To Scratch an Itch
Discloser: These characters
belong to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon productions. Thank goodness they introduced us to them so
we may have many uninterrupted hours of enjoyment from them.
This story takes place just after All the World's a Stage
but before Stemwinder, so the declaration of love has not yet been made.
This is just a story that popped into my head as I waged my own
battle with those pesky mosquitoes.
Rated – PG
To Scratch an Itch
It was a hot, sultry, Friday night on the East coast and Lee
Stetson was miserable. He was beginning
his sixth hour of this current stakeout and he had spent the last several
minutes trying to determine if this one was indeed the worst. It had to be about 85 degrees even though it
was 3:18 a.m. The humidity was so thick
you could cut it with a knife. And here
he sat, twenty feet up in a tree holding a listening device pointing it at the
cabin below. Thinking back on all the
stakeouts he'd been involved in he realized that even though this one was
terribly uncomfortable, at least there were no RATS involved. Well, unless you considered the Ballin
brothers. They were hold up in this cabin
and the Agency received a tip that they were planning to destroy something in
the DC area. What that something was,
no one knew. That's what Lee and Keller
were trying to determine. From
different positions, both Lee and Keller and been listening to the brothers'
conversation, hoping to learn of their plans so they could be stopped before
anyone got hurt.
The only break Lee had taken was around 1:00 a. m. He had climbed down from the tree to
approach Keller in his tree to check whether there had been any new information
from the Agency team assigned to the case.
Francine was heading up that team and was conducting research through
the Agency's computers and known associates.
He was secretly hoping that the team had come up with something new and
that he and Keller would have to go ahead to bring these two bozos in. Francine told them that they had confirmed
through various sources that the Ballins planned to blow up one of DC's
monuments but they had not discovered which one. She also informed them that the Ballins were not bright enough to
pull this off by themselves. The team
believed someone else was involved, but they had not been able to figure out
yet who was pulling the strings. Billy has ordered teams out to cover which one
but that was going to take several hours and with all the monuments in the
area, he didn't think they had enough manpower to cover them all.
'Great, just great,' Lee mumbled to himself. 'Now it looks like we'll be stuck here all
night.' With that, he left Keller and
made his way back to his home away from home for the evening. He was hot, sweaty, and beginning to feel
like he was being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
He wondered if by the end of this assignment he would have any blood
left.
A break in the case finally came. Around four, an all-terrain bike pulled up to the cabin. The driver was welcomed into the cabin by
the Ballin brothers. From the
conversation Lee and Keller overheard, the new man was one, Edgar Sellich, a
known survivalist who had on several occasions made threats against the
government. He was the one in charge
and his plan involved blowing up the Lincoln Memorial. On Saturday, a special rally was taking
place at the Lincoln Memorial to honor several hundred school children from all
across the country. The President and
many members of Congress and the cabinet were scheduled to be on hand.
The Ballins had already planted the explosives around the
memorial. It was Sellich who alone was
going to trigger the devices shortly after the ceremony began.
Keller patched this information to the Agency and waited for
their reply. Billy confirmed that a
team of agents found fifteen devices all around the memorial. They were each camouflaged to blend in with
the natural setting. Without this tip,
the devices probably would have gone unnoticed and caused considerable damage
to the children and dignitaries attending the ceremony.
Once the devices were detected and defused, Francine gave
the word for a backup team to head out to the cabin to assist Lee and Keller
with the arrest of Sellich and the Ballin brothers.
The three men were brought to the Agency for debriefing and
the Ballins were singing like jaybirds. The whole thing had been Sellich's
idea. They had gone along with it
simply for the money he promised them.
With the plan on tape from the cabin, the debriefing was wrapped
up quickly. It was just after 7:30 a.m.
Lee, for one, was glad it was over. He couldn't wait to get home, peel off his
wet clothes, jump in the shower and then into bed. Bidding everyone farewell, he headed out the agency door to do
just that. However, instead of heading
home, the 'vette seemed to have a mind of it's own and before he realized what
was happening, he found himself pulling onto Maplewood Drive. As he drove by the house, he saw Dotty
climbing into a car being driven by a lady near Dotty's age. Shouts of "Bye Grandma" could be heard from
Phillip and Jamie.
'Probably one of the Garden Club ladies,' he smiled to
himself. Well, he hadn't really planned
to visit Amanda this morning since it was so early, but it did seem to him now
that a visit might be in order since the household appeared to be awake and
ready to get the weekend under way.
Lee parked around the corner in his usual spot and proceeded
through several backyards and fences to appear at Amanda's backdoor. Seeing she was for the moment alone, he
started to knock when he heard her holler, "Boys, you better hurry up. Your Dad will be here in just a few minutes
to pick you up. You don't want to be
late for your trip to Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, do you?"
Lee was beginning to get a little worried. Was Amanda going with Joe and the boys? He felt a knot forming in the pit of his
stomach. It was then he decided to tap
on the window to get her attention.
Looking around to make sure the boys were still upstairs, she quietly
snuck out the back door.
Amanda reached for Lee to give him a hug but he backed away
slightly. Tilting her slightly as if to
question his move, she said, "Hi, what are you doing here in my backyard at
7:50 on a Saturday morning?"
Shyly, Lee ducked his head and looked at her. "Hi yourself. I just got off an all night stake out and I haven't been home yet
to shower or change." He reached out
and took her hands in his and then slowly leaned in to give her a light kiss.
"I..uh..saw your mother leaving as I was pulling up. You and the boys have big plans today, too?'
he asked not really knowing if he wanted to hear the answer. If Amanda was going to spend the day with
Joe, he was really better off not knowing.
"No, Joe is taking the boys to Williamsburg for a few
days. I'm not going with them," she
said hooking a finger under Lee's chin so she could look directly into his
eyes.
The grin that spread across Lee's face was priceless. He quickly recovered and then stumbled
on. "So, do you…uh…have any plans for
today?" What was he thinking? How had he ended up at Amanda's backdoor
asking her if she had any plans?
"Well," she replied somewhat perplexed at his line of
questioning. "I do have some errands to
run this morning after the boys leave.
But after that, I was just planning to work in the yard this
afternoon. You know, weeds don't take a
holiday. If you let them go, they will
simply overtake the garden. Mother and
I have both been so busy lately that we have neglected the flowerbeds."
Lee still found it amazing that Amanda could say so much
without ever taking a breath. But the
next words out of his mouth surprised himself as well as Amanda.
"Would you like some help?"
"What?"
"I said would you like some help?"
"Lee, I said I was going to work in the yard. Are you sure you heard me correctly? I mean, maybe since you've been up all night,
you really didn't hear what I said.
"Amanda, I heard you.
I know I may not have a green thumb like you, but I thought maybe we
could just spend some time together, that's all."
"You know what? I
would love to spend some time with you too."
"Really? Okay,
that's great. How long do you think
your errands will take? I mean, I need
to go home and shower but I thought I'd grab a few hours sleep, if you don't
mind."
"I should be back around 12:30 or 1:00, I guess. Are you really sure you want to do this? I
mean we could do something else, if you like."
"Amanda," he said teasingly, "isn't this what normal
people do on the weekend? You know,
you're always trying to get me to be a normal person. Of course I want to do this.
I'll see you about 1:00, 'okay?"
"Okay, but on one condition," she smiled lovingly at him.
Frowning, Lee responded, "What condition?"
"That you allow me to cook dinner for you. After all, that's what normal people do –
you know, hamburgers and wine…" She
smiled waiting for him to remember the scene.
When he did, he laughed and leaned in to give her another
kiss. "That sounds great. See you soon." He disappeared through the fence and was off.
Driving back to his apartment, Lee was happy as a lark
except for the itching of his back. He
tried rubbing his shoulders against the car seat but that didn't do much to
stop the itch. He tried to ignore it
but that effort took almost all of his agency training. None to soon he arrived at his apartment and
was peeling off his shirt before the door even closed. He stood in the doorframe of his bedroom and
rubbed his back against the frame.
Stripping off the remainder of his clothing, the stepped into the
shower. He could believe how good it
felt. He turned so the water could pummel
his back. After a good fifteen minutes
he finally felt clean and refreshed.
Tugging on a pair of gym shorts he climbed into bed. The cool sheets never felt so good on his
back. Within minutes of hitting the
pillow, Lee was out.
Amanda finished her errands and stopped by the grocery store
to pick up the needed items for dinner.
As she passed the movie rental aisle, she chose a romantic comedy hoping
she could convince Lee to stay after dinner.
They had so little time to spend with each other she didn't think he
would turn down her efforts.
Changing into jean shorts and a tee shirt, Amanda headed out
to the back yard. She walked into the
garage to gather the tools and supplies she would need. Loading everything into the wheelbarrow, she
started toward the garden only to be captured by two strong arms as she came
into the sunlight.
"Hi," Lee said quickly as he hugged her to his body. "Since I didn't get to do this before, I
decided to make up for lost time."
Relaxing in his embrace, Amanda chuckled, "I wish you'd stop
sneaking up on me Scarecrow. One of
these days, you're gonna get a big surprise."
"Oh yeah, and what would that be?" he questioned with a
chuckle.
"You just wait and see!
Now did you come here to work or just to frighten me out of a year's
growth?"
Releasing her reluctantly from his arms, Lee replied, "Okay,
okay, what is it you want me to do?"
She proceeded to show him exactly what needed to be
done. She showed him the flowers and
identified the weeds. "These are the bad
guys that we need to get rid of.
Simple, see. Just like the
Agency!"
He laughed and sat down beside her and began the task of
weeding the flowerbed. They talked as
they worked about last night's case, people at the Agency, the boys, their
current caseload – anything and everything.
The time passed quickly and even though the work was boring and the day
was hot, Lee enjoyed simply being with Amanda.
He enjoyed hearing her laugh was he regaled her with stories about
former cases and people they both knew from the Agency. Although she probably didn't believe half of
what he was saying, she marveled at the fact that he seemed to open up so much
more easily these days. He even talked
some about his parents and his childhood.
Sitting back on her heels, Amanda wondered at this man before her. Here he sat, in her backyard, one of the top
agents in the business, weeding her flowerbed.
What an enigma! He had finally
begun sharing little bits of himself with her.
She realized how difficult that was for him and was content to simply
listen and let him steer the discussion in whatever direction he felt most
comfortable.
They worked in silence for a bit, both content simply
enjoying each other's company. Amanda
noticed that Lee was beginning to shrug his shoulders and reach around to his
back with some contorted movements. She
even watched as he took the small hand rake they were using to his back.
"Arrrgh!" cried Lee as he stood up and leaned against the
fence rubbing his back against it.
"Lee what's wrong?" she questioned.
"I think I was eaten alive by mosquitoes last night during
the stakeout. The itching is driving me
crazy."
"Come over her and let me scratch it for you," she said as
she motioned for him to sit down at the picnic table. She scratched his back through his tee shirt until he stopped
squirming.
"There, is that better?"
"Yeah, thanks. It
seems it itches in all the places I can't reach."
"Well, since we've stopped, how about some lemonade?"
"That sounds great."
Amanda went inside to pour the lemonade and Lee looked over
the progress they'd made. Although he's
never admit this to Amanda, he was actually having a good time. Of course, any time he was in her company
was a good time. But, he was beginning
to see the benefits of this so-called normal life.
"Here we go," Amanda said as she handed him the glass.
They enjoyed the cool tartness of the lemonade and the
chance to take a break from their chores.
After several minutes, Lee began his squirming again as the itching returned.
"Amanda, could you please scratch it again. This is driving me crazy."
"Now I know how to torture you Scarecrow," she laughed as
she complied with his request. "You
know, maybe I should put some calamine lotion on your back. That's what I do for the boys when they have
insect bites. You just sit here and
I'll be right back."
Amanda headed into the house while Lee finished his
lemonade. She quickly returned and
deposited her supplies on the table but hurried back inside. "Forgot something…be right back," she
hollered as she ran back inside.
She soon returned and said, "Lee, you're gonna hafta take
off your shirt."
"Why, Mrs. King, are you trying to have your way with me?"
he chuckled seductively.
"Don't get your hopes up, Big Fella. Your shirt is wet and dirty and so is your
back. Since you used everything under
the sun to scratch it, I just want to clean it so the medicine will take."
Lee slowly reached for the bottom of the shirt. He grasped it both hands but did not pull it
over his head. "Uh…this medicine..uh…is
it gonna sting?" he asked quietly.
"Oh Lee, it calamine lotion. I can't believe you've never used it before. Of course it's not going to sting…much!" she
added coyly.
He whipped around to look at her and she burst into a fit of
laughter. "Okay, Florence Nightingale,
you win. Just be gentle, please." He took off his tee shirt and tossed in on
the table.
Amanda picked up the washcloth she brought out on the second
trip and began rubbing it over Lee's back.
The coolness of the cloth and the moisture on his back caused him to
shiver slightly. At least that was his
reasoning. He didn't want to think that
it might be because Amanda's fingers were lightly caressing his flesh. He decided to close his eyes and let his
mind wander with those thoughts. After
several moments, he realized the movements had stopped.
"Amanda?" he questioned.
Amanda was also lost in thought as her fingers roamed over
his back. This relationship was so new
but she had dreamed so many nights of doing the very thing she was now
doing. Her mind wandered to those
dreams and she forgot why Lee's naked back was before her.
At the sound of her name, she came back to the present. "Uh..sorry, I..uh..was just overwhelmed by
the number of bites you have. There,
that's all done," she said as she finished cleaning his back. "Now, I'll put on the lotion. It may be a little cold so be prepared."
"Do you have a bullet I can bite on?" It was now his turn to joke.
Amanda concentrated on her task. She poured the lotion onto a cotton ball and dabbed each bite on
Lee's back. As she was approaching the
last of them she chuckled, "You know Stetson, we could play a wicked game of
connect the dots back here what with all these bites and the scars you have."
"Don't get any ideas," he warned.
"Let's see, if we go from here to here to…"
"Amanda," Lee called.
He was not upset that she was making a joke out of his dilemma, it the
sensation she was causing as her finger traced a pattern on his back. He wasn't sure how much more he could take
of this. He stood up and reached for
his shirt.
"Lee, you can't put that shirt back on. It's dirty and your back does have some open
scratches on it from the silly rake you were using. You don't want it to become infected do you?"
He really didn't mind going shirtless but he thought that
might be a bit much for Amanda. "Ah,
well, I have another shirt in the car.
I brought a change of clothes for later. Let me go and get it."
"No, that won't work.
Then you won't have anything to change into later on. Let me see if I have something you can put
on." She rose and gathered up
everything she'd brought outside and went into the house.
Soon she returned with a Baltimore Orioles shirt. "Here, I think this will fit. Joe gave it to Phillip but it's way to big
for him. It comes down to his knees." She laughed as she thought of the image of
Phillip in this shirt.
"Amanda, I don't want to wear this if it was a gift from Joe
to Phillip. What if it gets messed up? He might not think to highly of me for
that."
Amanda wasn't sure if he was referring to Joe or Phillip but
in any case, she put held up the shirt for him to see. On the back was a big white blob. "Phillip did this by trying to wash it to
shrink it. Why he thought bleach would
help the shrinking process, I don't know."
Anyway, I don't think you hafta worry about messing it up."
After Lee donned the shirt, they both went back to
work. Amanda smiled noting now well Lee
filled out the shirt. It certainly
looked better on him than on Phillip.
Several hours later they were done. All the flowerbeds had been weeded and they
had even put down the mulch Amanda bought.
"You know, Lee, I'm sure glad you volunteered for this project
today. I was wondering how I was going
to get all those bags out of the car.
They loaded them for me at the nursery."
Lee was wondering about that very fact, but he was glad he
was able to help out. He had to admit
that the beds looked really good with a fresh layer of mulch. "You know, Amanda, I have a vested interest
in these beds. I have spent a
great deal of time in them. I figured
it was only logical that I put in some time tending to them instead of
trampling them." They both laughed as they
gathered up the tools and returned them to the garage.
"So, I guess you're about ready for that dinner I promised
you, huh?"
"There's no rush.
Besides, if you don't mind, I like to clean up some before dinner."
"Me, too. Listen, you
can use the guest bathroom. There are
plenty of towels and such. I'll just go
on upstairs." Amanda's face reddened as
she thought about Lee showering the same time she was. That was another one of those dreams she'd
had but during her dreams they hadn't used separate showers.
Soon Lee emerged from the bathroom dressed in jeans and a
polo shirt. Amanda hadn't come
downstairs yet. In order to keep his
mind from focusing on a very naked Amanda just a floor above him, he wandered
into the family room and began studying the family pictures. He was surprised by now much he'd come to
like Phillip and Jamie even thought they didn't know him very well. They had grown so much since he'd first met
Amanda. They were no longer little
boys; they were entering their teenage years.
How he remembered those times.
Feeling awkward and clumsy and not knowing from one day to the next
whether your voice was going to crack every time you spoke. He could already hear Phillip's voice
beginning to change. Amanda had done
such a good job raising these boys especially with no male figure in their
lives. He wondered if any of them knew
what was in store for them as the boys hit their rebellious years. Of course, maybe their wouldn't be quite was
rebellious as his had been. Looking
down he shook his head at those memories.
"What's ya doing?"
Startled, Lee looked up and saw Amanda standing before
him. "I…uh..I'm sorry; I didn't hear
you come down. I was just admiring all
the pictures. It's amazing how fast the
boys are growing up."
"I know it seems like only yesterday they were bother babies
in my arms." Amanda had a faraway look
in her eyes as the memories washed over her.
"Hey," Lee said taking a step toward her. "I didn't mean to upset you." He wrapped her in his embrace and pulled her
close.
"Oh, Lee, I'm not upset.
I was just reliving a happy moment.
Those boys have been my life.
It's just that time passes so quickly.
It's hard sometimes not to think of them as babies anymore. I mean, Phillip is a teenager and Jamie will
be next year. Before I know it, they'll
be off on their own. "
"Yes, they will, but you'll always be their mom and they'll
always love you." He smiled sweetly and
kissed her forehead.
For a moment, they held on to each other both lost in their
own thoughts and memories. Slowly
pulling apart, Amanda said, "I guess it's time to start dinner."
"Amanda, you don't hatfa do this, I mean if you would rather
go out, I wouldn't mind. After all, you
did work all day and I know you're tired."
"Lee, it's no problem.
Besides, you're gonna help me," she smiled at him and turned toward the
kitchen.
"Is this another one of those things that normal
people do?" he asked chuckling as he made his way into the kitchen. "Just don't expect me to wear an apron!"
After dinner they were enjoying strawberries and whipped
cream in the family room. "Lee, I
picked up a movie this afternoon for us to watch if you want."
"Sure, I'd like to stay, if you don't mind."
They cuddled together on the couch and watched the
movie. As it began to draw to a close,
Lee began fidgeting again.
"Is your back itching again?"
"Yeah, I think I musta washed off the calamine lotion during
my shower. The itch is staring to come back with a vengeance."
"Here, lean forward and I'll scratch it for you." Amanda began scratching Lee's back until the
movie ended.
Lee stood and walked over to the VCR. "I guess I'd better be going," he said
looking at the floor. At the same time,
he reached over his head in an attempt to scratch another spot that was
itching. He couldn't reach it from that
position so he tried putting his arm behind his back to reach the spot.
Amanda had to stifle a laugh. "Lee, you look like you're trying to create some new wild dance
step." She decided to take pity on
him. Taking him by the hand, she led
him toward the stairs.
"Amanda?" he questioned.
"Lee, don't worry, just come upstairs with me. I have another kind of medicine I want to
try on you so you'll be able to sleep tonight.
"Uh…Amanda"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Scarecrow. I'm not propositioning you here. It just that the medicine is in my bathroom
so I can keep it away from the boys. I
simply want you to join me upstairs, that's all."
"That's all?" Lee asked sounding disappointed but Amanda
could see that the corners of his mouth were turning up as he uttered the
statement. Soon those irresistible dimples appeared and he willingly followed
her up the stairs.
"Now sit down on the bed and I'll get it," she said as she
disappeared into the bathroom. She soon
returned and kneeled on the bed behind him.
She lifted his shirt and tried to rub the anti-itch cream on his
back. But she was having problems. His shirt kept falling back down and she was
in an uncomfortable position.
"Uh..Lee..would you please lie down? I think it will be easier to do this if
you're lying down."
"Yes mama. He
stretched out on her bed and wrapped his arms around one of her pillows. Amanda's mind was working overtime
again. At last, her dreams were coming
true. Lee Stetson was finally in her
bed. She pushed up his shirt until it
rested mostly on his neck. She tried
with all her might to concentrate only on applying the cream to his back. She spread the cream all over his back and
worked to rub it in.
Lee was in seventh heaven.
Amanda's hands were caressingly rubbing over his back. It felt so good and so relaxing. He was enjoying the pleasant thoughts he was
having and decided to simply let his mind wander where it would. Before he realized what was happening he
drifted off to sleep.
Amanda was lost in her own thoughts but while indulging she
continued to caress Lee's back. After
what seemed like an eternity, she was drawn back to the present by a strange
sound. Trying to discover the nature of
the sound, she lifted her hands from Lee's back. She smiled as she determined the source of the sound. Lee was asleep and lightly snoring.
'Well, Amanda, it's a good thing you weren't trying to
seduce him. Just look at the effect
you've had on him.' She chuckled softly
to herself. She knew that he had gotten
little sleep last night due to the stake out so she decided to let him
sleep. What was the point of waking him
up to send him home.
She suddenly realized how tired she was as well. She thought
about getting up and going down to her mother's room to sleep, but her limbs
just seemed to tired to carry her so she stretched out beside Lee. Before her head snuggled into the pillow,
she was asleep.
Even though she was asleep Amanda felt cold. She reached for the covers but for some
reason they could not be pulled up to cover her. She felt a warmth in the bed and moved closer to it. Before long, she was snuggled against Lee's
body. He turned in his sleep to better
fit Amanda to his body. His arm wrapped
around her and they both drifted into a deeper sleep.
Somewhere in the night Lee rolled in his sleep away from
Amanda. Feeling the lost contact, she
cried out softly in her sleep, 'noooo.
Lee, where did you go?'
Still asleep, he heard her call out to him. "Manda, I'm here. I'm right here. I'll
never leave you." He turned toward her
and spooned his body against hers. His
arm wrapped around her and pulled her firmly against his chest. Unbeknownst to each other, they both smiled
in their sleep.
As the light of day began to creep into the room, Lee began
to stir. He was a first
disoriented. He could smell Amanda's
shampoo and perfume and believed himself to be dreaming of her, yet again. Something, however was tickling his
nose. He tried his best to ignore it
because he was enjoying this dream and didn't want it to end just yet. The tickling continued and before long his
eyes fluttered open to find the cause.
As his eyes adjusted to the light he was confused. Just where was he and
what was going on. Something moved
against his body and he quickly lifted his head to discover Amanda lying next
to him and his arm draped over her body.
'Oh my gosh,' he said to himself. He quickly thought about the circumstances of last night. He wasn't quite sure how he ended up in this
position but he was relieved to discover that they were both still
clothed. Knowing that, he let out a
breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He began remembering the events of the previous evening – Amanda's
invitation upstairs - oh yeah – to put
some medicine on my back. He looked
over at the nightstand and saw the tube still sitting there without its cap.
Not knowing how Amanda ended up here with him or how she
might react upon waking and finding them in bed together, he decided to get
up. Slowly, so as not to disturb her he
left the bed and went downstairs. The
lights from last night were still on as was the VCR. He turned everything off and thought about leaving. Maybe that was the best thing – just leave
and then Amanda wouldn't hafta know that they slept together. Well they hadn't really slept together in
the sense that most people mean that phrase.
They had simply slept together as in went to sleep in the same bed. Not that he didn't want to sleep with her;
it was just that this new relationship hadn't yet progress to the point of even
considering it. Besides, he knew how
Amanda felt about casual sex. He was content
to follow Amanda's lead regarding that subject. He knew deep in his heart that one day, they might consummate
this relationship if they continued on their present course. But life had a way of muddying the waters, particularly
where the Scarecrow was concerned. He
was more worried now that he might have messed up things just as they were
getting started. So, he made the
decision right then that he would stay until Amanda woke up and he would apologize
to her. He would hafta gauge her
reaction but he would do whatever it took to set things right between them
again. Would she be angry with him or
worse, disappointed? And how would if this incident effect their working
relationship? He nervously paced back
and forth and soon realized that he needed to do something productive or he
would wear a hole in the carpet.
Lee went into the kitchen and decided to make a pot of
coffee. He hoped Amanda wouldn't think
him too presumptuous helping himself to her kitchen and coffee. Sitting at the breakfast nook with the
steaming hot mug in his hand, he was lost in thought and didn't hear her come
into the room.
She leaned against the doorway watching him. What was he thinking? He looked scared to death and ready to
bolt. Should she say something or wait
until he looked up.
She slowly approached and softly said his name.
He'd heard her approach and looked up trying to brace
himself for whatever she was ready to say.
"I..uh..I…hope you don't mind. I
made some coffee."
"Amanda."
"Lee." They spoke at
the same time. Lee nodded toward Amanda
and said, "You go first."
Instead of speaking, Amanda deliberately walked toward him and wrapped her arms around him, laying
her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you," she whispered, kissing him softly on the cheek.
"For what?" he asked cautiously.
"For last night and…"
"Amanda…I…I…we… I
never…we didn't sle..," Lee stammered trying to align his thoughts into some
kind of coherent pattern.
"Oh, Lee, I know we didn't.
You didn't let me finish. Thank
you for last night and yesterday and this morning."
"But why are you thanking me?" he asked perplexed.
"Because, you wanted to be here with me. And you stayed with me all night and even
this morning instead of running away."
"Believe me, I thought about it," he said running his hand
through his hair. "But, I
couldn't. I had to make sure that you
understood. I couldn't believe it when
I woke up this morning and found you in my arms." He stopped for a moment realizing that he may have offered more
information than necessary. Deciding to continue, even though he was
turning an uncomfortable shade of red, Lee tried further to explain. "I was afraid that I had messed up all we've
worked so hard for. I didn't know if I
could stand it if you were disappointed in me," he said as he hung his head.
Placing her finger under his chin, she lifted his head and
replied, "Lee, I could never be disappointed in you. You are my best friend and I…" Her voice trailed off as she
realized what she was about to say. It
might be what she knew in her heart to be true but she didn't want to share those
feelings with him just yet. She didn't
think he was ready to hear those words nor was he ready to say them to her.
"Amanda." It was his
turn to lift her head so his eyes could meet hers. "I should be thanking you."
"For what?"
"For giving me a glimpse of leading a normal
life. And for putting me out of misery
from all those mosquito bites.
Otherwise, I might have reverted to some drastic measures. And, you are my best friend too!"
"So how 'bout giving your best friend a good morning kiss?"
"With pleasure!" he said taking her into his arms. After breaking the kiss, they stayed in each
other's embrace.
Reluctantly they broke apart. "I guess I'd better be going."
"Yeah, mother will be back soon.
He leaned in to kiss her again. Then he headed for the door.
Half way through the door, he turned back to her. "Amanda, I can't wait until we get to spend
another day as a normal couple."
'And night,' he thought to himself.
She smiled at him and said, "I'm looking forward to it!"
Turning on his heels, Scarecrow disappeared into the backyard.
