his temper.  “Three-fifty.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry, this is . . . it's just that this is very, very important to me, and I am getting a lot of pressure.”

“It hasn't been my best day, either.  Anyway, let's just be glad that we're finally going to get the whole thing straightened out.”

Lee nodded and strode further down the aisle.  He stopped and turned when she chuckled. 

“What?”

“Oh, no, nothing.”   As he walked back to her, she stifled a snicker.

“What is it?”

“Well, I just almost did the dumbest thing with your package.”

”What was that?”

”No. You'd just laugh.”  She smiled at him, trying to keep from laughing.  She was about to tell him about the package, when she heard the sound of screeching tires coming toward them. 

He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind a parked car.  They kept moving, crouching behind several other vehicles.  She heard the car shriek to a stop and a door open.  Peeking over the trunk of one of the idle cars, she saw two large men get out. 

“Yeah, they're after the package.”

“Who are they?”

“They've got the exits covered.”  He eyed the man emptying the trash and then tugged her arm in that direction. 

“There they are!  Let’s go!”  One of the men shouted.

At that moment, the scene playing out before her seemed very real.       

Lee jumped into the cart and yelled.  “Get in!”

ddddddddddddddddd

“Why don’t you go jump in the shower?  Just leave your wet clothes outside the door, and I’ll throw them in the dryer.  Then I’ll start some coffee.  Okay?”

“Sounds great.  Um…?”  She pointed toward what she assumed was his bedroom. 

“Oh, sorry.  Yeah, right through there.”

“Thanks.”  She smiled at him before heading through his bedroom and into the bathroom.  She heard him say he’d leave some clothes on the bed for her to wear after she finished her shower. 

Walking into the bathroom, she was greeted with the distinct scent of Lee, a robust combination of his shampoo and aftershave.  Picking up the small bottle of aftershave from the counter, she lifted it to her nose and drew a deep breath.  The scent reminded her of the evening they had shared snuggling on his couch.  She was having difficulty resolving that Lee with the Lee who had lied to her about what he did for a living.   In her head, she understood why he had to, yet her heart was having trouble understanding it.  “A spy?  Leave it to you, Amanda, to fall for a spy.”  With that, she turned on the shower.    If she wanted to warm up, getting out of her wet clothes would be a step in the right direction. 

She stood under the warm stream of water, reliving the last few moments at the parking structure.  When Lee had told her to get in, she couldn’t believe they were actually going to try and outrun a car in a garbage cart.  But they did.  Sure, they had caused quite a scene just outside the structure, but no one was hurt.  She laughed to herself, thinking of what they’d done.  Standing under the cascade of water shooting up from the fire hydrant would have been almost comical, had it not been so darn cold. 

She felt almost giddy.  Was it the excitement of the afternoon, or being with Lee again?  They had spent many hours on the phone during the past week, but nothing compared to being face to face.  Now that she knew about his job, would he still be comfortable around her?  Would she feel comfortable around him?  Well, she wouldn’t find out standing in the shower.  She turned off the water and dried herself off.  

When she opened the bathroom door, steam poured out into the much cooler bedroom.  He had left her one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweat pants.  Once dressed, she toweled her hair dry as best she could and headed to the living room.  

She found a very dry Lee sitting on the couch, waiting for her.  She smiled as he handed her a cup of hot coffee.  Nodding her thanks, she sat down next to him.  “Lee--”

“Amanda--”   

“You go first.”  She took a tentative sip of the hot brew.

“I just wanted to tell you that I never meant to deceive you.  I wanted to tell you I was an agent, but I didn’t want to endanger you in any way.  If I’d had any other choice this morning…I would never have involved you in all this.”

“I know that, Lee.  I’m just glad I was there to help you.  I’m only sorry that there were so many men wearing red hats on that train.”

“Yeah, who would have thought there’d be a Shriner’s convention going on?”  He laughed.  “Speaking of the package, Amanda.  Where is it, exactly?”

ddddddddddddddddd

“I can’t believe we were arrested for breaking into the post office.  I’ve never been arrested before!”

“Relax, Amanda.  It’s all been taken care of.  It won’t be on your permanent record or anything.”  He laughed at her, as he pulled up next to her house.   

“Come on!  You may be used to this sort of thing, but I’m not.”

“I know, I know.  I’m sorry.  Come here.”  He pulled her to him and kissed her lightly on the mouth.  “I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you this morning.”  Her face flushed, and he detected a smile in her big, brown eyes--so sweet and unassuming.  Her hands grasped his head and pulled him toward her with force.   Once again, this woman surprised him.  The kiss started off light at first, but quickly took on a life of its own.  He felt her fingers stroking the hair at the nape of his neck, causing goose bumps to form in their wake.  When he tried to pull her closer to him, the gearshift impeded him.  He tried again, consumed by the intensity of their closeness.  Once again, he was hindered by the sleekness of his prize possession.  Maybe it was time to look for a bigger car--one with a back seat.  Frustrated, he drew back, knowing they couldn’t continue on this path.   

“So what do we do now?”  She sighed.

“We don’t do anything.  I am going to solve this case, and you are going to go inside to your family.”

“But, Lee--”   

“I mean it, Amanda.  I’ll call you tomorrow.  Hopefully, I’ll have this case solved, and we can go out for dinner, just the two of us.”  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then got out and walked around the car to open the door for her.  He extended his hand to her, and she accepted it.  “Sleep well.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She nodded, kissed him on the lips, and hurried toward the front door.  Starting the engine, he waited until she had entered the house, before he drove back to his empty apartment for a very cold shower.

To Be Continued…

ddddddddddddddddd

“Amanda?  Is that you?”

“Yes, Mother.”  She entered the dimly lit kitchen.

“How was your date with Mr. Stetson?”  Her mother set the teapot on the stove and lifted her cup, pinning Amanda with a questioning look.

“It was very nice.  He took me--” The sound of footsteps trudging down the stairs saved her from further explanation.  At least for now.

“Mom?”  Jamie called, from the top of the landing. 

“What are you two still doing up?  Do you have any idea what time it is?”  She knelt in front of her sons and felt each of their brows, certain that they were coming down with something. 

“Phillip has something to tell you.  Now you're gonna get it!”

She looked to her oldest son.   What had happened now?  “What's the matter, sweetheart? What's wrong?”

“I . . . opened the present.”  She could see the remorse in his eyes.  Or was that fear?

“What present?”  She had no clue what he was referring to.  His birthday was too far off to start shopping so soon. 

“The one on the dining room table.”

“You mean the one I put out to be mailed?”  Now she understood. 

"Just like you did last Christmas, remember?"  Jamie nudged his brother.

"Jamie, sweetheart."  She glanced at him and then turned her attention back to Phillip.  "Was that the one?"

"Yes."  Phillip's voice was barely above a whisper.

”How much did you see?” 

“All of it, I guess. Just a little, old, crummy music box.”

“Right. Uh, the--the music box.”  Music box?  What on earth would a bunch of spies want with a music box?

“But I'm not the one who broke it!  It didn't work before I shook it!  Just a little, old card fell out.”

“A card.  What kind of a card?”  What would a broken music box have to do with the deaths of Lee’s friends?

“Just a little card, with a little bit of writing on it.”

After he’d recited everything he’d seen on the card, she hugged them both and dashed up the stairs.   Her mother’s voice drifted up the stairs. 

“Now, Phillip, you know you aren’t supposed to go snooping in other people’s things.  Right, Amanda?  Amanda?”

ddddddddddddddddd

After running to her room and shutting the door behind her, she picked up the phone and dialed Lee’s apartment. 

“Hello?”

“Lee, it’s Amanda,” she gasped. 

“What’s wrong?”  He sounded worried.

“Oh, nothing’s wrong.  I just ran upstairs, so I could call you and tell you the good news.”

“What news?”

“After you dropped me off tonight, the boys came downstairs and told me that Phillip opened the package before it was mailed.  You know, I can’t believe he did that, after he got caught peeking in last year’s Christmas presents.  Oh, I was so angry with him for that.  He promised he’d nev--”

“A-man-da!  What did he see?”

“Oh, right.  Sorry.  Inside was a broken music box.”

“A music box?”

“Right, and there was a card inside the box.  It read ‘Duck a la Nathan Hale, Valley Forge Flapjacks, Pilgrim’s Peach Puff.’”  She was so proud of her son for remembering everything on the card.  He has a great memory, just like me.

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean ‘that's it’?  Doesn't it mean anything?”  She thought for sure he’d know what it meant. 

“No.”

“No?”  It had to mean something.  Why else would people be risking their lives for it?  She even had her life threatened over it.  It had to mean something to someone! 

“Oh, I mean, I'll run it through our code department, but to tell you the truth, it doesn't help an awful lot.”  She could hear the disappointment in his voice.  She really thought this was the break he was looking for. 

”Oh.  I thought it would.”

“I know, I know.  And I appreciate it.  Believe me.  But, Amanda, I think you ought to stay away from all of this.  People in my business have years of training.  It could get dangerous.  Even worse, you could screw things up.”

“Oh, well, I certainly wouldn't want to do that!  Would I?  I mean, look, I'll be glad to stay out of it. You think this is fun for me?  Ha!  That's a laugh.  I was only trying to help you keep your job.”

“I've got my job.  Billy just called and wants me back.  Another murder tonight.”

“Another agent got killed tonight?”  They were starting to drop like flies.  Did she really want to be involved with a man in this line of work? 

“Jeffries.  An awful nice guy, too.  The night before, it was Fielding in Portland.  Anyway, they're giving me another assignment tomorrow.”

”Well. You'll be careful, won't you?”  She couldn’t help but let her motherly instincts emerge. 

“Of course.”  Somehow, that didn’t comfort her. 

ddddddddddddddddd

Lee could hardly believe it.  He wasn’t sure if he was more happy or angry to see her there.  How did she know to find him at the Colonial Cookery compound?  Was she his guardian angel, or a test of his patience?   His captor turned to see what had caught his attention.  Luckily, Amanda had ducked down, out of his view.  Then the man shoved him into the helicopter. 

“Freeze!”

What did she think she was doing?  Didn’t she know this guy had a gun?  He knew at that moment, she was no guardian angel; she was definitely a test of his fleeting patience. 

When the man turned toward Amanda, Lee seized the opportunity.  The goon whirled toward Lee, only to receive a swift kick in the stomach. 

Amanda ran over and fumbled with the knot.  “That is what you say, isn’t it?  ‘Freeze!’?”

“Yeah, usually when you’re armed.  Untie me!”  He turned around so she could get a better angle on the knot. 

“Oh, Lord!  The Killick Hitch!”   

He saw the other goons rushing down the hill.  “Oh, boy!  Come on!  Come on!  Get in!  Get in!    Come on!”

 Apparently Amanda finally saw the men headed toward them, guns drawn.  She ran around the front of the ‘bird’ and jumped in the pilot’s seat.

“Feet on the pedals!  Right hand on the stick!  Left hand down on the throttle!”

She looked at him incredulously.  “Why?”

“We’re flying!” he said, calmly.   

When the goons started shooting at them, she took his advice.  Oh, God!  This is gonna be interesting!  “Here, I'll do the pedal.  More throttle!  More stick!  Let's get this thing up!”  He heard his voice crack.  At that moment, he wasn’t sure if they would make it back on the ground in one piece.  Between the enemy agents and Amanda’s flying, it was going to be a bumpy ride. 

“Look out!”

“We’re losing altitude!  Pull up!  Throttle!  Look out!

“I hate this!”

“Why are we going back to the house?”  Didn’t she know that’s where the shooting was coming from?  “Pedal!”

“Pedal?”

”No, not that pedal!”

“Which pedal?”

He saw the men milling about the estate.  They seemed to be having trouble with their car.  “It's lucky their car conked out.”

“Lucky nothing!  I put sugar in the gas tank!  Phillip did it once to Dean's car, it's never been the same!”

Who the hell was Dean?  Never mind.  He was impressed by her forethought.  He knew he had great taste in women!  Just then she sent them into a tailspin, and he nearly lost his lunch.

“Sorry!  I’m sorry!” 

Once they were back on course, Lee saw the men had decided to take Amanda’s station wagon, since theirs wasn’t going anywhere. 

“How am I doing?”

He closed his eyes tight, trying to keep his equilibrium.  “You're doing just fine!”

“Open your eyes!”  Damn, she was on to him. 

He opened his eyes in time to see Mrs. Welch shooting at them from the car.  “Look out!  Pedal!  No, not that pedal!”

“I don't know which pedal!”

Lee could hear the nervousness in her voice and hoped that they’d be able to land soon.  He looked over at her, getting a real glimpse of her for the first time. 

“What are you wearing?”  She looked like an overgrown Girl Scout. 

“What do you care?”

 Don’t make her lose focus, Stetson.  You want to land safely, don’t you?

“Whoa, look out!”  He felt his stomach drop once again, as the helicopter changed directions.  They were so low the helicopter nearly touched the roof of the car below them.  “We’ve got to be doing something wrong here!”  They just kept spinning, around and around.  “We’re losing altitude!  Pull on the throttle!”  They both screamed as the car sped toward them.  “Throttle!  Throttle!”  Suddenly the helicopter lifted up and over the car, which ended up driving off a cliff. 

“We got 'em!  We got 'em!”  He could hear the excitement in her voice.  

Looking down, he saw the damage to her car.  “Gee, I'm sorry about your car.”

“My car?  Oh, what am I going to do?”  She looked so sad.  He’d talk to Billy about getting her set up with a loner car while hers was being fixed. 

“Land?”  He said, shakily.  “Oh, Lord,” he muttered to himself.

ddddddddddddddddd

“No, I mean it.  He was really impressed with you.”  He was careful to keep the rain off her, as he guided her down the street.   

“Ah, thanks, Lee.  Mr. Melrose seems like a really nice man.  His assistant, however…” 

“Yes, Francine can be a handful.  Don’t let her get to you.  You deserve all the recognition you received.  You were great up there.” 

“Really?  You looked a bit nervous.”                 

“Me?   Nah, I had all the faith in the world in you.”  They looked at each other and laughed.  “So are you going to accompany me to the British Embassy tonight?” 

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.” 

“I think we’ve both earned a little rest and relaxation.  It’s been quite a week.”

“Yeah, it isn’t everyday you get entangled in international espionage.”

He shook his head and laughed.  “No, I guess not.”  When they arrived at her loner car, he opened the door for her.  “I’ll pick you up at seven?” 

“I’ll be waiting.”  She sat down, and he closed the door.  After looking around, he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. 

“Till tonight.” 

ddddddddddddddddd

Francine couldn’t believe it.  Lee Stetson dating a wholesome mom from the suburbs?  Was this some kind of a joke?  What really stung was the fact that not too long ago, he had told her he wasn’t interested in a long-term commitment.  If that was the case, what was he doing with Amanda King?  That woman practically screamed ‘commitment.’  Besides, she’s hardly someone you’d bring to the British Embassy.  She weaved through the crowd to the bar and ordered a drink.  She heard Mark and Fred talking about the wonderful Mrs. King and rolled her eyes. 

“So, you think she’s all that, too, huh, guys?”

“She’s a great lady.  Seems really sweet.  I just feel bad Lee’s only using her to win a bet with us.”  Fred shook his head in apparent pity. 

Francine played along--one never knew when good bribery information would come in handy.  “Right, the bet.  Lee mentioned how much he wanted to beat you guys.  What were the stakes again?”

After Fred filled her in, Francine decided to throw a wrench in Scarecrow’s plan.  And, if it hurt Miss Goody Two Shoes in the process, then all the better.

“Uh, guys, you do know that Lee filled Amanda in on your little bet to ensure that he’d win.  Right?”

ddddddddddddddddd

“Listen…uh Amanda…” Fred Fielder began but seemed unable to finish. 

“Oh, hi.  It’s Fred, right?”  She smiled up at him and his friend. 

The two men looked at each other and then back to her.  “Do you mind if we sit down, Mrs. King?”  Mark pulled out a chair and sat down, without waiting for her response. 

“Uh, sure.”  She felt somehow uneasy.  The seemingly nervous grown men sitting in front of her reminded her of two small boys caught doing something they had no business doing.   What could they possibly want from her?  They had only just met.  “Is there something I can do for you, gentlemen?”   

Fred sighed, as if relieved by her question.  “We know you know about our bet with Scarecrow…uh, Lee, Mrs. King.”

“Your bet?”  She was at a complete loss, but listened intently, hoping it would become clear.  

“Uh, yeah.  It really had nothing to do with you; I mean, we made the bet before he even picked you.  We were teasing him that he couldn’t last a month in a committed relationship.”  Fred rushed on, while he twisted the linen napkin in his hand.  “Had we known he was going to pick such a nice lady…well, we just would have never made the bet in the first…” Fred tapered off when Mark glared at him. 

“Picked me?” she murmured.

“Look, Mrs. King, all we want is to get even with Lee for trying to pull one over on us.  What we’d like is for you to continue ‘dating’ Lee for the rest of the month, like he told you.  Then, just before he is about to win the five hundred dollars, break up with him.  That way, he thinks he’s going to make the thirty days, but, just before he does, you’ll pull the rug out from under him, and we’ll be there to collect.”  He looked at her expectantly, as if she was supposed to follow what he was asking and agree to do it. 

‘He just picked someone out of the bar to fall for him and stay in a relationship with him for a month, just for a stupid bet?  How could I have thought he was sincere?  How could he pretend to be so interested in getting to know me better, when he was only putting on an act?  For money, no less!  Oh, and bragging rights, of course.’  The men stared at her, and she felt her face burn with anger and embarrassment.  She had to do the only thing there was left to do.  Save face. 

To Be Continued…

“Sure, guys.  Whatever you want.  If you’ll excuse me, I’m not feeling so well.  Goodnight.”  They both stood as she got up from the table. 

She was near the front entrance when she felt someone grasp her elbow.  “Amanda?  Where are you going?  Is something wrong?” 

She looked up, but avoided eye contact.  “Yes, I need to leave.”

“What happened?  Let me take you home.”  He looked around, evidently searching for a place to set the two glasses of champagne, and then motioned to a waiter.

Using his momentary distraction to her advantage, she dashed out the door.  But he found her at the bottom of the stairs, trying to hail a taxi.

 “Amanda?” 

She made the mistake of meeting his eyes and quickly looked away, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes.  Taking a firm grip on her emotions, she blinked back her tears.

He moved in front of her, lifted her chin, and gazed into her eyes.  “What happened?  I was only gone for a few minutes?  Did I do something wrong?  Please talk to me.” 

He actually seems sincere.  He’s in the wrong business.  He should move to California and take up acting.  She was filled with so much emotion she could barely speak.  “Why don’t you ask your buddies in there, I BET they could fill you in.”    With that, she waved her arm for the passing taxi and hopped in, leaving Lee with his mouth hanging open. 

Leaning her head back against the seat, she finally released her tears.    Why did things have to end this way?  She really was starting to fall for him.  He made her feel so special, so wanted.  They even worked well together.  Sure, they punched each other’s buttons, but that was part of the excitement.  She had never felt this way about anyone, not even Joe.  Obviously, it was early in the relationship, but she remembered how she’d felt when she and Joe had first started seeing each other.  It didn’t compare with how she felt when she was with Lee; it was almost like a dream.  And apparently, that’s all it was.  She slammed her hand on her thigh in frustration.  She heard the driver’s voice.  “I’m sorry?” 

“I said, where to?”

“Oh, um…4247 Maplewood Drive, Arlington.  No, wait!  The Tidal Basin, please.”  She needed to clear her head and home would not give her that luxury.  The driver nodded into the rear view mirror.  He seemed to sense her troubles and left her to her thoughts.  She attempted to smile her thanks.

dddddddddddddddddd

She’d wandered around the Tidal Basin for what seemed like forever, but was in actuality less than an hour.  Amanda sat on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial, trying to comprehend what had happened to her over the past two weeks.  She couldn’t understand the two, obviously very different, sides of Lee Stetson.  Her first impression of him at the bar had been that of a womanizer, only out for a good time.  Later that evening, those thoughts dissolved when she glimpsed what she thought was the real man, only to be brought back to reality when the sun rose.

The following week, she’d talk with him in-depth, and she felt she was truly getting to know whom he really was.  And then there was tonight’s revelation, sending her into a downward spiral.  Why had she fought her instincts?  She was usually a pretty good judge of character.  If she’d only listened to that voice inside her head telling her she was not what he was looking for.  If only. 

Amanda felt, rather than heard, someone sit down beside her.  Even before she turned, she smelled his aftershave.  She looked down at his shoes, not sure if she was ready to meet his eyes.  What was it about this man--this spy--that intrigued her so? 

“Hi.”

His voice was barely above a whisper.  Was that remorse she heard in his voice?  She shook that thought from her head.  No.  He was not going to trick her again.  This time, she would go in with both eyes wide open. 

“How did you find me?”  She kept all emotion out of her voice. 

“I’m a spy, remember?”    His smile faded when he looked into her face.  “Sorry.  I called the cab company and threatened to have their license revoked if they didn’t tell me where their driver dropped you off.”

Her mouth formed in the shape of an “O” as she looked at him. 

“After you left, I went back inside and talked with the guys and Francine.  They told me what they said to you.  Amanda, I don’t know where to start.”  He shook his head.

“Why don’t you start with the truth?”

“The night we met, I was with Fred and Mark.  We were having a few beers, and they were razzing me about not being able to commit.  They made some crack about me not being able to last a month in a relationship.  I, of course, denied it.  Anyway, I stupidly agreed to the bet that I could last an entire thirty days in a relationship with one woman.” 

“Enter Amanda.”  She laughed sarcastically.

“Right.  At first, I thought it was great timing for the bet.  But that night when we stayed up till the wee hours of the morning talking and then falling asleep in each other’s arms…Amanda, I’ve never felt so safe.  Like I could be myself.  Not Lee Stetson, the agent, just me…the man.  Then when we started talking on the phone, it only cemented what I was already realizing.  You are a wonderful woman, who I want to know everything about.  I swear to you, I forgot all about the stupid bet, until you left the party earlier.  Had I remembered, I would have told the guys the bet was over long ago.  You have to believe me, Amanda!”

“Lee, how can I trust you now?  You lied to me from the very start.  About your job, about why you wanted to date me.  What am I supposed to believe?”  She bit her lower lip in consternation. 

He shook his head.  “I just don’t know.  I guess I’ll have to prove it to you, one day at a time.”  He took her hand and held it between his two larger ones.  “Please say you’ll give me another chance.  Please?”  He looked into her eyes, and she forced herself to meet his gaze.  She only saw sincerity staring back at her.  Amanda squeezed his hand and stood up, pulling him with her. 

“One more chance.  And remember, this isn’t baseball.  Two strikes and you’re out, big fella!”

“I’ll try and remember that.”  He laughed, pulling her toward him and kissing her softly on the lips.  “So, looking for a job?”

“I thought you didn’t work with partners?”  She smiled up at him.

“Yeah, well, I know a good thing when I see it.”

She pulled his head down for a more intense kiss, and they walked down the steps of the memorial, hand in hand. 

The End.