Change of Wardrobe

Saturday, 12:45PM

Amanda got out of Lee's car and sprinted up the front walk as quickly as she could to avoid being spotted by too many of her neighbors. She let herself into the house and leaned against the front door for a moment to catch her breath before she could be accosted by her mother as she was sure was bound to happen any minute now that she'd probably heard her come in. When she didn't hear anything right away she made a mad dash for the stairs hoping to get to her room before the interrogation could begin.

As Amanda passed by her mother's room, she noticed the door was open and her bed looked like it hadn't been slept in, the bedspread and pillows in the exact same position they'd been in the night before, various outfits strung across the bed. It seemed she'd had trouble deciding what to wear for her date too. She didn't come home last night either," she thought. She shook her head, not wanting to think those thoughts about her mother as she entered her own room to find it exactly as she'd left it, the majority of her evening dresses slung across her bed. She decided to change clothes before cleaning up the mess. She walked around the end of the bed to get to her closet.

Amanda paused to glance at herself in the full-length mirror next to the closet. She almost didn't recognize the woman looking back at her. The "come hither" dress she was wearing, her lips still swollen from the fiery kisses she and Lee had shared, the slight whisker burns on her face and neck from his kisses in the shower this morning before he'd shaved off the five O'clock shadow, the love bite where her neck met her shoulder from their encounter in the kitchen. She looked like exactly what she was; a woman who'd spent a good part of the last twelve hours having unbelievable sex.

Amanda smiled as the memories washed over her, once again placing her hand over her abdomen. She turned sideways looking at herself as she recalled what she'd looked like when she was expecting Phillip and Jamie and couldn't help wondering if she was carrying Lee's child because of their long-overdue, albeit, reckless passion. Her smile faded a little as less pleasant memories struck her. Her sex life with Joe had seriously dwindled when she was pregnant with Jamie, partly she knew, because Joe really didn't want a second child and was shocked when she told him about her pregnancy. He'd blamed it all on her. That had caused a rift between them when she felt the need to remind hm very bluntly that he'd had a hand in it too.

The conversation with Lee today seemed to indicate that if she were pregnant, he'd take full responsibility. She had to wonder though if the other reason her sex life with Joe had changed would be a factor with Lee. While he never came right out and said it, it was obvious to her that Joe hadn't found her as attractive once her pregnancy had become evident. Lee's desire for her had been quite apparent since last night and she hoped it stayed that way even if they had conceived a child. She shuddered a little at the idea that Lee might not find her desirable any longer at seeing her body swollen with his child. She hoped that wouldn't be true. It hadn't been true of Joe when she'd been carrying Phillip, but they were newly married at that time, just as she and Lee were in a brand-new relationship and were still in honeymoon phase of it.

Her thoughts of Lee snapped her out of her reverie as she remembered that he was waiting for her. She made her way to her closet pulling out a blouse with a high enough collar to hide the evidence of their reckless abandon, then pulled her favorite jeans from the shelf and that's when she noticed the purple box up there that had long ago been neglected. She pulled it from the shelf as well and dropped it to the bed. She stared at it for a moment, the fancy script on its cover advertising Rebecca's Fantasies. She lifted the lid from it admiring the satin and lace concoction within. It was a gift from her mother, who'd bought on a whim when Dean had told her that he intended to propose and it had sat on that closet shelf ever since.

She chuckled to herself as she thought about how hard her mother had pushed her to marry Dean the same way she'd been pushing her last night to give in and sleep with Lee. She thought about how different those two pieces of advice from her mother were and couldn't figure out which she was more grateful for, that she'd ignored the former or followed the latter. She supposed it didn't matter. Both had led her where she is now with Lee. She walked to her dresser and pulled out clean panties and a bra, changed clothes swiftly before returning to the closet to grab her overnight bag to pack it for her return to Lee as quickly as possible. When she'd finished packing the clothes she thought she'd need, she walked past the bed into her bathroom to pack a few toiletries as well. She'd needed the shower this morning, but while Lee's masculine shampoo and soap smelled great on him, they did nothing for her.

When she re-entered the bedroom to add her toiletries to her bag, she paused once again to examine the opened lingerie box on the bed, carefully considering it. She turned away from it, packed the items she was holding, but then she spied it out of the corner of her eye again. She couldn't help but wonder if it was too soon in their relationship for something like that. She shook her head, put the lid back on the box, zipped up the tote bag, dropped it back to the bed and began to clean up the mess she'd made with her dresses the night before, hanging them neatly in her closet, one by one. Each time she went back to the bed for another one, the bright purple box taunted her. She tried to ignore it, but with each evening gown she put away, there it was again. She finally snatched it from the bed and shoved back on the shelf to resist the temptation as she tried to finish her task.

When the only dress left was the one she'd worn last night and she reached for a hanger, she paused again peering at the nearly backless confection and thought, What the hell? What's the worst that could happen? He'd already seen her in the most revealing dress she owned. And he's seen you naked, she reminded herself. She unzipped her bag, turned to hang the red dress up, reached for the box and shoved it quickly into the open bag before she could change her mind again. She might not even take it out of the bag tonight, but she'd rather have it with her in case she decided she should wear it than to decide she should wear it and not have it with her.

Amanda slung her bag over her shoulder grabbed her purse and Lee's car keys and was trotting back down the stairs, thinking how grateful she was that she hadn't run into her mother when she heard the back door open just as she reached the landing. She tried to continue on her way when she hear her mother's voice behind her saying, "Hold it right there Missy!"

Damn, busted, Amanda thought as she turned around stepping across the landing and into the kitchen. She glanced at the disheveled appearance of her mother and chuckled a little. "So, is this your walk of shame," Amanda teased.

"Very funny, Amanda," Dotty said. "It's not like you have any room to talk."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Amanda said evasively glad that she'd had time to change clothes before her mother had arrived.

"Oh, you don't, huh?" Dotty said eyeballing her daughter suspiciously. "Well, you should know that I couldn't get into the house without Buck stopping me to tell all the details of your own walk of shame about half an hour ago."

"What walk of shame? There was no walk of shame," Amanda said resolutely.

"There wasn't?" Dotty said disbelievingly. "So, you didn't come home just now wearing the same dress you left in last night."

"I did," Amanda confirmed. "I'm not denying that, but there was no walk of shame involved. That would mean that I have something to be ashamed of and I don't feel that I do."

"Ohhhh," Dotty said with a knowing grin. "You know, I think that's a very healthy attitude. You and Lee are both adults after all and it was very clear to me last night that the man is completely crazy about you." Dotty looked at her daughter taking in the evidence of her activities of the previous evening.

Amanda smiled and blushed slightly under her mother's intense scrutiny. "Well, I think you already figured out that I'm pretty crazy about him too."

"Good, that's good. I've suspected as much for a long time, the way you've always talked about him. It's nice to hear you finally admit it," Dotty said relieved that her daughter was finally living her life again after devoting so many years solely to her children.

"I guess there's not really any point in denying it. You'd just see right through me anyway, "Amanda joked.

"So, where is Lee anyway? I saw his car outside."

"He's at the supermarket," Amanda answered. "He wants to cook me dinner tonight at his place. I should actually get going soon to go pick him up so we can get back there."

"Ooh, dinner at his place, huh," Dotty purred suggestively. "Cute and he cooks? I'd say he's definitely a keeper."

Amanda laughed and said, "Yeah, Mother, I think so too."

"So, this thing between you, it's serious?"Dotty asked as she nodded toward the bag on Amanda's shoulder. "You've got another date tonight already."

"Yeah, pretty serious, and I wouldn't call it another date. Last night's date hasn't really ended yet. It's just on a brief hiatus so that I could grab some clean clothes and he could do the shopping. Enough about my date, I want to hear all about yours. I'm guessing it went well too since you're just now getting home."

"It was wonderful," Dotty said. "But I will tell you all about it when you get home tomorrow; at least I assume it will be tomorrow before I see you again." Dotty glanced again at the bag on Amanda's shoulder and couldn't help noticing the purple box within, as Amanda hadn't zipped the bag back up after adding that particular item to it. "You're taking this with you?' Dotty inquired with an arched eyebrow as she reached for the box.

"Yeah," Amanda confirmed with a nod.

"Is this a little something new that you bought for the occasion?"Dotty teased as she attempted to open the box but Amanda grabbed it from her first.

"No, actually, it's the same little something you bought me for the honeymoon with Dean that you thought for sure was going to happen," Amanda answered and she shoved the box back into the bag and zipped it closed.

"Isn't that a little weird for you since it was purchased for Dean?"

"No," Amanda replied. "I've never worn it. Dean never even knew that it existed."

"Oh, I see, "Dotty mused.

"What, mother?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about what you said last night about there being no sizzle with Dean. Maybe that little item would have helped to change that," her mother pointed out.

"I don't think so, Mother. If the spark's not there, it's just not there," Amanda explained. "Besides, I could never bring myself to wear sexy lingerie for a man who thought bookends were a romantic gift.

Dotty laughed heartily and said, "You make a good point. Well, at least someone will get some use out of it; although I get the idea that a man like Lee won't let you wear it for very long."

"That's kind of the whole point of wearing sexy lingerie in the first place, isn't it?" Amanda fired back her face flushing

"Well, you must have enjoyed yourself if you're going back for more already and with that," Dotty teased with a lurid smile thoroughly enjoying seeing the crimson shade her daughter's face turned at that statement, "That good, huh?"

"There aren't enough words to describe how good," Amanda said suggestively.

"Glad to hear it. You can tell me all about it another time. You don't want to keep that gorgeous hunk of a man waiting too long. I am so happy for you, Darling." She hugged her daughter with an elation she hadn't felt in a long time glad to see that Amanda was no longer hiding her feelings and instead was embracing them.

"Thank you, Mother," Amanda said as she hugged her mother back.

"Now, I need to take a long, hot bath and get a nap. Hunter's picking me up at seven."

"Oh, so you've got another date too. Must be serious," Amanda teased.

"Not as serious as yours, but we are definitely enjoying ourselves, that's for sure." Dotty began to ascend the stairs then trotted back down them again. "You know, you should invite Lee to have dinner with the family tomorrow night. If this relationship really is serious, he should get to know the boys."

"Mother, I don't know if he's quite ready for that," Amanda said hesitantly although she had said that she wanted him to get to know them before they started seriously considering marriage and he had said that he understood that she came as a package deal. In addition, it had been his idea to come to the house and meet them last night.

"Well, I won't take no for an answer. If the man is worth your time, he needs to get to know your family..." Dotty paused for a moment while her daughter was silent then added, "...especially if he may someday want to become a part of it."

"Mother," Amanda groaned in exasperation. "Don't tell me you're going to try to marry me off again."

"Amanda, Darling, I'm just thinking about your future and it's very obvious that the two of you are in love. Besides, I know you, Amanda. You would never sleep with a man with whom you couldn't at least potentially see having a future. You've never been the type for casual affairs."

"Oh, that's all true, but Lee is a bachelor and hasn't really spent a lot of time around kids so I don't know that throwing him into the lion's den right now is a good idea."

"Let me ask you a question, then," Dotty said. "You told me last night that you'd been on several dates with this man, yet last night was the first time he ever came to the house to pick you up. Whose idea was that, yours or his?"

"His," Amanda replied getting her mother's point. "Ok, I'll ask him," Amanda conceded. She nodded determinedly. Lee had said that he wanted to marry her after all and when she'd thrown the idea of instant fatherhood at him, he hadn't hesitated for a minute. In fact, he'd seemed more worried that she thought he couldn't handle rather than him being afraid for himself that he couldn't. Maybe it would all work out ok.

"Great," Dotty chirped with a smile. "I will see you both tomorrow then."

"Yeah, tomorrow," Amanda answered with a smile. She kissed her mother and made her way back across the landing and out the front door to go meet her man.

Dotty stood for a moment in the kitchen reflecting on the conversation she and Amanda had just had and couldn't help but think that this man, Lee, just might be the one to get her daughter to settle down again.