~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2: Sugar 'n Spice
Lee headed over to Arlington on his way home from… well, it actually wasn't on his way home, but it would only be a tiny bit out of his way. Hardly worth mentioning. He liked to keep tabs on the occupants of 4247 Maplewood Drive. Amanda had not been scheduled to work today, so Lee hadn't seen her since yesterday. He felt he should check up on her just in case.
It was a warm spring evening. As Lee made his way quietly to the back yard, the intoxicating scent of jasmine drifted out to him. He inhaled deeply to fill his lungs with the wonderful scent. Although the backyard was in total darkness, the fragrant blossoms glowed white with reflected light from the kitchen, causing them to appear suspended in air. He glanced at his watch. The boys should be deeply entrenched in homework by now. He hoped Amanda would have a few minutes to spend with him tonight.
Lee raised his hand to tap on her back window pane, but paused in mid-air. Amanda was alone in the kitchen, but she looked so intent on her task that he didn't want to disturb her. She was dressed in a pink-and-white striped shirt which was tucked into tight-fitting jeans, showing off her trim figure. She looked so gorgeous with her hair pinned up off her neck and her long sleeves rolled up half-way to her elbow. She was obviously baking something. The mixer she held in her hand was whirring away at a pale yellow mass of something in the bowl. Lee noticed an opened package of brown sugar next to the bowl. He wondered what delectable confection would soon be emerging from her oven. As the thought wandered around in his mind, she turned away to head for the oven, turning it on. She cracked first one egg, then a second, third, and fourth into the large glass bowl. Next came vanilla. More mixing. Then she carefully counted out six cups of flour, leveling each cup carefully with a spatula. Whatever she was making, it was going to be a lot of it. When the flour was mixed in, she bent to retrieve several cookie sheets from a lower cupboard. He spied bags of chocolate chips on her counter. Aha! Chocolate chip cookies! No one could say that his deductive skills were lacking. His mouth watered at the thought of freshly-baked cookies. He hoped she was making a large batch so she could bring some of them in to work tomorrow. He would make sure he got there early so he could snag more than his fair share. After all, she was his partner.
Just as this possessive thought entered his head, Amanda looked out into the backyard toward him as if she was wondering about something. She absent-mindedly began to open the bags of chocolate while a soft smile adorned her face. Lee caught his breath quickly as he felt a strange sensation. It was as if they had just shared an intimate moment, even though he knew he would be the last thing on her mind.
He almost picked that moment to come into view so he could tap on the window and spend a few minutes with her. But just then, Philip and Jamie came bounding into the kitchen. Philip took the stool closest to the mixing center so he would have a good view of the activities. Jamie gave his mom a big hug around the waist. She bent to kiss the top of his head, since her hands were full of flour. Jamie then took up his seat next to Philip and reached out for a handful of chips. Amanda stopped him with some words and a frown whereby Philip clunked him over the head with an empty plastic measuring cup. Lee chuckled as Amanda scolded both of her sons. Then relenting, she smiled and poured out a small pile of the tiny treasures for each boy. They nibbled happily while she finished mixing the dough. The boys chattered to Amanda who answered them lovingly. Lee was in awe at the closeness the three shared. The love was palpable even to him looking in from the outside and not hearing a word they said. He watched the family, unsure why such a seemingly normal activity such as baking cookies could hold such fascination for him. Maybe it was because he had experienced few such activities in his own childhood.
As soon as Amanda finished the mixing, Philip and Jamie each clamored for a beater to lick off the remaining sweet bits of dough. It wasn't long before the cookie dough was lined up in perfect little rows on the shiny silver sheets. While two of the sheets were in the oven, Amanda scooped the rest of the dough onto the waiting sheets lined up on her counter.
A little weary of her task, Amanda used the back of her hand to brush some stray curls back from her forehead. In doing so, she managed to deposit a bit of flour onto her forehead and a small dab of chocolate onto the top of her cute little nose. The boys noticed, and pointed at her, laughing uproariously. Lee grinned at the three of them and thought Jamie and Philip might fall off their stools they were laughing so hard. Amanda laughed herself and didn't seem to mind their teasing. Her face was slightly flushed from the heat of the oven. Not for the first time, Lee marveled at how beautiful she was. He wished he was in the kitchen with her so he could draw that slender body to his and kiss the chocolate off of her nose. He anticipated she would smell like lavender and brown sugar, a delightful combination. Then his mouth would move toward hers via her jaw line and her neck, she would wrap her arms around him and their lips would meet in a… The agent stopped in mid-thought. Whoa, what was that all about? This was Amanda here, his friend Amanda. Not someone he would be likely to kiss. Although if he were to kiss her… No, no, he would not be likely to kiss her.
It wasn't long before the freshly-baked cookies began emerging from the oven. They were lined up in neat rows on a rack to cool. The boys dove in eagerly, getting the warm chocolate on their hands and faces, laughing and clowning around while they munched. Lee wished he was sitting on a stool next to them enjoying the delectable goodies while he watched their graceful mother's every move.
After their milk and cookies snack, Amanda shooed the boys upstairs to get cleaned up before bed. Dotty made an appearance in her robe, helping Amanda stash the cookies in their tins and clean up the kitchen. She then kissed Amanda on the cheek, wished her good night, and headed back up the stairs.
Lee was just about ready to try tapping on the window again, when Amanda looked furtively into the hallway and up the stairs as if to make sure she was indeed alone at long last. What was she up to? She then reached for a small serving plate from an upper cupboard, took out a paper doily from a drawer, and began to arrange cooled cookies festively on the plate. Lee's heart sank. At least some of the extra cookies were obviously intended as a gift. She might not be taking them to the office after all. That plate was too small to share with the entire bullpen. It was probably for a bake sale at school or something.
She carefully covered the heaping plate with plastic wrap. Next came a bow. This gift must be for someone special. Lee rubbed his chin while he reflected. Maybe the older lady next door. Amanda then rummaged in a drawer for a white note card on which she drew a design and wrote a message. She surveyed the card, but then discarded it in the trash and began again. The second note card also did not please her. Finally on the third attempt, she appeared satisfied, so she attached the personalized note to the top of the cookie plate, and then gently ran her hand lovingly across the plate with a small smile tipping up the sides of her mouth. She again glanced out the back window into the backyard, this time seeming a little disappointed. Lee's curiosity was really getting the better of him now.
But it was getting late, and Lee decided he'd better head home. He would not be chatting with Amanda after all this evening. Just as he turned to go, Amanda called something up the stairs. She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and headed purposely out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving the gift plate unguarded on the counter. Seizing his opportunity, and without a thought to the possible consequences, Lee tried the glass-paned door to find it was unlocked. He really must talk to Amanda about this. But another time. For the moment he switched into agent mode and crept into the kitchen without a sound, heading straight over to the plate of cookies. The note card adorning the gift read simply "To Lee, From Amanda."
Lee's heart lurched inside his chest, and his face colored at the discovery that the homemade gift was for him. He beat a hasty retreat for the door, unable to resist the temptation to steal one cookie from those still cooling on the rack on his way out. He closed the door noiselessly behind him and moved further back from the window than he had been previously. He couldn't leave until he was sure Amanda had locked the door for the night.
A few minutes later Amanda reappeared in the kitchen. She got out the tin to pack away the remaining cookies. Since they were lined up in neat rows, the missing cookie was clearly evident. She looked at its empty space with a puzzled expression. She glanced over her shoulder towards upstairs, shook her head as if dismissing the idea that it was one of the boys, and then looked out the window in Lee's direction. She couldn't see him, of course, since he was far back in the shadows. She looked over her shoulder towards the front hall and then walked towards the back door which caused Lee to move further to the side to avoid being detected. Amanda poked her head out the door and called softly "Lee? Lee, are you out there?" Receiving no response, she shook her head again, retreated back into the kitchen, and locked the door behind her. She picked up the plate of cookies, fingering the bow with a tender look on her face. She then put the plate into a shopping bag and placed it next to her purse ready for the morning. Surveying the kitchen to be sure it passed inspection, she turned out the light and headed up the stairs.
Lee had been frozen in place, not wanting to be discovered with his hand literally in the cookie jar. When he was sure she had retired for the night, he let out the long breath he had been holding. That had been a close call. With the taste of the cookie still fresh in his mouth, he made his way silently around the side of the house and out to his car, the scene he had witnessed still engaging his thoughts. That little lady sure was something. She found time to be a loving mother to her boys, a devoted daughter to her mother, and a good friend and partner to him. She whipped up a mean batch of cookies, served on numerous charities, and would do whatever it took to watch his back so he would be safe. What other hats did this woman wear that he wasn't even aware of? Amanda…enigmatic… mysterious… He had a lot to learn about her. He smiled softly with a faraway expression in his hazel eyes.
~~~~~~~
