A Spooky Little Girl Like You, Part IV
By Christine
A Halloween Tale
DISCLAIMER: Scarecrow and Mrs. King is the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. My use of these characters is intended purely for fun.
Lee sauntered slowly to his desk, picked up a stack of files, and made his way casually towards Amanda. "Um, Amanda..." Lee began.
"Oh, good morning Lee," smiled Amanda weakly. She was glad to see him, but couldn't believe how awful he looked. "Those late nights are really beginning to take a toll," she thought to herself, "so just stomp my heart flat, Lee. Just rip it right out of my chest. Go ahead, sleep with other women right under my nose then come running back to me when you need to get something done." But none of this showed in her eyes. She was beginning to learn about poker faces, too. Lee only saw that she looked very tired. He couldn't tell if it was mental of physical; and her eyes didn't smile at him. Something was wrong. He wondered if she'd been sick, and he reminded himself that he'd been too busy rolling around in bed with Leslie to notice much. But he decided to push ahead; he could always ask her how she was feeling later, at lunch maybe. "Yeah, I'll take her to a nice lunch where I can find out everything that's been going on in Amanda's life these past two weeks," he thought cheerfully. "But first you have to get her away from Paulson," Lee reminded himself.
"Amanda, I need you. I've pulled lots of files that need to be organized, and I need you to research that new laser project the Russians are working on. Come on, we'll grab a cup of coffee and I'll explain what I need for you to do." Lee's face remained casual and nonchalant, but Amanda could tell that Lee was pleading with her.
"So, he's been fooling around with Leslie so much he's missing deadlines, and he needs me to save his tail!" Amanda thought angrily, "Well, not this time, Buster!" Amanda was tired of being dependable and expendable. If he wanted to spend so much time with Leslie, than he could get HER to help him with his research!" Amanda thought hotly. Although Amanda had the sinking feeling that Lee and Leslie's research was the primary cause of Lee being so far behind in his work.
So Amanda replied, "Sorry, Lee, but I can't help you. I've promised Daniel Paulson that I will help him work on this report he had due about exactly what he's done these last 20 years in the field. Can you imagine that? That poor man. I can hardly remember what I had for supper last night, let alone the day-to-day details for the past 20 years. It's a good thing he kept diaries, or I don't think he'd ever remember all this stuff. I mean, we fit everything he could remember off the top of his head on these steno sheets, but Dr. Smyth is gonna need a lot more detail than that! Daniel says it will take over two weeks, and Mr. Melrose has already OK'd me working with him for that long. And I could really use the money to fix the boys' bathroom at home. It's leaking right down on my dining room table, and I'm afraid one night the bathtub is just gonna fall straight through the floor with one of the boys in it. Probably Phillip, he dances and sings in the shower. And besides, you said just the other night how you could get any old girl from the steno pool to do the work I do for you. And, really, you've been so busy with your girlfriend every night that I thought you wouldn't be needing me for quite awhile. It is still Leslie, isn't it? I mean, Mrs. DeAngelo said you have been seen at Nedlinger's with her almost every night," Amanda rambled intentionally. Lately, she took sadistic pleasure in confusing him. She had developed a knack for knowing exactly how much of her ramblings he could withstand before that hopelessly confused and horribly irritated look came over his face. It had almost become a game with her, especially here lately when she was so afraid that irritation was the only emotion Lee felt in connection with her.
Lee felt a ton of bricks land on his stomach. "She knows I've been seeing Leslie?" He was genuinely surprised. He thought he had effectively thrown Amanda off his trail when he cancelled plans to the reception with Leslie to cook steaks for Amanda. They had a wonderful time cooking together and enjoying each other's company. They told jokes and laughed. She teased him unmercifully about undercooking the steaks, pretending to kill it with her knife and making pitiful little mooing sounds. He laughed and teased her about using someone from the steno pool from now on. At least they could be respectful of a senior agent and would be ecstatic that he even noticed them, let alone invite them over to his apartment and cook for them. But it was gentle teasing, and he hoped she could see that he needed her for much, much more than typing and dictation. She had become practically indispensable to him. He hoped she realized that.
And it felt great to spend a simple evening with her, better than a thousand black-tie affairs. He felt relaxed and happy in her company, and he contentedly fell asleep (albeit alone) that night. Although his hormones got the better of him and he was back with Leslie the very next night. But he thought he had gone a long way in banishing Amanda's suspicions. He now realized what a huge jerk he'd been, and how he hadn't fooled anyone but himself. Lee finally realized what his subconscious had been doing to him. Leslie was nothing more than an Amanda substitute, very similar to her, but purposefully not her. Leslie had been Lee's last emotional barrier, his last ditch defense against the onslaught of his feelings for Amanda. And it hadn't worked. Not for very long, anyway. Lee's carefully constructed emotional house of cards was falling down around his ears, and he wanted nothing more than to run and hide away from the tidal wave of feelings that were now pouring in.
Lee didn't know how to deal with all of these new feelings, and his discomfort was making him angry. Lee was about to raise the roof to Amanda in front of everyone in the bullpen. He was about to protest that she had accepted such a lengthy assignment without consulting him, her partner. He was about to demand self-righteously that she cancel out on Paulson. He was about to tell her never to accept another assignment again without first clearing it with him, no matter what a good idea Billy thought it was. But then he saw her face change. That lovely smile and hopeful expression were back and aimed not at him, but somewhere over his left shoulder! "Paulson?" Lee wondered.
Daniel ignored Lee and smiled brightly at Amanda, "Amanda, I thought I had all of the first series of diaries out in my car, but I seem to have left the very first one at home. Why don't you come with me to get it, and that way we can go over my time line again in the car. I've just remembered a few details to add to it. We can pick up a late breakfast and settle down to study these diaries in the park. It's a beautiful morning, and I could think clearer away from all this noise." Daniel had glanced sidelong at Lee with that last comment, and now turned to face him, "Oh, hello, Scarecrow. I trust you're having a good morning?"
Lee ignored the pleasantries, "Paulson, I'm sorry, but Amanda here isn't going to be able to work with you on your project. See, she works primarily with me, and I have some important things pending that I need her help with. She didn't clear this assignment with me before she accepted, and I'll speak to her about that. But I can't release her to you now because I'm too busy. So, I could recommend some good typists from the steno pool that would be more than happy to assist you in whatever you need, but not Amanda. I need her with me." Lee was bluffing like hell, and praying Daniel Paulson wouldn't notice.
Now it was Amanda's turn to be angry. Actually, she was furious with the way Lee was trying to just jerk her around, "How dare you burst in here and try to ruin my chance at overtime because your butt is in a sling! Mr. Melrose OK's my assignments, you don't. Besides, I WANT to work with Daniel. I really think I can do a good job, here. My only advice for you, Lee Stetson, is to leave Leslie alone long enough to roll over and get a good nights' sleep! Then you ought to be able to get your job done!"
Daniel didn't fail to notice the hurt look that Lee shot Amanda after her tirade. "So, what's this," Daniel asked himself, "is the mighty Scarecrow smitten? Let's see how he reacts when his cage gets rattled."
"Sorry, Stetson," Daniel answered smugly, putting his arm around Amanda to guide her toward the door, "it's a done deal. Billy cleared it this morning. He said I could avail myself of Amanda's services for as long as she'll put up with me. He's cleared her calendar and approved any overtime we might run into. I need her security clearance and her penchant for detail. I know you're used to depending on her, but now she's gonna be with me. Come on, Amanda, I'm anxious to get started." And with that they were gone, Daniel's hand resting casually in the small of Amanda's back, guiding her toward the door. Lee suddenly got the urge to rush forward and break every one of Daniel's fingers.
"I've been outmaneuvered by that polo player!" He could only watch in amazement as Daniel Paulson swung Amanda out the door, successfully garnering for himself the one thing in this world that mattered most to Lee Stetson: that famous Arlington housewife and mother of two, Amanda King.