1 A Little Push

by matahari2

Summary / Disclaimer, Etc.: See Chapter One.

Chapter Eight - Lunch with Emily

At ten minutes to twelve, Amanda King pulled into a parking spot about a half a block from the Jefferson Hotel. She covered the short distance quickly, finding her friend Lady Emily Farnsworth already in the lobby of the hotel.

"Amanda, dear! How wonderful to see you!" Emily exclaimed with open arms.

As the two friends embraced, Amanda returned the greeting. "Oh, Emily, it's so great to see you, too! What's it been? Nine or ten months, now? I really did enjoy having you at my house that time, even if we were on a case, I mean, at least we had time for a little visit when Mother and the boys came home. Oh, I'm sorry, Emily, I know I do tend to run on, especially when I'm excited, like now, and...", mentally shifting gears, Amanda continued, "anyway, there is a really nice restaurant, the Coeur de Lion, in the Adams Hotel just down the street here. Would that be all right for our lunch?"

"Of course, dear. I'm much more interested in being in your company, than which restaurant we choose. It's just down the street, you say? Why don't we take advantage of the lovely weather today, and walk there?" Emily suggested.

"Okay, that'll be fine," Amanda assented.

The two women chatted amiably about the beautiful autumn day, as they strolled to the restaurant.

Once they were seated and had placed their orders, Emily tossed her opening salvo. "So, Amanda, how is it going for you, working with our fair Scarecrow?"

"What do you mean, are we getting along all right? Well...yes, I'd say so. I mean we're friends now, really good friends. And I'd trust him with my life," Amanda answered, with a wistful look.

"It's a good thing you can, my dear. I understand you've had to, on more than one occasion. The same goes for Lee, you know," Emily said.

Amanda interjected, "Oh come on, Emily, he didn't say that."

"He most certainly did, Amanda," Emily stated plainly. "He trusts you implicitly. And I have it on good authority that he treasures your friendship," Emily said with a smile. She looked directly into Amanda's eyes, and inquired, "Amanda...may I ask you a very personal question, as a friend?"

"Well, yes...I suppose so," Amanda answered, hesitantly.

"How do you really feel about our 'mutual friend'? Are you the least bit attracted to him, as more than a friend?"

Amanda's flushed cheeks were already giving her away, and although she wished desperately she could take back her previous answer, she couldn't lie to Emily. "Emily, this is a really hard question to answer, I mean, yes, I guess you could say that I am attracted to Lee in 'that way', but...gosh! how do I put this? It's just that Lee has made it so clear on so many occasions that he is most definitely not interested in any kind of a relationship with me, other than friendship, I mean, and...I suppose I've kinda given up on the idea, and tried very hard to hide whatever feelings I might have for him, and..."

"Amanda, dear, what was that you said earlier about tending to run on when you were excited?" Emily interrupted, with a smile and a wink. "At any rate, dear, I shouldn't abandon all hope just yet."

"Oh?" Amanda asked, surprised at Emily's comment. "How's that?"

"Think about it, Amanda. Have you and Lee ever been on a 'date'?"

"No, not really," Amanda said. "I mean, well...we have spent a little time together away from work. He took me to the opera once...the Verdi Festival at the Kennedy Center...that was really nice," she said with a dreamy smile. Returning her attention to the present, she continued, "And we've been out for lunches, or for a drink after work, and a few dinners, one just last week."

"And you didn't consider those 'dates'," Emily prompted. "Let me just ask you a few questions, just to clear up the issue. On any of those occasions, did Lee pick you up at your home?"

"Yes, the night we went to the Verdi Festival at the Kennedy Center, and again last Friday night."

"And what do you suppose prompted him to ask you out on at least those two occasions?"

"How on earth would I know what prompted him to ask me?" Amanda asked, not really knowing where Emily was going with this line of questioning.

When Emily didn't volunteer an answer, Amanda shrugged her shoulders and went on. "Oh, all right, I'll venture a guess. I was assigned to follow Alan Chamberlain, a document expert and art restorer, around DC as part of a security check, and things got a little out of hand and I actually met Alan by accident. He asked me out one night, and Lee told me to go ahead and go, and I could give him any information I picked up. Then Lee found out that someone Alan had met in the park was a very dangerous person, so he came to my house in the middle of the night to warn me. Alan and I already had a date for breakfast at his hotel the following morning. Lee didn't want me to go, but I guess I got a little huffy about always being cut out of the assignment just when it got interesting, and I'd done a good job so far, and anyway...Lee finally agreed I could go, but he made me promise that I'd leave right away as soon as we got the information we needed. Anyway...we ended up solving the case, and then I felt I had to apologize to Alan for tricking him...I really hate that part, you know. Anyway, Lee went on to the car, and Alan and I said goodbye. I don't know if Lee saw it or not, but Alan kissed me. Anyway..."

Emily couldn't wait to interrupt, "To make a long story somewhat shorter, dear, how did Lee go about asking you out on that occasion?"

"Oh, that." Amanda smiled, remembering, "Well, I have to admit, that was kinda cute. After the case was over, and we were getting ready to take the Chamberlain file and several others back to the Q Bureau for storage, Lee was giving me a hard time about the case, saying that it turned out all right, but that it all hinged on an accident. And then I said something like, 'God forbid a compliment should escape your lips!' And Lee went on about how a professional agent plans every detail and, 'the word accident does not even enter his vocabulary!' He then proceeded to illustrate how it takes 'technique'. He sat down on the love seat in Mr. Melrose's office, and said, 'I'm sitting here on this park bench. Your assignment is to make a casual contact, establish a relationship with me, and get me to ask you to the Kennedy Center for the Verdi Festival.' And I frowned and said, 'How am I supposed to do that?' And Lee said, 'You just sit, and I'll show you.' Then...you'll love this! He said, 'Hey, Toots!' (which I wasn't buying for a minute) 'Heard any good opera lately?' Then he gave me a big smile, sat down beside me on the love seat, wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and said, 'whaddya say we hit the Kennedy for a little Verdi?' I told him 'No thanks, I'm busy!', and looked away and pulled his hand away from my shoulder. He shook his head and pulled 2 tickets out of his jacket pocket and said, 'Gee...that's too bad...these were for tonight.' I whipped my head around and asked, 'Are those real?' Then he looked into my eyes and asked, 'About eight?' 'Love to,' I said. And he gave me that cute, dimpled grin of his and said, 'See how easy that was?' ." Amanda smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Yes, dear. Our boy can certainly be charming. How could you possibly have said 'no'?" Emily asked. Then she continued her inquisition. "What about this last occasion, Amanda, just last week, correct?"

"Yes. Well...I guess I'd been pretty upset with Lee, over a couple of things, really. For one thing, when we were out working on the Agency's 'Spring Cleaning', in between a couple of the follow-ups, Lee brought up a pleasant evening we'd spent together. It was last New Year's Eve...he'd been working, and I'd been 'window dressing', I suppose...anyway, it was a party at the Soviet embassy. He reminisced about us dancing together, and having a really nice time, and how beautiful I looked that night. Silly me, I took it as a compliment. Next thing I know, he's asking me where I got the dress, since he had this 'friend' who would look great in it. Oooh! I couldn't get away from him fast enough right then. Men!" she shouted, then took a 'cleansing breath', and went on, "The other thing that made me angry happened last Friday, the day that his girlfriend Leslie and I met. After he rushed me out of his apartment and we had a minor disagreement about Leslie, which is neither here nor there, he told me that he'd checked in with Billy and then he asked me if I was going 'straight home'. I had heard that kind of question enough times, that this time, it was just the 'straw that broke the camel's back', if you know what I mean. I guess you could say I really lit into him, and we had our biggest argument ever. Anyway, the case we were working on did come out all right after all. And after we'd both gone to say goodbye and good luck to Beth and her husband...they're the people we were able to help...anyway, that's when he asked me. He wanted us to have dinner together, no shop talk for a change. And he said, 'We don't do enough of that, do we?' And being honest, I said, 'Not by half!' Anyway, it was a nice, friendly dinner, with no shop talk, as promised. As to WHY he asked me, I couldn't say...maybe just some fence mending with a friend?"

"That's a very good possibility, Amanda. He wouldn't want to lose you," Emily finished. "As a friend. That may very well be what he's so afraid of."

"Afraid of?" Amanda asked, with a puzzled look.

"Your friendship, Amanda. It's one of the best Lee has ever known, and he may very well be afraid of losing it, if the two of you should move your relationship to a new level." Emily continued, "And one more question, Amanda. Do you enjoy Lee's company?"

"Well, yeah...I mean, he's a great guy, and a really good friend, you know. And he has a really good sense of humor," Amanda tossed her head slightly and continued, "...and, okay, I have to admit, he's pretty easy on the eyes, too...with his killer smiles, and those gorgeous hazel eyes, and...oh...my...gosh!!" , Amanda shouted, a little embarrassed.

Emily had to smile, remembering a very similar conversation with Lee. "Amanda, dear, please be patient with him. People can change, you know. Just give it time."



TO BE CONTINUED