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!”

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“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?”

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“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…