Disclaimer: Scarecrow and Mrs. King and its characters are property of Warner Bros. and Shoot the Moon Productions. No copyright infringement is intended.
The story, however is mine! :)
Time: Post Season 4- a few days after "A Day in the Life of Lee Stetson"
References made to the following episodes: Season 4, Episode 1, "Stemwinder" and Season 4, Episode 16, "Do You Take This Spy?"
Lee and Amanda clinked glasses across the candle lit table. The evening was off to a perfect start. At the last minute, Amanda was able to get them into the latest to die for restaurant in DC- the Pavone Ballante. It wasn't the stereotypical Italian restaurant with the red and white checkerboard table cloths and the drippy candles stuck in an empty wine bottle. The atmosphere here was much more intimate and sophisticated. The décor was adorned with deep, almost iridescent blues and greens with touches of gold here and there. There was soft music playing in the background and soft lighting accented with candles on tables and beautifully placed throughout the room made for a very romantic setting.
"Amanda, how did you manage to get us in here so last minute? They are booked weeks in advance!" Lee asked as he took Amanda's hand and held it from across the table.
"Oh, you should know by now that I have my ways!" Amanda smiled and winked at Lee as she squeezed his hand gently. "Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!"
"Happy Anniversary, Amanda!" Lee leaned into the table as he brought Amanda's hand to his lips and softly kissed it.
"Two years sure has flown by, hasn't it?"
Lee blew out a sigh as he raised his eyebrows. "It sure has! Hard to believe that 2 years ago today we were dealing with Nick Grant and running to the justice of peace for a secret ceremony. I'm so glad we're not trying to hide our marriage anymore."
Amanda let out a chuckle. "You and me both! We were both kind of silly to think that we could have kept up the secrecy for very long."
Lee smiled in agreement and rubbed his thumb ever so gently over the back on Amanda's hand.
"Pardon me." Lee and Amanda both stopped their conversation and turned their attention to the brunette waitress at their table. "So sorry to interrupt but the owner would like you to have this flower in honor of your anniversary." She handed the red rose to Amanda.
"Oh, well thank you! Thank you very much!" Amanda smiled at the waitress and inhaled the sweet smell of the rose. "Lee, isn't that sweet? Such a beautiful long stemmed rose."
"Yes! That was very nice of them, indeed. Is that how you got us in? Told them it was our anniversary?"
Lee picked up his glass of Beaujolais and took a sip as he took another look at their waitress across the room.
"Haha! Nope and I doubt that would have worked anyway. I'm not sure that I did mention that it was our anniversary but I must have because how would they have known?"
"Amanda? Does our waitress look familiar to you?"
"hmmm….no, I don't think she did."
"Are you sure? I swear I have seen her before?"
Amanda casually glanced over at their waitress. She was attractive with shoulder length brown hair and pretty green eyes and a beautiful smile.
"I'm sorry, Lee but she doesn't look familiar to me. Maybe she's one of your old girlfriends. There were so many, you can't possible remember them all!"
Lee looked at Amanda with a certain amount of shock on his face. Amanda began to laugh.
"Amanda! That's not funny! And she is NOT an old girlfriend. It's not important. Let's just enjoy our evening!"
"I'm just teasing you, Sweetheart! I love you very much! And I have never been happier in my life than I have been with you."
Lee smiled that killer, dimpled smile of his. Amanda swore that he blushed a little but it was hard to tell in the dim lighting.
"I never ever thought that happiness like this existed, Amanda. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you just doesn't seem like enough to say to let you know how I feel about you."
Amanda smiled and felt a lump rise in her throat as her eyes teared up.
"I can't believe I waited so long to tell you that I loved you, Amanda."
"Well, we were both scared, Lee. But, what I can't believe is that you told me you loved me as you were getting ready to run out of my life!"
"A-man-daa! You know it wasn't like that! I was running FOR my life…..and honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it and…well I couldn't die without you knowing."
"I knew. At least I was pretty sure I knew, but it was sure the most amazing feeling when I finally heard you say it and when I could say it to you."
"Hey…yeah, that's right! You took your own sweet time telling me you loved me, too!"
"And look at us now! Old married couple with two rapidly growing boys and a baby on the way! Our lives are going to be completely different next year at this time."
Amanda sat back and ran her hands over her pregnant belly. Lee smiled as he thought to himself how beautiful she looked tonight illuminated by the soft glow of the candles on the table.
"Your salads?" The waitress had returned. Amanda studied her closer and did not see anything recognizable about her.
"Thank you", Amanda replied.
Lee was positive that he knew her from somewhere. It was on the tip of his tongue. He wracked is brain to try and come up with her name and where he knew her from. Without meaning to, he found himself staring at the waitress.
"Is there something else I can get for you, sir?"
Embarrassed, Lee quickly snapped back to.
"Oh umm….could I please have some more water?"
"Certainly, sir!"
The waitress returned in a matter of seconds with a pitcher and refilled their glasses.
"Will there be anything else?"
"No, thank you. We're all set." Amanda replied as she picked up her glass to take a sip of water. "Lee? You're still trying to figure out where you know her from, aren't you?"
"Yeah….It's…..It's right there in the front of my brain but I can't access it! I can feel it! I feel a little foggy tonight."
"It will come to you when you're not trying so hard to remember." Amanda placed her glass down on the table. "Isn't the stemware in the restaurant just beautiful?"
"Huh?" Lee said as he tried to concentrate on what Amanda was saying to him.
"The water glasses? Aren't they beautiful? I just love the way that the details in the crystal wind around the glass. Lovely!"
Lee had picked up his fork in preparation for eating his salad but got distracted by the waitress once again. She noticed him looking at her and gave him a quasi-seductive smile.
"You know, Lee. It's not very nice to be checking out another woman while you are out with your wife to celebrate your anniversary! I am going to get jealous here in a minute!"
"I'm sorry. I really am sorry Amanda. I'll stop. It's not important where I know her from. No need to be jealous-I only have eyes for you!"
"You'd better!"
The two were enjoying their salads and conversation. It was so rare that they were actually able to make plans and follow through on them without getting interrupted by agency business or an issue with the family.
"So, Lee…we need to start planning for the baby soon."
"I thought we were already doing that!"
"You know what I mean! Things like where we're going to put the baby, and names for the baby and probably about a million other things."
Lee held his breath for a moment while Amanda continued to jabber on about the many things they were going to need to buy for the baby. He exhaled sharply and interrupted her.
"Amanda! Amanda! Slow down! We have plenty of time to figure all this out, don't we? I mean the baby isn't due until June."
"I know Lee, but I just need to be sure that we are on the same frequency."
"The same frequency?"
"You know what I mean…that we have the same ideas about things."
"I know what it means, that just struck me as funny, that's all."
The waitress returned to clear the salad plates and deliver their entrees. Lee did his best to pay her no mind and focus on Amanda. She placed the Amanda's dinner carefully in front of her and smiled. As she placed Lee's plate in front of him, she subtly squeezed his thigh with her free hand and walked away. Amanda was inspecting her dinner and didn't notice. Lee's eyes almost bugged out of his head and the words caught in his throat.
"Lee! What's the matter? Are you ok?"
"Did you see that?"
"What? See what?"
"The waitress! She squeezed my thigh as she served me my dinner!"
"She what? Oh come on!"
"Amanda, I'm telling you that she did."
"Well it's probably because you have been staring at her all night!"
"I haven't been staring at her like that, Amanda!"
"Well I know that, Lee but all she knows is that you've been staring at her! You brought this on yourself!"
"Thanks! Thanks a lot!"
Amanda chuckled to herself as she picked through her dinner.
"How is your food? You don't seem to be eating much, Amanda. Are you feeling ok?"
"Me? Oh I am feeling fine. It's just this chicken marsala…the mushrooms are all stems."
"Stems?"
"Yes…no caps. All stems."
"Do you want to send it back?"
"No it's fine. I'm just surprised that a restaurant like this would only use the mushroom stems, that's all. It's not like this is a hard recipe to make. It's as easy as falling into bed!"
Lee laughed as he looked at Amanda with a confused look on his face.
"Easy as what?"
"What?"
"What's in to you tonight, Amanda? You don't seem yourself."
"Not myself? I feel fine, Sweetheart. You're the one flirting with the waitress on our anniversary!"
"I AM NOT", Lee quickly lowered his volume, "I am NOT flirting with her! And you know it!"
Lee sat back in his chair and swallowed hard. He reached out with a shaky hand and grabbed for his water.
"Lee? Are you ok?"
"I don't know. I suddenly got shaky and really hot. Is it hot in here?"
"No, it's not. Drink some more water."
Amanda got up from her chair and knelt down beside Lee. She dabbed her napkin in her water and began to dab his forehead.
"Lee, your heart is racing! We need to get you out of here!"
"Just give me a minute."
"You need some vodka….very cold vodka."
"Amanda…..what the hell are you talking about? Vodka?"
"Ssshhhh! Sweetheart, it's ok. Here, let's roll up your sleeve."
Amanda rolled up Lee's sleeve and ran an ice cube over his upper arm.
"That feels good. OUCH! AMANDA! Why did you pinch me? That really hurt!"
"It's ok, Lee…..you should start to feel better now. Just give it time to work."
"Give what time to work?"
The balding man sat beside a passed out Lee lying on a bed and checked his pulse and breathing.
"Well?" the brunette woman asked. "Is he back under?"
"Yes. He is. That was close. He was almost ready to wake up. But, the amount I just gave him in the shot in his arm should last a while. You can continue with your mind games on him."
"Good. So far, he is listening to everything I have to say to him and playing along nicely. I hope Lee Stetson is enjoying the anniversary dinner I have created for him in his mind."
"He seems to be enjoying himself so far. His mind is not going to be an easy one to crack. This new drug is powerful but not undefeatable."
"I am well aware of that, Dr. I don't need reminding! I just need you to keep him under the influence of this drug long enough for me to get all the information I need. Then, I don't care what you do with him."
Lee struggled within his own mind. The drugs were keeping him from waking up, but somewhere deep inside, he knew he was in big trouble.
To be continued…..