Chapter Seven                                                                                                           Sunday, December 31, 1989

Amanda emerged from the bathroom of the Marilyn Suite and smiled as she watched her husband finish putting on his tie. She walked up behind him and put her arms around him. "Have I mentioned to you today how much I love my Christmas present? This has been a wonderful weekend!"

"Mm...I'm enjoying it myself," Lee whispered as he turned around to face her. She reached up and straightened his tie and they both smiled, remembering the many times she'd done that very thing when they'd first met.

They'd spent the last two days at the 1908 William Page Inn, a wonderful retreat after the tumultuous week they'd had dealing with Jonathan Stone. Now, they were getting ready to go down for a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner and dance.

"Amanda," Lee said as he stepped away and looked at her, "you look...incredible."

She twirled around, showing off the new red dress she'd bought for the weekend. "So, you like it? When I went shopping with Francine Friday afternoon, she thought you'd approve."

"Oh, I definitely approve," Lee breathed. "You know how much I love to see you in red." He pulled her close again and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

"We better head down before I have to redo my makeup," she sighed breathlessly. He chuckled and nodded. She gave a glance in the mirror, then took his hand and he led her out the door.

SMK SMK

Ephraim pulled his car into the parking lot, then looked over at Francine. He'd made plans with her earlier to go out for a night of dinner and dancing, but hadn't told her where they were going.

As she realized where they were, she looked over at Ephraim and gasped, "The William Page? Isn't this where Amanda and Lee are? What's going on?"

"I hope you don't mind," Ephraim explained a little sheepishly. "The other day, Amanda suggested that I bring you here for New Year's Eve. So, we went and made reservations. I've got the Fern Room for the night...if that's OK with you."

"So is that what you and Amanda were up to when we were going through those tapes? I couldn't figure out where you went." Francine looked over at the man sitting next to her, so handsome in his tuxedo. "The Fern Room, huh? You know I don't have anything to wear for tomorrow."

Ephraim gave her a look and whispered, "Who says you need anything?" He waggled his eyebrows, then chuckled. "I packed a few things for you while you were getting ready. So...is this a good surprise?"

She looked over at him, tears springing to her eyes. It sometimes still hit her, how much this man cared about her. It had been a long week, especially dealing with the clash of her past and present. Jonathan Stone had never given Francine any consideration, always putting his interests above his own. Ephraim, on the other hand, always seemed to be putting her first. She reached over and gave him a long, lingering kiss and whispered, "The best surprise...I can't believe you did all this for me."

"Well, I plan on enjoying it myself," he chuckled. "But, I enjoy surprising you, Francine. You need a little spoiling...you've relied on yourself for far too long."

He turned and got out of the car, then headed around to help her. As she stood, he took a deep breath. She was wearing a new sapphire blue dress, along with the necklace he'd given her for Christmas. "You look amazing, Francine."

"Thank you," she smiled. "You know, I picked this out just for you."

He grinned, then led her to the beautiful inn in front of them. As they entered, they saw Amanda and Lee in the foyer. Amanda walked over to Francine and said, "So, do you like our surprise?"

"Oh, I love it! Thanks for letting us horn in on your weekend," Francine answered as they watched Ephraim check in.

"Oh, you're not horning in. Lee and I have been here since yesterday. I think you're going to enjoy it here. We're in the Marilyn Suite until Tuesday morning," Amanda explained.

Lee and Ephraim walked over to the ladies and offered their arms. The two couples walked into the dining room and made their way to their table.

SMK SMK

Dinner progressed over various courses, with the couples talking over various subjects and sharing stories. Eventually, their talk returned to the wrap up of the recent Stone case.

"So, did anything else happen yesterday?" Lee asked. He and Amanda had left the final paperwork to Ephraim and Francine so they could go on their retreat.

"Well, as you know, we got Ambassador Clare to turn on Llorado for limited immunity. The State Department made a deal with him that he wouldn't be prosecuted if he gave us everything he knew about Llorado. With all the information he provided, we were able to find Llorado's compound in Colombia and, with the help of the local police force, cleaned it out," Ephraim shared.

"We also found Llorado yesterday and he's in lock up as we speak. Apparently, he's trying to work out a deal to stay in an American prison- he's afraid of being deported to Colombia," Francine added.

"So, how is Eloise?" Amanda inquired. "Is she going to be OK?"

"We spoke with her yesterday, and told her everything about Jonathan. She was pretty upset, but she's young. I'm sure she'll be fine," Ephraim said. "I feel sorry for her, but she needed to know."

"What about Jonathan?" Amanda asked.

"Haven't seen him since Friday morning when we cut him loose," Francine said with a smile. After the tapes were combed over, Lee and Amanda had spent time with Jonathan Friday morning. They'd made it clear that he was never to contact Francine again for professional reasons. He was to cut ties with the State Department and, in exchange, Lee would make a few calls to some people he knew in California who could set him up with some work. Jonathan had agreed and Francine had watched him leave the Q Bureau with relief.

"That's great, Francine. Hopefully, you'll never have to lay eyes on that loser again," Lee said with a smile.

"I agree," Ephraim said, lifting her hand to kiss it.

Francine smiled at him, then looked over at her dearest friends. "I just want to say something to you all." She glanced at Amanda, and continued, "This was a very difficult week for me. I don't know what I would have done without all of your help, support, and guidance."

"You would've done just fine," Amanda smiled.

"Maybe," Francine shrugged, "but it meant more to me than any of you can possibly know to have you on my side. I've spent most of my life taking care of myself by myself and...I'm glad that I don't have to do that...anymore," she sniffed. Ephraim leaned over and kissed her forehead, while Amanda and Lee gave each other a smile. Francine took a deep breath, then said, "I love all of you and I want to propose a toast...to all of us. May 1990 be just the beginning to a glorious future."

"Hear, hear!" Amanda said as they all raised glasses and clinked them.

Not long after, the two couples rose and made their way to the dance floor. Lee caught Amanda up in his arms and drew her into a warm embrace, moving her around the dance floor effortlessly. Ephraim and Francine came together fluidly and began to glide to the music.

"Happy New Year's Eve, Mrs. Stetson," Lee whispered in his wife's ear. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Not in the last 30 seconds," Amanda breathed. She kissed his cheek, then pulled back to look into her husband's eyes. "I love you, too, Mr. Stetson...so very much." He gave her a loving smile then pulled her close, kissing her hair.

"Happy New Year's Eve, Ephraim," Francine murmured. "Thank you so much for tonight...and for loving me."

"Well, I do love you, Francine. I'm looking forward to our future," Ephraim replied, kissing her on her forehead.

"Me, too," Francine cooed, "I love you, too." She drew closer into his embrace and nuzzled his neck. 1989 had been a year of great change for her, both good and bad. Now, in the arms of the man she'd finally discovered love with, she knew that 1990 would bring new changes, but she was excited to face the future for the first time in her life.