“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…