First Time

Oh, Mother. You'd have me married off and pregnant again before the ink was even dry on my divorce papers. I know you only want me to be happy, but I wish you'd understand that there are more ways to be happy than to be someone's wife. Especially someone like Dean. It's unfair, but what I used to think were desirable qualities in a man, like stability and dependability, are now starting to feel like boredom and predictability. I just don't know how to tell you that. Or him, for that matter.

Rushing out the door in her nightgown and a trench coat, Amanda King drove to her boyfriend's house and then to the Amtrak station, leaving him on the platform with a lukewarm kiss. Sighing, she started to walk back towards her car.

Oh my gosh, what is this man doing? What does he want? Is he trying to abduct me? No. He seems genuinely in need of help. I don't think he'd hurt me. There's something trustworthy about his face. But get on the train? In my nightgown? And give a package to a strange man? I couldn't. What would people think … Still, it must be very important, for him to have asked a perfect stranger for help. I guess I could do this one little thing. Wasn't I just thinking that what my life needed was a little excitement?

She grabbed the package and stepped onto the train just as it started to roll. Looking down the platform, she saw him running, and then getting tackled by two other men. Her mouth widened in shock and concern.

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This is horrifying. I bet that's the first station wagon that valet has ever parked. Who are these people, and what am I doing here with them? The sensible thing to do would have been to destroy that package. Or put it in the mail. Or arranged to meet Mr. Stetson someplace in Arlington, like the grocery store parking lot. But no, I had to satisfy my curiousity and come here. I guess I could always go straight back home.

A smooth voice from above stopped her retreat for the door, and her heart did a funny little flutter in her chest.

That is a man who knows full well just how dangerously good looking he is, standing there in his tux. Lee. It's a nice name, and it suits him. Lee Stetson. Sounds like a cowboy character in one of Mother's romance novels.

An attractive, Russian-looking woman breezed by, trailing her hand along Lee's chin and back.

But who are these people he hangs around with? That woman was looking at him like he was a piece of meat. Oh, please. Could he be any more obvious? So it's like that, is it, Lee Stetson? Fair enough. Message received. At least he has the good manners to save me from that horrid Celeste. And someone obviously taught him how to dance like a gentleman. So he's not completely without good qualities. But a spy?! I think I would have preferred it if he really had been a gangster, instead of someone who deceives people for a living.

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She trotted after him as he briskly climbed the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.

Poor man. He clearly needs someone to look after him, even if he won't admit it. No matter what he says, no-one prefers to survive without love and friendship. There's obviously a lot more to his story. And his partner! How terrible. Imagine, someone getting shot in the head just because of their job. He lives in a completely different world than mine. We may both be standing here on these steps, but he's on one side of an invisible wall, and I'm on the other. I need to learn to just leave well-enough alone. I can't take home every stray animal I find, no matter how lost and beautiful their eyes.

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She crept through the cellar quietly, listening to her heart pound in her ears.

Alright, Amanda King. You're here. Now what are you going to do? This may be your most hair-brained idea ever. But I couldn't just let Lee get killed. Alright, they're taking him to that helicopter. If I pour sugar into their gas tank, they won't be able to follow us, if we manage to get away. Now, if I can just distract that man long enough for Lee to do … whatever it is that spies do. My goodness, it worked. But how does he expect me to fly this helicopter? They don't exactly cover that in home economics. But he needs me. If we're going to get out of this alive, we're going to have to work together.