New Years Revolution, chapter 4
Amanda quickly pulled her hand from between Lee's hands and turned her back on him. She was feeling hurt and angry but deep down she knew that Lee was the one person in her life who hadn't made any demands of her recently. Not long after they had acknowledged their feelings for each other in his hospital room Amanda had become swept up in preparing for Christmas. She was determined to include Joe in as many family activities as she could for the boys' sake without allowing anyone to develop false hope that she and Joe might reconcile. Lee had graciously taken a back seat while she had devoted most her time to her family since the Christmas season was so important to them. Amanda sighed audibly and turned back to face Lee who had chosen to remain momentarily silent to give her a chance to calm down.
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't be taking my problems out on you…this isn't how I planned for our night to end."
"Our night? You weren't planning to see me tonight; coming here was plan B when things-"
"You're wrong, Lee." Amanda walked towards him in an effort to close the physical and emotional distance between them but he took a step back effectively rebuffing her attempt.
"You told me yourself that you planned to spend the evening with your family and you aren't exactly dressed for a romantic New Year's Eve celebration. I don't mind having you here but I do resent being used. I'm still new at having a serious relationship but I do know that I want our first time together to be an act of love; I don't want you to turn to me because you're angry at your ex."
"How dare you? You have no-" Amanda's flash of anger burned itself out quickly and she looked down as a single tear escaped her eye. "I'm sorry…you're right…but you're wrong also." She sank down onto the sofa and Lee came and sat at the opposite end of the sofa. "I did come here earlier because I was angry at Joe and Mother and maybe that's why I tried to…umm-"
"Seduce me," Lee offered with a smile that suggested that he was also calming down.
"Yes, it feels good to know how much you want me but I'm glad that you didn't give in to me…I want our first time to be perfect."
"It will be!" Lee took Amanda into his arms and kissed her soundly. After remaining tangled in each other's arms for several minutes, she pulled away from Lee and gazed at him with a serious expression on her face.
"I didn't lie to you earlier. I'd planned to spend tonight with my family because I thought that I should, but I really wanted to be with you. It occurred to me this afternoon that I didn't have to choose; I could do both. I shopped for our dinner and I planned to call you to ask if I could come over later in the evening but then when I got home Joe was there."
"Did you two have words," Lee questioned as Amanda chewed on her lower lip.
"Yes, I didn't mean to-," Amanda began guiltily.
"Shh, Amanda, I wasn't judging you." Lee moved closer to her but didn't infringe on her space.
"I don't want to be one of those ex-wives." Lee looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "I hate when I see women tear down their exes in front of their children. I swore to myself that I would never let the boys see that I have any differences with their father. I've let Joe say and do whatever he's pleased since he came back but he went too far tonight."
"What did he do?" Lee clenched and unclenched his fist at his side but managed to keep his voice neutral.
"It started the minute I walked in the door; he treated me as if I were a child who broke curfew. I tried not to let it bother me, but he didn't stop there. I'd come in with three bags of groceries which he observed 'we' didn't need as though he should have any say in the matter. When I accidentally let it slip that I was planning to come and see you he dared to attack your character; he doesn't know anything about you." Lee looked at her uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Lee?"
"I probably should have talked to you last week but I didn't want to stir up trouble unnecessarily. I heard through the grapevine that Joe's been asking around about me; he wasn't interested in my professional reputation."
"The nerve of that man…you just saved his…he owes you."
"No, he doesn't, I did what I did for you and your boys. He isn't stupid; he figured out that you and I hadn't just met. Joe wants you back and he sees me as a threat."
"I told him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't interested in going back."
"Sometimes men only hear what they want to hear. If your mother and the boys are hoping that you two get back together they may be encouraging Joe not to give up."
"I can understand the boys wanting that, but not Mother; if she'd had her way I'd be married to Dean now." Amanda began to stand up but Lee pulled her back down.
"It would never have come to that," he said confidently.
"How can you be so sure?"
"I would have stopped you." Lee smiled at her smugly.
"As reassuring as that thought is I still need to have a long talk with Mother; she has no right to meddle in my life.
"She's your mother so she wants what is best for you. She'd like to see you settled with a man who loves you and will take care of you."
"We're working on that," she said as she tenderly stroked his cheek.
"You and I know that but your mother doesn't." Lee took the hand she'd stroked his cheek with and kissed it.
"I don't want to live this way anymore so if the only way I can stop my mother from playing matchmaker is to tell her about you then that's what I plan to do."