Love: The Anti-Drug
Billy Melrose, Section Chief for the Agency, looked at the sullen faces of his best team. They had really become quite a team over the past three years, each compensating for the other’s inadequacies. Where Amanda King, mother of two, lacked brawn she made up for in intuition and logical thinking. Her partner, Lee Stetson, however, could take on any enemy without breaking a sweat. Yet, he lacked patience and the ability his partner had of understanding human nature. Where he felt he could get more information out of someone with physical threat, she knew you could get more by showing compassion. They were quite a pair. She was the brains’ and he was the brawn. Not to say that Amanda wasn’t able to hold her own in a battle. Nor was Lee incapable of solving a case on his own, they just seemed to play off each other so perfectly. Billy gave a self-satisfying smile at the thought of pairing the two together in the first place.
“So what’s the verdict, Billy?”
“Are we going to die, Sir?”
“No, Amanda. The final results haven’t come back from the lab but the preliminary report shows that the drug you both ingested wasn’t deadly. However, they aren’t sure exactly how it will affect you.”
“Wonderful! Just what do they get paid the big bucks for? They don’t know anything about this drug, let alone have a damn antidote!” He emphasized the last word by slamming his hand down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in.
“Well, it could be worse, Lee.” She gave Billy a small smile to silently apologize for her partner’s outburst. “We could have had more than one glass of that champagne at the embassy last night.”
“Yeah, well, obviously one glass was enough!” He looked as though he regretted his outburst as soon as it left his mouth. “Sorry. It’s just so damn frustrating.”
“I know,” she whispered.
Just then there was a soft knock on Billy’s office door. “Come in.”
All eyes were on Dr. Fronan as he entered the room. “What have you got, Fronan?”
“Well, sir. Not much more than we had an hour ago.” Billy watched the short, scrawny man as he spoke. His white coat appeared to be two sizes too big. He wore black-rimmed glasses, which only added to his “nerd” image. Melrose pegged Fronan for being the type of kid who was always picked last in gym, even behind the kid on crutches.
“Great! Just great!” Lee sighed.
“Enough, Scarecrow.” Billy reprimanded. “What else did you find?” Billy looked to Fronan expectantly.
“Well, the drug, as I said earlier isn’t deadly.” He looked to Amanda and smiled, apparently trying to reassure her. It didn’t seem to work. “It just appears to make a person do things they wouldn’t normally do. We think that the Russians were only testing the drug last night at the party. We don’t believe it was intended for anyone in particular.” Off Lee’s threatening look, Fronan explained further. “Well, if they had been targeting one individual we think they would have used a larger dosage which would in turn stay in the blood stream longer. We believe it was more of a case study on the entire room.”
“And just how long is this drug gonna stay in our system, Fronan?” The sarcasm was dripping from Lee’s voice.
“We’re not sure. It could be twenty-four hours, could be a couple days,” he said the latter of the sentence much more quietly.
“A couple days?” The agent’s face took on a deep shade of red.
“I said ‘could be’. More than likely it will be completely out of your systems within eighteen to twenty-four hours.”
“Thank you, Dr. Fronan. That will be all. If you find anything else out, let me know right away.” Billy figured he’d do the doctor a favor and get him out of the line of fire. He wasn’t sure how long he could keep the great Scarecrow from tearing into him.
“Um, sir? There is one more thing. We’re not sure how the drug affects the human body.” Fronan looked to Amanda and then reluctantly at Lee.
“Go on, Fronan.” Billy urged.
“Well, sir. I would suggest keeping Mrs. King and Mr. Stetson in isolation for their own protection. Just to be safe.” He rushed.
Billy quickly looked from Fronan to Lee, who had already begun to pace the confines of his office. Why him? He sighed. “Thank you, doctor. That will be all.”
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“I still don’t see why we have to be quarantined,” Lee huffed.
“Lee, it’s not that big of a deal. We’ll just pretend we’re on a stakeout.” That was typical Amanda. Always finding the silver lining.
“At least they allowed us to stay in this nice suite so we could have each other to talk to. Can you imagine how boring it would be if we were confined to a room by ourselves? How lonely would that be?”
“And quiet.” He mumbled to himself.
Amanda must have heard his little comment because she immediately stiffened in her chair and began reading a magazine. Why did he always say things he didn’t mean? He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings he was just starting to get a headache. Whether it was from the drug or the situation, he wasn’t sure. Lately, he actually seemed to enjoy her ramblings. He had even begun to understand them on a fairly regular basis.
He noticed she wasn’t paying much attention to her magazine and figured he should apologize. “Look, Amanda. I’m sorry I’m being such a pain.”
“Oh, you aren’t, Lee. I know this isn’t exactly how you expected to spend this evening.”
“Well, no. Actually, I was just gonna spend it at home watching a movie and eating pizza.” At her raised brow he added, “Alone.”
“Oh. I was going to do the same thing. Mother and the boys are at my aunt’s for the weekend.”
“Ah, I was wondering why you hadn’t called home.” She merely smiled. “What were you going to watch?”
“Hmmm?” She looked at him questioningly.
“What movie were you planning on watching tonight?”
“Oh, just an old Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn movie.”
“Which one? ‘Bringing up Baby’?”
“How did you know?” She looked quite surprised that he would know an old Cary Grant movie let alone guess the right one.
“I love those old movies. What do you say we get them to hook us up with a TV and VCR in here after dinner?”
“That sounds great!”
“So, what do you want on your pizza?”
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A pizza box lay empty on the coffee table in front of them, the only light coming from the glow of the television. They were snuggled up on the couch. Neither noticing the closeness that seemed to progress throughout the film. The drug seemed to have taken affect shortly after the opening title. Neither noticing the tell tale signs. When the movie began they sat on either ends of the sofa, but somewhere between Cary and Katharine’s characters meeting and losing the tiger, they had snuggled up to one another. Arms and legs were intertwined. Amanda continued to rest her head on Lee’s shoulder even as the closing credits scrolled up the screen.
“That was a great movie.” Lee whispered in her ear.
“Mmhmm. I love Katharine Hepburn! She’s so sophisticated.”
“You know…she kinda reminds me of you.”
“What?” She giggled, still keeping her head nestled on his shoulder.
“Oh, yeah. She has that sexy voice and classic beauty just like you. And we can’t forget that self-assured stubbornness you both share.” He laughed as he began to caress her shoulder where his hand laid.
She pulled herself up to swat him in the arm. “Very funny, Stetson.”
He caught her hand just before it hit him. “I thought so.” His laughter erupted as he intertwined their fingers once again. As they looked into each other’s eyes, it was as if time stood still. There were no second thoughts, no blasted interruptions, only the two of them. She licked her lips as if she was preparing for the inevitable. He pulled her closer to him and pressed his mouth to hers. At first the kiss was soft and gentle but it quickly turned insistent. He pulled her closer and she readily obliged. It seemed it was something that they had both wanted for so long.
Passion filled the air as he parted her lips with his tongue and she didn’t deny him. The soft moans that they both emitted only seemed to urge the other on. Hands pulled and tugged at clothing. Arms and legs tangled. Reluctantly he broke their kiss as he pulled her sweater up over her head. He gasped when he saw her milky white skin beneath. His hands started fumbling with her jeans while his mouth began an exploration of it’s own down her neck and chest.
“Oh, Lee,” Amanda groaned. She had been trying to unbutton his shirt but in the furry of passion gave up and jerked it open, popping the buttons clear off. Lee couldn’t believe this was Amanda. She was like an animal. He knew she was a passionate woman, but he was seeing a completely different side to her. One he enjoyed thoroughly.
Her hands sent chills down his spine as they ran up and down his chest and abdomen. She started to tug on his jeans until he stopped her and stood to take them off. Noticing she was a bit overdressed he finished removing her jeans and pulled at them until they slid from her long, slender legs. He was overwhelmed when he looked down and found her staring at him. The beauty he saw took his breath away. She was as beautiful outside as she was inside. How dense had he been to not see it sooner?
He ran his hands up the sides of her legs until he reached her waist. He lightly squeezed her hips and pulled her closer to the edge of the couch. She allowed him to guide her and groaned when he began kissing her most private of areas through her panties. He could feel his arousal growing more taut and couldn’t help grinding himself against her leg as he continued placing kisses at the apex of her thighs.
At the sound of her rapid breathing he could sense she was close to the edge. He wanted to be inside her when she finally came; he ached to be inside her. How long had he dreamt of this night? How many cold showers had he taken after being with her for any length of time? He watched as she slowly removed her bra. Her nipples instantly becoming hardened peaks when the cool air hit them. Unable to control himself he pulled himself further up her body and engulfed her right nipple in his mouth as he simultaneously tweaked the left with his thumb and index finger. She arched her back to allow him to take more of her into his mouth. After giving equal attention to her left breast he began planting soft wet kisses down the center of her chest and stomach. Making sure to caress every inch of her silky body. She was even softer than he imagined.
Hooking his fingers on either side of her panties he began the slow process of removing them. He heard her anticipatory moan as he did so. It only served to entice him more. The thought of being inside her seemed to overwhelm him causing him to become lightheaded for a brief moment. Was this really happening? Looking up into her eyes he knew it was real. He smiled at her as he slowly entered her warm cavern. He watched her close her eyes and move her head from side to side. It was obvious she was enjoying their union as much as he was. As he slid in and out of her he gently rubbed her clit, which seemed to take her over the precipice. She called out his name over and over again as her body spasmed.
Calling his name in that animalistic tone of voice was all he needed to join her on the other side. When he emptied inside her he collapsed on top of her. Lying chest to chest, she wrapped her arms tightly around him.
“I love you, Amanda.”
“I love you too, Lee.”
They lay on the sofa for what seemed like forever as they regained their composure. Both breathing heavily, they were content just to hold one another. After gathering their things they quickly got dressed. Realizing that the door to the suite was unlocked and anyone could have walked in on them, Lee made his way to the door and locked it. When he turned around he saw that Amanda had been watching him. He smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. She smiled back.
When they were fully dressed they cuddled on the couch until they both fell into a restful sleep.
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Lee awoke to the sound of persistent knocking on the suite door. He tried to get up but found that he couldn’t move with Amanda laying on him. He gently nudged her awake. “Amanda. Amanda, wake up.”
“Hmmm? Oh, Lee! I’m sorry.” She lifted herself off him and sat up. Rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them she asked what time it was.
As he walked to the door he looked at his watch and told her it was eight o’clock. On the other side of the door were Billy and Dr. Fronan. Lee opened the door wider allowing them to enter.
“So, how did it go last night? We didn’t hear anything from you after you requested the TV and VCR so we assumed everything was fine.”
“Yeah, we did fine.” He said looking at his partner. She merely nodded her head in compliance.
“So no ill affects from the drug?” Fronan seemed surprised.
“Not really.” Again he looked to Amanda. The thought of how it felt to touch her and kiss her was nearly overpowering. He needed a cold shower and fast. When he looked over at Amanda he could see her face start to flush. She was obviously remembering what happened between them the night before.
“Oh my gosh!” Was all they heard before she ran into the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with Amanda?” Billy looked concerned.
“Um, maybe it was the pizza from dinner. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Why don’t you give us a few minutes to freshen-up? We’ll meet you in your office, say, in twenty minutes?”
“Sure, Scarecrow.” Billy knew something was up but knew enough to leave it be.
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Lee waited until he saw the two men leave the suite before making his way to the bathroom door to check on Amanda. He lightly rapped on the door. “Amanda? Amanda? Answer me, please. Are you alright?”
“Oh my gosh, Lee. What happened last night?” Her voice was quiet. He was sure from the sound of her voice that she regretted what they did. He didn’t, he had wanted it for a long time. But, he didn’t want to make her feel bad for not sharing his feelings. She had said she loved him too, he knew he hadn’t imagined that. Was it the drug? It must have been the drug.
“Amanda, please come out here. I don’t like talking to the door.” A moment later he heard the lock click and the knob turned. She looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Lee.”
“Amanda, you have nothing to be sorry for.” ‘Come on, Stetson. This is where you let her off the hook.’ “Listen, what happened last night was just a reaction to the drug. You heard Fronan. It makes people do things that they normally wouldn’t do. And, you didn’t want what happened to happen last night, right?” He looked at her silently begging her to disagree with him. She could only look at him and nod.
“Okay, so let’s just forget about it.” ‘Not likely,’ he thought to himself.
“Okay.” She replied. He wasn’t sure but he thought he saw a bit of disappointment in her eyes.
“Okay. Let’s go see Billy.” He smiled reassuring her that everything would be fine. She returned his smile with one of her own.
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They walked into Billy’s office as Fronan was explaining to Billy the expected affects of the drug. “No, sir what I said was that the drug affects the part of the brain that makes decisions based on logic by lowering the subject’s inhibitions. For instance…a subject who normally wouldn’t get up in front of an audience and sing wouldn’t do it under the influence of this drug unless deep down they wanted to. The drug doesn’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. It only stops the part of the brain that does the logical thinking; the area of the brain that realizes there are consequences to our actions.” He stopped talking when he noticed Lee and Amanda had entered the room.
Billy couldn’t help but catch the larger than life smiles that adorned his best team’s faces upon hearing Fronan’s explanation. Apparently more happened in that suite than either cared to admit.
The End
Story Notes:
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.