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Rating:PG

Summary: Takes place after 'Over the Limit' - Lee and Amanda have that special dinner. (Sequel to 'Pushing the Limit')

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in the story below belong to Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Enterprises. A couple of the characters and story itself belong to the author. 'Over The Limit' was written by Tom Roplewski.

Archive: Please ask

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Part One

The sun was just starting to drop in the sky, weaving the clouds through with shards of gold, so bright that even with his sunglasses firmly in place, it hurt to look directly at it. And yet, the sight was so incredibly beautiful that Lee felt he was glimpsing tiny pieces of heaven itself peaking from between the clouds. As he swung his Corvette slowly to a halt in a shaded area just across and down the street from the King residence, he found himself feeling a small dose of anxiety mixed with anticipation. It was a sensation to which he was slowly becoming accustomed. It had been following him around all day, ever since he had awakened early this morning with thoughts of a certain gorgeous brunette teasing his mind.

As he headed to bed the night before, he had been sure that sleep would easily overtake him and that his dreams would be wonderfully sweet. For the first time, he had been rather looking forward to the fantasies that had been plaguing his sleep for the past two months.

Unfortunately, it hadn't worked out that way. Rather than falling into a nice relaxing slumber, he had found himself replaying the past two days over and over in his mind. Each time a scene had played out, Lee had mentally adjusted it to some degree, adding things he wished he had said, removing things he shouldn't have said. Trying to imagine the impact that different words might have made.

Mostly, he had replayed each and every moment that had been spent in Amanda's company. He relived his anger and hurtful words through her eyes over and over, wishing he could erase each and every one of them. She hadn't deserved to be treated so shabbily just because his emotions were in a total array of confusion.

As he reexamined each moment, he spotted a dozen more items he should have apologized for, things that should have been handled differently, words he should have left unspoken. He had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, where instead of delightful dreams, he had been plagued with tormenting images of bombings and people dying, ambulances and sheet- covered bodies. He had awakened in the middle of the night drenched in a cold sweat. Getting up, he had splashed some water over his face, fixed himself a drink and turned on a few more lights.

Heading back to his room with his second drink in tow, he had fluffed his pillow with one hand, propping it up against the bed board. Then flopping down into a semi-lying position, he finished his drink and stared at the ceiling. A few moments later, he could feel the alcohol relaxing his body. Now if the activity in his mind would cease, maybe he could get some sleep.

Those nightmares had been so incredibly realistic. He had felt as if he were right there experiencing each and every emotion they invoked. Not wanting to dwell on the troubling visions, he deliberately forced his mind to seek out more favorable thoughts. At that particular moment, he couldn't think of anything more pleasant or delightful than the sight of Amanda in that blue silky concoction.

He smiled at the memory, seeing her again in his mind as she had sat there in the kitchen talking with her mother. He saw her as she crouched beside the windowsill, her beautiful face softened by the moonlight. He could hear her soft husky voice, see her easy smile and the sparkle in her eyes. He pictured her as she had looked immediately after his climbing in through her window, shaking off the intoxicating image a moment later. Some thoughts, he grinned to himself, could definitely be dangerous, almost lethal.

The picture in his mind was softly killing. She was so incredibly beautiful and sexy. He found himself aching at the memory of how it had felt to hold her close against his body, having her lean into him with her head on his shoulder and her arms around his waist. His emotions might be in total chaos regarding Amanda, but his body seemed to be having no such confusion.

Shifting uncomfortably, he set his glass on the night stand, deciding he had better confine himself to thoughts of Amanda's face rather than the rest of her. He could picture the sparkle of her eyes and the sweetness of her smile and the warmth in her expression as she had spoken. He allowed his mind to drift to those last few precious moments right before he had left her, recalling with a tinge of sadness her words about what had attracted her to Chamberlain.

Replaying them in his mind, he made the decision that one way or another, he would do what he could to make Amanda feel special. Every woman deserved to feel special, but none more than Amanda. She defined the word special. His one major regret as he had listened to her words, was that he hadn't been the one to make her feel that way. He planned to remedy that. He drifted off to sleep making a mental list of all the ways he intended to accomplish his plans.

He had awakened earlier than usual feeling energetic and ready to begin the day. His arrival at work, looking well rested and suitably groomed had drawn a few teasing comments from those around him. He had ignored them, choosing instead to get down to the business of completing the paperwork on the Trans-Oceanic case.

By the time Billy had entered the bullpen at 9:00, having gotten several early morning meetings out of the way, the report was finished, barring the typing. Lee had moved onto the next file on his desk and had it almost completed, as well.

Seeing Lee at his desk working, Billy had raised an eyebrow, but given him a nod as if to say he was suitably impressed with the changes. Lee, in turn, had pretended not to notice the look or the grin that followed it.

By the time Amanda had come in, he was in the morning staff meeting and didn't get a chance to speak with her until later, just before they had headed out to finish up the last of the leg work on Amanda's spring cleaning list. Lee had found himself grateful that Amanda was who she was. Another woman might have made things more difficult or awkward, but Amanda had greeted him with the same warmth she always did. It was as if the previous week had never happened. Nor had she made any reference, either by word or deed, regarding his late night appearance in her room. To his pleasant surprise, she also seemed to be oblivious to the attention the other men were trying to bestow on her. Fortunately for him, she was equally blind to the fact that he had given several of them hard glares, causing them to return to their cubicles with resigned looks on their faces.

After a quick, late lunch, they had made a stop at the marina to let Elizabeth and her husband know that Trans- Oceanic would no longer be bothering them, or anyone else. It was after speaking with the Sullivans, that Lee had brought up the subject of the two of them spending some time together.

First he had casually asked her about her plans for that evening. Finding out that she had none, he had taken the plunge and suggested that they go to dinner, just the two of them, steak, red wine, baked potato, no shop talk. He had kept his words casual, hoping she wouldn't notice how much he wanted this time with her.

Now, he sat just down from her house, waiting for her to appear, feeling like a teenager on his first date. He was almost twenty minutes early, but hadn't been able to think of anything else to use up the time, and had decided that he would rather be sitting outside her house than wishing he was. He looked around him, just enjoying the feeling of the neighborhood. Over the past couple of years, he had spent more hours than he could count either parked in or driving through this neighborhood.

At first, it had been mainly to discuss a case or to assure himself that she was okay. Other times, he had found himself passing through on his way to or home from some place. Sometimes he had stopped and sought her out for a few moments, others he had merely driven slowly by the house, scanning the area and noting which lights were on in which windows.

He had been here so many times that he could probably make the drive in his sleep. Looking back now, he realized that Amanda King had been occupying a substantial place in his thoughts right from the beginning. Now three years later, she was the best friend he had ever had, and his partner, even if he rarely admitted it out loud. They had spent many hours together, and they had even been out to dinner before. They had been in and out of each others homes on a regular basis. So why did he suddenly feel so incredibly apprehensive?

'Because this is uncharted territory,' he told himself.

He had only been sitting there for a few moments when a dark blue sedan that had 'rental car' written all over it pulled up in front of the house. He watched in his side view mirror as a very distinguished looking man got out and walked to the front door, ringing the bell. From the back, Lee couldn't tell if he knew the man or not, but something about him was vaguely familiar.

Lee watched with interest that quickly turned to chagrin, as Amanda opened the door. She looked absolutely charming, dressed in a white skirt and soft rose-colored blouse. By now, Lee had turned slightly in his seat to watch the scene unfolding before his eyes. He saw the casual interest on Amanda's face turn to surprise and then quickly to absolute delight, as she surveyed the gentleman on her front step.

In the next instant, the man had opened his arms in outstretched invitation. Without any hesitation, she had happily launched herself into them. With seeming enjoyment, she planted a kiss on his cheek, hugging him to her. Lee could hear the deep rumble of the man's laughter as he wrapped his arms around Amanda in a big bear hug that completely lifted her off the ground and then swung her around. When he finally set her feet back on the ground, she gave him another hug, laughing and chattering away, as she pulled him into the house, closing the door.

Lee groaned in vexation, having recognized the man's face as Amanda was swung around. If this wasn't the absolute limit. He was beginning to think that the fates must surely be conspiring against him.

For a moment, Lee considered just driving off. He could call Amanda from a phone some place and make an excuse. That would keep her from having to make a choice about whom she wanted to spend this evening with. It would also put the ball in his court, so to speak. If he was the one to cancel, then he wouldn't have to cope with the situation should Amanda prefer to spend her evening with the ever popular football player.

"'Winsome' Whitaker!" Lee rolled his eyes as he all but sneered the nick name, thinking it sounded completely ridiculous. "Probably gave it to himself," he muttered, echoing the words he had tossed at Amanda the last time the man, known as the dashing darling of the Indianapolis Colts, had been in town. Lee felt nothing but absolute loathing for the guy, who seemed to think that life was one big joke, with himself being the head joker.

Lee had disliked the other man from the first moment he had met him. The fact that he had ended up playing the patsy for the guy's warped sense of humor had only cemented the feeling. He, for one, was glad that the Colts had been moved to Indianapolis, although he was careful to keep that fact to himself. The majority of people harbored rather strong feelings of bitterness regarding the middle of the night move. Not Lee. He figured the greater the distance, the better.

Fortunately for his own ego, very few people knew the full extent of his run in with the football star. Unfortunately, Billy wasn't among that group. The mere mention of the team still tended to cause Billy to break out laughing in riotous amusement. For some vague reason known only to himself, the remembrance of Lee, flapping in the proverbial breeze seemed to appeal to his sense of humor.

Ten minutes later, Lee was still trying to decide what to do, when he heard the sound of male laughter and boyish squeals of delight filling the air. Turning, he watched as the boys came bounding out of the house whooping and yelling in excitement. Philip turned a cartwheel as he came down the front lawn, and Jamie not to be outdone, quickly followed suit. Amanda and Mr. Football stood on the front steps chatting away, both obviously enjoying the boys antics.

As she stood there, casually leaning against the door jamb, she happened to glance down the street and spot him sitting there. She flashed him a shy apologetic smile, and then as if she knew his intentions of moments before, her eyes narrowed and her head tilted in stern rebuke. Lifting her hand, she pointed a finger first at him and then at the ground, telling him to stay put.

Noticing her hand movements, the man beside her followed her gaze, until he too spotted Lee. Even from that distance, Lee could see the twinkle of devilry that entered the man's eyes, as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. Flashing a roguish smile he then turned to say something to Amanda. Lee watched as Amanda closed her eyes briefly and shook her head at the guy. Flashing him a stern look, she said something that looked like 'Behave yourself!' Tossing Lee a rueful smile, she then shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, as if to say, 'What do I do with this guy?'. Lee knew what he'd like to do with the jerk, but was fairly certain that Amanda would object.

A moment later, Dotty appeared in the doorway, giving Amanda a hug. Lee watched as everyone except Amanda piled into the rental car. "Have a great time, fellas!" she called, as the car pulled away from the curb. "And don't give your grandmother any trouble!" she added the warning. She stood there and watched the car until it turned the corner, before letting her gaze seek out Lee. She made a quick motion with her hand, letting him know that he was welcome to join her in the house as she finished getting ready.

When he entered the house a few moments later, she was busily picking up several puzzle pieces from off the floor. A partially completed jigsaw puzzle was spread out on the coffee table. She glanced up to flash him a smile of welcome, tossing the last few pieces into the box sitting beside the puzzle. "I just need to set these glasses in the sink, and get a jacket," she informed him as she began gathering up several empty glasses from the coffee table, and one that had been left on the floor beside a chair.

"And, before you ask," she tossed back over her shoulder, as she headed toward the kitchen. "I had no idea that Barry was going to show up just now. He's in town for some sort of promotional thing, and thought the boys might get a kick out of spending some time with him and the other players. Mother decided to go along to ensure that they stay out of trouble." She paused slightly after the last statement, before flashing him an amused grin, "The players that is, not the boys."

"Hear, hear," Lee muttered in complete agreement with her mother.

Amanda just flashed him a smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Now, how did I know you were gonna feel that way?" she asked as she quickly began rinsing the glasses out. "By the way, where are we going tonight? Or is that privileged information?" she asked, referring to the many times he had refused to tell her the details of an assignment, until it was too late to back out.

Lee found himself smiling at how quickly she had always been able to put him at ease. Just being in her presence tended to calm his frazzled nerves. He could almost forget how nervous he had been just a short while earlier. He walked across the den to join her in the kitchen, leaning casually against the counter as he watched her. He loved watching her. Every movement she made was so fluid and graceful. Being in her presence filled him with peace and contentment. "I thought we'd go to the grille room at the Morrison House," he informed her. "They have great steaks and their wine list is one of the best around. They also have a really nice piano bar there."

Drying her hands, she turned to smile up at him. "Good choice."

"Oh, you've been there then?" he inquired, unable to keep himself from wondering if she had gone there with a date.

"Once or twice," she acknowledged, choosing to skirt around his question rather than give him a direct answer. "I love Old Towne Alexandria," she continued. "You can just feel the history surrounding you. I went there with Philip's class on a field trip about a year ago. It was so interesting and there was so much to see, that Mother and I ended up taking the boys back several times."

Watching the reminiscent look in her eyes, Lee knew she was just warming up and that he was in for a real history lesson, not that he minded. He loved hearing her voice and the way she sometimes phrased things was rather endearing, now that he had gotten used to her verbal stamina. She probably would have launched into a full scale rundown of Alexandria history, had the ringing of the phone not cut her off at that moment.

With an apologetic smile to Lee, she went to answer it. "This should only take a moment," she assured him. "Hello? Alan!" She smiled warmly into the phone. Lee scowled at the contraption. "Yes, Mother did tell me that you called. Yes, she did mention that you were going to be in town next weekend. In fact, she would love it if you could join us for dinner on Saturday evening." She paused, listening to the man on the other end of the line. "That would be really nice. No, we don't already have any plans for Sunday."

Listening to her side of the conversation, Lee groaned inside, being careful to keep his expression pleasant should Amanda glance his way. This just couldn't be happening. 'At least,' he told himself, trying to look at the bright side, 'the evening can't get any worse.'

Catching Lee fidgeting out of the corner of her eye, Amanda decided she'd better cut this particular call short. Not that she had anything to hide. She and Alan were friends and she refused to hide that fact in a closet. If Lee didn't like it, well, that was just too bad. She wasn't about to put her life on hold while Lee continued to do as he pleased. But she didn't want to rub his nose in it either. She knew he was rather possessive of her when it came to other men in her life. What she couldn't figure out was if his possessiveness had its roots in jealousy or was merely some kind of 'big brother' complex. It was difficult to tell, because he blew hot and cold at random, always keeping her guessing.

"Ah, Alan, I'm sorry to have to cut this short, but I have plans for this evening, and was just on my way out the door." Lee's ears perked up at her words, his eyes catching hers as he gave her a smile of encouragement, which she returned. She was still listening to whatever Alan was saying on the other end of the phone line. As he watched, she rolled her eyes over something that was said and began shaking her head as if unable to believe what she was hearing. "Yes, I guess you could call it a date . . . kinda." She spoke the words resignedly into the mouthpiece. "Yes, he is a very nice man and yes, it's someone I work with," she confirmed, flashing Lee an embarrassed look. "Look, Alan, I really need to go," she cut short whatever the other man was saying. "What?" The question was spoken with a bit of shocked surprise.

Lee watched with interest as a tinge of color came into her cheeks. Once again, she shook her head resignedly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'll see you on Saturday, Alan. We can talk then." She spoke the words very firmly and Lee recognized her 'I'm not gonna answer that one' tone. She had paused, listening again. "Yeah, 6:00 would be perfect. We'll see you then. Good bye, Alan." She spoke her good bye with a hint of laughter in her voice and Lee could have sworn he saw her mouth the word 'men' as she pulled the receiver away from her ear. She hung up, sending Lee an apologetic glance. "Sorry about that," she told him.

Lee found the half-embarrassed, shy look on her face intriguing. "No problem," he assured her, not sure if he were telling the truth or not. On one hand, for some reason, he didn't like the idea that Chamberlain was still calling her, let alone making arrangements to see her. But, on the other hand, the tone of her voice as she had spoken with the other man had given Lee a piece of vital information that he found telling. She was not yet involved with Alan, at least he was pretty sure she wasn't. While her voice had been friendly and even warm, it had lacked any of the softer tones or innuendo that was usually present in a conversation between lovers. For right now, that was enough for Lee's peace of mind. Chamberlain might be invited to dinner on Saturday night, but tonight was his, and his alone. Now he just had to figure out what he hoped to accomplish with it.

When he had invited her for dinner, just the two of them with no shoptalk, he had known that he was taking the next step in their relationship. They had been out together before, dozens upon dozens of times. Mostly on business situations, with the occasional friendship or apology dinner thrown in. This time it wasn't really any of those. Tonight was strictly no business; friendship had very little to do with the offer and he had already made his apologies. He just wanted to spend this time with her tonight. Not because he felt like he owed her something for giving her such a hard time, but because he really wanted to. It was just that he didn't know where he wanted to go from here.

He knew where his hormones wanted to go, but this was Amanda, his partner . . . his best friend, and he wasn't going to rush into anything that might make her feel uncomfortable or possibly jeopardize what they already had. Usually when he took a woman out, there was a good chance that they would end up in bed sometime before the evening was over. This time he knew the date would end with him returning her chastely to her doorstep.

However, if she should make a move or two . . . he allowed the idea to slide around in his thoughts for a moment, before calling a halt to it. This was Amanda. He knew that he'd be likely to pound on anyone he caught trying anything with her without a firm commitment in mind. He also knew that he would hate himself in the morning if he allowed anything to happen, not to mention that Amanda probably wouldn't be too thrilled with him either.

"I'll just get a jacket, and then we can leave," Amanda told him, heading toward the coat closet. "If we're quick about it, maybe we can get out of here before there are any more interruptions," she laughed. "It's been like grand central station here tonight." A few moments later, they were finally out the door.

Just as they reached his car, the honking of a horn caught their attention. Looking up, they realized the sound was coming from a car stopped in the middle of the street, trying to get their attention. "Amanda!" a male voice called. Lee clenched his teeth, wondering just how many men he was going to be confronted with. Usually, his women caused the interruptions when he was out on the town. To be confronted with some man at every turn was something new, or almost.

From the beginning, he had been aware that Amanda attracted men almost as quickly as she attracted trouble. It seemed that in almost every assignment they had been on, she had caught the eye of some man or the other. Leave her alone for a mere moment to get some work done and some man in the room would make a beeline for her. The only thing that had made it tolerable was that she always seemed to be honestly flustered by the attention she received, and rarely sought it out or encouraged it.

He knew from spending time with her over the past couple years, that the same was true in her private life. There was just something about her that seemed to appeal to the male population, be it men his own age, kids or grandfather types . . . they all seemed to respond to the enigma that was solely Amanda.

Reluctantly, he stepped back, allowing her to maneuver around him so she could see what the guy wanted. She smiled apologetically as she moved away from him and approached the gentleman in the car. "Hi, Jim. What's the problem?" she asked, smiling as she gave him her attention. Lee wasn't close enough to hear their conversation, but he could hear the rumble of the man's laughter at something Amanda had said. Lee was beginning to think that maybe he should just pick her up, toss her in the car and make a quick getaway.

The entire conversation only took about a minute and a half, but it seemed a lot longer to Lee. Finally, she moved back from the car laughing, promising the guy that she'd think about whatever he had said. As she came toward him, Lee was struck by how naturally beautiful she was. There was nothing artificial or phony about Amanda. What you saw was what you got. She always seemed to have a ready smile and her enjoyment of life was obvious to all. She also had the uncanny ability to laugh at herself, which made her fun to be around. She was laughing now.

As she reached him, her beautiful brown eyes were twinkling with amusement. "That was Jim Trawley," she informed him as if he should know the name. 'Trawley', he turned the name over in his mind, it did sound vaguely familiar. Seeing the confusion on his face, she continued to expand with a small laugh. "Jim Trawley, as in the father of Joshua Trawley -- your fellow trellis climber."

"Oh." Lee nodded remembering that she had thought he was this Joshua kid last night when he had climbed her trellis. "So, what'd he want?" he inquired, curious as to what was behind the amusement bubbling inside her.

"Oh, nothing much," she laughed. Turning she pointed down the street toward a small one story house on the corner. "Joshua lives in that little bungalow over there with his parents. Turns out that ours isn't the only roof he's been trying to get on lately. He has quite a few of the neighbors in an uproar about the matter. Seems he has some sort of a school project. Something to do with an egg and he's trying to find some place really high to drop it from. Guess if it doesn't break he gets an A on the project. Josh claims their roof isn't high enough, so Jim wants me to consider letting him up on ours so the rest of the neighbors will stop complaining." She shook her head over the ingenuity and tenacity of kids these days. "I told him I'd think about it."

She took hold of Lee's offered hand and lowered herself into his Corvette. It was a nice car, but after getting in and out of her station wagon, the seats seemed to sit awfully low. Oh, well. She watched as Lee moved around the front of the car and got in. He started the engine, and then glanced over at the woman beside him, before turning to reach behind their seats and pull out a small clear box. "For you," he said, handing it to her.

Amanda took the box, noticing that it held a small corsage that consisted of a single white orchid, surrounded by a bit of greenery. Its very simplicity gave it an elegant beauty unrivaled by any corsage she had ever received. "It's beautiful." She smiled shyly at him. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

Lee returned the smile, enjoying the expression on her face as she carefully opened the box and removed the corsage, bending her head to pin it on herself. "I wanted to do it, Amanda," he assured her firmly, reaching over to help her. She sat still, tilting her head out of the way as he finished pinning it on for her. To do so, he inadvertently slid two fingers into the neckline of her blouse, trying to hold the material still. For Lee, it lent the entire endeavor an intimacy he hadn't expected, causing him to hold his own breath until he had finished the task.

After straightening the flower a bit when he was finished, he glanced at Amanda, to see if she had been similarly affected. She was casually rearranging the collar of her blouse as she looked at the flower pinned there. The slight encroachment didn't seem to have bothered her. She seemed to accept his assistance as easily as he accepted her assistance with his tie. There was no embarrassment in her expression as she turned her eyes back up to his. "Thank you, it really is beautiful," she told him with quiet sincerity.

Lee smiled, mostly to himself, as he put the car in gear. "You are very welcome," he told her, glad that he had taken the time to run past Carmen's House of Flowers. It had taken him only a few moments to make a decision on which flower he wanted. The elegance of the orchid just seem to say 'Amanda'.

Amanda glanced out her window as they headed out of her neighborhood, her thoughts running every which direction. She could still feel the warmth of Lee's fingers where they had brushed against the hollow of her shoulder as he had pinned the corsage on. She was getting really good at hiding the little jumps of awareness his touch created, but that didn't mean that she didn't feel them or think about them.

While she was content to be in his presence, she was also feeling slightly on edge, as if not knowing what to expect from him. He was doing it to her again. Yesterday he had introduced her to his new girlfriend and now, this evening he had invited her out on what she would consider a date. Only problem was she wasn't sure just what he considered it.

His words of invitation said 'date', his picking her up at her house said 'date', even his choice of flower said 'date'. But this was Lee, and he had a habit of leading her down one road and then pulling back at the last moment, giving her that stupid spiel of his. She told herself again that if this was one of those times when he started in, she really was going to reply with 'not exactly'. And tonight, it would be true. He had said 'no shoptalk' and she was going to hold him to it. That meant that he couldn't later start in about how this was just business.

She sure hoped he wasn't setting her up for something. She wouldn't put it past him to spring an assignment on her at the last minute. There was just something about this turnaround that bothered her, she couldn't put her finger on it, but something nagged in the back of her mind. This past week he had all but ignored her, in fact he had been down right rude to her. Of course, she reminded herself, a lot of his behavior had always come off as being rude, so why his rudeness this past week had bothered her she wasn't sure.

Maybe it was because they had seemed to be getting along so well up until then. They had been working well together lately and he had seemed to be seeking her out more and more often. His blowing hot and cold really was aggravating. She never knew where she stood with him and therefore resolving her feelings for him was difficult. One day she had them neatly pegged as just really good friends and then the next he would do something to cause her to wonder if it could be more than that. Like now, this evening, with this date. Problem was he had pulled back so many times before that she found herself waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Penny for your thoughts." Lee's words dropped casually on her ears, drawing her attention back to him. She smiled up at him ruefully, knowing full well that she wasn't about to tell him what she had been thinking.

"Inflation would make it at least a nickel," she teased, "and they aren't worth that. I was just thinking about the vagaries of life."

"Vagaries of life, huh?" Lee repeated the phrase, "And exactly what would those be?"

"Unh Uh, Scarecrow, no dice. My thoughts really weren't all that great and besides a girl has to have some secrets!" she teased.

"Hey, they must really be something interesting if they're so secret," Lee teased back, enjoying the repartee with her. He had always enjoyed that part of their relationship. Somehow she had been able to bring a smile to his heart right from the beginning. He glanced in his rear view mirror as he switched lanes. Then he did a double take.

Trying to keep his eye on both the traffic in front of him and his rearview mirror, he sped up. The black limo several lengths behind them also sped up. He switched lanes, the long black car switched lanes as well, so he switched back. Seeing the other car follow suit just confirmed his suspicions. Somewhere along the line they had picked up a tail.

Trying to decide on the best course of action, Lee allowed his eyes to slide to Amanda only to meet her questioning look.. Having realized that something wasn't quite right, she was watching him, trying to discern the cause. "We picked up a tail somewhere," he informed her, speeding up a bit more. Turning, she glanced out the back window.

"Which one?" she asked, automatically going into agent mode.

"The black limousine."

Spotting the long black car, several lengths behind them, she turned to Lee. "Got any ideas who it might be?" she questioned. "I can't make out the driver from this distance."

Lee allowed his eyes to slide over her again, appreciating her ability to remain calm under fire. When others were running around in circles or screaming their heads off, she was quietly assessing the situation and trying to figure out a plan. He couldn't stop the grin that popped out. She really was something. "No, I don't have a clue either," he informed her. "Could be anybody."

"How about Blue Leader?" she questioned, remembering several times when he had followed them in this same manner.

"I thought of that," Lee acknowledged her guess, "but they've been on our tail for some time. If it were Blue Leader, he's had more than ample opportunity to contact us. Besides, I never spot Blue Leader until I hear him. Whoever's driving that limo is an amateur, he isn't even trying to hide the fact that he's following us. Either that, or he doesn't care if we know. I can't think of anyone that fits either of those descriptions off the top of my head. Can you?"

Glancing behind them again, Amanda shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't imagine who it might be either. Looking up at Lee, she smiled at the anticipation on his face as he glanced her way.

"How about we lose this guy, and double back?" he questioned with a grin.

Amanda just shook her head in amused defeat. "Sounds like a plan to me," she agreed checking to make sure that her seat belt was securely fastened. She had just known it was too good to be true that they could actually spend time together, without their job intruding. Part of her felt like laughing at the absurdity of this situation. The other part of her, she was somewhat surprised to find, was feeling a bit relieved. It was as if their relationship had suddenly fallen back into its rightful spot.

As much as she liked and admired Lee, and wanted to spend this time together just getting to know him better, she wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. Her feelings for Lee were strong and intense, but they were also confusing and had a tendency to shift back and forth like quick silver. He was attractive, exciting and the best friend she had ever had. She loved being with him, yet she wasn't sure she was ready to change their relationship into anything more, should that be his desire..

The problem was, her hormones weren't getting in line behind her hesitant emotions. Every time he gave her one of those looks that said he was aware of her as a woman, and every time he touched her, even casually, a spark of desire shot through her body. It had been a long time since she had been intimate with a man and while, for the most part, she hadn't really felt she was missing out, lately her body seemed to be telling her that it was ready to move on with life.

Only for her, a decision like that was tantamount to completely placing her future, as well as that of her boys, in the hands of someone else. She wasn't sure she was ready to do that. Not only did she not want to get hurt herself, but she wouldn't allow her sons to be dragged into anything that wasn't completely secure. No matter what her body was telling her, she had to face facts. As attracted as she was to Lee, his track record with women wasn't the best. She had his recent involvement with Leslie as a case in point. One day he was hot and heavy with the woman, and the next he was inviting Amanda out, saying that Leslie could fend for herself. Even if Leslie hadn't been in the picture, Amanda wasn't sure what she wanted from her relationship with Lee.

What they currently had was very good and she didn't want to mess their friendship up by seeking more than Lee wanted to give. Hormones aside, she wasn't even sure what 'more' she wanted or if she did. This was so confusing. While she trusted him completely with her safety and her life, she hadn't yet come to the point of completely trusting him with her heart. She just couldn't afford to make another mistake. It wasn't just her future riding on the decisions she made in her private life, but that of Philip and Jamie as well.

Glancing behind them, she could see that the black car was keeping pace with them, even as Lee wove expertly in and out of traffic. Of course, he wasn't trying to lose it yet. He was searching for an area where he could shake it off and then, in turn, begin a tailing of his own. Looking at the road ahead, she saw that he was taking an off ramp down into the warehouse district. It would be pretty easy for him to control the situation in that area. She had seen him do it time and time again.

She looked at his face, enjoying the chance to observe him. He was too busy driving to pay her any attention right then. She took in the intense look on his face as he monitored both the traffic in front of him and the car tailing them. Occasionally, his eyes would flit in her direction, and she would quickly look some place else. She hadn't realized how often he was glancing at her until then. When their eyes caught and held for a mere instant, she saw his concern for her shining forth from his. Somehow, even in a situation where his complete concentration was required, he still was sparing a moment or two to check on her. The thought warmed her heart. He really was a special man.

"Hang on," he warned her just mere seconds before he took a sharp turn down a small street, only to make another such turn immediately. They both sat in silence as they waited to see if the driver of the other car would spot them or not. They shared a conspiratorial grin as they saw the car drive past their hidden spot. Unfortunately, the driver was trying to locate them, and as he had passed them, his head had been turned in the other direction. Neither one of them had been able to make out who it was.

Putting his car into reverse, Lee backed out onto the road and swung his car in the direction the limo had gone. It wasn't long before they spotted him. 'The guy is definitely a nonprofessional,' Lee thought as he pulled a bit closer. The driver was so busy searching the area in front of him for their car that he never even noticed they were a short distance behind him. Lee found himself hating that stupid tinted glass that kept him from getting a good look at the guy. They were either going to have to stay on his tail, or take a chance and pull up beside him to find out who it was.

He glanced at Amanda, but she just shrugged her shoulders, leaving the decision up to him. Part of him wanted to tail the guy and see where he would go, but who knew how long that would take. The other part of him just wanted to get this done and over with so he could get on with his evening. Had he been the only one in the car, he wouldn't have even hesitated. But with Amanda beside him, he was reluctant to rush into a situation that could prove dangerous. Until they knew what they were dealing with, it was better to be cautious. With a long-suffering sigh, he pulled back slightly. Flashing Amanda an apologetic smile, he resigned himself to the change of plans for this evening.

They followed the car for a few more blocks. The driver was obviously still hoping to spot them. He would slow down at each intersection, almost coming to a stop, before speeding up and shooting down the street toward the next intersection. Lee looked over at Amanda, meeting her amused expression with one of his own. They were both obviously thinking the same thing. 'Amateur!'

Suddenly the car they were tailing swerved sharply to the curb and jerked to a stop. Lee swung his car to the side of the road as well, staying far enough back that they wouldn't immediately be spotted and yet close enough that he could track any action. The door of the limo was flung open so roughly that it snapped out and than began to swing shut again, only to meet the foot of the driver as he kicked it back open. Emerging, he jerked off his cap and flung it back into the car. Running his fingers through his hair in apparent frustration, he stood there looking around, a look of stumped aggravation on his face.

Watching the scene play out before their eyes, Lee and Amanda turned to each other in shocked surprise. This was one thing they had never expected. It only took Lee a moment to assess the situation, before he began to get good and steamed. Jerking his own car door open, he looked at Amanda sternly. "You stay put, do you hear! The last thing I need is someone in the way when I knock some sense into him!" he growled.

Nodding her head in agreement, Amanda shot him a look that consisted of equal parts relief and amusement. "Be sure to find out why he was tailing us first," she reminded him with a laugh. Scowling at her amusement with the situation, Lee slammed his car door and made his way toward the man who was now leaning against the hood of his car. This had better be good or the guy was going to be sporting quite a few bruises for interfering with his evening plans.

"Auggie, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Lee's roar echoed down the street, causing the other man to visibly jump. "There'd better be a really good explanation for this stunt or I'm gonna pound you into the pavement until they have to scrape you off with a shovel!"

As she watched from the car, Amanda couldn't help but be amused. Lee was really giving Auggie a rough time. If there was anyone else on the street, they would most likely also be watching the animated conversation going on between the two men. Lee's loud bellow of rage would have assured that if nothing else. Amanda just shook her head, she was finding the entire thing very entertaining. Auggie was being his unique self. He stood there beside the long black car, dressed in a badly fitting white tux, accented with the most outrageous cowboy boots, waving his hands all around as he tried to explain something to Lee.

From where she sat, it didn't look like Lee was buying whatever Auggie was telling him, because he started shouting at the poor guy again. He must have said something about her, because suddenly Auggie glanced in her direction, shielding his eyes a bit. Spotting her, he flashed a big grin and waved cheerfully at her, as if Lee wasn't standing a mere few inches away ready to jump down his throat. Amanda acknowledged his wave by nodding her head at him and giving him a small wave back.

The next minute, Lee had once again claimed the other man's attention, grabbing him by the lapels of his tux and slamming him up against the limo. Auggie started talking so fast he barely stopped for breath. Something he said caught Lee's attention, because he eased his hands away from the guy.

Straightening to his full height, Auggie brushed the wrinkles from his lapels as he continued talking. When he was finished, Lee turned and started back toward the Corvette. However, something Auggie said drew his attention back. Lee looked like he was going to explode once again, but instead gave a resigned shrug. Reaching in his front pocket, he pulled out a small wad of bills, two of which he peeled off and handed to Auggie.

As he headed back toward her, Amanda heard him state, "This had best be on the level Auggie, that's all I can say. If it isn't, I'm gonna hunt you down and personally remove a few of your teeth."

His body language as he climbed back into the car and slammed the door bespoke of frustration, aggravation and resignation. For a moment he just sat in the drivers seat staring straight ahead. Amanda knew him well enough to realize that he was trying to get himself under control.

Finally, he started up the car and turned to face her. "I really hate to do this Amanda, but we need to make a another stop before we can go to dinner. Auggie swears there's some sort of major arms deal going down at 7:15 over in Rock Creek Park. Claimed he'd been looking all over town for me when he spotted us driving down the bypass. He was just following us to where we were going so he could tell me about it."

Raking his fingers through his hair, Lee let his disgust with the situation show on his face. "I think it's more like he was short of funds and figured he could make a quick buck by passing along some information. I don't know whether to believe him or not. Knowing Auggie, it's most likely a wild goose chase. The trouble is, if I don't at least check this out and it turns out to be true, it'll be my butt Smythe hangs out to dry."

Amanda nodded her understanding and reached over to place a comforting hand on his arm. "Better safe than sorry," she told him, letting him know by both her words and her touch that she understood the situation perfectly. "Let's go and get this done with. If it's nothing, then we still have time to go to dinner and if it's on the up and up, then we've done our job." She cocked her head to the side giving him an encouraging smile.

Lee grinned over at her, his ill humor ebbing away with her understanding. He had wanted this evening to be so special for her. He had carefully planned things out, wanting to be the one who made her feel special and now he was dragging her off on what could be a wild goose chase. So much for all his planning. Why was it that lately things never seemed to work out the way he wanted them to?

A short while later they were pulling into the entrance of Rock Creek Park. "Auggie said they were going to be meeting over by Boulder Bridge," Lee informed Amanda. He followed the winding road until they were just short of spotting the bridge, but within walking distance. Lee hurried around the car to open Amanda's door.

After giving her a hand out, he looked down at her, seeming to weigh his words. "I think the best way to play this is as if we are just a couple taking a stroll down the path toward the bridge. If we act like we're lost in each other, rather than paying attention to anything around us, we should be able to get close enough without spooking them. We can check it out and call for back up if it looks like anything is going down." Reaching back into the car, he grabbed a little portable two-way radio, tucking it in his back pocket.

Taking Amanda's hand in his, he started in a direction that would put them on the path crossing the bridge. As soon as they reached the path, he pulled Amanda up tight against him, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Are you sure this is necessary?" she questioned the lack of space between them, sliding her own arm around his waist. It wasn't that she minded the contact, exactly, it was just that being this close to Lee tended to do interesting things to her. She was hoping that he wouldn't notice her increased heartbeat, or her slight shortness of breath.

Lee knew that they could have portrayed a loving couple without the canned sardine closeness, but just couldn't resist an opportunity like this. They walked slowly toward the bridge, heads bent together, looking like a happy couple wrapped up in each other. As they came in sight of the bridge, Lee steered her to a near-by tree. Once there he leaned back against the tree and pulled her up close again, wrapping both arms around her waist. As he did so, his eyes began scanning the area around the bridge. Amanda played her part, placing her arms around his neck and leaning into him. She rested her head on his shoulder, also scanning the area with her eyes. "There's a guy on the other side of the bridge," she told him, "it looks like he might be waiting for something or someone."

Lee bent his head, apparently nuzzling her neck as he gazed in the direction she had mentioned. "Okay, I see him." He couldn't resist letting his lips brush lightly against the back of her neck. She stiffened slightly for a moment, and he wondered if she was going to reprimand him, but she relaxed again, letting the contact slide. "I spotted another man over in the brush just this side of the bridge." he told her. "Either he's just being cautious or our guy over there has brought some protection with him."

Amanda leaned back a little in Lee's arms so she could scan the area behind him. To anyone watching it would just look like she was gazing up into his eyes. Lee smiled at her. She was getting good at this cloak and dagger stuff. And he was definitely enjoying their current situation. Returning his smile, she once again leaned close, trying to keep her movements slow and natural. "There's another man standing back in the trees behind you. It looks like he's wearing a shoulder harness," she whispered. "I can see the edge of it sticking out of his jacket and he has his hand on something, I think you might be right about the guy bringing his own back up."

Lee nodded, once again leaning down, this time appearing to nuzzle the side of her neck as he whispered in her ear. "Look's like Auggie might have been right on the money this time. I think maybe we ought to call this in."

Letting go of Amanda, he straightened up and wrapping his arm around her waist, began to steer her back down the path the way they had come. "Let's put a bit of distance between us and them before we call Billy. . .Hello!" He had been keeping his head close to Amanda's, appearing to be deep in conversation, but all the while he had actually been scanning the area around them. He had just spotted a man with a briefcase walking quickly across the grass on a direct course to the bridge. "I think I see our man." Lee started walking a bit quicker. It looked like things would be going down at any moment and he wanted to get Amanda out of the line of fire. There wouldn't be time to notify Billy on this one.

As soon as they were out of sight of the bridge, Lee turned to Amanda, clasping both her upper arms for emphasis. "Look, Amanda," he said firmly,"I want you to get a hold of Billy and then go back to the car and wait for him there. Okay?" Taking the radio out of his pocket, he handed it to her.

Amanda looked up at him like he was out of his mind. "You can't go back there alone. There's at least four men involved and one of them has a gun. For all we know there could be more."

"Amanda, I don't have time to argue with you. Please, just do as you're told!" His desire to have her out of this and yet get back to see what was happening put a sharp edge on his voice. He could tell immediately that she didn't like his tone, but he didn't have time to fix things now. "Get going," he ordered, turning back in the direction of the bridge.

"Lee!" Amanda started to object, but whatever she was going to say was cut short by the sound of several gunshots ringing through the air. They both turned to look in the direction of the sound. "Wait here," Lee commanded as he turned to rush back to the bridge, leaving Amanda bristling with outrage.

Amanda glanced over at Lee and then back out her window. They had been driving in total silence for almost ten minutes now. He was still fuming. "I'm going to kill him!" The impact of the harshly spoken words, exploding into the silence, couldn't have been greater if a gun had gone off in the car. Amanda visibly jumped, having been startled out of her own thoughts. "I'm going to find him, and then I'm going to pound what's left of his brain out!" Lee raged.

"Lee, he couldn't have known," Amanda tried to defend Auggie, although at the moment she wasn't too happy with the guy either.

"Couldn't have known?" Lee exploded, letting his glance slide in her direction. "Amanda, he sent us into the middle of an FBI sting operation. Do you know how much flak it would have created if we had interfered and messed things up? Smythe would have a field day with something like this. Not to mention we'd be the latest joke at the water cooler and probably end up suspended to appease the FBI."

"But it didn't happen," she reminded him, trying not to laugh. She knew that it really wasn't a laughing matter, but was finding the entire situation entertaining.

After only a moments hesitation, she had followed Lee back down the path toward the bridge. As she came in sight of the area, a hand had reached out and jerked her into a group of trees. Startled, she had looked up to see Lee holding a finger to his lips and then pointing toward the bridge.

The entire area was swarming with men. Along the railing of the bridge, two men stood in handcuffs, while a third man was on the ground, with an agent on top of him. Looking back at Lee, she caught his mouthed 'FBI' and nodded her understanding. They had obviously waltzed into the middle of an FBI sting operation.

Amanda spotted the man she had seen earlier in the woods behind Lee. He was talking into a field radio as he surveyed the scene with a huge grin on his face. Motioning for her to remain quiet, Lee had led her back to the car, his aggravation with the situation clearly visible on his face.

"Lee," she reached out a hand to touch his arm and tried to keep her voice soothing and calm. "Auggie couldn't have known it was a sting operation. He was trying to do you a favor." She could tell from the small tick in his jaw that he was still angry. "Lee," she said more firmly, "It turned out all right. We can't let this little set back ruin our entire evening." Suddenly, she felt as if she could contain her amusement no longer. "You must admit," she grinned at him, "that if nothing else, this has been a very unique date!"

She could have kicked herself when that last word popped out. What if he didn't consider this to be a date? Would he think she was stupid or give her that little spiel of his? She held her breath, waiting for his reaction. When it came, she allowed herself to breathe easier.

Flashing her a half grin, Lee allowed the anger to flow out of his body. "Unique wasn't exactly what I was going for here," he told her wryly. "I was hoping for wonderful, incredible . . . fantastic. I wanted this evening to be special, Amanda." He allowed his eyes to quickly skim over her face as he spoke.

Amanda's eyes grew wide in surprise and a faint tinge of color came into her cheeks. Had Lee just admitted that this was a date? Was he just trying to once again apologize for his treatment this past week? She wasn't sure what to say. So she said nothing.

Lee had turned his attention back to the road, wondering if he had blown things by admitting that he wanted this evening to be special. She hadn't said anything. What if she wasn't looking at this evening as a date. No, she had called it a date just moments ago. Had he scared her off with his blatant admission? Was she wondering if he was just trying to get her into bed? He knew she was rather skittish when it came to relationships, not that he could blame her. Not for the first time, he wondered about her marriage and what had happened. But, he knew he wouldn't ask unless she brought it up herself.

"Hey," he spoke softly, teasingly as he reached over to lift her hand out of her lap. "There wasn't any hidden meaning in my words," he assured her, just in case. "I just wanted to do something special to show you how important you've become in my life." Lifting her hand to his lips, he gave it a tender kiss, before setting it back down in her lap so he could shift gears.

Again, Amanda didn't quite know what to say, mostly because she wasn't sure just what exactly it was Lee had meant by his words. Was he speaking of her importance as a friend or as a partner or was there some deeper meaning in his words? At this point in their relationship, did it really matter? She decided to take the safe way out. "You're important in my life too," she assured him quietly with a warm smile that reached all the way to her eyes.

They drove the rest of the way to the restaurant in companionable silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. Each trying to sort out not only their own feelings, but where the other stood as well.

Although it was after 8:00 when they entered the grille and the place appeared to be crowded. There was a wait to be seated and Lee was wishing he'd remembered to make reservations. Not that it would have mattered, considering that they were eating much later than he had intended. "What time did you tell your mother you'd be home," he asked her conversationally, trying to figure out just how much time they had left.

"I didn't give her a specific time," Amanda told him. "I just told her I might be late and not to worry."

"Sorry about the wait," Lee apologized. "Guess I should have made reservations, huh?"

Amanda just smiled up at him, somewhat amused. She couldn't remember when she had seen him so unsure of himself. "Lee, I don't mind the wait . . . really!" she assured him.

"Mrs. King!" The pleasant male voice rang out, drawing their attention. "Hey, it's great to see you again! Jackie, go ahead and seat Mrs. King and her guest at that empty table in my area."

Lee watched as the young blond waiter turned to continue on his way to wherever. The kid couldn't have been more than twenty-four, rugged and athletic looking, he obviously knew Amanda. At least he had called her Mrs. King, which meant that he didn't know her too well. "Only been here once or twice?" he questioned her, his eyes twinkling in amusement, as they were led to a table over in the corner.

"Well, it might have been a few more times than that. But actually, David also works as a tour guide on top of this job. He's led several of the tours the boys went on. They asked so many questions, it's not surprising he would remember us," she laughed.

They had barely sat down, before their eager waiter was standing before them. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked grinning at Amanda.

"Good," she replied conversationally, "How about yourself?"

"Oh, you know, the same ole, same ole. Been really busy in school this term. Hey, by the way, you were right about Rachel we're dating now!" He spoke this last statement as if it were a major goal accomplished.

Amanda just laughed. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," she smiled at him. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Now, what can I get you folks to drink?"

Amanda deferred to Lee on choice of wine, knowing that he was not only much more knowledgeable than herself, but more discerning. They ordered steaks with salad and a baked potato on the side, sharing a secret smile as the waiter wrote down their order.

All in all, it was a very nice dinner. The food was great, the wine was fantastic and the company couldn't be beat. The only note of discord in the meal was a gorgeous redhead sitting at a table a short distance away from them. She and her escort had been ushered in when Lee and Amanda were almost finished with their meal. Her pleased squeal of Lee's name as she had taken her seat, had drawn not only their attention, but also that of her companion. Lee had looked like he wanted to hide under the table, causing Amanda to laugh, while at the same time curiously asking him who the couple were.

Amanda wasn't sure if Lee's face could get any redder as he explained that the woman was an old girlfriend from years past. It was mean of her, but she couldn't help being amused by his discomfort. When the redhead's escort sent a scowl in their direction, nodding his head and muttering Lee's name with disdain. His attitude caused Amanda to raise her eyebrows at Lee, in question. Obviously the other man knew Lee as well and from his attitude, he wasn't too fond of him.

"Don Creager," Lee informed her, seeing her questioning eyes. "We worked together a long time ago, he's with the CIA now . . . we kinda competed with each other for girlfriends," he finished off, obviously embarrassed by the admission. "You think this is funny, huh?" he asked in a slightly teasing tone, having noticed her barely concealed amusement. At her nod, he gave her a mock scowl. "You would."

Things probably would have ended there if the redhead hadn't taken every opportunity to send Lee a heated glance, or a little wave. She even went so far as to throw him a little kiss, when she thought her escort wasn't looking. Of course, no such luck. Don had noticed each and every overture his date had made toward Lee. The looks he was sending Lee were getting more and more heated by the moment. It was when Creager turned a speculative look on Amanda that Lee decided it was time to put himself out of target range. "How about we go and enjoy the music?" he invited, getting up and offering her his hand.

Amanda allowed him to pull her to her feet. "Getting a little warm in here, is it?" she teased.

"Would you quit, already?" Lee mock growled as he placed a hand in the small of her back and guided her toward the piano bar, leaving the other couple behind with unmistakable relief.

Lee guided Amanda straight into the dancing area and pulled her into his arms. It felt great to have her so close. He had specifically chosen this place because they played all the older tunes that allowed a couple to spend the evening in each other's arms. He knew it was a little underhanded, but he wanted an opportunity to hold her close without her becoming suspicious as to his motives. Especially since the only motive he had this evening was to hold her like this.

She was warm and soft against him and he closed his eyes breathing in her scent and enjoying every minute of holding her. Amanda was also enjoying the opportunity to be in Lee's arms. They had danced together many times, but usually it was business and there were lots of eyes around. This time it was pure pleasure and they were alone in a world of their own making. Neither one of them spoke as they danced, choosing instead to enjoy the magic of the moment.

"May I cut in?" purred a definitely feminine voice. They were well into their third dance when they were interrupted. They broke apart reluctantly, turning to survey the redhaired intruder. She stood there giving Lee a sultry look, her dress so tight it looked like it was painted on. "Paula," he acknowledged in dismay.

Placing his arm around Amanda's waist, he exerted a little pressure, turning her off the dance floor. "Actually, we were just getting ready to leave!" he told the other woman, not caring whether she believed him or not. Usually he wasn't so rude to an old acquaintance, but there was no way he was going to leave Amanda to her own devices this evening, even for a quick dance with someone. With his luck, some other guy would waltz off with her right under his nose and he wasn't taking any chances. Besides the thought of being near the other woman held absolutely no appeal.

Paula didn't look too pleased with his rebuff. "Well, excuse me!" she huffed, pushing her way past a waiter to stomp off. Unfortunately, the waiter was carrying a tray filled with wine glasses, which dropped, shattering glass and splattering wine all over the place. Amanda gasped as some of the wine splashed on her white skirt. At least it was white wine, which hopefully wouldn't be too difficult to get out. She gingerly picked her wet skirt away from her legs, shaking little shards of glass off as she did so.

Choosing to see the humorous side of things, she tossed Lee an amused smile. "Do you suppose she was a bit upset?" she teased.

"Could be." Lee's eyes were also twinkling with amusement, grateful that she was choosing to see the funny side of the situation. That was one of the things he had always liked about Amanda, she had this incredible ability to see the humor in things. Most other women would have been pitching a fit right about now, but not Amanda.

"I need to rinse some of this off," she informed him, indicating her skirt. Lee followed her across the room to the entrance. "Why don't you wait here," she suggested, "this should only take a few minutes. Then if you don't mind, maybe we could take a walk around the area so this can dry. Alexandria is really a beautiful little town." Lee nodded his agreement, liking the suggestion immensely. At least she wasn't insisting that he take her home.

Turning to make her way to the ladies room, Amanda bumped into a tall man just entering the room. "Oh, I'm sorry," she exclaimed as he reached out to catch her arms, holding her steady so she wouldn't fall.

"I'm not" The words spoken with smooth sophistication drew her gaze upward and she recognized Lee's friend, Don.

Lee moved forward to make his presence known. Curling his arm around Amanda's waist from behind, he pulled her back against him and out of the hands of the other man. Amanda sent him a startled glance over her shoulder, surprised not only by the speed of his action, but by the strength in the arm pinning her to him. "Amanda, this is Don Creager," he introduced the other man. "Don, Amanda . . ." his hesitation was so minute that the other man was unaware that he was debating on how to introduce her, but Amanda picked up on it immediately, allowing him to make the decision.

"Keen," he finally gave the other man a phoney name, offering his free hand and a courtesy, "Good to see you again, Don.

Creager glanced from Amanda to Lee, as he shook Lee's hand. "You two been seeing each other long?" he asked pleasantly, curiosity obvious in his voice.

"For a quite a while now," Lee lied smoothly, hoping that Amanda wouldn't correct him. Give Don an inch and he took a mile. No need to place temptation in his path. If he thought they were already a couple he wouldn't waste his energy trying any of his games on Amanda. Plus thinking Lee was spoken for would hopefully make him feel more secure about his own date.

Don just raised an eyebrow at Amanda in response to Lee's statement. "Well, have a nice evening," he told the couple, stepping around them. "Maybe I'll see ya around sometime Lee," he added meaningfully before walking away.

Closing her eyes briefly and shaking her head in disbelief, Amanda then glanced up at Lee. "Why on earth did you tell him something like that?" she wanted to know, as she gently removed Lee's arm from her waist.

"Tell him what?" Lee questioned innocently, knowing full well what she meant, but pretending ignorance.

"That we had been dating for a while," she hissed quietly. "Lee, one of these days your lies are gonna catch up with you!"

Lee gave her his most charming grin. "Hey, what's the harm? You didn't want him thinking you were available, did you?" he asked putting her on the spot.

"No, I don't want him thinking I'm available. But so what if he did? I think I'm as capable as the next woman when it comes to saying no. What's with you two anyway?" she asked him. "You dance around each other like two prize fighters trying to get in the first jab!" Lee knew that every word she said had merit, but he wasn't a bit sorry for the words that had popped out of his mouth, so he wasn't about to apologize for them.

Seeing the twinkle in his eyes, even as he tried to maintain a serious look on his face, Amanda gave up. "Oh, you're impossible . . .do you know that?"

Lee couldn't resist the impulse, she looked so incredibly adorable glaring up at him. Taking her chin in his hand, he tilted her face toward his and placed a quick, gentle butterfly-like kiss on the tip of her nose. It was over before she was even aware of what he was doing. "I believe you've mentioned it once or twice," he informed her with a twinkle in his eyes. "Better go take care of your skirt. I'll wait for you in the entrance area." He turned her about and gave her a gentle nudge in the direction of the ladies' room.

As he was leaving, he noticed that Don and his date were now out on the dance floor. Lee shook his head as the woman in Don's arms, flashed a flirty little smile and wiggled her fingers in his direction, as if she had already forgotten the earlier anger that had caused her to storm off the dance floor. Lee turned and headed for the entrance area, not wanting to be drawn into any games between the pair.

Looking back at that time in his life, Lee found it hard to believe how juvenile his and Don's behavior had been. They had gone so far as to make bets on who would get a girl to bed first, and had then carried out elaborate schemes to ensure that the other one would lose. Lee had definitely outgrown the games. Seeing the look on Don's face though, he wasn't so sure the other man had. The sooner he got Amanda out of here, the better.

Almost 15 minutes later, Lee was still leaning against the far wall, just inside the entrance door, idly watching people come and go on the street outside. As he turned around to see if Amanda had come out yet, he spotted Don again. Rather than coming from the piano bar, he was coming down the very hallway that Amanda had recently entered. The look the other man sent Lee was enough to send chills up his spine. It was the same look he had received many times before from the guy most notably when he had done something to one up Lee.

Lee watched uneasily as his old rival reentered the piano bar and made his way over to Paula, leaning down to say something in her ear. Lee's eyes narrowed and he pushed himself away from the wall, and headed down the hallway Don had just exited. There, he found entrances, not only to the ladies and the mens rooms, but also to the kitchen area. There was also a hidden side exit from the building.

Grabbing the arm of a waitress headed toward the kitchen, Lee explained that his date had went in the restroom a few minutes ago to wipe off her skirt and asked if she would go and check on her. With a shrug, the waitress did as requested, only to return a moment later to inform him that the ladies room was empty.

Looking at the exit door, Lee saw that it was an emergency exit with an alarm on it, which meant that Amanda couldn't have left that way without setting off the alarm. He knew she hadn't come past him, which left only the kitchen area. Pushing open the door, he entered the area to look around, ignoring the various protests that he couldn't be in there. Amanda was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he spotted the waiter who had served them earlier.

"Hey, kid . . . uh, David?" he called.

David looked up from where he was placing prepared plates onto a tray. "Yeah?"

"Have you seen Mrs. King?" Lee asked, feeling the eyes of several workers focused on him. He felt fairly stupid asking the question. Like customers regularly waltzed through the kitchen, but where else could she have gone? Maybe he missed another exit in the hallway. He was halfway out the door before the waiter's short answer of 'yup' registered in his mind, causing him to whip back around to confront the kid.

"You've seen her? Recently?" he questioned, pinning David with his eyes.

"Yeah, sure," the waiter answered. "She came through here just a short while ago, some guy who said he was a doctor, practically carrying her. She wasn't feeling very well, so he took her outside for some air." He motioned to an open door that led outside.

Lee quickly crossed the kitchen, almost colliding with a waitress carrying a loaded tray. "Sorry," he muttered as he skirted around her to take a look out the back door. "Where is she then?" he questioned, his concern evident in his voice.

David came over and looked out the door. "That's funny," he told Lee. "I helped the Doctor place her inside a white limo. He said it was cooler there and would help her to feel better. I'm sure he said he was going to go fetch her date, and that would be you." David was clearly as stumped as Lee.

"Did the limo have a driver in it?" Lee asked, his agitation showing.

David raked his fingers through his hair, trying to remember. "Yeah, I'm sure it did," he informed Lee. "Is there a problem? Has something happened to Mrs. King?" he asked, looking worried for the first time.

"It better not have!" was Lee's staccato reply as he turned on his heel and abruptly left the kitchen area, a slight tick beating in his jaw. He headed directly for the piano bar, only to find that Don wasn't there anymore. Turning, he pushed through the people in the entrance area and banged the door open with his palms. Exiting the building, he looked around trying to find Creager's hiding spot. If he was true to form, he would be lying-in-wait somewhere to witness the devastation of this latest escapade. Lee knew it had to be Don. The look on his face earlier was a dead giveaway. "You'd think the guy would have grown up over time," he grumbled under his breath.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lee once again began searching the area slowly with his eyes, taking special care to seek out every crack and crevice where a man might tuck himself away. Suddenly, he spotted his nemesis standing in a darkened doorway across the street, a look of pure glee on his face. The glee turned to gloating as he saw Lee making his way across the street. "What did you do with Amanda?" The venom in Lee's voice along with the rage in his eyes should have warned the other man to tread warily, but it didn't.

"Oh, I just sent her on a little ride in the country!" Don said, smirking at Lee. "Same as you did me that time in Istanbul. Only, I told the driver to bring her back in a couple of hours, which is more than you did for me. I spent three days trying to get back to the city!" he reminded Lee.

Lee just stared at the other man, not sure he had heard correctly. With no warning, his hands shot out and grabbed the other man by the shirt, shoving him up against the door. "You did what?" The quiet rage in his voice, finally got through to the other man, who lost his smirk rather quickly.

"Hey, come on pal, it was only a little joke." Don tried to pacify Lee. "I owed you one for that last time. The time you ended up with Paula. You did recognize her tonight, didn't you. Tall, green eyes, red hair . . . my fiancee?" Lee had the grace to look slightly ashamed at his previous behavior. The whole thing with Paula had just been a game. A game which she had been delighted to play at the time. Their affair had lasted for about two weeks, then some new guy had caught her attention and she had flitted off in that direction with Lee's hearty approval.

"That was more than ten years ago, old pal," Lee gritted each word through his clenched teeth. "It had absolutely nothing to do with Amanda. Now where did you take her?" He accented each word in his last sentence by slamming Don against the doorway.

"Hey, ease up, man! I told you I had the driver take her on a little scenic tour, that's all. I swear . He'll bring her back in a couple of hours."

"And you expect me to sit here and wait around hoping that he brings her back, old buddy? No dice, now where exactly is this scenic tour taking place?" Lee gritted.

"Come on, Lee stop pounding me against the wall . . . Skylight Lane! Okay? He took her for a drive up on Skylight Lane. He'll bring her back!" Don was trying to shove Lee away, but Lee's hold wasn't budging. "Hey, come on, let go. I told you what you wanted to know!"

"That was only for starters, chum! Now you're gonna tell me what you gave her to make her go with you. I know Amanda, and she wouldn't have gone without a fight. The waiter inside said you were almost carrying her so what did you give her, buddy!" Lee spit out the last word as if it were totally repulsive to him. And it was, he couldn't believe that he used to be friends with this jerk.

"Geez, nothing that would hurt her, and I didn't even give her a full dose."

Lee was barely hanging onto the little bit of patience he had left. He was half a second from pounding the Neanderthal into the pavement. "What did you give her?" he repeated the question with barely leashed rage, slamming Don up against the door again and then leaning his body on him.

"Ease up, man! It was just a little experimental pill I picked up over in Europe. You use it like knockout drops, usually dissolving a couple in a drink. I just placed a half of one in her mouth and held onto her until it dissolved. It just made her a bit groggy before she passed out. She won't even remember when she wakes up. It won't hurt her."

"You frightened and manhandled her, you gave her an experimental drug, and then you put her in a car and let it drive away? And you expect me to ease up?" By now Lee's voice was hard and filled with more anger than his former friend had ever heard.

Seeing the dangerous glint in Lee's eyes, Don swallowed convulsively, "I don't know why you're getting so mad, it's the same thing you did to me, right before you sent me on that one-way trip to nowhere."

"I repeat, that was more than ten years ago. It was between you, Paula and me. Amanda didn't have anything to do with it. If anything happens to her, I'm gonna hunt you down and even your own mother won't recognize you when I'm through. Now tell me about the car she's in!" After getting the information he needed, Lee started to loosen his hold on the other man, and then changed his mind. Hanging onto the other mans shirt with one hand, he delivered a solid punch to Don's jaw. Then lifting him up off the ground threw him across the sidewalk as hard as he could. It wasn't the same as beating the tar out of the guy, but it helped ease a little of his frustration. Turning, he strode toward where he had left his car parked.

As he swung his car onto the turnoff that would put him on Skylight Lane, Lee was still fuming. The white limo Don had told him about had quite a lead on him. And there was always the possibility that the driver hadn't followed his instructions, considering Don had only rented the car for the evening. As soon as he hit a long stretch of road, he gunned it, hoping there were no cops around. The road was deserted as far as he could tell with not another car in sight. He couldn't help but be worried. Of all the stupid stunts for a grown man to pull, this had to take the cake.

He was beginning to think that the driver hadn't followed instructions or had turned off on one of the side roads when he saw a tiny flicker of what could possibly be taillights up ahead of him. As he got a bit closer, he sighed in relief. It was a white limo. How many white limos would be cruising the area at this time of night, or any time for that matter? Then he noticed that the other car was slowing down to turn off into a side road. This wasn't part of the assignment given to the driver and Lee felt his adrenaline begin to pump even faster as several possibilities for the change in plans sped through his mind.

As he neared the spot where the white car had turned off, he slowed down. Turning off his lights, he prayed that it wasn't so dark that he wouldn't be able to see where to drive. He coasted past the entrance to the road so he could look down it. Just as he had feared, the driver had only traveled about 200 feet down the road, before pulling the car to a stop. Lee could see the taillights. Turning off his dome light, he opened his door as silently as he could and slid out, closing it quietly. Keeping to the side of the road, he stealthily began to make his way toward the other car. He had traveled only a few feet when the limo door opened and the driver hauled himself out. Taking time to adjust his clothing a bit, he then sauntered back to open the door to the passengers' area.

Lee was quietly edging his way closer when he saw the man suddenly bend down to peer more closely into the passenger compartment, then stand back up, looking over the top of the car. A slight noise, like the skittering of stones, could be heard in the bushes bordering the road. Uttering an expletive, the man scowled, before slamming the door shut and marching around the back of the car to the other side.

Lee smiled as he realized that the door on the opposite side of the car was hanging open. 'Good job, Amanda,' he thought as he realized that she had somehow managed to get out of the car and hide herself in the brush. Lee hoped that he could get to the man before she was found. He also hoped that she wasn't so disoriented by the drug that she managed to get lost in the woods herself.

He could hear the man moving about in the brush, cursing and calling out. One minute he was telling her he was going to help her and the next telling her what he was going to do when he found her. Lee figured it would be fairly easy to track the guy with all the noise he was making.

He was directly behind the car, when a movement on the driver's side caught his attention, and he saw Amanda roll out from under the car. Changing his direction, he headed straight for her, trying not to startle her. She was crouched beside the driver's seat, checking the vehicle for keys, when Lee reached her. He must have made some sort of sound, or perhaps she sensed his presence, because she whirled around, almost falling over due to her precarious position.

Her eyes were wide with fright and if Lee hadn't reached out and quickly put his hand over her mouth she would have screamed. "Amanda, it's Lee," he told her in a whisper. She nodded her understanding, relaxing against his hand. Removing his hand, he crouched down beside her, so they were both hidden by the car, should the driver look in that direction. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, looking her over intently in the glow the dome light was emitting.

"I think so," she whispered, her voice rather shaky and slow from the combined effects of the drug and her fright. "The keys are gone!" she told him with concern.

"It doesn't matter," he assured her taking hold of her hand. "My car is just down the road. Come on," he urged, feeling the need to get her away from the area even though the other man's voice was still moving away from them.

"Just a minute," Amanda tugged her hand loose and edged her way to the back tire, fumbling with the air cap. Lee grinned at her ingenuity, and quickly bent to help her, realizing that letting the air out of the tire would take a bit more coordination than she had at the moment.

Using the car as cover, they then slipped just far enough into the woods on their side that they couldn't be easily seen should the driver decide to come back to his car. Her white skirt would have been like a flag giving away her location otherwise. They had to move slowly, Lee helping Amanda who was unsteady on her feet. It only took a few minutes for Lee to get her back to the car and help her in.

He gave a moments thought to heading back to thrash the driver to within an inch of his life for what he had obviously intended to do, but decided against it. Should anything happen to him, Amanda would be left to cope with the situation alone. While under ordinary circumstances, he would back her ability to outwit the driver any day, he wasn't willing to take any chances with her safety considering her current condition.

They headed back toward D.C., Lee casting concerned glances at Amanda, wishing he had put a few more bruises on Don. She hadn't spoken since he had helped her into the car and she kept giving her head a little shake as if trying to throw off the effects of the drug. He pulled into the drive-thru of the first fast food restaurant he saw and ordered her some coffee, hoping the caffeine would help. Parking the car in a corner of the restaurant lot, he opened the coffee and handed it to her. "Here, see if this helps," he told her quietly.

Her hands were shaking so badly that she was having trouble holding the cup, so he reached over and cupped his hands over hers to help her. She lifted grateful eyes to his. "Thanks," she whispered taking a sip of the hot coffee, letting its warmth run through her. She took a couple more small sips before pushing it back toward him. He took the cup and placed in the small cup holder.

"What happened? Why would someone do this?" she asked him the last thing he wanted to answer. How did he tell someone like Amanda about what a jerk he use to be? How the excitement and thrill of the chase had just been a game with the winner being the one who got the girl? In her world, people were real, they had feelings and dreams that were important and you didn't play games with their emotions.

Little by little over the past couple of years. she had drawn him into her world and around to her way of thinking. He saw so many things differently now. He noticed so many more little nuances in the behavior of the people around him. They had become real to him. He had become real. All in all, it made him much better at his job. But how did he explain to Amanda that she had been caught up in a childish game of one-upmanship? What if exposing this part of himself caused her to lose faith in him? He had come to realize how important to him her unwavering faith was when he had accidentally slapped her during a case, months ago. At that moment, seeing the look in her eyes, he hadn't cared if he blew the entire case, as long as he regained her trust.

She had forgiven him then, and once again last night she had forgiven him for his callous treatment of her this past week, but would this be the proverbial straw. She had been grabbed and drugged, shanghaied out of town and who knew what would have happened if he hadn't been able to find her. Would the explanation prove too much, even for her unbelievable capacity to understand and forgive?

"Lee?" her softly questioning voice drew his attention away from his thoughts.

The outside lights cast a soft illuminating glow around the interior of the car, and he looked her over carefully. Her voice was sounding steadier and he could see that her eyes had lost that hazy drugged look. Reaching out, he ran the back of his finger gently down the side of her face, before reaching down to draw one of her hands into his. She was so incredibly beautiful. He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but knew that this was neither the time nor the place. "How much do you remember?" he asked her, drinking in the sight of her as if it were the last time he would be allowed to do so.

Amanda tilted her head upward and bit her lip, trying to remember. "Not much," she finally admitted, looking at him in bewilderment. "One minute I was on my way out of the ladies room, and the next someone was pushing me back inside, shoving something in my mouth and holding it there. I think it was that guy you used to work with, but I'm not sure . . . my mind just seems to be a big fog from there." She shrugged her shoulders delicately, looking at him with gently beseeching eyes as if he could confirm the details for her. "The next thing I remember is being in that car right before it pulled to a stop." Her confusion was evident, her eyes imploring him to fill in the missing parts of her memory.

Taking a deep breath and praying for the right words, Lee started to slowly fill in the gaps for her. At least the ones he knew. He apologized in almost every other sentence for what she had been through. He was able to assure her that nothing disastrous had happened to her person during the time she had been blacked out, because David had escorted her and Don to the car, and he himself had been on the road fairly soon after that. The distance the car had traveled before Lee could catch up with it proved that it had been moving until the time the driver pulled off, which Amanda remembered.

She hadn't spoken a word while he explained things. A multitude of emotions had crossed her face, although, the last of which was relief. And somewhere during his discourse she had gently disengaged her hand from his. "If you want, we can press charges against both Don and the driver," he informed her when he was finished. He knew that regardless of her decision he was going to file a formal complaint with Don's superiors. He was also going to ensure that the limo driver's license was pulled and that he never drove in the DC area again.

"Can I think about that?" she asked, sounding tired of the whole situation. "I don't want them to get away with something like this, but right now I really just want to go home and pretend it never happened," she confessed honestly.

Lee felt as if his heart had stopped beating and time stood still while he searched her eyes, fearing the worst. "The whole evening?" he questioned hesitantly, "or just this last part?" If he lost Amanda through this, then there wouldn't be any place on the planet where Creager would be safe from his wrath.

Amanda looked at him, sensing his uncertainty. The evening had certainly been full of a lot of twists and surprises, but the most surprising of all to her were the glimpses of insecurity that she had witnessed in Lee. He was always so self-possessed, so sure of himself and where he stood with everyone that it startled her to realize that he felt unsure of their relationship.

She, herself, was struggling with the current standing of their relationship. They seemed to have taken a step toward something more than friendship, but she wasn't sure. Was it possible that Lee was as unsure of her as she was of him? She looked his face over carefully, searching for some sign of his feelings. The only conclusion she could come up with was that he was afraid this evening's stunt had somehow damaged their relationship, whatever that might now be.

"Just this last part, Lee," she reassured him, "And maybe a few other parts as well," she added honestly. "But the time we spent together, I wouldn't change. It was beautiful . . . " She was trying to remember the words he had used earlier that evening. "It was really special!" she concluded softly, smiling up into his eyes. "And stop blaming yourself for what Don did. It wasn't your fault. We all did stupid things when we were younger. But we grew up and are hopefully not only older, but wiser. It's not your fault that he never matured . . . so quit blaming yourself, okay?"

She reached over and caressed his arm, "Lee . . . you're one of the best friends I have ever had, and nothing is going to change that. Not a stupid stunt someone else pulled and certainly not something you did years ago. We're not the same people we were back then, but we wouldn't be the people we are today without our past experiences and . . . I really like who you are today. You're a good friend and a very special man. I feel as if I have been blessed by being able to know you." She smiled inside as she watched the uncertainty fade from his eyes to be replaced by a warm glow.

Lee found himself marveling at the woman beside him. She was incredible. Bring up his hand, he allowed himself to caress the side of her face. "Amanda King, you can't possibly be as blessed as I am," he returned the compliment, leaning toward her, searching her eyes for any signs of rejection.

The loud honking of car horns, along with the whoops and yells of teenagers filled the air as a string of cars pulled into the parking lot, drawing their attention. The moment was lost. Lee removed his hand, sitting back in his seat with a sigh. Amanda lifted her eyebrows and tilting her head, sent him a wry smile. As more cars entered the lot, Lee started his engine, guiding the car back out onto the road and in the direction of Amanda's house. It had been a long evening, and while their intimate moment had been interrupted, neither of them was really sorry. They really weren't ready to take that step yet.

Amanda turned and gazed out her window, watching the shops and buildings go by her mind a mass of confusion and contradictions. She didn't know what she wanted or what she hoped might happen between them. It was as if suddenly things were moving too fast and she needed to slow them down. She liked and admired Lee; in many ways she cared for him more deeply than she had cared for any other man, but was she in love with him?

Sometimes she thought she was heading in that direction and at other times she was more than content with the deep, abiding friendship they shared. She didn't want anything to ruin that. His place in her life was concrete. Did she really want to start something that might blast it all to pieces? She had come to count and rely on him. His presence in her life had become almost too important to her and she wasn't so sure she wanted to need someone as much as she was coming to need him.

On the other hand, she didn't want to push him away either. A moment ago, she had been sure he was going to kiss her. Not an assignment kiss, as terrific as some of those had been, but a kiss that was hers alone. With no other motivation than that he wanted to kiss her. And she had wanted to kiss him as well. She had wanted to feel his lips pressing on hers, his tongue caressing the inside of her mouth and so very much more. But what then? Where would they go from there? She wanted him, but he was her friend and she refused to lead him down a path of half promises. She wanted something from him, but she wasn't sure just what that something was.

She had been making her position on casual relationships obvious for almost three years, and now it was time to remind herself. At least until she knew for sure what she wanted for her future. She already knew that she wasn't the affair type. While casual flirtations were nice, she didn't think that was what she wanted with Lee. They had come too far in their friendship for that. She wasn't going to allow her own desires to ruin their relationship, she refused to offer Lee anything but the solid commitment she required in return.

Besides, there was no guarantee that he was offering her any kind of a commitment. He hadn't mentioned anything about wanting their relationship to be more. He had probably just been carried away by the moment. He had Leslie in his life and a multitude of other woman at his beck and call as well. She had too much respect for both herself and him to allow a moment of weakness to tarnish what they already had. She refused to allow anything to happen that he would end up hating himself for in the morning. If she did, he might eventually end up hating her as well.

Lee was also quiet as he drove the distance to her house. He knew that she wouldn't have refused his kiss, he had seen a matching desire in her eyes. But he was afraid that while she wouldn't have refused, she probably would have ended up regretting it. If he knew nothing else about Amanda King, he knew that she was an 'all' or 'nothing' person. She didn't do anything by half measures. She put her whole heart and soul into every endeavor she made. He had spent most of the past twentyfour hours thinking about her. He had put in almost three years studying her. He knew so many little things about her, things that even the thorough security check she had undergone, wouldn't pick up.

Like what a marvelous sense of humor she had. How her eyes turned darker when she was upset and seemed to sparkle when she was happy. He knew that she could talk a mile a minute, and yet tell you nothing. He knew that people were attracted to her openness and pleasantness like flies to honey. Other than Francine, he couldn't think of a single person who didn't like her. People just tended to open up to her naturally.

But he also knew that what appeared to be an open book policy on her part, was really a cover for the incredibly private person she was. That one had taken him longer to pick up on than he liked to admit. She shared the activities of her life openly with anyone who cared to listen, but her thoughts, her feelings, her heart, she kept closely guarded.

She had found out more about the inner workings of his mind and his own personal history in the first few months of their acquaintance, than he knew about hers after almost three years. Right now, he would love to be privy to what was going on in her head. He could feel her pulling away from him emotionally and he couldn't blame her. He had pushed her away so many times before, she must surely be waiting for him to do the same again.

He was through pushing her away though, through running. He didn't know what the future held for them, but he wanted to find out. His feelings for her were stronger than those he had ever felt for any other woman. He couldn't think of even one other person in his life who he worried about, thought about and just enjoyed being with as much as her. Reaching out, he laid his hand over hers where it lay in her lap, giving a little squeeze. "Amanda, are you okay?" he asked quietly, leaving the question open for her to interpret any way she wanted to.

"Hmm?" She slowly turned in his direction, sliding her eyes over him and then smiling warmly. He loved the way she did that, it was almost like a caress. "Yeah," she allowed a small sigh to escape. "I'm fine, Lee. Just trying to figure things out."

"Oh, like what?" he encouraged her to share her thoughts, wondering if she would.

"Just things," she replied unsure if she wanted to open a can of worms right now. She knew that eventually they would have to discuss what was happening between them, or maybe not. Maybe they could just go with the flow and see what happened. She mentally shook her head at that thought. She really needed to know where he stood on several things, before she would be willing to just go with the flow in their relationship.

She looked at him with a speculative look, wondering if he would be open to this type of discussion right now. So many times in the past he had tried to shut her out and she really didn't feel like digging around in his psyche for information this evening. If he was unwilling to open up, she could scare him away for good.

As he paused for a red light, Lee glanced over at her, meeting her eyes, trying to read her thoughts through them. She looked like she was studying him pretty thoroughly, blushing slightly at being caught. He grinned, flashing his dimples at her. "Must be pretty interesting thoughts," he couldn't help teasing. "Sure you won't share them?"

"Actually, I can't make up my mind whether or not they're worth sharing." She smiled back at him.

"If they're worth thinking, then they're worth sharing," he assured her, putting the car in gear as the light turned green.

"That's not always true," she replied somewhat casually. "Some thoughts are just really stupid and others are often best left unsaid, because they can sometimes open a door should have been left closed."

When she had first started, Lee had been almost sure that she was going to go off on some random tangent about the various kinds of thoughts, but when she finished with quiet sincerity, he eyed her with a speculative look of his own. Something was definitely weighing on her mind. He could almost feel her mentally laying down the foundations of a wall between them.

"Why don't you go ahead and live dangerously . . . for a change," he suggested, his eyes twinkling and the corners of his lips curling upwards as he added the last. Considering the fact that their day to day life was full of danger, his words caused her to laugh.

"For a change, huh? Okay," she shrugged her shoulders, giving in gracefully. If he was in the mood to talk now, it might be better to get a few things out in the open. "What happened with Leslie?" she asked quietly, the question startling her almost as much as it did him. Oh, well, in for a penny, in for a pound. "I mean," she clarified, trying to keep her tone nonchalant. "Why are you out with me tonight instead of enjoying yourself with her at the Embassy party?"

Leave it to Amanda to open with a question. Lee wondered if that meant she wasn't willing to share her actual thoughts. But that didn't seem to fit. If she didn't want to talk about anything personal, she would have just completely changed the subject, but she hadn't. He could tell that she had been just as surprised by her question as he was. But fair was fair.

He wanted her to bare her soul, to give him some insight to what she was thinking and feeling. If he had to start first, than he would. But, how did he answer that question without sounding like a complete idiot or scaring her away completely? "Actually," he began, deciding to be as truthful as possible. "I'm no longer going to be seeing Leslie."

"Why not?" she asked quietly, causing him to groan inwardly. He just knew that was going to be her next question. This honesty stuff was the pits.

"We just realized that we didn't have the right kind of feelings for each other," he informed her, thinking furiously as to how he could explain things without completely giving himself away.

"Oh." Amanda turned his answer over in her mind and then decided that she really didn't want to waste a lot of time trying to find out all the how's and why's. The fact that they were no longer seeing each other was enough for her peace of mind, as long as Lee was truly okay with what ever had happened between them.

"Are you all right with that decision?" she questioned him. The tone of her voice caught Lee's attention. She wasn't being inquisitive this time, but concerned as to whether or not he had been hurt by this turn of events. He sent her a sideways glance that silently said 'thanks for being a friend and caring'.

"It was a completely mutual decision, Amanda. I'm more than all right with it," he assured her warmly. Slowing the car to make the turn into her addition, he flashed her a sincere smile. She returned his smile, glad to know that his heart wasn't aching for the other woman, glad to know that she hadn't been merely a substitute tonight. "Can I ask you something?" he questioned rather hesitantly, unsure of how bold he wanted to be. "It's personal and you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Looking at him with curiosity, Amanda shrugged. "Considering that my question was extremely personal, I think you're entitled to one of your own," she gave her permission.

"What about you and Chamberlain? How serious are things between you two?" Lee held his breath as he waited for her reply, wondering if she would tell him to mind his own business or even worse, that she was in love with the other man. He pulled the car smoothly to the curb a few houses from hers and shut off the engine, turning to look at her face. Her expression held mild surprise at the question, but nothing else.

"Alan and I are just friends," she informed him. "I like him a lot, but I'm not interested in him romantically, if that's what you're asking."

"That's what I'm asking," he confirmed. "But what about Chamberlain, is he romantically interested in you?" he continued, needing assurance that the other man wouldn't sway her feelings in his direction. "I mean a man doesn't usually send flowers five times a month, unless he's interested in something more than just friendship," he clarified his reasoning.

"If he is, he hasn't said anything and it wouldn't matter anyway, because I'd simply tell him I'm not interested in more than just friendship." Suddenly it dawned on her what he had just said. "How do you know how many times he's sent flowers this month?" she questioned suspiciously. "There's only two ways you could know something like that," she informed him accusingly. "Either you've been keeping much closer tabs on me than I realized, or you were outside in the garden last night when mother and I were talking. Okay, Stetson. Talk." Her expression was somewhat stern, but he could see a slight mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She wasn't anywhere near as upset as she was pretending, and had obviously already figured out the answer for herself.

"I'm sorry," he apologized for invading her privacy. "I was waiting to get your attention, and the windows were open. I couldn't help but overhear the conversation. You really ought to remember to close your blinds and windows at night," he told her, his own eyes beginning to twinkle merrily. "One never knows who might be outside listening . . . or watching."

The expressions chasing each other across her face were extremely interesting. Confusion, followed by understanding, ending with embarrassment mingled with amusement. "I'll keep that in mind, Stetson," she said trying to keep her expression serious. "You're right, one never knows what kind of deviant might be lurking around in the garden at night," she teased. "But if I remember correctly, the flowers were discussed shortly after I came downstairs, so you are more than aware that I'm not interested in a relationship with Alan."

"Correction," he replied, quietly. "I know that you're not interested in a long distance relationship with him, but what if he does move back to the States?"

"Lee, I'm not interested in Alan, okay?" she reassured him. "I'd already decided to have a talk with him this weekend making my feelings clear. I don't know what he wants for sure, but I know what I don't want. I just didn't think it was the kind of conversation to have over the phone. Okay?"

"Yeah, I can see your point," Lee conceded. "I don't have to like it though," he muttered under his breath, causing Amanda to shake her head at him. He glanced up just then, catching her action and grinned unrepentantly. "So where does that leave us?" he questioned, catching her completely off guard.

Her startled eyes met his and she swallowed rather nervously. "Where do you want it to leave us?" she questioned hesitantly. Afraid to hope, afraid to believe that he was saying what she thought he was.

"Amanda," he spoke her name softly, gently in a way that sent little chills running through her. "I think I'd like to spend more time with you, getting to know you better, allowing you to know me better." His expression was so serious and yet gentle. He reached out, using his fingers to push a stray strand of hair out of her face, tucking it gently behind her ear, before allowing his hand to caress the side of her face.

"I find Amanda King, that I am rather attracted to you," he told her. "I'm not asking for anything exclusive or heavy," he assured her shrugging, slightly embarrassed. It was much easier to just kiss a girl and take her to bed than to court one. "But if I should ask you out again sometime, would that be okay with you?"

Amanda's eyes took on an almost luminous glow as she smiled up at him. Reaching over, she caressed his hand where it lay against seat. "Yeah," she concurred softly. "That would be more than okay with me."

They just sat there for the longest time, gazing into each others eyes. Neither one wanted to break the spell. Finally, Lee moved his hand, catching hers and lifting it toward his lips where he gave her fingers a very tender kiss. "To new beginnings." he murmured.

Amanda smiled warmly, tilting her head slightly and letting her happiness sparkle in her eyes. "To new beginnings," she agreed with a small nod.

Giving her fingers another tender kiss, Lee returned her hand. He removed his keys from the ignition and opened his door, never once removing his eyes from her face. "Shall we?" He smiled tipping his head toward her house.

He walked around the car and gave her a hand out, then placing his hand on her back, he steered her in the direction of her back yard. "I had a great time tonight, Amanda," he told her rather formally as if he were a teenager returning his date to her parents. Amanda smiled, playing along.

"Well, thank you for inviting me, Lee. I had a gr . . . a rather interesting time as well." She had started to say 'a great time as well', but then the events of the evening danced through her mind and she ended up laughing and changing her wording. "I can't remember when I've had such an . . . adventurous date. You sure know how to show a girl a good time, Mr. Stetson!" They had reached the edge of the service porch by now. While the porch lights had been turned on, the house was entirely dark inside which meant that everyone was already in bed.

Lee found himself chuckling at the reminder of the events as well. "I guess it has been a rather unusual evening at that, Mrs. King," he told her. "But I'm afraid I can't take all the credit. None of my previous dates has ever had your knack for landing in . . . dare I say trouble?" he winked to let her know he was only teasing.

Amanda laughed. "Funny, it usually seems to only happen when I'm in your company," she teased back, glancing down at her destroyed clothing. "You know I've ruined more clothes in the few years I've known you than in all the other years put together!" Her blouse and skirt were soiled with dirt and oil from her time under the car, while the edges of the wine spot could still be seen and there was a small hole in her blouse where her corsage had once been pinned. It must have been pulled off or fallen off sometime during the evening.

"If nothing else, a girl would never be bored in your company," she grinned at him. Reaching out to open the back door, she continued to eye the man before her. Their laughter had wound down and now they were just standing there watching each other somewhat awkwardly, neither knowing quite how to end the evening. Tilting her head to the side, Amanda raised her eyebrows a bit and flexed her lips in a small smile. "Well, I'd better get inside before Mother wakes up and decides to come check on me," she told him with a shrug. "I don't think I could explain the condition of my clothes to her satisfaction," she almost whispered.

"Yeah," Lee agreed with a shrug of his own, watching for a moment as she turned toward the door. He also turned to head back to his car. They hesitated a moment, before looking at each other once again. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night," they both spoke at the same time, and then smiled at each other. "Tomorrow."

"Good night." Again, they spoke in unison, this time smiling to themselves as they parted company, Amanda quietly letting herself into the house, Lee making his way back to his car with a jaunty spring in his step.

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